Adria Arjona Navigates Trauma, Genre, and New Roles
Actress Adria Arjona is riding high on the buzz surrounding her new film, but she’s also tackling complex themes in her work. From the applause at Cannes to the challenges of playing a character scarred by trauma, Arjona is charting her own course. Her ability to choose bold roles sets her apart.
Finding Freedom in Genre
Arjona reflected on the positive reception to “Splitsville,” noting that audience feedback is a special reward for performers. She enjoys exploring complex, unconventional roles. Co-starring with Michael Angelo Covino in “Splitsville” was a fun experience.
The actress finds it liberating to work within different genres, especially as a woman of color. She feels genre roles have allowed her to display her talents without being typecast. Arjona also finds smaller films offer opportunities she would not get in large movies.
She brought that humanity to “Andor,” with her portrayal of Bix, whose story included significant trauma. Arjona stated, “What happened to Bix in season one is huge, and I think what Tony [Gilroy, Andor’s creator] brilliantly does, by not letting Bix sort of get away with it, is showcase that trauma is incredibly complex and it takes time.”
Challenging Storylines and Upcoming Projects
Arjona addresses the challenging subject matter of her work with passion. She disagreed with those who felt the show’s inclusion of a sexual assault scene was inappropriate.
“If you’re going to tell all sides of one story, then you cannot leave out the abuse of power, because it’s part of our history,”
she says. “The fact that I got to say those words [“He tried to rape me”] in the world of Star Wars meant a lot.”
The actress also appreciated the support she received from other women while filming.
Arjona‘s performance in Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, “Blink Twice,” sparked comparisons. In that film, Arjona and her co-star exacted revenge on a tech mogul. Globally, incidents of sexual violence have risen by about 15% in the last year (United Nations 2024).
The actress is set to appear in Prime Video’s “Criminal” and will star in and executive produce Adam Wingard’s horror-thriller “Onslaught”. Arjona admits she’s not the most strategic person in the industry. She chooses roles based on instinct.
Arjona stated she selects roles based on, “I like to keep myself entertained, as well as an audience.”