Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Head of the Class’ Dior Goodjohn

Rising star Dior Goodjohn is getting straight A’s with her breakout performance in HBO Max’s Head of the Class.

Adapted from the ’80s comedy, Head of the Class follows a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge—a teacher who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Dior about her multifaceted career, Head of the Class, and more!

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Dior: It was definitely an innate thing. I never really had to discover it. It’s just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I guess you could say the origin story is my mom and dad watching me act out scenes from my favorite TV shows and sing and dance all over the house when I was little.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Dior: I would definitely say Viola Davis and Scarlett Johansson have had a major impact on my career in terms of my acting style.

PC: You act, sing, write, and dance. Does one come to you more naturally?
Dior: I know this may sound kind of cocky, but I never really had to force my talents. No matter what it is you are trying to cultivate, you need to put hard work in. However, when it came to anything involving the arts I never had an issue with taking extra time out of my day to perfect my craft. I definitely think that’s the reason I was able to stay in the world of entertainment for so long without wanting to give up—because it didn’t feel like a chore. I was just doing what I loved on a daily basis. All of it is what I was born to do.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. Is there a moment that stands out?
Dior: Of course! For me, that has to be Head of the Class. This is my first ever series regular role, and the fact that I’m working with such legendary, kind-hearted, and talented people on my first go-around blows my mind and I’m forever grateful for it.

Head of the Class

PC: Tell us about Head of the Class, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Dior: Head of the Class is a feel-good show that you can watch with your family and still thoroughly enjoy.

Head of the Class definitely pushes the boundaries when it comes to the sitcom world in that everything is much more three-dimensional. The show isn’t just a black-and-white story of teenagers in high school that get into situational comedic moments. Everyone in the show is a fully developed person with a story that you can understand and relate to. That’s one of the things that drew me to the show.

When I was auditioning for Robyn, she came off as a witty, snarky teenage girl. However, there was also this duality to her character—a part of her that was vulnerable and that made her scared to show people who she really was. There’s a perfect balance between simplicity and complexity. That’s what I love about it.

PC: How does the series differentiate itself from the ’80s comedy?
Dior: The two are very similar in that they both revolve around a group of smart high school students that have a hard time letting loose and a teacher tries to bring that out of them.

However, the issues that we tackle on the show are very different from those of the ’80s original. We deal with being a teenager in the era of social media, being out in high school, doing your best to stay true to yourself, and being conscious of your future while still trying to enjoy being a teenager. On paper, things may look different, but it’s all just the same feats that everyone is trying to get over—just in a different time and with different technology.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, this is your first series regular role. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Dior: One thing that surprised me about the entire experience was how comfortable everybody got with each other and so quickly. I always knew that it would feel like home whenever I booked my first show, but the cast became such a strong family in such a short time and it made the experience 100 times better.

One of my biggest takeaways was that as long as you’re able to have good chemistry off screen, it doesn’t matter if you feel like you messed up on a line or missed your mark. That bond that you have with your classmates will always show through no matter what.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Dior: Big Mouth or Regular Show.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Dior: Coyote Ugly.

PC: Favorite book?
Dior: After We Fell.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Dior: Chicago or The Book of Mormon.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Dior: Mötley Crüe.

To keep up with Dior, follow her on Instagram. Watch Head of the Class on HBO Max.

Photo Credit: Kenneth Dolin