MAIA REFICCO SAYS PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: SUMMER SCHOOL IS UNIQUE AND HAS IT’S OWN IDENTITY

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Jul 1, 2024 @ 12:50 pm By Taylor Winter Wilson

If you grew up a stan of the original Pretty Little Liars, you are probably obsessed with the newest spinoff, Summer School. We got to chat with Noa aka Maia Reficco about the new season, her love for music and everything in between. If you want to know what Maia has in store this year and beyond, keep reading below.  

FEATURE INTERVIEW:

You were raised in Argentina. What was it like growing up there?

Growing up in Argentina was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I can’t imagine a world in which I don’t live life being as proud as I am where I’m from. It’s given me such strong, solid roots to who I am. What makes me feel at home, even if I am not physically home, are the cultural things, whether it’s drinking mate or my Argentine friends or watching football, all of these things make me feel so connected to who I am.

How did you get your start in acting?  

It was always my dream. I grew up knowing I wanted to sing, and I wanted to act. And in all honesty, I started when I was able to convince my mom, proving to her that I would continue to do schoolwork if she let me audition. I finally got her to let me give it a shot.

Following success on television shows in Latin America, you now star in the HBO Max Original Series “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”. How does it feel to be a “Liar” in this popular PLL Universe?

Oh, it’s an honor. I grew up obsessing over Lucy Hale and over the original series, so to me, to this day, it feels so surreal to be able to see my face after the iconic “Pretty Little Liars” cursive logo. To this day, it still blows my mind. I had posters of Lucy Hale up in my room. I was obsessed with her. I love the original show. I grew up on it. So, to me, it continues to be the most surreal thing that’s ever happened to me.

Did you watch the original “Pretty Little Liars” growing up? What character were you most drawn to?  

I loved both Aria and Emily. I was obsessed with Lucy Hale, but I was also obsessed with Emily and her various love interests. I loved all of them, but definitely Lucy Hale and Shay Mitchell’s character Emily. Aria and Emily were my favorites.

The current season is called “Pretty Little Liars: Summer School”. How does this differ from “Original Sin” and what can viewers expect from “Summer School”?   

What makes me so excited about this season is I think Roberto and Lindsay, our showrunners and creators, took everything that made our show unique, gave its own identity, and then maxed it out. They took and elevated every single part of the show and made the camp campier, and made the gore gorier, made the drama more dramatic.

It’s been so much fun to play with – there’s so much more gore, and more action, and definitely there’s a lot hotter drama, which is always fun to play. So, I think the difference is that season one is always about introducing these characters in these storylines, and season two is kind of about enjoying the ride and getting to play within these worlds that we’ve already created. It was definitely a very, very fulfilling experience to come back and to know and play Noa from a place of understanding who she is.

You will be making your Broadway debut in “Hadestown” on July 2. Congratulations! How did this opportunity come about, and how do you feel about this moment?

Thank you so much! Theater’s been my dream my whole life. My mom’s a musical director in theater, and I grew up watching every single show she ever worked on and dreaming about being in any theater, on any stage. Broadway felt too gigantic for me to even fathom.

I’m pinching myself, but I’ve not been able to wrap my head around the fact that I’m going to be making by Broadway debut in a few weeks. It’s absolute insanity. I am incredibly grateful. And I’m also terrified.

Were you familiar with the show before auditioning?

I’m a hug fan of the show. I’ve been a fan of “Hadestown” for years. I saw it with the original cast. The score, Rachel Chavkin’s work, everybody is absolutely marvelous and inspiring. I have a screenshot of a text I sent my friend like three, four years ago, being like, “You can’t miss Hadestown, it’s the best show on Broadway”, because I was obsessed with this show. I dreamt about Eurydice, and I dreamt about singing these songs, but I never thought that that dream would ever become a reality.

Your mother is a singer herself and a vocal coach, and has musical directed many shows in Argentina. Has she taught you anything that you’ll be taking with you to Broadway?

That’s a beautiful question. She’s taught me everything I know about music. She’s taught me anything and everything I know about how to be alive and how to be human and how to be kind and how to treat other people and how to treat myself and how to carry myself and musically and vocally, she is an absolute wizard.

I hope that I can get to make her proud. She truly is one of the reasons I work so hard, and I try my best to be to make her, and my brother, feel proud. I think both of them are such a big inspiration and fuel to what I do, but definitely from the little habits that I need to have, to take care of my voice, to how to sing this role and plenty of other things. Everything she’s taught me is coming with me.

You have a busy ahead summer, as your upcoming movie “One Fast Move” is set to release on Amazon Prime on August 8. You star alongside KJ Apa, Eric Dane and Edward James Olmos. What was your experience been like working with the cast of the film?

Oh, my goodness, that movie was so much fun to shoot. It was truly so different from what I’ve done before. Everything I’ve ever worked on whether “Do Revenge” or the “Prettly Little Liars”, I was always surrounded by young women, like myself. I think coming into “One Fast Move”, I didn’t know how I feel. Maybe that’s a weird thing to say, but coming into the film, I was skeptical being in a different environment, work wise, but it truly was one of the places I’ve grown the most as a human and as an actor. I felt so well guided and familiar.

Our director, Kelly Blatz, was so wonderful. He gave us so much room to play and trusted us so much. And Edward, Eric and especially KJ, they’re such generous scene partners. Working with KJ…he’s literally one of my favorite people I’ve ever worked with. I’ve learned so much from him. It truly was a beautiful experience. It connected me to acting in a way that I feel like I hadn’t had before that project, and I’m really grateful for that.

Your catalog ranges from various genres including the comedy thriller “Do Revenge” on Netflix. Tell us about your favorite memory from making this film.  

This also was such a fun shoot! It was a million girls, and we were all the same age. It was a huge cast. We all had so much fun. I would say something fun that happened is, on the day that we shot the scene that we were all on shrooms, we all were coming up with the most hilarious things to do to obviously justify what these characters were feeling. It was the most hilarious day I’ve ever had on a set.

You recently wrapped up filming your new movie, “A Cuban’s Girls Guide to Tea and Tomorrow”, which is based off a book by Laura Namey. From what you can share about this project, spill as much as you can! 

I can’t share much. What I can say is that getting to play a character that, after being cast, became part Argentinian, was very exciting. Getting to add that part of myself onto Leela was very moving to me. I love the homage made to my Argentine culture.

Not only are you an amazing actress, but you are also a musician as well. What can we look forward to as you work with in the music space?  

I’m very excited to really devote my time and energy into music. I’ve been working so hard on making the music that finally feels like myself. It’s taken me years of making music, and I have over 200 songs fully produced that could have come out, but I was really trying to find what sonically felt like myself, and I think I’ve finally found it. So, I’m very excited to get to share that with the world soon, because I’m very proud.

Since your brother Joaquin is also a singer, can we expect new music from you two anytime soon?  

My brother is releasing his music the second half of this year, and I’ve definitely bugged him about making something together. He is so brilliant and the most talented human being I’ve ever met in my whole life. I’m not exaggerating, he’s a dancer, he’s an actor, he’s the most inspiring human I’ve ever met. I’m definitely going to peer pressure him into letting me hop on to his EP.

Growing up you played many instruments; do you still play any? Which one is your favorite? 

I still play both guitar and piano. I love the guitar. I think the guitar is so intimate and so personal that there’s nothing quite like it. And I love the piano. I grew up like training on piano. The piano was in the family, in the living room in front of everybody. Bur guitar is the instrument that I’ve grown the closest to, even though my talent doesn’t match how much I love it. [laughs].

When you’re not working, what are some things you do just for yourself?  

I love film photography. It’s my only hobby. That and maybe like going to the gym.

What’s a short message you’d like to leave for all your supporters reading Galore?  

Working hard, believing in yourself, and having people that support you and love you really can get you so far. And there is no dream that’s too big.

TEAM CREDITS:

Editor in Chief: Prince Chenoa (@princechenoastudio)

Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)

Cover Art Design: Sebastián Chicchón (@jager.noon)

Photographer: Cibelle Levi (@cibellelevi)

Hair Stylist: Justine Marjan (@justinemarjan)

Makeup Artist: Diane Buzzetta (@dianebuzzetta)

Stylist: Alexis Kossel (@alexiskossel)

About The Author: Taylor Winter Wilson

Junior beauty and lifestyle editor for Galore. Made in Detroit - Living in Atlanta.