Filtered By: Showbiz
Showbiz
HOLLYWOOD INSIDER

Paul Abadilla on 'Soul's' Golden Globe win, Chloe Zhao on making history, and H.E.R. on her Globe nom


Los Angeles – Chloe Zhao, the soft-spoken and humble filmmaker from Beijing, China, made history at the recently held 78th Golden Globe Awards for being the first Asian female director to bag the Best Director – Motion Picture award for her movie “Nomadland.” The movie also won the Best Motion Picture Award for Drama. Apart from directing, Chloe also wrote and produced the said film.

She also became only the second woman director to have won in the said category after Barbra Streisand won in 1983 for “Yentl.”

In the first ever virtual bicoastal awards show, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, some of the first time Golden Globe winners included Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”), John Boyega (“Small Axe”), Andra Day (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”), the late Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”), Josh O’Connor and Emma Corrin (“The Crown”).

Soul,” which follows the life of Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) a middle school music teacher from New York City who dreams of a career in jazz, won the Best Animated Movie and Fil-Am Paul Abadilla, who is the Sets Art Director, talked to us about the win.

We also talked to Fil-Am singer-composer H.E.R. (aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) on being the first Filipina to be nominated in the category “Best Original Song – Motion Picture” for her original song “Fight For You” for the movie, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

Here are excerpts of our interviews with Paul Abadilla, Chloe Zhao and H.E.R.:

Paul Abadilla (Sets Art Director, “Soul”)

Courtesy of Disney Pixar
Courtesy of Disney Pixar

What was your reaction when you heard “Soul” won the Best Animated Movie award?

I am grateful that “Soul” has been awarded both Best Animated Feature and Best Score at the Golden Globes. Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for celebrating our film through these honors.

I'd like to congratulate and give thanks to the filmmakers Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Dana Murray, our composers, the entire SOUL cast and crew, Pixar and Disney family, and all of our collaborators who helped give SOUL its beauty, depth, and spark.

As much as I wanted to loudly cheer when I heard the announcements, I had to celebrate as quietly as possible in my living room, so that I wouldn’t wake my sleeping infant daughter. These honors certainly add two more reasons among the many others, as to why working on "SOUL" has been a shining career highlight.

I immediately dove into helping out on “Luca” soon after – I absolutely adore this film, and cannot wait for the world to see it when it comes out later this summer.

Chloe Zhao (Director-Writer-Producer, “Nomadland”)

 

COURTESY: Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA
COURTESY: Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

What is your reaction to being the first Asian-American female to win a Best Director award and the first Asian-American whose movie won a Best Picture – Drama award?

Sometimes a first feels like a long time coming, isn’t it?  You feel like it is about time.  I’m sure there’s many others before me that deserve the same recognition. 

I just love what I do. I just really love it. If this means more people like me get to live their dream and get to do what I do, I’m happy.

You used a lot of non-actors in the movie with your strong leading lady (Frances McDormand). How did you inspire them to work all together?

It is like we had all got in a boat together and went on a sailing trip. Yes, I am the captain, but it is a matter of survival when you’re out there. We all are looking at the sun setting every day. We need water. We need to find a bathroom, and now the storm is coming.

Being out there in this landscape on the road, we needed each other. We needed each other, and I think that’s how the bond is formed.  That’s how we learned to trust each other and work together.

How do you feel about the award recognition that your film is getting?

I think the film’s called “Nomadland,” and there’s a word called “nomad” in there. I think if this means that more people, when they walk down the road or they walk around their neighborhood and they see someone who is not living in a traditional home, who is living an alternative lifestyle and maybe wave and say “Hi,” you will make their day. So the recognition that we are getting, the awareness that I think it is going to bring to the nomadic community is a great thing.

We are seeing a rise in violence towards Asians and Asian-Americans here in the United States, and obviously part of this is there isn’t as much representation, so people in communities that are around Asians or Asian-Americans may not know someone personally.

How important is it to make sure there’s more Asian representation in media, especially during difficult times in the community right now?

A lot of great people have been doing incredible work in the community to raise awareness. Again, the word “compassion.” I think when we look in each other’s eyes and stare at the other person, you can’t deny them as a human being.  We all just have to learn maybe to be a bit more compassionate to ourselves. 

I sometimes feel like people with so much hate, maybe they just hate themselves.  I think an understanding and trying to see the world from the other person’s perspective is the only way we can survive as a species.

How was it working with Frances McDormand?

Frances really lives her art.  She’s probably somewhere in the desert right now.  We don’t know where she is.  She just had so much curiosity and so much vigor to live about life and other people around her.  It has been a privilege to see the world through her eyes and to be able to craft this character with her. I think her being one of the best actresses of our time isn’t just her craft, but also her as a person.

H.E.R. (Composer, “Fight for You”, “Judas and the Black Messiah”)

PHOTO: STHANLEE B. MIRADOR
PHOTO: STHANLEE B. MIRADOR

Congratulations on your Golden Globe nomination and being the first Filipina-American to be nominated in this category. Can you please tell me your initial reaction when you found out and where were you then?

I woke up at home, and I was getting a lot of congratulations texts. And I was like, "Congratulations on what?" And then I looked online, and I saw the nomination. And I just screamed, and I was calling everyone. And my mom was like, "Congrats!" And tearing up a little bit, so it was a moment.

Talk about how you got the gig of writing “Fight For You” for “Judas and the Black Messiah” and what does the song mean to you?

Archie, who works with RCA and worked with the movie, he gave me a call, and he said, "We're working on this film, and we would love for you to be a part of it." And gave me the gist of the movie, and they sent the movie over.

And I watched it, and I told him... I said, "I really think I could make a masterpiece for this movie." And so I got into it, and I made the record, and they fell in love with it.

The movie I think is very special and very important because it's a huge part of Black history. And a lot of people don't know Fred Hampton's story. So to be able to make the song for it and just to talk about social injustice, and continue to fight for the Black community. And even today, and be fighting for the same things that we were fighting for then, now. It's definitely a teachable moment, and it's an important part of our history.

Talk about the win of Daniel Kaluuya and his reaction that night.

Oh yeah. Well-deserved, first of all. He killed it. He really, really killed it. And it's huge, just for the Black community in general. I thought it was a really special moment, and I'm really happy for him.

You also recently performed at the Super Bowl. What made you decide to use the guitar instead of just sing?

It's part of who I am. I really wanted to make the song mine. I wanted to do my own version and rendition of “America, The Beautiful,” and make it fully like H.E.R. What would H.E.R. do in this situation? And that's what they asked for. So I gave it to them. I decided, come up with some cool R&B chords in the beginning, and then rock it out fully, just rock out, and do my own thing.

You were born in Vallejo, California and raised by a Filipina mother and an African-American father. How was it growing up in two cultures?

It was a blessing. Sometimes it would be a little difficult, finding who I am and my place. Because sometimes I felt like maybe I was too Black for the Filipino kids, or too Filipino for the Black kids. And then I realized that I was friends with so many different communities in both sides, and that I had both foundations and both sides of my family supporting me so heavily. That is very cool. And not to mention the parties, where I would have Filipino food and soul food at the party. So it's a blessing to be part of two completely different cultures. Very similar, but very different at the same time. And both my parents, they were the biggest supporters, so it was a beautiful thing.

Tell us more about your mom and where she came from in the Philippines and what she taught you about Filipino culture.

She grew up in Nueva Ecija, in a city called Cabanatuan. And she came here to America when she was 18 years old. And people in her small town, it was much smaller at the time. They didn't believe that she was coming here. And so, it was a big step for her and her family. And she just taught me the importance of gratitude, and being grateful for where you come from. And knowing that it doesn't matter where you come from, when it comes to where you're going. And you can be whoever you want to be. But yeah, really just thinking God every single day. That's the number one thing she reminded me, and to trust the process.

When was the last time you were in the Philippines?

I was just looking at photos today. I was in the Philippines in 2019, in December. And it was the first time my mom had been back in 15 years, and my grandfather. So, it was so beautiful. It was so nice, and humbling, honestly, to go back home. And for my mom to go back home. And to see where she grew up, and see my other aunt who lives there in Cabanatuan. It was wonderful. It was a great experience.

Tell us about the Filipino singers who have influenced you or that you admire. You mentioned Sharon Cuneta as one.

Yeah, Sharon Cuneta, for sure. Obviously, Bruno Mars is Filipino, and I looked up to Bruno Mars a lot. And I thought it was cool that he's Filipino. And there are other people like at the time, I was fan-girling when I was a little girl at Gary Valenciano when he would perform. I was a big Gary V fan.

But there's a lot of great Filipino singers like American Idol’s Jessica Sanchez. Oh my gosh. I've been following her since I was a little girl, and I always thought she was an amazing singer. So, it's so cool. She always represented for Filipinos.

What were the challenges you encountered as a woman of color entering into Hollywood and entertainment and how did you overcome them?

I always felt underestimated and people always had their doubts. And it seemed like some of the things that I was doing... It was like, "Oh, well, you should just be a little bit simpler, and be more about your looks." And, "Don't play guitar because people won't get it. They won't understand it coming from you." But if a man were to do it, it feels like it wouldn't be received the same. And yeah, I felt like I was being underestimated. And I didn't take no for an answer. I didn't allow anybody to make me alter who I am, or make me change who I am and what I wanted to be, what I wanted to present on the stage. And I stuck to my guns, and I did what I wanted to do. And it paid off.

Do you have any advice for young Filipinas who want to follow your footsteps?

Stay true to who you are. Keep that community close, and always be grateful. Have gratitude. Because every moment just makes you who you are, and it makes your journey that much more special. Every up and down, it's going to happen, but you just got to keep going and believe in yourself. And know that there are people that love and support you, and will always back up your decisions in navigating this crazy, crazy music industry. So, stay true to you.

And tell us about your next projects.

I have an album coming out in the springtime, so it'll be coming very, very soon. I've been working really hard on it. And I also have a reggae EP coming out because I love reggae music, and I want to celebrate that culture. And hopefully my festival will be coming back to the Bay Area, Lights on Fest. And yeah, hopefully touring will come back. But there's a lot of things I'm trying to do to keep it going.

Do you know of any Tagalog words?

Salamat. Kumusta... And mahal kita. I love you, all. Thank you for supporting my music. I hope to go to the Philippines soon and have a show there! — LA, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT