Dating back to the “Sons of Anarchy” years, the universe that “Mayans M.C.” lives in is overrun with big, macho biker guys. But there are also such great female characters. These women are often more badass and capable than their male counterparts. And we see that quite a bit in Season 5, especially in the character of Letty, played by Emily Tosta. And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, we discuss the latest episode of “Mayans M.C.” and speak with Tosta about the five-year arc Letty has been on and how she has grown into this incredibly layered character.
From an introduction as the daughter of one of the most beloved Mayans, Coco, and also an underage sex worker to being a badass, independent woman taking control of her life after the death of her dad, Letty has become one of the best parts of the ‘Mayans’ ensemble cast. And a huge part of that boils down to the performance from Tosta, who joined the cast in Season 1 at the age of 19 and is now 25 and able to reflect on what it’s like to play such a fiery young woman.
“It’s so funny. She swears nothing bad is ever going to happen to her. She’s so fearless,” said Tosta. “But I love it, at the same time, because it’s so empowering playing a character like that. It’s so cool to see that on television, especially as a Woman of Color. I’m Dominican, so me playing a character like this is amazing. So I just love it. I love how the writers have portrayed her.”
As mentioned, even though ‘Mayans’ features quite a few interesting, thoughtful, and powerful female characters, this is still a show that is centered on the lives of a male biker gang. That said, Tosta has grown so close to her male castmates, she never feels looked down upon. And thanks to the writing from showrunner Elgin James and the rest of the crew, she is proud to play such a layered female character.
“I’m super lucky that we’ve become such a family throughout the years,” she explained. “But, at the same time, it’s an honor to portray such strong female characters like the ones Elgin and the writers have been able to write for us. I believe they do such a beautiful job of showcasing the layers of what being a woman is… They showcase these layers of vulnerability and they showcase that we’re not strong all of the time. We’re human beings, we break down… I feel really lucky that we’re part of something so cool.”
We are still at the beginning of “Mayans M.C.” Season 5, so there’s plenty more time to see just where Letty will end up. You can watch new episodes of ‘Mayans’ every Wednesday, with episodes making it to Hulu the following day. Our full discussion is below:
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