Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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In the new animated film "Swapped," Justina Machado lends her voice to Calli, a fiercely protective mother who would rather keep her son safely tucked away than let him explore a dangerous world. In our conversation, Machado reflects on her own immigrant upbringing of “lay low, get in no trouble,” how that connects to Calli’s “hide today, alive tomorrow” philosophy, and how fear-filled love shapes the character’s journey toward empathy, unity, and letting go.

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