Calling all Faye Valentine stans. We are happy to inform you that Daniella Pineda is every bit as awesome and resilient as the character she plays on-screen in the new Netflix series Cowboy Bebop. 

“It wasn’t really hard to put her on like a glove,” Pineda told us. “There are parts about her having to survive in the moment and think on her feet that I found deeply relatable.” Pineda shared how her life experience shaped her career and her badass portrayal of the purple-haired icon, Faye Valentine.  

“Faye is very resilient and has a lot of fire in her soul that propels her forward. I didn’t have an easy childhood,” Pineda said. “There were many strange situations I was forced to navigate.” But much like her character Faye, when Pineda is up against an obstacle, she forges a new path. “I wanted a better life for myself and that meant identifying when my time and my value are being wasted. I don’t have time for bullshit. Anyone who’s been through some shit can relate to this.” Whew, can’t we all? 

Season 1 of Bebop follows Faye, a scrappy bounty hunter with a bad case of amnesia and the tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. Waking up with no recollection of who she is, Faye is forced to adapt quickly to the cutthroat lawlessness of outer space. One of Pineda’s favorite Faye moments of survival comes in Episode 4, where Faye holds a man hostage by threatening to shoot his ween to smithereens. 

“It shows how crazy she’s willing to go to get answers. It’s do or die, and no one is going to stand in her way.” And, as the old saying goes, it’s all fun and games until someone loses their junk. “I mean, if you're willing to blow a guy’s nuts off,” Pineda added, “life has probably been a little hectic.” 

Though Faye’s impulsivity often gets her into tricky situations, her sharp survival instincts usually keep her steady. In the process of portraying this fierce woman trying to find her place in the world, Pineda learned an important lesson. “Faye often uses humor as a safety blanket, but she soon learns that at her center is a big mushy marshmallow.“  In regards to where she hopes Faye ends up on her journey, Pineda is hopeful. “It’s easy to root for her. In Season 2, I hope she finds those answers that she’s looking for, her family and origin. It might lead to another exciting reinvention.” We’re just glad that Pineda’s path led her to us. We couldn’t hope for a better Faye Valentine.