Camila Mendes discusses what it was like to play Teela in "Masters of the Universe."
(Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)
Teela is a force to be reckoned with in the new live-action He-Man flick, "Masters of the Universe."Played by Camila Mendes, Teela is the captain of the Royal Guard on Eternia, the alien world where He-Man and Skeletor duke it out. But, just as the film balances a wild blend of sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, action, and 80's nostalgia, Teela balances her role as a serious warrior and leader with some seriously relatable emotional ties."Obviously, she is a very tough outer shell, but you get little glimpses of this, like inner sensitivity and empathetic side throughout," Mendes told Space.com.Teela does it allMendes finds this balance between Teela's role as a battle-ready captain and her inner self by connecting to a place within the character that many may find relatable."I see her very much as this parentified child, somebody who had to grow up really fast, really young, and she's had to take on so much responsibility and hasn't really had a break," Mendes said. "So I feel like that's something a lot of people this day and age can relate to."Whether you see Teela as a parentified child or suffering from "eldest daughter syndrome," the root of this pain is evident in the film. Between explosive chase scenes and sword-fighting, Teela's inner sensitivity and pain are exposed most in her relationship with her on-screen father, Duncan, played by Idris Elba, who previously served as the captain of the Royal Guard before going down a darker path."There's a bit of a strained relationship and a little bit of resentment," Mendes explained.But you can see some of that inner softness shine through in her relationship with Adam, or He-Man, as well. Rather than show the two as romantically linked, the film shows the two as they are: childhood friends from lifetimes and planets apart, slowly working through the awkward wall between them.
