Natalie Morales Talks Playing a “Guilt Demon” In War Dramedy ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’

Summary

• Natalie Morales plays Zoe in My Dead Friend Zoe, a deceased war veteran who follows her battle buddy Merit around, acting as a snarky and frequently hilarious manifestation of her grief.
• Morales loved the unique challenge of playing a chaotic “guilt demon.”
• Morales discusses the film’s important message, as well as what’s next for her on the acting and directing fronts.

This interview contains spoilers for My Dead Friend Zoe.

War movies are some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films. From gritty dramas like Saving Private Ryan and All Quiet on the Western Front to more comedic fare like Good Morning, Vietnam and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, they can be told in a myriad of ways. My Dead Friend Zoe offers audiences the best of both worlds by serving up plenty of laughs while offering a serious, authentic exploration of PTSD. Directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes in his feature debut, the film follows a veteran named Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), who’s struggling to deal with the loss of her battle buddy, the titular Zoe, who appears as a wisecracking manifestation of her guilt and trauma.

Zoe is played by none other than Natalie Morales, who has appeared in everything from Parks and Recreation and Santa Clarita Diet to Dead to Me and Grey’s Anatomy. In addition to her impressive acting resume, Morales is also a talented director, helming projects like Plan B, which was nominated for a GLAAD Award, and Language Lessons, which she also wrote with co-star Mark Duplass.

Collider got the chance to speak with Morales about the film’s shocking twist, the art of filming a good car singing scene, what’s next for her on the acting and directing fronts, and more.

Natalie Morales Had Fun “Causing Havoc” on the ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ Set

COLLIDER: I was watching some other interviews you did for this movie, and I really love that you make the distinction that Zoe is not a ghost but rather a guilt demon.

NATALIE MORALES: Yes.

Can you talk a little bit about that?

MORALES: The movie is — at least the way I thought about it — sort of like if you knew the end of Fight Club at the beginning: that she’s dead but always around. And she is not a ghost. She was Merit’s, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, battle buddy. This was her best friend in the army. And she’s been out of the army — she’s a veteran now, she’s living her life — but she has survivor’s guilt, and that is sort of manifested with Zoe always hanging around. When I thought about that character like that, it kind of changed everything about how I play her because it becomes a little bit manipulative, right? A guilt demon can be nice to you when you need it to be, it can be comforting, it can be mean, it can tell you the worst things about yourself or the best things about yourself, and it was a really interesting thing for me to play.

Going off of that, I’m sure this role had a lot of unique challenges. Merit is really the only one who can see Zoe in the present day, and a lot of the time, she’s ignoring her, so I’m curious what the challenges are of not really having another actor’s energy to sort of interact with or feed off of for the large majority of the movie.

MORALES: Oh, it’s so fun for me. I’m not trying to make people break, but if I can, it’s fun. I was like a little sprite that was causing havoc around set. It wasn’t challenging at all — it was actually really, really fun, maybe because there’s a part of me that, if someone’s ignoring me, I kind of want to bug them more. So it brought that part out of me for sure.

Natalie Morales Breaks Down That Shocking Twist in ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’

There’s obviously some really great comedy, but there is a lot of really effective drama in it, too. And I think it does a really interesting job of subverting expectations because, at least for me, I expected Zoe to have died on the battlefield. The fact it’s revealed to have been from suicide was really surprising and I feel like made the themes more interesting and hit a lot harder. Were you also surprised reading the script that this was the direction that this went?

MORALES: Very much so. There was a short film version of this that Kyle, the director and co-writer, made before he made this film that I saw, and it has a similar idea. It totally caught me by surprise, and I think that’s by design, right? What is profound about it for me is that I have known, sadly, people who have died by suicide, and it is not always who you expect. It could be anybody, and that’s what’s kind of most impactful about it. I don’t think you expect that to be how Zoe died, and it’s the saddest way you can die after being put on the line of fire for as long as you were. After being on duty, you come home, and that’s how you die? It’s so, so, so tragic and so sad, and it happens to so many people — especially veterans. If we can get anybody to talk about it and have that not happen, then it will have been worth making this whole movie. Even if just one person is like, “Oh shit, maybe I should tell someone I’m feeling this way.”

Yeah, 100%. I was shocked by that statistic at the end — that 18 times more soldiers died by suicide than in war. That was insane to me. I’m curious if you had any clue about that because I definitely learned a lot in this movie.

MORALES: I had a little bit of a clue because I’ve been working with Everytown for Gun Safety for a long time — obviously, not necessarily strictly with their veteran programs, but I did know a little bit about that. It is shocking, and I’m glad to bring it to people’s attention because I don’t think it’s talked about enough. I think, however you feel about the army and the armed forces, they’re still people. People have all sorts of reasons for joining the army — some of them want to, some of them have to, some are 18 and don’t know any better. They’re people, and I don’t think we treat our veterans as we should. We promise these people so much, and then they come back with a lot of trauma, and we don’t take care of them the way that we should, both as a society and as a government. I think that’s important to really put that in people’s minds.

Natalie Morales Is “Really Anti-War” — Here’s Why She Signed Up for ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ Anyway

That leads really well into my next question because I love that this film does honor veterans in this really respectful way, but it also doesn’t completely shy away from the more complicated nature of the military. We have that line where Zoe talks about how it’s modern colonialism in a way. I’m curious if you can talk about finding that balance of being critical while also being deeply respectful. I think it toes that line really well.

MORALES: Look, I’m really anti-war, and I respect people, and I respect what they’ve gone through. I really wanted to talk about the people who are in the armed services who feel a contradictory way about it. We tend to make all groups of people into a monolith, and, of course, there are all sorts of people who join the armed services. Some of them are not like, “Yeah, I’m here because a long line of my family has been in the services and I wanted to do it.” Or even if they’re there because of that, they might find themselves regretting it later, and then they’ve signed up for four years. There’s so much we don’t know about what our government does and what the armed services do that I’m sure you find out when you’re there.

Some people may feel really — and I mean no disrespect by this — proud of it and all about it, but I know for a fact that there are people who don’t, and those people deserve to have their stories told, too. I think people outside of the armed services can feel all sorts of ways about it, but you don’t know until you’re there, and those people are people, and I respect them as well. And I know a lot of them. I know a lot of people on both sides of that line, and it’s not like an easy line. It’s a big grey line, and people feel differently morally about all of it. It’s impossible to get out of it when you’re there. So I loved that that was in the script, and it was really important for me to keep that in the script because I haven’t seen that a lot.

Yeah, 100%. Super well said. On a bit of a lighter note, I love a car singing scene, and this movie has quite a few of them. You are a singer and musician yourself — what goes into the art of a good car singing scene for you?

MORALES: Well, that’s a good question. From a filmmaker’s perspective, you usually get like an earwig, right? Which is not only the gross little bug, but in movie terms, it’s like a little speaker that gets put in your ear that is hidden by your hair, and it’s playing the music so that if you’re singing it — like if Sonequa and I were singing it together — we’re singing at the same time. Those hardly ever work. Or the volume is too low, because I was like, “You need to blast this in my ear because if this is blasting in the car, I have to sing it full volume.” They hardly ever work right. I’ve done it in so many movies and TV shows, and there’s always some issue with them. But the key, to me, is to use the live recording so it doesn’t feel like it’s in a studio. And you’ve got to not be embarrassed. You can’t be afraid of looking bad — because you’re going to look bad. Thank you for calling me a singer-musician. I am in no way a singer-musician. I like to sing. It does not mean I can sing, but I figure some birds are probably bad singers, but they do it anyway. It’s a nice way to be, and if it feels good, anyone should be able to sing. I don’t think I’m horrible, but I am not good.

You are great! And you captured the enthusiasm, and that’s what’s important.

MORALES: Yes, I think you’re right. I think you’re right, yup.

Natalie Morales Reveals What’s Next For Her, From Playing Claire Danes’ Ex-Wife to Directing More Movies

I also wanted to ask about a couple more aspects of your career because I am such a big fan of yours. This movie premiered at SXSW, and you will be back soon for Summer of ‘69. What can you tell us about that project and your character in that?

MORALES: Ohh, I don’t know what I’m allowed to tell you. I will tell you that Jillian Bell is a friend of mine. We made another movie together called I’m Totally Fine, and she’s just the best. This movie was actually made with the same producers that made my movie Plan B, and we shot it in some of the same locations in Syracuse, which was really cool. So I got to go back there and see some people and some places that I hadn’t seen since we did Plan B. But Jillian is just incredible, and when I heard that she was going to make her directing debut, I was like, “Oh, you’ve got this. You’re going to be amazing.” And, of course, she was amazing. I’m so excited to see it, and, of course, it got into SXSW. It’s gonna be great.

To branch off about another “dead” project, I’m a Dead to Me diehard and am curious if you could talk a little bit about that show and that experience working with Linda Cardellini. That’s one of the great sapphic ships, in my opinion.

MORALES: Oh, thank you! Gosh, everyone on that show was awesome. I had such a good time doing that show, and my hair looked so good every episode. Linda is just incredible, and I was so lucky to get to do that with her. I had a blast. It was such a warm set, and everybody was so grateful to be there. I’m sure that’s part of the reason why it was so popular — I think you could see the fun and the joy and the warmth through the screen.

Speaking of ships, I know you’re also involved in the upcoming series The Beast in Me, where I read you play Claire Danes’ ex-wife.

MORALES: I do.

What can you tease about that?

MORALES: Probably nothing except that it’s some of the best scripts I’ve ever read in my whole life. They’re the kind of scripts where you finish it and throw it across the room. It’s going to be so good, and I’m so excited about it. Of course, all the actors are amazing, but the writing was unbelievable. It’s going to be a really, really, really, really, really good one. Like, really good.

I’m so excited. As a fellow queer woman in this industry, it’s so exciting to have you both in front of and behind the camera advocating for these kinds of stories and these characters. I love Plan B so much — and Language Lessons. I know this is a broad question, but could you talk about your mission as a writer and director? Because you’re definitely a fresh new voice that we need more of.

MORALES: I don’t mean this to sound self-important at all, but I’m really aware — because of facts and data — of the influence that media and film and TV have on culture and on people, especially when it comes to queer stories. We know from studies that things on TV and film that are outlandish or fresh and new become part of regular culture within the next 10 years. Will & Grace is on TV, and 10 years later, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell gets repealed, you know? Things like that happen. They do have an effect.

Again, not to sound self-important, but it is a responsibility and it is an opportunity, and I will never squander it because I’m so lucky to get to do this in the first place. Of course, I’m going to make poop jokes, and I’m going to make fart jokes, but I’m also going to use the opportunity to do some good in the world as I see it, right? I’m not gonna waste it because it’s so needed for so many communities.

As far as my mission, it has been and will always be — until something really changes — to tell stories about marginalized people that aren’t only about how they are marginalized. I think we see stories about people — Black and brown people and queer people and disabled people — that are always about their hardships. We’ve seen that so much, and in my opinion, it kind of just continues to otherize us. While they’re important and necessary and sometimes historical it can’t be the only thing. I don’t walk around in my life every second of the day like, “I’m a queer woman, and these are all the things that have happened to me because I’m queer and I’m Latin.” I just exist in the world. So I think the more that we talk about and tell stories about ourselves and the people around us, the more normalized it’ll be to people who don’t know people like us all over the world, and I think that that is really necessary. If I have any mission, it’s that.

Branching off of that, are there any projects in the works for you that you are planning to direct that you can tease for us? I know that’s a very tricky subject.

MORALES: There’s nothing I can tease for you directly about directing, but yes, I do have projects in the works to direct. Quite a few. And I don’t know what will take off first. They’re all kind of in the mix, so you will know when I know at some point.

My last question for you is, I know you’ve said before that when you’re choosing stories to star in or direct or be a part of in any capacity, you want to do things that you haven’t done before. Is there a specific thing or genre or character that you haven’t gotten to do that you would love to get the chance to?

MORALES: Oh man, that’s a great question. I have so many ideas about so many things. I love to play characters who aren’t what people would typically cast me in. I think that’s fun for me. When I did Santa Clarita Diet, I got to play such a weirdo, and I loved every second of it. So I would love to do more things like that. I’d also really like to do a period piece. I have one that I’m slated to direct. Latino people didn’t exist before the ‘70s, I guess, because we’re never in anything that’s before that, so that would be fun. I just saw that Buffy‘s coming back. Hey, I’m available for catering or to be a PA. I would do anything. I would love to be any part of the new Buffy. I was so into Buffy when I was younger — it was like my favorite show — so that sounds awesome.

Like you said, I don’t want to repeat myself over and over. I don’t do that in my real life. I’m not a creature of habit at all — I’m a creature of variety and new things — so I think I would feel kind of claustrophobic if I kept doing the same things in my work, which is not always really common or loud because people really like to put you in a box, especially in the entertainment industry. I just can’t. I just want to do everything else. I don’t want to be known for one thing because I’m not one thing.

My Dead Friend Zoe is in theaters now.

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