‘The Baby-Sitters Club’: Momona Tamada Channels the Stylish Claudia Kishi for Netflix
Q&A
For those who were fans of Ann M. Martin’s popular children’s book series, this show is about to bring back all of the nostalgia.
According to Momona Tamada, who plays the ever-so-stylish Claudia Kishi, the show will be an almost parallel visual of the stories in the books, with a few modern twists.
Here, Tamada dishes on how the show compares to the book series, how she prepared to play Claudia, and her favorite scene to film.
How familiar were you with the Baby-Sitters Club book series before getting this role, and how much did you know about your character Claudia before getting the role?
Momona Tamada: I grew up reading the books. I got introduced to them in elementary school. After I found out I got the role, my mom and I read as many of the books as possible, and I started studying my character.
(Netflix/Kailey Schwerman)
Did you do any specific research on your character? How did you really get to the bottom of what Claudia was like and how she acts?
I read the books and also watched the movies. She also has a portrait book—I think all of the characters have a portrait book—so I read that to kind of understand her and her life.
For those who are familiar with the books and with the character Claudia already, how would you say that the series differs from the book series and what’s been kept the same? Also, what have you brought to Claudia that’s new?
It’s very modernized, and I think the writers did an amazing job keeping the essence of the original books but also coming into some things more modern. Obviously, things have changed with how you can relate to the TV show. Claudia is pretty similar to the original, but maybe her style changes a little bit because fashion is always changing.
What are you most excited for viewers to see on the show? How do you think people are going to react to the characters and the topics in the show?
I think the show will be amazing because it’s so diverse and includes people of all races, and I think it’s so cool that everyone can see themselves as a character in the show. If it’s like one character or three characters, we can all find ourselves in one of the character’s personalities.
When you were filming, which scene did you have the most fun shooting?
I think any time we were in Claudia’s room. The first time I saw it, it was incredible.
And you get to eat a lot of candy in there which looked super fun.
Oh, tons of candy.
Netflix/Kailey Schwerman
What can you tease about what audiences can expect from your character specifically as the show goes on?
From the beginning, she was always a bold character, but because she found these girls and this amazing friendship, they have influenced her life a lot more.
Is there anything else you want to share?
I’m super excited for everyone to see the show. I think it will bring back nostalgia from the original books, and it will bring a new generation to the Baby-Sitters Club books. The people that read these books growing up can now watch this TV show and maybe watch it with their kids.
The Baby-Sitters Club, Series Premiere, Friday, July 3, Netflix
