The TV Chick

Anyone who reads this site knows that I absolutely adore Make It Or Break It, and all ABC Family programming.  I love gymnastics (I am a former gymnast), and when I received word of this show, I was thrilled. The show has more than lived up to my high expectations. It is a look into the world of elite gymnastics, but even more than that, it’s a great drama with wonderful, interesting characters. And it returns tonight! I can’t wait! I recently had the chance to visit the amazing set of the show (I even got to step foot in The Rock), and speak with the creator, executive producer and the cast members. Josie Loren, who plays newly crowned National Champion Kaylie Cruz, was unfortunately not there on the day of my set visit. But I recently had the chance to catch up with her and ask her about her character’s new responsibilities, feeling guilty because of her championship win, and her ever-dramatic relationship with Lauren.

What about your role continues to challenge you?
Well, we have a great team of writers. I feel like our characters are always developing. Kaylie started off as one thing and she’s now going into something else completely different. So I have different things that I have to deal with, different issues, different troubles that have to deal with these ten episodes that I didn’t have to in the last ten. In last ten episodes, Kaylie kind of played this golden girl, very naïve. I thought she was kind of—she’s really just soft and she’s now stepped into the role of national champion. And just dealing with all of those things that the writers are giving me, dealing with envy, having to be even more aggressive now because she actually has the title. I think that that’s very challenging because it’s just all different.

Have you had a memorable moment from filming the first ten episodes?
I’ve have a few memorable moments. I just saw this girl the other day. Actually, she was doing a stunt for me. I think only a handful of girls can do this in the entire country and I saw her do this amazing trick. It’s called a Double Arabian. I was able to see it first hand and it was incredible. I was like, “Wow!” I get to see this live. So those are just one of the many things on our set that we get to appreciate and enjoy.

Do you have a background in gymnastics? Did you like watching it?
I was a gymnast when I was younger. My parents put me in gymnastics and I was actually only good at the floor. I was terrible at everything else, especially beam. Unfortunately, you can’t be a gymnast unless you’re good at all of the apparatuses, so I became a competitive cheerleader. I was just the main tumbler for my squad. We competed in big state and national championships. We were on ESPN, did that whole thing. So I’m really knowledgeable about the world of gymnastics and the competitive nature of it and all of that. But unfortunately, I was only good at one of the things.

Has there been anything that you learned from cheerleading that has helped you with this role?
Yes. I think Kaylie is a huge performer. I think her best asset is floor because she’s just such a ham. If cheerleading taught me anything, it was performing. Cheerleaders, they know how to spice it up. They know how to ham it up for the fans and Kaylie definitely does that for her audiences as well.

Now that Kaylie is national champion, she has a lot more responsibilities, distractions, stuff like that. What do you want to see from your character going forward in terms of handling all those new things?
It’s kind of funny answering this question because we’ve already filmed six episodes. What do I want to see? Honestly, I’m pretty happy the way that she’s been handling all of this, what the writers are writing. I didn’t know what to expect after winning the national championship. I didn’t know if it was going to be a good thing or a bad thing because it could have been a negative thing in terms of she would just—once you’ve won the national championship, like well, kind of just give up on the rest because she’s already number one. But actually, she’s working a lot harder. She’s becoming more and more focused as a gymnast. In the last episode, she shed her father and Carter and everything else that was a distraction. And it’s kind of kept that way so far. Like I said, we’ve only filmed six episodes, so we have another four to film. But so far, she’s remained really focused and very, very dedicated to gymnastics, which is what I was hoping for.

And are we going to see more of Kaylie/Carter drama?
Yes, you are. Carter is definitely not going anywhere. He cheated on her, but you can’t help what you feel. And Carter was Kaylie’s first love and even though he hurt her, she’s still in love with him. So you will see a lot more of Kaylie and Carter.

That’s good to hear. And there are lot of gymnasts on set. I know you mentioned that and probably some at least national champions. Did you talk to them about your new role on the show and how that impacted them?
Yes, we have I think one of our gymnasts, she’s absolutely incredible. She’s the most decorated college athlete in the United States and she’s won I don’t know how many national championships. I’ve talked to her and she says that you just kind of have to let everything go, let everything around you go because once you become national champion and I see it in these episodes, so much follows that, endorsement money and parties for celebrities, just a lot, a lot of distractions. And she says that she just kind of had to remember what she used to do before she won anything. And if you keep to that formula, that’s what works. And if you keep that, then you’re going to continue to be successful. So I’ve seen the writers try to cast Kaylie for sure with celebrity, I guess, privileges and it’s interesting to see how she deals with it.

How is Payson’s fractured back factor into this season?
Well, up until now, Payson will still have a broken back. That hasn’t changed. It’s interesting how the writers have kind of still kept Payson such a part of the Rock. Yes, she has a different life now. She’s obviously no longer a gymnast, but she’s still an active member of the Rock in a different way. And she has her own life now away from the Rock and they’ve incorporated Emily and Kaylie and Lauren into her life outside of the Rock as well. So we’re still in the gym a lot, but when we go out of it, it’s mostly for Payson. So I think you get a nice balance there.

What would you say is Kaylie’s biggest obstacle in following her gymnastics career even though she just won the gold?
I would say right now it’s not getting caught up in the hype. When Kaylie comes back from nationals, the entire town of Boulder, the city of Boulder is just going nuts and is celebrating the huge win for Boulder. Her coach is excited. Everyone is just so excited for her and she does get an agent and her agent is piling up her plate with so much that it’s just hard to focus on gymnastics when there’s so many other things going on in her life. And I think that’s going to be her biggest obstacle, just staying grounded and staying focused and remembering why she is the national champion.

So with Kaylie getting the first place, are we going to see some guilt on her part because of Payson’s injury?
Definitely. Like I said, Kaylie is dealing with a lot and that is a huge issue. You’ll see it right from the beginning. Kaylie feels very guilty for winning the national championship because half the time, she doesn’t even think she deserved it. And the then other half of the time, she’s thinking she took it from her best friend, so she’s really torn. And for the first few episodes, she can’t even enjoy the privileges of being the national champion. So, yes, it’s a struggle for sure with Kaylie and her and Payson have to go through some things before they can reconcile and Kaylie can step into the light of being the national champion.

Speaking of friendship, are we going to see Kaylie forgive Lauren?
It’s funny because we’ve only filmed six episodes, so I’m very curious to see what’s going to come in the next four because Lauren is still Lauren. Kaylie does forgive her at some point. She forgives, but she never forgets. The writers are still making comments about what happened between Lauren and Carter. So you could see that Kaylie does forgive Lauren at one point, but it’s still in the back of her mind and it’s kind of like you hurt me once and I’ll forgive you, but I’m watching my back. Lauren, like I said, Lauren is still Lauren doing her very evil thing. So I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next four episodes and how Kaylie will react when she finds out. There’s only so much I can say about that.

Were you nervous to work with Candace or Peri like considering their TV experience?
I was more excited then nervous. I remember watching Candace on Full House and I was little. I grew up on her and I remember when I first got the call that she was going to be on the show, the first person I called was my little brother. He’s a year and a half younger than me. I was like, “Guess what?” and he was so excited. He knew that we had already film the pilot and the pilot had gotten picked up and I had not heard him as excited as when I told him that Candace was going to be on the show. He was like, “Oh, my God, now you really made it.” So I was more excited than nervous and I kind of felt like such a dork because once I got to know her a little bit, I just bombarded her with questions about Full House and what it was like and all of those things. So not so much nervous, but really excited.

Are we going to see Kaylie’s family built up again in the next ten episodes?
Yes, the immediate answer right now is yes, but that’s all subject to change. They’ve kind of set it up so it will change. It’s funny because right now after having just finished the sixth episode, we’re at this point where you don’t know what’s going to happen between Ronnie and Alex, my parents. I’m very curious to see what is going to come in the next episode. But as of right now, the Cruz family has really kind of bonded together. My dad is having a hard time stepping back from the spotlight and not managing me. He kind of lets my agent take that position. And it’s really helped Kaylie’s relationship with her father and also the relationship between Ronnie and Alex having him step down from that spot and letting to go to somebody else. So right now, all is good. But who knows what the next four episodes will bring?

The cast actually seems to be pretty close. Is there a fun fact you can tell us about each of your costars maybe?
Well, Ayla is a certified cake maker, so she’s kind of like our Martha Stewart who we love and adore. Cassie, I can’t even like say Cassie’s name without laughing. Cassie is like the—she’s the glamorous one on set. She’s the one that will walk on set wearing her leotard and like the heels that she brought on to work today. It looks absolutely ridiculous and hilarious, but that’s Cassie and that’s why we love her. She always has the funny comments and the things that you’re just like, “Really, did you really just say that?” So we’re just constantly laughing with her. Chelsea, what can I say about Chelsea? She’s the momma of the group. I was sick one time and she literally made me a list of what I had to buy from Whole Foods to get better quickly. It was like wellness formula. She introduced me to all of these different vitamins and literally wrote them out, so I could go that day to Whole Foods and buy all of these things to get better quickly. She’s definitely the momma of the group, so we’re lucky to have her.

You also mentioned that now since Payson is injured; you guys will be outside of the gym. Does that mean you get to film off set?
Yes, we’ve actually gotten to film on location a couple of times, a lot more actually, a lot more these ten episodes than ever before. A lot of it is because of Payson has her own life outside of the gym and they’ve incorporated us into that. So most of why we go on location is due to Payson.

And now that the first ten episodes have aired, do you get recognized more when you’re out and about?
Yes, I definitely do. It’s kind of strange. I haven’t gotten completely used to it yet. I’m actually home right now for the holidays. I’m in Miami. I’ve been recognized actually every day since I’ve been here the past three days a few times here and there. My family, they’re such hams. They love it so much. I’m more kind of weirded out by it still. I mean it’s completely flattering, but you’re not used to it, but they love it. My brothers and sisters, my mom, they get such a kick out of it. As long as I can give them a laugh, that’s what counts, I guess.

Do you have any message for your fans?
I’ve always said the first ten episodes that we got picked up by the network and they thought that this was a show that could be really good. So that’s why they picked us up for the next ten. But these back ten episodes, these were picked up because the fans liked it and they wanted it back. And I’m just so thankful that we have such a large following who are so committed. And all I can say is thank you a thousand times over because if it wasn’t for them, we would not be on the air again coming back January 4th. So thank you, we appreciate it and we really do love them.

Now that you’re a hit, does that change how you approach things or how you feel about things going into this set of episodes?
Not really. I’ve kind of always had the motto you go to work and you give it 100% all the time and that hasn’t changed. I would say the only thing that has changed is how my life outside of set because our set is kind of like a second home. We spend so much time together and everyone gets along so, so well that that really hasn’t changed. The fact that we have such a great show, that our fans have come to love, that hasn’t affected anything on set. Everyone is so as humble and as nice as they were from the first day we walked on to our set. So that really hasn’t played a role in our everyday work life.

How would you describe your acting style? When you’re acting, are you thinking about your own experiences or how does that work for you?
It’s kind of complicated. I had a really great acting teacher who taught me a lot of different things. It just depends on the scene. Usually if I have a really emotional scene, which Kaylie loves to cry, it just depends. If I can plug into it immediately, just because we have such good writers and they write so well, sometimes it’s just very easy to tap into what they write. But other times it’s not. I use what my acting teacher calls a 50/50. So I’ll plug in people that I know in my life, people that I love, maybe a family member or a best friend, I’ll plug them into this situation instead of, let’s say, Payson or Lauren. I’ll plug in somebody else to that situation and it makes it a lot easier for me to get emotional about that. But other times when I’m completely reaching and I’m not getting the emotion to where I want to be, I’ll create scenarios that get me emotional. If you just think about the core emotion of the scene because every scene has a core emotion, whether it’s happiness or loss or frustration. And if you could think of a moment where that was the core emotion, whatever it might be, that makes it easier to tap into that scene. Even though my scenario might not have anything to do with what’s going on in the scene, as long as the core emotion is the same, then it helps. And then the scene can go from there. So there’s a lot of different things that I use. Actually, music helps a lot, too. A lot of the times I’ll pick a song that kind of goes with the scene. It’s really difficult. I just actually had a scene with Carter in the second episode. I have a heavy scene with him and I picked this song that just went perfectly with the scenario. That helped so much, so just a combination of a lot of different things.

What would you say is the biggest factor contributing to your success?
It’s hard to put it into words. I think that I was raised by two of the best people ever. My mother and father are just the definition of hard work, like what hard work brings to you. They’ve taught me and my brothers and sisters to set your goals high and to give everything to reach them. They taught me what work ethic is, what discipline is and what it gets you.  My dad, my mom not so much, but my father came here from Cuba with absolutely nothing and literally worked his way to the top. He’s taught me and all of us that. I think that’s kind of gotten me to where I am now and I’m eternally grateful to them. Yes, there’s not much that I can say, but my parents just really taught me well and I have everything to thank for them.

Playing a national champion on the show and being a successful actress in real life, do you have advice for a fan who has really big dreams?
Yes, I think everyone has dreams and it’s just how you go about pursuing that. And I think anybody can do anything that they set their mind to. So if you set your mind to do something and you exhaust every opportunity, I think you’re going to get there. I mean it’s just about working really hard and staying very focused, not letting the distractions get to you because especially the older you get, the more distractions you have, whether it’s boyfriends or girlfriends or nightlife and just trying to strip yourself of all of that. I’m not saying if you work hard, you can play hard, too. But especially at first, just kind of being completely dedicated to one thing and even if it’s something small; I think it’s very important to do something towards your goal every day. Whether it’s reading a little bit of a script or memorizing half of your monologue. It could even be as simple as doing an improv game with a friend if acting is what you want do. But if you do one thing every day towards your goal, it’s going to happen.

I’m curious to find out how you think Kaylie’s relationship is going to change over the next ten episodes with Lauren and Payson and Emily.
Well, the fact that she’s national champion kind of puts a strain on their relationship. There’s a lot of jealousy issues that come to play and it really tries their friendship. Lauren is a different case completely because she’s – I don’t even know how to describe Lauren. But with Payson and Emily, it’s really about whether their friendship can stand this and whether Kaylie has the character to not let this get to her head and remember who her friends throughout all of this. But definitely being the national champion puts a serious strain on her friendships.

Is there any show that’s on TV at the moment that you would want to star in, like guest star?
I’d give anything to work with Tina Fey on 30 Rock.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 pm on ABC Family for the mid-season premiere of Make It Or Break It!

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