Jane the Virgin - PaleyFest Panel - "May Include Spoilers for Chapter Sixteen"

I had the great pleasure of attending the Jane the Virgin PaleyFest panel. It was the second last event for this year’s PaleyFest and the Dolby Theatre was full of adoring fans – both on and off the stage. The one thing that really struck me was just how much the actors on stage clearly not just liked each other but loved each other. There was also a lot of love and admiration for showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman.

The panel was preceded by a viewing of the next episode. I’ll just tease a few things. Jane joins a writing group. Rogelio has words with Rafael. A bromance begins. An old flame comes back into someone’s life. Urman said that the episode contains her favorite fantasy sequence yet!

Urman revealed that when she was first presented with the logline of the show, she wasn’t terribly enthusiastic, but once she’d had a chance to think about the issues they could raise and the directions the show could go, she was on board. She got excited about telenovelas and was committed to this modern fairytale.

Executive producer Brad Silberling and Urman both say that they were very stressed about finding the right person to play Jane, but that didn’t last too long because Gina Rodriguez was the third person they saw. Urman said that the performance in the Pilot is essentially the same performance Rodriguez gave in the audition. It was so good and so on point that it couldn’t be improved upon.

Rodriguez was asked what drew her to the part. She said that she fell in love with Jane because she’s the woman she wishes she was more like: strong, empowering, fearless… and a virgin! This was followed by lots of laughter. In fact, the entire panel had a lot of laughter and all of them talking over each other – just as you’d expect from a big family!

Rodriguez went on to say that she was happy to get to speak for a culture. She said when she read the script, she thought, who wrote that? She’s brilliant! One of the things she likes best about Urman’s scripts is the opportunity to do both comedy and drama, to really stretch as an actor. Rodriguez, like the rest of the cast, couldn’t say enough nice things about Urman.

The moderator remarked on what a great ensemble the show is and there were high-fives – and more laughter – all down the line. Urman remarked that they are a “deep bench of excellent actors.”

When asked about Rafael’s journey, Justin Baldoni said that it’s been humbling. Urman writes characters that really have somewhere to go. It’s all rooted in reality and then the extremes come out from that. He said that he’ll read the script and think, “My God. What else could he deal with?!” But it’s always back to the heart of what he’s dealing with.

Working up came up, and naturally that lead to a discussion of working out on the set – and Baldoni’s workouts. Jaime Camil joked that “when you see Justin’s body, it’s my body.” Camil also said that he feels very privileged to be interacting with this amazing group of actors. He also said that Urman and her team of writers are wonderful. As for Rogelio, he’s very sincere and has heart in addition to his ego. He’s an all around complete character. Rogelio has so many great lines that Camil couldn’t think of just one off the top of his head.

The moderator’s remark that the emotional weight of the show comes from the women garnered a huge round of applause from the audience. Andrea Navedo said that the dynamic between Xo, Alba, and Jane reminded her of her own family, which is also a very maternal family. Navedo was also raised by a single mom in the South Bronx. The women are all hard workers, conscientious, and fiercely loyal to each other. Navedo is happy to present such a positive image of single mothers and Latinos.

Ivonne Coll sasid that she is happy to represent the thousands of immigrants in America. She said that “we are part of the fabric, part of the nation.” She is happy to represent this real demographic. She said that it also puts a face on the vast majority of illegal immigrants who aren’t criminals.

Urman also remarked that you can have a much better impact by attaching the viewer to the people and they raising awareness rather than simply preaching about an issue. Navedo also pointed out the importance of humanizing the issues. Rodriguez added that education is a way to wipe out ignorance and intolerance, to promote “peace and tolerance through art.”

The moderator also pointed out that Petra also has an immigrant story to tell. Yael Grobglas said that while Petra is the villain, she is also a realistic, grounded character. Grobglas said that Urman giving her comedy to do was a gift – and Urman praised Grobglas for being brilliant at the comedy. Groblas also remarked on Urman’s beautiful writing that has them laughing and crying within a five minute sequence.

Urman remarked that it was finding the narrator’s voice that really made the Pilot come together for her. Silverman related that it was throwing in all the texting, subtitles, emoticons, etc all at once that overwhelmed the executives and just got them to agree to everything. Urman also sang the praises of Anthony Mendez – the voice of the narrator.

Urman also said that every episode has a different tone, depending on where Jane is in her journey. This allows the writers to stretch both their dramatic and comedic muscles.

When asked what it was like on set when they heard about the Golden Globe nominations everyone pretty much spoke at once. Baldoni said, “We were all pulling for Gina.” They commented that it was very emotional. Baldoni also said that “we love what we do” and the entire cast loves to share what they do with the audience. Baldoni said, “This is the most wonderful group of people.”

Urman said that when Gina won, it was like they all won. And this was the first time Rodriguez started to cry – it’s easy to see how genuine her emotions are. Rodriguez responded that “Jane is nothing without the cast. This isn’t just one person.” Navedo commented that you get what you give, and that Rodriguez is such a positive person – “She’s extremely generous and compasstionate.”

The cast was asked who they would like to play if they couldn’t play their own character. Grobglas started it off by choosing Rogelio – which, of course, is who pretty much everyone chose! Navedo said she’d like to play Petra because the bad girls have the most fun. Baldoni said he was going to say Rogelio but changed to Michael – or Sin Rostro! Rodriguez picked Luisa because of her awesome crazy journey, also singing the praises of Yara Martinez.

The panel were asked how the show has changed their life. Grobglas said she’s never had to explain so often that she’s actually a nice person! Coll remarked that everyone thinks she’s a grandmother – and she’s not! Coll was really funny as she said this – and looked stunning in a hot pink dress too!

Brett Dier said that he gets to go to work every day and do what he loves. He also said that his cast mates have inspired him to be a better person. Camil said it’s just a dream to be here. He said they praise each other because they genuinely love each other. He said it was a blessing and that they all share the same values.

Navedo said she’s gone from being a full time mom to being an away mom as her kids are still living back in New York while she is in LA pursuing her dream. The good news is that with the second season confirmed, her kids will be moving to LA. She said that choosing to be an actor is crazy, but it’s necessary to take risks and step out of you comfort zone and she’s happy to demonstrate that for her kids.

When a fan got up to tell Rodriguez that she was her biggest fan because before Jane she never saw herself on television, she never had a role model and that the show captures the culture so well, Rodriguez was once more brought to tears. I suspect a good part of the audience was as well. The audience member said no one had captured the Latino culture and experience so well – not even Telemundo. She asked Urman how she’d captured the culture so well when she’s not a Latino herself. Urman said that she writes the characters. The more you do with characters the less stereotypical they become. She found it easy to write a 20-something woman who is driven and wants to be a writer! She also relies on the cast for authenticity on Latino culture.

Rodriguez had the last word when she echoed much of what Urman said. She said you need to write humans first. We all want the same things. She also said the Latino culture is actually made up of several cultures – you can simply start with all of them being Spanish speaking. However, if the world wants to see them as one community, they should act like one community.

In short, the panel was very entertaining – it’s easy to see why the show is so touching when you see how genuine the cast is. They love what they do, but they also love each other and appreciate the way the audience has embraced them. It was a terrific event – and the second last for this year’s PaleyFest. I highly recommend keeping an eye open for future Paley Center events – in both New York and Los Angeles throughout the year and especially PaleyFest 2016!

About the Author - Lisa Macklem

I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.