Fiona Vroom is a dynamic storyteller who is best known for her transformative performances in projects including The Man in the High Castle, Bates Motel, Snowpiercer and dozens more.
This Spring, she stars in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. The musical comedy takes place four years before the original Grease, before rock ‘n’ roll ruled and before the T-Birds were the coolest in the school. Four fed-up outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.
Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Fiona to talk about Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, her character, and why this is a full-circle moment for her.
PC: You’re a massive Grease fan. How does this series build on that legacy?
Fiona: This series has an overpowering magic that the 1950s themselves possess. Meaning, the ’50s was an era of hope and dreams, where everything was booming and shiny, and there were opportunities for us all to live the lives we had been dreaming of. This musical series has that sparkle.
PC: You’ve played so many dynamic characters throughout your career. What was it about Tippy that resonated with you?
Fiona: The women of the 1950s have always fascinated me. They are layered with so many things. They have been told to think that the woman’s place is in the home and they have to stay, cook, and clean and have the children and make sure dinner is on the table by six. It’s heavy suppression. I play Tippy as if that concept could fall apart any second. She tries so hard to keep everything together, and that’s what resonates with me.
PC: What can you tease about Tippy’s relationship with her daughter Susan and how that evolves throughout the season?
Fiona: I can’t spoil anything, but as we get to know the mother-and-daughter relationship of Susan and Tippy, it becomes clear why Susan is the way she is. She had Tippy breathing down her neck.
PC: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies finds you returning to your start in musical theater. What has this full-circle moment meant to you?
Fiona: I trained in musical theater and I had a ten-year career. But I hadn’t danced in a while, so the rehearsal process was very important. I trained to get back in shape so I wouldn’t hurt myself. But I was amazed and perhaps proud that I got right back into the swing of things pretty quickly.
PC: The series tackles so many timely and universal themes. Was there one in particular that hit home for you? What do you hope audiences take away after they see it?
Fiona: This series is so extra special because it talks about all today’s issues but it’s set in the 1950s. The writers have found such a seamless, nuanced way of discussing these topics and not just dancing around them.
To keep up with Fiona, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies on Paramount+ today.
Photo Credit: Farrah Aviva
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