COSTARS Lee (left) and Tham in a scene from the Nickelodeon show
The characters helped the creativity of the actresses offscreen, according to the costars, who talked about changes inspired by the ongoing Canadian series (Nickelodeon, weeknights at 6), in an e-mail interview.
“The songs in our show have positive messages that I stand behind, like believing in yourself and standing by your friends,” Singapore-born Tham, 16, told the Inquirer.
“‘Make It Pop’ has 43 original songs, and there’s so much put into the show’s storyline, music and dance numbers,” elaborated 20-year-old Lee, who was born in the United States to Korean parents.
Tham plays the bookworm band member Corki, while Lee plays confident group leader Sun Hi. Other costars, Louriza Tronco and Dale Whibley, portray their schoolmates and bandmates, Jodi and Caleb.
“Corki is more confident this season, said Tham. “She has grown into her own and become more comfortable in her new environment… My favorite part of this was playing up her sassier side. I had a lot of fun exploring new aspects of her personality,” she explained.
MEGAN Lee
On playing Sun Hi anew, Lee recounted that the role has become helpful in real life: “It helped me become more diverse, because Sun Hi has such an expressive personality.”
Tham, who travels and draws in her spare time, hopes to study business and fashion someday. She draws inspiration for this first acting role from various sources, she said: “My acting influences are Jessica Chastain and Alicia Vikander, and I love all aspects of the visual arts—fashion, photography, drawing and painting… the list goes on.”
ERIKA Tham
Lee, meanwhile, aspires to be a pop star. The ex-child actress, who had guest appearances in shows like “iCarly” and “Crash,” has a YouTube channel for her originals and covers. Her influences include a mix of music artists and actors, mentioning Jason Mraz, Michael Jackson, Adele, Meryl Streep, Jim Carrey and Audrey Hepburn.
Lee admitted that she isn’t necessarily attuned to what’s currently hip. “I don’t like to follow trends just because they’re in—I go with whatever makes me happy at that moment,” she said.
It’s been a happy, fun ride for the costars, so far. Tham described fans as “incredible,” and expressed optimism that she, her fellow actors and the show’s creative team are entertaining and educating viewers. “I hope we are teaching young girls and boys that they should always be proud of who they are, and should never be afraid to follow their dreams,” said Tham.