Starring Tania Gunadi as Mojo in “Go Figure”

Hey everybody, and thanks so much for joining us, and yet another park Hopper episode of Magical Rewind every week every week now, I say it, Sabrina.

I know, because we get the good ones.

We are so lucky on this podcast to get these amazing actors that had a huge start at the Channel.

It's just incredible with these amazing stories of how they got there and how they got their career.

And man, today is going to be no different. I don't even want to wait anymore. I don't want to waity more.

I just have to say Pixel Perfect, go figure, just Disney Channel all over the place. Can you please help us welcome because wait to you hear just what it's like to learn how to play hockey in three weeks.

Tanya Ganadi, Hi.

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for joining us.

Yes, I am so excited.

So Okay, honestly, I've been like creepily stalking you.

Guys last one month.

I feel like I know a little too much and I'm like, oh my god, I have now to have a creepy stalker.

Okay, So then before we ask you any questions, did you want to interview us and figure out what's going on?

Yes, you know what I want to know.

There's something that I think the audience don't know yet.

Which is?

Which is?

How about we start with you tell us a secret that no one ever ever knows about yourself.

Oh my gosh, jeez.

I was like, tell us something so juicy.

Oh juicy, secretive, maybe maybe embarrassing.

I don't, let see what would be a you see, I don't. I feel like I live my life in the open. So I'm trying to think of what people don't know about me.

You're gonna have one, will I'm sure.

I'm sure I have much. I'm just trying to this interview.

It'll pop in my head out I'll have to take a break from it and tell you guys when it happens.

Well, Sabrina knows that I had never seen cheetah girls before she and I met.

That's not that's no secret. So that one.

I even I found out. I also know you don't like musical and likes music.

That's true, that is very true. I'm trying to get better. I am trying to get all right. Sometime during this interview, I'm going to think of something. Yeah, I can tell you.

Telling you it's going to pop in I just can't do on the spot things.

You see a secret.

I feel like I've just.

Done so many interviews and I've just built, like you know, I'm like an open book, like it's like.

Okay wait. In the third grade.

To impress a girl at camp, I did a break dancing show. Oh, I mean, with the parachute pants and the Nike jacket spinning on the cardboard, the whole.

Thing who swears to the high heavens he doesn't have a dance bone in his body, that is true.

There you go.

I did a break at I can't even remember the name of the campus with my friend Paul Matthews. And it started as that we had a toga party that night and we were the only people that went there dressed in togas, and the only sheet I had was a fitted sheet, and so the whole thing looked ridiculous and I was about to cry, and my camp counselor said, why don't you just go back to put on regular clothes, But instead I got full breakdance regalia and went and break danced in front of everybody.

So there's mine.

Did that go well? Though?

Or was it did?

Actually? It did? The girl who wouldn't even talk to me.

Spent the whole night talking to me wondering how I learned how to break dance.

All it was, it was a career. I could have gone with it. I could have gone with her crew.

We're a liar this full time. Oh my gosh, oh I love that.

Thank you so much for joining us here.

We are so excited because this is a rare opportunity where not only are we having an actor come on, who has been in two huge movies so far.

On the channel, but both that we've already.

Covered, yes over both of them.

We are so excited that we know everything about the movies that you've been in, and we cannot wait to hear how you went from you know, being in a rock band to figure skating or ice skating, back and forth hockey the cool band. But we always started the same place, which is, how did you decide to become an actor?

What is your origin story in the acting world?

Okay, well mine is let's see, it was an accident kind of so I was working. Okay, So first of all, I'm from Indonesia, so I didn't speak English until I got a green card.

I got a green card, lottery.

And when I want a lottery, my mom said, well you're going to America.

Now you got to speak English.

I was like I was learning when I was fifteen and then anyway, so when I got to the States, I brought two hundred dollars and I thought I was rich. Get in Indonesia, two hundred dollars is three million. And then after like a week, I ran out and my brother said, well, you need to get a job.

And I was like, but I don't know what a job is.

Because I was living in Indonesia as like a middle class, so I didn't have to work, you know.

I mean, one hundred dollars is rich, like I was like living great, you know.

And so I my brother hooked me up to work at Pizza Hut. Okay, And because I used to be a boss, like you know, and a teenager in Indonesia.

I had no idea what to do with serving or like counting money or cooking food or things like that.

And literally my first job, I was like a customer service relation picking up the phone. And because I didn't understand English, I can only read English.

So after I say welcome to Pizza Hut, home with the Bigfoot and then they started ordering and I had no idea.

I was just like pressing buttons and so then I got demoted within one week cook and then again I don't know how to cook, so I don't know what pepperoni or sausage.

I just put things.

And I got demoted again and we needed to wash dishes, and then I had no idea. They said you have to use hot water, so I wash it with my bare hands and burned.

Oh no.

The manager's like, here's the red clombs. And so finally on the fourth week, I the only job I have was cleaning bathrooms.

But I was very happy.

So I was very cheery, you know, because I was like, oh my god, I'm in America and all. And then someone said to me, hey, if you are so cheery cleaning bathroom, you should audition for a Disneyland commercial.

They're having like an open call looking for cheery girls.

I was like, okay, that's me.

And I had no idea what audition is or like that it's in Hollywood and I was in Monterey Park. But the guy said to me, but it's five hundred dollars and at the time I was only making like seven fifty an hour. And so I took the bus, went to this open call audition, no idea what I was doing, and I booked it.

Yeah, and all I had to do was like screaming and.

Like yeah and pretending I was in the roller coaster. So then I booked at Disneyland commercial for three days.

They picked me up in a limbo.

They took me to Disneyland and I had like three days of fun. Fifteen hundred dollars later, I was like, I called my mom and I said, Mom, I finally have a dream.

After Oh wait, how long How long had you been here by the time that you got that commercial?

Probably like eight months?

Oh how old were you?

No, maybe like a month. But you know it's very close because I got demoted so fast.

Were you above eighteen? Were you here on your own?

I was barely eighteen. So my god, My my sister was a very smart, smart girl.

So she got a sponsorship from USC and so she was here and then she saved money to sponsor my brother.

But when it comes to me, they all gave up on me, and they're like, is just gonna she doesn't do great?

I can't with this.

This is so good, wow, amazing.

My gosh, because in Indonesia you have to have one person to stay with your parents to take care of them when they're older.

OK, let's just put Tanya there.

Geez.

Now wait, you meant you mentioned something that that's really interesting. What what exactly is a green card lottery?

It's crazy.

So this was like a long long time ago Green

And it's they said, one envelope and you got picked.

Oh gosh, that is.

Well that just shows you it was meant to be, Like it was meant to be for you to come, for you to get this amazing opportunity on to do a Disneyland commercial.

How fun for you. That's just so awesome. And then from from there, where did you go? So you had you got?

Did you just find yourself an agent? After that is what ended up happening.

Well, you know, when that happened, I thought I was like, you know, hey, my first audition I booked hid this is so easy. It was like telling everybody. I'm like, oh my god, like you know, fifteen hundred dollars is like so easy. I can get it in one day and limosine coming to my house. So I started like.

Auditioning literally for one maybe like I don't know, nine months to a year. I couldn't even get a single callback yeah, really bad. And then I met another actor and the actor said, Tanya, do you know that your English is really bad? Like I barely understand you. And he's like, and acting is not just screaming on a roller coaster. You have to say lines. And he said, so, how do you say the lines when you get sides? I said, I don't know, I.

Just read it. And he's like, no, honey, you got to take an acting class. It's this is not you know.

And so I I took like acting classes four times a week. I went to get voice coach, like dict coach, and I was like working literally twenty four or seven. I was just like so consumed by it. And then I realized, I'm like, oh, I said, this is what it's supposed to be.

And I was so excited. And then I got the Even Stevens was my very first acting job.

Wow with my with my good friend Christy Carlson.

Yes, we love, weally love Christy.

She's so cute.

Christie's my bud.

Yes, I think I saw will you and Christie did something a couple of years ago.

You were doing the Kim Possible.

Yeah, we did Kim Possible together for years.

So then we you know, for whenever we could get back together, do you conventions or any of the fun stuff, we would we would continue to do that.

Yeah, she's one of my favorite people in the world.

Have you guys ever did it or no?

No, No, we're both you know, both kids from Connecticut and both became just friends. But no, she was, especially when we met, she was a lot younger than me. So yeah, yeah, you look.

Super young right now. So I have no idea. I can't tell.

Oh, I appreciate that I'm I'm I always say. My wife doesn't like how I say it, but I always say I'm almost fifty because I am almost fifty. I'm forty eight.

Yeah, you're almost thirty five.

Oh that well, that's very And this is why we'd like to announce Tanya is our new co host on pod Mets on pod Meets.

World on a Magical rewind.

We've now got Tanya here because she's gonna constantly tell me that I look like I'm thirty five.

Thank you very much.

Well take it.

Then, most of your career, especially at the beginning, was all Disney.

Yes, so okay, I always say to people that I feel that Disney is a company like I am their number one fan. Like if I talk about Disney, I can literally cry because I feel like, I feel like Disney is like the genie, you know, like who grant me wishes, because like my first dream was you know, it was because of the Disneyland. And then my first

You know.

I had to like take all the script to the voice coach for like literally two weeks, you know, to be able to speak so that people can kind of understand.

But I just love that Disney would.

When I was auditioning for it, you know, I had not gone to the voice coach yet, right, but they gave me a chance and the opportunity, and ever since then until now, I think once a year at least I would audition and get something Disney oriented, whether it's voiceover or things like that, or you know, like a show like I was on Girl Meets World.

I know you were.

I think I saw you at the time. I don't know if if it was just my imagination or you went to the set one day.

It's possible.

Yeah, they went crazy, like they're like I was like, and you were like, you were like surrounded by you know, people all the time.

So that no, it's possible. I would go and I would visit that set. But I saw that girlment where. Yeah, you have had a storied Disney career absolutely. Now, as a kid, when you were in Indonesia, did you watch anything Disney growing up?

So Disney did not come to Indonesia until around the year two thousand. Okay, we don't have Disney or Transformers or anything everything.

When we were growing up, we have to watch Indonesian things.

Like state run television something like that, I think, And maybe you're all right, maybe back then though, that's what.

It was back then.

Yeah, and then there is like a revolution things like that, and then now it's you know, it's a free country.

So what I mean, were you watching children's programming of any kind when you were growing up? Yeah?

So we own a video store and cool.

Okay, So we actually own a video store at the front, but in the back it's an illegal.

Video store where we get.

Animations from Japan and then we record it all the way in the back near my room legally and then if the police came, my mom would have to like put the curtain and put my bed in front of it, pretending I'm like, I know, this is a horrible story.

You know, it's wonderful.

Are you kidding your So you're bringing like like what was called the japan animation at the time or that kind of so like Akira and the old school kind of movies things like that, you were you were dubbing that stuff.

We were we were not dubbing, we were just recording it.

Okay, somebody already put like an Indonesian subtitles and then they go to our store and we have like a bazillion like you know, tapes and like recording record and then we would rent it out. It's uh, that is Japanese animation, Okay.

Oh I loved that stuff.

But yeah, man, was that because the same situation like that wasn't allowed into the country. So this is the only way they could see anything else besides what was available at Indonesia.

Yes, and yeah you have to watch in the back, you know, And you're like, and then we also have like a lot of a Chinese kung fu and so and so those are the things that I watched literally guys, and I was like, wow, TV shows are different.

Oh, I can't.

I just love the idea that you're you're recording and showing people just animation and Chinese kung fu movies that they're not normally allowed to see. You're bringing people entertainment they normally would have wouldn't have been allowed to have.

That's so cool to me.

My god, Oh, I love that your first big guest starring role, right was even Stephen?

Yes, So what was shooting that? Like?

Oh, that was amazing.

It was my first time ever, you know, like finally speaking English words, you know, instead of just the Disneyland thing.

And it was just an amazing time shooting it because, like you know, Shaya was.

Like everyone was already jelling, right, I'm sure that's what it is with you guys, Like when you are in a movie or show where you're already jelling and you're doing the third movie or the season three, so as a guest star, you are like, hey, you know, and so you kind of I learned so much because I learned to be like, Okay, how do I not be needy? And I have to be like focused on my own work, you know, and not yet it's just all these things.

I'm actually happy about it.

Cool.

I mean, it is hard to come on a set, you know, of a TV show that they're filming every week.

You know they're working, they've been doing it for a long time. They've got that camaraderie and you got it come. And you were also a little bit older than the cast of.

I was the only one eighteen.

Yeah, yeah, they were all like younger, so they're going through totally different things too. Write like you're you're a grown up in like living here out of the country that you were raised in. I mean, you've got like all this world experience and they're really just like a younger, right.

That's that's kind of hard in general as well.

Yes, And you know what's crazy though, these kids, all of them from even Stevens and like go figure picks up perfect, they're all bazillion times more mature than me because because no, I was, like I was, was very sheltered, like in Indonesia, you know, like I only do the same thing every day. You go home from school, you put all these illegal movies, you watch them all, you know, and then you play bicycle and you eat all kinds of food and then you do it again the next day.

That was it.

Geees.

So when I see these.

Kids you know, like.

Jordan and everybody everyone's talking like they are like mature, And.

I was like, what is that?

What is that? Yeah? Reach out?

Well that's the thing is we just we just spoke to Jordan not too long ago, and she was like thirteen when she did Go Figure.

She felt really young compared to everyone.

Yeah, but the idea that you even thought like even at thirteen, she was more mature than you were.

She was the one telling me her and Leah Leah Pipes.

Jordan would be like, Okay, Tanya, you know, because I have no idea what should I do? Like I feel like she was older than me and everyone was older than me, because it's like they were all like telling me what to do, and I was like, hey, what are they?

It was really fun though.

Oh man, so what so? Then the which one?

This is what I was trying to figure out and I'd never like to look things up if I can avoid it. Which one was first, Pixel Perfect or go Figure?

You know what I thought you would ask, So I actually researched that.

I love how you have notes about your own career. I did picks up perfect first Pixel Perfect was first?

Okay, so you're in a in a rock band.

You're in the Zeta Bytes and this kid has created an AI hologram singer.

Yes, and by the way, let me just I just want to say something real quick, Sabrina, you are so cute.

Can I tell you guys a quick secret?

Yes?

Please, I haven't told you what my creepy is talking Sabrina before.

Right. Oh, I can't wait to hear this.

Okay, okay. So my mom is a ballroom dancer doing that. That is like her number one thing. She's a teacher.

She has her own studio in Indonesia. She's the first teacher actually who opens her own studio in my city.

And so when Dancing at the Stars came.

On again, we cannot watch it, and she can. I was already in America and she cannot watch it in Indonesia. But she heard about the show.

Right, you must record it, you know, and then send it to me so I can look at all the most And.

Still I would record and I would say, right, a season after season, and then Sabrina, you came on the show, Mom and I we fell in love, like we were like, oh obsessed. So I had never voted before, but when you came on, I voted like a psychotic person, you like Sirina, and I was so excited, right, and my mom was like, she one time took one of your

I don't think she credited you. I think she and she yea.

Which do you know which routine it was? Do you remember?

I was trying to find the video, but I find it. It was so funny. And then when you left, we were so upset. I actually boycotted. I did not watch Dancing with the Stars for years.

Oh my gosh, until my mom begged me and said, can you I have no more routines?

Can you?

Anyway? That was my story with you.

Thank you so much.

Oh that's the best thing ever. No, you have to come and just be on every episode because you got to keep telling Sabrina that she's an amazing dancer and you love her and that I look like I'm thirty five. This has been the best episode I've ever done, only thirty six. There you go. I love it.

Oh, I love the.

Dance community is amazing and I don't I mean, I don't know if the loss have changed, but I know they have Dancing with the Stars and so much any countries. So if they don't have one in Indonesia yet, I'm sure it's coming because that that whole brand enfranchise for them is just huge, and they've been I mean, they're in India now, they're I mean, they're in I think Argentina, they're really everywhere.

Your mom should try to bring it to Indonesia and be one of the judges. She should, she should should be great.

I'm sure she's already, like she knows all these things. I think we stopped.

Literally that year after you left, I lost all the like because you know, when you were like rooting for one person and then like and then after that you're like, oh I know.

I know.

And honestly, seriously, that first season when we did leave early with that early elimination, the love that I mean I had during Cheetah Girls, you know, it was the Disney audience and those girls and boys and everyone that watches the channel. They're just such incredible fans. But like there were no fans like my dancy with this. Our fans pissed doing boycotts, doing like writing up to the I mean, you.

Came in second right and people were kind of up in arms.

No I got I got eliminated like week six, and they they were they were at the time saying that they thought I was like a front runner too, yeah, be in the final and when I when I left super early, I mean they were trying to get signatures to try.

To get me back on. It was like, wow, I'm gone, I'm done.

But I but we did get to do the tour after, which was great because then we got to meet the fans and you know, they were really amazing. But yeah, those Dancing with the Stars fans, they were like a mighty team. They were. They were so beautiful and amazing

So you know, I have to say, though the fans are like that, it's it's because of you because you are like making us feel like you know, you are like beautiful, amazing, passionate's funny, and we were all like, you know, it was you always became like rabbit fans.

Yes, I I I'm so appreciative of that, and it was It was great too because my partner Mark, that was his first season on the show too, So I was glad that we did get that support, just because you know, the the pros on that team or on that show aren't always guaranteed to come back that next year. So I was like, oh my gosh, like I just got eliminated. I know Mark so well. I want him to do well with his career, and oh I just ruined it for him, you know, That's what it felt like.

Well, speaking of singing and dancing, so you get Pixel Perfect and you're in a band in the movie, are you actually a musician?

Do you sing and dance as well?

So here's another thing that I mentioned about Disney being a genie, right when I was in high school.

My dad is like the best dad. So this is how I grew up.

Even we are middle class, right, middle class in Indonesia means that you're not wealthy, but you have enough to live. And my dad lets me do whatever I want, Like I'm changing hobbies NonStop.

I want to learn guitar, I want to learn violin.

I want to learn He's like, yeah, you can quit any time, start anything anytime. And my mom is amazing. She said, do not ever do chores. Okay, all you need to do is have fun. So all my life was like just you know, bicycling and doing all kinds of like extra activities.

Like usually it's all musical instruments related.

So drumming was something that I actually took lessons and I absolutely love playing the drums.

But it is the most expensive thing the room and stuff.

And I remember one day people say to me like, hey, you know what, You're wasting your parents' money. What is this drumming skill ever gonna do to you? Like you will never this will be useless forever and ever. So when I got an audition for the Fixed Out Perfect, so we did the audition and the callback right the final callback they wanted to see the final girls, see if.

They're lying like like I kind of light and go figure, I'll tell you.

Later maybe, or if they can actually play the drums. And so I said, I can play the drums. So they sent the director and the producer to a place of your choosing to show that you can play the drums. So I went to Burbank rehearsal studio and I brought you know music and I actually played the drums an Indonesian song that I learned with my dad's money, and I played it like really loud, and it was so exciting.

And I booked the job that day.

Wow wow man, because there to be honest, I mean, think about how many kids, especially I mean in you know, how many girls like are the drums isn't something that a lot of girls always play.

So you were like a perfect gem for them that you were able to because so many people on.

Their resume we talk about it all the time, and a lot of the interviewers we do were like, okay, so when it says fording.

Could you really horse that ride or was that just on your resume?

Everyone said they couldn't force back ride because it's like yeah, I'm sure I can get on a horse. I'm figuring.

You just figure it out later. You lie and you just figure it out. Can I fly a plane? Sure, I can fly a plane. Of course I can't all figure it out.

Could kill it because that drumming is not something I think you could just fake on camera and it actually look yeah right, I mean will dies When we do some of these other ones and there's a guy playing the guitar, he's like, he is not playing the guitar.

It's like this weird drum thing. It's like you're not even faking playing the guitar. Good.

So, I mean the drums the same thing, Like you can kind of move your arms, but if you don't, like if you're able to do the beat, that's like such a different thing.

That's so cool. Wow.

And you know what Disney did, Oh my gosh.

When we went to Utah to film it, and we were all I think we arrived maybe a week or two weeks before the filming, and they put all the cast because four of us, like, you know, to see.

If we can play as a group.

Right, Yeah, I was the only one so in the because they were thinking, do we need to get a.

Double and you have to fake a few of them. And the director or the producers was so nice. They set us up in the rehearsal room and they said, okay, so you.

Have a driver, right, you are welcome to learn as much as you want or as little as you want. We just gonna we just want to see a few clips of you playing and guitar and bass and all. And I took that opportunity because we had to learn four songs. Literally, I did not socialize for that two weeks I was in that rehearsal room.

I was like, yeah, they gave.

Me like an instructor, and I finally learned for the first time to do the drummings to an actual notes read music.

Yeah, only learn it with my eyes, like okay, you go over here and go over here. We didn't even have any notes, you know.

And it was so fun, you guys, like when we were filming it, I was actually playing it.

Yeah good, that is awesome. That is so great.

Was the rest of your bandmates where they also playing their own instruments pretty well or.

I think like Leah Leah probably learned one of them the intimate song, but the others I think they turned down the volume on some of them. I don't know because the drums is hard to mute it right, So I actually told them I can do it.

You don't have to mute it. I'm going to do it.

And it was so.

When a dream come true, because like I would never be in a band, but at least I have a movie where I'm in a band.

Exactly. Now, is your family in Indonesia when these when these movies are coming out, are they able to watch your films in Indonesia?

You know how I know how to Reford.

That's how they had to watch their daughter on the Disney Channel.

This is so cool. So you film this movie, this is your first Disney Channel movie, and when it comes out, we always ask does your life change right away when you have a new movie that just comes out or people recognizing you places and all of a sudden it's like, wait a second, I'm in kind of a popular Disney Channel movie here.

You know, yes, I kind of forget like exactly how it went. But I think because everyone everything was kind of close to each other.

The even Stevens go figure and makes out perfect. But I do remember, like what you said, Sabrina the.

Kids, the fans that are kids, they're so sweet, right, and they're like and it was really fun and you're right, Like sometimes I think when I was outside or like having lunch and people come up to you, and it just feels so humbling to be a part of it and to realize, you know, how big the Disney Channel is and like, I don't know, it's just like an experience that is it's hard to explain. Like I'm very appreciative of it. Yeah, it changed the trajectory of my career for sure.

Oh I'm sure, yeah, definitely. Oh that's so cool. So now this movie comes out, it does very well, and then all of a sudden you are asked if you can figure or hockey skate And I'm wondering what you told them when they asked you if you can skate.

Next one.

It's a story that my agent said to me that he has said this to for every interview he has with a new actor. So apparently so again for the Oh for the go Figure, my character Mojo is like she's kind of like a crazy and spiritual is a better word, and she has like she would do like you know crazy, uh oh, incense and age, Yes, so I studied that, you know, and then I went to my acting coach and we worked on it. And then I said to my acting coach, I kind of want to bring something like crazy.

And he's like, don't do that. I highly do not recommend that, you know, don't do it.

And so I'm like, okay, fine, And then I went to the Disney Channel for the callback callback or audition.

I forgot and I remember there.

Was Judy, Judy Taylor and Michelle and all these people, right but on my way up outside there was this beautiful lush greeneries and like branches and leaves, and I.

Just couldn't help it.

And I grabbed a couple of them and I put them on their branches and I took one and put it in the back and then I use it.

For the you know, audition like a sage.

Yeah. They actually loved it.

Yeah.

I think that's a great idea.

That was all You've stood out. I mean you stood out.

Yes, you know, there was four hundred people coming in for that role. You're the only one that had the guts to put branches in your hair and use one for a sage. It's perfect.

Such a good idea. I really.

I thought it was amazing. And then so they called me.

I think two days later, my agent called me and they said, like he said, like this, Tania, So they want you to come in for a callback. Can you ice skate?

I said yeah? I said, yeah, I I skated all the time when I was in high school.

That's true.

Okay, no, no, so I so he's like, okay, all right, I did not know. My agent said, name is Glenn. It's like, I thought, you're in Indonesia.

You guys have like, you know, ice, like snow, you know, Like, yeah, oh, what do you mean ice? I said, you know the one with the four wheels, you.

Know, skating roller skating.

Oh honey, that is not ice skating. Ice skating is totally different. It's like, so you don't know how to ice skate?

Right, No, I can do it.

I said, by when? And then Glenn's like, by when, by tomorrow?

Just tell me the time I'll be there and I can ice skate. Do not take me out from this callback. It's like, okay, but if you cannot ice skate, they do not want to see it. I can ice skate tomorrow. And I contacted the Pasadena Ice Rink and I hired the instructor.

I said, I need to learn one on one for two hours. I came in that evening.

Oh my god, you guys, there's no way. Ice skating was so hard. First of all, it was really cold and I have no idea.

I was like, what is going on? And then there's like blades.

I was so afraid and it was really bad, and the coach said, yeah, there's no way you can, like I escape by tomorrow. I said, okay, listen, I'm gonna hire you again tomorrow for two more hours, and you're.

Gonna make me. I need to be able to go because my agent said they're gonna want to see that you can go around one time. Okay, all you need to do is to teach me to go around one time.

And so I learned that, and the next day, guys, I was like literally crying and so afraid.

I fell a thousand times. It was a very difficult sports, very difficult. The next day, all the Disney people came in and three other girls came in.

We had to audition one person at a time, and all I did was like, Okay, I'm just gonna rely on my acting and just gonna pretend that I.

Can do it, and I just hope I will not die, and I did when.

When the camera was rolling, I just pretended I can do it even though I was scared, and did one round and pretended like.

I was not a friend.

Here we go, oh man, and.

They actually they voked me, and I was.

Like, yeah, like my gosh, that's crazy. And then you end up being in a movie with like one of the top skaters of the world. To see Amagucci.

Did you get to meet her at all?

I was, Yeah, she was very nice.

She was nice, and she well when we were all talking, you know, I think he was mostly hanging out with Jordan because Jordan was in the ice skating part and I was in the hockey part. So I only get to see Christy maybe during lunch one time. But I heard she was very very nice. Yeah, and she talks to everyone, you know, because all the we had a lot of Budy Doubles, right, and so the Buddy Doubles are fans of Christy, and she was very very nice

Yeah, even though the other cast members know how to ice skate. Guess what, I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Maybe, with the exception of Jordan, everybody after two weeks of learning and practicing hockey and August two weeks like eight hours a day. By the end of the two weeks, Disney hired body doubles for everyone.

By the way, there's a great YouTube video that we just watched this morning of y'all kind of learning how to skate and being interviewed about learning how to skate.

And all that kind of stuff. It's great.

Yeah, yes, I will see there is, because guys, when you see it, when you see the actual hockey players do it, there's no way you're gonna learn that. Like, you know, I couldn't even find the what.

Do you call that? Pup puck? Yeah, so I have to ask.

I know, I don't mean to put you on the spot, put me on the spot, put you on the spot. Which of the two movies did you prefer shooting?

Yeah?

Oh, I mean, go figure, I have to take advil every three hours that the pixel perfect I prefer you know.

Yeah, it was like right, up your alley and you've you had like so much confidence going into what you were going to be doing when it comes to like any musical aspect.

Although I have to say the go figure. The one thing that is so special is that I became very close with. It was only stressful the first two weeks when you thought you have to actually act and try to find the puck and like the blades everywhere and.

All these things.

But then the moment they hired the doubles, Oh, it felt very like nice and you don't have anything, and when they call you, they just put you in the like what do you call that?

Like they pull you and you're.

Oh, it's like a rig kind of the Yeah, I forget what. It's like a steadycam kind of thing.

Yeah, a steadycam and you just hang out and you pretended like this yeah and carry you.

Oh, And it was like it was the most fun. It became very fun.

And at the time I was very close with all the coaches and all the doubles and the background actors. We hang out, I think almost every weekend together in Utah. And I want to show you something. They actually made me this.

And I'm still in touch with three of them.

We we're gonna ask if you you were still who are you still in touch with.

With the go Figure.

I'm still in touch with the background actors and the Doubles and the.

Coach person Shawna.

And with Pixel Perfect. I'm in touch with the wardrobe people and the Double as well.

That's amazing.

I want to show you this. I hang out with them like every weekend. They made me this. This is from the Double.

Oh cool, your ball break a leg? That's great, so cute.

One one thing, Oh my god, I'm geking no please, I love this stuff. This one is so memorable from Pixel Perfect.

The wardrobe people were so nice. They all created a blanket for me.

Oh cute.

I only wear it like every now and then because I don't want it to go like.

That's amazing.

It is amazing.

How about you guys when you are in Cheetahs and the Boy Meets World, are you guys in touch with the crew.

Or most.

Yeah, Well, with Boy Meets World, it's it's gotten a lot easier because we do a podcast called pod meets World.

So we've brought everybody back.

We get to see everybody again and hang out with everybody and and Danielle and Ryder are still my two best friends. So yeah, there's we're still in touch with basically everybody, yeah, which is good.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And we've been able to do interviews with I mean, I was around so many of the channels, like you know, Corbyn Blue, and we've been able to really bring in a lot and then we've even brought in a director of the third movie and Keighley, one of the other Cheeater Girls, has come on. So this podcast has been awesome to kind of reconnect with a lot of people that I was around, like my early twenties for so many years. It's been fun to be able to reconnect and everything.

So it's been fun.

It's a great I mean, I'm like you, and it's been awesome for all of the interviews that we do that everyone has such amazing memories working for Disney because they've got a great, you know, cast of people that are on set productions thing seem you know, say, I still am in touch with one of our wardrobe women as well, like Momenta May was just like she inspired me so much and she's gone on to do so many great things. And so I'm so glad that you

Haven't interviewed a single person who's come on and said like, Wow, I had a really bad time working for Disney or the Disney channel, like it just you don't hear that.

Really, it's been, it's been wonderful.

Before we let you go, I do want to talk to you about something that's very near and dear to my heart, which is voice over acting. Yes, yes, because you know you and I were on the same show. Yes, so tell us. Tell us how you found voiceover acting?

Voiceover well, you know after being an actor on TV and all I I again, you know, my brain is not like working like you guys like it's like it's a different dimension. I did not even realize until one day some like I was. I always like to watch cartoons, right and Maze and Japanese. Do you guys know that I had no idea that they were voiced by human beings. I just didn't understand, and I just thought those are speaking animals or something.

I don't know.

My brain was not thinking.

So one day I was watching cartoon and then my husband said, yeah, you know, honey, you should do voiceover.

I said, what do you mean, what is that?

It's like, you know, voicing, and I was like and then it's just like, oh my god, there's another area that I can try.

And I literally lost my mind and he was like okay. And so I my commercial agent BBR was in the same office as Box.

Okay, yep, voice of agent.

And I had nothing nothing, and I went to BBR. I said, hey, can you introduce me next door? I really want to do voice over and then the agent said sure, come on in tomorrow. I came in and she walked me and introduced me to the CEO and the agent of Box and here's Tanyunai go ahead, and then so the CEO of tom and West from Vox. They thought that I am like amazing because I was introduced by.

The head agency of BBR. So they were excited.

They're like, so, Tania, how many voices can you do? And you do access, like what is your experience?

Do you have a real I was like, I have none of that. I'm like, look, I only have one voice, this one. Okay. They said, how does it sound? They're like, can you at least speak with an American accent. I said, absolutely not, this is it. And they were like, oh but sweetheart.

They're like, you know, there are other actors who can do accents and like standard American English.

How are you going to compete with them? And so I said, but I don't have to compete with them.

I said, I believe that I don't need a Brazilian voices too. But I said, I can only I can also just use my voice, my one voice, and I can play a bazillion characters like mushroom and animal and dolphin.

I said.

So, I said, you know what, why don't we just sign a contract and see how it goes. I said, let's just do it for one year and enough chit chat and talking nonsense.

Let's do it.

Just get yourself signed.

I love that, and they're like okay.

I was like, okay, oh man.

And then you're on one of the greatest animated series of all time in Transformers.

You too, Yes, we were actually on the same show. You were on Prime right, Yes.

I saw that, but we never get to see each other.

I say it, Well, it's because my character Bumblebee didn't speak until the very last episode until Deadlock. So yes, so I and they brought me in after you guys had finished the series because they didn't want anybody to know who was doing Bumblebee's voice.

So then I have finished that.

So I did the last three episodes of Prime without anybody knowing, and then did the movie after that, and then rolled into Robots in Disguise. So it was you were you were with you know, Kevin, Michael Richardson and everybody else there, Steve Bloom and the whole crew.

You're with everybody.

Yeah, Oh my.

Gosh, that's what it was, because I remember they were talking about it, but we weren't.

We thought it's gonna be frank. This was doing Bumblebee.

Ye. Yeah.

I literally found out only last week when I googled you and you know what I did. I was doing IMDb collaborations.

Okay, that's when I found out.

I was like, oh my god, there are five things if you were in together.

Yeah, well, let's see.

We did well, Girl Meets were Old it would be one, right, and then Transformers Prime, yes, and then Robots and Disguise.

No, the Jetsons okay, we did the Jetsons, Avengers Assemble.

Okay, DC Superhero Girls. You're Aquaman. I'm Lady Shiva.

There you go. Okay, yes we have.

We've worked together all the time and never actually met. That is the way the life of a voiceover actor was so.

Crazy, and I was like, yeah, I was so excited. I was hoping that maybe one of these days you will go to a Transformers convention.

Sure, yeah, they've asked, they've been.

The cons have been a little I do a lot of conventions, so throwing on another one occasionally was was a little much.

But I would love to do a Transformers convention.

And I still think the cast of Transformers Prime is one of the greatest ensemble voice overcasts that has ever existed, with Josh Keaton and everybody. That's just it is such a good show all the way around that the idea that I got a chance to be on it at the end was to me was just because I was such a fan.

It was really cool. Yeah, you're all just incredible.

I've never seen the robots in disgust. How is that? Do you guys record together?

Or what we did? Yeah? We did.

It was so they they wanted a show in the middle, so Transformers Prime was for kind of older Transformers fans.

It was a very real, kind of dark cartoon. And then they had.

Rescue Bots, which was for the little kids, and so they wanted something right in the middle, so they created Robots in Disguise, which was which was in between the two. So Bumblebee has a new team on Earth and Bumblebee is the leader of the team.

Yeah. It was, it's it's very it was. It was a lot of fun and I loved playing it. But ye never got a chance to meet to meet everybody. I mean I knew everybody except one or two people on the cast.

But is there one you prefer do you Do you like voiceover work now more so than acting on screen?

Or I love all of them?

Yeah? Right, I know it's a tough question.

I know, yeah, I mean, you know, if I could, like, honestly, I always say to my my husband since we first met, I said, if I can have a career for the entire life, working like Disney, oriented like for kids, is actually what I want.

But you know, I mean I did like Corby. Your enthusiasm.

You know, it's just gonna say, that's not quite curb. Your enthusiasm with Larry David is not Disney.

It's not Disney. I feel like I love doing all kinds of things, but I think I just have like so much energy, Like I really wanted to like like I have excess energy. I think that's what it is.

So I wanted to do like kids stuff because with the kids stuff, I can go like, oh out, I have to really tone myself down.

And I did the curb you know really, Oh that is so fun? But you how about you will.

I'm exactly the same way there there it's to me, I always say I don't have children, thankfully, but if there, yeah, if I did. When people always say do you prefer on camera acting or voice over acting? I imagine it's like asking which one of your children is your favorite? Yeah, you know, I just I can't answer that because they're both wonderful for different reasons.

Yeah, it's the same with like singing, dancing and acting, Like, yeah, really, what I'm doing at the time, I always am loving it so much that that's what I'll sort of feel like I'm right now leaning towards this because you're you're also now writing a little bit, right.

Yeah, yeah, would you ever write a dcon?

You should write? Did he come original? You should do it?

I think writing was just a one like it was like another accident thing. I don't everything seems to be like.

I love that.

The writing was so difficult. It took me two years to write one script. I do not want to write, honestly, Okay, that happened, But what I really want is to produce.

That is like my dream.

So I have.

I produced a couple of short films and when I did them, there was like a feeling that you can't describe, because every time I want set as an actor, the one thing that I love is to watch how things unfold, and I'm like one of those nerves, like when I get the call sheep. I would make guesses, Okay, on this scene, we're gonna do two and a half hours.

They're gonna do medium shot, they're gonna do this, this, this, and then I bet.

I said, they're gonna start here and they're gonna be laid on this, They're gonna do this. I organize things in my head and I would make guesses on like budgeting and all these things.

I just love the producing part, but I never had an opportunity.

So last year when I won the writing it was a writing I wanted because of my writing but the price is I get to follow passion Elwis, who's a producer, follow him for five days at Sun Dance and learn how to produce and learn everything about it. So when I hang out with him that five days, he was negotiating deals, doing foreign sales, everything about movies for five whole days, talking to bankers, talking to marketing and fixing problems and guys.

I last year I was like this, lord, please, this is what I bought.

I feel like I feel like that would be my next thing that I would love to explore. So I'm I'm producing it right now with Cassian, and I look forward to see how it unfolds.

Well, you got to go find a writer then if you don't want to, because your life story of winning the lottery after sending in one thing coming instantly, then the whole Pizza Hut thing, and then being on Disney, that's.

A d com. It's a full on d com. You can sell that to the channel in a pitch meeting because it is a wonderful story and we're so happy that you came on and you joined us so much, and will you will you come back again and talk to us more?

Yes?

Oh my gosh, we should play games. I love that Disney games like things like you know.

I think it's a great idea. We're gonna do that because we've talked about the Disney Channel games and the games that you have to play.

You're gonna play though, because the Disney Channel games they've canceled those. They need to bring them back, and until they do, we're gonna need to do some magical rewind Disney Channel games. We'll get some of the original team members back and we'll come up with some new stuff, and we'll watch Sabrina lose badly as everybody else wins around her, which is much like what happens.

We have to do that before we go, though, Sabrina, did you find a juicy secret yet?

No, I've been trying. I have been racking my brain trying. That's not all not already out.

There, you know, or going to get you arrested. There's that balance, there's that balance. Yea. I will get it out of her at.

Some point, and I will email you with whatever she comes up with, because it'll be good.

Well, you are not on Instagram. I couldn't find you.

I'm not No, I don't I don't social media is not my thing, so I have never been a social media guy. I tried it for a little while and it just made me anxious and it was like it was a little.

Lucky to me. So I decided never to do a social media again. I do. I do real face to face stuff.

Oh my god, that's so with the cons so fun.

So if you'd like, I can just every day, I'll just send you pictures of my lunch. If that'll make you lunch, pictures of my dogs, stuff like that. That's no problem. Just randomly send you photographs brushing my teeth all that kind of stuff.

Yes, perfect, Thank you so much.

They're quite entertaining.

You are the best.

This has been an absolutely enjoyable hour talking to you, and please come back and we are that's a great idea. We are absolutely going to do uh some sort of Disney Channel games and we're going to get you involved. We're going to be But I'm telling you talk to your producing partner because your life is a d com.

It is wonderful and you should do it.

Congratulations on all your success.

Yes, Disney Channel, the voice over, how amazing you've got.

Everything's awesome.

You've done it. It's so great, So congrats.

Thank you so much.

I mean, both of you are so humble and kind and beautiful and amazing and so supportive.

Thank you for all the time. And I am so glad I get.

To do it with you guys, us too. And yes, you're gonna come back. You're gonna be I'm already calling you. You're on my team for the Disney Channel games. I'm already calling it.

I need I need to pep, I need to thank you guys. Bye bye.

Uh Oh sweet.

She's such I could talk to her. Oh, I couldn't get the smile off my face just from her.

Her energy is infectious and her instantly starting with like tell me a secret about yourself.

Oh god, what a fun hour that was.

She's obviously talented, but just talk about like the idea of being at the right place at the right time.

Over and over. I'm telling you, I have the crappiest luck you talk about.

I would be the person that spent twenty kajillion dollars with those ten thousand ticket ones and not even get anything.

Sent in one came to America. A month and a half later, she's the actress on TV. It's like that's awesome, man, I love my country. Yeah, no, it's it's great.

It's great.

Well, thank you everybody for joining us. That was that was a fun holt. It really was totally totally cool.

And join us next time where we were gonna be well, there's nothing, no two ways to say it. We're gonna be jumping in finally, Corbyn Blue, you're you're, you know, friend of the pod and best dancer ever Corbyn Blue.

And I think didn't he tell us about this? Is like it's a jump roping movie. Yes, okay, so this is kind of these are what these are those movies.

That are right in my wheelhouse, These kind of like niche things that all of a sudden become awesome.

I remember when this one came out and it was a big deal.

You know, everyone was really excited because he was in high school musical, but really was the first movie he doesn't have a giant role in it, right, and this is a movie like after he was on Hannah Montana, now high school music and he's got this just like this is his movie, which is just so awesome.

Well, I hope we get him back to talk to him about it.

I do too.

Yeah, so join us next time as we jump in and thank you so much Tanya for joining us. That was a ton of fun and we'll see you all next time.

Bye.