Luisa Madrigal, the Encanto queen, won all of our hearts when she made herself known as the eldest born grand-daughter of Alba Madrigal. Luisa became widely popular incredibly quickly for her super human strength and endurance. Voiced by Jessica Darrow, Luisa is known to be incredibly caring toward her family and shows her love for them by “being of service.” Despite how wonderful Luisa is, however, as Encanto fans know, Luisa struggles with extreme feelings of inadequacy, and a huge part of her journey is learning how to love herself, and see herself as the powerhouse that she is.
Jessica Darrow, the actress and singer who voiced this incredible character, began her career in theater, appearing in productions such as “A Chorus Line,” “In the Heights,” and “Follies.” She then transitioned to television and film, appearing in shows like “Chicago Med” and “Chicago Fire,” as well as the independent film “Love Beats Rhymes.” While she is certainly most well known for her performance as Luisa Madrigal, she is a wonderful performer in her own right.
She did create one of the most popular Encanto characters there is, after all. Darrow has mentioned in interviews before that one of the main reasons she was drawn to Luisa Madrigal was because the character was first described to her as a “tough crybaby.” It’s what told Darrow the character was right for her.
Jessica Darrow has always championed taking care of your self, your mental health, and has a lot of love for the fans who brought her to the Disney fame she enjoys today. She shared in a video at the end of March, when she cancelled her recent scheduled appearance at Steel City Con which ran from March 31 through April 2 that she couldn’t make due to a “very cool, last minute work conflict.”
In the video, Darrow shared that she was incredibly sad to cancel her appearance, and she loved to chat about her character Luisa, Encanto, and give fans hugs; Darrow then, true to Luisa Madrigal’s reputation, gave her loyal fan base a virtual hug and reminded them to “put you and your mental health first.”
Jessica Darrow also continues to be the incredible vocal powerhouse she is. She recently gave an incredible performance of the Broadway musical hit, “The Ladies Who Lunch” from the Stephen Sondheim musical “Company.” It’s performed by the character, Joanna, and is a scathing critique of upper-class women who spend their days gossiping and drinking at fancy restaurants, despite being wholly unsatisfied with their lives, while their husbands work.
It’s clear Darrow is continuing her Disney legacy and bringing her best self for her fans!
Disney’s Encanto is a 2021 animated movie by Walt Disney Animation Studiosn (under the Walt Disney Company). It’s directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush. The film is set in Colombia and tells the story of the Madrigal family, who possess magical powers that have protected their village for generations. The film stars Stephanie Beatriz, who voices Mirabel Madrigal, and Lin Manuel Miranda, who wrote and performed the film’s songs, among a larger star-studded cast (think Diane Guerrero who played Isabela Madrigal, John Leguizamo who played Bruno Madrigal, Olga Merediz and María Cecilia Botero who played Abuela Alma Madrigal, Carolina Gaitán, Angie Cepeda, Dominic Monaghan and more).
