Starring Christina Vidal as Gabriella in "Brink!"

All right, everybody, thank you so much for joining us over here on our park Hopper episode where today we are talking to one of the coolest people I think I'll ever get a chance to talk to.

Did she just steal that movie? Or is that me a hundred?

I mean she she is a front runner of the girl power movement.

Oh definitely, and the cool weighted dress movement and the oh Man, just everything about it. I know she's gonna have some great stories. We are, of course talking about the Star, and yes, I'm gonna say the Star. I know Eric Fondett and everybody else is in it too, but the Star of Brink Bank gotta go up when you say it. Frank Christina Vidal, how.

Are you hi? Doing okay? How are you?

I'm good thing? Are you mid traveling somewhere?

Oh we are. I'm so sorry. Where.

We just moved recently and it's just been NonStop things to do, things to take care of and so we're just kind of always on the move.

And my daughter gets out of school.

Really because I heard moving isn't stressful at all.

No, it's it's a breede. It's a breed.

Well welcome. Thank you for talking to us.

Thank you for having me on guys.

So, I'm just curious, are you aware of the resurgence of this movie where in like the last year or two, it's everywhere everybody's talking brink all the time everything.

No, it's you know, it's actually been more than the last year for me, but especially with like social media and and you know, just kids posting things and like, you.

Know, there's just so much there's there's so much what's.

The word nostalgia around, yeah, around, and there's and there's so many there's so many ways to express it now through social media, TikTok, Instagram, like you know, people are posting stuff.

So I had no idea, I will say when filming it that it would be the sort of that that it.

Yeah, I mean, it's like, I mean, I've had people who uh you know are in the business now, actors and actresses that I admire, tell me like, oh my gosh, that movie is the reason why I started acting.

I'm like, really, do.

You remember auditioning for it?

First of all, did you go to the twenty first level at the Disney Channel Radio, like the Disney Channel building.

Do you remember the twenty first floor there?

I don't Oh, it's the audio audition floor. The audition floor.

I mean, if I went there, i'd probably just because it's just so like it's down to the line.

You know, retroactive panic attack when you step off.

The I did.

And you know what else we had.

We had an audition actually in the Disney on the lot, but then they walked us out. We had to bring our own roller blades, and they took us on this like random street that had a downhill in Bourbon by the studios, and they were like, all right, you put your roller blades on and go down really fast.

Don't fall.

I was like, oh my gosh, you're kidding me.

I was like, I do like Santa Monica pier rollerblading.

Yes, auditions aren't painful.

And they took our breaks off, so you know how like the regular Yeah, they took the brakes off, and they wanted to teach us how to break without it, because that's how real rollerbladers do it.

Right at the audition they did this or during your training, No, at the audition. At the audition, they were ready to let any of you kids basically.

Just bite it.

Yeah, it sounds like the Hunger Games. Yeah, the Hunger you get the part or you die? Are you doing there?

They show they showed you how to do it. They're like, have you ever done it? And I'm like no, and they're like, this is how you stop? Okay, we just needed we need to know that you can do this, because to be fair, there were a lot of shots where we had to stop, you know, on a dime after coming off of something, you know, rollerblading, and so it needed to be us, you know, because it'd be close up whatever anyway.

So but I survived.

I survived, thank god, because we could not have to not be in that movie.

But that that takes me to how honest were you?

And be honest right now on your resume of how good of a rollerblade? Like I think my rollerblading on my resume was like totally got it like anything. But if I would have gone to that audition, I would have said, Dad, we're out.

Like I can't be here. That I lied and I got got. So what was your resume?

Like?

Was it honest?

I said, I don't even think rollerblading was on there, but I maybe it was, so I thought I could here. The thing is I was a bit delusional. I had no idea, what real rollerblade? When they said, I was like, heck, yeah I can. I could run circles around that pier. But that was when I thought rollerblading had brakes, and I didn't know that they just took those off like so to be fair.

When I got there, I panicked a.

Little bit because I thought, oh no, I'm going to lose this part because the other kids there actually did rollerblade.

And I was like, I, this is guys, I gotta be honest.

I don't but I was a lot more confident as a kid, and and so I just said, well, I don't know, but I can figure it out.

Yeah, sure, the typical actor thing. I'll figure out how to ride a horse later.

I still have a busted tailbone because of that.

So there are rube I've heard you say, weren't you seriously injured while doing this movie?

I kind of was, because during the training they wanted to teach us how to just go down the ramp, which they made it sounds so simple, you know, and I'm not even saying it right, but whatever that that.

They drop in on the halfpipe half pipe, you drop in into the half pipe.

Half pipe half pipe.

Sorry, had you wait if they had the actors actually.

Dropping in on the half pipe.

They were, Yeah, they wanted us to learn how to drop in on the half pipe because they wanted to be able to do close ups on us. Because my my stunt double was a boy, so there were times where they wanted to get close up.

Your stunt double was a dude.

Yes, it was a little Hispanic boy, and I am I am embarrassed to say we looked very much alike.

We really couldn't tell it different.

I don't even want you to listen to the podcast episode now because I was like, and even Gabriella's stunt double looks so good.

I mean, how did they find these people to look so much alike?

They really did. You couldn't tell.

And mostly one of the things we were talking about was the fact that we couldn't tell the actors from the stunt doubles.

It was almost seamless.

No, he was he was a boy. He was a boy. They put a wig on him. But we had the same kind of body type, and he was my height and everything, so my color.

Like, you really couldn't.

Tell you're dropping they're teaching you how to drop in. This is before the film is even started.

Yeah, this is just training.

So the Channel was potentially willing to lose actors before filming because that's so dangerous.

That does not look.

You guys know, things are different back then. Back in the day, they they just took all kinds of risk and did all kinds of things that they would never do now. I mean they would have allowed too.

Well.

So again just being overly confident, and you know, I'm with a bunch of other like dudes and skaters, and I was like, my ego was like I can't you know, I gotta, I gotta do this, even though I was terrified. So I went down and you know, I didn't have my balance. It's why I'm not very good at snowboarding. I didn't have my balance, and so I went up and my feet kind of went under me and I just fell directly on my tailbone at the like middle of the pipe.

Man.

And so they didn't they didn't have me do it anymore.

After you didn't break anything, did you.

I didn't break anything. I badly sprained it.

There's nothing you can do about that.

No.

I was in pain for like a while, and then like I had to go to the chiropractor for like a long time after that, just because like my neck, like everything was just sort of out of alignment.

But you know, we kept on going. I mean, you know, we put some ice on it.

Like they gave me, you know, the rest of the time off to kind of sit down and and chill. But then I had to get back up and learn the other stuff, you know, because.

I nice they gave you the chance to sit throwing you down a half pike.

It just gave me a bag of ice.

Well, you mentioned something about, you know, filming with there were the only other females in this cast were a young little little one and then adult in the mom and the mom and I mean you I feel when we were watching it we talked about this, you were

Like I just I really love that.

Did you feel that this was a good chance and opportunity as a female athlete? To to to make a you know, make a big presence in in you know, the street at that point.

Wow, at that time, I don't even think I thought about that. I was so young, but I grew up with you know, my closest sibling is my older brother, and I grew up just always competing with him and with his friends. It was a very natural place for me to be in. I was very comfortable around boys, and like I dressed kind of like kind of like, you know, a little tomboyish when I was growing up.

I can do what you can do.

And at the time, I don't think I even knew what that impact was. I mean I say that about Freaky Friday, about Tyana, like the other things I was on where I'm like, I had no idea.

You were just living the dream.

I was just living the dream. I was just a kid doing what I love to do. Yep.

Yeah, it really was ahead of its time.

Also for the reason that you know, most of the time when we're watching these movies, anytime that Disney was doing a film back then, if there was a girl in it, there was some sort of love interest, right, and you know she was somebody who the one of.

The boys was in love with. There was no there wasn't even alluded to.

In this movie that there was any love interest. This was just the soule skaters.

Well, we did think there was possibly could have been. Well, but that was our life.

That was you and I talking about it. It wasn't Disney.

It was I'm a Van, Pete the friend Pete, Pete.

It couldn't have been Brink, you know, but it could have been Pete.

He gives you his shoes.

Now we might be looking into a little bit like Cinderella, I.

Mean, take on it. That would have basically gone that way maybe.

And you know what, in real life, I actually did have a little crush on Patrick.

Oh.

I think that probably showed through.

He was just the sweetest, sweetest kid, like just the nicest kid, and we really got along and so oh yeah, I mean I think what I love about that movie is that even if there was any of that, they just the characters themselves I think prioritized friendship, yeah, more than anything, and it was really about maintaining that friendship and that bond, and like, I think that's one of the reasons why the movie was so popular, because people

You definitely looked like a group of friends and we kind of were offset.

Yeah.

Well that's what I was gonna say, is do you remember the first time you got to meet the rest of the crew? I mean, do you remember the first time they put you all together? It's like, all right, you're cast, this is your team.

What was that like?

Yeah, I believe it was the same day as the as the skating test.

We were all there because we were all testing, so I know Patrick was there. Eric may have already been cast, actually, but yeah, I think the other Yeah, I think we were all there, and that was the first day that I met them. And of course I was like, oh my god, they're all so cute.

I have to look cool. I can't don't fall.

Don't fall.

The nineties middle part were really on point with the hair.

Oh yeah, the long nineties middle.

Part, the greasy like I didn't really do it, I didn't really wash it.

Oh my gosh. It was so so.

Cute but okay.

But this brings me to the next question, which is, like, how does it feel to outshine literally one of the heart throbs of the era at that point?

You outshine everybody? Really, Oh god, you stole that movie. We said that during the pod you stole that movie.

And a rebuttal question is how much did people hate you for it? Because I feel like every teenage girl at that time was like, oh, well.

I can roller blade.

They probably all got their rollerblades out started going like and in your in their mind they were competing against Gabrielle.

Yeah, they had I had so many. I still have young girls now. Well they're in their twenties now, obviously, like you know, but I still have them tell me, like I started rollerblading because of Gabriella, Like Gabriella was the goat in that movie. And again like I don't even think it occurred to me because to me, that movie was about Eric Bundton, you know what I mean.

And until Gabriella hit the screen, girl, yeah, you guys.

Meant to be I didn't see it like that.

But and I definitely didn't get any any uh any hate from that, I think because guys.

Don't really respond like that. If it was a cast of a bunch of girls, that's a different story, right, I have story, but with all the guys.

Now, so we we heard it shot in It was shot in l A and also in Washington, right.

I did not go to Washington, So okay, maybe yeah, maybe that was maybe Eric.

So how long did you shoot in LA for?

I want to say, gosh, guys, that was a long time ago, but I want to say it was like at least two months, Like that was one of the longer shoots.

Yeah, that was one of the longer shoots because of all the skating stuff. We had a lot of prep on that frame before we even started shooting stuff.

So yeah, two months and you're skating every day.

I have to imagine, essentially, unless you were one of the choir scenes, you're on Broadways all day long.

Yeah, all day long.

And it would take so long because they had to do our stuff.

Then they had to do the stuff with the stunt doubles and then bring us back in and you know, and get different angles of stuff and so but again, I was a kid, I was young.

I loved it.

I mean sometimes we would skate off and they would have to come find it because we wouldn't be in anywhere near set because we're like, we're skating, we're playing, we're hanging out, you know. Like it was just a big hangout every day.

So you were you were close. Then you were close with the rest of the cast. You guys all get along.

With everybody, with everybody. We everybody was We were really friendly. Everyone was really nice and we really got along. We even went to Eric didn't come with us, but I think was it just Pat and o'patrick and oh god, I can't remember the other kid's name.

We went to a water park like one of our days off.

The kid.

Oh, he didn't come with us, but I loved him too.

I love that guy now, I love him. No, No, no, he didn't come, but I think it was just me, Patrick and one of the other kids. I can't remember his name with the lung blood. Here, Hi, sweetpee, my daughter just got We just picked her from school. Oh nice, So yeah, we we would hang out like outside of filming.

We were really friendly. Yeah.

Yeah, Well, since your daughter just got in the car, when's the last time you've watched it?

Has she watched it?

So she hasn't watched Brink. They've only watched Freaky Friday with me.

You've got to show her. She is gonna look I know.

Well, I mean I think they'll be excited because they see me.

But my kids are just like they're just I have two I have she's this, one's three, my other other is five.

Okay, yeah, So it's like they're still into animated stuff like live action. They're kind of like Snora, I don't want to watch this. So when they see Mommy, they get pretty excited. They do get pretty excited. So I have I have to introduce them to Britain.

You do, because it is kind of I mean, you do have to kind of, you know, put your tough skin on. Because we watched rewatch my movie The Cheetah Girls. My daughter halfway through it was like, can I go watch Mowana now? And I was like, okay, all right, but then at the end, by the end she really was like that I want to be a cheatd girl.

Yeah, yeah, I'd rather go watch them. And I think maybe that's why I've been avoiding it.

Because I'm like, right, wait until you know I should have hurt my.

Feelings, and you tell me you don't want to watch it anymore, I'll be sad.

Well.

One of the things we loved about the movie was, you know, it just shows how cyclical everything is and all of your and I say this knowing nothing about this, and even I could tell all of your wardrobe is kind of like back in fashion.

It is because the look.

Now is kind of how you were at you know, the baggy pants and the cool.

Tank tops and all that kind of stuff. Did you have any input.

Into how you looked or was it Disney just going here's how you're gonna address.

Yeah, no, I not really.

I mean because I think for them it was really about making sure we look like skaters, so obviously I didn't really know what that was.

And it was also about making.

Sure that the clothes were like functional for what we would be.

Doing with all with all the skating and stuff like that, so.

As well as being bright as ever, all the bright colors so bright, I mean cool though they're great.

I mean in the browner your skin, the more colors they put on you because it looks tight.

So I'm lit.

I mean that.

Yeah.

I was noticing too, because you know, Will doesn't really probably didn't really have to do a lot of standards in practice, but I noticed, like you couldn't have like a spaghetti strap tank top. It had to be like a thick bank but tank top under a spaghetti strap tank top. Like you know, it's like that's total Disney standards and practices, you know.

Yeah, yeah, they very careful about I mean, they have conversations about like your ponytail and how you know how high it is, how I mean it's.

Like I but at the same time, one of the things now as like a mom. I was like, there were so many times, especially Eric's character Brink, who didn't have his helmet fastened.

Safety issue, safety issue, the entire.

Time going down Like what did they say, one hundred and fifty miles down that mountain or that that hill not no safety, no safety, nobody cared. All that mattered was that his hair stayed.

Again, you got to make sure the spaghetti strap is over the other strap.

But forget spaghetti strap must be covering not too much shoulder, not too much shoulder, can't Okay, did anyone, Well, I guess you weren't around really any of the any like a lot of young ladies. But maybe during that finale scene where girls just like swooning over these like pro skaters, you know, or guys too, just being rollerblade fans themselves.

Yeah, I can't remember his name now. He had red hair. He was a big deal back then. Yeah, big rollerblader. The girl and the guys were we I mean, everybody was just and I didn't know who he was. But my friend Matt, who is a really good rollerblader, who was also one of the stunt doubles in there, he was telling me, like, this guy's a really big deal. I'm sorry, I wish I could remember his name, but that's all right. But everybody, everybody was pretty excited about him.

They want the boys starring in the movie, right, Yeah they were.

They got all the attention from from the girls on set there.

Yeah, Sabrina was swooning over them.

It's it's twenty five years later, and she's like, Eric, I'm.

Not even embarrassed about it, not honestly, not that there's like a crush in any sense.

It was like I remember when the movie.

Was out how big he was and how much everyone had a crush on him.

It was he was just a heart throb, he really was.

And this movie was so cool because Rollerblading was so big, you know, and it was showing and now you're talking about this He's not even cute.

He's talented, like.

So, you know, And that was him in real life, just very very confident, very sweet. He was always very sweet. Oh but like he knew, he knew he was cute, you know.

I mean he knew, he knew, he knew how to work it.

He all thought he was cute.

Yeah, yeah, I don't think secret.

Do you talk to anybody from the film anymore?

No, we had like a little reunion thing where I got to see them all on zoom and we did we did an interview and that was so much fun.

No, And then.

Briefly Patrick and I stayed in contact after that, but he lives so far away and we kept saying, yeah, we gotta we gotta get together, We gotta get the families together, you know, because he has kids as well, he's married, and it just never happened.

But like other than some stuff on Instagram.

Also with the Vowel character, I ran into him a few times, but I know, not kept touch with anybody.

And it's tough, I mean, especially with the That's what we have said multiple times with the d coms. You don't go into thinking you're gonna really see these these actors a ton after you usually go, you film and then there's not a lot of times even yeah, you're done.

It appears you may go for a press day and that's kind of it.

You're not they were meant to be these ongoing you know, you go on a tour of a bunch of you know, mirrors or anything.

It's just it's it's one and done and that's it.

So I think that's pretty cool that you haven't had a chance to run into them here and there.

And everybody from the film is doing something different too now like a lot of them aren't e's been acting anymore. So then you really don't see them because they're not in the yeah, not in that world anymore.

Anybody who knows me knows that one of the reasons I got into the industry is because of Michael J.

Fox.

And so I know that you were in life with with with Mikey yep. And I'm just curious, do you I mean, was this your this is your first film, wasn't it first? And I mean you're in with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, big one of the biggest director's, biggest producers.

What is that experience?

Like, I'm not going to try to gush and make you tell me every single moment you spent with Michael J. Fox, even though I would love to do that, but what is that like you're stepping in and uh into that set for your first time ever.

I'll tell you what. The perception that we have of some people is overrated. Not Michael J. Fox. He's every bit and then some of what you think he is.

I feel so blessed that that was not only my first film, it was my first time acting in front of a camera.

From the audition process, like they literally got me.

Off the street from school, like I had never done anything, nothing, and so that could have gone so many different ways, And I feel so blessed that he was my first experience because he was so kind and so generous while never making me feel like I was the amateur that I was like genuinely, yeah, never made me feel like that.

He took care of me. He looked out for me.

I'll always remember he took me to he invited my mom and I to hit his hotel to treat us to lunch. And he was like, he was like, uh, is he he's from Canada?

Right, yeah?

Origin, Yeah, Okay, So he was like, hey, I'm from Canada. I'm trying to remember if that was exactly what he said, but he was like, uh, this is a huge store here Roots.

He was talking about the store Roots.

He was like, I bought you this jacket from Roots as just so you could remember Canada and you know this is my hometown and I love it.

Just so sweet.

Wow, Like he did everything possible to make me feel as safe and comfortable as possible and it was the best experience of my life.

I mean, how old were you?

I was ten. I turned eleven while we were shooting.

And it's Nathan. You got Nathan Lane, Cindy Lacker.

I mean no, I had no idea. I think I made her listen to me sing because I wanted to be a sober more than anything at that time, and so her and the director because I was so jealous of the scene where all the kids got to sing, and I was like, I feel like Angie should sing and they were like, that's not really the direction we're going with her. And I was like, well, you should at least give me a chance to sing for you so I can show you how good I am. And they were wonderful.

You're like, okay, well, you know what, Cindy, just put me on your next record.

We'll give it even And she gave me tips.

Cindy gave me tips, like she actually gave me a little like voice lesson one day. What you know, things that are like I had no idea as a kid how epic these experiences were.

Exactly.

Oh, I'm so happy to hear everything you just said. Maybe so, I've gotten a chance to meet Michael J. Fox once or twice, very briefly, and both times he couldn't have been nicer. So to just hear that that's exactly what he's like to work with too, it just so warms me.

From the inside out. I love hearing that well, oh, it is the best thing in the world's and.

He worked harder than everyone, he got less rest. I mean, there was not one day that that man was rude or had a bad attitude or anything.

I mean, he was just lovely the.

Entire God, I love it, my idol, still my idol, clove of mind. Awesome. So happy to hear that.

What about your experience with Freaky Friday. I mean you had some big hitters on that movie as well. I mean, yeah, Jamie Lee, Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Lady Lowan.

I mean, how close an age were you? Guys? You and Lindsay? Were you guys? Pretty similar?

Not that close.

I was like twenty one when I did that. She was like seventeen. I think she was still a minor okay, but you'd never know because she was always so mature. You just had this sense that she she lived.

Like nine lives by the time she was sixteen. Wow, she was just like that, you know, she was really mature, really independent. She was. She was driving.

I remember driving down Sunset with her to go to the sushi place in this convertible, and I remember thinking.

Aren't you too young to drive this? And even like rent it, you know, but whatever.

We were driving down Sunset going to get some sushi, and she was I just remember about her.

She was very confident.

She was, oh, hold on, yes, honey, Oh I'm sorry, sweetie.

I said a word that we don't say in this house.

Confident, it's fun.

I can't say it again, Will, because then she'll call.

Me Will fair enough because she hasn't. You haven't sworn. So I'm wondering what it's not.

A swear word. I'll explose. Okay, it's it's.

W h A T E B E, say whatever.

Because the way that our children were saying it was not respectful. We were like, hey, we don't say that, we don't say that, but now anytime we is it in any.

Way now they call that that, I don't say that word.

That is so good, oh man, But it's too hard to explain the difference.

You need to have them just flipped the script on you.

Right all the time, man, this parenting thing. But so anyway, back to Lindsay, she was very confident. That's what I remember about her. She had this confidence about everything she did and it was really impressive and I thought.

She's got tough skin.

This kid yeah, like, Wow, she's got really tough skin and all this stuff she had been through and stuff like at just sixteen years old. I was really impressed with her. And then Jamie Lee was really sweet. She was everybody's mom. She was just everybody's mom on set.

Was she I've met her randomly at a dance competition and she was so sweet and me, imagine how many kids were there, her daughter was there to dance. She was so respectful to all the other dancers, and she just seemed like everyone's mom. That's exactly now, you just explained it is exactly how she came off in a brief meeting. What about so growing up there was such little amount of like the Puerto Rican representation within TV and movies.

Did you have anyone growing up that you really.

Looked up to or aspired to be, you know, as far as career wise.

Well, other than my sister.

My sister started acting before I did, which is which made me want to be on screen. Okay, and then there was also glorious Steffan. So I wanted to sing more than anything before I wanted to act. I wanted

And then just your neighbors. But you know, that's their problems, just the neighborhood.

And then I remember my mom took me to go see Rent on Broadway. Yeah, and Daphanie Rubin Vega played Mimi and I was blown away. Yeah, I just and I was already acting at that point that I had only done a little bit of theater, and I.

Was like, wow, Wow, Like she she just.

Her talent, her ability to captivate an entire Broadway stage every time she came on stage.

To me, she stole the entire show.

Wow, and the way she danced and sang and moved, And I was just like I, if I could even be a fraction of that talented I would love it. And then I got to work with her years later on a pilot who I got to work with her and hang with her and of course, I was like fangirling and she was so sweet.

Did you geek out? Did you tell her everything?

I did?

I did? Well, that's a fun fact about me. I am the most obnoxious fangirl. Like you would never think that. I've been in the business for as long as I've been and worked with.

The people I see. I see people, and I still look Hi.

I met Mariah Carey because my husband danced for her, and he's like, hey, you want to take a picture with her?

And I was like sure. I'm like I'm gonna be cool, don't worry. And then I get in the picture with her and I'm like she's like, Hi, nice to meet you. I'm like, oh so much. I mean, I just had this goofy.

Were you one of those people that would she hugged you, she could feel you rattling.

Literally, I'm just well, I was so stiff. I was just diff I didn't know.

It was one of those moments where you walk away and you're like, I think I blacked out. Can you tell me because I don't know what I said, what I did, I don't know what happened, but your.

Own music career, because weren't you weren't you in a girl group called Gemstone.

Oh no, why do you know that? Every reason? Yeah, that was a girl group in Germany.

You were in Germany in that girl group?

Yeah, yep, wow wow.

How long did you do that?

Probably on and off for like a year year and a half because then I got Tyana and I couldn't I couldn't continue, and so they continued without me, and then Jay ended up being an enormous superstar in Europe music. She went, she went solo, But yeah, I was. I was there for like almost two years. Movie. I didn't live there, but my mom would fly back and forth with me all the time to record. And oh so we get to releasing. We didn't get as far as releasing our album. We spent a good.

Year doing all the prep work, travel.

Back and forth.

Yeah, and we had we had rehearsals in La and like we were getting ready to go, and then I booked Tina and I think you guys were so sorry. I can't turn down an opportunity to like lead my own show.

That's just yeah right, so yes, absolutely, Well, speaking speaking of recording, there's another song we want to talk about, because apparently you also recorded a song for Sabrina's workout DVD.

It's called b U.

Yes, Oh my, isn't that crazy?

It was like a it was you know, it was dance at Fitness.

It was about, you know, a DVD that was about trying to make fitness fun for young kids.

Anything as possible, I think is the name of the song.

Yes, all the music is super like empowering and you know all of that, and yes.

I remember that.

Oh my gosh, is that crazy?

Oh my god, I forgot about I.

Was so excited that you were going to come on and do an interview because I mean we didn't even get a chance to like do anything. You know, it was just a soundtrack that one of your songs was on. So I just love that. That's so rad.

Yeah, wow, it's god, Oh my gosh, history that was awesome.

I love it. But I want to get now.

Will Smith is one of my I mean talk about having a hyperventilation if I ever were to get to really sit down and talk to him and no, well no, we'll no, i'ld be able to handle myself. You're talking about what I was like twelve years old.

Yes, it would be totally.

But but you got not only to just to be honest out, but you did a music video with him?

I did.

How epic was that?

Oh my gosh.

So so I met Will to shoot that video. And that's another situation where I completely embarrassed myself because he's so cute, so nice, so humble, so down to earth, all of those things you've heard about him. And so we start. He was outside of his like enormous trailer that looked like that I would live in, I would live in happily.

It was like a double wide, better than most of it, expanded each side, like.

Two levels, that whole thing.

So he's sitting outside there and we're on location shooting the music video and I go up to him, and I think I was with my manager and actually my manager's assistant who was my ex boyfriend at the time, so a little awkward. Anyway, we're there, he's talking, we're hanging out, and he's like, hey, Christina, thank you so much for being a part of this, like, you know, just being his humble, nice self.

And I just grabbed him and gave him this like big hug.

And my manager was like, hey, you know, like still out back on whatever, and I.

Was like, he said it again.

She's gonna call me out every time.

I'm gonna ask you to stop saying that word.

Please, you know, when they're just backfires on me anyway, So I said to it. I turned to him, right in front of wheel. I turned to my manager. I was like, stop hating. I was like, don't hate on me, because I'm getting some love from Will Smith. And it just kind of broke the ice for all of us, and he started laughing and he kind of looked at me like okay, girl, like you got some you know, And I.

Was like, yeah, I mean, I don't know what I'm ever.

Going to see you again, so I'm gonna I'm gonna get I'm gonna get me a hug. And then from that point on it was just very very friendly, very chill. I didn't I don't think I actually did any shots with him because he was Will Smith, but I did get to meet him and talk.

With him and you know, be on the song and that was cool.

That's all right.

So I hate to do this to you because I know this is putting people on the spot. But if you had to pick one and only one, you could only act for the rest of your life or sing for the rest of your life, which one do you take? It's like picking between your kids, right.

Yeah, well that's that nice, except everybody knows the answer.

You just don't want to say.

But I would say act, okay, okay, because as much as I love to sing, I'm not an artist. I never loved the everything that came with singing. I didn't love it as much as I love acting. I'm not I'm not as good at that as I feel like confident, comfortable and confident, So it would it would definitely be acting, Okay.

Singing is more of a hobby at this point.

Yeah, I think that that's also it could dive into the world of the industry, like the different industries that those are, Like the music industry is so vastly different than the industry of acting, and you know, the people that are involved, the different things that you have to go to versus you know, being an artist or being a character in a movie or TV show.

But you do have two gorgeous daughters.

Are you gonna let them get into acting if they want to? Do they have any desire to say? I know they're young, I know they're young, but how do you feel about that? Knowing you were young in the industry.

You know, I've thought about that so much. My husband and I have talked about it.

Yeah, because definitely at least one of them is showing some real r risted just sort of natural talent in uh, performing, dancing, singing, just the personality that like loving the camera, the attention, all of that.

Oh you can spot it too, can't you.

You just see you see it coming where it's like, oh, there it is, You've got it.

Yeah, yeah, yep, yep.

And so you know, I think about how my mom dealt with it, and I actually think my mom did a really good job of balancing my me having a childhood with still supporting and acknowledging my gifts and my my like desire to perform.

Like she never snuffed that out, she never ignored it.

But then also she she had boundaries and she wasn't afraid to make the best decision for me, not just okay, what's gonna She wasn't concerned with me being famous or rich.

And so.

I think I had a good example of like, if we did do that, and again, it has to be.

Something like my husband.

And I would agree upon and all that we would never we would never want to stifle or like be unsupportive of something that so clearly our child desires and is good at, you know.

But it's it's a hard balance though, it is.

It's a matter of like when and and and how, because I've worked not only am I a child after, but I've worked with children now as an adult, and I see how hard it is for them to comprehend, especially the younger they are, that you know, once they're when it's once it's not fun anymore, and you still have five hours left unset, right, you know, kind of what that does to them that they don't understand the concept of work and a job and needing to be somewhere from this time to this time.

And I kind of feel like they shouldn't have to.

So that's the part that to me, you know, is one of the reasons why I'm a little I'm hesitant to to like push them in myself, you know, because we've thought about modeling, you know, you know, commercials and things like that, but I'm like, that's the part that I'm just not sure about. You know, when when toddlers are done, they're just done, and.

Then we get bribing them with candy and TV and it.

Just gets a whole different to bribe them with and you're just like yeah, you know, and then you're just and then you're threatening their lives.

It's too tough, there is, I think, especially with the age, like you said, five and three, that's still really young. I think, you know, I have a three year old and and same thing. She's got a lot of personality. But what I think of is the drive up there, you know, up to up to the audition, and then the chance of whether or not that is a moment she feels like turning it on and doing what she

It's just tough.

And then if she does book it right, then you're on set now you now it's everyone's gonna look at you right as a parent. If they are not on it's tough.

So it is. Age is a big difference, you know.

Oh yeah, no, my my daughter, my stepdaughter, she never wanted to act, but she's four hundred and eight months old, so it's not that big a deal.

Yeah, she could probably handle it at that age.

She could probably do it now. Yeah, she's thirty three. But so just I can't do that math well, oh yeah, no, I just do the maths.

I just tell people she's she's very cute. She's four hundred and eight months.

So we want to wrap up with Brink, which is why we're here, and it's had this incredible resurgence. So what's going on in Gabrielle's life in Brink two.

I'm just curious.

That's a good question.

You know.

I think her and Peter got married and had some kids.

Okay, I am for that.

For it.

I think their kids.

I think one of them skates, and I think another one does a completely different sport. And I think they run something like a kind of like a y m c A for for kids.

It's not like a y m.

C A, but I think they have something like that for kids who who want to learn to skate and do all kinds of sports.

And I think I think that's what she does.

Now, all right, that is a great, Well, that's I would put her as a professional like skater that you know now has her own women's professional skating team.

But we could do you're like that, you.

Know what, that's definitely more. Now, that's definitely more now. I mean, but me, I love the family life.

I love having kids, and I love being able to like I love being able to create a platform for them, like the next generation, to do something.

So that's why I think I like that story.

Cool.

But I mean, maybe they could be both.

She can have her own skating coy and run.

We're trademarking that right now.

By the way, bring Trade, We're trademarking it right now.

That's our movie. We're doing that. I love it.

You're still working all the time. Where can people find you? What do you have coming out? I mean, you're in everything.

Thank you, Pasha. I wish I'd like to be in more.

I am on a show called Primo on Amazon right currently you can watch the first eight episodes of that. I also did Terminal List with Chris.

Pratt, so that's that.

Those are things that are actually still currently streaming.

You can watch them. And yeah, that's it right now.

And now I'm just waiting to hear hopefully that the show returns and we get a season two.

Okay, good, well break a leg with that.

Yes, we love that. Thank you, Thank.

You so much for joining us in the midst of all the craziness of moving and everything else.

Very nice to take the time.

Thank you for taking us along with your errands for the day. And yeah, I feel like we've been friends forever now, I.

Know, just hanging out.

Thank you guys for being so gracious with my schedule and you know.

Please were honored that you came up so cool.

I enjoyed talking with you so thanks well.

Thank you so much. And I'd like just like to end by saying, whatever, Well, I.

Can't say it, but he's trying to get you in trouble.

I mean, he's trying to get me strikes.

She's probably going to be out will like, could you just give the mom a break.

Work for the road? Whatever?

Yes, at you, thank you so much much. By Oh that was awesome.

I love how we caught her like literally going to pick up her kids. She's in the car with the seatbelt on as her husband's driving while doing our podcast.

That is the best.

I'm now going to only do interviews like that like that, that's our thing. That is our thing, like it, just take us in the car and let us see what you are up to now.

On you know, on a Wednesdayay afternoon.

That seriously be like when we when we get to descendants or any of that stuff, they can be like, hey, it's nice to meet you. Sorry, I'm going to pick up my laundry so you guys can hop in the car with me as I do that.

She is so cool. She's still like that cool.

Yes, And I love how you know, it's so typical, especially with child actors, to really not realize how big they're like when they're a part of something that's that big, to really not get it right, Like they don't see how big it is around them. They have no idea what's coming. And she even with again being being a young lady, you know, a young Puerto Rican in the game, and bringing presents into the industry that way at that time was huge and groundbreaking night.

It was no one was doing that.

Thank you all so much for joining us as we were here on our Park Copper episode speaking to Christina Videl who was just so cool and joined us by car.

It was the greatest thing in the world.

Fin And if you want to join us, by the way, you can join us at Magical rewind Pod on the Instagram machine, hit us up and let us know what you think, what you want us to watch what you want us to do. I have to get out of here though, because I'm going to pop in Sabrina's workout DVD and get my sweat on right now because I got to figure out.

Oh, she's gonna make it.

I need you to do a live stream of that.

I can't can we can we get this?

You just got to be you, will You just gotta be you and no one else.

I'm going to need you to mail me a copy of this if you have one. If not, I will seriously go on and buy one. I have one I can find.

Okay, you better. Thanks everybody for joining us and join us next time. We are going to be watching The Descendants.

Yes we are. It is coming, you.

Guys, it's coming.

Everyone said that there's certain things like I can't believe you're doing all these big movies right at the top, Yeah, we're doing. It's because there's big movie after big movie after big movie.

That's the joy of the d coom.

Absolutely, and so join us for the twenty fifteen juggernaut that is The Descendants.

We can't wait. Thank you everybody, and we'll see you next time.