Cassie Scerbo is the modern-day version of a triple threat. A cable actress, pop singer and an accomplished dancer, her skill trifecta has earned her roles in a number of projects including Bring It On: In It to Win It and currently, ABC Family's second highest rated series Make It or Break It, where she plays Lauren Tanner, Rocky Mountain's "bitch of the beam." When she isn't embodying one of the nastiest characters on ABC Family, the upbeat actress packs her schedule with voice overs, auditions, online college courses, church and a boyfriend, her Make It co-star Cody Longo.
Earlier this week, Movieline caught Scerbo in a rare moment off to discuss her Facebook death threats, an upcoming cameo in the Not Another parody movie co-starring Chevy Chase, and nearly everything in between. Although she was hoarse from a nonstop itinerary, the upswinging actress presented herself with the certainty of a star.
Your character on Make It or Break It is pure evil.
[Laughs] I guess that means I'm doing my job. If I'm getting death threats from little girls on Facebook, then I figure I'm succeeding at playing a bitch.
That must be a good release though. What's the best part about playing the bitch?
I think just that it's so different from any other character I've played. I get to come to work and be somebody completely different than what I'm used to playing. It's a lot of fun to play someone mean and spicy.
Did you know right away that you wanted to play the mean girl?
Originally, I actually auditioned for the role of Payson [now played by Ayla Kell] and [the producers] brought me back and had me read for Lauren. [Laughs] Maybe it was the way I looked? I think I probably just did not seem as focused as Payson needed to be. Ayla plays that part the best so I think that it all worked out in the end.
It seems like Lauren is going to be more proactive this season in getting her way, especially considering the latest cortisone shot scandal. Can you talk about any other evil schemes your character has up her leotard?
It's kind of funny, the best part about the whole cortisone thing is that the actor playing Nicky Russo, Cody [Longo] is my boyfriend in real life. It was so fun getting on set and being able to mess with him and I said, "You can't get mad at me! I'm acting." There's definitely a lot more drama coming everyone's way. There are a lot of twists and turns that everyone will be shocked by, especially with the Lauren-Carter-Kaylie love triangle. My character definitely comes between a few other people's love interests. There are a lot of different things in store for the characters and I think it's going to be a big surprise and of course, you have the whole world of gymnastics which is really exciting, especially seeing where Payson is going to wind up.
Have you gotten to meet a lot of real life gymnasts?
Oh yeah. Last season, we were all on set stretching and getting ready for a new scene and out of nowhere, one of our producers comes up to us and was like, "Guys, meet [Olympic gold medalist] Nastia Liukin." And we were like, "What!" It was amazing because especially after all of the studying we had to do on our characters, just getting into that whole gymnastics realm of things -- getting to see her was like seeing God.
Did she have any feedback for you guys?
She told us that she liked the show and we were hoping that she'd get to come on one of these days. I don't know, we'll have to see. She took pictures with us and was just really kind and sweet.
The production team does a really great job at simulating the gymnastics. Is there a lot of waiting around on set as you wait for your doubles to complete the stunts?
The producers have it mapped out pretty well but I think that might be why our shooting days tend to take a little longer than some other one-hour shows for teenagers. We love the days we have stunts though because we just get to watch. It's like we're working and watching an amazing gymnastics meet at the same time. All of our stunt doubles are national champions or have been on the Olympic team and they're like super humans. It's incredible.
Are there cliques on set -- the gymnasts versus the actresses and actors that play gymnasts on TV?
No, everyone is very mature. A lot of our doubles are in their twenties and they are just very sweet women. Even within the cast, I don't think we've had one argument in two seasons and that is something to be proud of. That does not happen often, especially with four girls. We get along great with our stunt doubles. We hang out on the weekends -- all of us are really good friends.
That's pretty lucky, especially for young actresses. Would you say that Make It or Break It is more about young women growing up, who also happen to be gymnasts, or the struggles that coming-of-age gymnasts face? Even though the show revolves around this sports universe, Lauren has such a rich back story with her addict mother, that the gymnastics sometimes fades away.
I think it just goes to show that with anything you do in life, everybody is a normal human being. Everybody has problems but they are always trying to grow and learn and live their life while pursuing their hobbies and careers. Even though the gymnasts have these problems and differences, the Make It or Break It girls can put them aside and focus on their one similarity and use it as a force together. I think that's what is special about our show. The last season was especially a great example of that because there was so much drama but then the last scene of the season was all of us around Payson with our hands on top of each other and in the end, all that mattered was being there for each other. That's how life is, sometimes drama can take control but when you get to the end, you have to focus on what is most important.
Let's talk about your career as a triple-threat. Which came first for you -- singing, dancing or acting?
There was never one thing that came to me first. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that I wanted to perform and tell a story, no matter how I did it. Whether it was singing or dancing or acting, I always knew I wanted to send a message. I always wanted to perform and be in front of people. I grew to love each of those things but I think I definitely get the biggest high off of being an actress and having these special moments. Acting is probably my number one passion but I feel like singing and dancing go hand in hand with each other.
You just finished shooting Not Another Not Another Movie with Chevy Chase and Burt Reynolds, right?
Yes. I met [writer/director David Murphy and writer David Schultz] and they really just fell in love with my personality and wanted me to do a cameo appearance in one of their films that was coming up. It was something I got to do on the side which was great because Make It or Break It shoots five days a week, usually from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. I had this opportunity to play a really fun character and I got to have a really hilarious Yugoslavian accent. It was a one day thing. I went on set and played this really funny character and at the last minute they changed the character so that I was actually speaking Russian -- not just speaking with an accent. That was a challenge but it was fun. I'm a really spontaneous person so it worked.
That movie is basically making fun of all of the other Not Another spoof movies?
Basically. It's going to be a really funny movie. I can't wait to see the finished product. This is something I've never done before but I've known the director and producers a long time and we wanted to do something together.
What else do you have coming up?
I have a pretty hectic schedule but whenever I have free time, I do voice overs for Cartoon Network and Disney. It's fun that I can just kind of do that and they don't take up a lot of time on the side. I'm also getting back into the works with singing and recording again just for my own sake. It's a way of expression for me. I'll wind up putting the songs up on my MySpace page just to share them with everyone but it's something I like to do on the side. I've been auditioning a lot too and I actually just signed up for online college which is definitely going to be a challenge with my shooting schedule. It's something that is important to me -- I've always wanted a degree so I'm happy that I finally stopped procrastinating and signed up. Also, becoming part of my church is really fun -- becoming part of their volunteer staff.
Do you know what kind of degree you want?
Yes. Right now, I'm focusing on my bachelor's degree in English. I've always had a passion for English and writing -- writing songs, writing poetry and all kinds of writing.
I'm exhausted just hearing about all of this. How do you have time for all of this?
[Laughs] I try to make time in my schedule. If I shoot in the daytime, I'm going to do my homework at night. If I have time in between takes, I'll get it done on set. There's never really been something that I've put my mind to that I can't finish. I just focus and have the weekend to do things. I guess I don't have much time! I have to squeeze it all in though. I have to do it if that's what I want.
So what are your acting aspirations? Would you eventually like to move onto more films?
Well, I'd really like to play someone who is not a mean girl. [Chuckles] That'd be fun. No, I don't have any certain path that I'm thinking of taking with acting. The possibilities are endless. I'd like to touch on everything and explore every kind of character. Maybe do more guest appearances on television shows and do more film. Acting is such a passion of mine that any character I get to play on film or TV is a blessing and I'd be appreciative to get my hands on anything. Acting in general is just such a great feeling for me. That being said, I wouldn't mind following in the footsteps of Meryl Streep!