We're already in love with Nickelodeon's hit TV series Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, but prepare to become absolutely obsessed with Lizzy Greene. The female lead rose to fame as one of the quadruplets in the show, but there's so much more to Lizzy than her fans might know. Like did you know that she's a longtime The Wizard of Oz fanatic? Or that she's actually a seriously talented singer?
We at J-14 caught up with the starlet before the highly anticipated premiere of the upcoming Season 3 finale. The special episode, titled "The Wonderful Wizard of Quads," premieres this weekend, on August 5, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT on Nickelodeon. When we chatted, Lizzy told us a little more about herself and revealed some major behind-the-scenes secrets about the show. Check out our Q&A!
J-14: Your character Dawn tries out for the role of Dorothy in the season three finale. How do you personally feel about The Wizard of Oz?
Lizzy Greene: Yes, I always have [been a fan]. It used to be one of my favorite movies, growing up as a kid. I loved it because it was very colorful. And I’ve always kind of looked for the yellow brick road in real life! I thought it was real. I’ve always loved the movie. I love Toto! And the fact that we got to recreate it was so fun and I really can’t wait for everyone to see. We’ve worked so hard on this — the crew worked overtime and we worked every single day on this project. We did probably about 50 rehearsals of the whole dance number, with the “I’m Dorothy” dance number. They took it very seriously, everything had to be perfect, the movements and everything. So the finished product truly did come out amazing and I’m so excited!
J-14: And you get to sing on the episode!
LG: I do! Which was so exciting for me. Singing is where I started out. I started out doing the talent shows at my public school. Singing is where I really started, instead of like, acting. So when I heard that I got the chance to have a solo and a little dance number with singing, I was so excited because it was like two of my favorite things put together in this amazing, unique, fun production.
J-14: Would you ever want to release music or sing professionally?
LG: Yes, I have. It’s always been something that’s been on my mind, something I’ve wanted to do. The only thing is that the time is really committing. So when I have breaks, I definitely try to put stuff out there and think about ideas for the future.
J-14: Do you write your own music or mainly cover other artists?
LG: Mostly covers and stuff, but I do have a singing coach that I go to when I have time and things are in the works! That’s what I’ll say!
J-14: What was it like to play a character who’s playing another character?
LG: It was actually really cool how they brought the entire show together. I’m sure when everyone sees, they’re going to really understand it more, rather than just seeing the music video for it. But it’s about how Dawn has always wanted to try out for the role of Dorothy. And she tries out, but she doesn’t get it. And then, a big tornado prop happens to come in, and it knocks her unconscious. So she goes into this dream sequence where she wakes up in Oz, and everyone’s there, all of the cast is there, now playing these characters in Oz.
Jade, who plays Rose Dirken, comes in, and she is also my arch nemesis because she got the role of Dorothy and I didn’t. So she has to go on this huge adventure to get the Wizard to see which one of us is the true Dorothy. But then I find out that my brothers tried to do something for me and they actually got caught by Wicked Witch of the West, which means that I have to choose between getting my lifelong goal, being cast as the true Dorothy, or going and saving my brothers.
That’s where the whole song “Together” comes in, and it’s really me deciding if I’m going to go to my family or follow my life dream. You really see Dawn get more vulnerable, because it’s between saving her brothers or keeping this lifelong goal she’s always had. So that’s where you see her really testing what she’s going to do. And it just really comes out at the end that, this is such a family production, it’s all about family in the end, which is so awesome because that’s what really matters: family.
J-14: Have you ever had an experience like Dawn, when you didn’t get exactly what you wanted? How did you handle that situation?
LG: With all things in life, like for auditions, you can work hard for something, but at the end of the day, it’s because someone else maybe had the look for it better. Like you could give an amazing performance, but at the end of the day, they’re looking for someone with black hair! It is sad because I kind of do relate to Dawn.
Before I got Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, I was auditioning for all these other projects, but I wasn’t really getting any of them, because I wasn’t the look that they were going for. I’m too short or I didn’t have a British accent or stuff like that! But it is always disappointing, something you work hard for, and it didn’t work out. But at the end of the day, it’s not because you aren’t good enough, or anything like that. It’s just because there’s something better ahead, coming for you.
There’s something much better in your future that you were meant for — that one role. That was what happened with me. I was auditioning and I got this amazing opportunity for this Nickelodeon show! And I ended up getting it, which was so amazing. If you don’t achieve something, it’s because there’s something much greater for you later.
J-14: Are there any funny behind-the-scenes stories you can tell us about filming the Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn special?
LG: Well, one thing is — actually, no one knows this — but I was actually sick during the entire production! I had to record the song when I was sick. So I ended up having to go in and record the song solo over again. My voice kind of sounds a little nasally. I guess I just caught it from someone? It was so sad for me because I got to sing and all that stuff but I was losing my voice and all that. In between takes, I was drinking hot tea, doing every remedy I could to make myself not so sick.
Sometimes people are like, “Dawn’s voice sounds different!” And I’m like, “Because I was losing my voice the entire show!!!” For the song, I had a cold and I realized, “Oh, dang it, I have a cold. What am I going to do?!” So then I had to go in the next day and record the song. I was trying every remedy I could. I literally ate wasabi! They say it clears up your nasals or something. It did a little bit but the taste…It wasn’t worth it for me! So for the song, I sounded pretty sick. So I went in a week after — when I was cured, it went away — and I re-recorded the music. It sounded much better, which was great!
It was just funny because the entire show, I was using hot towels, I was having hot tea, taking Tylenol and stuff like that so I wouldn’t sound so sick. No one knows that about it, which is so weird to think. And they were all commenting, “Oh her voice sounds weird.” But, that was really funny to me to know. And then when I got back to the show, when they aired it just for the crew to see, it was so weird because you could tell that my voice was different.
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