Maria Caballero Opens Up About Her Role in The First Omen

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW ✦

The 1976 horror film The Omen has always been iconic to genre fans — and a movie that’s often brought up in conversations highlighting the most influential horror titles of all time. As a result of its long-term popularity, The Omen has even taken its reputation a step further by essentially birthing the existence of a franchise that’s since spawned several sequels and even the 2016 series Damien. Now, the Antichirst-themed franchise has finally made its spine-tingling, theatrical revival in the form of a prequel labeled The First Omen, reimagining the horror universe with an untold introductory chapter to a classic supernatural story. 

In the newest entry, we’re introduced to a woman named Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) who is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church. However, during that time, things go horribly awry (obviously) as she unexpectedly uncovers unfathomable darkness that ignites a crisis of faith and the looming threat of an ancient evil. So for someone close to Margaret, like Margaret's roommate Luz Valez (played by Maria Caballero), danger is imminent.

Ahead of The First Omen’s, theatrical release, we had the opportunity to speak with Caballero for additional insight into her character Luz, how the film compares to other franchise entries, behind-the-scenes stories, and much more.

The First Omen (20th Century Studios)

Congratulations on the release of The First Omen! Obviously, the first film is perceived as being a genre classic – and has inspired several genre pictures throughout the years. Do you remember the first time you were exposed to the original film, and what was that experience like for you?

Maria Caballero: I saw the movie while I was in the audition process. I was very shocked by it and loved it at the same time. It was different from all the horror films I had seen up to that point. It’s a powerful movie. I feel like a lot of people of my generation don’t know about it, hopefully our movie encourages them to discover it, too.

When it came to this film, what was your initial reaction to the script, and was there anything in particular about this character that piqued your interest?

Maria Caballero: I couldn’t stop reading it until the end. It caught me. And I felt really excited to be part of it. With Luz, ever since the first time I read the short description they give you for the audition, I had that weird thought of “this is for me”. It’s like a rare intuition that sometimes actors feel with a specific character. I think what I loved most about her is that she’s a fighter, a survivor. She has many faces, many angles and layers, and that’s one of the biggest gifts you can get as an actor.

What’s something that sets this film apart from other stories within The Omen franchise?

Maria Caballero: Our movie is the pinnacle of horror prequels from one of the most terrifying franchises. I feel like it completes and adds further context to the original story in a very interesting and profound way. I also believe that we have a really special group of actors and filmmakers for this movie.

The First Omen: 20th Century Studios

The film is also a period piece set in Rome, so I would assume that there were a lot of striking set pieces and locations to enjoy during production. Was there one that was most memorable for you?

Maria Caballero: Shooting in Rome was like shooting a movie inside a movie. It was my first time in the city and it’s also the background of some of my favorite movies so I enjoyed it like a child. Actually my most memorable location was not in Rome, but in a close-by town, Nepi. We shot inside the San Pietro church and it was a very special shooting day for me.

What would you say was the scariest sequence that you either filmed or witnessed as a viewer?

Maria Caballero: There is a crucial scene that happens in the catacombs. If you’ve seen the movie you’ll know which one. The energy those days was very dense and electric. The feeling of sacredness and sanctity of that scene gave goosebumps. It was scary and violent, the whole main cast was there and I think we were all pretty spooked out!

The First Omen (20th Century Studios)

For this film, you worked with a few actors who have genre experience coming into the project, like Nell Tiger Free. Was there anything you learned from working with this cast that you might take into other projects?

Maria Caballero: I’ve learned a lot working with all of them. They’re all amazing actors. Nell’s so naturally talented that sometimes it felt effortless and easy to act beside her. She can bring her performance to a very high intensity and maintain it for hours. She’s a very bold, generous and committed actress and I really love what she did in this movie. I can’t wait for the world to see her as Margaret.

There are many unique challenges and heightened emotions in horror projects that actors might not find across other genres. Now that you’ve had a chance to experience that firsthand – what’s been your favorite part about getting to shoot a horror movie?

Maria Caballero: There’s an intense atmosphere to it that I really love. Anything can happen. The space, the air, everything needs to be charged with a certain energy, if not, you don’t believe it, or it’s just about the shift scare. What I love about horror movies is that, with the excuse of the supernatural, you can talk about the big questions of life and what makes us human in a very unique and deep way.