![]() “It was like, ‘Think about your family and think about the economics and think about the support of your family before you think about your own self want.’ That was a real struggle we had in my family. Kat says she was expected to go to college and get a good job, but nothing too highbrow or fancy. Kat says she related to Ember since her own parents are second-generation immigrants. Ember’s father Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) expects her to take over the family shop when he retires, but Ember discovers she may have her own dreams. The character Ember is the only child of immigrant parents and understands that her parents have sacrificed greatly to leave their hometown, Fireland, in hopes of giving her a better life in Element City. Read More: Learn the Pixar "Art of Storytelling" An Immigrant Story ![]() Though the two characters have cultural differences, it’s the love that makes it all work and John and Kat were able to bring that to the writing. “Pete was really trying to figure out how to deepen Ember and Wade – the characters weren't quite there yet. Director Peter Sohn set up a lunch with Kat and John and discussed the ways in which the two characters could grow. It turns out their dynamic was perfect for writing the two protagonists in Elemental: Ember (Leah Lewis), a feisty, temper-prone gal made of fire and Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a young man made entirely of water who prefers to go with the flow. “In the best way, Kat writes from her gut,” says John, adding, “If she's sick with a 102 fever, if it's not true to what a character would do, she's not going to like to give in on that.” John admits he’s incredibly logical in his approach to story while Kat is very emotional. When John and I got together, all of our friends and family went, ‘Oh, that's so cute! You guys are going to be partners!’ I was like, ‘No way, man, I have my own career.’ And then within two years, we teamed up,” she says with a smile.Īs a team, John and Kat balance each other in very important ways. “I had my writing career first,” says Kat, “I was writing animation and I did a lot of Nickelodeon stuff and some Disney stuff. But Kat says she never intended to partner professionally with her husband. Together, they started off with TV comedies like Hope and Faith, and later My Name is Earl. John and Kat became a writing team in 2003, a couple of years after they were married.
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