WandaVision marks Teyonah Parris’ Marvel debut. Parris is introduced in the series as Geraldine, a friendly neighbor and friend to Wanda Maximoff (Elisabeth Olson)—a confidant for Wanda as she settles into life in the idyllic town of Westview. But, ‘Geraldine’ is actually Monica Rambeau, a S.W.O.R.D. agent sent to investigate Wanda’s mysterious behavior.
Parris is more than just a superhero sidekick; her Monica Rambeau is a woman dealing with tremendous grief after the loss of her mother [Maria Rambeau, played by Lashana Lynch in 2019’s Captain Marvel]. And in that way, she feels drawn to Wanda, feeling a deep connection to a woman whom others are quick to label a villain. Parris crafts a performance that takes Rambeau through various decades of time, action sequences, and fantastical elements. And yet, she grounds her work in the universal human experiences that anchor WandaVision—finding a way forward after an unspeakable loss.
Parris will return to the Marvel universe alongside Brie Larson in 2022’s The Marvels. In the meantime, Parris joins Awards Daily to reflect on Monica’s WandaVison introduction and how she carried the character through the series’ many twists and turns.
Awards Daily: I wanted to start with how you approached Monica Rambeau as a character. Specifically, the fact that she’s dealing with the tremendous loss of her mother?
Teyonah Parris: With Monica, I wanted to start with the comic books, the source material. I was just trying to figure out who she was, how she came to be, and what was her origin story, really? So, I started there. I also watched Akira Akbar in Captain Marvel and seeing what she brought to the younger Monica. I tried to figure out how to use that to piece together my own interpretation of who this woman was. And then there was a lot of conversation with [director] Matt Shakman, [writer] Jac Schaeffer, and [co-executive producer] Mary Livanos, and just trying to flesh out this woman in this journey.
AD: And how did you approach having these very real human emotions in this larger superhero story? Did you find it more difficult to find those grounded moments given the fantastical environment?
TP: You know, we go through all of the different decades. And at times, it did feel like a bit of a challenge. I do think [we found] the heart of every decade. And in the real world, I guess the S.W.O.R.D., world of the show, we found a way to ground it. And that took a lot of working with Matt Shakman and going through a sitcom boot camp where we watched videos and sitcoms from each decade. We studied and talked and really tried to make sure that we were grounded in the reality of these emotions and what was happening between these characters, as well as adding that element of each sitcom to it. So being grounded in that reality part didn’t feel hard for me.
AD: Did you have a certain actress or sitcom character that you used as inspiration? I loved your 70s era with the period hair and the makeup. It was just so fun to watch you in that world.
TP: Oh, thank you! Yeah, I definitely took inspiration for Monica, or Geraldine’s, 70s iteration from Good Times from Willona (Ja’net DuBois) and Thelma (BernNadette Stanis), a little bit of both of them. I thought those actresses’ performances were classic, timeless, and amazing. SO, it was really fun to try to absorb some of that energy in the way they were telling stories through their body and their cadences, and try to use that in Geraldine’s 70s sitcom life.
AD: And speaking of infusing the character, I mean, Monica isn’t supposed to be in that sitcom world. In those early episodes, she’s sort of hiding in plain sight. How did you approach this character who is out of place and plant those Easter eggs of who she really was?
TP: Honestly, I relied on Matt a lot to be my barometer of what was working and what wasn’t. It’s a lot to try to wrap your head around, the performance and also what level of cognizance does Monica have in Geraldine’s experience? So I really relied on Matt and trusted Matt to be an outside eye in the barometer for the different levels of things that needed adjustment, like crank up this a little bit more here and dial this back there.
AD: Did you, at any point, find yourself confused because there’s so much going on? Or did you feel like you had a good handle on the story and what’s real and what’s not?
TP: Well, once we started, once I actually got on board and we got in the room, yeah, I got it. You know, there were lots of questions. I didn’t just get it immediately. There were just so many layers and levels to what’s happening in Wanda’s world and in her bubble and outside of it. So there were definitely things I had to pin down and make sure I understood it every which way. And also because we were referencing things and events from other Marvel properties. So, just making sure I caught all of those things was really important in this process. And some things you just don’t catch. Like some of those Easter eggs I didn’t know about.
AD: I wanted to ask you about approaching the fantastical superhero elements and all the green screen stuff. How do you prepare for that? You made it look easy for audiences, but there’s a lot that goes into making these things feel real. How did you calibrate that aspect of your performance?
TP: Luckily, on this project, and from my understanding on Marvel projects in general, we have this amazing resource called Previs, which shows you in an animated way, what the sequence will look like once it’s fully gone through post-production and has been edited. So that was really helpful to see and use as a reference. And then just having to use my imagination in a different way. You don’t always know what will be plugged in during post, so there was a moment of like, ‘Oh OK, I didn’t know that’s what was going to be happening’. So, that’s been really cool now that it’s been finished.
AD: I’ve read interviews where you’ve spoken about having been fan-cast as Monica Rambeau before you got this role. You’ve said that you’ve always wanted to be a superhero and that WandaVision is a dream come true.
TP: Yes!
AD: How are you feeling now that the show is out in the world and you’ve had the opportunity to reflect on this process?
TP: I’m extremely grateful. And yes, the fans, when I was on Twitter years ago, they brought my attention to who Monica Rambeau was or is. And so, it really just feels like a full-circle moment to actually have them engage with me, recommend this for me to look at, and say that they would love to see it. And then to actually have the opportunity to step into her shoes and tell her story on the big screen. It’s really is quite special and it feels special even now.
AD: I know that you’re not allowed to give anything away. And it’s a very tight tightrope that you have to walk in terms of Marvel. But, what are your hopes for Monica as we continue to see her in the future? Where would you like to see her go? What other elements of the performance are you hoping to tap into?
TP: Oh, I’m really excited! We know that Monica is joining Carol (Larson) and Kamala (Iman Vellani) in The Marvels, so I’m really excited to see what their relationships will be and what kind of exciting things they get into. Hopefully, Monica will continue to grow and blossom throughout the universe and we’ll get to see more of her and understand more about how she thinks and where she comes from.
AD: And lastly, as you close the book on WandaVision, what are you most proud of?
TP: I think I’m most proud of having been able to be a part of this project in such a special way. At definitely a very unique moment in time, having finished filming right in the middle of the pandemic and all of us getting through a lot of challenges. So, I’m just really grateful for the opportunity and to have worked with such amazing people.
AD: And you brought a lot of comfort to people at a time when they needed it. I’ve been lucky enough to speak to many on the WandaVision crew. And they’ve all said the same thing, that it’s so special for them to be a part of something that captured the cultural zeitgeist and really helped people.
TP: Amen, amen, it’s crazy that’s how it happened.
WandaVision streams exclusively on Disney+.