At only 13 years old, actress Reece Caddell has already accomplished so much in the world of television. After recurring roles on ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, Schooled, HBO’s Hello Ladies and Disney Channel’s Coop and Cami Ask the World, the mega-talented actress now stars regularly on Nickelodeon’s reboot of one of the network’s all time classics, All That! The show was recently nominated for Best Kids’ TV Show for the upcoming (to be rescheduled) 2020 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.
Reece Caddell took a few minutes to chat with The Pop Break’s Rob Crowther to talk about the new incarnation of All That, her Youtube Channel (3 Ginger Sisters), and her goals moving forward.
Reece, thank you again for a few minutes. The show (All That) is nominated for a 2020 Kids’ Choice Award. What does that mean to you?
It’s just so crazy. We haven’t even finished filming our first season. It’s such an honor to be nominated for a Kids’ Choice Award when we’re still such a new show. It’s so cool. We’re all so excited.
Now were you familiar with the original show or did you go back, and watch some of the old All That sketches before you got the part?
Actually, before the audition process for All That, I didn’t really know the show. I had heard of Good Burger and had seen a couple of sketches.
But once we started doing auditions, they were like use old clips of All That for reference.
Because it was titled, “Untitled Sketch Comedy Show” and we were like okay. So I watched a couple of them and I really, really liked it.
What is it like working with some of the OG cast such as Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell? Additionally, what was it like being passed the torch from Lori Beth Denberg for the classic Vital Information sketch?
Kel and Kenan are just so nice and so supportive. They were so excited because they are also executive producing the show too. So they are so excited to be on set whenever they can. They always talk to us and help us with sketches. Josh (Server) is also really, really cool.
When I first started shooting the Vital Information sketches, it was super nerve racking because I had to do it right for people. It was such an iconic role and part of the show. But Lori Beth was with me the first few times I did it. And she was so nice and so helpful. So when I asked her about it, she said just be yourself – you’re just playing yourself as a character. She was kind enough to share her wisdom and help me with that.
Let’s rewind a little bit. How did you get your start as an actress?
I honestly can’t remember a time where I wasn’t acting. I have two older sisters who were always creating stories, plays, and movies. And I always loved to go along with whatever they were doing. At some point we got a little iPod Touch that we filmed and edited on. And my mom was like we need to make scripts for these plays because she wasn’t gonna sit through hours of us randomly improving on stories. So eventually we started a Youtube Channel.
Speaking of your YouTube Channel (3 Ginger Sisters) – I saw you went to Disneyland Tokyo!! What was that like?
Disneyland Tokyo is so much fun just because it’s a foreign country. But it doesn’t feel very foreign, it’s just feels like a different part of the world. It’s just really nice there and you can get anywhere on the Tokyo Metro. It’s very clean and the people are nice. They are very polite.
Any hobbies outside of acting?
I like to swim a lot. I do lots of art, so I paint. I do water color. I do acrylic. Sometimes I do pastels. I do a lot of sketching and I’m learning how to do digital animation right now.
Wow, that’s super impressive. When you’re on the road or getting ready to perform, what’s usually playing in the headphones?
Most people are surprised to hear this, but I listen to a lot of Green Day and The Ramones.
That’s a fantastic answer!! Did you watch any Nickelodeon shows growing up?
My cousins, my sisters, and I would love to watch The Last Airbender. That was a show that we would just binge watch for hours. Even if we had watched all the seasons already.
Many stars of All That have spun off into their own series or gone onto big movies. Kenan Thompson has gone on to Saturday Night Live. You’re already crushing it so early in your career right now. What are your goals moving forward?
I think Saturday Night Live would be cool. I haven’t really gotten to do drama in a while. So I think a movie would be cool or another television show. I don’t know. I just want to see what happens next!
Lastly, what advice would you have to anyone trying to get into the business of acting?
Acting is hard. I mean, like anything you want to be good at — it’s hard! There is a lot of being told no, so you have to be aware of that going in and know yourself well enough to think about if you can take it. When I get a no (and I still do!) I don’t take it personally. They aren’t saying no to me as a human. Sometimes it stinks because I really want a chance to play a certain character. But I can’t get down on myself for too long. I figure I just wasn’t right for the role and I move on to the next thing. If you want to be an actor, get into acting classes, do the small parts, keep getting better and keep trying. And be kind to yourself!
