Beforeis a new psychological drama from Apple TV+ created by Sarah Thorp, Eric Roth, and legendary comedian Billy Crystal. The series stars Crystal as Eli, a child psychiatrist mourning the loss of his wife Lynn (Judith Light), who finds a troubled young boy named Noah (Jacobi Jupe) at his doorstep. What follows is a deep exploration into human connection and experience on both natural and supernatural levels.
A key character inBeforeis Denise, Noah’s fiercely protective foster parent. Denise is played by Rosie Perez (Do the Right Thing, Your Honor,almostThe Matrix), who leveraged a personal connection to the story of Noah and Denise to bring a sense of authenticity to the role. Perez herself spent time in the foster care system as a child in New York, which led her to the role of Denise after initially being considered for another character.
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Screen Rantspoke with Rosie Perez about her work onBefore. She revealed the process by which she found her way to the role of Denise, weighed in on working withBilly Crystal, and working with Jacobi Jupe for the scenes between Denise and Noah. Check out the interview, below, and know thatBeforehits Apple TV+ on October 25.
Rosie Perez Reveals How Walking Away Got Her The Role Of Denise
She Wanted To Make Sure Whoever Played The Character Got It Right
Screen Rant: I know that you were originally in talks to play another role. Can you say anything about what that role was and why you ended up playing Denise instead?
Rosie Perez: That role was a great role, but it was an authoritative character and I kind of did that with Your Honor, so I wanted something different. But, when I did turn it down, I burst into tears. I always wanted to work with Billy Crystal, and the material was so excellent, and I said, “Before I go—whoever gets to play Denise, please have them play it respectfully. Do not have them pity the child, or judge the child, or come from a place of superiority, because that’s wrong. That’s what messes up a child.” A couple of days later they came back and offered me Denise, and I was shocked, and I was scared. I was terrified to do it because of my own background, and Billy just said, “I’ll be there. I’ll be there for you.” And he was. He’s great to work with.
Perez Reflects On Working With Jacobi Jupe
“It Was Unique Because He Was So Good”
You’re working so much with Jacobi, too, as Noah. What was that collaboration like? He’s barely speaking throughout the show, so he has to do so much just with movements and stuff. That must’ve been a unique experience.
Rosie Perez: It was unique because he was so good. He comes from a family that is in the entertainment business, and it shows. He was professional, he was prepared, he was courteous, [and] he was considerate and generous. He blew us all away. He is a standout and he’s going to have a great career.
We clicked immediately, he and I. I was worried: sometimes you don’t click with a kid on set and you’ve got to kind of fake it, but it was instant. He’s so loving, so it’s easy to portray that through Denise. I loved him, and there were times where we were in the scene [where] we both would get lost in it because he brought so much truth. It was a wonderful experience working with that kid.
Perez Discusses Different Ways Denise & Eli Care For Noah
It’s Related To How The Actor Sees Denise As Having Experienced “A Lot Of Trauma”
As for Denise, there’s this really interesting triangle with her, Eli, and Noah. Denise and Eli both care about Noah so much, but in different ways. Can you talk about how Denise’s care for Noah is different from Eli’s and how that is [sometimes in] conflict?
Rosie Perez: Denise was once in the system herself, so she understands the trauma that Noah is experiencing. She understands the trauma that he had experienced from really bad actors that tried to foster him, so she’s coming from a place of knowing and a place of walking on eggshells, if you will. She does not want to further mess up this kid, she comes from a place of love, and she does not ever want to give up on him. The way I played it, the backstory that I created for her was that, probably, a lot of people gave up on Denise. Why is she her age and living alone with no children? There’s a lot of trauma behind that.
That’s different [from how] Dr. Eli cares about him, because he’s a caring child psychiatrist, but also, he cares about him because he’s confused. He’s confused as to why this kid came into his life, where Denise [believes] he came into Denise’s life because they understand. They have a shared experience, and she wanted that. It was her first foster child. The brilliance of this kid’s acting is that she also realizes that he came into her life for a different reason as well.
About Before
Before stars Billy Crystal as Eli, a child psychiatrist who, after recently losing his wife, Lynn (Judith Light), encounters a troubled young boy, Noah (Jacobi Jupe) who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past. As Eli attempts to help Noah, their mysterious bond deepens, sparking haunting memories and unearthing unsettling secrets about the past. The ensemble cast also includes Rosie Perez, Maria Dizzia and Ava Lalezarzadeh.
Before
Cast
Before: After losing his wife, child psychiatrist Dr. Eli Adler becomes entangled with a disturbed young boy linked to his past. The series unravels the complex intersections of grief and memory as Dr. Adler searches for answers, revealing deeper connections between his present and the boy’s mysterious background.
