Fiona Palomo is a rising force to be reckoned with. Quickly emerging as a notable talent in film & tv, she’s best known for her role as María Alexander in Netflix’s Control Z, capturing the attention of audiences with her compelling performances. As the daughter of renowned Mexican actors Eduardo Palomo and Carina Ricco, she has acting in her blood but is carving out her own distinct path.
In the Netflix hit Outer Banks, Palomo portrays Sofia, a Pogue who is desperate to get into high society and finds herself entangled with Rafe. The role is one that required her to draw from a myriad of influences — from the animated character Nausicaä to Bonnie and Clyde. Beyond acting, Palomo uses music to both shape her inner world and her characters, using her eclectic music taste that help her embody her characters.
In conversation with 1883, Fiona Palomo discusses her passion for acting and storytelling, the importance of integrity and kindness in a challenging industry, Outer Banks, and more.
Hi! How are you today?
I’m great! I couldn’t fall asleep for a minute last night and it always takes me about an hour to know where I am when I wake up. I’m in a little bit of a haze but I’m very happy. Happy to be talking to you. How are you?
I’m great, thank you. Waking up is the same for me, but let’s jump right in… Tell me about what inspired you to pursue acting.
I think my love for acting came really organically, because it just started with the playing pretend we all do as children, and then you never put that down, I guess. I was really fascinated by cameras when I was young. Around six or seven, I would pick up cameras around the house and [was] writing down little scripts and filming it with my friends over the summer. Not even a proper short film or anything like that. I was so enamoured by characters and by the ability to feel like I’m someone else for a while, be under their skin, and know what that feels like. I mean, I love my life and it’s not a reality I would ever want to escape from, but it is very fun to go into another one for a while. There’s something really, really meaningful about that.
I did grow up with artists, so of course, I think that’s an entirely influential influence. Whether you know it or not, to be surrounded by people who are constantly creating something… It bleeds into your energy and vice versa. Also around that age, six or seven, I was watching a movie and I remember seeing the bloopers and it hit me that you could do this for the rest of your life. I was like, ‘Mom, wait, wait, wait, I need to understand what acting is because I think that’s what I want to do.’ From there on out, I was like, ‘That’s what I’m going to do with my life.’
That perfectly blends into my next question… So you grew up in a family of artists. Did you receive any enduring advice that you apply in your day-to-day work that you could share with us? Anything that informs how you approach this profession?
Yeah, absolutely. I’d say from my parents, who I admire profoundly as artists, but as human beings… They are definitely some of my biggest heroes. I think the main point I’ve carried with me is integrity because it’s an industry that always can push things on you, whether it’s a value, just a gut feeling, or anything that doesn’t resonate with you. This noise of, ‘Well if you don’t do it, you won’t get here…’ It can start to overwhelm you. I think it can make us fall into places that we later regret because it takes away a little part of us. Especially as a young woman, there are so many challenges like that.
So for me, I’ve really lived by that. Sometimes it’s been really scary because I’ve said no or turned away from things, from everyone, and it seems crazy I was doing that. To me, it totally made sense, and always, religiously, afterwards I’ve looked back and been like, ‘Wow, I’m so glad I didn’t do that.’
Also, it’s made me feel intact as a person and as someone who is creative. It makes you feel whole as you go through this. It’s really important because you have to be strong in this industry. So yeah, I’d say that. The rule of choosing what will be the greatest good, and not betraying yourself along the way. And to treat people beautifully… which is easy because I really like people. It’s very important…very, very important to be kind to everybody.
So many actors are inspired by their favourite characters on screen. Do you see any of the qualities or traits – of actors or characters you admired early in your acting career – in the roles you are taking on now?
Yeah. I think for Sofia, particularly. This is kind of random, but I really loved Hayao Miyazaki, Ghibli Studios and everything. I remember pulling a little bit from Nausicaä. She had her little short hair and I just loved the way she’s on her own and very able to love things around her… but on her own. That’s a random character I pulled from. Otherwise, Bonnie and Clyde was a big one.
At the end of the day, it is Sofia and she is a character by herself. The biggest part of it was her relationship to Rafe and who they were together. So it was beautiful to do that homework myself, it was fun to think she’d have these tones and everything. But later, once I actually came on set and met Drew [Starkey] and Jonas [Pate] and everyone, she ended up becoming something else. But yeah, those were two characters I pulled from.
So you said this character transformed once you met Drew and Jonas… Does that switch, after your own personal preparation, bring about new pressure when playing this character?
Funny enough, it’s relieving because such a big part of her is him. That whole part was totally missing to me, and that was what was terrifying. It was like, ‘Oh man, once I go on set I get to put this on the table and talk about it. Talk about how to fill this gap, with Drew specifically, and Jonas, Shannon, anyone.’ That was the scary part. I didn’t want to show up and be like, ‘Why do they care for each other? What happened a month ago? Is this the first time we talk about this?’ Although, it was so important for me to put together who she entirely is. That gave me clues as to other things about Sofia, that are totally random, and wouldn’t necessarily be on screen… But I had to do the homework for.
So, there’s that part, but I think the trick to that is not fixing yourself into anything. Especially in television, you have to be ready to show up and have them be like, ‘We’re going to rewrite this whole page right now,’ you know? If you go home and drill a scene and rehearse it a specific way, right to in this line I’m going to have a teardrop come down, it’s terrifying when it changes the next day. So what I do is I find at least three to five ways I could play the scene, have notes for all of them, and it’s always one of those five… So I’m like, ‘Perfect, I know what to do. Thank God.’
Sofia in Outer Banks was introduced to audiences in Season 3. The fast-paced nature of the show, and the incredible talent of the cast, often lead the viewers to make quick impressions of the characters. What was your first impression when auditioning/reading for the character of Sofia?
That’s really interesting. The way I read the scenes, and what I picked up from her, actually how I did my first audition… I made her kind of witty, and a little bit of a tease. Like she doesn’t need Rafe. She thinks he’s interesting, but she’s alright. That’s the way I played her initially. Then, I flew out to Charleston to read with Drew, and the directors and producers, and I found there was a little more kindness and heart to her. By the time I got to set, my notes were all over the place. And then by the time the show came out, she ended up being something totally different than what I had written down during my days of filming as well. She ended up being softhearted more than I had initially imagined her while I was going on set.
Funny enough, I think it made her a lot more well-received. I think if it had gone into more of the witty, whatever… everyone would have been like, ‘Who the hell is this girl?’ Of course, there’s heart to her and she does love Rafe. It ended up totally changing from the initial teasing and the, ‘I guess I’ll see you around,’ and maybe she wouldn’t pick up the phone. I like this Sofia much more.
Well, that’s the flexibility you were talking about. You never quite know what direction these characters will lean into.
Yeah, exactly.
Trust is a major currency in the show and it manifests differently to the Kooks than it does to the Pogues. With Sofia living on the border between the two worlds, how do you think she would define trust? How does she factor it into her relationships?
I like that question. I thought this was a lovely little surprise for Sofia this season… To see her background and her culture, as far as that goes. In her Latin culture, trust and hospitality are such big things. It’s actually quite beautiful. You go to any of those countries and you could be alone in a restaurant and have something happen to you, and you can know for a fact that at least ten strangers will get up and make sure to protect your life as if they know you. I think that ferocity in which we love and care for people is a part of Sofia. Whether she’s aware of it or not, I think it’s something that once you grow up with it, it’s there, and it becomes a quality of yours. I think it also translates to why she’s so believing in Rafe. In the ‘you got this,’ and ‘you know what to do,’ and ‘you can decide correctly,’ and all these things. She’s like, ‘I’m here for you. I believe in you.’
I think in a way, that’s how she would view trust. Almost seeing what’s there, whether it’s under layers of something else, the potential of something, or it’s surfaced. This kind of really beautiful, unconditional love and ability to be like, ‘Well I’m looking at this and therefore, I think you will do well. I’m going to trust that.’ I think it’s really beautiful and it’s a great way to trust people. Obviously, if you’re betrayed when you have that much trust in someone, it can be a harder blow, but I think it’s always worthwhile. I think it makes life, and your relationship with people, much more beautiful. That’s what she would carry with her family. She’s someone who is kind of on her own in a way, like you said, floating between worlds and not quite fitting in anywhere. But at the same time, very much trusts the people around her and their ability to do well. It’s a very sweet thing about her, yeah.
So let’s switch it up and talk about music. This show is known for its soundtrack, and each character carries a very particular personality that the corresponding music in their scenes emphasizes. What kind of music do you think Sofia would be listening to at this point in her life? Were there any songs or artists you listened to while preparing to play this character?
Yes, absolutely. I make playlists for all my characters. Not so much to deeply concentrate or find their energy… I made sure to pull up my playlist. After season three, I saw edits that fans were making of her with Lana [Del Rey]. So, of course, I need to have some Lana in here. I have The Kinks. I have Muddy Waters. I have Woodkid. Phantogram, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and The Lemon Twigs… And then some classical music, funny enough. It’s kind of an all-over-the-place playlist because of the possibilities I was telling you about. I could go in there and they’ll say, ‘No, she’s going to say this line and be sad.’ So, classical music. Or she’ll say, ‘Go to hell!,’ so then it’s Radiohead. It’s a little bit of everything, but nonetheless, she seems like a character who is always on her feet a little bit. She’s always moving around and trying to figure it out. So I have songs that put that motion into my body.
What she would listen to, I don’t know. I don’t actually know. Honestly, it could be along those lines, too. Little alternative, random… Maybe some reggae.
In the OBX world, as much as they read old maps and vintage clues, the story exists in the modern era. Now, I saw you wrote in your Instagram bio that you love handwritten letters, which can be noted as a little old-fashioned. I’m right there with you. When I write something out, it helps me communicate and understand it more deeply. So, if you could write a handwritten letter to Sofia, what would you say to her?
If I wrote Sofia a letter, I think I would say that given the end of the season and the whole arc, I would say that there’s nothing you can’t make right if you want to. You know, hate or revenge or anything along those lines will never lead to anything good. So stick to the right people, take care of your heart, and make things right when you go wrong. You can always do that. And then I would probably say, P.S., I really like your car.
Love it. Now before we go, if you can tell us, do you have any hints or comments about what is coming up for you? Anything we can look out for?
Nothing I could say for now… I’ll say there’s more film and possibly theatre. Other fun stuff. Next year, it will start coming into the light and being worked on. It’s going to be a big year. A lot of art. And I’m working on my music. I’ve been, you know, voice memos and grabbing an instrument and jotting stuff down for years, and this year, I was like, ‘I think I need to do something with this.’ Art can be meant just for you, but to some degree, it’s supposed to go out there into the world. Whatever it looks like or whether anyone wants to listen or not, I was like, ‘I think I’ll want to put this out there.’ So that’s something totally new, beyond acting.
Outer Banks is streaming now on Netflix.
Interview EJ Saftner
Photography Ben Duggan
Styling Karolina Frechowicz
Talent Fiona Palomo
Makeup Dee Daly with Opus Beauty
Hair Nathaniel Dezan with Opus Beauty
Location The Ivory Space
