As clocks wind down towards the late-night premiere of Freeform’s newest mystery-thriller series, The Watchful Eye, all eyes are on the show’s highly-anticipated leading lady: Mexican-American actress, Mariel Molino. Beginning her career in Spanish-language productions, Molino has recently established herself as a contender in the American market with her breakout role in ABC’s generational drama, The Promised Land.
Molino’s talent appears to break boundaries at every twist and turn in her career, as she refuses to allow labels or expectations to define her as an actress. Her latest challenge of bringing to life New York native Elena Santos in The Watchful Eye has showcased her impressive emotional range and ability to attract diverse groups of viewers.
On January 10th, Her Campus at UCLA had the privilege of sitting down with Molino to discuss her everyday life before unpacking the secrets behind Freeform’s eagerly-awaited new series. Check out the exclusive interview below!
HC: What initially drew you to the role of Elena Santos?
MM: I think that I was really drawn to a complicated character like her, someone that I really didn’t know what her deal was. She wasn’t just your typical goody-two-shoe girl. There was grit to her and she was deceitful, but she always had her reasons. I had never had the opportunity to play a complicated character like her and that in and of itself was enough for me to really want to jump on it.
HC: In the show, Elena is a fearless fighter for justice and revenge, but she’s also a girl with a big heart that wants to protect her family and friends. As an actor, how did you go about bringing such a complex character to life?
MM: It starts in the script, trying to dissect and get as many clues as I can. At first, I only had the pilot so my biggest motivation was to try and find out why she was doing the things she was doing and what her backstory was. Once I was able to talk to the creators about Elena, it was incredible to get to find out where she comes from, her story, the challenges she faced, the loss that she faced, and then from there to have the freedom to fill in the blanks and give this character life.
It was really fun to pinpoint where she was from in New York, what that sounded like, what she sounded like, the different masks that she was playing, and just trying to be as specific as I can about the way that she presents herself to the Greybournes, as opposed to the way she is with her family and behind-the-scenes life. It took a lot of work.
I also still work with some great acting coaches that I love and trust. I love the collaboration of getting to work with other actors [and] really great directors. Jeffrey Reiner, who [directed] our pilot and three other episodes, was really instrumental in me finding the nuance to Elena and the tone of the show because I think that this character was outside of myself and that was really fun [but] also a daunting challenge. I was so into the story already that everything just started falling into place.
HC: What was your favorite part about filming The Watchful Eye?
MM: I loved getting to explore all the different nooks and crannies of the sets with the other actors. There were a lot of scenes [where] we had to go into creepy stairs and creepy basements and creepy secret rooms and all those scenes were so fun because it felt like we were living a real life Haunted Mansion experience. It felt kinda like Horror Nights, honestly!
HC: There’s no doubt that The Watchful Eye caters to multiple generations, so why might the show appeal to young women in particular?
MM: The Watchful Eye does have this thriller element—very Hitchcockian, very suspenseful. It’s a tried-and-true formula that we love to watch, and it’s engaging and addictive, but I think that what makes The Watchful Eye so special is that you have this very empowered woman at the center of it who has an ax to grind. As opposed to some classic Hitchcocks where, unfortunately, the woman doesn’t have a lot of power and doesn’t get to make a lot of the decisions. And if she does, she is almost at fault for it. I think [the show is] perfect for a discerning, young audience that…wants to take these people that are figuring out their place in the world, not just Elena, but the other nannies and daughters in the Greybourne, and get to see that journey just as you might be living it yourself.
I remember when I was in college, I was a nanny. I knew that that wasn’t my end-all dream, I wanted to be an actress, but I was figuring it out. I doubted myself and was figuring out what relationships were worth it for me and which ones weren’t. I think that a lot of young viewers will really relate to and resonate with that.
HC: As a Mexican-American actress, why do you think it is important for young women to see more minority representation in the leading roles of today’s television and film productions?
MM: You can’t be what you can’t see. I think that representation is that physicalization of hope and opportunity because if you see someone from a minority holding that space and having that job, it’s just proving that not only can it be done, it has been done, and it will be done. That’s really, really powerful, it’s really important to show that you can do it and follow your dreams, even if it’s hard. I know that I’m impacted the most when I get to meet people that are young Latinas like me from my hometown that are like, ‘I didn’t know this was possible and here you are.’ That to me is the best compliment.
HC: You once shared that your interest in acting was sparked at the age of six when you performed in a production of The Wizard of Oz. What advice would you give to young women looking to start their own careers in the entertainment industry?
MM: I would say that they should really listen to their own intuition and their gut feeling about this industry because I think that it’s sometimes easy to let a lot of voices get in your head, especially voices of doubt and fear that sometimes come from people closest to you. In some ways they might be putting their own fears on you because they also don’t want to see you hurt, upset, or sad at night, and I would say that if this is truly something that you love and you do not think that you can do anything else, then to just go full steam ahead and really just hone your craft and work at it, and work at it, and work at it. It is possible, but you have to believe in yourself because if you don’t, then no one else will.
HC: What’s next for your own career? Are there any goals you’re hoping to achieve?
MM: Oh man, I would love to develop and produce my own projects. I do think that there are a lot of different things that I’m passionate, about and I do love storytelling [and] specificity. I would love to sometime in the future bring something to life—even if I’m not in it—that I’m proud of. I really want to learn about that aspect of the business, and in terms of acting, I just want to keep doing things that challenge me and roles that I might look at and not even recognize myself. I think if I can keep reinventing myself then that’s already a win for me.
HC: Now on a more light-hearted and easy-going note…In the show, your character’s goal is to find a treasure that will afford her the opportunity to escape to a private island, and seeing as you are passionate about traveling, what destination would you want to escape to and why?
MM: I would love to go and escape to Portugal, I actually recently went there and I loved it. I loved the food, I loved the people. It’s a city but it’s also a beach-town. There’s something really magical about Portugal that I think I would want to go there and start a new life.
HC: Outside of the Greybourne Hotel, Elena and her friends often find themselves meeting in trendy diners and coffee shops around New York. So for all the foodies out there, what are some must-try restaurants that you couldn’t live without?
MM: There’s actually a place in New York that I love called Buvette and they have an incredible breakfast. It’s such a tiny little spot but I love those kinds of little nooks. It’s very French; it feels very Parisian. I definitely love that place.
Here in LA, there’s an incredible restaurant called Chifa. It’s in Eagle Rock, it’s family-owned and operated, and it’s beautiful! The interior feels like an arts digest magazine, but it’s Peruvian-Chinese fusion and it’s really great. Then my favorite tacos in LA are Tacos 1986, great tacos!
HC: And finally, if you had to describe the show in three words, what words would you choose?
MM: Engaging, addicting and cunning!
As with the entire cast of The Watchful Eye, Molino can hardly wait for audiences to tune in to the captivating suspense, mystery and romance at the heart of Freeform’s newest television series. Having made it through the spine-tingling halls of the notorious Greybourne Hotel, Molino is undoubtedly on her way to further success in her acting career. The future is bright for Mariel Molino, so don’t miss out on her five-star performance premiering tonight! See you there!
Can’t wait to watch the first episode of The Watchful Eye? Ease your excitement with the official, full-length trailer now.