Karen Rodriguez is entering the most public phase of her career.
On May 27th, “Spider-Noir” will premiere on Amazon Prime Video, delivering a new “Spider-Man” story for fans of the New York icon. Set in the ’30s, the series follows Ben Reilly, a Private Detective embodying a “Spider-Man” hero unlike any we’ve seen before. Rodriguez plays Janet Ruiz. While she’s been performing in the theater and on TV for years, having one of the standout performances on the breakout Netflix hit “The Hunting Wives,” this show is providing her with a new level of notoriety and a chance to showcase a new set of skills. It also features her alongside one of the great actors of our time, Nicolas Cage.
The origins of “Spider-Noir” date back to the early aughts, when the comic book began exploring an alternate version of “Spider-Man,” set in the Great Depression and encountering different kinds of villains than the ones Peter Parker fights in the contemporary timeline. But it wasn’t until the “Into the Spider-Verse” movies began that the character really took off.
Nicolas Cage is partly responsible for its success, voicing the role with aplomb and returning years later for a live-action version of the character. The TV show finds him at his lowest, allowing further exploration of the character, and has the format of beloved film noirs of the ’40s and ’50s, featuring femme fatales and a hero with a tortured past, all with the twist of spider superpowers.
In an interview with HOLA!, Rodriguez discussed her work in “Spider-Noir” and the commitment of the production to create a wholly unique experience for viewers, who’ll be able to watch the show in color or in black and white. Rodriguez teased her character and opened up about the “pinch-me” experience of working with Cage.
I play Janet Ruiz. She’s Ben Reilly’s secretary. She’s based on Effie from “The Maltese Falcon,” so we have the noir element of the Girl Friday, who is the secretary who knows the ins and outs of this PI.
Janet is a little batty, not afraid to speak truth to power, very resourceful. I think she really is a bright spot in the show. She’s kind of Ben’s flashlight in this dark hole that he’s in, and she’s just trying to get him to find himself again.
The show is committed to the noir genre — the sets, the time period, and the option to watch in black and white. What was it like to work in that world?
It was an honor. When you step on set, even figuring out what you’re going to wear, knowing it’ll be shot in black and white and color simultaneously, so every single choice in the frame has to make sense in both formats at the same time. It makes you stand a little taller. You’re like, ‘I’ve got to show up.’ When I stepped on that set, it was just transportive. It was like a playground, truly. You could get lost. I’ve never seen myself in these types of costumes. I’m really grateful for all of that work — it took a lot of genius minds to make this happen.
Karen Rodriguez on Spider-Noir and her one-to-one scenes with Nicolas Cage: ‘It was such a pinch-me kind of job’
The dialogue has that old-school rhythm to it. Were there any challenges in embodying that era and that vibe?
Janet has a lot of zingers. Keeping up the pace of those old films — they think fast, they speak fast. That pace was pretty breathless. For me, I couldn’t think of it technically. I had to think: ‘Why do they talk that fast?’ And to me, it was rooted in friendship. Ben and Janet really know each other; they’ve worked together a long time, so they can almost finish each other’s sentences. And they like to give each other a little s**t — it’s a little bit of a whip battle, which we love to see.
Nicolas Cage is one of my favorite actors. Can you tell me a little about your experience working with him? Did you learn anything from him?
I learned so much. It really was a pinch-me kind of job. The camera would be on him, and I’m such a huge fan. He would make such unexpected choices, and I would get lost in his level of craft. And then I’d be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m not watching him — I’m in the scene with him.’ It was like watching him as a fan and then realizing that I’m here, in my artistry, going up against him. And I had to show up, because Janet is such a strong character. She has to dress him up and dress him down. I really had to go no-hands, no fear, even though, of course, I was nervous. He’s very generous with the process. If you ask him any question, he’s going to share his wealth of expertise. He’s got 45 years of film experience on him. I’m better for it. And that’s what you dream about.
© Courtesy of Prime
© Aaron Epstein
