Nia Bowers
There are personalities and then there are actors. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two. The proof of a great actor is in their believability. Achieving this requires much more than the public will truly understand but essentially, it means being open to any opportunity and exploring it wholeheartedly. Bruna Meijas began her own exploration in Brazil, starring in the popular soap opera Reis and films like Não Me Engane, but always with an eye on Hollywood. In America, Meijas has been seen in iconic stage plays like the legendary Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” and is soon to appear in the animated series Avalon Heights alongside two-time Emmy Award Winner Brian Baumgartner (aka Kevin Malone of NBC’s The Office). While her integration in the LA scene has been admittedly rapid, the years of study and preparation were not. Her career communicates that both the American dream and the Hollywood dream are still possible.
Arthur Miller’s plays are among the most revered. Pulitzer Prize Winner, Primetime Emmy Award Winner, Tony Award Winner, Kennedy Center Honoree; his critical acclaim is without question. “All My Sons” stands alongside “The Crucible” and “Death of a Salesman” as essential works of this icon. In a June production of this play, Bruna appeared as Ann Deever, the morally conflicted woman intertwined with the Keller family. As the tipping point for this family accepting the truth concerning the death of their son Larry, Ann does not fall in line with what the family feels is “acceptable.” Bruna’s portrayal necessitated existing in a place where loss and desire are impossible to balance; an uncomfortable mental and emotional stance for any person. Critically praised for the complexity she brought to this character, Meijas states, “It’s a vulnerable and unsteady place for anyone to experience so closely, so putting myself in that position was interesting to discover and quite painful.”
As Fabiana Aziza Cunningham in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot”, the passionate lawyer presenting the defense of the man blamed for the arrest of Jesus, Bruna was provocative. The play takes place in purgatory where a trial is held offering one last appeal for Judas before his final judgement. Written by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis, “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” presents concepts that prompt the audience to question their own beliefs, for which Fabiana is a proxy. While defending the man universally recognized for delivering mankind’s savior to his killers places Fabiana in an unfavorable light, Bruna was able to bring positivity and a fierce conviction to this role. One wouldn’t expect such subject matter to meet at the intersect of humor and justice, but “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” breaches many unexpected emotional frequencies. Having delved deeply into the story for her role, Meijas remarks, “I’m not saying he didn’t betray Jesus, because he was one of the many people who did that, and I’m not saying anybody should forgive him either but, if you take a deeper look into what might have been the real story and his intentions, you might change your perspective and stop seeing him as such an unforgivable villain.”
For Bruna Meijas, the most interesting way to follow up appearing in plays by two Pulitzer Prize Winning writers is to voice a character in an animated series for adult viewers. Still in postproduction but expected for a release later this year, Avalon Heights includes the voice talents of Josh Banday (of the Apple+ Primetime Emmy Nominated Loot), Michael Bow (of Primetime Emmy Award–Winning Series Hacks), the aforementioned Brian Baumgartner, and Ms. Meijas. Bringing her typical layered approach to her role in this animated series, Bruna portrays a high schooler who is universally considered to be a “gorgeous girl” who captures the attention of all, even to the point of being stalked into her own home. Though there is no official release date for Avalon Heights, Meijas doesn’t feel the need to rush in this experience that provides its own type of growth. She states, “It’s very fun to play an animated character. I feel like I can be very creative and play with my voice in a different and freer way, but then you can only use your voice to deliver the character’s feelings, intentions, how they are trying to come across and what they are hiding… So you can’t rely on any other physical tools and aspects like the ones you have when you are playing a live film and you convey the character through your whole being, with your whole body.”