Stephanie Beatriz says she had to take her Twisted Metal role, interview

As Quiet in Twisted Metal, on Peacock, Stephanie Beatriz starts her journey with few words, but her presence on screen demands attention. While she can go toe to toe with Anthony Mackie’s John Doe, Quiet will never back down from a fight. When the opportunity arose, Beatriz knew that she could not turn down this opportunity.

For those unfamiliar with Peacock’s Twisted Metal, the show is an adaptation of the popular PlayStation game. The ten, thirty-minute episodes follow a set of characters as they navigate through a post-apocalyptic world. The sometimes dark, often humorous, adventures are not for the faint of heart. Even though some people have played the game, this streaming portrayal is different.

Many people know Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn 99 or even Encanto. Her role in Twisted Metal is a departure. When asked why she chose to pursue this opportunity, Stephanie said, “I had been wanting to do more action for a really long time. I never really have done much of it. I had a little taste on Brooklyn 99, but nothing like what I do in Twisted Metal. That opportunity is what initially drew me to it.”

As Stephanie explained, she knew that the creative team behind Twisted Metal was going to bring humor to the PlayStation game adaptation. Combining that writing with Anthony Mackie, she knew that it would be a big hit.

Speaking about the lead roles, Stephanie said, “having Anthony Mackie and me, two people of color, in the lead roles is a big deal.” While the humor has people engaged, that overreaching visual is important for representation.

While her role as Quiet starts with more expressive looks than cutting words, there is one element that Quiet continually seeks to achieve, power. When asked about the importance of power within this twisted gameplay world, Stephanie offered her insight.

“I think that it is a really dark, chaotic world and everyone in the Twisted Metal world is struggling to get power, to hold onto power, and to get more power. It’s terrifying to lose any power that you have. The world is constantly in flux. Looking throughout the series there are times with more and less.”

“When I am looking at projects, much of it is led by instinct, where I am in my life at that moment and how drawn I feel to something. When I’m lucky enough to audition for something that I’m really passionate about that feels like a win in and of itself. The fact that I actually got to do this series was a win all around.”

While Stephanie appreciated the opportunity to play this role, it may not have improved her game play. She said, “we have a Playstation but I’m not really great at it. I’m a much better commentary person. That was my job with my group of friends who were playing the game. As everyone ate pizza and drank soda, I was the one talking about everyone’s game play.”

Even though she might not have a high score on the PlayStation, Stephanie Beatriz racks up points with fans of Twisted Metal the series. It might be time to watch, and watch again, to discover all those little details because this performance is definitely something to talk about.

Twisted Metal can be streamed on Peacock. The 10 episode, first season is available now.

This interview was conducted during a press junket held prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.