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Rotten Tomatoes comes in with a remarkable 98% Certified Fresh for Jim Mickle’s drama Sweet Tooth. The apocalyptic-driven tv adaptation from DC Comics feels caught between a dark Grimm’s fairy tale and the terrifying realities of our own global pandemic. The sweeping virus, the emergence of hybrid babies, and looking for signs of humanity amongst the fear-driven chaos hits the emotions heavily for anyone who watches.
We fell in love with Dania Ramirez’s portrayal of Aimee Eden, a character who makes it her life mission to rescue hybrids from the men who hunt them. The commitment and courage from her give the show that thread of hope we all cheer for. It led us to wonder what similarities are felt between Ramirez and Eden. “I feel that like Aimee, I was ready for a change and devoted to a new purpose,” shares Ramirez. “I want to be aware of the world I want to help create and leave behind for our children. There are so many lessons to learn in life and in Sweet Tooth. Aimee is forced to look within to realize what she has been missing. It isn’t until she meets Wendy (Pigtail) that she realizes her purpose. I feel like that in my life at this point; my children are my everything. They are who give me my purpose. I used to live for myself, and now I live, I love, I do everything I do for them!” It’s beautiful to see the passion Ramirez has as a mother and know that fervor is adding to the life and words of Aimee Eden playing out on the screen.
There’s no denying how the series mirrors our world now and the phenomenal acting that builds the wide success of Sweet Tooth. Knowing that these parallels exist, we asked Ramirez how the echoes of confusion and fear have impacted her when she becomes Eden. “Everything about this pandemic and our journey throughout was key in my performance. In a way, I feel fortunate to have been able to be so close to those feelings as I was portraying this character because it made it very raw and authentic,” she tells us. “I feel a lot, and my performance is as good as my life experience. It is difficult at times to decipher where my personal feelings of fear and confusion throughout this pandemic end and where Aimee’s begins.”
When Covid hit, each day was riddled with uncertainty. The hesitation of what to do and questioning how long it will last grew worse week by week as lockdowns around the world were placed. Having businesses and schools close in hopes of slowing the spread, production for the industry also came to a halt. “It was definitely an adjustment to have to get used to the new normal,” Ramirez replies when asked how she has been holding up throughout the past year and a half, especially as a mother. “Like many other moms, I found myself struggling to juggle career, home life, and homeschooling. I decided that it was best to take things one thing at a time and figure out my way through it without expectations or judgment.” Knowing the emotional toll that was brought upon everyone, we find comfort in Ramirez’s words as she continues on, “the first step to dealing with the lockdown, among other things, was accepting that the world was taking a different shape, so dwelling on how things used to be wouldn’t be helpful. Then, I was able to appreciate the time and look at it as an opportunity to spend more time with my family, to really dive into how my children learn, and it was very eye-opening to find out how much we all connected throughout the toughest of times. We are closer and more aware of who the children are and how they learn, so homeschooling was actually a blessing for our family. My husband and I have a newfound respect and appreciation for parenting and are connected on a deeper level. We have always had so much love in our family, and this has brought us closer.”
Fast-forward to 2021, over a year has passed since the first lockdown in California. Things are starting to return to some normalcy, albeit with restrictions and battling new strains. We often saw one thing happen during that time — astounding moments of humanity, a deep love for others, family or not, compassion that reminds us so much of Ramirez’s Aimee Eden. With production coming back for Hollywood, we were ecstatic to hear that Sweet Tooth was renewed for a second season—a huge congratulations to Ramirez and her castmates and those involved! “I am beyond excited about a new season,” Ramirez expresses. “I feel season one was a great introduction to the world, characters, etc., and now that we know them, I am ready to see where they go and how it all unfolds. I can’t wait to continue to explore this magical adventure. It has felt surreal to be on this journey thus far. I am itching to see all of the cast, to continue to create and make magic with all of the crew and people involved in bringing this story to life. I can’t think of a better group of people to be on this journey with and having Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr. on our corner is pretty awesome too!”
Of course, we had to see if there’s any chance of finding out what might possibly be in store for season two. Curiosity is something we always have a hard time controlling when it comes to our absolute favorite shows! “My character was one of the ones that were not in the original comic books, so I have no clue what is in store for Aimee,” Ramirez explains. “It is going to be a different dynamic though, to have more interaction with another human in season two. I can tell you that I’ve been told we will be more intertwined than in the first season. I have complete confidence and faith in our creative team, so I know whatever our creator, Jim Mickle, and the writing team come up with will be meaty. I just feel super grateful to be there as a supporting actor!” We are too! Thank you to Mickle and his team for creating Aimee Eden because Sweet Tooth would feel sadly incomplete without her. Sometimes the characters that never made it to the pages of the original end up being the ones we adore the most.
Time is running out; the photoshoot with Ramirez is absolutely stunning. Her confidence in herself as a woman, a mother, and an actress is mesmerizing. The way she talks endearingly about her twins makes us melt, knowing there are remarkable people leading the next generation so bravely. Just in that short amount of time, we feel the impact she has on us alone, so we will end with this: a growing strength and the understanding of accepting people and these ever-changing times are two invaluable things we hope you keep with you forever while reading Dania Ramirez’s compelling words.
