Jason Sheppard
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with actress/writer and designer Tilda Del Toro who has appeared in The Lincoln Lawyer, Our Brand Is Crisis,and who audiences can currently see in the box-office hit Night School with Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish. Del Toro has many projects lined up including co-starring with Tom Hardy in the anticipated Al Capone biopic Fonzo, due out in 2019. She also just wrote an original script titled Julia, which begins shooting soon. We touch upon her favorite films and TV shows and her dream role. I hope you enjoy this interview with the very busy and very talented Tilda Del Toro.
Jason Sheppard: Hi, Tilda. Thanks for speaking with us. Congratulations on the success of Night School. I saw it on opening night and everybody in the theater went crazy with laughter. How does it feel to be a part of something that for two hours, just made people laugh and feel good in these…crazy times..?
Tilda Del Toro: Hello!! It really feels awesome! I’m happy to bring joy to anyone’s life on this planet.
JS: Do you feel audiences need more of this type of entertainment today?
TDT: Absolutely. The cool thing about Night School is it’s actually about something that has touched a lot of us. It talks about ADHD and learning challenges. It doesn’t mean we are stupid. Some of us just retain and learn differently!
JS: This site started off writing about Twin Peaks but we have grown to cover a broad range of TV shows – mostly cable series. As an actress now working in this strange time when TV is radically shifting, do you feel cable is the future for storytelling in this medium?
TDT: I think apps are the future. I think everything is going to merge into each other. Channels are going to come from every where. I love cable, though. I love HBO, Showtime and every other channel producing work outside of network guidelines. That includes Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Let’s keep in mind that Facebook, Apple and even Instagram are producing larger and longer formats of entertainment. It’s almost like everything is going to be considered a channel no matter what the medium. BTW, I love Twin Peaks!!!
Tilda Del Toro in No EntryJS: I’ve always believed that an individual’s favorite films and TV series say a lot about their personalities. Can you share with us what some of your favorites are?
TDT: Yes. I totally agree! It says something about who you are. My favorite films off the top of my head are George Washington by David Gordon Green, Barry Lyndon by Stanley Kubrick. I’m in love with Song to Song by Terence Malick. When I discovered The Last Temptation of Christ by Martin Scorsese I was obsessed with the film. I’ve watched the work in Blue Valentine by Derek Cianofrance over and over again. I am so thrilled about the new Twin Peaks on Showtime. Other favorite shows right now are Ozark, Peaky Blinders and I almost never miss an episode of Last Week Tonight by John Oliver, Real Time with Bill Maher and Vice.
JS: The three biggest box-office hits of 2017, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Beauty and the Beast and Wonder Woman were movies that starred women in strong, complex roles. I for one would love to see much, much more of this. What can everybody (performers, producers, audiences, entertainment journalists) do to see more years like that one?
TDT: Hire Women. Not only as leads, but in all aspects of production and executive levels! The audiences are available and really being under served. I think entertainment journalists can certainly choose to tell woman’s stories from the industry. Again, not just the actresses, but all contributors.
JS: Your upcoming project Fonzo is generating a lot of early buzz. Tom Hardy is portraying Al Capone but is there a real life figure who you would like to one day get the chance to play? Why this particular figure?
TDT: I’ve written Hypatia into a piece. I’d like to play Hypatia because of her intelligence and her academic pursuits. She needs to be honored. I’ve always wanted to play Mary Magdalene because she is wildly (I think) misunderstood. I’d like to play Qandeel Baloch, a social media star who was killed by her brother in an honor killing. Obviously, her story is more recent. I’d like to play Qandeel because she was just a woman living her life like an American and because she was born in her culture she was murdered for it. Gosh, they’re are so many others. I couldn’t even list them all here. I’m grateful for anyone I get to play fictional or nonfictional.
Actress Tilda Del ToroJS: How is your feature Julia coming along? Is it 100% autobiographical?
TDT: Julia is not 100% biographical, but there are many aspects I experienced or were very close to me.
JS: You work in many areas—dance, fashion, acting and producing. Do you have a favorite?
TDT: Yes, I love acting! That is certainly my favorite!!!!
If you enjoyed this interview, please be sure to check out some of our others!
