Daniela Melchior Is the Heart of the New 'Suicide Squad' Movie

The 24-year-old actor opens up to Glamour about her breakthrough role, getting starstruck by Viola Davis, and more.

Daniela Melchior Is the Heart of the New 'Suicide Squad' Movie

Daniela Melchior is the heart and soul of the new Suicide Squad movie, now in theaters and on HBO Max. The Portuguese newcomer plays Cleo Cazo, a.k.a. Ratcatcher 2, one of the super villains tasked by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to complete a mission that will save Americans. Cleo is the daughter of the original Ratcatcher, and their superpower is exactly what you think: They can summon rats. Thousands of them. Whenever they want. And they have those rats do whatever's necessary to get the job done. 

It's not the most glamorous superpower, but it's important. The Ratcatcher needs to earn the trust of her rats, which requires empathy, warmth, and kindness—things not exactly abundant in the other Suicide Squad members. Cleo infuses that warmth not just into her rodents but every character in this movie—and as a result, there's calm within the chaos. Because of her, The Suicide Squad has an actual emotional center. It's not just violence and gore and loud action sequences, though rest assured there's plenty of that. The Ratcatcher humanizes these super villains in a way that makes you love them—and root for them. 

Because of this, I'm rooting for Melchior, both on screen and off. Below, get to know the 24-year-old, who only had eight credits on her IMDb page before The Suicide Squad. 

How did this movie come to you?

Daniela Melchior:  I was working in Portugal when a manager found me. We started submitting self-tapes from Portugal, and The Suicide Squad was my fourth self-tape in my life, ever. I submitted it, but I wasn't feeling confident at all with that tape. But I guess they liked it. They called my manager to fly me to Atlanta to do a second audition in person, a screen test, and a chemistry test with rats. 

I went there and did my audition. [Producer] Peter Safran and [Writer-director] James Gunn and I had a meeting the day before the audition. I didn't know what should I wear. Should I wear my glasses, makeup, no makeup? I didn't know anything at all because the industry in America is totally different than Europe. So James told me before that meeting, they looked at each other—James Gunn and Peter Safran—and said, "No. She's a no." But the next day I did my audition, and James looked at Peter and said, "Tell me I'm not desperate that she's the one, right?" And he was like, "Yeah, she's the one." 

 I didn't know I was booking the role at that time. Some days later, James calls me. I didn't answer because I didn't hear it. I sent him a message saying, "Who's this?" And he was like, "James Gunn, calling back." He called me saying I got the role. I started shaking and crying. 

How did you celebrate? 

I went out to have dinner with my manager and his wife. I was alone in L.A. I didn't know anyone at all!

This franchise is so huge. Have you thought about the ways your life will change after this comes out? 

Every time I think about it, I get anxious because I really love to be left alone, to feel relaxed, and just living my life. I'm a little bit scared about it, because whenever I'm not working, I can stop and relax. For example, if I fly to Thailand, I'm not recognized there. I can go to America, and I'm not recognized. It gets me a little bit nervous because, yeah, I guess I'll belong to everyone from that point.

Were you a Suicide Squad or DC Comics fan before this movie came into your life?

I wasn't that familiar with the universe. I love The Dark Knight. I love Heath Ledger and Christian Bale, but I wasn't that familiar. I never had a comic before the first I got from my manager; once I booked the role, he offered me the first appearance of the Ratcatcher. But that's what I love about being an actor. I get to know so many things, and I get to be familiar with so many universes that if I weren't an actor, I would never think about it.

How did you get in the head space for the Ratcatcher?

My process was all about the script itself. James is really inspired by '70s war movies. He knows everything about comics, but you don't need to watch the first movie. You don't need to watch any other movie from DC to understand this one. My approach was really to be focused in this story in particular, and to do it in the most interesting way that I could for my Ratcatcher.

Growing up, what was your idea of what it meant to be a successful actor?

I booked my first role when I was 17, when I was finishing my last year of the professional course that I did. So I really started to feel then that I'm passionate about what I do. But all the things about fame and popularity, I really don't like it. It's good to be heard and to have a voice and to get people asking me things about my work. I love it. But everything else on the surface, I don't like it.

When I was younger, before I decided I wanted to do this for the rest of my life, I loved having drama classes because I was like, “Okay, nobody noticed me, but when I get on stage, they listen to me." So I love this. If I didn't go into drama, I would love to be a lawyer because I have a big sense of justice. In school, we'd have debate, and I loved that. That's also a kind of acting. I really feel I was already starting to explore that. 

Who's on your dream list of actors you'd like to work with?

I would love to work with Jodie Comer, because I love her in Killing Eve. I would love to work with the cast of Schitt's Creek. I love them, they're so funny. And, of course, Meryl Streep. 

What was your fondest memory working on Suicide Squad?

Everyone was so friendly and funny. Every time we had a scene in a group, we'd have so much fun and laugh and tell jokes. I remember Margot [Robbie] laughing so hard because I was trying to make an Australian accent. She was like, “You're so far off. Oh, my God.”

Were you starstruck by any of your costars?

Margot [Robbie] and Viola [Davis]. When I saw Margot for the first time, she hugged me. I was like, "Okay, I wasn't expecting this." She was saying the kindest things that now I can't remember. But it was like, "Oh, you look beautiful." I wanted to say it back, but my English…I was just [stuttering and at a loss for words]. And Viola, too. When I met her, she was really, really busy because she was shooting, I guess, How to Get Away With Murder at the same time. So she was really, really focused on saying her lines before shooting that scene with us. I didn't want to disturb her, but I really wanted a picture with her at the same time. We only had one group photo, but I'm happy for that one.

What was your favorite scene to film?

If I had to choose, I don't know. I loved shooting the whole movie. I would say one of the most difficult ones was one where I had to do my own stunts: when John Cena pushes me, and the floor was [uneven]. I fell so many times. 

Did you have any snacks and beverages on hand during filming?

I would drink a lot of Powerade because it gave me energy. I always love a Coke or a Coke Zero. Also, coffee with lots of sugar, because your coffee in America is really strong. Once I went to a meeting in L.A., and I was in the waiting room. There was this lady who asked me, "Oh, do you want a coffee?" And I was like, "That would be perfect." She gave me a giant mug full of coffee, black, without any sugar. I was like, "Ahhh!" I had to leave the coffee on the table in the waiting room. I didn't drink it at all.

Are there any causes or issues you're keen on highlighting with your bigger platform?

For me, what's really, really important is human rights, animals' rights, and climate change. But I really think there's not one single cause that's more important than the other. I don't like to talk about it just to talk about it and say, “Yeah, I talked about it." I love to watch documentaries about things. I love Ava DuVernay's work. I believe that's the answer. If we can push a little bit more, use our work—and not only our social media—to do things, that would be perfect. That's why there are so many TV shows about LGBTQ+ issues and Black Lives Matter. It's not only about putting the hashtag out and waiting for somebody else to do something.

It's about starting conversations, and it starts in our families. I still have uncles who are really small-minded people, and I'm the first to say at the table, "You're not right. That's not like that. It doesn't need to be like that." It's really important to open those debates.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Christopher Rosa is the entertainment editor at Glamour. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Condé Nast