One-on-one with Indy 500 grand marshal Stephanie Beatriz

Ahead of commanding the 33 drivers in the Indianapolis 500 to report to their cars on Sunday afternoon, actress Stephanie Beatriz is trying to soak up as much of the city as she can.

Best known for her role in the sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and as Mirabel in Disney’s film “Encanto,” Beatriz will serve as grand marshal of the race, part of a cross-promotion effort for NBC—which airs the race—and its streaming service Peacock, for whom she stars in a new show called Twisted Metal, set to premiere July 27.

In addition to ushering drivers to their posts, Beatriz will also walk the red carpet. She spoke to IBJ on Saturday afternoon about her experience in Indianapolis thus far, why she accepted the role of grand marshal, escaping the political discourse for a day at the track, and more.

I want to start with just learning about your relationship with racing. What’s your experience with motorsports? Are you a fan?
I am now. So, I am on this new show on Peacock called Twisted Metal and it’s based on a Sony video game of the same name. It’s myself and Anthony Mackie, with the same creators as Deadpool and Zombieland. It’s a really fast, really funny [show]—a high-octane comedy, is what I would call it. And we did a lot of driving for the show. And because of that, I kind of got into going fast. This is my second race I’ve gone to this year [following a NASCAR event], and I’ve had a blast so far.

So, do you have a favorite racing style yet?
At this point, I don’t. I just want to take it all in. But I just love the combination of human and machine and what they do together. There’s going to be what, 325,000 people, probably, here Sunday? I’m not alone in my love of this.

Before we started, you were talking about participating in the two-seater ride around the track experience. What was it like to be able to do that?
It was awesome. And to think about the history of the track … is so incredible. It just must be so incredible to be chosen as one of the athletes that gets to run this race. Part of what’s so amazing about it is, it is a really intense track. Coming around that last bend, I was like “I don’t want this to end’ because it was so fun. Going that fast was really incredible—I wish I could [again]. I am addicted to it now.

What interested you in being involved in the race as grand marshal?
To even be asked to do something like this is really an honor. So, I would be a nut to turn it down. I just watched a guy do a push up on the bricks, by the way—that’s why, like, of course, I want to be grand marshal at this incredible event where people have all these memories and nostalgia. And they’re going to make new memories this weekend. It’s such a fun, truly awesome moment of Americana that I hope everybody gets to be a part of. So, it’s really special.

On Brooklyn Nine-Nine, you played Rosa Diaz, a character who like yourself is bisexual. Indiana is one of many states whose Legislature has been enacting a lot of measures tied to LGBTQ issues. You’re here in the state promoting an event that’s arguably the biggest not just in the state, but in the country this coming weekend. So, how do you reconcile those two things?
I’ll say this: There’s LGBTQIA people everywhere, including here. And there’ll be lots of them here tomorrow, watching this incredible race—there will be one who’s the grand marshal. So I think that it’s a mistake to sort of lump everybody’s ideas, together with perhaps what someone is trying to push through in [legislative bodies], perhaps for their own political game. The people that I’ve met here are really friendly and they’ve been so welcoming to me. I have friends that have been coming to this race since they were a kid. This is a space that also a space for them.

[The Indy 500] is not just about one type of person, and I think that’s a mistake that people make—maybe they look at motorsports and think it’s just one type of way, but I don’t think it is because I’m here, there’s a lot of people like me that love and have loved the sport for a long time. So, I’m really proud that I get to be here this weekend. I’m hopeful that we continue the battle that has to happen to make sure legislation like that doesn’t get overlooked and pushed through because it’s such a mistake to judge your fellow human beings by something as—it’s such a mistake to judge other human beings, period.

You mentioned you will be in the upcoming show Twisted Metal. What drew you in to the story of that show that made you want to sign on?
I love a fish-out-of-water kind of story, and, you know, the show is set in this sort of post-apocalyptic world. But the main character John Doe, who Anthony [Mackie] plays, doesn’t have any real memories of what’s come before. So, in a weird way, it’s you as a player in a game—you’re stepping into someone’s shoes and kind of going, “Well, what’s the story? What do I know about this world? And what am I discovering as I play this game?” That’s sort of how the scripts unfolded, and as I was reading them, one by one, I just got more and more [intense]. I started reading them out loud to my husband and my sister because this story is insane. It’s the combination for me, of comedy action, and pretty sexy—it’s very fun. We had a great time shooting it. I knew we would have a great time when I saw it on the page.

There have been a lot of video game adaptations lately, and obviously this is one of them. But of the ones you’ve seen, what’s been your favorite so far?

There’s such good stories out there now, and I think that’s why the people that love these games get so invested in them, because the storylines are so good. And I think it goes without saying that Last of Us is like a really brilliantly acted, created, produced show. The visuals are stunning; the storyline is great. The acting is, you know, truly chef’s kiss.

During your limited time in Indianapolis, is there anything you’re looking forward to doing?

I’m going to St. Elmo’s [on Saturday night], and I’ve heard it’s great. So, I’m very much looking forward to that. But tomorrow, I think I’m just going to take every moment as it comes and try to be very present for everything, because I just know it’s going to be an epic day. Everyone here is friendly, so I’m really looking forward to meeting more people and hearing their experiences of race.