Marvel‘s Echo star Alaqua Cox shared the challenges she faced in shooting emotional scenes with Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin.
“It was very tough, honestly, because Maya is such a complicated and emotional person that has so many layers,” Cox said in an interview with Deadline. “I had a meeting with the director, talking about my specific emotions, and I had my acting coach. We’d about her emotions. Why is she so full of rage, and why is she so revengeful? She’s just obsessed with this revenge. I would look on YouTube videos of some other characters that would do these fighting scenes, trying to study them and getting motivated to do my own fighting scenes and portray it in my character. I wanted to feed off of their emotions and make my own. I’m trying to think about what Maya went through to get these emotions, and that was how I was able to become Maya.”
Cox added, “It was very hard, especially with Kingpin, because we always had a lot of intense scenes together. But I did have a vibration device that I would have to put in my shirt. When Kingpin and I were talking, he does not use sign language. So I did not know when his lines were over. So when he would finish his lines, the interpreter would hit the button, and it would give me a vibration and would let me know that his line was done and it was my turn. When I felt that buzzer, it would take me out of my emotions that I was feeling for that one second. So I had to ignore it, but also at the same time, thank God that this worked and it was able to flow much better.”
Cox made her acting debut as Echo in Marvel’s Hawkeye series on Disney+. Born deaf and living as an amputee, Cox had no acting experience when she was encouraged to audition for the role after Marvel released a casting call. Praised by critics for being an advocate for the Deaf community and Indigenous youth, Marvel was convinced to make Cox headline her own stand-alone series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What is Echo about?
“Streaming exclusively on Disney, the origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown,” the official synopsis reads. “She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots, and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward.”
All episodes of Echo are now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
