An Interview with Sara Garcia from ‘The Hunting Party’

THE HUNTING PARTY -- "Lowe" Episode 103 -- Pictured: Sara Garcia as Jennifer Morales -- (Photo by: David Astorga/NBC)

Sara Garcia is a talented actor that has appeared in a bevy of films and shows and has lent her voice to countless works of art as well. Currently, she stars as Jennifer Morales in the new NBC series, The Hunting Party, and we here at NTG had the honor of sitting down with Sara to discuss her work on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start by getting to know what it was that attracted you to this series as an actor.
 
Sara Garcia: Yes, it was right off the heels of the SAG and WGA strikes, and it was a really exciting project that just came in. And to me, it showed that we were we were coming back to work and the energy was sort of palpable. I auditioned for it without reading the pilot, and was attracted to the character because my brother was in the Canadian Armed Forces, and I had always wanted to play a role where I was maybe in the military, just as a nod to him, and to have that connection between us. He got to be the real-life version, and I got to be the TV version. And then, through the audition process, I was given the pilot, and the pilot blew my mind. I was… I was shocked. I'm… I'm usually kind of timid and scared about horror and serial killer content, but that sort of drove me to want to dive in more. I had never done a character or a project like this, and so I was like, let's go.
 
John Betancourt: That is so awesome. I had no idea that you had such a personal tie to Jennifer in that respect. And speaking of Jennifer, she is just so dynamically different than the majority of the team, especially in this third episode, and we kind of get to know her better. And I'm curious how you kind of found that quirky essence of her.
 
Sara Garcia: Oh, that quirky essence of her is me. I think what was interesting is a lot of the times in first seasons, you know, we're all trying to find the idea. And so, I had this idea. I would, I would come to set, and I would just be unabashedly me and all my quirky weirdness. And I think they picked up on it because they started writing her more tailored to me, and, yeah, it was great. I know the scene you're referring to, and that was really fun for me to play, because I do have those moments where I talk a million miles a second, and I am laser focused. So, yeah, but, but mostly I like to insert parts of myself in all of my characters, just to keep it grounded and connected. And Morales is no exception to that.
 
John Betancourt: I’m also very curious, what it means to be part of a show that is so unique and so special.
 
Sara Garcia: Oh, it’s a dream come true. I think I've waited my entire life as an actor to be a part of something like this at this scale, working with a company like NBC. I mean, I cried when I got the part, and it was just really exciting from start to finish. And working with such wonderful people was just an absolute dream.
 
John Betancourt: What I love, too, is every episode has amazing surprises. We don't want to spoil any surprises. But just as an overall view for the rest of the season, what are you most excited for audiences to experience?
 
Sara Garcia: Oh, I'm excited overall for honestly, for people to see these incredible guest star performances. I mean, we have some really amazing people coming in who are playing our serial killers and, and folks at home are going to recognize them from projects and, and I think they're going to be so blown away by their performances. These actors just really brought it. And so, I'm excited for that.
 
John Betancourt: I can hear the passion your voice, and you’ve talked about, how much you've injected yourself into Morales. What have you enjoyed the most about playing her so far?
 
Sara Garcia: I enjoy her… her lightness and her optimism that she brings to work. It made going to work really easy. And we're shooting some really dark content. So that can, you know, depending on things, that can shape the environment and perspective. But because she lives in this effervescent light, kind of energy, it made it easy for me to for me to do. And then on top of that. Everybody, the whole cast, the whole crew. They're so amazing and funny and full of life that it just made going to work really, really, easy in general. It was just a really fun time.
 
John Betancourt: Last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to what you've put forth on the show.
 
Sara Garcia: I'm really proud of episode nine. We see a lot of Morales in episode nine. It's really her moment to shine and she gets to play a different role. And I'm really proud of that work. I'm really proud of the fact that she is taking charge and kind of stepping into a leadership position. You see her growth, and I'm excited for that episode.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.