Elizabeth Grullón Previews What’s Ahead For Her Character On ‘Party of Five’ [Exclusive Interview]

Known best for her roles on Scandal and Disney’s The Owl House, Elizabeth Grullón has recently joined the cast of Party of Five, and her character is already making waves in the Acosta family’s universe.

Grullón is playing Sully, an immigration activist who crosses paths with Lucia. Helping her channel her passion for advocacy in productive and inspiring ways, the two work together to raise money for Dream For Justice. 

I had a few questions for Elizabeth about her role as Sully, and her take on the new Party of Five incarnation. Plus, I wanted to hear more about what we can look forward to seeing from her in the future. 

Tell-Tale TV: Were you a fan of the original Party of Five? How much about the series did you know before stepping into the role of Sully?

Elizabeth Grullón: I was a fan of the original series. I was really young so most of it went over my head, but I loved the ritual of sitting next to my older sister and watching together.

I watched the trailer for the reboot after I booked the role and immediately was filled with love. That’s when I realized “oh I’m working on something that really matters.”

Tell-Tale TV: While the original Party of Five centered around a family who lost their parents in a car accident, this new incarnation revolves around the kid’s parents being deported. Why do you think it was important for the creators to pivot and tell this story, instead?

Grullón: I think it’s so wise of the creators to make the choice to pivot in this way, because it brings awareness and empathy to these issues that so many Americans are dealing with today.

People think deportation only affects the undocumented, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Thousands of Americans have stories similar to those in the series, and so it’s incredibly important to show that on screen because it makes people feel seen and that’s all anyone wants in the world–to feel seen.

Tell-Tale TV: We don’t know much about Sully yet, but she seems like a passionate activist for helping undocumented immigrants. You have a background in fighting for similar causes. How did that help you in bringing the role to life?

Grullón: Yes, Sully is passionate and courageous. I wouldn’t say she’s fearless, but rather that she acts in spite of fear. She’s very human in that way and really cares for her community. I have so much respect for activists who dedicate their lives to these fights that I wouldn’t put myself in that category, but I plan on doing more as I expand.

I have spent time studying the ideologies of some of the greatest compassionate warriors the world has ever seen, like MLK Jr. and Thich Nhat Hanh. Like Sully, I care for the well-being and dignity of my Latinx community.

I grew up in the hood, raised by immigrants, so I have a deep appreciation for the power of family and how it is often the make or break variable in terms of the trajectory a person’s life takes.

Tell-Tale TV: It looks like Lucia has some admiration for Sully. Will we see Sully taking Lucia under her wing, and will the two be working together in the future?

Grullón: Yes, Sully becomes a mentor for Lucia. A strong female role model in the world — self-sufficient and grounded while also rebellious, in a healthy way. Their friendship develops throughout the season and ends up changing both of them in ways they don’t see coming.

Tell-Tale TV: Sully is working for a great cause, but she seems to have some serious walls up. What can you tell us about her background, and why she may be hesitant to open up with Lucia?

Grullón: Sully is busy. She has a lot going on–she manages teams, works directly with families, calls representatives, petitions, etc. So when we first see them chatting in Sully’s Dream for Justice office, Sully is multi-tasking and challenging Lucia a bit.

I imagine Sully has been through a lot and knows that there are a lot of people in the world who need help so that lends her a certain level of pragmatism and focus.

Tell-Tale TV: Will we be seeing Sully interact with any of the other Acosta kids?

Grullón: There is a large fundraiser scene where Sully interacts with Beto & Emilio — we all have to deal with police together — which was so fun to shoot.

Tell-Tale TV: How important is it for you to pursue roles that say something about our current political and social climate?

Grullón: I treasure those opportunities when they come. My job becomes a lot more meaningful when I am lending my voice, my heart, my being to stories that are creating openings for more understanding.

It doesn’t always have to be social or political; sometimes just telling a story about human beings in a deeply personal way helps the audience remember how connected and alike we all are and that’s really the point for me.

Tell-Tale TV: You recently landed the role of Selene, goddess of Earth in the sci-fi trilogy Saturn. What can you tell us about that role, and what it trilogy will entail?

Grullón: Yes, I’m so excited about this project! Coming off of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order into another intergalactic epic feels so right. High-quality sci-fi/space stories are some of my favorite because I am in absolute awe of space. At least once a day I stop and stare up at the heavens with my mouth agape.

I can tell you that the script is really strong, there are wonderful actors attached and director Eric Esau is definitely making a larger statement with the film. Selene is immortal and beautiful and one of the good guys.

Tell-Tale TV: You’re a big fan of meditation. How do you feel it’s helped you through working in the industry, and in your personal life?

Grullón: Meditation sort of unlocked everything for me. I got in touch with myself. In mindfulness practice, we take a lot of care to become familiar with the thoughts and stories we are spinning in our minds, which is powerful because that’s where self-sabotage starts and patterns repeat.

So when we can start to untangle those lines of thinking and replace them with better thoughts, our lives start to change in accordance to those new thought-forms. It’s our greatest superpower–awareness and caring.

Tell-Tale TV: And lastly, let’s end on a fun one! It’s the roaring ’20’s now! Any personal goals for the new decade?

Oh, great question! In the next decade, my goal is to soar. To deepen my trust in life and the Universe, to deepen my sense of love and acceptance for myself, to continue expanding so that I can care for the wellbeing of my community and the planet, our mother. No more time to waste, our time is now!

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Be sure to catch Elizabeth Grullón on Party of Five, airing Wednesdays at 9/8c on Freeform. 

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