Watching the teen series that hit TV a few years ago, Laura Luz was sure: she wanted to be there. At just 9 years old, she decided that she would be an actress and since then, she has taken more than 25 acting courses for TV and cinema and several commercials. But the big turning point came in 2021, aged 18, when she was chosen to star in the first Brazilian science fiction series on Disney +, ‘Mila No Multiverso’, which premiered on January 25 of that year. Then, she dominated streaming for good and became Kami, in ‘Dr4g0n’, Globoplay’s gamer series, still without a scheduled premiere date.
In “Mila No Multiverso”, the protagonist Mila is the daughter of the great scientist Elis (Malu Mader), who disappears while exploring alternative universes. So, on her 16th birthday, the heroine gets a device capable of traveling through these dimensions and goes in search of her mother, meeting new versions of her best friends along the way.
For Laura, Mila’s outstanding features were even her biggest challenge. “Finding a Mila who is strong and sweet at the same time was not easy”, he says, saying that he was inspired by Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog”, MJ, from “Spider-Man – Far From Home” and Olivia, from “Lemonade Mouth”.
At Globoplay, it’s Laura’s turn to play Kami, in “Dr4g0n”, a series that tells the story of a family that is on the verge of bankruptcy and now has its livelihood through the talent of their children for E-Sports. The cast brings big names like Fernanda Marques, who for the actress became practically a sister who helped her to compose the character.
In addition, the actress highlights the representativeness of the character, who cannot be called a young lady or a villain, but who is present due to her strong personality. But unlike Kami, Laura is not a gamer at all and had to immerse herself in this universe to bring the character to life. Check out the interview!
You recently debuted on Disney Plus starring in the series “Mila in the Multiverse”, and in a statement you gave, it was said that it was one of your six dreams to do something like that. How has this new chapter of your life been and what do you think of the public reception?
Since I was approved I have been ecstatic about the situation. I believe that until now the scale of all this has not sunk in. The reception from the public is very nice, people are editing the series, commenting and that makes me very happy.
In addition to being in the series, Disney is considered one of the largest global entertainment companies, with multiple platforms and production companies. How is the responsibility of being part of something this big and how were the selections for the cast?
The selection process was smooth. We received the text to record a self-tape, then there was an online test with the casting producer and then there was a call-back with other actresses who were auditioning for Juliana and finally, there was a face-to-face test with the director Julia Jordão and Yuki, who was approved as Juliana. Being in one of the biggest companies in the world is a big responsibility, but it’s all very magical, so I don’t even see it as a burden.
Despite Mila’s success, you also have another project which is “Dr4g0n”, a Globoplay series that addresses the gamer universe. What do you think of playing Kami and especially working on this theme in the series?
Kami was also a great gift for me. When the recording of “Mila no Multiverso” ended I was afraid of not being approved for any other work and because Kami was totally different from Mila, I was very surprised and happy to have been approved and to be able to explore a theme that I wasn’t Next, E-Sports. The cast was able to delve into that in preparation, so it was an adventure that happened as a group.
In this new Disney Plus series, her character travels between different dimensions in search of her lost mother, so she ends up meeting different versions of her friends along the way. If you had to describe your character’s characteristics, do you think she would have much in common with you?
Mila’s main characteristics are empathy, courage and companionship. I say that she puts her hand in the fire for who she believes in and still plans how not to get burned. I think I’m similar to her in that I do everything for the people she loves.
During “Mila no Universo”, you even worked with actress Malu Mader, who in the series played the protagonist’s mother. How was this exchange between you on the film set?
It was wonderful. Malu helped us a lot during the scenes with tips.
One of Mila’s notable features is precisely her commitment to caring about her friends and fighting for what she believes in. For the audience that watches this series, do you believe that Mila can be an inspiring figure so that young people can value their friendships more and overcome their obstacles in life?
Yes definitely. I myself am very inspired by Mila. I believe that she is the right person to be in different universes, because she never judges the book by its cover and is always willing to help others!
When we watch the series, we can see that Mila has a balance in her personality that revolves between her sweet fear of being, however, she is also strong when she needs to be. What was the process of building this character like for you and what were the main challenges you encountered when playing her?
Directors Julia Jordão and Jéssica Queiroz, along with casting coach Marina Medeiros helped me a lot to build a docile and strong personality at the same time. I was very inspired by Tiana, from Princess and the Frog and the ideas that the directors had and I am happy that it worked out.
Even based on a reality that is a dream of many young people, the series “Dr4g0n” shows a family that, on the verge of bankruptcy, starts to survive through the sustenance that their children get through video games. Especially with the influence of YouTube and Twitch channels, many young people dream of being able to make a living this way. Despite not being something easy, does this series end up provoking the possibilities for the public?
Yes, in addition to being a series about E-Sports, it is a series with captivating characters and a very well-built story, so those who are not involved with the subject will want to know a little more about the universe of E-Sports.
During this Globoplay series, it was described that your co-star Fernanda Marques became very close to you behind the scenes. How was your relationship during the project?
“Nana” was one of Dr4g0n’s gifts, along with the entire cast itself. We would go to each other’s rooms to talk and laugh. Everyone got along very well and being in the same hotel helped our rapport a lot. Fernanda and I were roommates for a long time, so we visited each other frequently.
One thing that became very interesting in the meantime is that while you were building Mila’s sweet personality, Kami already has a very opposite personality, showing herself to be someone with a thick skin. Was it interesting to be able to work with these opposites?
Very! It was a very nice challenge to do. I was inspired by many characters and having the creator and screenwriter in the studio also helped a lot to see where they wanted to go.
Another detail about Kami is its impact in relation to representation, mainly in the gamer world, where several female players in Internet forums complain that sexism is very strong in some places. What is your opinion regarding her presence just in a place that should be for fun and how Kami could help other girls in that sense?
Kami has an admirable strength that is necessary for the E-Sports environment, which is predominantly male, but it is something that people will have to follow when the series comes out.
Tais Araújo, Lázaro Ramos, there were several actors who inspired you to pursue your career in art, however, there is one that you always highlighted, which was Zendaya, who today you frequent the same house where she worked in “No Ritmo” alongside Bella Thorne in the 2010s. If you had the opportunity to work with Zendaya today, what do you think would be the ideal project for the two of you and what characteristics do you feel compared to her?
Wow, what a good and difficult question. I find it audacious to compare myself to Zendaya because she is brilliant in a thousand ways. They say I remember her because of the way she looks (for me it’s a compliment). If I could do something with her it would be a production where we are sisters and we are dealing with family issues together. I love drama and would love to have that exchange with her.
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