Daniella Pineda is a young Mexican-American actress who has been trying to make a name for herself for nearly a decade. Despite the scarcity of actors and actresses of similar ancestry working in film and television, she appears to be on fast track to success.
But the reality is that she’s worked very hard to get where she is as part of a surefire blockbuster like Jurassic World.
Recently The Shadow League talked to the charming and intelligent young chauntuese about dinosaurs, drama and what it was like working with the infinitely afable Chris Pratt.
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The Shadow League: What is it about dinosaurs that makes adults giddy?
Daniella Pineda: The dinosaurs are the heroes in this one. Working on this movie was profoundly sublime. It was definitely a dream come true. I’ve never worked on anything of this scale before. Me talking to you, for example. This is my first press junket. These are all firsts for me. The crazy thing is that the massive world of the first installment is one of the films I took all my friends to. I was so excited. I was already a really big fan. Jurassic World was one of my favorite movies. It was one of the reasons that compelled me, on some subconscious level, to enter the business. The fact that I got to be part of something I was already a fan of is pretty fantastic.
Daniella Pineda on Twitter
https://t.co/76om7hMpey
TSL: What are some of the lessons you learned while onset?
DP: I learned from Chris Pratt and Bryce Howard as far as how to be a leading man or woman and how to be a leader on set, to be professional but still manage to have a lot of fun. It’s not a coincidence that Chris Pratt is where he is. When you meet him, you’re like “Oh, I get it! You’re a mega-superstar.” Yet, he’s not intimidating at all. He’s so kind, he’s very considerate, he definitely took me under his wing. That was amazing. Brice was the same thing. She’s the only actress I’ve ever worked with where, after a 16-hour day, she’s totally kind and professional every single minute of that day. She definitely has her father’s genes, for sure.
I just got really lucky. This was a great group of people to work with. The worst part about the film was when it ended.
TSL: The Jurassic Park franchise is over 20 years old this month. What was it like for you being part of that history working on this film?
DP: I’m still processing it but what I’m most excited about is, yes it has been around for 25 years, but I can speak for myself as a fan and I’m not in a hurry to see it go away.
TSL: Did working on this big budget, summer blockbuster-type film meet your expectations?
DP: The shoot exceeded my expectations. I try to go into everything with low expectations. Not neccesarily just for this film, but I always make it a habit of going into a film with low expectations because it’s the most unpredictable business in the world. But I had very high expectations for myself to perform, to do well and to be prepared. But by the end of it I had made friends. We were like a family. It was like Camp Jurassic. By the end I was so much more spiritually enriched than I ever thought I would have been.
JURASSIC WORLD FALLEN KINGDOM “Zia” Behind The Scenes Daniella Pineda Interview
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom behind-the-scenes interview with Daniella Pineda. Subscribe to our main channel http://bit.ly/FlicksSubscribe Subscribe for more clips, trailers & interviews http://bit.ly/FlicksClips Twitter http://twitter.com/FlicksCity Facebook http://facebook.com/FlicksAndTheCity Google+ http://google.com/+FlicksAndTheCity Website http://FlicksAndTheCity.com With all of the wonder, adventure and thrills synonymous with one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history, this all-new motion-picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs-along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before.
TSL: What was the average day on set like?
DP: First of all, Chris is really goofy. He really is that guy that everyone thinks that he is. We just had a lot of fun. It was already a distinct family unit that me and Justice Smith were entering into, and everyone just welcomed us with open arms. Whether it was pulling pranks or making fun of each other, or trying to make each other laugh on camera, and being on the other end of that, trying not to laugh on camera.
TSL: What’s next for Daniella Pineda?
DP: I know it sounds silly, but I don’t think it gets any better than this. I hope this film opens the door for me and grants me some opportunities to do different things. I know I would like to do more horror films, that’s my first love. I’m writing a script right now that I hope to get produced that’s female driven and original in the horror genre. It’s not a film I’ve seen before. I also want to do comedies. I would really enjoy making people laugh on the big screen.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opens in theaters nationwide on June 22.
