While at the Moana Press Junket in Los Angeles, which included the Red Carpet Premiere of the movie, we had the fun opportunity to interview the cast of Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle. The entire cast was like one big family, just as funny & cohesive as the family they play on TV. Take a look:
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE -(Disney Channel/Rick Rowell) ARIANA GREENBLATT, MALACHI BARTON, NICOLAS BECHTEL, JENNA ORTEGA, ISAAK PRESLEY, KAYLA MAISONET, RONNI HAWK
I have always loved TV shows with big families – I love the personalities and seeing the dynamic of a big family – whether in a drama or a comedy. Last January, Disney Channel debuted a fun comedy about a very big family – 7 kids in fact – called Stuck in the Middle. I have watched a few episodes with my kids and think it’s adorable. I really like the fact that there is such a cute show that we can watch together as a family.
While in LA for Moana, we had a few hours with the adorable cast of Stuck in the Middle. They have a short-form series coming out both online and on the Disney Channel called “Stuck in the Store”, where the Diaz family takes on a big box store. These 6 short episodes are 2-3 minutes each and available to watch on the Disney Channel App starting November 24 and on the Disney Channel starting December 16. We got a sneak peek at them that morning, and they are so cute! Make sure you watch them with your kids!
So how many of you are actually from large families?
Jenna Ortega: I’m from a large family. I’m one of six kids but if you add one of my nephews there’s seven. But my sister just had another nephew so now there’s eight of us. And they’re always over at the house because we babysit them so there’s eight kids in my family I guess you could say. So it’s pretty big.
Cerina Vincent: Actually, she is stuck in the middle just like the show. I thought that Disney created the show for her and the family because there are so many parallels. It was perfectly designed.
Do you like being stuck in the middle?
Ortega: I love being stuck in the middle. I like Harley’s storyline because at first she’s kind uncertain of like where she’s going with her life. She feels very invisible but later on she realizes that she is very important. She plays a very important role in her family. I think it’s important to know that for those middle children out there who feel like they’re not noticed that they are. And they are very important in the families because they make their families their families.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE – (Disney Channel/Rick Rowell) NICOLAS BECHTEL, JENNA ORTEGA, ISAAK PRESLEY, KAYLA MAISONET
What’s the chemistry like onset?
Ariana Greenblatt: Family, just straight up family. Off the set we hang out at dinners. And we really love each other.
Ortega: We see each other Monday through Fridays so it’s like we’re always together. It’s like they’re my second family.
Joe Nieves: And that happened right from day one. It was immediate and fantastic.
Malachi Barton: In real life, we don’t have any siblings. So it’s like interesting but it’s really, really fun to have siblings onset.
Vincent: I’m not a mother in real life. But I always wanted seven kids. And it just like was a weird childhood thing. And I have them all but in a different form. It’s really cool. We’re bonded.
Isaak Presley: What’s great is that because we’re like a real family we have everything which really helps brings the onset chemistry. I mean we have the bickering and we have the jokes and we have the emotional moments together that really helps bring that to the screen. You know if everything was happy and joyful 24/7 I feel like it’d be very phony. But because we experience all the emotions that kids do it really helps onscreen.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE – (Disney Channel/Rick Rowell) RONNI HAWK, ARIANA GREENBLATT, CERINA VINCENT, JOE NIEVES
What has changed for you since being on a Disney Channel TV show?
Ronni Hawk: I think when people like come up to you and it’s just you see how happy they can get because of you being around them.
Presley: I think the most for me is being able to be an older brother to them. I do like to be able to learn from them how I can be better as a person.
Vincent: I will say too, Joe and I, we’ve been working for 20 years and doing lots of different jobs. But we say to each other – it’s the best job we’ve ever had. It’s really rewarding and there’s a lot of great comedy.
Nieves: We went to an event last night and it was the first time where I was really proud of them. They all looked beautiful. They handled themselves so well. I was beaming with pride for my TV show children. I was really happy. They were gorgeous.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE – (Disney Channel/Rick Rowell) NICOLAS BECHTEL, KAYLA MAISONET, ISAAK PRESLEY, ARIANA GREENBLATT, RONNI HAWK, CERINA VINCENT, JENNA ORTEGA, JOE NIEVES, MALACHI BARTON
This talented group of kids laughed and joked with each other, reminiscing the past year they have had together. It was adorable hearing stories form the set, their favorite episodes, and even a prank or two they have done on each other.
If you haven’t had a chance to see Stuck in the Middle, you can currently watch it on the Disney Channel app or on the Disney Channel.
Other Articles from the Moana, The BFG Blu-ray Event, ABC TV Event & Stuck in the Middle Event you may enjoy:
I’m Heading to the #MoanaEvent
Walk the Moana Red Carpet with Me
She’s Not a Princess Mom, She’s a Hero!
Exclusive Interview with Moana’s Maui, The Rock
That Time I Met Musical Genius Lin-Manuel Miranda
Exclusive Interview with Moana’s Auli’i Carvalho
A Conversation with the Cast of Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle
Holiday Gift Guide for Moana: Moana-Inspired Gifts
The BFG Blu-Ray: A Perfect Holiday Gift
Behind the Scenes on the Set of Speechless
A Conversation with The BFG Roald Dahl’s Daughter, Lucy Dahl
Behind the Scenes on the Set of ABC’s Dr. Ken
Nicole Scherzinger Had To Play the Role of Moana’s Mother
6 Fun Facts About Moana from Directors Ron Musker & John Clements
Disclaimer: Disney sent me to Los Angeles on an all-expenses paid press trip, in exchange for my coverage of the red carpet premiere of Moana. All opinions are my own.
