Leslie Grace Reflects On Batgirl and Becoming Ambassador To Latino Documentary Translators

Leslie Grace will serve as an ambassador for the documentary short Translators. Directed by Emmy-winner Rudy Valdez, the doc will follow the lives of three immigrant children who serve as translators for their Latino elders, the first ones to live in America. Grace herself came from a first-generation Dominican family, telling Entertainment Weekly this:

“It’s so personal. I was taken back in time and reminded of my experience and my siblings’ experiences. I’m the youngest, so I got to see some of my older siblings put in a lot of time in translating for my grandma, who speaks very little English. She understands a lot, but she’s the first to migrate here to this country. She’s the reason why we’re all here. I had the benefit of being able to see the doc being shared by Rudy and his team and becoming an ambassador to just amplify the stories of these families.”

Another thing Grace told EW was that it was vital for those familiar with the experience to amplify stories like those in Translators. That way, people who haven’t had this experience first can learn about it. Grace also said she hopes this film will lessen some of the mental health struggles affecting Black and brown communities.

“Absolutely. It’s skewed our own perception of our worth and how worthy we are of taking up space in a country. It changes the way that you see value if you’ve had that experience. I think a documentary like this is not just for awareness in general, but for just being seen, to feel like if you’ve had that experience , you’re not alone. That, I think, is one of the biggest things that can make it feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders at a young age. So for those kids that are doing that currently in their household, I think it will be very, very healing in a way to know that their stories are important.”

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How Does Leslie Grace Feel About Batgirl Now?

One of Grace’s most recent roles was as the title character in Batgirl, which was infamously shelved due to tax write-off purposes. Many people were vocal about their disapproval of the decision. The company higher-ups apparently didn’t think the movie was very good, but Grace herself said that “there was definitely potential for a good film,” despite only seeing an incomplete cut.

“Oh, man. I mean, I just wish they could have seen the whole movie. I wish we could have gotten to share what we spent so much time making. A lot of us were excited about not just the story of the film but the story of what a person like myself being cast in a film like Batgirl meant for our community. I definitely was made very aware of that from the moment that I was cast. I was very on and excited to do my very best to carry that with pride and carry it well.”

Grace’s takeaway from the experience “is being able to know how culturally you’re going to be coming in, and where you’re from is going to be included in the story somehow.” That entails having a “voice in the room” regarding what’s included and ensuring the project’s authenticity. Also, ensure people understand that and “what it means in the zeitgeist.”

“I think in the future, I am fighting to be in a place to produce things and to be more in development because it allows you to be a part of those conversations in a collaborative way. If you’re just an actor stepping in for a role, maybe you don’t have access to those rooms. You might not have that opportunity in every role, and sometimes that’s perfectly fine. But I think it’s really important for us to build our own things — the ownership — and just build equity in that way. I think that’s really important.”