Exclusive Interview: Elena Juatco Talks Joining the Cast of ‘SurrealEstate,’ Bringing Levity to Her Character, and Paving the Way for the Asian Community and Young Women

Actress and singer-songwriter Elena Juatco stands out as one of the industry’s most versatile storytellers. From her debut album, Beyond this Line, to her roles in projects like Easter Sunday and Jann, Elena’s talent transcends various mediums. More importantly, she has paved the way and opened doors for the future generation of artists looking to make their mark.

Currently, she stars as Lomax, the newest real estate agent at the Roman Agency in Syfy’s captivating series, SurrealEstate. This must-see show follows real estate agent Luke Roman (Rozon) and Susan Ireland (Levy), along with an elite team of specialists who handle cases no one else can: haunted and possessed houses that literally scare would-be buyers away. Researching, investigating, and “fixing” the things that go bump in the night, the team works to create closure—and closings—even as they struggle with demons of their own.

Pop Culturalist was fortunate enough to speak with Elena about joining the cast of SurrealEstate, approaching her character with levity, and what it has meant to her to be a trailblazer for the Asian community.

PC: On the surface, Lomax presents herself as somebody who is a bit more reserved and thinks her special power is knowing when people are lying to her. But it’s really her ability to connect with people that is her true gift. We’ve seen her walls slowly come down as she sells more houses. You brought so much nuance to that journey. As an actor, how have you created the space to dive into those more vulnerable moments?
Elena: Episode 209 really lent itself to having her open up a bit more, and you see more of who she is and where she comes from. It was great to access that empathy that she has for other people, which she would have gained working at a funeral home from a young age. But so much of that energy was brought on set by the beautiful work done by Varun [Saranga] and Sugenja [Sri]. I had such a blast. That was a very special episode. They made my job so much easier because I just needed to sit and listen since they were doing such beautiful work. They made my job so easy.

George [Olson] is brilliant. He’s created a show that melds the dichotomy of drama and humor. With Lomax, it’s that steeliness with hints of warmth. I don’t know why, but I tend to play a lot of characters that are steel-faced or very guarded. Rarely do you get the opportunity to let those doors open and see what else is there. She was only in four episodes, but I got to explore so much with her.

PC: In a series where everything is so high stakes, your character brings a lot of levity, which the series is known for. How much fun is it for you to play in all these different spaces?
Elena: I love comedy so much. I love approaching scenes with a sense of humor. I just had my first child, and everyone was like, “Do you want them to be a boy or girl?” I was like, “Honestly, I just want them to have a sense of humor.” Having a sense of humor is the most important thing in life. That’s how you have to approach life. So that’s how I like to approach my work, even with the drama. [laughs] There’s just something that unlocks for me. As a kid, I loved watching comedies and physical comedy. I find it is easier to access honesty through humor.

What’s so great about Lomax is that she’s this dark, mysterious character, but there is humor. I love playing that. I remember being on set, and I love to sneak in little ad-libs when I can. I remember Adam Korson was like, “Don’t forget this is a drama.” I was like, “I know. I know.” [laughs]

There’s a moment in Episode 209 where Sarah Levy’s character returns in the elevator, and we all looked stunned. I had to throw an ad-lib in because my character has never met her, and I’m like, “Is that…?” Even the episode where we’re dealing with the family who turns into werewolves, I threw in some funny faces. I’d always ask, and they’d always let me. I would ask our director John [Vatcher], “Can I have one more take for me? I’d like to throw something fun in.”

PC: In Episode 208, Lomax reveals that despite the terrible experience she had working for her last employer, she’s learned some important life lessons. What have you learned about your craft embodying Lomax and being a part of this series?
Elena: That’s a great question. This show was such a gift. It taught me the power of living by faith and not fear. When I auditioned for this show, I wasn’t pregnant. When I booked it, I was. I entered my third trimester as we were filming. You can see my belly come in and out.

I told my team I was pregnant, and the next week, I booked SurrealEstate. It was such a gift to be welcomed by the cast. They were so incredibly warm. It felt like we had worked together before. I never felt like the new person, which could have easily been the case because they created such a family in Season 1. So much of that was living by faith and not fear, which is kind of a theme of SurrealEstate. There’s that horror and fear, but they’re embodied by characters that are searching for a deeper meaning and having faith in humanity and the beautiful things that come out of it. Again, it’s George Olson and that dichotomy.

PC: You’re also a multi-faceted talent. In addition to the incredible work that you’ve done on screen, you’re also a singer-songwriter. How much does music play a role in getting in your character’s mindset? What artist do you think embodies Lomax?
Elena: It’s funny because I posted a photo of Lomax when I could announce that I was joining the show and that my episode was going to air. I wanted to add a song to it, and the first person that I thought of was Courtney Love. It’s something about her voice. I’m so drawn to female vocalists. I love different types and genres. I actually saw Mariah Carey last night, and that was a really big deal. Courtney has such rawness in her voice and this darkness. It’s this night owl, screechy kind of voice. Lomax feels very nocturnal, which is why I loved the werewolf episode. She grew up and worked at a funeral home around dead people where she’s always working late at night. That’s where she gets her thinking done and she gets her work done. I found the perfect song, and it’s called “Hello” by Courtney Love. It was the perfect hello to introduce this character. There is a lyric that says, “Pocket full of real estate.” I was like, “This is too perfect!” I love that fierce, feminine, kind of dangerous energy that gets contained in a woman.

I feel like that’s a theme with all the women in this series. Sarah Levy’s character is full of fire, literally. [laughs] Then Zooey is this very strong woman. They’re all strong women who lock in and find moments where they let it go and also where they choose softness.

PC: You’ve been such a trailblazer for our community, and representation is such a cornerstone of media. We’ve seen major strides in recent years, and characters like Lomax can exist on screen, and their race and ethnicity are part of their identity, but not their entire story. Have you had time to reflect on the contributions that you’ve made knowing that for the first time that many people may see themselves represented on screen in this badass character? What has this moment meant to you?
Elena: Oh my gosh. Thank you for asking that. I’m part Chinese and part Filipina. I do think a lot about representation. The idea that I could do that for someone is very meaningful to me. For someone to recognize that in my work is probably the biggest compliment I could get. When I watch myself on screen, it’s a trip. I didn’t see a ton of representation growing up. Now I see younger women getting into this industry who are ethnic, who are Asian, who are Filipina and have reached out and are going into this industry with a fearlessness and a confidence that there is space for me. They feel confident now going into this because we belong here.

I did a movie called Easter Sunday, and that’s such a testament to that change. It was the first time that there were so many Filipinos on a red carpet in Hollywood. It was like, “We deserve to be here. Now, there is a space for us.” Before there wasn’t space for us. We had to fight for it. But now you see spaces for us now. I’m very proud of the things that I’ve done in my career, but what I’m most proud of is seeing younger actresses with that confidence and fearlessness to continue to do it. Thank you for recognizing that. It means a lot.

To keep up with Elena, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch new episodes of SurrealEstate every Wednesday at 10/9c on Syfy.

Photo Credit: Stacey Naglie