Stephanie Beatriz learned to embrace going fast in time for Indy 500 grand marshal stint

Actress Stephanie Beatriz is preparing to witness her first Indianapolis 500 from a prime vantage point as this year's grand marshal.

Beatriz, star of Disney's "Encanto," procedural comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the upcoming Peacock series "Twisted Metal," will give the order for drivers to report to their cars as part of the pre-race ceremonies.

More: Actress Stephanie Beatriz named grand marshal for 2023 Indy 500

But first, she told IndyStar over the phone, she plans on meeting as many people as possible — and getting a few laps in on the track.

Here is our Q&A with this year's grand marshal, lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Have you ever been to any kind of race before? Are you a motorsports fan at all?

I started getting into racing and cars because of "Twisted Metal" (an action-comedy streaming series based on the vehicular combat video games franchise).

We did a ton of driving, and I have this newfound respect for professional drivers, whether that be racers or stunt drivers — people that really know their way around cars. It opened up this whole new world of racing, sports and cars.

Once you get that bug, it's over.

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I was gonna ask if you got to do any of the stunt driving or anything on the series.

I did. In fact, we had a we had quite a few cars that we had to drive.

On a day that I had to do a ton of driving, one of our cars kind of petered out, and I had to learn how to drive stick shift in about 10 minutes. And I did it, and I'm very proud of it. It was me driving stick down a dirt road with (series co-star) Anthony Mackie running alongside the car and jumping in.

So, it was a high-pressure situation, but not as high-pressure as the Indianapolis 500.

Are you planning to go to Rev or Carb Day or any of the other adventures throughout the weekend?

The biggest and most exciting thing that I get to do is a two-seater experience, which I'm so nervous, thrilled, psyched, beside myself about. The fact that I get to actually get in one of these cars and go around the track is like a once-in-a-lifetime moment that I get to experience.

I'm so grateful to the Indianapolis 500 and the track and everyone there for making that happen for me because it's just going to be like a total out-of-body experience.

Wow, that's awesome. Do you know who's gonna drive you?

I don't. It's all going to be a surprise. I'm just along for the ride, literally and figuratively.

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Prior to all of the training for "Twisted Metal," were you a fast driver? Did you like to go fast?

I've been told I am a very safe driver.

On "Twisted Metal," we have stunt coordinators and stunt drivers and everyone was the best of the best at teaching you how to handle the car. I got a taste for what it is like to go fast safely, and I don't think I'm ever going back to being a super slow driver.

I think there's something really thrilling not only to drive, but also to watch. The Indianapolis 500 is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. And there's a reason why: It's because it's absolutely thrilling to watch human beings and machines and work together in this incredible way.

You are the grand marshal this year, but there are many roles at the 500. A few years ago, Chris Hemsworth waved the green flag. There are a number of songs to be sung, and you're a singer. Would you ever want to come back and perform for everybody or wave the green flag?

I think being the grand marshal, to me , is a little less pressure than having to sing in front of 300,000 people.

I think I'd be way too nervous to sing live in front of that many people. I don't know. Ask me again in 10 years.

I think being the grand marshal is a total honor. And I truly can't wait to experience the weekend and meet as many people as I can.

I truly just can't wait to experience it with people who have had the experience of going to the race many times before me. So if anyone is reading this and wants to say hi, and tell me more about the experience of becoming a new Indy 500 fan, I'm all yours.

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Rory Appleton is the pop culture reporter and columnist at IndyStar. Contact him at 317-552-9044 and rappleton@indystar.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RoryDoesPhonics.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 grand marshal Q&A: Actress Stephanie Beatriz