Encanto's Stephanie Beatriz on truth, family, and being the first Disney heroine with glasses

Picture a Disney Princess, and you’re probably thinking long, lustrous hair, an adorable air of grace and fluidity, and a powerful sense of self.

That’s not what’s going on in Disney’s latest animated movie, Encanto, which finds Mirabel—who we’ll just call a princess, because she is, really—struggling to find her place in her magical family. Played by Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz, Mirabel is funny, smart, and kind, but she’s also wondering if that’s enough.

As Beatriz tells us in the video above, Mirabel is also struggling with showing her true self to those who supposedly know her best. She explains:

“It’s this family unit, and everyone in your family has these prescribed roles, right? You take them on because of maybe your birth order or maybe who you are to the family, like, ‘Oh, that’s the successful one.’ ‘Oh, that’s the crazy one,’ and your family sees you that way. Every time you get together with your family, that’s the role that you take on.

I think sometimes that can be really restrictive. Once we go out into the world, we can be whoever we are. We don’t have to be who our moms and dads and the rest of our family sees us as.

That’s part of the exploration of this film: Who are you? When you kind of break out of the role that’s been given to you, is that role a good fit for you, even? Did you even get a say in that?

I’m excited for families to see this film together. Watch this film and then walk away and have those conversations with each other.”

There’s more from Beatriz in the chat above, including the actor’s thoughts on how her own motherhood journey made her appreciate Encanto’s story in a different way.

Encanto hits theaters everywhere on November 24. If you’re interested in reading our review of the film, you can do that right here.