From a hilarious moment filming with Tom Holland to her reaction to the massive set, Emmy Award-winning actor Liza Colón-Zayas shares a behind-the-scenes glimpse into filming “Brand New Day.”

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When I saw the film on opening weekend, I loved not only reuniting with familiar faces but also meeting some fantastic new characters. One of my favorite additions is Detective Jean DeWolff, an important voice in Peter's life who reminds him that even superheroes need human connection.

To celebrate Brand New Day, I sat down with Emmy-winning actor Liza Colón-Zayas to talk about joining the Marvel family, working with Tom Holland, and her favorite behind-the-scenes moments.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. We discuss some plot points at a high level, so if you haven't seen Brand New Day yet, go watch it and come back!

Liza: The audition was a Zoom meeting with Destin. They reached out, and we had a Zoom meeting, and it was so relaxed and fun. I told them right away, I really don't know a whole lot about any of this. My son is a massive Spider-Man fan — that's his number one — but I felt bad. I actually think I started by apologizing for not knowing, and Destin was fine with that. He told me, "I just want you to be you. That's all we're looking for." 

He asked, "So you're interested?" I said yes. Then I didn't hear anything for a few weeks, and I got the call while I was on set. I was so happy. (Laughs) I told my son, "You can't tell anybody." He found as many comics as we could, and I went through them, and thought, "Wow, I don't look anything like this character!" 

But that's the thing. Especially in this film, these stories are about community — the community that reflects New York. It's about the people we ride the subway with, you know? I think that's part of the genius. You don't have to know anything beforehand to appreciate it, and hopefully, the audience feels excited and included.

The first time I saw Brand New Day was at a private screening. I was by myself, and I cheered like a lunatic during the credits.

Liza: I love that DeWolff is a woman in authority and a mom. She's scrappy, but she's not the typical detective that we see all the time. There are so many layers to her, and I think a lot of people appreciate that Spider-Man has someone who really cares about him. Her relationship with Spider-Man isn't just, "I have an extra person to help me with my job." She genuinely cares about his welfare, and I love that it speaks to the larger issues. 

When the film starts out, Peter is sitting upside down on a beam, looking at his phone, not connecting with the world. The city looks kind of gray. When the film ends, he's sitting up, no longer on a device, looking at the spectacular sunset and beginning to reconnect. Hopefully, as audiences, we can take that in on a deeper level.

Liza: Tom is so easy to adore. He's genuinely warm, thoughtful, and generous on every level. The first time I went up to get fitted, he came right up to me. He grabbed my hand and told me how excited he was to meet me and to work with me. That was the energy he greeted me with. It was so easy to play somebody who cares about him.

Even though most of our scenes are on the phone, he wanted to be there. He would be just a few feet away.

Liza: This is the scene right after the battle with Scorpion, where Spider-Man is having headaches, and DeWolff can tell that something is really wrong. Tom was supposed to lower his hands away from his face, and I'm holding his wrists, trying to get control of him.

Destin kept telling Tom, "Bring your arms down further, keep bringing them down." And finally, Tom goes, [in a British accent] "I can't. Liza is so strong!"

So we adjusted that, but it was funny because Tom is so strong — like this guy is a rock! (Laughs) So the fact that he was struggling a little was an ego boost.

Liza: We filmed in England in Pinewood Studios, and they rebuilt many blocks of Astoria, Queens. It was stunning to see how they rebuilt Queens. There were hundreds and hundreds of people on the crew, and everyone was so kind. 

What I really loved seeing was one of the bodegas on a side street. I think it was called "Abuela's Bodega," which means "Grandma's Bodega." I don't know if we actually get to see it in the movie, but my heart melted when I saw it. I was thinking, "I'm in London, but I'm looking at Abuela's Bodega, and I feel like I'm home." 

It was amazing to see. I've never worked on anything on that scale, and it was a dream come true.

Liza: I only got to watch one fight scene being filmed, and it was the fight between Tombstone and Spider-Man. That was wild, and I just love Marvin Jones. He's such a sweet, lovable guy, and then he's horrifying with those teeth and the most giant platform shoes I have ever seen. He was moving and fighting and rocking it, and that was jaw-dropping to watch.

Liza: I don't know what it is, but when you've been in the grind for so long and you've struggled, it's hard to let it fully hit. I have my moments where I can stop and take it in, but maybe next year around this time, it'll fully land. 

I fear jinxing it, if that makes any sense. I'm afraid that if I fully believe it and say, "Yeah, I did this," somehow it'll all disappear. (Laughs) I can't be the only one who thinks that way.

Liza: Oh, yeah! I don't know about anything in the future, but I loved working on this film. I loved working with Tom, Destin, and the cast and crew. There's such a vibe of gratitude.

I'm relieved that the fans, for the most part, love the connection that Spider-Man and DeWolff have, and how "New York" my character is and what she represents. That was important to me.

Keep up with Liza on Instagram, @lizacolonzayas_lcz.