On The CW series The Flash, a bounty hunter with vibe powers, known as Gypsy (Jessica Camacho), comes to Central City to make H.R. Wells (Tom Cavanagh) answer for his crime of inter-dimensional travel, which is illegal on Earth-19 where they’re from. H.R. surrenders, prompting Barry (Grant Gustin) and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) to intercede on his behalf, and Cisco volunteers to fight Gypsy to the death.
During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actress Jessica Camacho talked about her audition process for this role, how much she connected with her character, who Gypsy is and how she ends up crossing paths with Team Flash, why it’s so much fun to play a morally grey bad-ass, how Gypsy is intrigued by Cisco, and the pinch-me experience of being on a superhero TV show. Be aware that there are some spoilers discussed.
Collider: How did you come to this role on The Flash? Did you go through the usual audition process?
JESSICA CAMACHO: I did! I went through the whole, “You have an audition tomorrow.” “Oh, okay.” I went in, initially, and met with the team of producers, and it was completely and totally nerve-wracking, but I just loved this part so much. I really just connected with her, right from the get-go. There was so much strength and wit to connect to. She knows exactly what she’s doing, at all times. That overpowered the nerves and I saw myself sinking into her strength and who this character was. It was just so much fun. Thankfully, it worked out in my favor.
Did you even know exactly which character you were auditioning for, or did they keep that a secret?
CAMACHO: I don’t think that I knew her name was Gypsy. I didn’t really have too much information about her. I knew that her name was Reynolds. I know they happen to be kind of secretive. This is my first intro to the fandom world, so I did not know that people are just rabid to find out what the next character is going to be and who the next meta-human is going to be. It was a tad secretive. And then, when I got cast, I got the full picture of who this person was, and I was like, “Oh, wow, this is exciting!” More was revealed to me, with her history in the whole world. She’s really, really cool.
For people who aren’t familiar with this character, what can you say about her backstory and how she became who she is now, and how she ends up crossing paths with Team Flash?
CAMACHO: Gypsy is from Earth-19, which is the same planet that H.R. Wells is from. On that planet, she is one of the top and an undefeated bounty hunter. On Earth-19, our planet, people with her abilities work to defend the boundaries of the well-being of their planet, and one of the most important, most sacred laws that they uphold is to make sure that nobody participates in inter-dimensional travel. You’ll find out why that’s important on Earth-19.Her duty is very much to uphold those laws, and she’s at the top of the game. She’s the best of the best when it comes to bounty hunters. That gives her a great sense of duty and purpose, and when we meet her, she is someone who’s very much defined by her sense of duty and the job that she has, which is to uphold the law for her planet. That’s who she is, essentially, when you meet her. She’s this really tough force to be reckoned with, who’s main mission is to protect Earth-19, at all cost.
Is it more fun to play a character like this, who isn’t specifically defined at the hero and who doesn’t necessarily have the same moral compass that a hero has to have?
CAMACHO: Yeah, because there’s so much grey area, and that really resonates with normal human beings. We like to think that we have this fortified, strong moral compass that never, ever bends and that we never veer from, but the fact of the matter is, in every situation, we’re presented with choices. We have to constantly return to that moral compass and say, “What is it that I do believe? What do I want here? How do I want to be defined?” That’s what was so cool, in working with her, because I have so much to work with. It’s fun to have a character like that, where you don’t really know whether you like her or not, and you don’t really know whether they’re here for good or for their own nefarious reasons. Then, in those moments where Gypsy is making those decisions, I can go through the process of questioning myself, just like we all question ourselves, on a daily basis, when we have to make moral decisions. It provides so much more opportunity for exploration of one’s self.
This does not seem like a scared or timid woman, by any means, and she clearly seems like she’s not interested in making nice with Team Flash. What does she think of them, especially when it comes to them defending who she’s there after?
CAMACHO: Yeah, timid is not a word I would use to define her, by any means. She is just like, “Hello, how are you? I’m here to collet this thing. Oh, you want to get in my way? Now, you’re my problem!” I think she’s a little put off and a little taken aback by the way the team protects him and stands up for him. She’s a little perplexed by that, but she’s like, “Okay, if you wanna get in on this, you can do that. It’s your choice. But, it’s me against you now. You’re making me your problem.” I think she’s always up for a challenge, and I think she very much knows her capabilities and how powerful she is. Being a bounty hunter, and an undefeated bounty hunter, is probably a really lonely experience, so I feel like she is interested in people and the bonds that they have. I think she wants that, and she doesn’t have that. She’s always somebody who’s thinking about the next criminal and bringing them to justice, and that’s very much her life. That’s why she’s so caught off guard when she meets Cisco.
What does Gypsy think of Cisco?
CAMACHO: The last thing in the world she expects to have happen on this mission is to encounter this being who, from the get-go, peaks her curiosity. She feels this instant connection with him, and I think that’s so important because she doesn’t have that. She doesn’t have the ability to have that closeness with somebody. That adds to the curiosity that her and Cisco have, from the very first moment they meet.
What do you think it is about him? Do you think it’s just the similarity in abilities that they have, or does something else intrigue her about him?
CAMACHO: Initially, when she first meets him, he comes at her. He vibes, and she’s like, “Oh, hello!” That catches her attention. Right off the bat, they have something in common. She’s like, “You might have a ways to go, when it comes to your powers, but that’s pretty cool that you can vibe, too.” And then, it’s the way that he stands up to her. She also just thinks he’s cute. I think she’s just intrigued by him. Cisco is so unique. Cisco is just so Cisco. From the get-go, she recognizes that there’s something different and really unique about this guy, and she wants to know what it is.
What’s it like for you to be on a superhero TV show in a superhero suit, working opposite The Flash in full costume? Is that a real pinch-me moment?
CAMACHO: Yeah, it’s a complete, total pinch-me moment. It’s one of the moments that you dream about when you’re hustling auditions, waiting tables and grinding. When I was standing there, I found myself looking back to all of those moments. It’s just a trip to see where all that work has brought you, and it just makes me very, very grateful. I couldn’t have asked for a cooler, more exciting opportunity. I just love every second. It’s awesome!
The Flash airs on Tuesday nights on The CW.
