Catching up with Bebe Wood and Avantika Vandanapu from Mean Girls! Discover their unique takes on Karen and Gretchen, breaking stereotypes and bringing new dimensions to the Plastics!
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00:00 It's so great to see you both. I'm so excited to chat.
00:03 How are you doing?
00:04 I'm great! It's wonderful to see you again.
00:07 I'm so excited. It's been so long.
00:09 When I saw your name on this, I was so excited.
00:12 Wait, give me the intro. I haven't met you before.
00:15 Have I?
00:16 I don't think so.
00:16 No, we haven't met before.
00:17 We go way back.
00:18 Okay.
00:19 Yeah.
00:19 Okay.
00:20 Okay, I'll just leave that out. I'll show myself out. It's fine.
00:24 They both really said you can't sit with us.
00:26 [laughter]
00:27 You can.
00:28 I'm satisfied with you.
00:30 We're bringing you into the group now. It's wonderful to meet you.
00:33 Glad to be inducted.
00:35 Well, Avantika, I'll start with you.
00:38 I know that you were able to bring your own spin on this role of Karen.
00:43 And I just wanted to ask what it really meant to you to be able to play that role
00:47 and how it was, what we can expect from her.
00:49 It meant so much.
00:51 And I really hope it translates to my performance in the film.
00:55 But I really do adore Karen. She is my favorite character from the original film,
01:00 from the Broadway show.
01:02 I think she's just a really fun, sweet bundle of sunshine.
01:07 And I think it especially meant a lot to be someone who's Indian
01:11 and play a character that feels kind of like contrary to what we've typically been boxed into,
01:19 this kind of stereotypes we've been boxed into in the industry.
01:22 And while some of her traits may not have the best connotations, like being dumb,
01:27 I think it also breaks barriers in a way and opens up opportunities for my community.
01:32 And so I'm really, really excited about that.
01:35 And yeah, I'm just happy to be singing, happy to be with the Plastics.
01:40 But it was great.
01:42 Absolutely. And I love that Mean Girls has always felt representative, but it's even more now.
01:46 As we keep going in Hollywood, it just feels more and more like more people get to see themselves.
01:50 And going over to you, Bebe, I again was so excited to see you playing Gretchen.
01:55 I feel like she is such a relatable character.
01:58 I mean, you have to keep loving her.
02:00 And I love the little moment that you have in this one where we really get to see her vulnerable side.
02:04 So how much of yourself do you see in her?
02:07 Oh, I mean, that's a good question.
02:09 I think, you know, sometimes it's a little hard.
02:12 I think like when I was first approaching the character, it was like a little hard to,
02:17 I mean, it's easy to relate to her, but also it was like a little hard to fully understand certain elements of her
02:24 because I didn't have the traditional high school experience.
02:26 I really tried to like put myself in that mindset,
02:30 what it must be like to be surrounded by all of these girls that, you know,
02:34 idolize one another and kind of are like scared of one another.
02:39 And there's a lot of that happening.
02:41 But it was so exciting to show her more vulnerable side,
02:47 also, especially through song, because I love music.
02:50 I'm a songwriter and I want to approach my own music with like a vulnerability and a rawness.
02:55 It's great music. Look up Bibi Wood on Spotify.
02:58 Thank you.
03:00 But, you know, it was incredible.
03:03 I think she's such a, I don't know, a sweet character.
03:08 She just wants to love and be loved.
03:11 And I think that's a very human thing.
03:12 I think that's a very relatable thing.
03:14 And of course, something that I relate to within her.
03:17 Absolutely. And I'm excited to hear more music from you.
03:20 I love that. You're amazing.
03:22 Stream 21st Century Hip-Hop.
03:26 Yes, plug, plug.
03:28 My last question before we wrap, I just have to ask, are you Team Fetch or Team Gruel?
03:34 Personally, I'm Team Fetch.
03:38 This might be controversial, but I think I'm Team Gruel.
03:41 I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
03:43 I'm also Team Fetch. I mean, naturally, I'm Team Fetch.
03:46 But we love Gruel.
03:48 Right. I feel like the Gruel is the awkward one where that would probably come out of my mouth.
03:52 So I do relate to that.
03:53 I feel that.
03:54 Fetch is who I want to be. Gruel is where I'm at.
03:56 Exactly. Well, thank you both so much. Congratulations on the movie.
04:01 Thank you so much.