Filipino-American Zelda Williams, the director of “Lisa Frankenstein”, shared how she handpicked Filipino actress Liza Soberano for her movie.
According to Williams, she was having difficulties looking for an actress for the character Taffy, the step-sister of the main protagonist Lisa, played by Kathryn Newton.
“I was struggling to cast the part that she ended up playing,” the director said. “I really wanted someone who could play so earnestly and sweetly and lovingly and everyone was kind of playing it very meanly, no matter what notes I gave them.”
Through mutual friends in Los Angeles, Williams was able to find Soberano.
She added: “I asked her myself I was like, ‘Please, please, will you tape this? I think you’re right for it.’ And everyone fell in love with her. She’s most people’s favorite part of this whole movie.”
Moreover, Williams shared that she was able to celebrate her Filipino side more, thanks to the young actress.
“She’s the biggest star in my heart,” she said. “I genuinely love that that’s so much of her life, whereas it was kind of the opposite of mine.”
“Everyone knew Dad, but they didn’t really know anything about my grandfather or my mom. So trying to grasp that more in my 30s and now that I’m not acting anymore, I can kind of be very much who I am instead,” she added.
“Lisa Frankenstein,” starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, is set to hit screens in February.
The actress-turned-filmmaker is the daughter of late comedy legend Robin Williams and Filipino-American Marsha Garces. The movie “Lisa Frankenstein” is her feature directorial debut.
In a significant milestone, Soberano will be also making her Hollywood debut this February with the film’s premiere.
