Photographer:Julianne Kaye
Can you tell us more about your new series on NICK, The Fairly Odd Parents. What is your role in this series and what can people expect?
The Fairly Odd Parents, Fairly Odder is a Live-action continuation of the original animated series, which ran from 2001-2017. Timmy Turner, the focus of the original, is all grown up and getting ready to go to college. As a kid, Timmy faced a lot of bullies and was neglected by his parents, but he did have magical fairies who granted his every wish. So, Timmy is grown up now and he wants to give his fairies to his younger cousin Viv who has just moved to Dimmsdale and is struggling to fit in. Dimmsdale is eccentric and Viv is normal. Viv moved to Dimmsdale because her dad Ty just married his high school sweetheart Rachel – they were both married before – and Rachel has a son named Roy. Now, Viv and Roy are step-siblings.
My character, Zina, is a native Dimmsdalian. She is as eccentric as the next guy. She decides that she’ll be best friends with Viv. Another thing that’s important – Zina is madly in love with Roy and there’s a sense that a friendship with Viv will get her closer to Roy. In any case, Zina and Viv do become genuine besties quickly.
So, it turns out that Viv and Roy share the fairies and they alternate making wishes. A lot of times, their wishes take a wrong turn and Zina finds herself unintentionally saving the day multiple times.
Is this your first TV series ? If so, how does it feel?
Yes, Fairly Oddparents is my first series and my first real job! It took me some time to fully realize that I in fact had gotten the part. When we were shooting episode 3 it finally occurred to me that I couldn’t be replaced in a split second. Fairly Oddparents really changed my life. My parents and I made a big move from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles, and I had to say goodbye to old friends, but I made sure to keep in touch. I’ve made amazing friends here, too! From working on Nickelodeon to going to a new in-person school, there's been so many opportunities to make long lasting friendships.
How did you land the part? What are your secret tips for auditioning ?
My agents sent me the audition for Zina and I loved the project and the character from the first reading. I made a self-tape and sent it in. A few weeks later, I got a call back and read for the executive producers, Chis Nowack and Sam Martin. And then, I got called back again to do a chemistry read with Tyler, who plays Roy. Finally, I booked the role.
I think that when auditioning for a role, it’s helpful to spend some time working on the character, thinking about how the character might speak, move, and laugh. I come up with a detailed imaginary back-story. I try to make bold and fun choices. And I memorize the script.
Did you study acting? If so , where? Do you have a mentor to advise you on what roles to take?
I studied somewhat informally with my dad at first – he’s an English teacher and an occasional Shakespeare actor. I started going to Shakespeare camp every summer starting when I was 8. I took some classes online during the pandemic. One of the things that helped me most was working with a spoken poetry website called Voetica.com. I got to read scores of poems by Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, among others, and the work that goes into preparing the poems for recording is a lot like making a self-tape for auditioning or working out a scene before the camera. I wouldn’t say that I have a mentor per se, but my parents are always there helping me out. We’re a team.
Who is your idol now that is currently living? How did they inspire you?
Eva Noblezada is my idol. She’s taken on the greatest Broadway roles – Eurydice in Hadestown, Kim in Miss Saigon, and Eponine in Les Misérables. She sings with such charisma and confidence. If I could choose to follow in someone’s footsteps, I’d choose her.
Where do you call home? Name 5 places you'd love to visit that you have not already.
Castro Valley is where I’ve spent most of my life and it was very hard to move so far away from all my friends. Whenever I go there on a school break, I immediately get such nostalgia and it’s very hard for my parents to pull me away.
If I could visit any place in the world it would be Japan. It has such an interesting culture and the modern streetwear is some of my biggest fashion inspiration. It’s also very close to Korea, so maybe next time I visit my grandparents, I can take a quick trip over to Japan. The other four places would have to be Italy, Egypt, England and Hawaii.
What's your beauty routine for am to pm?
I might bore you with my endless amount of skincare products, but here are a few of my favorite brands. I love Korean skincare and I’m a big fan of Innisfree and Laniege. I also love Neutrogena and Clinique and my favorite product of all time is the 72-hour moisture surge. Makeup wise, I usually don’t do very much, but I love using blush. Sometimes I can even go a little overboard with it. My incredible makeup artist for Fairly Oddparents, Julie Hasit would always do these amazing eye makeup looks. I’ve been practicing and I’m slowly but surely getting better.
Do you have any other projects for fans to follow that you care to mention?
I made a movie earlier this year. We went to Canada to film The Naughty Nine, a Disney Christmas heist movie, last February. I play the getaway driver, Ha-Yoon. She is loud and fun and brave. I enjoyed working on this project, which will be coming out before Christmas of 2023.
How do you plan to spend the new year? Do you have any new year's resolutions to share?
My grandparents are coming to visit us over the holidays. They’ve never seen our new home and I am looking forward to their visit. L.A. is new to us, so when we take them around, we’ll get to discover the sights here. I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions. I am doing well in school and things are pretty smooth right now.
How can people follow you via social media?
instagram is @imogen_cohen.
tiktok @imogencohenofficial and @imogen_cohen