‘Dave’ Breakout Tenea Intriago on Playing a Stalker Opposite Brad Pitt and Finding Humanity in Villains
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[This story contains major spoilers for the Dave season three finale, “Looking for Love.”]
If Dave breakout Tenea Intriago had made her high school basketball team she (probably) never would have found herself holding Brad Pitt and Lil Dicky hostage on screen in the FX comedy’s season finale. The 4-foot-11 actress says she’s always dreamed big and, until then, had her sights set on the WNBA. When she didn’t make the cut, she turned to theater and hasn’t looked back.
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“I feel like I’ve been really lucky, because I started my Hollywood journey in the South,” Intriago tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I moved to New Orleans in 2012 and joined an acting class. I had heard that there were movies being filmed here, and that year I booked my first movie. So, it’s slowly just been a climb.”
A guest 2017 spot on Claws, which filmed in New Orleans, helped her land agency representation, and once she started auditioning for more projects she caught the attention of Dave casting director Wendy O’Brien. “Wendy has been in my lucky little corner since I started auditioning for bigger parts,” Intriago says. “She requested me to audition for this and it worked out.”
Intriago plays a superfan named Bella, who in the season premiere had approached Lil Dicky (Dave Burd) after a performance in Lubbock, Texas with a concrete recreation of his head. She tells him she’s trying to break into the industry and he responds: “Let me tell you firsthand, things are surprisingly possible in life, okay. Go for it.”
In the finale, we find out that moment of encouragement was enough for her to move to L.A. She’s a production assistant on the “Mr. McAdams” music video and Dave doesn’t recognize her at first, but says “Fuck yeah!” when she reminds him and all seems well. Later, Bella shows up at his house to return a hard drive he left behind in his trailer that contains the raw footage of Emma’s documentary — and video proof that he faked his own death. Bella asks to use the bathroom as an excuse to get inside the house (later it becomes extremely evident that she didn’t actually use it) and refuses to leave after telling Dave she put her short film on his hard drive. “I’m the female you. I’m a full-blown superstar right here in your presence,” she says, before adding, “You’ll never forget me, ever again. … You need the opportunity to get to know me to understand the magic that is me.”
Pitt shows up and things escalate. To briefly recap: She has a gun, they get high, she orders plaster on Instacart, GaTa shows up, Pitt gets in the booth and sings with Auto-Tune, she shoots him with Dave’s Looking for Love Tour crossbow, and Dave and GaTa escape with the help of said plaster, bear mace and his creepy, expensive sex doll.
“It was so ominous at some points,” Intriago says of the episode. “I was like, ‘this is dark.’ It was pretty intense, and then so full of heart.”
After the finale, Intriago talked with THR about what it’s like to play scary, complicated characters, how Burd has inspired her in real life and why she worried about being too aggressive with Pitt on set.
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Were you a Dave fan before this role came along?
I had never heard of Lil Dicky. I’d never heard of Dave before the audition, never in my life. I had no clue. One of my best friends who helped me film my audition was like “Oh, Tenea, this show is big. You know that, right?” And I was like, “I have no idea.” I would never tell Dave that to his face though (laughs).
What did you know about this part going into that audition?
I knew that she was a stalker. My audition scene was when Bella shows up at Lil Dicky’s house and is trying to sell why she’s like him and why she should be famous. Originally those scenes were more romantic-centered, more bashing on Robyn’s character, like that obsessive. I didn’t know the scene was for the last episode. I thought that’s how the character was introduced in general. I knew that it would possibly recur, but I didn’t know how concrete that was. You just never know in our business. So, I didn’t have my hopes up too high. I was just grateful for the work.
What was it like on set?
Incredible. It truly was the time of my life, like the most affirming, validating experience I’ve ever had. My first day on set was the scene where Bella gives Dave the bust of his head. Dave and I just played forever. We improvised for so long, just being little goofballs and it felt like summer camp. Then, when I returned for the finale it was magic for obvious reasons.
At what point did you see the full script for the finale and find out exactly how crazy it was?
About six days before, a producer called me and was like, “Are you sitting down?” I knew I was coming back, but I didn’t know what for or to what extent. He was like, “Okay, this is what’s going down: Brad Pitt is going to be with Dicky and you’re gonna hold them hostage.” I was like, “What?!” I couldn’t believe it. I paced. I’m a pacer. I only had the Brad Pitt scenes that day, and then when I arrived to LA that’s when I got the whole [script].
What was the shoot like for the finale?
I was there for about three weeks. The most challenging part was that it’s really hard to shoot nights. I am a mom in my personal life, so that was tough. The most exciting part was the character. The meatiness and juiciness of being able to play comedy and drama and horror and all of these different facets to a very complicated individual was an actor’s dream. I also really felt held in the space on the set. My dog died while I was there, and that was really hard. Everyone just hugged me and made sure I was okay. It was truly the most heartwarming, crazy, chaotic experience. I’m so full of gratitude and still can’t believe it happened.
How would you describe your character?
Oh gosh. Do you want me to extrapolate on how I feel the way that millennials consume media is a detriment to their mental health, and celebrity infatuation is detrimental to millennials’ mental health? I always, especially for people who are complicated, try not to justify their bad behavior, but to justify their humanity within it. I think Bella is a victim of the culture, of what it means to be a millennial right now. And, unfortunately, that makes her a very dangerous person who doesn’t rationalize her dreams in a way that doesn’t harm people around her or herself.
What was it like to shoot Brad Pitt with a crossbow?
First of all, he is a champion. Such a trooper, and he was there way longer than he had to be. It was nuts. What was harder for me to do was hold the gun to his head. I hate guns, even knowing it was a prop and not real. Just being aggressive in general with him, I was like, “Are you okay? You’ve got to tell me if you’re okay.” My mom mode came in and I had to make sure. I was so worried that I was actually being rough because I’m really scrappy. I’m only 4-foot-11, so I feel like I have to compensate a lot with aggression whenever I’m doing physical things. So, I was worried about him a lot, but he was a trooper.
Did you feel pressure working opposite Brad, one of the most famous actors of the planet, and Dave, who created the show you were on?
It’s weird. I didn’t feel the pressure until after it was over. I got like a whiplash of what I had just done, and suddenly realized tiny Tenea got to live her dreams — but, also, grown-up Tenea is living her dream. My first day of shooting was the shower scene where I’m putting the plaster on Dave and Brad’s above us. That was Brad’s first day too. I remember when Brad arrived to set, I heard him asking who the actress was playing Bella so that he could introduce himself. From that point on, I felt really relieved, like he is just as excited to be here as I am. So, I didn’t feel the pressure in the way that we [usually] define that. I wanted to do it justice because I, like America, fell in love with Dave. He is a brilliant person and full of compassion and heart, and I really wanted to honor that, but I wasn’t stressed. I wasn’t overwhelmed. I was just happy to be there and so excited to work with Brad Pitt and Dave.
Are you at all worried that people are going to be afraid of you after seeing this? You were scary.
Yeah. The last couple of gigs I’ve had I’m playing really awful people, or complicated people who can be really scary. My last guest star was playing someone on FBI who was sex trafficking girls. That’s my track record. I play these really complicated individuals. I get in that box a lot. I think it’s because I’m small and unassuming and you wouldn’t think that I would hold you captive in your own home. It’s not the vibe I give off — at least I hope not.
Talking to you after seeing you in that role is definitely a totally different vibe. When did you decide you wanted to be an actor?
Oh, gosh. How can I make this story short? I played basketball for 13 years. I thought that’s what I was going to do. In my freshman year of high school, I moved out of state to Jacksonville, Florida, and tried out for the basketball team. I didn’t make it, and that Thursday was tryouts for the school play. I had done it in junior high and I had a drama teacher tell me, “Tenea, I really think you should do the whole acting thing.” But I was like, “No, I’m going to be the shortest woman in the WNBA. That’s what I’m going to do!” Anyway, I auditioned for the school play and I got the lead. Since then, I have not looked back. It has been the most riveting and purposeful feeling being an actor.
After high school, I just never stopped thinking about it. I wanted to go to college for it, but I grew up pretty poor. I did get a grant to go to this community college that had a great theater program, Florida State College of Jacksonville. At the time I was driving a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, and it broke down on my way to my first play rehearsal. It was my responsibility to upkeep the car, and I couldn’t try and figure that out and go to school. So, I dropped out, but I had acting in my mind every day until I moved to New Orleans and decided to put my toe in the pool. This whole experience has been really affirming and I, at the very least, know that this is still what I’m supposed to be doing. That’s something I can go back to when I’m feeling like quitting it all.
What else do you want people know about you?
I genuinely cherish what I do and I take pride in the kind of actor that I am. I would hope that the right people see this and I get to do it more. That’s it. I’m ready to work. I’ve been doing this for a long time. Since doing Dave and — I hope that he’s okay with me using this term — since becoming buddies with Dave, he’s really pumped me up and hyped me up as an actor. I feel like I genuinely could do anything because of him and his belief in me. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have played Bella.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
All three seasons of Dave are currently streaming on Hulu.
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