This month, FOX’s Golden Globe winning cop comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, is back for season two. That means more Andy Samberg, more A-list cameos and, most importantly, more screen time for talented Latinas Melissa Fumero and Stephanie Beatriz! If that weren’t enough, B99 is bringing the one-and-only Eva Longoria into the precinct as a sexy defense attorney named Sophia. Both Fumero and Beatriz happily shared secrets from the set when we caught up with them.
Stephanie, who previously played Sofia Vergara’s sister on Modern Family, won universal praise last year for her portrayal of the street smart, wisecracking, ballet-dancing Detective Rosa Diaz. Former soap star Fumero quickly became Google search-crush material as the stern, yet sensitive Detective Amy Santiago (who may or may not hook up with Samberg’s character this season). While they didn’t reveal all of the secrets about the show’s new episodes, the ladies offered juicy tidbits about Longoria and Brooklyn behind-the-scenes.
“First off, let me tell you that Eva is like a little ball of sunshine,” Fumero happily revealed. “She is so funny and so kind. She gave everybody hugs and told us she was so excited to be there.” Beatriz added to sentiment, praising the show’s producers for continuing to create positive Latina role models.
“For Melissa and myself, it’s so moving to have these two great Latina characters on one show. And then you bring on Eva and have this world famous Latina guest star, it’s truly a great experience.”
Longoria, Fumero and Beatriz clearly got along great, but heads up – the behind-the-scenes harmony may not carry over on camera. Last season, Melissa’s character was heading towards a potential hookup with Samberg’s Detective Jake Peralta. Yet according to reports, Eva may come between them. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” Fumero told us. “All I can say is that Jake fans will be really surprised with how he handles things.”
As for Stephanie’s secretive character, there were hints about rekindling a romance from season one.
“Teddy, my love interest from season one, will be seen again,” she confirmed. “I can tell you that he and Amy are going strong.” Both ladies also gushed about the professional growth their characters are receiving. “We’re going to see Amy and Rosa progressing in their careers this year,” Melissa explained. “They’re both ambitious cops and it’s great to see them gain some new responsibilities. They’re rising up the ranks!” “There’s also some special task forces that have developed,” Beatriz added. “I don’t want to give too much away, but our characters will encounter some interesting busts. We’re increasing the level of ‘copdom’ on the show.”
The B99 girls weren’t just eager to talk about things to come. They also happily reflected on how their lives have changed since the show took flight. Last year’s Brooklyn premiere was seen by over six million people and it won the coveted Golden Globe for Best Comedy Television Series. “The press has been really generous with our show,” Fumero said. “They’ve praised the writing and the ensemble cast. It’s also amazing to see how many new fans we reached over the summer. A lot of people discovered the show in the last few months and we’ve gotten tons of encouraging tweets. Our female fans have really grown as well,” Stephanie added.
“They said they love the female relationships we have on the show. Overall, it’s created a lot less anxiety and nerves for season two. We’re now all really close and coming back together felt like a reunion. We’re now sophomores instead of freshman.”
Judging by the buzz that’s been building (and the addition of Eva), we’re sure B99 season two will soar to even greater heights. You can catch the big premiere, Sunday September 28th on FOX.
Photo credits:
Red carpet – ©Getty imags/Jason LeVeris/FilmMagic
On set – Courtesy of FOX