Lilan Bowden – Andi Mack

By starrymag | August 6, 2018

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) Since Bowie is expanding his dating circle, will we see Bex expanding hers or at least more interpersonal friendships this season?

 

A) I hope so, but I think Bex has definitely been busy rekindling her relationships with a whole family that she hasn’t taken an active role in for years. So, that seems to be taking up most of her time!

 

Q) Bex has been studying makeup and been getting good practice at the shop. Will we see her working more on her skills and showing them off?

 

A) Bex doesn’t like to “show off,” but her business and skills make her really proud. I think for the first time Bex feels like she has something to contribute to the working world. Instead of coasting through life, she can be an active part of it and we get to see that journey.

 

Q) “Andi Mack” feels like a “Gilmore Girls” of a younger generation between Bex’s complicated relationship with her mom CeCe, the sharp smart fast paced writing, and the mother/daughter bonding between Bex and Andi. When reading the scripts, what is it about all of these tender and also often tumultuous moments shared that have stood out to you?

 

A) What touches me is how real the dialogue feels. The writers do a great job of plucking moments from real lives and putting them in the script. When people go through hard times, not every second is tragic. In the first episode, Andi (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) gets the surprise of her life by finding out her sister is her mom, but still has to go to school the next day and still shares moments of joy with her friends. In my mind, it’s more normal and real to have moments of levity when navigating difficult situations like changing family dynamics and shocking surprises.

 

Q) With Disney finally seeing the significance of showing teens that it’s okay to be different and discuss sexuality through characters like Cyrus, what are some more strides teen-based TV can enact to show that diversity should be embraced and celebrated?

 

A) I think it all starts with representation. I believe being able to see yourself represented on TV has a big impact in you feeling validated in your world. Children and teen programming is uniquely valuable because its viewership is arguably more open to new ideas and concepts than an adult audience. The more we can show diversity in kids and teen programming, the more we can foster an empathetic society.

 

Q) Bex has always had a strained relationship with her mom, what can you tease that we will see this season that either drives them even closer or further apart?

 

A) The last couple of episodes show Cece (Lauren Tom) and Bex working together as business partners. They’re going to have to become closer, whether they like it or not!

 

Q) What I love about the series is you get an amazing balance of love, lessons, heart, humor, relatability. What is it about the show’s writers that they understand about the significance in crafting such a witty, dynamic, inclusive, and diverse series and set of multidimensional characters other TV networks haven’t seemed to grasp or recognize as well?

 

A) Disney Channel and Terri Minsky, the show’s creator and head writer, wanted to create something that felt fresh and relatable to the coming-of-age experience for the channel. Terri has mentioned in interviews before – she sees a lot of herself in Andi. When she writes for Andi, Buffy (Sofia Wylie) or Cyrus (Joshua Rush), she writes from her experience being that age and pulls from real people’s experiences. The writers of Andi Mack all do that too I feel and that’s what makes the show feel honest.

 

Q) What are some of the themes we will see this upcoming season?

 

A) We’ve seen a lot of it already but having understanding for others is something that this season and the season to come will have a lot of. Also, there’s a lot of FUN episodes coming up too!!

 

Q) Bex has this incredible sense of humor and you deliver her lines so fantastically. What do you connect most with your character and what are some of your favorite traits of hers?

 

A) Thank you! Bex definitely uses humor to deflect tense situations, even if it means saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. That’s definitely something I do too, for better or for worse. I love that we get to see Bex’s journey at the point in her life where she’s taking on major responsibility for the first time in her life. She’s changing the way she usually operates (avoidance, avoidance, avoidance) and facing all her life obstacles head on. It takes a lot of strength to break a pattern that’s familiar, and I admire Bex for her strength to do so.

 

Q) Will there be any special guest stars this season?

 

A) You’ll have to wait and seeeeee!

 

Q) What do you hope that fans are taking away from the series when watching?

 

A) I hope that fans can take the show’s message about inclusion and kindness and be able to apply that somewhere in their own lives. The show introduces some characters that give you a negative first impression (ex: Amber, TJ), but as we explore their storylines we see they need kindness and understanding as much as the rest of us. I hope fans are able to see scenes like Cyrus coming out to Buffy and remember it as an example of how to be a great friend.