Exclusive Interview: Montse Hernandez Discusses Her Starring Role in Student Body
Montse Hernandez is a rising star who is captivating audiences with the dynamic characters she’s brought to life in projects including Jane the Virgin, The Last Kids on Earth, and Victor & Valentino.
This year, she can be seen delivering a commanding performance in the horror-thriller Student Body. The film follows Jane Shipley (Hernandez) as she seeks to mend her splintering relationship with her childhood best friend Meritt. But when Jane’s teacher oversteps his bounds, an apathetic high school administration forces Jane and Meritt to take matters into their own hands.
Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Montse about her career, Student Body, and more!
PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Montse: I discovered my passion for the arts at a very young age. My mom was a ballerina in Mexico. My dad used to do poetry, write, and draw. My mom put me in dance, cheer, and music and wanted me to have a creative outlet; I just didn’t know what it was until she put me into acting. She wanted me to be well rounded and I wanted to try everything but didn’t find “it” until acting.
PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Montse: My mom and grandmother are thick-skinned, graceful, kind, and good people. They really have the biggest influence on me—they’re my role models. They have been with me since the beginning and have taught me to just keep moving forward. They have really helped me become who I am today.
PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out?
Montse: Booking Student Body was an absolute career highlight. When I was nine, I was in Barney. When I was fifteen, I was in Jane the Virgin. But Student Body is definitely the one that stands out. Horror is my favorite genre, so it was like, “Wow. I can be a leading lady! I can be the first on the call sheet! I can make a film in my favorite genre!” It was a big stepping stone.
PC: Tell us about Student Body, your character, and what attracted you to this project.
Montse: It’s a horror movie, and I play the lead, Jane. What attracted me to this role was how much fun I had just reading the script. It is really a great film and tackles a very important topic. As fun as it is, it has this really important message about what it is like to be a young woman in school, the pressure to fit in, what it’s like being an outcast, and dealing with these men in power who take advantage of you. They did such a good job of telling that story while keeping it real and grounded.
PC: Throughout the film, we see your character come into her own power. How did you prepare to tackle the journey that we see unfold in the film?
Montse: Jane starts out meek and timid, but as the film progresses, she keeps her cool in this crazy scary situation while she becomes the “fight” in the fight or flight instinct. She is like, “Okay, we are going to put our heads together and figure out how to escape this murderer.” Towards the end, she finds her voice and gets the strength to say enough is enough and not have people take advantage of her.
PC: There’s great chemistry that comes off the screen between you and the entire cast. How were you all able to build that bond?
Montse: I was very much like Jane in high school, so it was literally just going back to sixteen-year-old me and reliving that time in my life. I love Cheyenne [Haynes], who plays Merritt in the film. We really bonded and became friends in real life. That helped the connection on screen. I have so much love for what drives Cheyenne and how my character wants to be in this friend group. Having Cheyenne be the incredible person she is helped my work on the film.
PC: This is your first leading role. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Montse: I know this isn’t how it usually works, but this experience was absolutely perfect. I know that doesn’t happen very often, and film sets can be really crazy and hectic, but this was just beyond. I have no words to explain how amazing it was.
Pop Culturalist Speed Round
PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Montse: Sweet Magnolias. I am from Texas, so having some southern vibes in my home is great. Plus, I think the acting is wonderful.
PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Montse: Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 version. I can quote it by heart. I have it on in the background if I am writing or cleaning.
PC: Favorite book?
Montse: Pride and Prejudice. That is where my love for the movie began! I read it when I was thirteen and fell in love with it.
PC: Favorite play or musical?
Montse: My favorite play is A Raisin in the Sun and my favorite musical is In the Heights.
PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Montse: My Chemical Romance! I listen to them daily and was definitely an emo kid.
PC: Dream role?
Montse: I want to play a spy. A super sultry and badass spy!
To keep up with Montse, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Student Body today.
Discussion about this post