"Bebe & Avantika: Reinventing Karen & Gretchen in Mean Girls "

Gayety

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!

Transcript

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.

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