Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with All That’s Reece Caddell

Rising star Reece Caddell is an actress whose already incredible career is just getting started. Born to make people laugh, Reece grew up creating stories and plays with her older sisters that they’d perform around the house for their family. What she didn’t know then was that those performances would be the perfect preparation for her breakout role in the sketch comedy series All That! Pop Culturalist caught up with Reece to chat about her career, All That, and how the show is put together each week.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Reece: I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t acting. I have two older sisters who were constantly creating stories and plays, and I loved to tag along with whatever they were doing. They would put me in their plays they did in our living room—usually as the dog or something. [laughs] At some point, we got an iPod Touch that we could film and edit on. This was about when my mom said we had to have a script for our plays because she wasn’t going to sit through hours of us randomly improving a story. So we moved on to short films, and eventually, we started a YouTube channel.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Reece: Absolutely my sisters. They are both actors. I grew up going to auditions with them and thinking about characters and stories and hearing conversations about movies and TV shows all the time. Never go to a movie with our family unless you want a deep-dive conversation afterward! My sisters really paved the way for me. They’re both really funny and have helped me so much. They coach me for auditions and help me tape them—even my audition for All That! Our YouTube channel is mostly sketch comedy, and I went from just doing what my sisters told me to do to adding my own ideas!

All That

PC: You’re currently starring in All That. Tell us about the series and what drew you to this project.
Reece: I loved that it was sketch comedy! There is nothing on TV right now for kids like All That, and it’s a perfect time for the revival of a show like this. A lot of pop culture influences the show, and there is just so much funny stuff out there! I love that it is an ensemble cast. I’ve been the only kid on some TV shows, and it’s way more fun to work with other actors my age. And it’s comedy! I legit love making people laugh.

PC: One of the skits that you’re taking over is “Vital Information.” What has that been like? Has Lori Beth shared any words of wisdom?
Reece: It was super nerve-wracking at first! It’s so hard to step into such an iconic role! But Lori Beth was on set the first few times I filmed it, and she was awesome enough to share her wisdom and help me see how she did it and then gave her blessing for me to make it my own, which was really rad. Lori Beth has been great about getting to know the cast and encourages all of us. We’ve had several of the cast members from the original show—Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Josh Server, Alisa Reyes—on the show or visit set, and they’re all so cool and supportive!

PC: What is the preparation each week?
Reece: We get the new scripts on Friday night after we finish the live audience show. You should see us all huddled over the scripts to see what the writers have in store for us the next week! Stunts? Special effects? Wacky costumes and makeup? It’s a little bit like Christmas morning every week! I work through the script a little over the weekend, but there are usually changes to it throughout as the writers and producers tweak things. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we rehearse, do costume fittings, and of course, school every day. We practice making our characters as specific as we can, work on accents or skills, like dancing, depending on what a sketch needs. Wednesday night we get the final script, and that’s when I make sure I’m solid on the lines. We shoot some of the sketches on Thursday and then shoot the rest on Friday in front of a live studio audience. I love the audience! It’s so cool to share what we’ve been working on all week and get immediate feedback. It’s like doing live theater but also getting to do a line over again if you make a mistake. And the audience loves the bloopers—and live stunts or cool special effects!

PC: What have you learned from this experience?
Reece: I’m learning to trust my gut when I’m making choices for a character or what to do in a sketch. As the season goes on, I can see all of us becoming braver about trying things to see if they work, if they’re funny. Sometimes the choices aren’t, but even then, I learn. I’m learning how much give and take there is on our ensemble team, how we trust each other more as we get to know each other better, and how that support helps me be brave.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Reece: The Great British Baking Show! I can binge that show for far too long, and then I wanna bake some fancy thing.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Reece: My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks. I’m not even joking. [laughs]

PC: Favorite book?
Reece: Currently, Howl’s Moving Castle. Love it!

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Reece: Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetle—

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Reece: Green Day

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Reece: Can it please be Melissa McCarthy?

To keep up with Reece, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Catch new episodes of All That every Saturday on Nickelodeon.