Shaina Freeman interview

Gullah Gullah Island was the musical show that ran on Nick Jr. for preschoolers from 1994-99. It showcased a family residing in South Carolina on a secluded area called "Gullah Gullah Island" (though actually the show filmed in Orlando,FL) and they would sing,dance,and rap in musical acts while teaching educational stuff to kids. I got the chance to interview Shaina Freeman who starred on the show(she left before the final season) to discuss her time at Nickelodeon Studios all part of the project!

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role in Gullah Gullah Island?

It was the usual way anyone gets a role, a casting call, several auditions and being selected. I already did commercials and print modeling, but this was my first television role. I will say that I had a competitive edge because at age 4 I could read and memorize my lines a lot better than most girls my age.

2. What was a typical day like at Nick Studios?
Depending on whether we were filming or rehearsing, sometimes we'd get there in the morning and do table reads and walk throughs of the stage or Get there in the morning, hair/makeup and wardrobe, and filming. Between scenes I could go to the green room and hang out and eat or sometimes have a little while to play in the theme park. Sometimes I was doing voice-overs for the songs 

3. What was one of the good things about living and working in Orlando?
There was nothing in particular I liked about living in Orlando more than any other city. I did however particularly enjoy the location filming in South Carolina, it was beautiful.

4. Do you remember any other shows being filmed where you were at?
I remember all that, Kenan and Kel, Legends of the hidden temple and Clarissa explains it all was actually the exact same set as Gullah Gullah, only decorated differently. (You'll notice the position of the front door, stairs, kitchen door, etc.) Also, all the animators and voice actors of some of the nicktoons were at the studios, as well as the offices of Nickelodeon Magazine

5. What was Phillip Garcia, who played Binyah Binyah, like when not in costume?
He was really funny. He liked playing pranks and was always smiling and telling jokes. 

6. Is it true that you moved out of Florida and that's why you weren't back for the third season?
I did three seasons, including the pilot season. My family moved to California shortly before the last season started filming where I started school, joined a girl scout troop and started dance lessons. I chose not to return because I preferred being a normal kid over acting and wanted to stay in California.

7. Did you get a chance to meet Tristan Mays, who replaced you on the show?
No, but we talk online sometimes

8. Do you still keep in touch with former cast mates?
I'm facebook friends with most of the cast and a few crew members  

9. Have you ever gotten slimed?
yes

10. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?
 I really used to enjoy Fieval's playland and the Barney attraction ( I was very young, and a lot of the attractions were very scary for me: Jaws, ET, Alfred Hitchcock, Back to the future, etc.) 

11. Gullah Gullah Island has since become a cult favorite and very loved show among adults who watched Nick Jr when they were younger. How do you feel knowing that your show and the rest of the 80s and 90s Nickelodeon shows made an impact on fans? 

It's always nice to hear that it had such a positive impact on anyone of any age. I take it as a compliment and am just grateful for the happiness it brings them

11. What have you been up to these days?
I graduated from Auburn University in 2010 and have since been working in marketing and sales

12. Can you describe any behind the scenes or fan moments that happened at the studio?

I remember hanging out with the older kids from All That in the green room between scenes and they were so nice and cool. 

13. I think that Nickelodeon Studios was a special place for kids and adults to interact with actors and TV shows and just have a lot of fun especially somewhere like Orlando. Would you agree with that?
 Yes. 

14. Would you like to see Nick Studios be re-opened?

Yes. I think kids deserve the rare opportunity to get a behind the scenes view of their favorite tv shows and have something to do at Universal Studios besides waiting in hour-long lines for 3 minute rides

Irene Ng interview

Ahh The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo! From 1996-99 the show ran on Nickelodeon about a 15 year old girl solving crimes in her grandfather's police organization and getting into alot of misadventures along the way. You're probably wondering whatever happened to the star of the show Irene Ng? Well she's now married with two kids and is a founder and schoolteacher of a preschool in Connecticut  In this exclusive interview I got the chance to chat with Irene about Nick Studios and her time on the show all a part of the documentary about Nickelodeon Studios.

Then

Now

1. How did you get the role as Shelby Woo?

I auditioned many many rounds in NYC through my agent and got the role.

2. What was a typical day like at Nickelodeon Studios?

You get there, change into your wardrobe and have your makeup done, block the scenes and rehearse, then wait in your dressing room for them to come call you then film. We ususally order our lunch from a menu there, work till evening then go home.

3. Do you remember any other shows being filmed where you were at?

Keanan and Kel and All That

4. What was one of the good things about living/working in Orlando?

Definitely Universal Studios - my family and friends would come to visit, stay with me, and get to cut through lines using my Disney pass!

5. Do you keep in touch with anyone from the show?

For many years I kept in touch with Adam Busch from the show but in recent years we have lost touch, unfortunately

6. You were also often a panelist on Figure It Out. How much fun was that show?

It was very fun to meet all the different celebrities they would have on the show - not to mention being slimed and having to take a shower in the studio after that!

7. Can you describe the feeling of getting slimed?

Wet, gooey, cold!

8. Did you have a favorite ride at Universal Studios Florida?

Space Mountain

9. Are you aware of the 90s Are All that on Teenick? How do you feel about people who were fans of Shelby Woo and other Nickelodeon shows during that time?

No I am not aware of that. I am so touched by Shelby Woo fans, of course. My other fellow actors were all really cute and talented kids. I was much older than them though I look young so I was always like an older sister among them. I became really good friends with the older sister of Michelle Trachtenberg, actually, who's my age and we still meet up with each other. Saw Michelle a few years ago and she looked fabulous!

10. Any other behind the scenes or fan moments that happened on set at the studios you can recall? What do you miss about the show?

I miss the people that I worked with the most - the crew were such nice people. We heard once that Tiger Woods was filming an American Express commercial next door once and we found out which studio and we watched him film the commercial about 20 ft from him, pretty cool.

11. I think that Nickelodeon Studios was a special place for kids and adults to interact with actors and tv shows and just have a lot of fun especially somewhere like Orlando. Would you agree with that?

yes, to the kids it's such a big deal to see the actors of their shows in person and it's so nice to see how happy it makes their day

12. Would you like to see Nick Studios be re-opened?

Most definitely!

13. Well thank you so much for this rare interview Irene and being a part of the documentary. Hope everything is going well for you and new career and family life. Take care.

You are so welcome! Thanks so much, Bilaal!