Jaime Camil has been wooing the viewers of the Apple TV musical-comedy series Schmigadoon. This television and stage actor has joined the cast to play love interest Doc Jorge Lopez.
Schmigadoon has been taking the Broadway community by storm, but Camil insists that it’s a “well-rounded” show, fit for everybody. The show follows the long-term couple, Melissa and Josh, played by comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong. While on a search for a romantic outing that’ll help rekindle their love, the two find themselves trapped in a 1940s-esque town called Schmigadoon. There’s one main catch: In this magical town, everybody is singing.
In addition to playing Rogelio de la Vega in the hit comedy-drama Jane the Virgin, Camil has also made himself known in the musical theater world. He has famously starred in adaptations of West Side Story and Chicago.
Speaking about his musical theater passion, Camily told Monsters and Critics, “It’s a gift. I mean, we did a little bit on Jane the Virgin. Jennie Urman was kind enough to write some singing scenes for Rogelio La Vega.”
He continued, “This show [Schmigadoon] is beautiful and it’s important to know that you don’t have to be a theater geek to like it. I was talking to a reporter from iHeart who was like, I have never seen a Broadway show in my life. And I was like, why would you do this to yourself?”
Camil went on to say, “But he loved the show. He was like, I love the show. I couldn’t stop watching. So, that tells you that he’s a well-rounded, well-written show. But for all of us theater junkies that love musical theater, of course, it’s a plus.”
“It’s a bonus to be able to sing and dance, and to have this beautiful choreography by Chris [Gattelli]. And this beautiful music and lyrics by Cinco Paul. I mean, you know, some projects you do and you work on them. And some of them, they come from you, from the heavens, and that’s Schmigadoon.”
Monsters and Critics had the opportunity to chat with Jaime Camil about filming Schmigadoon during the pandemic and the show’s heartbreaking finale.
Filming Schmigadoon during the pandemic
During our conversation, Camil mentioned that he was filming Schmigadoon during “October, November, December” — all critical months during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 48-year-old performer spoke about how the filming experience was altered, due to safety precautions. He shared, “We had to follow all the COVID protocols and we kept everybody safe. You know, we had to follow all the protocols to the letter and that really helped us finish the project and keep everyone safe.”
He continued to say, “The downside is that you didn’t get to mingle with your castmates on set. I wanted to be present when Ariana DeBose did the amazing classroom number, for example, or when Kristin Chenoweth did the continuous shot in Trials and Tribulation. I really wanted to be there, but we couldn’t.” However, lightening things up, Camil said, “But, hey, we were working and we pulled it off. And now we’re here.”
The Schmigadoon season finale
Camil also gave Monsters and Critics his thoughts on the season finale. While talking about how multifaceted the show is, Camil expressed, “It’s a well-rounded show. It has a lot of heart. It has a lot of comedy. But on top of that, Schmigadoon has all of that plus great music, great musical theater references.” He also alluded to “how deep the show gets,” emphasizing the last episode. While he didn’t want to spoil anything, Camil stressed, “You’re going to cry your eyes out.”
Watch our full interview below.
New episodes of Schmigadoon arrive on Apple TV+ every Friday.