Opening up about ‘Jane the Virgin’
Sitting in her Encino, California, office, Jennie Snyder Urman, the creator and showrunner of “Jane the Virgin,” is more upbeat than one might expect, given that she’s in the last stage of wrapping a series after five seasons on the air.
The night before, a pivotal step toward getting the series finale over the finish line was completed, bringing the end even closer. But Urman isn’t wistful. OK, she’s a little wistful. But mostly she’s beaming through phrases such as “I feel great” and “It’s what I wanted it to be.” Because she’s ready to release it to viewers.
While a modest performer by traditional ratings standards, “Jane the Virgin” nonetheless left an indelible mark by offering a rare portrait of a complex Latina character and her tightknit family.
Based on a Venezuelan telenovela, the series has an outlandish premise: Its heroine, a conscientious, 20-something virgin named Jane Villanueva (Gina Rodriguez), is accidentally artificially inseminated during a routine gynecological exam. It fully leaned into its telenovela roots and charmed critics along the way.
At her office, surrounded by framed posters for the show, Urman talked about “Jane.”
What about this story?
“I didn’t know if this was my story to tell, and I still don’t know.” Jennie Snyder Urman, “Jane” creator and showrunner
“I didn’t know if this was my story to tell, and I still don’t know. Except that I know that this iteration of ‘Jane’ was mine to tell with the group of people that I surrounded myself with. But I felt anxious about it. And then I took a walk and the pilot just laid out for me ... and it became a story about mothers and daughters and grandmothers and that matriarchy. I knew I had to make sure there were other voices in the room besides mine filling in what I couldn’t. If it was offered to me now, would I (do it)? I don’t know. Probably not. But there was something about this story.”
Walking as writing process
“It’s hard for me to sit still. There’s something about walking that frees me up to not be too worried about what I’m doing; I’m just on a walk. And then ideas come from there.”
‘I’ve gotten pictures of myself with devil horns’
“The fandom for Team Michael and Team Rafael is so intense. I struggle with it. I’m grateful that people feel so engaged and so passionate — because then you know you have reached people. But they’re so ... mad. And I mean mad. I get it. There’s a love story and you’re going to have your favorites. I’ve always thought, ‘Well, people are going to be rooting for Jane, and they just want her to be happy.’ Oh, I was wrong. They want her to be happy with their choice. I’ve gotten pictures of myself with devil horns. Now it’s my husband’s screen saver. I just try to ride the waves of it and not respond, because I understand it’s coming from passion. I do wish people would be nicer.”