PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2015: JANE THE VIRGIN {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 32nd William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This PALEYFEST 2015 closing-day seminar honors "Jane the Virgin," the comedy/drama series based on the Venezuelan telenovela "Juana la Virgen" about a young Latina woman who becomes pregnant after being accidentally artificially inseminated. Host Rene Reyes (director of public programs and festivals, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and brings moderator Jarett Wieselman (senior editor, BuzzFeed) to the stage. Wieselman introduces creator and executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman, who previews the episode "Chapter Sixteen," which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 121632.)
After the screening, Wieselman moderates the following panelists: Urman; executive producer Ben Silverman; and cast members Yael Grobglas (Petra Solano), Brett Dier (Michael Cordero, Jr.), Ivonne Coll (Alba Gloriana Villanueva), Andrea Navedo (Xiomara Gloriana Villanueva), Jaime Camil (Rogelio de la Vega), Justin Baldoni (Rafael Solano), and Gina Rodriguez (Jane Villanueva).
The panelists touch on such topics as: Silverman's interest in adapting the popular Venezuelan series; Urman's view of the show as a "modern fairy tale" styled as an homage to telenovelas; their relief at finding "the perfect person," Rodriguez, early in their casting search; Rodriguez's love of her character's strength and layered identities; the many entertaining character combinations, including the budding "bromance" between Michael and Rogelio; Dier's talent for impressions, as seen in the episode; the show's combination of comedy, drama and magical realism; Baldoni's opinon that the characters "have somewhere to go" and are allowed to grow naturally; Rogelio's "magical insanity" and Camil's contentment with his blend of heartfelt and silly scenes; the supportive dynamic amongst the many female characters; Navedo and Coll's interest in representing marginalized groups, including single mothers and hardworking illegal immigrants; their interest in educating viewers about important social issues via sympathetic characters; Grobglas' relief that Petra is allowed to be funny and is more than a "two-dimensional villain"; the "big debate" amongst the producers about the "Latin Lover" voiceover narration, provided by Anthony Mendez, and the frequent use of onscreen text; their great excitement at their 2015 Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Comedy Series and at Rodriguez's win for Best Actress; and Rodriguez's praise for the show's ensemble cast and their strong personal bond.
Questions from the audience and from Twitter and the PaleyFest app then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: what other characters the actors would like to play; fans' surprise at Grobglas' friendly nature, compared to her character's nastiness; Baldoni's "24/7 pregnancy" life, thanks to his role on the show and his forthcoming child with his real-life wife; Navedo's experience as an "away mom" and her decision to move her family to California from New York upon the show's renewal for a second season; the show's "optimistic and compassionate" nature, exemplified by the character of Aaron (Alano Miller), a peaceable Jainist; the importance of visibility and the depiction of prominent characters of color on television; Urman's interest in "writing human beings" rather than stereotypes and her reliance on the actors and other writers to influence the cultural specifics; and Rodriguez's views of the importance of unity within the widely-diverse Latino community.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 4:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:42:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 121620
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Jarett Wieselman … Moderator
- Jennie Snyder Urman … Panelist
- Yael Grobglas … Panelist
- Brett Dier … Panelist
- Ivonne Coll … Panelist
- Andrea Navedo … Panelist
- Jaime Camil … Panelist
- Justin Baldoni … Panelist
- Gina Rodriguez … Panelist
- Ben Silverman … Panelist
- Anthony Mendez
- Alano Miller