An idyllic vacation goes to hell, quite literally, in the Paz Brothers’ JeruZalem, a fantastical horror movie that combines travelogue aesthetics with millenary demons. The film follows Sarah (Danielle Jadelyn) and Rachel (Yael Grobglas), two American friends visiting Jerusalem where they go from fun nights out, to running for their lives, as the city is attacked by ancient creatures. Chills and thrills are accompanied by moments of levity, as Sarah’s father (Howard Rypp) calls the girls on their “smart glasses” to see what they’re up to. It makes sense to see Grobglas amidst the terror and humor, for she has become an actress that perfectly embodies both as the devilishly enchanting Petra Solano in The CW’s Jane the Virgin.
A veteran of television in her native Israel, as well as playing supporting parts in American shows like Reign before breaking out with Jane, Grobglas is undoubtedly one of the MVP’s on any television show on the air as of 2016, and JeruZalem proves that films might be next. Her screen presence is both commanding and inviting, she’s always a treat to watch. I spoke to Ms. Grobglas about her work in JeruZalem, the physical challenges of doing a horror film, and playing the irresistible Petra.
You starred in the very first Israeli horror movie, Rabies, and now you’re back in another! Does that make you the Israeli “scream queen”?
(Laughs) I’m not sure I qualify for that yet, but I’m definitely enjoying it. Israeli people are well known for their fantastic films, most of the ones that are shown at festivals and become international successes tend to be more about the Army or politics, things that people are used to seeing about Israel. So I love the fact that I got a chance to be in two films that show a different side, and which are just really fun films. That’s a blessing for me.
How was it like to work with the Paz brothers?
It was fantastic! I met with them when I got cast and we had an instant connection, their idea of first person perspective as storytelling seemed fascinating to me. That combined with the fact that they wanted to show the beauty of Jerusalem through a tourist’s point of view, I found to be just fascinating.
The smart glass element was very interesting, it made me think about how connected we all are all the time. How do you feel about this connectivity?
Specifically for me, I am very grateful for that, I moved to the States to film Jane the Virgin, and I’m very close to my family, and I get to Facetime with my parents every day! I don’t know what I would do without it, being connected to them all the way across the planet makes me feel very grateful.
Television and movies too, with things now being available to stream or on demand, people all over the world can see your work.
It’s fantastic, we can reach a larger audience and also independent filmmakers can get to do their films without having to wait for big budgets. That’s what happened with this film, it was done on an extremely low budget, we filmed it guerrilla style and look at what they managed to do!
I’ve always loved movies about demons and myths, so I was hooked on JeruZalem from the start. I was curious about your character’s name, Rachel, since she was one of the biggest figures in the Old Testament. Did the Paz brothers fill the film with many religious references and symbolism on purpose?
Rachel and Sarah are very well known Jewish names, I’m not sure what the biblical meanings are to be honest, but I feel like it was very important for them to make the characters very approachable. That’s why you see our characters having an adventure and fun, before you see all the horror things happen. I don’t want to spoil the film though (laughs).
I liked the travelogue element a lot, but then as the film gets darker it made me think of how regardless of the silliness of the horror genre, there was a parallel to how Jerusalem is holy but also the setting for so much violence. Was this something you had in mind when you made the film? Was this duality something you wanted to touch upon?
I don’t think there is a political or religious theme behind the film, I think the directors’ point of view was to show how there are Christians, Jews and Muslims all living together in this beautiful city, and look how they all face the same problems together.
What was the most challenging physical element in playing the part?
I had to wear contact lenses near the end and I couldn’t see much (laughs) but what was really scary was when we shot in the underground caves because I’m slightly claustrophobic. I wasn’t afraid of zombies or demons, but about the walls caving in.
I have to confess I love Petra Solano, she’s my favorite character by far!
(Laughs) Thank you so much! I’m blushing now.
I’m sure you get asked this all the time, but even though Petra does terrible things all the time, I am definitely #TeamPetra
I know, I think even the Narrator goes there at one point, he goes “run Petra, run”, and then “wait” (laughs).
It seems I’m obsessed with the meaning behind names today, but the name Petra itself comes from the Greek word for “rock”, and I wondered if the character was originally meant to be completely villainous, as opposed to the warmer version we’ve seen throughout the episodes?
From the get-go when I was cast and sat down with Jennie Urman and she spoke to me about what she had in mind for Petra, I knew this wasn’t going to be a two dimensional villain, she was going to be the antagonist, but she wasn’t going to be always hated. Jennie wanted her to be someone you love, then hate, then love, and it’s one of the main things I love about this character, she’s always dynamic. Another thing that is so wonderful about our writers, and Jennie specifically, is that she really knows how to write for her actors, so in time she’s gotten to know us and the things we are good at and enjoy. She writes for us, which is incredible. Petra is my first time playing a villain, so I have no inhibitions, playing a character who isn’t motivated by whether people like her or not, the audience or the other characters, so she can be selfish, which is refreshing and completely new for me.
People binge shows all the time, and save them to watch them at once, but I can’t binge Jane the Virgin because I’m dying to see what will happen each week. Is it the same for the actors when you get your scripts?
Oh my god, absolutely! We don’t get the scripts very early, we get them right before the table read, and that’s usually a day or two before filming. So the table reads are a completely wild experience, because everyone is so invested in their characters, there’s laughter, tears, screaming. It’s fantastic! My character will do something and I’m reading it and discovering it for the first time, and other cast members will say to me “Petra, what are you doing?” (laughs), and I’m like “I didn’t write it!”, or I’ll defend my character.
I grew up watching telenovelas and I remember stories about how people would throw rocks at some of the actors who played the villains.
Oh god, no! That hasn’t happened to me! I’ve gotten nothing but positive responses, and I think this season specifically when you see Petra pregnant and you see her maternal instincts come out. You see her trying to be friends with Jane, which broke my heart. I was crying when I read that.
Even though Jane and Petra seem like polar opposites, they are united by the fact that they’re trying to fend for themselves in a male dominated world. It’s so important for young women to see characters like these on television.
What’s important to me, and what I love so much about this show and these characters, is I hear the term “strong woman” a lot, but to me a “whole woman” is a woman that can be strong and weak. She can cry, but also be the boss, she can run a business like Petra does, but she can also fall in love. What’s really beautiful about the character and what makes her very real is she can be all of those. I love young women can see that crying is also a part of life, and you can be strong and also be the boss!
You were also in Reign which also featured wonderful female characters. I love that The CW keeps doing all these shows about women, even though they sadly don’t always get recognized by Emmys, or the Oscars in the case of movies. What would you say to men who don’t think there's anything for them in shows like Jane the Virgin and Reign?
I hope times will change and I hope more men will see them. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many men that I’ve met really love our show. I think that’s proof that female characters are fascinating to everyone.
One last thing: would you say that villains definitely have more fun?
Yes! (Laughs)
JeruZalem is in theaters on January 22.
