The stars of Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club may be best friends on TV, but they’re also super close in real life.
“It was amazing. I loved flying to Canada and filming. I’m doing what I love with the people I love and the people I now call my best friends. It was truly wonderful,” Kyndra Sanchez tells J-14 exclusively ahead of the show’s season 2 premiere. “When we weren’t filming, we definitely hung out with each other. We explored Vancouver and it was so beautiful. Actually, we built such a nice relationship because when we were done filming and we went back home, [costar] Malia [Baker] actually flew over from Canada to visit me in New York. She stayed over for a week. We had some very eventful days together.”
Kyndra, 15, who plays Dawn Shafer in the series, took over the role — which was originated by Xochitl Gomez — for the second season.
“I feel like I didn’t really replace her. You know, a door open for Xochitl, and a new door open for me. I am just so grateful to be part of such a wonderful and inclusive show with diverse characters, with different personalities and backgrounds that kids can look up to. Not only kids, but people of all ages,” the actress adds. “Dawn is kind, she’s an advocate. She uses her voice to empower. She cares about social inequalities. She cares for the environment and also her friends.”
When it came to auditioning for the role, Kyndra recalls doing a “chemistry read” with the rest of the cast — Malia, Sophie Grace, Momona Tamada and Shay Rudolph.
“Instantly, we clicked right away,” she shares. “We bonded over rings, sustainable fashion, crystals, spirituality, and it was just wonderful. That made me want to book the job even more. Then, I remember initially going in for the last Zoom call thinking, ‘Oh, I’m just going to meet someone from the crew,’ and I was really excited. I remember logging into the Zoom and instead of me meeting someone, I was actually booked! The girls yelled, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Dawn Shafer on season 2.'”
Anais Lee, who plays Jessi Ramsey on the Netflix show, also gushes about her costars, telling J-14 exclusively that “all the girls are just amazing.”
“When I auditioned for Jessi, actually, it was a guest-starring role,” the 14-year-old star shares. “I didn’t know that it was going to become what it is right now. So, it all just happened so quickly. Season 2 got picked up and, ‘Hey, you’re going on as a series regular.’ Then, we filmed it and now, it’s coming out in a couple of weeks, and it’s kind of surreal to me.”
When it comes to her character, Anais describes Jessi as “very driven and goal-oriented.”
“She focuses on her ballet a lot. It’s basically her whole life,” she says. “Ballet is the main part of Jessi. She’s, like, constantly late to [Baby-Sitters Club] meetings because she [has] ballet practice and … she’s also very, she’s very kind. She cares about her friends a lot and about the people around her and she loves her friends.”
The Baby-Sitters Club season 2 premiered via Netflix on Monday, October 11.
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