‘Encanto’s Stephanie Beatriz Praises Mirabel’s ‘Strength’ & ‘Rebirth’: ‘It Reflects Our World’

Stephanie Beatriz recalled Disney’s history of showing the strength of their young female characters, including her Mirabel in ‘Encanto.’

We don’t talk about Bruno, but we do talk about strong women leading the way! Just days ago, Stephanie Beatriz, the star of the Oscar-nominated animated Disney film Encanto, revealed that she was in labor while recording “Waiting On A Miracle” for the movie. The day after laying the tracks down, she welcomed her daughter, Rosaline. “I didn’t want to tell anybody at Disney because I didn’t want anyone to freak out,” she told Variety of the situation. “I was like ‘Well, fingers crossed I finish the song before [the baby] comes!’” Her story is just one of many that shows the boundaries women push through to get the job done. In speaking to HollywoodLife.com at the National Board Of Review Awards, Stephanie reflected on Disney leading the way in telling these female-forward stories.

“Disney has been doing that for a really long time. There’s always been a history and not only in Disney, but in archetypes of film and storytelling, with this central character that is the heroine of the story. And sometimes, because she is the heroine, we worry about her and we think of her as fragile. But, what ends up happening, almost every time, is that character that we think of as fragile, pulls up strength from somewhere deep inside, goes through something really tough and comes out the other side. She is reborn,” Stephanie told HL. “I think Disney has an incredible history of doing that, even in the very, very beginning. And now, as the heroines grow and change and shift to reflect our world as it is now and women’s roles in this world, it’s a really exciting time.” Stephanie’s Mirabel is certainly a strong example of this!

The In The Heights star also revealed if she had plans to team up once more with Lin-Manuel Miranda, with whom she’s worked on multiple projects. “I do not have the answer to that! I truly do not!” she laughed. “I will say this, anything that Lin writes, I would be happy to be a part of!” As for Encanto possibly coming to Broadway, Stephanie said she plans to leave those roles to the stage stars. “I think that’s for actual, real Broadway actors who have a skill set that is phenomenal and beyond anything that I think I’m capable of in that way!” she admitted. “I would be excited for any longevity of this film, though. I think we made something special.”

Encanto is up for Best Original Song, Best Original Score and Best Animated Feature at the upcoming Academy Awards on March 27th. Be sure to tune into the show to see if they take home the top prizes!