An overnight success 30 years in the making, Liza Colón-Zayas has captive audiences and critics as Tina Marrero in the first two seasons of Hulu's hit comedy-drama The Bear. The actress and playwright admits that thanks to her multi-decade career journey and viewers now being hungry for the stories and characters she wants to be part of, it is the perfect creative storm at precisely the right time.
"That's a great observation. "It has taken all of these years for the audience, the industry, and myself to be truly ready," said the proud Puerto Rican New Yorker, born and bred in the Bronx. Although she has risen to fame as Tina, a role she returns to in the upcoming third season, Colón-Zayas has had great success on the stage, starred in such movies as United 93 and The Purge: Election Year, and TV shows including Sex and the City, Dexter, and In Treatment.
"For me, it was not only that I needed that time to grow as an actor but, at my age, to be continually finding out who I am and what I bring to the table. A 30-year overnight success is a great way to put it. It's inspiring for me as an artist."
"The thought, the meticulousness, and the humanity of The Bear, and the way that Christopher Storer, the showrunner and The Bear's creator, values Tina, is inspiring for me to believe that it can exist. I don't have to continue to worry so much that people who look like me, or myself, are still stuck in a certain little category with only so much space."
MORE FOR YOU
The first season of The Bear won ten Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Leading Actor for Jeremy Allen White, Supporting Actor for Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Outstanding Actress for Ayo Edebiri. It's hoped season two will land as well at this year's upcoming Emmys. Where and when can you watch the third season of The Bear? It will launch on Hulu on Thursday, June 27, 2024, with all ten episodes dropping at the same time. With a fourth season already confirmed, how long does Colón-Zayas want The Bear to run?
"I'll know that when Chris says, 'Enough.' I want it to go on as long as Chris wants it to," the actress explained. "I got a chance to chat it up with Olivia Colman last season and she said, 'I just want this to go on for 38 more seasons.'"
"Season four is in process. We'll be back in the winter. I guess I should say no comment, but we're still in the process. I don't want people to think it's all wrapped. All I can say for season three is that there will be more of what Tina is working on and some mind-blowing stuff. There are some breathtaking things coming up."
It's no surprise that Colón-Zayas is a fan of the show. Like us, she is constantly in awe of her fellow cast members and The Bear's crew.
"I love it. I love my job, but I love standing on the side and watching scenes I'm not in," she explains. "I don't do it all the time, but I knew I had to show up for the season two episode, Fishes. I was like, 'I could die now.' It's the meticulousness and brilliance of Chris, Joanna Calo, and the writers that it looks like a frenzied mess, but everything is so thoughtfully mapped out in every single scene and every moment."
"There isn't anything that is wasted. When I rewatch it, I'm like, 'Holy s**t. What the f**k?' I've never seen this kind of thing before. It's a huge gift, and I am utterly spoiled and ruined. I'm just knocking wood that there's more to come."
A vital part of the admiration is reserved especially for Ayo Edebiri, who plays talented young chef Sydney Adamu. Colón-Zayas believes the co-stars learn so much from each other, just like their characters.
"It's a balance of both. Ayo is so young and brilliant. It's like she's from another galaxy, and I love watching how she interacts. Ayo is curious and schools herself on everything, whether it's what the director is doing or what the cameras are doing technically," the New Yorker explained. "Ayo has boundless energy and she prepares so hard. How can I not be in awe and inspired? Of course, I am that way with her and in all the projects that she does."
"Honestly, there isn't a single person, not Ayo or anyone, who rolls up on the set of The Bear and is like, 'I'm number one,' or 'I'm number two.' Everyone cares, but she cares so much. As a character, Tina had a right to say, 'You need to earn my respect.' Tina isn't the only one doing it; Sydney is getting hazed by everyone. In that environment, they need to be sure and say, 'I need to know you're not going to leave. I need to know you're not going to push me out.' Sydney earned that, and Ayo, just as a human being and an artist, the loyalty she receives is beautifully earned."
Although she speaks very much to the times we live in, Colón-Zayas believes Tina has a timelessness that people of all ages can relate to.
"I'm hearing from folks who work in kitchens that I'm their sister, mother, or aunt. There are young people who relate to and love Tina's struggle. There is a timelessness, and we need her more than ever," the actress said. "We need to hear the stories to see how Tina has been fighting for her life, to look at the different ways we deal with grief, gentrification, and ageism. As a country, we are at this inflection point, which is a case of fight or die. This show and Tina encapsulate all of that. That's why people of all walks of life are approaching me and telling me things, and I get a little thrown by it, but I love it, and I'm grateful for it."
The actress revels in her character's evolution and likes to be in the dark until she has to know the details. She's also grateful for season one, which allowed audiences to experience Tina's life by almost walking in "mid-sentence."
"I had more information for season two, but I was more of a hard ass and a mystery in season one. The more I got to see the support that Tina had and her purpose, and the idea that she could have a purpose at this point, not only blew me away but everyone I speak to was affected by that," she recalled. "It renewed my spirit as an artist and a human being."
"I found out about the plan for Tina in season two during the break after season one. They were like, 'We're going to send you to get some culinary training,' but I didn't realize it would mean that in the storyline. I'd be going to culinary school. I thought we had this new leadership; they're supporting Tina and getting a little more savvy, but I did not know. Every season, there's some new giant turning point that catches me off guard, and I love it, but that's all I can say about that."
Something that still blows Colón-Zayas' mind is how much The Bear has become a pop culture phenomenon with the 'Yes, chef' chant and changed how people, including herself, look at how hard people work in restaurants, especially behind the scenes.
"I always have been, but now I really appreciate all those people. I have that insight of what it looks like, what it entails, the sacrifices, the hours, and the cut hands. I've had that, especially on my first day of culinary school. I had bandages all over," she winced. "I try to let them feel loved, seen, and appreciated, and whatever love I get from them is the highest compliment that you get. The fact that I get it from lawyers, doctors, and people who have nothing to do with that world also speaks volumes, but kitchen workers find a new level of kindness and respect."
"I get it 'Yes, chef' in text messages, I get it on social media, if I have an announcement, then I get the response, 'Yes, chef.' I've been crossing the street, and people at intersections will yell 'Yes, Chef!' from their cars. I can't explain the science or the magic behind it, but it is a cultural phenomenon now, and I'm here for it."
With the third season dropping and Emmy nominations underway with The Bear's second season for consideration, what does Colón-Zayas want fans and voters to see and understand beyond the buzz phrases and the pop culture moment the show continues to enjoy?
"I want them all to be aware of the preparation and the precision that goes into every moment of the show. Your blood pressure is sky high, you're triggered, and all of that, but every moment is orchestrated. Not always necessarily physically, but what you're feeling is not just the hot mess of F-bombs and everything else," the actress concluded. "I hope that if that is a thing that makes some Emmy voters nervous, they can release that and be open and see that the show is our love language. It's how we feed each other and care for each other. It may look different, but it's all part of protecting this family, and every family is different. I hope we can see that this is how we show our love, and this is how we protect each other."
