If you’ve had the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” stuck in your head for weeks, you’re not alone. The song from the hit Disney film Encanto is everywhere right now, winning over both families and the internet alike. But that wasn’t the only part of the movie that hit home with 23-year-old Maribel Martinez. The adoptive mom of two recently went viral on TikTok for her portrayal of Luisa Madrigal, the middle sister who feels the need to be strong for everyone — even at her own expense.
Martinez told 'Today' that she first heard the song that Luisa sings in the movie, 'Surface Pressure,' before ever seeing the film.
People kept commenting that the two looked similar, she told the news outlet, so of course Martinez was curious.
“I saw one of her songs on TikTok. I was like, wow, she’s strong and masculine, but yet (has) feminine features," Martinez recalled.
“I’ve never seen any cartoon character or Disney character ever look like a feminine but yet masculine woman,” she added. “It’s not a normal thing you see every day.”
The whole thing was “super cool” to Martinez, so she decided to watch the movie with her daughter.
The story focuses on the Madrigals, a magical family from Colombia where each member is given a special talent or “gift.” As the film goes on, it becomes clear that these gifts are not all that they seem, especially for middle sister Luisa, whose super strength and need to protect people in her community makes her feel that she needs to be strong for everyone all the time.
Martinez could easily see herself in the character both physically and emotionally.
Growing up, Martinez was the fourth child out of seven siblings, but her older siblings were “adopted out” so she was raised as the oldest, she told Today.
"Growing up as a middle child, I felt so much pressure to take care of my siblings and handle adult responsibilities,” she told Buzzfeed. “I never really had the opportunity to be just a child. I was my mom's emotional support and a role model to my younger siblings.
"I felt like I had no choice but to take on so much weight,” she added.
Martinez even adopted her younger siblings once she was old enough.
"As a child, I endured a lot of abuse and trauma,” she explained. When she finally did adopt her siblings, “it did provide healing.”
“I realized it was okay to not always be strong, and allow myself to feel emotional without having to feel insecure with expressing myself,” she said.
Martinez could see so much of herself in Luisa.
That was especially true in the lyrics from the song Luisa sings: “Give it to your sister, it doesn’t hurt. And see if she can handle every family burden. Watch as she buckles and bends but never breaks. No mistakes.” They really struck a chord.
“Not only was I physically the appearance of this character, but the song just related to me so much in my own livelihood,” Martinez told Today.
"Not only does it have to deal with how many people deal with pressure ... but it also relates to a Hispanic community where the family dynamic is brought up like that and we're put under so much pressure," she told NBC News.
