Zoe Saldaña, Maya and the cast of Los Tres reveal why the Netflix show means so much

The heroes of the Netflix animated saga Maya and the three I’ve seen some shit. The epic story, based on Mesoamerican myths and simplified into a hero’s adventure, follows warrior princess Maya (Zoe Saldaña) as she travels with three legendary warriors to the gates of the underworld to stop the gods from destroying humanity.

While the series has its share of humor, it handles heavier themes, such as death and defeat, without flinching or indulging its young audience. And each of the central characters, Maya and her allies, the magician Rico (Allen Maldonado), the archer Chimi (Stephanie Beatriz) and the warrior Picchu (Gabriel Iglesias), have intensely tragic stories. In interviews with Polygon, the voice actors discussed how

[Ed. note: This post contains minor setup spoilers for Maya and the Three.]

Image: Netflix

“You can really see who these characters are, and each one of them has this incredible backstory. And most of the backstory is based on many losses and changing dynamics in their families, ”says Beatriz. When it comes to addressing her character’s emotional moments, she says, “I wanted to be as honest as possible.”

Each character’s past manifests itself in different ways and in different acting options. Chimi, for example, lost her family when she was young and, as a result, keeps other people at a distance. She is irritated by the idea of ​​associating with heroes. Beatriz says that she specifically lowered her voice to a lower register, closer to her character in Brooklyn 99 than her normal voice – to portray something “rough, ingrained and a little protective”, in a way that could speak to Chimi’s isolation.

Rico, meanwhile, is generally more personable and comical, close to Maldonado’s real voice. “It was more of a cleaner version of who I am,” he laughs. “I couldn’t curse.” The character is affected by the ways his wild magic shaped his past, but he covers his pain with a lighthearted approach to the world.

Image: Netflix

“I think [the tragedy] It gives him the basis for fun: that you really understand these characters and understand their difficulties in finding where they find humor, ”explains Maldonado. “And I think if it weren’t for the dramatic moments, I don’t think the comedic moments would stand out that much.”

Balancing humor with heavier plot elements proved challenging across the board, but for Iglesias, the difficulty came in the other direction. Known primarily for his more comedic roles, Iglesias plays a stoic warrior whose generous and moral choices had an unexpectedly tragic impact on his entire family.

“I had to tone up [the humor] completely down, ”Iglesias says. “I had to go completely in the opposite direction, because this character is very serious.”

Image: Netflix

Creator Jorge R. Gutiérrez says his address for Iglesias was: “You’re a Mexican Hulk.” Co-creator Sandra Equihua adds: “He’s always known for these goofy characters with very high-pitched voices. Funny, silly. And this gave him the opportunity to scratch that itch for him, who always wanted to portray the strong hero. “

The three legendary warriors set out with Maya, each emerging from their past tragedies. But Maya, as the central heroine, sets out on the most dramatic journey: she begins confidently, even a little conceited with her abilities, but when tragedy strikes, she has to reassess herself to defend her kingdom from certain doom. When asked about how to portray Maya’s journey and difficulties, Saldaña laughs.

“We are girls, ma’am!” she says. “This is what we do on a daily basis.”

Maya’s flaws and complexity as a young woman appealed to Saldaña, who saw parts of herself in the story, as well as aspects of many women she knows.

“She had all these [good] qualities, but it also had all these flaws, ”he says. “She was full of self-doubt, but overconfident about who she was and what she wanted to do. And I said, ‘Well that’s me, and that’s her, and that’s my grandmother, that’s my neighbor, and that’s my colleague.’ If I dare to allow myself to want to leave a legacy with the work I have done in my career, it is that I have tried to be part of projects where women were simply more complete characters ”.

Maya and the three is now available on Netflix.