6 Things You May Not Know About Mirabel from Encanto

1. Mirabel is the first Disney female protagonist to wear glasses. According to Production Designer Lorelay Bove, “one of the film’s main themes is perspective — how different points of view can affect a relationship — and having our main character wear glasses was an intentional choice to reinforce that theme.” Jared Bush further explained, “we gave her glasses on purpose because it was a part of her journey, and we wanted it to be baked into her character.”

2. Coincidentally, Mirabel’s voice actor Stephanie Beatriz herself has severe astigmatism and needs glasses to see. Unfortunately, because the characters she plays on camera don’t wear glasses, and because her eyes are sensitive to contact lenses, she often has difficulty hitting her marks. Fortunately, that’s not a problem with voice acting!

3. Beatriz (who describes herself as a “huge Disney fan”) originally auditioned for the role of Luisa, but when the production team heard her read, it was clear that she would be perfect for Mirabel. Curiously, as part of her audition, Beatriz sang the song “You’re Welcome” from Moana.

4. According to Director Jared Bush, Mirabel’s birthday is March 6, the same as legendary Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, whose use of “magical realism” greatly inspired Encanto.

5. Mirabel is the first Disney female character to have the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 since Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle topped the charts with “A Whole New World” from Aladdin back in 1993. The song, of course, was “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which also gave Encanto the distinction of being the first Disney film to have a number-one song AND a number-one album. (In case you’re wondering, “Let It Go” only got to number five on the charts!)

6. The embroidered designs on Mirabel’s outfit were always integral to her character’s look. The designs were deliberately made imperfect to mimic the drawings you would typically find in a teen’s diary or art journal. If you look closely, you’ll also find symbols representing her family member’s magical gifts sewn into her skirt, along with Mirabel’s face and name.