Gina Rodriguez On 10 Years Of “Jane The Virgin” And Why Her Bond With Justin Baldoni Will Never Break
In a little over a month, it will have been 10 whole years since Jane the Virgin made its way onto our screens, and Gina Rodriguez-the charismatic actress who brought Jane Villanueva into our lives-is beaming with nostalgia. The CW megahit first aired on October 13, 2014, and though some years have passed since then, the bonds created on set are still stronger than ever.
Justin is the sweetest, sweetest soul,” Gina tells PEOPLE in an interview for this week’s issue, where she opens up about how tight she remains with her costars, especially Justin Baldoni, who portrayed Rafael Solano- Jane’s on-again, off-again love interest and eventual endgame partner.
At 40, Gina looks back fondly on the deep connection she made with Justin, also 40, and says he’s the person from the cast she’s still in closest contact with. “Justin is a sweet, sweet soul. Man, he’s a sweetie pie. That guy is — that’s my brother forever. Forever and ever,” she began.
“I talk to Yael [Groblas] and Brett [Dier] a lot also,” she says, naming the actress who played Petra, Jane’s rival-turned-friend, and the actor who played her first love, Michael. “But Justin is just my brother.
For those who love the on-screen chemistry between Jane and Rafael, it is great to know their bond remains as organic and natural on set.
Reflecting on the show’s premiere, Gina says it’s surreal to believe so much time has passed. “I feel old. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. The second thing that comes to mind is: I want to do a reunion. I freaking loved that experience so much, and those people, and that show was just so cool. That show was so different. That show was just so unique.”
Gina loves Jane the Virgin deep into its bones, with all hardships that came along. “Every moment was perfect,” she says, remembering long days and personal sacrifices for the show. “Even in the hardships, even in the difficulties, even when we were doing 16 hours a day, even when it was just bleeding me dry of energy and life, and I would miss birthday parties and Christmases and vacations with family, and I would miss everything… I just made sure that I appreciated why I was missing all those things, and I did,” she added.
The two celebrated five years since the show’s end last month. Justin made an Instagram post for the milestone, captioning it, “can’t believe it’s been five years”. Gina took to her Stories and reshared it, stating, “I miss this life.”
Justin’s heartfelt post moved many, including their old on-screen castmates. “I’m still blown away by all of the love and support we continue to receive,” he wrote, adding, “It always brings me such joy to hear just how much this show has meant to so many.
“Thank you to everyone who made this show a part of their lives. And to my TV family who will always be family to me…I love you all,” he continued.
Of course, the love went both ways in the comments, where Brett Dier was super excited writing, “Love you Justin!” and Jaime Camil then chimed in with a string of heart emojis.
Jane the Virgin may be over, but the memories-and more importantly, the friendships-made behind the scenes, will always be very much alive. You can still stream every magical moment of the show on Netflix, and if you’re jonesing for a little more Gina, you can see her on Lucky 13, which airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC with her co-host Shaquille O’Neal.
