Marisa Davila is a name to watch for. This star took the leap and moved to Los Angeles in 2014 to pursue more opportunities and hasn’t looked back since. Davila hails from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and has been exposed to the arts from an early age. Having not one but two parents as professional musicians, one could say that musical inclination is in this star’s bones. Unsurprisingly enough, Marisa Davila is a quintuple threat: singer, actor, songwriter, dancer, and voice-over actor. With so much talent, it’s no surprise Davila landed a role on the new series “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” which premiered on April 6th on Paramount Plus.

Jacket by VENTURA at Flying Solo
The Hustler Ankle Fray in Not Guilty Denim by MOTHER
Shoes by Daniela Uribe at Flying Solo

What inspired you to become an actress?
Ironically enough, movie musicals. The first types of media my parents exposed me to as a child were classics like “Annie,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Sound of Music,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” etc. We repeated them in the house and in our minivan on the pull-down screen. For a while, our home phone voicemail outgoing message was 5-year-old me singing Annie’s “Tomorrow.” I continued to grow up in the generation that was gifted High School Musical, The Cheetah Girls, Hannah Montana. I always had a feeling that I could achieve something like that. And since, geographically, I wasn’t near those types of opportunities when I was a kid, I dived firsthand into on stage productions; some of my favorite roles include Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Holly in Wedding Singer. That was the dream, Broadway. It still is, but for now we’re taking over the screen and I’m honored to continue to bring accessible theater to homes all across the world. I was also just more TV and film obsessed than my peers; watching the bonus features, “making of” videos and interviews any chance I could get and wanting to always learn what went into making television shows and films. Even with voice over, I would wake up an hour earlier than I needed to before school just to catch the old school SpongeBob episodes that would play. I’d study everything endlessly. It’s so cool to look back now and see why I was so attached to this art form and was lucky to have gotten to dabble already in each of my loves.

What was it like when you first got the call that you got the role on Rise of the Pink Ladies?
This is the first role I had where I paced my excitement with the whole audition process. It’s really easy to get prematurely excited about a potential project when you start to get more feedback and move forward in audition rounds. But if I’ve learned anything in this industry, it’s that you could get all the way to the last round and not book the role. You can even book a role and there are often things out of your control that cause it not to happen. I didn’t want to get my hopes up again. Which was hard because how could you not want to work on “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies?” I truly tried to enjoy every step of the process and just take advantage of getting to workshop the material with casting and the executives. After weeks of hard work, callbacks, testing, and chemistry reads, my managers called me and said that Paramount wanted me to hop on one more zoom to speak with the show’s songwriter, Justin Tranter. I logged on and it was everyone in the company instead. They told me I got the role, and I made the biggest exhale, everything slowed down, the world went quiet, and I thought to myself, I can’t wait to tell my family. They were so complimentary, and it felt like all of the hours, weeks, months and years I’ve invested into this dream, this goal, has paid off. And to think I never even knew this project would exist. They then told me they had to go tell the guy who booked Buddy that he got the role, and I asked if I could stay on the zoom when they told him. And that’s when I found out my costar was Jason Schmidt. Such a fun day and the start of something amazing!

**Left:**
Jacket and Skirt by Mavi Jeans
Boots by ITSHOES at Flying Solo
Scarf by VAN HISE at Flying Solo
Sunglasses by HauteLife World at Flying Solo
Tank by ALLSAINTS
**Right:**
Tank by ALLSAINTS
Pants by MOTHER
Georgia in Basalt Shoes by Jia De Lara
The Tippy Top Runaway Heel in Faded Black Denim by MOTHER
Jacket by C L A T U R A L at Flying Solo

Whom do you play, and what can you tell us about your character?
Jane Facciano is the girl who would normally be the best friend side character, nerd, outcast, but instead is our story’s protagonist. Which was a fun surprise for me since I didn’t notice that initially with the audition sides. It’s so rare to tell the stories of those that are just trying to keep their heads down to their goals, which is how we find Jane in the beginning of the series. She quite literally just wants to join student council and make it to college without ruffling feathers but finds that that is inevitable when you’re an ambitious girl. Turns out strong females tend to rub people the wrong way, who knew? She also learns very quickly that high school waters are treacherous and are better navigated with loyal friends.

Grease is an iconic musical spanning generations. What does it mean to you to be a part of that film’s legacy?
It is an honor. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I’m so happy that I was even ready for something like this and trusted with such a beloved and developed universe. Its musical element aside, the writing is phenomenal. It is such a privilege to portray this character and continue the legacy for a new generation.

**Left:**
Jacket + skirt + tank by ALLSAINTS
DELLA PLATFORM SANDAL by Marc Fisher LTD
Bike Pants by FALKE
2 necklaces by Erickson Beamon at ShowroomSEVEN
**Right:**
The Tippy Top Frisky Flood in Metal Master Denim by MOTHER
Belt by Ellany at Flying Solo
Earrings by IZA BY SILVIA D'AVILA at Flying Solo
Ring by La Daje at Flying Solo
Portia in Fool's Gold Shoes by Jia De Lara

Your parents are professional musicians. Would you say your upbringing has helped you in your current role?
1,000%. Being raised by creatives is such a unique, fortunate experience. They’ve always encouraged self-expression and would implement music into our day to day, all the way down to pounding out rhythms to the BPM of the car’s turning signal. Our go-to road trip games were ones where we’d make up songs as a family to pass time, if that gives you any inclination. And/or my dad would challenge me to read billboards aloud as a commercial, which would be a fun way to practice my voice over skills. They’re both instrumentalists, but also music teachers. So, they valued education as well. I believe that even if my parents were, I don’t know, mail men, that they’d still never get in the way of my dream to perform. There’s nothing more valuable and fueling than having the support and understanding of your family. I also just always wanted to please my parents and make them proud, which I know all too well are also common goals for Jane.

Who is your favorite original Pink Lady from the movie Grease?
I love each of them for different reasons, but I’ve always had a connection to Frenchy. So, you can imagine my shock when I found out I got to play her older sister.

What was the most challenging thing about preparing for your character?
Overthinking. Going into a period piece, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if there were aspects of my performance that I would need to gear towards helping sell that were in the 50s. But I found that just focusing on playing a teenager facing teenage problems, that just so happens to be growing up in the 50s, is not only more relatable but less distracting.

Grease is a classic film that has massive reach. What are some new elements about this series that you think will appeal to this new generation of viewers?
I think with every character on our show we get to hear a very honest perspective from teens. We see how smart they are, how lost they are, how underestimated they feel. A lot of my own inner child was healed during this process by just getting to speak through one and be heard and taken seriously. I’m excited for parents to be able to understand their kids more by watching our show; since I feel like parents don’t always know what their kids are going through on a deeper level. And excited for kids to realize that maybe their parents went through similar things that they are facing, bringing the generations together.

You’re an actress, singer, songwriter, and dancer. Have you always wanted to focus your career on film, TV, or Broadway?
Always. It was always going to be one of the two. And if someone would have told me I’d get to be on a project that incorporates both TV and musical theater on a cinematic scale? I wouldn’t have believed that person. I don’t take anything for granted. I hope to continue to move among the three throughout my career. I’m so overjoyed when I get to sing and dance on an acting gig, but in the times where I’ve been trusted to be a character that just speaks, relying on my acting skills only, that has also been very validating.

How do you feel like representation differs compared to the original group of Pink Ladies?
I’ve always felt our OG Pink Ladies from the first film were different from one another. But with it being a 2-hour film, we don’t get the chance to get to know them too much. With our show, Annabel Oakes looked at the 10 hours she was given to tell a story and developed four dynamic ladies who we get the privilege to spend more time with, and all of the other students at Rydell too. She was particular about whose voices hadn’t yet been heard and what kind of characters deserved screen time that maybe had never had it before. You’ve got a powerful ambitious girl, the girl who is only seen by society for her appearance, the girl who doesn’t feel like a girl, or a boy, and the creative master who is wise beyond her years. There will, without a doubt, be a character from our show that each viewer will relate to in some way.

What bonds the Pink Ladies together?
The Pink Ladies bond comes from loving each other for who they are and knowing each Pink is special and not asking them to change. Creating a safe space for each of them to be themselves and supported for what they want and yearn for. Not getting in the way and only finding ways to encourage one another. Each Pink has amazing qualities that only further inspires the other Pinks. I’m excited for adults to relearn that it’s not hard to listen and respect each other.

What has been your most favorite part of working on set?
Getting to collaborate every day with other creatives and actors, escaping to the colorful 50s, leaving knowing we’d put our heart and soul into this show, and getting to come back the next day to do it all over again. I am also fascinated by every side of filming. I loved observing all the other jobs on set like directing, the camera department, etc. You can’t make a show without the help of all of the other departments.

Social Media.
Instagram: @itsmarisadavila

CREW CREDITS:
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director: Mike Ruiz + @mikeruiz.one
Photographer: Michael Creagh
Talent: Marisa Davila
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon
Hair: Alexandra DiRoma
Makeup: Eric Vosburg
Assistant Fashion Stylist: Gage
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Associate Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Lily Nawfor, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine