Catwoman: Hunted Interview: Stephanie Beatriz on Voicing Batwoman

Catwoman: Hunted is DC’s latest animated feature and features a star-studded cast that includes Elizabeth Gillies (Dynasty), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Lauren Cohan, Keith David, Jonathan Frakes, and more. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the movie is out today on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, on Blu-ray, and digital.

“In the all-new original Catwoman: Hunted, Catwoman’s attempt to steal a priceless jewel puts her squarely in the crosshairs of both a powerful consortium of villains and the ever-resourceful Interpol, not to mention Batwoman. It might just be enough to contain her. Or not,” reads the official synopsis.

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Catwoman: Hunted star Stephanie Beatriz about playing Batwoman, her recent voice acting roles, and more.

Tyler Treese: What attracted you the most to the role of Batwoman?

Stephanie Beatriz: I think she’s really interesting in that she is this badass, but she’s also got a very, no, I don’t wanna say she’s vulnerable in a way to think you wouldn’t expect. Um, and I think I’m excited by characters like that because I think all of us sort of can identify with the feeling of presenting one kind of person to the world and knowing, or maybe not knowing that we’re a little bit more vulnerable than we would come off.

There’s such a fun dynamic in this film with you and Catwoman. A lot of it is Catwoman kind of teasing Kate romantically. It’s a real highlight in the film. Can you speak to that dynamic between the two?

I think what you’re seeing play out is something that you’ve seen in a lot of heterosexual relationships since movies have been made [laughs], but in this instance, you’re seeing that dynamic played out between two women. I think that’s really fun for audiences. I think it’s really sexy. I think it’s really charming. I’m excited that I got to be a part of it. I think they make a really fun and funny duo.

Batwoman’s probably the most famous lesbian comic book hero. As a bisexual woman yourself, what did it mean for you to get to portray this on screen?

Well, first of all, I thought it was really rad of the producers and everyone involved in the project to decide that they wanted someone to come into the role that was an LGBTQ person. So, I’m really grateful that more of that is happening across the board. I think it’s really neat that there is a character like this period, you know, full stop. There’s a character like this in the DC universe. That’s amazing in and of itself. But the fact that I get to voice it is really special and I just feel really grateful.

How familiar really were you with Batwoman before this project came along?

I think for me there was a little bit of research to do, but not a ton. Meaning that I didn’t do a deep, deep dive because I was looking at this script as its own sort of world if that makes sense. I think that that’s something that, more and more, we’re seeing people kind of discuss and talk about how these characters and the world that they inhabit…like, you hear the word multiverse a lot, right? Like, the same kind of character, but in different iterations, different stories, different worlds, different actors playing them. So for me, what’s important is to mine this script, and mine these relationships for what I can bring to this iteration of the world that we’re gonna be in.

There are a few action scenes that involve Batwoman in the film. What is it like when you’re in the booth and having to make these action grunts and all these voices?

Oh I love it. Oh my god, it’s my favorite stuff. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite stuff. I tweeted about this last night when we were doing a watch party, and I said that some of my favorite stuff to do is running along a hall away and huffing and puffing, or getting hit in the face with stuff. For Catwoman, the same kind of thing, some of my favorite stuff is jumping off tall things or throwing punches or getting punched. That stuff is so fun because you don’t often get to do it in real life acting. I mean hopefully you don’t do it a lot in real life, but yeah, it’s really fun. I find it really freeing, and I get to be silly if I have to be, and I also can just go for it.

I’d first seen you in live-action roles and I didn’t realize you had become such a prolific voice actor until the last couple of years. When did you realize that you really had a knack for voice acting?

Oh, I don’t know that I would say I have a knack…I like doing it. I’ve been trying to build…slowly, slowly build a career in voiceover acting and I’ve had people trust me, which has been really, really, really lovely. Some of the first roles I think I got were on Bob’s Burgers, just smaller guest star stuff, which is really nice. And then little bit by little bit, I sort of was building a resume where people felt like maybe they could trust me to come in and not completely ruin their project [laughs].

This film has just a gorgeous anime-inspired art style. Are you a fan of anime yourself?

Yeah. I mean, I’m a fan of different styles of animation. I love Miyazaki, I love old-school Disney, like the really stylized stuff. I love all forms of animation. I think anime is just so different and so specific. And you know when you’re watching it, you’re going to get on a ride, you know? I don’t know how to explain it other than that. Meaning, I think animation style often influences stories and vice versa. And I think when you see that something is drawn, designed in this style, you know you’re in for a ride, and I think that’s what Catwomen: Hunted does, it takes you on a ride.

A few years ago you directed an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Is directing something you want to do more of in the future?

I definitely would love to direct more. I think I learned a lot directing that episode, and I’m always down to learn. And if I were to come across the opportunity again to direct, I would love to do it because it would just be another chance to learn.

Encanto did really well in theaters, but it’s really hit the next level since it came to streaming last month. Just how rewarding has it been seeing it connect with so many people, especially children of immigrants?

It’s been really special to see the response to the film. Families all over the world are seeing themselves in this story and in this family that’s from Columbia, that might not look like them. Yet they’re connecting to the story, and they’re connecting to the characters, and they’re seeing themselves in the family, and I think that was the goal of the film. It’s been really special. I love seeing videos of little kids dressed as the characters and running around, you know, singing the songs. It’s been really, really neat.

Disney films just stand the test of time. This is going to be seen for generations and generations. Has that kind of hit you yet?

No, [laughs], it has not. It truly has not. I mean, I’ve been away from the U.S., I’ve been in the U.K. and I’m doing a play in the West End, and here in the West End, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was the number one hit on the charts. I think it might still be on the charts. I was presented an award. I was like, “I wonder what this award is,” so I went online and looked it up and one of the first pictures is Elton John holding the same award. I mean, this is, it’s nuts, and I’m just getting a small part of it being here, because I’ve been so busy, but I’m really looking forward to, honestly, I’m really looking forward to going home to Los Angeles and California and visiting Disneyland and seeing everyone sort of loving up on the film and, and I don’t know, sort of celebrating it.

Awesome. You know, you do so much variety of work, you just said a play, you’re doing live-action. Can you talk to that variety and how it helps your creative process?

I like being challenged by things. I mean, you just heard my kid cry [laughs]. ‘I like being challenged by things,’ says the new mom. So I’m always looking for the thing that is going to challenge me or make me feel like I have lots more to learn. It can be lots of different things and a lot of that is timing too. You know, depending on the timing, you might be right for this project, but it might not time out for you, or the timing is great, but it’s not quite the right fit. So it’s just like, I think a lot of being an actor is being really patient and telling yourself that things are gonna work out okay. And trusting yourself and trusting your instincts and trusting that, you know, you have something to say and that people wanna hear you say it.