Encanto’s Jessica Darrow: Meet Luisa Madrigal

Encanto voice actor Jessica Darrow talks about her character and the art of the movie…

Okay, okay. I haven’t yet seen Encanto, but I will say that my Twitter feed is making it hard to keep the promise I made to see the film as a family.

Firstly, the buzz there is downright Coco-like. And Coco is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Secondly, the powerful message of family and tradition and, well, Mexico, resonated powerfully through every frame of Coco.

Now, Encanto brings a similar strong feeling to the screen, even if I’ve only seen it in previews.

Meet Jessica

Speaking of power, one of the characters in the film, Luisa, has super strength. And the voice actor who breathed life into the most muscular Madrigal recently visited Walt Disney World.

“I loved getting to voice Luisa; she is strong and powerful. She’s the rock of the family with the gift of super-strength that she uses to serve her family and her community,” explained Darrow to Disney Parks Blog.

“While I may not have Luisa’s superhuman strength,” she continued, “I do share in her love of family and community, which not only plays a big role in the film but is also a huge part of the rich Colombian culture, from which this film was inspired.”

All About Encanto

Meanwhile, the boilerplate for the movie reads:

The film tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. Each child has been blessed with a magic gift unique to them—each child except Mirabel. But when the family’s home is threatened, Mirabel may be their only hope.

Inspirational Colombian Culture

Walt Disney Studios also explained, “The film features all-new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana) and is directed by Byron Howard (“Zootopia,” “Tangled”) and Jared Bush (co-director Zootopia), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino. Bush and Castro Smith are screenwriters on the film.

“The filmmakers were deeply inspired by their research trip to Colombia during early development of Encanto, as well as their continuous work with a group of expert consultants assembled through the course of the film’s production.”

Moreover, Darrow also explained, “Just as the animators brought to life the beautiful landscapes of Colombia in Encanto, Disney collaborated with four Colombian artists to create vibrant, one-of-a-kind artwork and products inspired by the film.

“And you can see a selection of these pieces and learn more about the artists who created them, right here at Disney Springs and at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

Finally, check out the full article from Disney Parks Blog and watch Darrow’s full video!

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