Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with All That’s Gabrielle Green

Actress-musician Gabrielle Green is “all that” and then some! The talented young performer is starring in her first role as a series regular in the remake of the ’90s sketch comedy, All That. The new reimagined series brings back beloved characters and cast members, but with a modern spin. Pop Culturalist spoke with Gabrielle about the project and what sketch she’d like to see this season.

PC: You’re an actress and musician. How did you discover your passion for each?
Gabrielle: Music has always been a big part of my life. My dad and uncle are musicians, so I’ve always been surrounded by it. I started playing the drums when I was eight or nine. From there, I expanded my knowledge of music and picked up the guitar and ukulele.

My passion for acting actually came about because of my academics. At the time, I was going into middle school and I had a deep love for musical theatre. It just so happened that one of the highest-ranking schools for academics near me was a school of the performing arts. I applied and auditioned among 4,000 other applicants for 200 spots and was accepted as both a vocal and theatre major. From there, my love for acting just grew and grew. I began doing community theatre at our local playhouse and later trained with industry professionals in both New York and Los Angeles.

PC: Tell us about All That and what attracted you to this project.
Gabrielle: All That is a show like no other. It’s the same pop culture phenomenon that you know and love from the ’90s, just with a modern spin on it. We’re bringing back some original sketches, characters, and cast members, while also mixing in some new celebrity impressions and characters of our own. All That was so popular in the ’90s, and when I heard it was coming back, I knew I had to be a part of it.

PC: This is your first role as a series regular. Did that change your preparation? What’s been the most surprising part about the experience?
Gabrielle: I have a phenomenal acting coach that really prepared me for life on-set, the professionalism and dedication that is needed for this type of job as well as the possibility of very long hours, so there weren’t too many surprises from that stand-point. I was surprised about how quickly our sets change over and how each one takes you to completely different times and places.

PC: Were you familiar with the original series? What is it like working alongside Kenan, Kel, Josh, and Lori Beth?
Gabrielle: I was familiar with the original series before booking the role. My dad had actually introduced me to Good Burger (the movie) a few months before my audition, and one day I was just doing some research and found that the movie was actually based off of a sketch called “Good Burger” from a show called All That. It was kind of weird and amazing how everything came back full circle. It is such a blessing and dream come true to work alongside such comedic legends. Kenan, Kel, Josh, and Lori Beth have all been so welcoming and kind, and are always willing to be a coach, mentor, and friend, and I am so grateful for them—they’re like the silly and fun aunt and uncles.

PC: How did your theatre background prepare you for All That?
Gabrielle: Doing a multi-cam comedy is really like doing a play, just with cameras. You’re still performing in front of a live studio audience, so you have to project your voice; the boom mics pick up almost every little sound, but it is still very important that your audience can hear you. Things are also very exaggerated in theatre when it comes to performance, which is also very similar to our performances on All That because all of our characters have very big and distinct traits.

PC: If you could write an original skit, what would it be and why?
Gabrielle: Hmmm, that a hard one. I would really like to see a crossover between Literally Liza and the Loud Librarian or a crossover between Literally Liza and Marie Kiddo. I feel like those would be interesting interactions because they are all very distinct characters and it could be really funny to see how those big personalities handle each other.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Gabrielle: I really like Cupcake Wars.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Gabrielle: It has to be National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

PC: Favorite book?
Gabrielle: I really like To Kill a Mockingbird and the Harry Potter series.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Gabrielle: Wicked is by far my favorite musical!

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Gabrielle: Some people already know this about me, but I really like Prince.

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Gabrielle: All three seasons of Stranger Things.

PC: Hidden talent?
Gabrielle: I can talk really fast and still articulate my words and I’m a pretty great hula-hooper!

To keep up with Gabrielle, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and catch All That on Nickelodeon.

Photo Credit: Storm Santos // Hair: Aaron Barry // Makeup: Kimberly Bragalone