Entertainment Spotlight: Abigail Shapiro, Doom Patrol
DC Universe’s hit series Doom Patrol just returned, following a group of five outcast superheroes assembled and led by a modern-day scientist, AKA The Chief. Abigail Shapiro stars as newcomer Dorothy Spinner, the Chief’s mysterious daughter. She began her career at just 12 years old with the role of Cindy-Lou in How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical. She then went on to play Liberty in the off-Broadway production of Liberty: A Monumental New Musical, and performed alongside her sister Milly in the sister-duo cabaret, The Shapiro Sisters. Abigail is a staunch environmentalist and an advocate for or the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and CCD Smiles, raising awareness for Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD), a rare bone disorder from which she suffers. Abigail took the time to answer some of our questions about Doom Patrol, acting, and more. Check it out:
Can you tell us a bit about your character, Dorothy? What do you like/dislike about her?
Dorothy is the daughter of Niles and the primitive woman he had an affair with during his expedition to the Yukon in 1917. She has the face of an ape and can bring to life whatever she can imagine. She has a little group of imaginary friends, some are good and some are not, who manifest whenever she is very emotional in some way. She doesn’t have much control over her powers, and because of that, she has the potential to destroy the world. What I like about her is that she wants to keep the people she loves safe. I don’t like that she keeps secrets.
The show is about a group of outcasts helping each other come to terms with their difficult pasts—what struck you about this story and captured your imagination?
What struck me about the story is that it’s so different from your normal superhero show. The show focuses on the humanity of these people and isn’t afraid to explore the darker sides of it, but it also has those hilarious, weird, quirky moments that the show is known for. So, it definitely has a wide range of topics.
If you were a superhero, what kind of powers would you have?
I would want to ability to be able to speak any language fluently after just hearing one sentence in that language!
What do you like to do when you’re not on stage or in front of the camera?
I love to run and swim and dance. I’m that weird person who actually likes exercise and moving around a lot.
Can you remember your first-ever performance? Did you know then that this is what you wanted to do?
I feel like I was born wanting to do this – wanting to tell stories. My first performance was when I was about four years old, and it was my dance recital. I barely remember it, but all I know was that I was the only one on stage who knew the choreography. I just remember having so much fun. I’ve never stopped training and working for this ever since then.
You’ve worked with your sister on a cabaret show. What was it like working with family? Where did the inspiration for The Shapiro Sisters come from?
I love working with my sister and want to work with her again in the future. We decided to do a cabaret in 2014 because my sister and I have a very interesting story. We were both cast in two different Broadway shows at the same time after our first auditions, which almost never happens. Because we had such a unique story, we decided to write a cabaret show about it. We were the first minors to write and perform our own cabaret show at 54 Below in NYC. My sister was 11, and I was 13.
Do you have a personal motto or mantra?
Thanks for taking the time, Abigail! Episodes 1 and 2 of Doom Patrol Season 2 are now streaming on HBO Max.
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