Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Punky Brewster’s Cherie Johnson

Cherie Johnson never wanted to be an actress. It wasn’t until she stepped foot on the set of Punky Brewster that she fell in love with not only her craft but the industry.

Nearly four decades later, she’s back reprising her role in a project that changed her life.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Cherie about starring in the Punky Brewster reboot.

PC: Throughout the years, there has been a lot of talk about a potential Punky Brewster reboot, and we finally have it. What can fans expect?
Cherie: Fans can expect the same heart that Punky has always had. They can expect us to tackle those tough conversations that you didn’t even realize you needed to have with your kids. It’s definitely going to be a conversation starter, and it’s going to be fun. It’s going to feel like home. We’re going to make you laugh. We’re going to hug you. We’re going to make you cry a little bit, but we’re going to make you feel good before we let you go.

PC: What has Cherie been up to?
Cherie: Cherie is a social worker. Of course, her best friend has inspired her to turn her passion, which is children, into something that feels good and is part of her daily life. Cherie also gets to introduce you to her girlfriend, who is played by a wonderful actress, Ms. Jasika Nicole. She plays Lauren, who’s a strong attorney, so I’ve definitely dated up. They’re a beautiful power couple.

PC: You’ve said on your podcast that you never imagined being an actor and that you fell in love with this industry working on this show. What has it meant to you to be able to jump back into this character’s shoes in a series that changed your life?
Cherie: Playing Cherie is incredible. First of all, how many people can say that they had this job thirty years ago and get to go back to the job that they loved so much. It’s a blessing that I’d never even realized that I wanted, but it’s like lightning in a bottle. I fell in love with this industry through playing the character Cherie and then going on to Family Matters. It was fun. Then, Family Matters ended, and I realized this is a job and now I need another.

You have to find your passions. I recreated my passion through producing. But you lose it after a while, and it becomes mundane. Then, to get a phone call that you get to go back and do what made you fall in love with the very thing that you’ve spent your whole life doing…I’m trying not to cry. It’s everything. It’s amazing.

PC: With any reboot, you’re going to have the die-hard fans that grew up watching it and you’re also going to get to introduce it to a new audience. How does this show balance catering to both?
Cherie: The show is going to be amazing and generational. So many of our original friends—I like to call you guys that—grew up watching us with your grandparents, who might’ve been your babysitters. Now, the grandparents can still watch it with the kids—I say kids because I still think I’m a kid. But now I’m watching the show through my daughter’s eyes, who’s six years old. It’s being introduced to a whole different generation. The fact that Soleil [Moon Frye] and I get to watch it with our children…that’s a bigger bond that we get to connect with you guys, the viewers. It’s going to be generational. A lot of families will have four generations in the same room watching the show. How amazing is that?!

PC: It’s incredible. When you first joined the cast of the original series, you were just getting started in your career, and you’ve built this illustrious career throughout the years. Did you share any words of wisdom with your younger cast?
Cherie: They give me words of wisdom every day. These babies are so talented and they’re so smart, but the only thing that I did say to each of them is, “Please do me a favor: only do this as long as you love it. Do it as long as it’s fun and when it’s not fun anymore, find something else that is.” Being in the entertainment business, we’re not treating cancer. It’s not rocket science. You should be able to have a good time. I really want it to be fun for them because Soleil and I had such an amazing experience on the show. I want these kids to leave one day, ten to fifteen years from now, because, hopefully, we’ll be doing the show that long, but they’ll look back and be like, “Wow. I thought everything was going to be like Punky.”

PC: You were saying earlier, the show is going to tackle a lot of really relevant themes and topics. Was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Cherie: Oh, wow. I don’t know what I can give away. I will say that there are a lot of things that hit home with the children. Being a mom now, I have to have those conversations, too. Some of those conversations, I don’t even know how to tackle. Co-parenting can be hard, especially with COVID going on. We’ve been living in a house together too long. Watching the relationship with Punky and Travis [Freddie Prinze Jr.], I’m constantly reminded that we have to lead with love. Co-parenting, even if your parenting styles are different, you have to come together and make compromises. You have to find a happy medium and make your family work.

To keep up with Cherie, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Punky Brewster on Peacock today!