Adria Arjona Recalls the “Big Rejection” When ‘Emerald City’ Was Cancelled
Before she landed roles in Good Omens and Andor, Adria Arjona was appearing in smaller capacities on shows like Person of Interest and Narcos. When she nabbed her recurring part in Season 2 of HBO’s hit series, True Detective, little did the actress know that her biggest breakthrough yet was right around the corner. In 2017, Arjona joined the cast of NBC’s drama, Emerald City, a TV adaptation of the classic tale by author L. Frank Baum, in the leading role of Dorothy Gale. The short-lived series would get Arjona’s foot in the door and allow her to work alongside Vincent D’Onofrio, who would take the up-and-coming actress under his wing. In an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff during a recent edition of Ladies Night, Arjona shared the highest high of securing the Emerald City gig and the devastation she felt when the show was canned after only one season.
“The next job after [ True Detective ] was Emerald City , which was huge for me. I know it only had one season, but it was a big school for me. Vincent D’Onofrio taught at my school, at Lee Strasberg, and I became really good friends with his daughter, Leila George , who, by the way, is an incredible, incredible actress. I just got goosebumps talking about her. She’s phenomenal. I always wanted to be in his class, but I couldn’t because I was doing another job, and it was always something that wouldn’t let us work together , or for me to be in his class. You had to go through an audition process to be in his class and he chose me, and that was super exciting, and then I couldn’t do it. And that happened twice. So, my heart was shattered. And then to do Emerald City and for him to play The Wizard of Oz and to be acting alongside him like a mentor , really, I mean, I learned so much from him. He’s one of my favorite actors. I respect him so much.”
Admitting that leading a cast of superbly talented humans was something completely new and out of her comfort zone, Arjona continued,
“So, I think Emerald City , really, it was the best school I could have ever gotten . It was eight months in Budapest. I had never really been on a set for longer than a couple of days, so it was physically challenging, it was mentally challenging. I was so young. I was the lead of a huge show. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I surrounded myself with good people , and we ended up doing it. So, I think Emerald City holds a really special place in my heart.”
The Daily Ozmapolitan 