‘Penny Dreadful’ actress Stephanie Arcila talks Latinx representation and series’ Los Angeles setting (2024)

After three seasons on Showtime, the storyline of the British-American horror drama “Penny Dreadful” had run its course.

The series, which focused on 19th century Gothic fiction and characters like Count Dracula, Victor Frankenstein, Abraham Van Helsing and Dorian Gray, had been filmed in Ireland. When it came time to write a follow-up series, though, creator John Logan yanked the period series out of its Victoria-era London setting and reset it in Los Angeles circa 1938.

Thanks to a tax credit created to lure television and movie productions back into the area, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,” filmed in Los Angeles last year, utilizing some of the area’s most iconic structures and landmarks for an all-new story that plays off the history of the city. The spin-off series premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday, April 26 on Showtime.

“It is so beautiful and a lot of the buildings from that time still exist,” said actress Stephanie Arcila, 30, who plays Bernadette Romero in the series, during a recent phone interview.

With a cast that includes Rory Kinnear, Piper Perabo and Natalie Dormer, the series follows detectives Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) and Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) who are investigating a ghastly murder in the L.A. River. They become entangled in a story that explores a range of topics including the building of the city’s first freeways, radio evangelism, the deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore and espionage attempts by the Third Reich.

“It’s kind of crazy that the show is coming out right now, during these times,” Arcila said. “We had a lot of fear back then, and we still have it. And we’re still sort of separated culturally as well, so I think that’s going to resonate with a lot of people.”

Arcila is originally from Miami and moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to pursue acting. She’s known for her roles as Mami in the HBO series “Here and Now,” as well as portraying Rosie Rivera in the Telemundo miniseries, “Jenni Rivera: Mariposa de Barrio.” As Spanish is her first language, Arcila has also worked on several telenovelas.

She said she can relate to her on-screen character, Bernadette, who was born in Mexico and moved to Los Angeles at a young age.

“She lives a double life and she’s calculated, smart, but does everything from the heart,” she said. “She also holds a lot of pain inside and when her rage shows, she goes into survival mode … I think it’s because as Hispanics we are always taught from a very young age to always work hard, and sometimes that transfers into being in survival mode. When we are older, we have this fear of losing what we’ve worked so hard for.”

Arcila said she’s excited to work with such a diverse cast, as well as alongside actors with Latin heritage such as Adriana Baraza, Jessica Garza and Zovatto. As an actress, Arcila said she has been told in the past she’s “not Latina enough.”

“We come in all colors, shapes and sizes,” she said, noting it’s a big deal to be a Latina working on a series that’s airing on Showtime. “To be able to represent Latinos with the cast, we have and to be able to educate people, too, is so amazing. I’m ecstatic about it.”

Working with Logan, Arcila said that he values the actors’ input. On her first day of shooting, he called a meeting along with producer Michael Aguilar to discuss her character.

“I remember John asking me, ‘So what do you think about this, Stephanie?’ and I was like, ‘What, me?’” she recalled with a laugh. “That’s like every actor’s dream, to be able to create with the creator and to be able to express your thoughts.”

She also got a bit starstruck when she first worked with Lane.

“He’s incredible and so sweet and humble, too,” she said of the Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor. “Everybody knows him and loves him.”

Despite acting in a horror and fantasy-themed television show, Arcila said she’s a big ol’ scaredy-cat and had to watch the first three seasons of “Penny Dreadful” during the daytime to reduce the likelihood of nightmares.

“The things I’m doing in my career now, I never imagined I’d be doing,” she said with a laugh. “I do love it, but creating it is much different than having to watch it.”

Like the rest of Southern California, she’ll be tuning into the season premiere while under stay-at-home orders as the coronavirus global pandemic continues to strictly limit any and all activity outside.

She’s been diving into her studies and taking several online courses as well as an acting class in Spanish. She’s bouncing between two different books and making sure to find lots of time to exercise and meditate.

“I’ve been productive within certain measures,” she said. “I try to do things for myself and for my growth. Meditating helps me with this quarantine and it helps my acting as well. I create a lot of characters through my meditation and a lot of my character’s stories, lives and I use a lot of imagery work. It’s all about self-love and I know this is all helping me grow as a person and to better myself. If I better myself right now, I can give that energy out and be able to help other people as well.”