Pantelion FilmsKarla Souza is bringing a refreshing take on romantic comedies, and what kind of stories they're telling.
We recently sat down with the How to Get Away With Murder star to discuss her new film Everybody Loves Somebody, and we were not only blown away by this concept of slaying one's internal dragons when it comes to modern-day love but also how this film is so genuinely inclusive.
The 31-year-old actress brings to life the character of Clara and it was evident by the first few minutes of the film, that Clara is all of us. The successful Mexican-American OGBYN's family and career fulfill her, but when it comes to love, there is a sense of cynicism that she can't get past.
Souza credits the movie's authenticity to its writer/director, "Catalina Aguilar is precisely that (referencing to being bicultural) she studied at AFI, she's the daughter of prominent novelists in Mexico," she explained. "This was like her movie, and she's a Mexican that's been living in LA for the last eight years, and she knows the cultures, she's experienced them both, isn't ashamed of either of them, and she loves bringing them together."
The film is free of stereotypes in every way and lets the rom-com be through the eyes of the woman, but it also digs deeper to show why she's so standoffish when it comes to falling in love and letting down her walls for someone else.
"It shows you that the hurts of love make you cynical. But it's because you've been hurt and because you've seen it fail so many times and it's a terrifying thing," Souza explained about her character's battles.
Although she's a big star on How to Get Away With Murder, don't expect her to forget her Latina roots.
"I never want to limit my career to one language. I speak three languages, and I'm as culturally brought up in the US, Mexico, and France. I wish that my career can include all of these cultures and languages. I don't think that one is better than the other, and I see them both with so much love," she explains. "To be able to bring my life which was growing up in English and Spanish to the screen and sharing that with people, knowing that a lot of people feel that they are not being seen because there isn't a lot of stories being told about us. So I realized on How to Get Away With Murder come episode six that I was a Latina, they were like, 'Thank you for bringing this to the screen and being you and being a different Latina than we've seen.' I realized that this was a huge deal to people. So I take it very seriously, and I know that I have a tremendous responsibility to keep doing more projects where I feel like I am including and I'm bringing together the cultures and giving a voice to the people that don't have a voice, especially in the film industry."