QQ. The show "Victorious" has such a diverse age range of viewers, is this something you expected?
A. I hoped so! It has a different feel to Nickelodeon with it being a kind of older, high school situation or scenario. I was hoping it would bring an older audience, but I didn't expect as old as we got. People my age and above, even older than I am, are recognizing me and quoting things from the show. That's such a trip to me because these are people who are well into their twenties that are just loving the show and are finding it funny and entertaining. I am so glad that fell into place that way because we can please six year olds and we can please twenty-six year olds.
Q. For those who haven't tuned into the show, can you tell us the premise of "Victorious" and about your character?
A. As I've watched the past few episodes and as things take their own shape, I think the show is primarily based upon this great Hollywood Arts high school that caters to all different elements of the arts and has just a really fun eclectic group of kids that attends the school. It kind of just follows their paths through the school and how Tori is the new student now and she's trying to find her own way and finding out all of these great talents that she has and embracing them. It's about her meeting new people and just exposing herself to the different fun elements that this school has to offer. My character is Tori's sister Trina Vega and she is a year older than the rest of the group of kids. She's a little bit of a drama queen, she's a diva in her own mind but very passionate about the arts and very passionate about singing and dancing in general. I think she believes that she is probably better than she really is. Ultimately she's just there to perform and have a good time. I think the relationship between her and Tori is very unique. Of course they are sisters and they are very close in age. They are quintessential sisters but I think they love each other a lot. I think Trina looks out for her sister and kind of loves the fact that she goes to her school. There are all of those different storylines that follow that. It's a fun show to work on and I think it appeals to several different audiences and it kind of has the best of both worlds. There are a lot of hysterical scenarios which I think is my favorite part of the show. Especially being my character, I think she's a little bit of an extremist, she's like the crazy comedic kind of freak. She's a fun character to play because she usually ends up in these crazy situations that are so much fun to play.
Q. What made you want to be a part of the show?
A. When I read the script and I read more into the character I realized that on paper she sounds a little like the diva of the school, and that sort of thing, but she had so many underlying colors and layers to her that I felt the need to bring them out. She's become very interesting to me, I think that her character has evolved and changed a lot along with the other characters. Like I said, she's funny and she's got tons of different sides to her. I am having a blast playing her whole emotional, extreme personalities and erratic little mood swings. She's a good guy, she's not the bad guy, she's a good guy and I love playing the good guy.
Q. Has comedic timing come naturally or is it something that you've worked at?
A. I've been in this industry for a while and for some reason the majority of the roles that I've booked have fallen into comedic roles. I didn't know I would be doing this when I was a little girl, I just enjoyed performing and kind of being crazy. I am sure my family would say I was always over the top and always ready to make someone laugh. I think the part about making someone laugh is so awesome, it's such a great, great feeling. Laughter is so moving and it's such a great feeling, to be able to make people laugh is awesome to me. I enjoy playing the comedic roles, I love all aspects of performing and jumping into different characters, I think comedy comes pretty naturally.
Q. Is there anything about the role that you find challenging?
A. The challenging part is finding ways of making her interesting and lovable because with her being a diva and a little more conceited, whatever she is, you don't want to like her as much. I think that the part that I try to pull out of her is that she is a little bit clueless and she's harmless and she doesn't know any better. In her own head she's completely fine and there is nothing wrong with the way that she is and the way that she treats people. It's almost like you want to feel sorry for Trina, but at the same time she's a hoot. She's a kick to watch because she kind of goes there and there are no limits with her and that might be a bit of a challenge. Recently there has been some physical comedy which is a blast for me because I grew up in a neighborhood with tons of boys and dirt biking and marital arts was a big deal. Anything that's physical for me is a blast, being on hardwires suspended in the air was a challenging, but it was so much fun. In one of the newer episodes I am pretty sure I throw myself down a flight of stairs, which was challenging and a bit painful but worth it. She's a crazy character and I like to go for it. I'm all about just going for it, put some knee pads on and do what you got to do, I'm ready!
Q. You and many of the "Victorious" cast members are on Twitter. Why is it important for you to connect with the fans that way?
A. It feels nice, I always say that Twitter is like driving or living your life with a bunch of friends. I have actually really connected with a lot of my Twitter followers and friends. I get an instant response out of people and I feel like this is a quicker way of connecting with people. Something about it is easy, it's fun, and a lot of the people that follow me are just so sweet and so great. I just love being able to communicate with them and it's a safe and instant way. I love Twitter, I am tweeting every second. It's great for work and we can make people laugh. The cast all tweets really random stuff which I think keeps us fun and relatable. It's just a fun way of being yourself and expressing yourself and getting things off your chest but kind of including everyone else.
Q. What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?
A. Thank you for caring enough to take note of our performances and our show. I think a lot of people don't realize how much work it takes to make a twenty-three minute show. We work really hard and we do it because we want people to enjoy the show and our performances. I could not be more appreciative and without all of the support I honestly and truly would not be doing this. If I didn't think that people were having fun, and if I wasn't having a good time and getting a positive response, I wouldn't be doing it. I am just grateful to have such supportive people and I couldn't thank them enough.
