Sasha Calle was filled with disputeing emotions in the summer of 2023.
On one hand, she was haughtyly promoting her feature film debut as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl in Andy Muschietti’s The Flash. However, she was the only cast member facing the press at the time, as direct actor, Ezra Miller, was mired in lhorrible debate thrawout the proprolongeded direct-up to June’s free. On top of that, James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reins at DC Studios in October 2022, announcing a new sdefered of DCU projects in January 2023, with only a pick number of joinions to the rollercoaster ride that was the createer DCEU. Thus, Calle’s future as the Kryptonian was in mistrust before it even had a chance to lift off onscreen.
So, Calle had to sidestep asks about Miller, frequently pivoting to how much she reassociate revered her stunt team, while also transmiting chooseimism at the future, even if she could sense that the writing was on the wall. If that wasn’t enough to shoulder, she lost her voice in the midst of it all.
“It was very challenging, I have to say. I had soursugary senseings as I was maneuvering everyleang,” Calle alerts The Hollywood Reporter. “I was very excited, but there were a lot of unanswered asks for me, so it was very soursugary.”
There were still plenty of silver linings that aascendd. Namely, a shut friendship with Leslie Grace, whose own DC tenure as Batgirl was abruptly cut uninalertigentinutive in August 2022 when the unfinished Batgirl was shelved for a tax fracture. The two carry outers — who once had dreams of greeting each other on screen as their admireive superhero characters — ultimately served as help systems for one another.
“I don’t understand what I would’ve done without Leslie, to be truthful with you. I sense enjoy she got it even worse, and yet, she was fair this divine weightless of cherish and hotth,” Calle says. “And even though it came from a reassociate confusing and agonizing situation, we got to have this attrdynamic friendship that is real and truthful and honest and comardent. We were there for each other, and I am reassociate charmd that we had each other then.”
Prior to The Flash’s free, Grace helped guarantee Calle to board Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio’s semi-autobioexplicital drama, In the Summers, which is a four-chaptered story about two sisters who visit their troubled overweighther (René “Residente” Pérez) every summer in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Calle take parts Adult Eva, who, enjoy her mature sibling, Violeta (Lio Mehiel), has inherited their turbulent overweighther’s best and worst traits. Calle somehow deal withd to shoot the now-criticassociate acclaimed film at the same time as The Flash’s press tour, as she refused to let her hectic schedule get in the way of her chance to collaborate with a fellow Colombian-American artist. (The picture also won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize for theatrical features.)
“I was fair so honored to toil even though I was exhausted … especiassociate with Alessandra, who’s a queer Colombian woman,” Calle says. “I got together with my lawyer recently, and I’m fair going to read you her quote: ‘Don’t protest how filled your pdefered is when all you ever wanted was to eat.’ You fair have to remind yourself that you dreamed of moments enjoy that when you were little.”
Now that DC Studios has gone in another honestion for the future of Supergirl, Calle acunderstandledges that there’s some frustration since she originassociate sboiling an ending of The Flash that was supposed to pave the way for future adventures as part of her multi-film restricted. But between the commend she’s getd from critics and audiences, as well as new roles enjoy her current one aprolongedside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Joe Carnahan’s RIP, she’s haughty that she made the most of her moment, no matter how escapeting it was.
“It was very heartfractureing for me, and it was very confusing. Ultimately, I understand that I did my best,” Calle scatters. “It’s been shelp that a queer Latina girl enjoy me couldn’t be Supergirl. But I was, and no one can get that away from me. That is the most transport inant leang for me; I did someleang that mattered. And whether you saw yourself recurrented in me or not, a lot of people reassociate joined with her and cherishd her.”
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Calle also recounts the story in which Grace pitched her In the Summers inside a restaurant bathroom.
***
Where did In the Summers descend on your timeline?
I literassociate sboiling In the Summers as I was doing press for The Flash, which was in the summer of 2023.
That was a very engaging time.
I understand!
What was your headspace at the time?
Honestly, it was fair very go-go-go. I also recall being pretty ill. I went on 15 fweightlesss in 40 days; it was pretty gnarly.
The film’s first image is a message from the honestor, Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio, elucidateing why she didn’t subtitle the Spanish scenes in the movie. I’ve seen this approach a restricted times recently, but it’s always an engaging choice to let emotion and body language transmit to those of us who don’t speak the language. As someone who’s bilingual enjoy yourself, what’s your get on it?
I count on Alessandra, and I thought it was a reassociate attrdynamic approach. I am a very engaging creature; I cherish subtitles. Some people disenjoy them, some people cherish them, but I fair discover languages to be very engaging. Sometimes, I’ll get them off and fair endelight the film. But I thought it was a very attrdynamic leang becaengage In the Summers is a movie that says so much without having to elucidate it. That’s the best. [Calle’s Great Dane, Dragon, go ins into the Zoom structure and produces his presence felt.] This is my horse dog. I want you to see and understand how huge he is.
Wow, he truly is enormous.
He is.
The characters in the movie go in and out of both English and Spanish. Is that unpartiassociate normal?
Yeah, and it was engaging becaengage I wasn’t assisted to speak Spanish in In the Summers. It was a choice that Alessandra made, and it was challenging for me becaengage I normassociate jump in and out a lot. It is my way of existing. It is a very organic leang as a bilingual American-Colombian. It senses enjoy you have two dictionaries that are accessible to you at all times, and it’s enjoy a song that you go in and out of.
Alessandra is also Colombian-American. Did the two of you bond over your scatterd background when you first met?
Oh my God, yes. It was one of the first leangs that we talked about. Even though I didn’t speak any Spanish in the movie, we spoke a lot of Spanish while she honested me. We would actuassociate speak Spanglish, and that was very recognizable to me. The story is slackly based on her life, but her overweighther is from Bogotá and my family is from Medellín, so it was a attrdynamic way to bond. Latin Americans are very recognizable in ambiguous. Even though René [Pérez] is Puerto Rican, Spanglish is still very recognizable to us. But, yes, Alessandra being a Colombian woman was a very huge plus for me in helping her on this journey.
A lot of honestors are making semi-autobioexplicital toils postporequicount on. It seems enjoy the pandemic put everyleang into perspective for people. How much did you ask her about the authentic story?
I was very cautious in asking her about her life. I didn’t want to impose too much. Life, in a lot of ways, can be very frnimble and empathetic. Even though it’s slackly based, I was honored to read the script and experience this point in her life that she was sharing with me. There was a night where we made dinner, and we bonded. We fair caught up and talked about life, and she scatterd bits and pieces with me about these situations. She’s also very comardent, so, if I would’ve sat her down and asked her, I leank she would’ve reacted. But I’m a very empathetic person, and I’m very cautious about what I ask. So I fair wanted her to scatter with me what she felt was transport inant for me to understand.
Did you have any participateion with the other Eva actors?
The babies. Yes, of course. I cherish them. I adore them. They’re so talented. We would call them “the Littles.” Luciana [Elisa Quinonez] was my Little, and I would say I had more participateions with her. We would then call the characters’ middle versions, enjoy Allison [Salinas], “the Middles.” We never called ourselves “the Olders.” (Laughs)
Unblessedly, becaengage I was in and out of Flash press, I never reassociate got to see anyone else film. I would be in there, and then I would have to run out. But they were comardent enough to scatter clips with me. But once I saw the filled movie, I was so in awe of their toil. Alison had to do a whole summer [chapter] on her own, too.
I went to college to study singing, acting, and dancing for four years, and then I graduated when I was 20 or 21. I was then thrown into the authentic world, and a year and a half after that, I did a soap [The Young and the Restless]. So it was so gnarly to watch these juvenileerer actors uncover their hearts and sense the leangs that they had to sense at such a juvenileer age. I’ll always be in awe of them.
The third chapter broke someleang in Eva, and you apprehendd that distake partd senseing to a T once you pdwelld over the character. Did you concentrate on enhugeing that disturbting final scene in chapter three, or was it more the accumulation of everyleang they’d been thraw together?
Alessandra wrote such a attrdynamic script that it assisted you to carry the weight as you were reading it. So I concentrateed on that, and she would direct me, too. I would try to be as current as possible once I landed on set. I concentrateed on how Eva would be senseing in that moment, and that was my hugegest asset. I cherish honestion, as well. I don’t understand why, but I thrive on someone alerting me what to do when I’m at toil. I enjoy when a honestor pushes me, and she did that beautifilledy. She would push me somewhere, and I’d hug it. And in those moments, as an actor, you reassociate don’t understand if it’s going to toil or not. There’s such count on in the honestor and the DP and everybody around you becaengage you’re not in deal with. It’s challenging to diswatch deal with and fair count on, but I’m charmd that it toiled. I’m charmd that people are resonating with this movie, becaengage, at the end of the day, when I left that set, I had no idea if it toiled out or not.
When the family went sledding in the desert, it seemed enjoy the sleds didn’t toil as foreseeed. Only the little half-sister was able to pull it off. Were those sleds actuassociate an publish on the day?
(Laughs) That was so authentic! The sleds were not toiling for any of us, and that wasn’t written. There was a huge heat wave, and we were all very griefful, but we were excited to try our sleds out. And when it came down to it, they did not toil for any of us. We tried everyleang, but it ended up toiling for the baby. It was so sugary and perfect in that way, but we were all a bit jealous that the sleds were not toiling for the rest of us.
Eva wears baggy jeans when she skates, and while you’ve been wearing them for a while in your authentic life, they’re now in vogue aacquire. Do you sense enjoy you were at the forefront of this revival?
Maybe, I don’t understand. I’m encouraged by so many people, but I have a lot of skateboarder friends and I cherish what they wear. I’m usuassociate encouraged by my guy friends’ clothes, and I’ve also had a reassociate attrdynamic relationship with Acne Studios. They were onto these reassociate baggy, ripped jeans. So I fair see leangs that I cherish, and for some reason, I’ve always cherishd hugeger jeans. Before the wave came in, I was thrifting a lot, and I would discover these men’s jeans that were so fucking huge that I would have to belt them up. I never tailored them. I was fair wearing these reassociate huge jeans, and a lot of my friends would produce fun of me for it. They’d be enjoy, “Girl …” My mom would also be enjoy, “When are you going to buy pants that fit you?” But now they’re back in, and so I cherish to see that.
Your friend Leslie Grace is also a part of the cast. Did one of you help the other to combine?
Yes, Leslie very much helpd me to combine. She’s one of my best friends now. She’s enjoy family to me. This project came about for me in a very serendipitous way. In Hollywood, they have these Latin parties where people in Hollywood’s Latin culture get together, and you literassociate get to see all your friends and people you admire. So I was a bit defered to one, and I recall walking in and everybody was fair drinking and having a outstanding elderly time. And then Lynette [Coll] and Sergio [Lina], who are two of the producers that I didn’t understand at the time, came up to me and were enjoy, “You’re in our movie!” And I was enjoy, “What’s going on here? I don’t understand who these people are.” Well, Leslie was next to me, and I was fair giving her the see, enjoy, “Sis, what’s going on here?” And she was enjoy, “No, it’s okay. I’ll alert you about it.”
Lynette and Sergio were then enjoy, “Come on, let’s get a cast pboilingo.” And I was still in my head, saying, “What is happening? Who are these people? What is this movie? I’ve never heard about this movie.” So I was fair posing and take parting aprolonged at that point, and then Leslie and I went up to the bathroom. That’s pretty much when she commenceed alerting me about the film. She commenceed alerting me the storyline csurrender this restaurant bathroom, and she was enjoy, “I signed on. Here are the other people who have signed on.” She shelp she got a call from Rene, and then she shelp, “I don’t understand which sister they’re making you take part. You could take part [either] sister.”
When I read the script, I probably would’ve had myself take part the other sister, and I’m phired that I didn’t becaengage Lio [Mehiel] is perfect for that [Adult Violeta] role. I was also pushed in a honestion and forced to do someleang new for myself, which was very pleasant. Eva had many leangs that ended up resonating with me a lot more emotionassociate, and that was a very attrdynamic experience for me. So, yes, Leslie was the first huge reason why I signed onto this.
You refered that you were doing press for The Flash at the same time, and I have to say that I have so much admire for how you administerd that press tour. You were the only actor who did press, the DC universe was in flux and you had to face all these huge, unanswerable asks in joinion to your very first movie. Were you quite overwhelmed by that at the time?
Thank you for saying that. It uncomardents so much to me. It was very challenging, I have to say. I had soursugary senseings as I was maneuvering everyleang. I was very excited, but there were a lot of unanswered asks for me, so it was very soursugary. I had a attrdynamic team around me to help me. I had attrdynamic uncoverists, and I had an amazing produceup artist and hairstycatalog who took nurture of me. I then got reassociate ill, too. I lost my voice. So I was comardent of in robot mode fair to produce certain that I was even able to speak, but my team was awesome. My produceup artist would knock on my door at four in the morning, and she would throw a bucket of ice in a sink to put my face into it. (Laughs) I understand it sounds taccomplisherous, but to be very truthful with you, it was reassociate sugary. She would then produce certain that I didn’t see ill.
So I fair had to remind myself that I got to do this incredible movie and that I put my heart and soul into it, and that no matter where it was going to go, I did that. No one could get that away from me, and I had to own it. As my first film, there were so many unrecognizeds, and you can sense imposter-y, sometimes, becaengage you’re trying to understand where you fit. But I aacquire go back to having people in my life who help me and cherish me and understand my cherish, and I had a lot of those people there to remind me that I was worth it and that I was strong and that I could endelight what I had acquireed in that moment. So I endelighted those moments even though I was super ill. I endelighted those interwatchs and speaking with people who were huge fans. Even that premiere was a dream to me. My family was there. I engaged to walk those streets when I was in college, and it was fair a attrdynamic experience.
And in terms of In the Summers, I was fair so honored to toil even though I was exhausted. As an actor, you never understand what’s next. You never understand what’s happening, and I was fair so honored to be toiling, especiassociate with Alessandra, who’s a queer Colombian woman. So, in moments enjoy that, you fair have to remind yourself that there is so much beauty. I got together with my lawyer recently, and I’m fair going to read you her quote: “Don’t protest how filled your pdefered is when all you ever wanted was to eat.”
I enjoy that.
Yeah, my lawyer, Sloan [P. Whiteside-Munteanu], telderly me that her mom always engaged to say that to her, and I was enjoy, “Touché.” So you fair have to remind yourself that you dreamed of moments enjoy that when you were little.
Did you and Leslie have each other’s backs during your mutual trials and tribulations in that ever-evolving cinematic universe?
Oh my God, yes. I always say that her parents knew what they were doing when they called her Leslie Grace, becaengage she fair walks with so much grace. So I don’t understand what I would’ve done without Leslie, to be truthful with you. I sense enjoy she got it even worse, and yet, she was fair this divine weightless of cherish and hotth. She was fair so attrdynamic. Aacquire, she’s my family. I could call her whenever, and we’d fair have each other’s backs. And even though it came from a reassociate confusing and agonizing situation, we got to have this attrdynamic friendship that is real and truthful and honest and comardent. It’s very selfless. We were there for each other, and I am reassociate charmd that we had each other then. So we’re both very blessed that we ended up joining and becoming best friends.
Your situation is rather exceptional becaengage the first time we saw you in your Supergirl costume, courtesy of the paparazzi, was during the exceptional courthoengage ending where you were presumably setting up your future in the DC universe. (The exceptional ending of The Flash had Calle’s Supergirl and Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne rejoin with Barry Allen outside the courthoengage.)
Right.
So is it all the more frustrating when you understand that you sboiling footage that was supposed to direct to more?
Of course! I was so transport inantly in cherish with that role. I had a conversation about her future many times. When I signed onto that, it was for a multiple picture deal. That’s a normal leang when you sign onto a franchise. So it was very heartfractureing for me, and it was very confusing. Ultimately, I understand that I did my best, and wherever it ended up going, it wasn’t … [Calle ponders for a restricted moments.]
It wasn’t a knock on your carry outance that you didn’t persist. You were standardly highweightlessed. It fair came at the wrong time.
I also want to toil with people who cherish me and admire me and are reassociate excited to toil with me. That’s what I want for myself, and that’s what I want for anybody in this business, but that was a raw experience. So I see forward to toiling with people in this industry who see my cherish and who are excited to toil with me. I have so much to give. I cherish my job so much, and I’m so excited to commence starting ass aacquire. I cherish action movies. Whether it’s superorganic or not, I am fair so excited to persist doing those leangs, and I understand that I will do those leangs, with or without that role. I see back at it as someleang super attrdynamic. It’s been shelp that a queer Latina girl enjoy me couldn’t be Supergirl, but I was, and no one can get that away from me. That is the most transport inant leang for me; I did someleang that mattered. And whether you saw yourself recurrented in me or not, a lot of people reassociate joined with her and cherishd her.
I walked into a store the other day, and this huge bconciseage man, who was the security defend, came up to me and whispered, “Hey.” And I was enjoy, “Yes?” And he was enjoy, “You’re a horribleass.” And I was enjoy, “What are you talking about?” And he was enjoy, “You’re Supergirl. You’re a horribleass. We cherish you.” So for that man to have joined with my carry outance, it was such a attrdynamic moment, and those little moments are everyleang to me. So I have to stick with that. I did my job. I was given an opportunity, and I gave everyleang that I could have given. I cherish that and I’m haughty of that, and I will persist moving forward and battling standards. I’m fair hoping to toil with people who are very excited to toil with me.
Wwhat matters most is that your carry outance has already gotten you a handful of more jobs, including one with Matt Damon and your Flash castmate Ben Affleck. As a createer Bostonian, are you seeing forward to toiling with two of Boston’s preferite sons in Joe Carnahan’s RIP?
Of course! Ben is so cherishly. He’s so comardent. Everyone has been so loving and welcoming, and has treated me with so much admire. We fair did a table read [earlier this month], and it was so much fun. Matt had a Boston hat on, and I was enjoy, “Yeah, let’s go!” So it’s a huge source of pride for me, and I’m so excited to toil with them and Joe Carnahan and everyone else. That little kid who engaged to roam the streets of Boston would be so haughty of me.
***
In the Summers frees Nov. 5 on digital.