TURTLE POWER!

The Vampire p Diaries actress chatss about voicing April O’ Neil in the latest version of the show

Were you a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle st les before you got the role?

Totally! I thought I was one of the only girls who ho watched it, but apparently not. It was superempowering to watch as a young kid. I was always ways a big fan of these butt-kicking teenage turtles!! My friends freaked out when I got the role – it was crazy.

How does it feel being the first African-American rican character in this franchise?

When I was a little girl, there were no black female male superheroes. The closest I had was Halle Berryy as Catwoman, but it wasn’t common in animation. on. It’s important for young girls to be able to see themselves on screen, even if it’s in an animated ted form. In America, we’re dealing with a lot of racism acism and sexism, and a huge way to combat that iss by showing multidimensional, multicultural female le characters. It’s a massive step.

Are you and April similar in anyway?

April is a super-fun, sassy, go-getting, fearless girl who can be very silly. I’m also a very silly person. son. I’m more similar to April than any character I’ve ve actually ever played before, even though she’s s a cartoon. I feel like there’s a lot of sass and silliness that we both have.

What is your current favourite TV show?

The Hand maid’ s Tale. Elisabeth Moss is incredible,ble, and I love the writing and acting. It has a lot of integrity.ty.