Star Power Vol.22

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Momona Tamada

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#22

Star Power

from the editor

HELLO THERE, READER! In this Star Power issue, Momona Tamada graces the cover. Momona can be seen playing the iconic Claudia Kishi in the Netflix series The BabySitter's Club. We got to chat about her love of acting and representing Asian-Americans on television. I also was lucky enough to have a quick chat with Xochitl Gomez who can also be seen in The Baby-Sitter's Club, playing Dawn Schafer. We talked about when she became interested in acting and bringing The Baby-Sitter's Club to life for a new generation. As always I hope you enjoy reading the issue and are inspired to go after your dreams!

YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF, NYOTA MAGAZINE @_CAROL_WRIGHT

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contents 1. Editor's Letter

3. All about Momona

4. Momona's Playlist

5. Star Power: Momona Tamada

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Momona's Top Picks

11. Quick Chat: Xochitl Gomez

Follow us @nyotamagazine

#StarPower

All About Momona One of my collarbones is double-jointed.

I only spoke Japanese as a toddler and learned English later on.

I was a preemie, born 6 weeks early.

I love candy. Just like Claudia Kishi, I have a stash of candy hidden in my room!

My name Momona means hundreds of beaches inspired by my hometown Vancouver.

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#NyotaMusic

Momona's Playlist Imagine by John Lennon Hey Jude by The Beatles I Will Be Ok by Mimi Bay Countdown by Beyoncé Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars Everything I Wanted by Billie Eilish Best Part by Danielle Caesar & H.E.R. Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid If the World Was Ending by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels

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#StarPower

#StarPower

Momona Tamada Interview by Carol Wright | Photographs by Karolina Turek

Momona Tamada may be young but she is already becoming an actress to watch. You might recognize Tamada from her roles in AMC's The Terror or as young Lara Jean in Netflix's To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. If not, she is surely going to become a familiar face because of her star turn as Claudia Kishi in Netflix's The Baby-Sitter's Club. We got to dive into what it was like bringing Claudia to life and the importance of representation on screen.

When did you get bit by the acting bug?

I started acting about two years ago. I attended my agency’s open call audition for dancers and I was chosen to be represented by them. I hadn't acted before that, but as a dancer, I was used to expressing my feelings through dance, which helped me transition from a dancer to an actor. When my agent began sending me to acting auditions, I discovered that I loved acting as much as dancing!

You played a young Lara Jean in To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. How did it feel to get cast in The Baby-Sitter’s Club and have a lead role?

Absolutely amazing! Playing Young Lara Jean was so special to me. I look up to Lana Condor a lot, she is one of my inspirations as an Asian-American actor, so it was such a great learning experience being on set with her and many other talented cast members.

Playing the role of Claudia is a dream come true! I grew up reading the original book series and graphic novels in elementary school, and Claudia Kishi was one of the first characters in pop culture that made me feel represented. So, playing Claudia myself is such an honor.

What about playing Claudia interested you?

One of the main things was to be able to represent the Asian community, especially for the younger generations. I really admired her for being so bold, fun and talented growing up (and still do), so it is an honor to embody her on-screen!

Claudia is known for her artsy and eclectic style in the books. What was it like to work with the wardrobe department to bring Claudia’s style to life?

Oh, Cynthia Summers and her wardrobe team are incredibly talented!! I believe Claudia had the most clothes, so the fittings took quite a bit of time, but it was never boring or tiring. I always looked forward to the next fitting!

In "Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls" the episode took a deep dive into Claudia's home-life, hobbies, and school crush. Did you feel more connected with Claudia as a character after filming that episode?

Yes, most definitely. I found out early on that Claudia and I had a lot in common, including our relationships with our grandmas, so that episode helped me connect with Claudia even more. Prior to shooting the episode, I took more time to research the history of Japanese American/Canadian internment camps. That prepared me for getting into Claudia’s emotions in that moment. I definitely learned about the importance of communicating with my family and educating myself about our heritage more.

When you’re not working what do you do to relax?

My favorite way to relax is wrapping myself in a blanket and watching movies or shows with some popcorn and candy!

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#StarPower

What was the filming experience like for The Baby-Sitter’s Club? What did you and your cast-mates do off-set to create a bond that would translate on-screen?

We had so much fun together on and off set! Our bond ever since the chemistry read was so strong and we became real-life friends right away. While we were shooting, we spent weeks and weeks together on set and we often spent weekends together as well. We have a group chat that we text to this day, so the chemistry you see on screen is very real.

Through the show female friendships, entrepreneurship, and girl power are highlighted. Do you think right now is the perfect time for a show like this to be coming out?

Absolutely! I'm so happy to have worked with such a talented group of ladies, both in front and behind the camera on this project. It helped to create more authentic storytelling and all the topics are very relevant and relatable, which is needed now more than ever!

Do you have a favorite episode or favorite moment from filming?

There are so many! One of my favorite moments was the dancing scene at the wedding. We didn’t have any lines and they just filmed us dancing and having fun. It was just like being at a party!

"Claudia Kishi was one of the first characters in pop culture that made me feel represented. So, playing Claudia myself is such an honor."

What advice do you have for aspiring actors?

My advice is actually something that my mom always tells me, “never give up and do your best with your best attitude.” You have to be very patient if you want to work in the industry, especially because you will get so many “no’s” before you get one “yes.” We hardly ever know why we aren’t chosen for a role. It can definitely be frustrating at times, but the good thing is that there is always another audition that can help you improve. That’s when I apply the “never give up and do your best with your best attitude” advice from my mom!

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#StarPower

Momona's Top Picks

Movie: One of my favorites is The Secret World of Arrietty By Studio Ghibli TV Show: Outer Banks on Netflix!

Fashion Trend: Fun, bright colours and cool accessories

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Book: Happiness Is by Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar. It’s a super simple book with one-sentence answers, but it gives you examples of all the things you could and should be happy about! It’s a wonderfulOzark reminder of how many Bride Wars things make you happy every day and how to live life with gratitude.

#QuickChat

#QuickChat

Xochitl Gomez Interview by Carol Wright | Photo Courtesy of Platform PR

Did a certain TV show or movie spark your interest in acting?

I started acting in local musicals at age 5. For my whole life that I can remember I’ve been acting so there wasn’t a specific show or film that sparked my interest. When I was 10 years old, I asked my mom if I could do acting on TV. We got an agent and I started auditioning and slowly building experience and getting noticed by casting directors. Some kids get lucky and book a big job right away, but for me, it took a while.

The television show has made various updates to The Baby-Sitter’s Club to bring in a more diverse cast. Were you excited to bring The Baby-Sitter’s Club to life for a new generation?

I am very excited to be the new and updated Latina version of Dawn Schafer for the TV series. Our culture is a lot more diverse now than it was in the 1980s, so it is important that the new generation of Baby-Sitter’s Club fans see themselves in the characters on the show and not feel left out. Girls of color desperately need visible, positive role models in the media. If you see someone on TV that looks like you and that person is respected and plays an important part in the story, that’s super powerful. If it can happen on TV, it can happen in real life. That’s what’s so cool about The Baby-Sitters Club, all types of girls represented and working together as friends and equals.

Your character Dawn comes to Stoneybrook and shakes things up a bit.

Were you excited to play someone freespirited and unafraid to be herself?

I am not too far off from Dawn in real life. I’ve always done my own thing and it takes a lot of confidence to be different. I was happy that Dawn exists in Ann Martin’s series because it’s good to see a girl who marches to her beat and the other girls accept that about her. I hope that message comes through to fans of the show.

In “Dawn and the Impossible Three” Dawn has to prove herself to the Baby-Sitter’s Club and ends up in a sticky situation. Did you start to feel truly part of the BSC universe after filming that episode?

I came into filming about a month after the rest of the girls had started because I wasn’t in the first three episodes. I was the new girl on paper and in real life. It took me a while to feel part of it, but I think that added to the performance because I came in later and had to find my place in the group.

Dawn plays a large role in helping Mary Anne find her self-confidence. What was it like to work through those scenes with your co-star Malia Baker?

We did not rehearse together before arriving on set, so we worked through the scenes as we shot each take. It helps a lot that we are all very similar in real life to the characters we play and that shows up in our scene work. Malia is a great acting partner; she is generous and very good at responding to emotions at the moment. Dawn’s arrival in Mary Anne’s life gives her this opportunity to step back from Kristy for a moment, get out of that old pattern, and find herself.

It’s a great example for girls out there who might be in similar friendships that need a little space.

What advice do you have for aspiring actors?

My advice for aspiring actors or anyone else who has a dream they are chasing is, start doing it now. If you want to design clothes, write stories, invent stuff-whatever it is, just start it. For acting my suggestion is to start with what’s available to you. I started in youth theater and you can do that pretty much anywhere.

You can enroll in acting classes and you can sign up for a free app called Scenebot that gives you scenes to memorize, perform on your phone at home and submit for review. If it’s what you want to do, go for it!

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NYOTA Magazine STAR POWER TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

CAROL WRIGHT CAROL WRIGHT

COVER ACTRESS

Momona Tamada

CONTRIBUTORS PHOTOGRAPHER

Karolina Turek

PUBLISHING WWW.ISSUU.COM/NYOTAMAGAZINE

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