Cierra Ramirez Makes Directorial Debut in a New Episode of Good Trouble
Actress Cierra Ramirez, 28, made her directorial debut in the latest episode of Freeform’s Good Trouble. The fourteenth episode of the fifth season, titled “Party of One,” pieces together Dennis’s food critic nerves, Gael’s crush on Jay, and Joaquin and Mariana’s learning new insights in their investigation, complete with a montage.
Ramirez has been an executive producer since the spinoff’s inception, but directing is a job she has always wanted to take on, as she spent a lot of time picking The Fosters’ crew’s brains.
“I was always in video village, just picking the directors [brain] and asking them questions and talking about camera lenses, asking them just everything under the sun. I was super, super interested in that. After shadowing a couple times, they threw that out there and asked me if I wanted to do it, and it was just an absolute dream come true. I had so much fun,” she told Deadline.
Between The Fosters and Good Trouble, the actress has spent a decade portraying the spunky and dynamic Mariana Foster, also curating strong bonds with her castmates. While now leading the pact could be a challenge, Ramirez discussed just how supportive her castmates were during the process.
She stated, “It was so much fun. We were all giggles the entire time—everyone was so excited for me to be in this position. I was really nervous going into it because I wasn’t quite sure how I would approach directing my peers without giving them line readings — I wasn’t quite sure how to go about that. But everyone, thankfully, was just so excited for me to be in that position and was just so excited for me and willing to do anything I threw their way, which was really fun.”
In an Instagram video, co-star Sherry Cola (Alice) commended her for “absorbing all of that directing juice,” because now she “knows her sh*t.”
Fans and critics praised Ramirez for excelling in both the director’s chair and as the lead character in the same episode. When not reciting dialogue, she was running in between cameras to ensure the scene encompassed Ramirez’s vision, both visually and emotionally.
“We went through our rehearsals, we shot the rehearsals, I could see what it was like, and then I would run behind to see different angles. It was kind of tough to be in both worlds and be really in tune with the scene that I was in and living in, but also like, ‘Oh, I want to talk to someone about that note’ or ‘I want to tweak that’ or ‘That’s the moment that I want to capture,’” she recalled.
As Good Trouble begins to wrap up with a supersized series finale, Ramirez walks away shocked, yet fulfilled. “I don’t think any of us [thought it would be the final season]… It’s been the most incredible journey, and I can walk away feeling so grateful to have been a part of it,” Ramirez shared.
There is no airdate yet for the finale, but for now, you can catch up on all five seasons of Good Trouble on Hulu.
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