Maria Canals-Barrera Talks Joining The Cast Of Dora, Latino Representation, and Reboots
Dora the Explorer is back, allowing a new generation to dive into her vibrant world filled with magic and culture. This revamped series retains the heart of the original, but adapts to resonate with today’s audience. Pop Culture Planet's Makkedah Ramsey spoke with Maria Canals-Barrera, who plays Grandma, to explore Dora’s rebrand and what it means for her to be part of such an iconic franchise with a rich history.
Bringing back Dora meant expanding who she already is, while maintaining the appeal that makes her a beloved figure to children — she makes learning exciting. “It’s even better. The essence of who Dora is intact,” said Canals-Barrera. “She is a Latina heroine — innocent, kind, inquisitive, and so interactive with the audience.” Dora is everything she was, now brought into this modern world.
Canals-Barrera shared her excitement about her role as Grandma: “I get to be her wonderful grandma, who also has an adventurous spirit,” she told me about Grandma who gets to evolve and show her power as a woman. “I get to be the modern grandma. She's active, she climbs mountains, she goes on adventures, and they did not forgo the traditional grandma characteristics, which I think are beautiful and what kids need most: the nurturing, the listening, the cooking, and the giving of advice.”
Canals-Barrera has shaped our childhoods for years, including her role as Theresa Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place. “I feel a tremendous sense of gratitude to be influential in a positive way for American Latin representation,” she reflected. Though she didn’t initially aim to play a Latin mother or grandmother, the opportunity to do so and share her truth has been an honor that she has embraced with immense pride. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of many productions and shows where I get to be everything that I am as an American Latina, and I love it.”
She has showcased her Latin heritage in various roles, bringing visibility to what is often overlooked. “I didn’t think it was necessary, but it has been,” she shared. “There isn’t much representation for American mothers of Latin heritage or American characters of Latin heritage where they get to be both where she’s not put in a box.”
With reboots of Dora and Wizards, it begs the question, hasn’t she already accomplished her mission? “We’re not throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” Canals-Barrera said. “These shows can come back while keeping all those essential qualities that made the show a hit to begin with and turned Dora into a global phenomenon.” She emphasizes Dora's themes of friendship, bilingualism, pride in being Latin, being a good friend, and problem solving. As a parent, she’s thrilled about the new elements that make it a more immersive experience. “Her interactive relationship with the audience is vital right now because kids have learned to be passive viewers with so much online activity and not enough real social interaction. So, the next best thing to being with people is asking questions of the audience.”
Dora is available now, exclusively on Paramount+.
