San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Schoolkid lands dream role in ‘Luca’
S.F.’s Emma Berman brings audible joy to key part of Giulia in Pixar’s latest feature
Emma Berman was 11 years old and starting sixth grade at the Stratford School in San Francisco in the fall of 2019 when she heard that Pixar was casting a key role in its next animated feature, “Luca.” The budding young actor was a huge Pixar fan and was already active in the San Francisco theater scene, including performing in American Conservatory Theater’s “Christmas Carol” and in musicals with Bay Area Children’s Theatre and 42nd Street Moon, and she was starting to gain attention for her voiceover work.
But when Berman recorded an iPhone audio audition and sent it in, she had no idea the Emeryville studio was looking at hundreds of talented young voice actors in a search for just the right girl to play ebullient, goofy Giulia, one of the title character’s best friends.
“I loved the beautiful texture of her voice immediately,” recalls “Luca” director Enrico Casarosa. “Emma is such a bubbly, joyous girl. She laughed, and I couldn’t help chuckle, even shaking her hand when we met in person for the first time at Pixar. That joy came through in all of her lines. I love that she was just completely being herself.”
As redhaired Giulia, the quirky and bold daughter of a brusque, onearmed Italian fisherman (played by veteran ACT actor Marco Barricelli), Berman’s voice is in some of the film’s most entertaining scenes. Giulia befriends the camouflaged sea monsters Luca and Alberto by wedging herself between them and the town bully, and the three become a likable team of underdogs competing in the town’s famous triathlon (swimming, cycling and eating pasta).
Berman moved with her family recently to El Dorado Hills and spoke with The Chronicle from home about “the very, very, very fun experience” she had working on “Luca.”
Q: Before you landed this role, how much acting had you done?
A: I started off doing local theater productions. My first was “Annie” at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre where I got the part of Annie when I was 8. Then I signed with Stars, the agency in San Francisco, and got voiceover jobs with Leapfrog voicing some of their toys. That was really fun too.
Q: Tell me about your audition process for “Luca” and what it felt like to get the part.
A: When I recorded an iPhone audition, my agent told me that they really liked my voice except they wanted a betterquality audition. Then I got called in to do some scenes in person, and that was fun because I got to meet (director) Enrico (Casarosa) and (producer) Andrea (Warren) and I got to go to Pixar.
I got a Zoom call and they told me that I got the part in March of 2020. I couldn’t believe it. It was a dream come true.
Q: Were you already a Pixar fan? Do you have a favorite Pixar movie? A: Definitely. I really, really love Pixar. I’ve watched all of their films, and it’s a hard choice because all their films are so incredible, but I’d say my favorite is “Inside Out” because it’s based in San Francisco and it’s fun seeing my hometown in it.
Q: Giulia and her dad eat a lot of pasta in the movie, and I heard you could relate to that because you have a favorite Italian restaurant in San Francisco.
A: Yes. I really love Trattoria Da Vittorio on West Portal Avenue. My favorite thing to order is the Bella pizza, which has burrata, prosciutto and eggplant. I really, really love that one.
Q: I can hear even when you say a few Italian words how good your accent is. Do languages come easily to you?
A: Yes. Both of my parents were born in Moscow and they both speak Russian, so we speak Russian at home. And I did study a little bit of Italian and had a dialect coach (for the movie). I also worked with one of the waiters at Trattoria Da Vittorio, and he taught me a little bit of Italian.
Q: Giulia is such a great character. She’s assertive and independent, and she defends her friends from bullies. Can you relate to her?
A: We’re both determined and hardworking and outgoing and quirky. We love to learn new things and make new friends.
As for bullying, I’m lucky to have never encountered a bully like that. But if I did, I would definitely speak out and do something about it.
Q: Did you learn anything working on “Luca” about what goes into making a featurelength animated film that surprised you? A: I have to say that the most exciting and surprising part of this whole entire experience was the fact that I actually got the part. That’s still mindblowing. It’s crazy. That’s the most surprising and exciting part of all.