Everyone was pretty devastated after finding out that Andi Mack was sadly canceled, but luckily we still have the rest of Season 3 to look forward to — and actress Lilan Bowden is spilling all about the show coming to an end.
From whether or not her character, Bex, will get closure to what that very last day on set was like, the 33-year-old Disney Channel star spilled everything you’d want to know about the show’s ending — without spoilers, of course. Plus, she’s got some super exciting upcoming projects to ease the sadness of Andi Mack‘s cancelation. So without further ado, check out everything Lilan spilled when J-14 sat down with her exclusively.
J-14: Andi Mack is in its final season! What was your reaction when you found out the series would sadly be ending after Season 3?
Lilan Bowden: It definitely is bittersweet. I have come to love the cast like a family, and I think everyone feels similarly. It’s rare when you get the opportunity to do a job you love with a cast and crew that work so well together — so I will be missing that. However, I think the series wraps up in a very touching way, and I’m excited for our fans to follow our journey to the end.
J-14: What was that last day on set like?
Lilan: So many tears! I know I and other people have described shooting Andi Mack like “one big summer camp,” and that’s definitely what it felt like on that last day. A time to think of all the memories we’ve made and to know that we’ll all still be friends but to savor the last moments we got to be together. The way the storyline wraps up in the script felt like it reflected our own feelings of getting to know each other, becoming close like a family, and getting ready to move on to new adventures.
J-14: Bex is such a huge part of Andi’s life, and there are so many layers to the family’s relationships. Do you think Bex’s storyline has proper closure at the end of Season 3 — or perhaps there could have been more story to tell?
Lilan: I think Bex does have closure at the end of what’s been a very bumpy but rewarding ride over the past three seasons. But it doesn’t come easy — there are definitely more obstacles along the way that we haven’t seen yet! With how multi-dimensional I feel like all our characters are, I think there could always be more story to tell.
J-14: Fans of Andi Mack might not know that you actually do sketches and skits with your best friend Wilder Smith too — how did that come about?
Lilan: Before Andi Mack came into my life, I spent most of my time doing comedy sketches and guesting in different comedy shows. My best friend Wilder and I met in college when we got put on the same improv group, and during our time of trying to break into acting, we made our own stuff. For most of our videos, we had no budget, and did them in a day. We also have been performing live as “Lilan and Wilder” for probably about 6-7 years now. It’s the best thing in the world to create something people can laugh at with your best friend.
J-14: What is your favorite part about working with your best friend?
Lilan: Work feels like play! I imagine some writing partners get together and write for a couple hours and go home. We’ll spend all day together. We get together in the morning, write for a couple of hours, watch Game of Thrones or Crazy Ex Girlfriend, (or Andi Mack!), take a walk, get dinner, and then write some more, and then perform in an improv show together.
J-14: What is your best advice for young people that want to break into the entertainment industry but don’t know where to start?
Lilan: Create your own stuff! I don’t know any other way to do it. By creating your own projects, whether they’re live shows, one-minute comedy videos, podcasts, etc. you learn the hard way of what works, what doesn’t, what success feels like, and more importantly what failure feels like. Even if you create something bad, (which will probably happen a lot, based on my experience) you learn so much about yourself as an actor, and I think that makes you competitive in a way that sets you apart from people not creating their own stuff.
J-14: Aside from acting, you’re also adding “director” to your resume! Tell us about the comedy short you’re working on and how you like directing compared to acting.
Lilan: Yes! It is called Becoming Eddie, a short about a 12-year-old Korean American boy in the 1980s who feels like an outcast with his mostly white classmates. He loves standup comedy, and makes a wish to be like his favorite foulmouthed standup comedian. His wish comes true and he wakes up only being able to speak in the comedian’s jokes. He becomes popular with his classmates but at the price of his own identity. What’s special to me about this film is that it also reflects some of my experiences growing up Asian American (without the magical wish part).
J-14: Can you tease any other upcoming projects fans can expect?
Lilan: I can never stay away from comedy too long! I’ll be making appearances in College Humor’s series Gods of Food, a series produced by my actor friend Harvey Guillen (The Thundermans) The Filth, and I’ll be in YouTube Premium’s action series, Impulse for Season 2. It’s a drama, but I still get to do a fun comedic bit in it.
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