Women in Horror Month Spotlight: Gisselle Kuri
Zena Dixon
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What happens when a YouTube Star becomes a demon for a few months out of the year? We asked Gisselle
Check out our interview below to discover how this phenomenal woman channeled her inner Linda Blair, turning fear into fun on the set of one of the hottest horror shows on Netflix.
Dread Central: This is a weird question, so I apologize for not knowing the answer beforehand. But you have worked in many genres in the entertainment industry, with your most recent release being the horror Diablero. So, I must ask this. Are you a fan of horror?
Gisselle Kuri: I love them! That’s actually one of my favorite genres to watch. Horror. Thriller. I love them so much.
DC: Do you have a favorite one that is absolutely terrifying for you?
GK: I got really scared at The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Yes, I got to play a demon-possessed character in Diablero, but I got really scared by that movie.
DC: That is definitely still one of those movies that freaks me out today.
GK: Yeah. It’s a really creepy movie, but I love it.
DC: On a side note, I first saw you years ago when a family member was watching your show Sueños y Caramelos. There was this girl with these amazing curls, this cool boy with a brown leather jacket at like eleven, and you, with your cool hair ribbons. The reason I bring this up is that you have excelled in the industry for quite some time. What do you love about the entertainment field?
GK: I think that it is what I do the best. It’s life, and I enjoy it. It’s fun getting to play different characters. Ever since I was a child, I would have so much fun playing all of these different people, doing little episodes for big networks in Mexico at that time. It was all dramatic. I even got to play a poor girl selling gum in the streets. I was like six years old and I remember it being so much fun to play.
DC: So far, was there a favorite character that you played in your career?
GK: Yeah, I have two. One of them is Carla Camino in El Divan Del Valentina. I got to play a mean, sassy, rich girl, and it was just very fun. It’s also a very iconic character that I was able to make. The second is definitely Nancy in Diablero.
DC: Since you brought up the hot show Diablero, what drew you to Nancy?
GK: I’ve always been scared of demons and possession. So, when I got to read the scenes for the audition, I got really scared. I called my mom and told her, “Mom. I’m playing a possessed girl. This is so scary.”
She said, “Go for it. It’ll be cool.”
So, I watched scenes from The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Even though I was so terrified while watching it, I was watching it for the acting. I was so focused on how they were moving. Of course, it was new to me. I would rehearse in front of the mirror and do faces and moves.
We had sessions before we were filming where we were working with the stunt team. They helped us learn how to fight, jump, fall without getting hurt, and more. Also, we were working with the harness because most of the scenes in Diablero I was hanging on a harness. I had to learn how to move and jump in it. So yeah, there was a whole preparation process for it.
DC: It seemed like the cast and crew became a really big family.
GK: For sure. I worked with Fátima Molina before. She plays Keta in Diablero. We worked together on a soap opera for Telemundo, and that’s how I met her. So once I got the part, she called me and said, “Hey, we are going to be working together.” That was some release because when you get to know someone, like let’s say you go to school and you have a friend there, you feel more comfortable and safer. So, I had her and it was great. Actually, we met days before we started shooting. We were together in rehearsals and script reading with all the actors. They were all so nice.
We started to get along even better during filming. Horacio Garcia Rojas (Elvis Infante) is so amazing and is one of my favorites. Humberto Busto (El Indio) is really funny as well. Actually, everyone is great, and I don’t just mean the cast. I mean the crew members, the person behind the camera, the director José Manuel Cravioto, literally everyone. We were all just like a big family. It was a great environment to work in.
DC: Your Instagram has some great behind-the-scenes footage of Diablero that made filming look like so much fun. I also had a chance to speak with director Rigoberto Castañeda. He said that he had a great time working with you. I can see that it was a fun and great environment. But is there anything creepy that happened on set?
GK: I wish. My friends have this one story they like to tell. I was there at four in the morning, so it was like whatever to me. But there were two turkeys fighting, like really trying to kill each other. We were all wondering what was going on. Everybody said that was creepy, but I just saw two animals fighting. They always tell that story.
The vibe was definitely a little creepy on set, especially for those scenes where Nancy is waiting for the demon to come. But other than that, nothing really happened. Maybe in Season two.
DC: Switching to something not so scary but definitely super fun, I know that you have an awesome YouTube channel. How has your channel helped with your connection to your fans?
GK: Well, I think people feel closer to you. You are sharing your life and talking to them. They are with you all the time, so they know what you are doing and everything. So of course, it’s a closer relationship that I have with the people that follow me. I try to share other things of my life and places I go. Or, I tell stories about things that have happened in my life, and I just try to be as straight as possible. I try to show all sides of my life.
DC: You are truly inspiring. With that, what advice can you give to a woman who would like to do what you are doing?
GK: I would just say be true to yourself, follow whatever it is that is in your mind, and work hard for it. Basically, that’s all. Be faithful to your thoughts and how you feel. Then, work hard. That is the only way to get it.
DC: Lastly, what upcoming projects can you share with us?
GK: Well, we will begin filming Diablero this April, so you will get to see more of Nancy and the whole crew. There are more projects coming for the YouTube channel. Also, I’ll be auditioning in LA, so we’ll see how it goes. There will be films and just more hard work for whatever will be coming. It’s like, “Go with the flow. Whatever is for me, is for me.”
DC: Thank you for taking the time out to speak with me. It was a pleasure getting to know you and more about the character Nancy from Diablero, your YouTube channel and more.
GK: I appreciate your time. Thank you for your interest in our show.
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