Milo Manheim & Fiona Palomo Bring Mary & Joseph to Life in Movie Musical

Thank you, Milo and Fiona for being here to talk about your new movie, Journey to Bethlehem. It just hit theaters and it is the very first musical retelling of Mary and Joseph's journey. So, pretty big deal and there's a lot to cover. So I thought I would start off at the very beginning. Adam Anders, who wrote and directed Journey to Bethlehem, told me some pretty great stories about your auditions. So Fiona, your online tape was so mindblowingly good that it landed you the role of Mary without even needing a call back. And Milo, Adam didn't know who you were, which is crazy because you're Milo Manheim. Um, but after you had your chemistry read with Fiona, you were Joseph. So can you guys just tell me a little bit more about that process, your auditions and landing the roles?

Absolutely and great question by the way, because it's always never how you think it's going to go. Like it it never happens the way you, I phrase that weird. It never happens the way it's going to go. Um, and I went in there thinking that Joseph had to be this certain person. And I did the audition the best way I could. I I practiced it one way, did it slightly different. Um, and I got out and I called my manager immediately. And I said, I'm not going to book this. I was way too goofy. Um, she was laughing the whole time and like that is not what they need for Joseph. They need like a stoic guy, you know, whatever. And then Adam called me and he's like, "Hey man, I just want to let you know, you're the only person that made her laugh. And for that reason, we're giving you the role." So the exact reason I thought I maybe wouldn't have gotten it was exactly what he needed. So the whole process was, you know, slowly figuring out who Joseph was, but obviously the audition is where it all begins. And I was very happy to have had Fiona on the other side of that, or else I probably wouldn't have booked this role.

Oh, Milo, I'm so sorry. Look, he he very much did make me laugh. Like it it it was beautiful because I think he brought this kind of young love thing where you're trying to like, you know, kind of keep it together like they did in the film, but then she's kind of like, "oh that's nice." Like and it was so funny. It used to make me crack up. Um, for me it was very, very fast um, and unexpected. I remember uh, seeing the audition come in at like 11:30 one night and I was like, this sounds interesting. But I was it's obviously a very important story. So I was like, okay, this needs to be honored. Who's behind this? Like, who's who's telling this story, right? Because it can be done the right way as it was or it can be done the wrong way in which you don't want to do that. This is such an important part of the world, right? And I read the script and I was like, okay. And and then I met Adam over Zoom and oh yeah, I sent my audition and everything. I was so sick. I was I was literally I had the worst fever. No. Like I couldn't even, I don't know how and then I was like, okay, I'll send it. Like I'll do my best. You know, just like chugging like uh honey to make sure I could just not sound like a total. And and then I heard that they loved it and I was like, what? And then once I met Adam and I heard his vision for the film and what he wanted to kind of leave for audiences, it was so much I just shared that so much um, just as as people that I loved it. I was like, I very much trust this being and admire him and know all the work he's done. So I was like, I would love to do this. It's been a dream for me.

Yeah. I love that. Those are great stories and I also am glad that you started kind of getting into why this particular project is so important because that was my next question for you. What does this project mean to you guys and when you first got involved in it, like why was it so important to you guys?

Originally, I was drawn to it because of the music. I'm a musical man myself. I love musicals. Um, and you know, I'm not really, I wasn't really familiar with the story. And uh, I understand that it's the most important story ever told and of course, I wanted to learn about that and honor it. Um, it's an interesting process trying to find the balance between that because we want to who I am is always go goofy, like always make it fun, but there are just some moments where it's of course more impactful to let that go. And uh, Adam just knows how to do that perfectly. And when it comes to watching the movie as someone, you know, learning that story for religious purposes, it it tells it in a very fun way. When you're watching it as a viewer who doesn't even know it's about going to see a movie, it fulfills a very satisfying, lovely, exciting storyline between these two people. That's also very interesting. Like, you know, the story is different, you know? Uh, and I just the more time I spent with it, the more I fell in love with it. Um, and to have a soundtrack that backs this movie like that, it's kind of beautiful.

I mean, first, there's just like the challenge of being like, Mary? Okay, well that that's that's a role, that's a project. And I thought that was really, really beautiful. And I also love the period piece factor of it. Like, that's such a time traveling sensation to me as an actress. I think it's beautiful. So there were all these elements that I thought and then it being, you know, an old story in itself that has been there through the ages. I thought that was such an an interesting and beautiful challenge um, as an actress, but I think once I heard Adam's views and how he wanted to uplift people and kind of reinstall certain, you know, purposes and values and I want to to put something beautiful out there. I want to make people feel good, you know? I want to I want to put joy there. I want kids to feel, you know, life and not this kind of crazy electronic device world we're living in. And I fell in love with the music, um, and everybody that was on board and I started meeting and then I met Milo and it just everything started coming together so perfectly. there was a day I can tell you that I wasn't like, what is going on? This is too beautiful to be true. It's a dream for me. It's a dream come true.

Yeah. The only days I ever felt any sort of like nerves was the like three days before Antonio was cast and we were just like hoping it was him. Oh, do you remember that? Yeah. The only days I was like stressed. Other than that, like beautiful vibes the whole way through because of the cast and crew and everybody just brought it.

Yeah. Antonio. What was it like working with him? Like that seems like a crazy experience.

I wish I had more Joseph and Herod stuff together if any at all. I didn't get to spend any time shooting. Um, but I still learned so much from him as an actor and as a person. He had gone in before I had seen him and I was we all the crew lived in a we lived in the same building together. We were all in the middle of Spain living in the same building and just the whispers after his first day around the hotel about how amazing Antonio was made me so excited to go see him. He's an incredible human being. He makes the environment a better place. Um, and just actor to actor having a conversation with him. He really validated all my like imposter syndrome. Like he made me feel like I will always be feeling for the rest of my life nervous about doing every role. And that that's exciting to know that even someone as amazing and legendary as he is, he still feels that way.

I also would have loved to have more time with him on set. Um, he walked over and and he goes, "What are you?" And I was like, "Mary." He's like, "Of course." And then he was like, "This music, don't you love the music? Don't you love set? Don't you?" And God, there was something just so beautiful about seeing him like yeah. Like just so passionate about the story and he himself um, loves musicals as we know and everything. So seeing him so passionate about the story was really, really exciting and he's just a phenomenal human being. He's so kind to everyone and I learned so much just from watching him obviously and that he was

Please do. He makes such good.

Oh yeah. In in Spanish we would say, he had a delicious presence. It's just kind of this beautiful, warm, kind of fun, amazing. And he is. Delicioso, que rico.

On another note of a character who was probably really exciting to work with, very serious. I think you know what's coming. Tell me about Fig. I mean Panda. Tell me about Fig.

Okay. Me and Fiona, like I don't know if you could tell the way we light up when you just mentioned that, but Fig was actually our best friend on set. Fig is like I I just I don't know. I I I was surprised that donkeys have such personality. There were three of them and I had a favorite and I they look all the same and you know. And we know Panda is. But Panda is absolutely legendary. I don't want to throw shade at the other two, but working with donkeys is awesome.

And also, working with animals is really interesting and a test because they run the shoot that day. It is up to them. Oh, yeah. It is up to the camels, the chickens, the lamb, you are no one on set. Yeah. When there's an animal or a baby on set, we we follow It's real life baby. Yeah, yeah, literally. Oh my god. Too fun. That's a great question. I just like stole all of the excitement from you about Fig, but no. What do you think?

Me? Yeah. The same thing. I'm just yelling over the what he said what he said. No. Oh my god. It was so fun. It it's so fun. It also like Milo said it, it adds kind of this unpredictability of like, you know, when they call action, is the donkey going to run off? And then we just have to play it totally cool. Like it's it's it's great fun and uh, see I grew up while everybody was playing with Barbies, I had ant farms. I was raising praying mantises. I had baby birds and squirrels that I was nursing. I love animals. So, just everything being all over the place. I was like, oh my god, this cannot get better. And I love Fig. It was the best.

It's true. And this energy stayed the whole movie. As you can see. Oh. No, but I I learned a lot from him and I learned more from Fiona. But It's very cool.

I would say so too. I was thinking, maybe we could do a little round of favorites now. So, we'll just first is favorite scene to film and why? You go first.

The Nativity scene because we were all together and that was magical. I think when we were doing Can We Make This Work, there was something really beautiful about that night. And then last, I'm going to pick the scene with my mama when she she's saying that I'm going to get married. There was also something really beautiful in there.

I really enjoyed the part of uh, We Become We with the fireflies. That was just a really great night for me. I was just really fulfilled and that's

You would not stop laughing. It was so hard. Remember we got it it was very late. It was like 4:00 AM and we got into this laughing that we could not stop. It was I felt like I got to that set also. I just love Tangled and it reminded me of Tangled and uh, because of like all the fireflies. I had the feeling that night that like everybody was missing something that I was like understanding. I kept laughing so hard that whole night. There's like I don't have anything in mind. I just was laughing so hard that night. It was so joyous for me. I had the best time.

Yeah, it was so fun.

Favorite song in the film.

I look. Mary's Getting Married. That's a good one.

Right now, right now. Oh, no. Uh, right now, right now, I'm totally into uh In My Blood. I've been listening to it on repeat. I'm going to pick that one right now. But all of them. All them. Change. All of them. Ultimate Deception and We Become We. I'm throwing those out there because those are so good. I just love them.

Oh, yes. Yes, I listen to Milo on repeat too. Yeah.

Appreciate it. I thought if I said that, I might be conceited. Um, but I do I do love that. You have the own with the veil and everything. It's so dramatic. It's great. It was so fun. Oh, I loved watching him. It was so fun. By the way, she did not have to be there for that song and she was there for two nights wearing that veil sitting there for like eight hours in a row. Um, so It's very cold and very fun.

I loved watching Milo. I was like, I'm always going to go on set um, and and learn from my fellow actors whenever I can. And getting to watch Milo with it and his voice is oh. And just watching him do everything. It was so much fun. It was worth it. I was like I appreciate it. And I was like, "Let's all buy it." It was great. That.

Oh, I love the support there. Okay. Next one. So there are some really heartwarming lines in the film and there's also some really hilarious ones. Do you guys recall a favorite line? It could be of yours. It could be something someone else said that you were just found really funny. What do we have?

Um, my favorite line is the line that never made it into the movie. Oh. And I'm a little nervous to say it, but I'm going to say it. Uh, it was a line I suggested that we filmed and was really funny, but we decided it doesn't make sense. We're taking it out. Before I get married to Mary, Fig is biting my hand and like my robe. And I said, "Stop being such an ass." And I thought that was so funny, but it just didn't make sense. It didn't make sense in the movie. But again, um, as an really non-religious person, when Mary says, "Jesus," that's probably my favorite line in the movie. You just you just like kind of feel something when she says it and it's moving.

All right. Last word, what was your favorite line?

Definitely when we were doing the takes for just saying Jesus, it was super, super special. And the the three wise men had me cracking up with a lot of lines that I can't think of it right now. But one that was really sweet was when I asked Joseph to marry me. I thought that was really like a really sweet little moment. Just I do. I remember like, I do.

Oh, we actually rewrote that scene together with Adam in his room. Yeah.

Oh, that's crazy.

Okay. Well, anything else you guys want to add that we did not cover?

Go see it in theaters because that's the way it is meant to be enjoyed. And it's that's the only way you should do it. So go now before Christmas. Get yourself hyped. That's what I have to say.

Yes, absolutely. We hope we hope um, everyone enjoys it so much, so much as we enjoyed making it. And yeah, go see it in theaters. Big, big old screen is for that. Yeah.

Amazing. Well, thank you guys for being here and yes, as you said, everybody should go and run your friends and your family. It's for everybody. So, see Journey to Bethlehem in theaters. Thank you.

Exactly.

Thank you so much. Thank you guys.