DEFYING GRAVITY: An Interview With Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez

I have to thank stunt coodinator and filmmaker Robert Griffith (a.k.a. Scott Rhodes) who introduced his webseries to me, The Adventures Of Super7even. By this time, I already had actress and stunt performer Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez in my friend list, as I was adding more and more people in her line of work to stay in touch with the community. So when I got around to watching all of the episodes of this series, I noticed she was kind of a regular–her first role in it was short but hilarious. You have to see it.

One day in recent months, Robert messaged me and asked if I would like to interview one of the actresses from the show, and I was optimistic about it right away since Michelle and I have exchanged messages before. So, on that note, it is my pleasure to introduce Michelle to you all in this week’s interview.

Film Combat Syndicate: What were some of your influences growing up? Any sports? Hobbies? etc.

Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez: My influences as a kid included the Olympic Chapmpions, Superwoman, The Power Rangers, and the ever so clever solution-maker MacGyver (had such a crush on this guy as a kid! lol I just loved how smart he was). I felt so inspired by these heroes who fought the bad guys, stuck together, and helped the greater good that I very early on knew I wanted to train in martial arts and gymnastics as much as possible. As the eager athlete that I was as a kid, I made it to the softball and volleyball team, and always practiced gymnastics on the grass any chance I could throw a flip…I just loved to Move!

As for hobbies, I always had music in my life. It was like the counterbalance to all my other external activity, this music was like my exhilarating internal brain exercise and I have loved it ever since. I started with violin at the young age of 3, and later on taught myself piano until formally studying with a teacher at 12, and then started vocal lessons at 13.
I also loved acting and always got cast in school plays, community theater, and later in indie films. Performing was a hobby-slash-Form-of-Life. It was what I always seemed to find my way to no matter how demanding school was at the time. I always found a way to make time for Art, for fun, and for creative free flow.

FCSyndicate: What initially got you interested in doing action, martial arts and stunt work?

MJG: I always had this desire to study and explore motion. My mom told me that as a a baby I would climb up the craddle, prop over the edge, and flip over! As I developed, I was always curious as to how the olympians defied gravity for a few seconds to twist, flip, and soar, and wanted to fly with them. Everyone always said, “well Michelle, you can only do One thing…so which will it be – gymnastics, karate, piano, violin, voice, or acting?” And I would always think “why do I have to follow this limitation of only one? Maybe I’ll be the person who actually succeeds in doing them all…” I also figured that tv/film was the best and most varied platform to use all of these skills. I had the idea of becoming the new superwoman (perhaps in more ways than one), but essentially wanting to be the action actress on screen, and then a different type of super woman (who doen’t wear a cape) in real life 😉

FCSyndicate: What was the most challenging hurdle you have had to overcome in being a stuntwoman?

MJG: The way I see it, LIFE is one hurdle after the other. Whether it’s being a stuntwoman, or artist, or actress, or producer, the hurdles are everywhere – from our own self-defeating mechanisms, to the territorial individuals that may try to keep you out of their way. The most challenging hurdle I think was realizing that I have the power to allow myself to succeed or fail…(it’s a HUGE internal hurdle). And again, I have a bit of that haunting question “well which one are you gonna do, Michelle? You can only do one.” I think getting over that false belief was a big hurdle for me. Just because I embrace the opportunities that come to me with stunts does not mean that I will close myself off to the other possibilities that I am capable and blessed to be able to enjoy in my life.

FCSyndicate: What are some of your favorite films to date? (Action, Horror, Comedy, etc.)

MJG: Avatar, Pan’s Labyrinth,  How to Train your Dragon, Dead Poet’s Society, Fight Club, Star Wars, Forrest Gump, Hercules (disney) [laughs]…
Singing in the Rain (anything with Gene Kelly really), Enter the Dragon (and all the films by Bruce Lee).

FCSyndicate: How did you meet Robert Griffith?

MJG: I met Robert through a great friend of mine who wanted to include me in this little webseries for a fight sequence. I learned the fight, executed on the mark, and just did my best to make the day as fun and easy to shoot as possible. I think that good first impression is what brought me back in to work on other episodes of The Adventures of SuperS7even.

FCSyndicate: You’ve performed a few different roles throughout the webseries before ultimately playing the character, Thunderpussy. Where did Robert come up with that particular character?

MJG: I think that might be a better question to ask Robert haha – this whole collective of characters just keep pouring out of his imagination, which I think is fantastic. He’s just so open and available to playing, creating, and improvising, while also paying homage to a very signature type of action-comedy from an earlier time.

FCSyndicate: What do you love most about playing that character? Or any character?

MJG: Well, Thunderpussy is just wild,crazy, vicious, and wickedly skillful – which I totally love being able to relate to that 🙂 She’s crazy! It’s quite a lot of fun to be this over the top, multi-lingual ass-kicker with this over the top name to match.

The joy I find in creating a character is just in that – creating…I find so much joy in bringing Life to characters (be it dramatic or comedic characters) – I love stepping into their shoes and figuring them out, understanding their motives, finding their quirks, and helping them fulfill their purpose. It’s a challenge, but it’s a very fun challenge.

FCSyndicate: What is your most memorable experience working on set?

MJG: Oooh this is a tricky one – I think one of the most powerful experiences I ever had was when I had to sing this incredibly difficult contemporary opera, and play the lead role of Sancta Susanna, and she had this “mad scene” at the end where she essentially loses her mind, but does it in this way that is so profoundly complicated – she’s scared, angry, fed up, completely lost, she’s all these awful emotions that I think so many people can relate to…and I had this almost out of body experience, where it wasn’t ME singing on stage, it was Susanna. And the most powerful thing about that, is that I had sooooo many people come up to me after the show and tell me that they cried as the watched me perform that number, that it moved them, that they didn’t “recognize me.” And I considered that such a success as an actress and artist, because it’s not that I need to “lose myself” – but I wanted the audience to see and hear Susanna instead of hearing Michelle sing through some difficult music. It was really amazing to receive the acknowledgement that I portrayed a story that difficult, and was able to be so authentic and affect the audience the way I did.

FCSyndicate: What’s your favorite episode so far in the series?

MJG: All the ones that I’m in…Bwahahahahahaha!!!! just kidding… I think all the episodes have some really great moments. Sparky is so adorable, quirky, and funny. Sandra West (played by Olivia Dunkley pictured right with actor Jerry Kokich as Super7even) is this sassy, so “over it” spy, with this love-hate tension with Seven, and all the quirky characters that come and go…well, there almost too many good moments for me to just pick one.

FCSyndicate: You also did stunt work on the upcoming release of The Lone Ranger, due out in theaters on July 3. What was that experience like?

MJG: I had a great time working on that project. I probably shouldn’t talk about it until after it gets released. All I can say, is that I’m sure it will be another phenomenal success at the Box Office, and you should all check it out!!! 🙂

FCSyndicate: One issue I’m faced with when I talk to certain action directors is the quality of action scenes in films in terms of budgets and prep time for actors and stunt performers-blockbuster films like The Dark Knight Returns where I’m told actors have several months more to rehearse for action scenes, where as films like Never Back Down 2 had about two weeks to rehearse and prepare on a $3m budget with 4 weeks to shoot–compared to certain films like The Raid which had months of preparation on a $1.1m budget and became a major success worldwide.

In your professional opinion, given your wisdom and experience in terms of budgets and producing (and I’m sure you have a better grasp at this than I do, so feel free to educate me, [laughs]) do budgets matter when it comes to making a quality action films? And what, if anything can studios do to achieve the kind of package that the Raid does, budget-wise and action-wise?

MJG: Do budgets matter? Yes, they absolutely do. There are some who believe “you get what you pay for.” There are others who practice being so resourceful and ingeniously solution-oriented to “make it work.” There are numerous ways to tackle any conundrum. I think the reason some films have MONTHS of rehearsals is because the producers/directors really want to “sell” the idea that the actor can really do all this stuff. Stunt doubles are talented individuals that can not only help your actor(s) avoid unnecessary injury, but also keep you on schedule. Stunties are used to learning choreo quickly and safely, so that it doesn’t take months. In the end, there are different ways to “cheat” what is desired on the screen and/or to best serve the story.

I don’t have experience yet in producing a film with heavy stunts. However, I did work on a pilot that had a serial killer and instead of doing a whole fight sequence with ground pound and slashing, we dragged the actress and then filmed silhouette-style of the horrid scene – still effective and kept us within our budget.

What can studios do to mirror what Raid did? Study how Raid did it! 🙂 Where there’s a will (and maybe some wild thrill-seekers), there’s a way 😉  All kidding aside, ideas for how this can be done may include allowing the audience to imagine the outcome, use some amazing foley for story-telling, hire an amazing stunt coordinator to help you figure out all the big gags…

FCSyndicate: Who do you look forward to working with in the future?

MJG: I would love to work with Tina Fey (because she’s brilliant), Kathryn Bigelow, George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, Martin Scorcese, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Andy Armstrong, Chad Stahelski, Jackie Chan, and gosh – the list could go on forever!!!

FCSyndicate: Are there any films you are looking forward to seeing in 2013? Any you haven’t seen yet but are sitting in your wish-list somewhere?

MJG: After Earth, Pacific Rim, Django, Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, The Lone Ranger, The Wolverine, Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty, and Olympus Has Fallen.

FCSyndicate: You’re also a singer. How did you get into music?

MJG: Music has always been in me. My earlier answers shine some light on that…I’ve been blessed to have parents who appreciate a full education, well-rounded learning, and a total support & appreciation for the arts. Maybe it’s genetics, but I feel music in my bones, in my breath, in the rhythm of my steps. It is such a constant and total presence in my life and will always be part of what defines me.

FCSyndicate: What other projects are you working on at the moment? (Film, Music, Acting, etc.)

MJG: I’m currently in pre-production for a music video I’m producing and dancing in, currently filming a Bollywood film (yay!), and in-development for a full-length feature film as co-composer for the score and original music….and always training, training, training – the learning never stops! 🙂

FCSyndicate: As multi-talented as you have become, what do you wish to pursue most?

MJG: This is always such a hard question for me because it still resounds in my memory as “but Michelle, you can only do ONE.” 

I have a passion for creativity. I love that I can translate my ideas in music, motion in movement, motion on screen, and the motion of languages. I love to interpret information and bring it to life. I love to pursue all the things that I do right now.

Perhaps later down the road I’ll become this phenomenal power-house producer that’s undeniably respected because I actually have all this knowledge and experience in all these departments…I’d like to believe that’s something that is already unraveling as I explore all these abilities of mine. 

So to answer your question, I wish to pursue what brings me joy because when I am happy and feeling fulfilled, I feel empowered to inspire, motivate, encourage, and create opportunities for others to shine and find their joy. I am on a pursuit of Global Happiness.

FCSyndicate: Who has been your biggest inspiration for getting to where you are now?

MJG: My parents: without a doubt my parents have been the most influential and incredible angels I could have ever asked for. They taught me my principles, my work ethics, the unconditional tough love to never ever give up. They are the core of my essence, and I am grateful beyond words and feel eternally blessed to have them in my life.

FCSyndicate: What advice can you give to anyone looking to become any of what you have achieved so far in your life, whether its singing, acting or screenfighting?

MJG: Quiet down all the voices around you, all the messages from the magazines, people comparing you to so-and-so, etc…find a quiet place, and ask yourself what it is that really makes you happy…If money didn’t matter, if you were provided all the things that you need (food, water, place to leave, and zero debt), what would bring you fulfillment and happiness….Find that answer, and pursue that.

Where you find an endless reservoir of enthusiasm/joy/curiosity, most likely it will be there that you find your greatest success.

FCSyndicate: If you could meet anyone living or dead, who would it be and why?

MJG: God – I’m this insatiable student of life and just wonder at the awesomeness of whatever created this perfect little universe where we have just the right distance from the sun, just the right barriers of protection in the galaxy so that we don’t get crushed by meteorites, just the right amount of endless resources on this planet to provide for every single living creature if we respect the balance and not get greedy, just the thoughtful way our body breathes and pumps blood for us…wow…My questions of how it is possible to bless us with such greatness would probably be endless…

FCSyndicate: How long before Thunderpussy gets her own webseries/movie? 🙂

MJG: WOW wouldn’t that be fun?!!  I hope the demand gets so great that the studios start realizing the profit they could make on a franchise of Thunderpussy vs SuperS7ven…I’d be happy for that time to be Here and Now 😉

I had fun putting this interview together, and I look forward to talking to even more stuntwomen in the near future, seeing as how they have become a prominent force in action cinema as of late. Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez is the first female I have interviewed for my blog. She is a very colorful, vibrant and wicked person to exchange messages with, and I think any filmmaker, producer or stunt professional would be lucky to work with her.

Thank you, Michelle, for taking time to share your continuing story with me.

The Lone Ranger opens in theaters on July 3, 2013. Don’t forget to check her out online in the hit action spy webseries, The Adventures Of Super7even, as well as her official website and IMDb page.

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Lee B. Golden III

filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com | Web

Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!