‘Saw X’ Star Renata Vaca On Her Character Gabriela’s Connection To Amanda

Mary Beth McAndrews |

Oct 2, 2023

Note: Renata Vaca is not a member of SAG and is able to speak about Saw X without violating the strike.

Set between Saw and Saw II, Saw X sees John Kramer traveling to Mexico City to receive an experimental treatment to cure his brain cancer. But, of course, Jigsaw had the proverbial wool pulled over his eyes in the name of desperation. Unfortunately for his scammers, they messed with the wrong philosophical serial killer.

Among those in Dr. Cecilia Pedersen’s scam is Gabriela, played by Renata Vaca. She costars on the Netflix Spanish-language drama Pedal to the Metal and she appears in Apple TV+’s upcoming Latin medical drama, Midnight Family. And now she’s bursting into the world of horror with one hell of a debut.

Dread Central spoke with Vaca about joining the franchise, her favorite kills, how her character mirrors Amanda’s, and more.

Dread Central: Congratulations on being in the new Saw movie!

Renata Vaca: Thank you very much. I’m so excited!

DC: I’d love to hear about how you got involved.

RV: So I received an email and I had to rehearse and learn the lines for two of the roles. They were Valentina and Gabriela, the one that I ended up doing. And so I went to the place, to the casting office and I did both of them. I really felt like I did a great job and I felt a good energy. And then they called me, they called my manager and he was like, Hey, you have to meet the director, Kevin, and the producers. Then the magic happened and I was part of the franchise.

DC: So were you a Saw fan? Do you like these movies? Were you familiar with them before you got cast?

RV: I really like horror movies and I think I saw the first Saw with my uncle. He’s a huge fan of horror movies and he was scared to watch them alone. So he was like, you have to stay here with me and watch them. Then I fell in love with them.

DC: That’s got to be so cool. Which one’s your favorite? Do you have a favorite?

RV: I think the first one is so iconic. The fact that they didn’t have so much money and they went to Sundance. And, of course, Saw X.

DC: So tell me more about your character, Gabriela.

RV: Gabriela, she lives in Mexico. She’s Mexican and she’s part of the team that does this scam to John Kramer. She has this mirror with Amanda’s character and John has this special connection with her. It’s actually because of that connection that he finds out that they did something bad to him and that he needs to get payback.

DC: That’s incredible that you have a parallel with Amanda who’s obviously iconic. What was it like working with Tobin Bell?

RV: Tobin Bell, I love him. He is amazing. I really admire the way he works and I think that he’s an actor that really cares about his craft. Maybe some people imagine that at that point in your life and your career and whatever, you can be a diva, but he doesn’t. He really works hard and he sticks to the ground. He really likes to work with other people and he really hugs you in the process.

DC: I love that. Especially because the Saw movies are disgusting and amazing, so it’s got to be so cool to have that grounded vibe when you’re not slaughtering people.

RV: Yeah, no, of course, definitely feeling secure. And Kevin, the director, he’s amazing. He really embraces you.

DC: What was working with Shawnee like? I mean, she’s an icon for this franchise as well.

RV: No, she’s the greatest and she’s just so fun. When we were on the makeup truck, she was laughing, singing, and learning all the Spanish words. She’s amazing. As an actress, I remember the first day I met her, we were reading the script and she was so welcoming and she came to me and she was telling me all these important things about how important it’s our relationship in the movie and how my character is, as I told you, like a mirror for her. She’s very dedicated and intense when she’s working. And I love that.

DC: Do you have a favorite kill in this movie?

RV: Oh my God. I mean, there are a lot of good traps, but I think the Valentina Trap. And also the first trap in the movie, which I think they put on the Saw X poster. It’s so painful to watch. It’s so crazy.

DC: That’s got to be such a cool experience to watch the masterminds build all that stuff.

RV: No, definitely. And of course the makeup and everything, it’s just so good. Literally watching someone doing those crazy things and it looks so real. So it was super fun to watch that. Then there were some people in the crew who were eating on set and they were like, okay, I’m not hungry anymore.

DC: Did you like horror before Saw? Was that something you were interested in?

RV: I had a period of time in which I was a huge fan of horror movies. Now I don’t see them that much. I live by myself, so I kind of get scared. But yeah, I had a period of time where I used to watch a lot of horror movies.

DC: Well, so you’re a Saw fan. I know I asked you about your favorite Saw movie, but do you have a favorite kill that really made your skin crawl?

RV: Oh my God. There’s the trap that I love, the second movie starts with that trap. The one where the guy has to take a key from his eye. It’s crazy. But yeah, that’s iconic.

DC: It’s fascinating how these movies really get to what you’ll do to live and make it through, even if it means maiming yourself. What would you do to get out of a Saw trap?

RV: I just think that when you’re feeling scared and you want to survive, you don’t know what you’re capable of. So I definitely think that I would give Jigsaw a fight for my life. What would you do?

DC: I feel like I would just give up, but honestly I would do some pretty gnarly stuff. If I had to dig out of someone’s stomach, I probably would. Let’s be real. I would cut off my own foot to get out of a trap though. I don’t need the other foot. It’s fine.

RV: I mean, I can work with one. It’s okay.

DC: What is one thing that you’re most excited about people seeing in Saw X?

RV: I think the traps in general, just seeing that on the screen. And it’s crazy because when you’re doing all this stuff, you have to do these live tasks and you see your hand, your foot or whatever outside of you, but it’s you and it’s like seeing that it’s going to be crazy.

DC: It sounds like an incredible experience all around.

RV: I agree. Definitely. No, it’s been a dream. The whole thing, even from the audition, has been crazy and amazing and super cool.

Categorized:Interviews