Thirteen-year-old Filipino-American actress Ella Jay Basco debuts on the big screen as toughed-up tween Cassandra Cain in DC Comic’s “Birds of Prey.”
Basco lands her first major feature film role with this upcoming action film, where she plays a Gotham pickpocket who brings the four leading ladies together by picking the pocket of the wrong person.
Eagle-eyed comic fans are quick to note that this is a major departure from the former Batgirl’s origin story, as Cain was originally a born superweapon—a young girl who was trained as a child to be a deadly assassin, made mute from her focus on learning combat instead of language.
However, Basco says despite these changes, she’s still excited to play the young misfit. She recalls her research on the character, saying, “I bought this big stack of Birds of Prey and Cassandra Cain comic books, and that definitely helped me understand who she is, but also develop the character as she is in the movie.”
To further flesh Cain out, actress Margot Robbie plays up her character Harley Quinn as mentor to her throughout the movie, as a callout to the comic series “Harley Quinn: Behind Blue Eyes.” In real life, Basco recalls Robbie and other castmates guiding her through the acting process, calling it a “full-on learning experience.”
Although this may be her first feature film, Basco had starred previously in a short movie as a child, called “Glimpse of Heaven,” and various television shows like Veep and Grey’s Anatomy, where she played minor roles.
As she starts off her acting career, her renowned uncle, Dante Basco, pursued his first directorial venture with the movie “The Fabulous Filipino Brothers,” which details a “dark romantic” centering on a Philippine family and their culture.
Another Filipino director is Diane Paragas, whose indie film “Yellow Rose,” starring big names like Broadway actresses Lea Salonga and Eva Noblezada, bagged multiple awards and nominations from festivals for its dramatic and touching narrative.
Warner Brothers screens “Birds of Prey” beginning February 7, 2020.
SEND CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL WISHES in the comments below to Ella Jay Basco for starring in Birds of Prey!
Want to know how to be a Proud Pinoy? Like, Follow, Subscribe to GoodNewsPilipinas.com and our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Good News Pilipinas! TV on YouTube, for new story notifications and e-mail newsletters for updates on more Filipino Pride stories.
