Tatiana Maslany stars in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law as Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk, but why was she cast? The creators explain.
Tatiana Maslany plays Jennifer Walters (and of course She-Hulk) in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. But why was she so perfect for this role? Well, Director Kat Coiro, Head Writer Jessica Gao, and co-star Ginger Gonzaga (who plays Nikki Ramos) all sing her praises during the global press conference, and say there was never any other option.
Why Was Tatiana Maslany Cast As She-Hulk?
As soon as they were asked about about Maslany stood out as being great for the role of She-Hulk, Head Writer Jessica Gao answered “There was nobody else. There was really no other discussion.” From her previous work it was clear that she has a wide range and is able to embody so many different elements of the human experience. This is what drew the creators to her immediately.
Gao adds “What’s so interesting and different about Jennifer is that she maintains her sense of self, and yet her sense of self is influenced by the way she presents when she changes. It’s a different way of walking through the world. And so it required a nuance of performance that really only Tatiana could give.”
Another thing about Tatiana is that she has amazing chemistry with everyone. This is because she listens and engages when on set. “She approaches things on a macro intellectual level, but she’s still able to approach on a micro emotional level, which is very rare as an actress.”
Director Kat Coiro chimes in on the conversation by saying that it was extremely important for this character to be human first, and from day one Maslany stepped into the role perfectly.
“Immediately, [her transformation]was right before your eyes, this is a different person. A second ago this was just words on a page. And now I’m seeing a real person who I believe has lived this entire life, has all these relationships, and has all these feelings. Then on top of that, she’s super funny.”
Coiro also explains that Tatiana has great instincts for her character and for the story. There were often times that something didn’t feel quite right in the script or on set instinctively, but also intellectually, and she was always right. “It forced us to work together to get into a better place that was more real, smarter. and better. For that I’m eternally grateful.”
Ginger Gonzaga plays Jen Walter’s best friend Nikki Ramos and so of course she had some praises of Tatiana Maslany’s that she wanted to sing.
“Our show is hilariously human. Because it’s so embarrassing to be a person. It’s because of the humanity and soul that she brings to it. What’s so fascinating to watch is the differences between the Hulk and She Hulk. The whole initial struggle is like he’s out of control when he’s the Hulk. And it’s primitive. She is conscious in this other form. And it’s uncomfortable. She’s very aware of how she is in the world and how she’s being viewed when she’s She-Hulk.”
Gonzaga says that Maslany is so fantastic and gifted at portraying this in a way that works. She’s cerebral and complex and funny and “so gifted.”
After hearing all these kind words about her, Tatiana Maslany says she is telling herself “Don’t cry now.” But then adds that right from the very first day, where the scenes were her and Ginger in a bar, swipe dating and giggling like friend, it felt real. “It was so alive.”
Watch She-Hulk: Attorney At Law when it hits Disney+ exclusively on August 18th and you will see exactly why Tatiana Maslany was cast.
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About She-Hulk
In Marvel Studios’ “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany)—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk.
The nine-episode comedy series welcomes a host of MCU vets, including Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Jameela Jamil, Josh Segarra, Ginger Gonzaga, Jon Bass and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
The series is directed by Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7) with Jessica Gao as head writer. Executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Kat Coiro and Jessica Gao.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning August 18, 2022.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.