‘She-Hulk’ star Ginger Gonzaga sold her clothes to the show’s wardrobe department.

she-hulk Star Ginger Gonzaga has such a keen fashion sense that her own clothes made their way into the MCU.

Gonzaga stars as Nikki Ramos, best friend and paralegal to Jen Walters/She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), and in addition to being the ideal partner everyone dreams of having, Nikki’s eye for fashion shines through in virtually every scene in that is found. Gonzaga credits costume designer Anne Foley for being so open to collaborations, as costumes are a key component of Gonzaga’s process as an actor.

“I didn’t feel comfortable as Nikki unless I was wearing something a little provocative or something she wouldn’t wear to work or something that was a little high-fashion and really racked up her credit cards,” says Gonzaga. the hollywood reporter.

The original version of the character was always described as “haute couture”, but the role was eventually rewritten to resemble Gonzaga herself. So the costume department took the idea even further and bought the actor’s own clothes.

“Sometimes they would buy my personal clothes for Nick. I lost a lot of wardrobe on this job, but I got paid for it,” says Gonzaga with a laugh.

in the last conversation THRGonzaga also explains why he and Maslany had trouble reading chemistry.

Audition stories are usually a dozen, but not with Marvel. So, how was your casting?

Well, I used to work with Kat Coiro, so she put my name on the hat with the casting directors. [Sarah Finn, Jason B. Stamey]. So I got the audition, but for Marvel, you don’t know what you’re auditioning for. They use fake parties to make you become a detective trying to investigate. “You said a character is couture, does that mean it’s this, this, and this?” When you browse Wikipedia. But I just sent the tape and then I had a chemistry session with Tatiana on Zoom, which was really fun. I also did a lot of improvisation. It’s always my test to see if people want me there because I can’t help myself on set.

Then I read it differently, but they ended up writing this character, Nikki Ramos, for me, which was radical. They had character, but they let him have a lot of red hair in the role of Nick. During my chemistry session with Tatiana, we kept talking and talking and fighting. They had to stop us and remind us it was an audition, so that was a good sign of our chemistry.

And what happened when the good news spread?

Oh my God, it’s high and low because I was like, “Woo-hoo!” And then my dog ​​decided to poop in my living room. So I was literally cleaning up after my pup tried to celebrate being in the MCU, but it was still interesting. Honestly, it was in the middle of the pandemic, so I was grateful to have a job and I knew I would work. It was a strange time for all of us, but getting such a special job during this time was a dream come true. This is so wild.

So Nick is Jenny’s (Tatiana Maslany) best friend and paralegal, and he really goes out of his way for his friend. I know he’s like you, but have you learned anything from your friends?

Yes, I did because I have a really wonderful team of really strong, supportive, emotionally intelligent, and funny friends. We build each other up and that’s great. So Nick is a big fan of his friend and wants to see him reach his full potential. And he also communicates in the language of love. One of my best friends is Aisling Bea, an actress and comedian. East road AboveHe and I act like Jenny and Nick. And the funny thing is that I had a strange role reversal where art imitates life. In one episode, I turn on a matchmaking app for Jen Walters and say, “Oh, you can’t date these people. Let me roll, roll, roll.” And one time when I was with my friend Aisling Bea, she stole my phone and literally did it on my dating app. So I said, “Aisling, stop! scene. she-hulk! Roles are changing and I don’t like it. I’m not in control. “So I get a lot of my really fun friends.

When performing with She-Hulk, what practical adjustments do you need?

I need to adjust my collar, which is very expensive. (laughs.) Tatiana uses a strange contraption where she has a dead-eyed green alien hanging two feet above her head. So most of the time I can’t look him in the eye unless she’s in an elevator, which is also very difficult. So they have to build these ramps for him. But I watch it often and it’s a weird thing to get used to. Otherwise, my line of sight as Nick ends right at She-Hulk’s chest, and I can’t do that for nine episodes. This is too much. But Tatiana’s physique always tells us who the character is, even if I’m not looking her in the eye. So it’s just a small adjustment that’s a pain in her neck.

The series starts with that question, but in the real world, if someone has acquired powers like Jenny’s, do you think they have an obligation to help others?

My God, I think so because I feel like we all have a purpose. So I don’t think it will happen to anyone unless they have the magic and soul for the right purpose. So it can be a burden to deal with at first, but the universe or something else gave it to you for a reason. And it’s a good allegory for everyone and what they’re really good at, whether it’s a good singer, a good interviewer, or an intuitive therapist. Everyone has their own unique and strange power, which may be an ability they develop or are born with, and somehow aligns with their purpose. So I don’t think it’s a coincidence if my friend suddenly turns into the Hulk, and I hope they use that with some bravery to help the world.

Nick is very well dressed as you mentioned. Did you have fun with the costume designer’s collaboration?

My God, yes. I was very lucky [costume designer] Ann Foley allowed me to collaborate. I care a lot about fashion and it shows in the way I play. So I really wanted Nikki to have that specific look, and Anne gave me a lot of collaborations. Sometimes they bought my personal clothes for Nick. (laughs.) I lost a lot of wardrobe on this job, but I got paid for it. I was also able to design a lot of my own hair and makeup. [key hair stylist] Renee Warners. We really got off track a lot. Technically I couldn’t do that, but Steven, my makeup artist, would paint this thing I researched. So it was a great honor for me to collaborate with these artists and understand how important it is to me. I didn’t feel comfortable as Nikki unless I was wearing something a little provocative or something I wasn’t supposed to wear to work or something that was really trendy and really racked up your credit cards.

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she-hulk Now streaming on Disney+. This interview has been edited for length and clarity..