Stephanie Beatriz on A Man on the Inside's Love Letter to Caretakers and a Surprising Encanto Connection

[Warning: This story contains mild spoilers for A Man on the Inside, Season 1, Episode 6, "Our Man in Sacramento." Read at your own risk!]

If you've been watching Ted Danson moonlight as a spy in Netflix's new Michael Schur-created comedy, A Man on the Inside, you may have already noticed the series in unlike anything either of the men have previously done. But in Episode 6 it's Stephanie Beatriz in the role of community manager Didi who really stands out, with a dedicated episode that delves into a day from the character's point of view. 

"I wrote the words 'Didi's Song' on a card and put it up on the board very early, because I knew that at some point we wanted to do an episode where we were in her head," Schur told TV Guide.

In the episode "Our Man in Sacramento," the cameras follow Didi on a particularly hard day at work, with plenty of fires — big and small — to put out. As residents and employees alike lean on the manager, you begin to get a sense of what it actually takes to commit to a job like hers. 

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"I find folks who work at assisted living facilities to be angelic," Schur continues. "They have their own problems and difficulties in life, but they have devoted their lives to caring for our loved ones during their most vulnerable times. And I am in awe of them."

For Beatriz, the episode was in some ways, a "love letter" to the people who do these jobs. 

"In other ways, it was this big sort of, 'We see you, we see what you're giving up,'" she says. "It's little insight into the people who are so caring and loving who will be there to hold you through the aging process. I loved the entire thing from beginning to end."

Below, Beatriz discussing getting into that headspace, how her experience with her late father helped to prepare her for the role, and the surprising connections between Didi and Encanto's Mirabel. 

You worked with Mike Schur on Brooklyn Nine-Nine; did he write Didi with you in mind?

Stephanie Beatriz: I don't think Didi was written for me, but Mike did tell me when he asked me to be a part of this, that he kept thinking about me playing this character. That was flattering and so lovely to hear. I was shooting Twisted Metal and waiting to hear when Season 2 would start shooting. Sometimes schedules just don't work out. But Mike talked to the showrunner, MJ Smith. He also talked to me a lot about this character and the show and how he wanted to craft it. He thought I was capable of playing this part and playing her the way he wanted her played and it all magically worked out. I'm so grateful.

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What was it about the character that you really liked?

Beatriz: She's based on real people that Mike interviewed and the actual woman who ran the retirement community in the documentary that the show is based on (The Mole Agent). You can see how much she cares about people that are in her community. Mike did a ton of research and interviewed a lot of people in this industry that are caretakers for older people, and just really made her feel so real. She's such a badass, but so empathetic and loving at the same time. It's a really cool role to play.

Did you get a chance to do any research before jumping in?

Beatriz: My own father passed away in 2022 and at the end of his life, we were dealing with a lot of caretakers in the same world, in the healthcare industry. There were a lot of people that were just so kind and funny, and brought humor and their own humanity to the experience of it. So when I was given this role, I got back in touch and just read a lot of stuff about what happens. A lot of it was on the page, but a lot of it is that I also I wanted to make Didi as real as possible.

How did you approach her within this larger-than-life cast, especially in Episode 6 with so much going on?

Beatriz: She's the calm center of the hurricane that everything is revolving around. And she's the sort of grounded, calm moment inside the rest of the chaos. I think everyone looks to her to be that. If she is spinning out in any kind of way, then it's a disaster. She has to contain and control her emotions so that other people can rely on her. Everybody needs a rock in their life, and Didi is the rock for everyone.

Did you ever think about who Didi's rock is?

Beatriz: I thought about that a lot, and I think that's why she keeps a picture of her mom underneath her desk. I think her mom was the rock for her and since her mom has passed, she relies on memories and the things that her mother told her and the example that her mother gave her of how to live life. I think that's why Episode 6hits a little harder. We all have somebody that is the rock for us. And what happens when they go or aren't here anymore? What happens when we can't just pick up the phone and call them or see them anymore? And part of that is, how do I transition that inside myself and then hold that and can I do that? Am I capable?

This role is so different than a lot of your previous work. How do you feel it fits in with some of your other parts? 

Beatriz: She's a lot softer. I mean, I was a lot softer when I took on the role and I had gone through a lot of stuff in my life. I was much more open to emotional stuff. I think she's funnier, sweeter, and has access to empathy in a way that I'm not sure I even have. Didi sees people and can read people really well. Mirabel from Encanto also sees people and reads people really well. She sees what people need. She's also a caretaker in a lot of ways. So I guess she's similar to Mirabel. They also have similar hair. But I think the thing that all my characters share is their empathy and love for other people, even if they have issues sometimes showing it.

A Man on the Inside is now streaming on Netflix.