Happy’s Place Star Belissa Escobedo on Working With Reba McEntire and Looking Up to America Ferrera
Photo by Josh Aikin
Wisps of Belissa Escobedo’s bangs fall gently over her glasses. The Kelly Green frames match the bandana she’s used to tie back the rest of her shoulder-length hair. She’s paired these accessories with a slightly oversized Betty Boop shirt with a bright yellow font scrawled across the top of the tee. It’s the perfect blend of who Escobedo is as a person: effortlessly casual and unmistakably bold.
At 25 years old, the East Los Angeles native already has an impressive list of accomplishments. Not only did she star alongside Xolo Maridueña in DC’s first Latinx superhero film Blue Beetle, but she also led the highly anticipated sequel to Hocus Pocus in 2022. Now, the proud Chicana is returning to her sitcom roots with a leading role in NBC’s Happy’s Place where she’ll star alongside the queen of country herself, Reba McEntire.
“She’s such a sweetheart,” Escobedo tells Teen Vogue of her on-screen sister. “Immediately when I first met her, when we did our chemistry read, she was just so warm and welcoming. Not at all what you’d expect from such an iconic artist.”
Happy’s Place, which premieres October 18 on NBC, follows Bobbie (McEntire) as she inherits her late father’s tavern — only to learn she has a half-sister, Isabella (Escobedo), who was also given partial ownership. Together, they’re forced to reckon with family secrets and learn to work together to keep their dad’s dream alive.
Below, Belissa Escobedo gives us a first look at her Happy’s Place character Isabella, her dream co-star, and more.
Teen Vogue: How is Isabella different or more challenging than other roles you’ve had?
BE: There is a longer character progression; I really have more time to turn this character into a real person. But, I’ve also never had a sister or close sibling, so it’s a challenge to get back into the mindset of having a partner in crime and building that relationship. And I think most of my characters have been a part of families that are already so well established, and Isabella is sort of coming into this brand new space. She doesn't know anybody, nobody knows her, and she's kind of the odd one out. So I think for me, that's very different and I kind of have to work to get people to like me.
TV: Do you have a favorite Reba song?
BE: I was going to say “I’m a Survivor” because it’s a classic, but actually her new song, “I Can’t” is so good. The day after the music video came out, Melissa Peterman and I were like, “This new side of Reba, we love it.” And also “Fancy.” Such a good one.
TV: In past roles, you’ve not shied away from portraying difficult conversations and topics with Latinx families. Can we expect more of these intersections of real-life experiences from the perspective of a Latine person in Happy’s Place?
BE: Absolutely. In the first few moments, we're kind of establishing the juxtaposition of me and Reba being sisters. Not only am I a Latina on the show, but we also have Pablo Castelblanco who's playing Steve, and he's Colombian and he's awesome. We're going to have a lot of great moments together on the show bonding over the fact that it's two Latinos in Tennessee. We have a lot of moments like that. And I do a little shimmy with Reba. She gets it. She's invited to the asada for sure.
TV: How did your role as Natalie in Beauty and the Baker reflect your own experience as a queer Latina?
BE: I love her so much. My favorite character. It was really on the nose with just feeling that fear of coming out. And I think with Natalie, the writers were so, so gracious in making it so delicate and also just innocent, truly, it's a 15-year-old just discovering this about herself. And I think it kind of healed me doing those scenes because at 15 I was not as wise as Natalie and not as in tune with my emotions and as confident, and so it took me a bit longer to kind of accept myself and come out to my family in that way. So Natalie was very healing for me to play because I was like, yes, 15-year-old me would've loved you, Natalie.
TV: I read this tweet that was so funny: By the time she’s 26, Belissa’s two biggest gigs will have been with Bette Midler and Reba. She’s basically living the childhood dream of every gay man who grew up in the 80s and 90s. What do you think about achieving such accomplishments so young?
BE: Okay, period. That tweet is hilarious. I love that. Actually, a few days ago, my best friend sent that to me. I have to show Reba that tweet because that is so hilarious. For me, I just go project to project and I'm thankful for every single one, but then when someone puts it in the context of that, I'm like, ‘oh my gosh. Yeah. It's two people who as a kid I heard their names constantly.’ I watched Hocus Pocus every single year. That's still my mom andIi's favorite Halloween movie. So the fact that I got to watch them on screen, Ms. Bette Midler as Winifred, and then be with her as Winifred is crazy. It was very much [an] out of body experience. It still is. Even when I'm on stage with Reba sometimes I have a moment where I'm looking across at her and I'm like, ‘you're Reba McEntire.’
TV: When did you first want to become an actor?
BE: From my background, I didn't really have any family in the arts or didn't really know anybody in the arts. Up until I was about 10, I just had so much energy, and my mom was like, ‘You just love attention.’ I would want to make people laugh. I would want to tell them these long winded stories. And eventually in fifth grade, I finally got to do a school play [in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, as Grandpa Joe]. It was after the first performance that it kind of hit me that this is the outlet I'd been looking for. I truly felt so at home and in my skin when I'm on stage, and I'm not the most confident person, especially growing up, but if I'm on a stage, it was like nothing could stop me.
Who do you look up to for inspiration in your career?
BE: I'd say an actor that I really, really look up to is America Ferrera. She was the first person I saw on screen in Real Women Have Curves where I was like, ‘oh my God, that looks like me. She looks like me. I can be on a screen. This is possible.’ I've followed her career ever since. She always reminded me that we are able to be on a screen and we can steal the show and have a very long and prosperous career in this industry. I love this resurgence of her back on the scene, and I'm so happy to see her again and get all this recognition finally that she's so long deserved. I love it. And in my regular life, I'd say an inspiration would be my mom. Just perseverance and discovering who you are at any age. I love it. She inspires me.
TV: What was it like to work on the first Latino superhero film from DC with such an amazing cast?
BE: The coolest cast ever? Like, oh my gosh, that was awesome. That in itself is an unforgettable experience. I've been so lucky to be with powerhouse casts, and not only that, but powerhouse Latino casts. Blue Beetle was so much fun. Immediately Xolo and I were like total brother, sister vibe. Despite the looks, I actually am older than him. Everyone on that set became a family. There was so much laughter and friendship. Bruna was amazing, and just coming in here and attacking that role, and that was awesome to see her do that because it is a little intimidating to come into Hollywood.
How has your own culture influenced the way you approach different roles?
BE: The beautiful thing about all cultures and languages is there's such a distinction when someone speaks. I find with Latinos, there's a singing quality. It's like we're singing and just the rhythm of how we speak, and I think that's so beautiful to bring into my roles. And it's something so simple, like the way I say certain words, but I feel like it makes people feel at home when they're watching something.
TV: How do you hope your roles across film and TV inspire a new generation of Latine actors?
BE: What I really love about the characters that I've played is they've just been so honest and grounded. They've all been experiencing joy. I know growing up, most of the Latinas I'd see on screen were just more sexualized in one aspect. My favorite show growing up was New Girl, and I would see Zooey Deschanel and one day someone was like, “Oh, you could be a Latina Jessica Day. And I was like, yes, that's what we need to see because it shouldn't be a Latina New Girl. It should just be like, that's a character. She's Latina, and she's goofy and quirky and has a crazy love story. I just really think that happy roles are some of the most influential and powerful.
TV: Is there a dream role or project you’d like to work on in the future?
BE: My favorite genre of movies is horror, so I'd love to one day be in a horror movie. I was in American Horror Stories and originally they were going to kill my character off. She got a brutal death, and I was so excited for it. Then they were like, actually we think you’re playing her so sweet, we don’t want to kill her off. And I was like ‘dang it, no. Kill me.”
TV: Have you gone to Hollywood Horror Nights yet?
BE: I haven’t. I just got tickets, so I’m excited. I’m trying to get Reba to come, but I think she’d get scared.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
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