When she learned she had landed the new role, Carrero says, her first thought was, Great! I’m the right person for this job.
“The idea that I, a Latin woman, would be voicing a Caucasian superhero didn’t even cross my mind — which really speaks to my privilege,” explains the Dominican-born actor. “Growing up [as a] lighter-skin Latina in Miami, I seldom felt ‘other-ed,’ a rarity for most people of color.”
But Carrero isn’t shy to admit Hollywood has a long way to go in Latinx diversity. “Why shouldn’t the world on our screen look like the world in real life?” she asks. “Why shouldn’t our stories be included in the mainstream? Why shouldn’t my voice be the one to tell it?”
Aimee Carrero, photographed for New Times' People Issue in 2014.
Photo by Stian Roenning
Netflix's timing could not be more pertinent. The world has never been more in need of strong leadership — preferably female. She-Ra has often been described as the most powerful woman in the universe, so it’s only fitting her revival comes in this hour of great need.
“We live in a time where the president of the United States boasts about grabbing women’s genitalia without consent, where racial dog whistles are used as political expediency,” says Carrero. “Are we too absorbed in the detritus to think our children aren’t listening? A story about an autonomous, smart, powerful woman fighting evil with her group of autonomous, smart, powerful girlfriends is needed now more than ever for obvious reasons.”
In this first season, out on Netflix today, viewers can expect plenty of action, humor, and heart. “There are some really poignant moments in She-Ra’s story that left me in tears in the recording booth,” says Carrero tenderly. “Our series begins with Adora’s realization that she’s spent her entire life being indoctrinated by the Horde to doing their evil bidding. Her struggle towards the light — and everything that comes with leaving your home and loved ones behind — reveals how leadership has much more to do with service than it has to do with power.”
Fans of the original series will also enjoy seeing some familiar faces, like Catra (voiced by AJ Michalka).
“What I love most about this show is that, at its core, it’s really a story of redemption,” explains the actor. “There is no such thing as a perfect hero and it is never too late to start doing the right thing.”
Another thing Carrero admires about She-Ra is how inclusive the show is. “Our creator, Noelle Stevenson, has worked really hard to make sure to include characters of all shapes, sizes, orientations, and lifestyles,” says Carrero. “I hope audiences will take something personally meaningful away from this series. I, for one, am so proud to be a part of this show.”
Carrero currently voices Disney’s first-ever Latina princess, Elena of Avalor. When asked how these two heroes differ, she responds with a laugh: “I always say that Elena is in a much better mood all the time.” In comparison, she adds, “Adora has a dark past — she’s done bad things and is trying to turn her life around with little-to-no tools. The one thing their stories have in common is they both follow the birth of a hero; growing pains, setbacks, successes, and all.
“They are not great leaders when we meet them, but they are on their way.”
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
