The Flash might star multiple Batmans and even different versions of the titular Scarlet Speedster, but those who’ve seen the movie know that the real burgeoning hero at the heart of this story is Sasha Calle’s Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl.
It’s wonderful to see that in a movie so overburdened with cameo appearances and multiple incarnations of DC characters, the live-action Kara still manages to steal the spotlight to some degree. And sure, we can agree that The Flash is a mediocre film with discernibly terrible CGI, but Calle’s character is definitely among the stronger and more rooted elements in Andy Muschietti’s 144-minute box office sensation.
The actress herself certainly didn’t have an easy time of it when starting her career in the motion picture industry. When discussing her life (in a chat with Soap Opera Digest) before landing a lead role in the long-standing soap opera, The Young and the Restless, Calle exclaimed that she can now “buy food” without having to worry about “how much it’s going to cost.”
“‘I can buy food!’ she says. ‘I used to look at my bank account and everything had a concern, and now it’s just so different. I was struggling a lot before I booked Y&R. I was couch surfing at the beginning of the year and then I moved into this little living room at my friend’s place. I actually still live there, but it’s a goal for me to have my own place next year and I’m paying off my credit card first. But now I can go into a grocery store and not worry about how much it’s going to cost.’”
According to what she tells us, Sasha could be a role model for why perseverance always yields results. In another interview, she explains how she auditioned more than 100 times before The Young and the Restless, a period that lasted over a year and a half.
Calle doesn’t let that success get to her head, and even now, she can’t help but discuss the sacrifices her mother made to give her those opportunities.
“At that time it was just my mother and me. She worked very hard to make me happy. I just wanted to sing and dance. I would dress up and put on a show for everyone. One Christmas, I remember waking up and there was a whole band set for me. I was jumping from the drum set to the guitar to the microphone and trying to perform all these instruments by myself. I loved it.”
And now, Calle stars as one of the most iconic heroines in comic book history, so I guess the only question we need to ask is this: Would James Gunn be wise enough to bring back her character for future movies in the DCU?