Move over Frozen because there’s a new Disney title vying for the top spot, and its name is Encanto . This heartwarming tale of a non-magical Columbian teen born into a magical family has taken the world by storm.
In a recent interview with Variety , voice actor Stephanie Beatriz has given us even more reason to love the movie by revealing that she was in labor while recording one of the film’s most popular musical numbers .
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‘Encanto’ has quickly become the most talked-about Disney movie of the past decade.
The film tells the story of Mirabel Madrigal : a Columbian teenager dealing with the frustrations of being the only non-magical branch in her otherwise whimsical family tree.
One of the main factors contributing to ‘Encanto”s popularity is its collection of catchy songs.
The film’s most popular song, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, has already become Disney’s most popular song of the past 26 years — peaking at #1 on the Billboard Top 100 .
Speaking of memorable songs, voice actor Stephanie Beatriz recently revealed why recording ‘Encanto”s music was such a memorable experience for her.
It turns out that Stephanie, who voices Mirabel in the film, was in the thralls of labor while she was recording the track ” Waiting On A Miracle .”
“I didn’t want to tell anybody at Disney because I didn’t want anyone to freak out,” Beatriz told ‘Variety’.
“But I was already having some contractions when we were scheduled to record that day,” Stephanie explained . “I was like ‘Well, fingers crossed I finish the song before (the baby) comes!’”
Luckily for Stephanie, her daughter Rosaline wasn’t born until the following day.
According to director Bryon Howard, Stephanie informed him that her due date was nearing. However, she neglected to mention just how close she actually was to giving birth.
“We knew she was very, very, very, very ready to have that baby. But she did not tell us she was almost, almost ready,” Byron said.
Renowned composer Lin Manuel-Miranda, who wrote the music for the film, joked that Stephanie was indeed waiting for a miracle that day — how ironic!
Stephanie also made sure to mention that despite being in labor, the overall experience in the studio was incredibly enjoyable.
She also noted just how grateful she was to everyone involved and how truly lucky she felt to be given such an amazing opportunity.
Not only did she love the experience of recording ‘Encanto’, but she loved the experience of being pregnant.
Well, first she noted how weird it was. Earlier in her pregnancy, she spoke to TODAY, saying, “Your body does weird stuff when you’re preggs, like burping at weird times or, like, you’re just sitting and then all of a sudden you stand up and your back’s like, ‘No, no, no. No, we’re not doing that that fast.’”
She said that overall, she felt “really grateful, lucky.”
“For some people it’s a very difficult journey, so I always want to think about how respectful I want to be to everyone’s journey as a pregnant person, and I’m having a pretty good time. It’s pretty cool.”
Beatriz shared that of all the roles she’s played, Mirabel is the one she relates to the most.
“Most of (my roles) I disappear into the character, and in a weird way it’s the same with this because it’s the most ‘like me’ role I’ve ever played,” Stephanie said. “Yet I’ve disappeared .”
“It’s not my face, it’s an animated person,” Stephanie remarked.
Clearly, the Disney diehards are in full agreement with Beatriz. ‘Encanto’ has been nominated for three Academy Awards , including “Best Original Song”, “Best Score”, as well as “Best Animated Film.”
Ironically enough, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” isn’t up for Oscar consideration.
Instead, Lin Manuel-Miranda decided to go with the emotional ballad ” Dos Oruguitas ” to contend for Oscar gold — a decision which he says he doesn’t regret in any capacity.
According to Miranda, the decision had to be made by November 1st, 2021, and at that time ‘Encanto’ hadn’t had its theatrical debut.
“When those are the parameters, you have to pick the thing that best exemplifies the spirit of the movie, and it contains all of it inside this song,” Miranda argued .