Cassie Scerbo: “Make It or Break It’s” Bad Girl

Kidzworld is getting awesome new season secrets while cell-chatting with Cassie Scerbo who plays feisty “bad girl” Lauren in the gymnast-driven ABC Family drama “Make It or Break It”.

The new season of the show features Payson (Ayla Kell), Kaylie (Josie Lauren) and Lauren (Cassie) trying to make the U.S. Olympic team. The stakes were never higher and, of course, the drama queens were never more on edge as they train with a new coach and hope not to be cut.

Cassie, whom you might have also seen in the “Teen Spirit” TV movie, tells us what’s coming on the show, starting March 26^th and spilling her upcoming big birthday plans with fellow cast BFFs.  

Kidzworld: Your show has lots of fans but when you were a kid or young teen, what were you watching on TV?

• Cassie: I loved “Full House”. That was my favorite. Now I love “Homeland” and “Boardwalk Empire”.

Kidzworld: Your character Lauren is spoiled and a little crazy. She tied to kill the new girl. She sends out pics of teammates kissing to get them in trouble and she kinda sleeps around. How fun is all that to play for an actress?

• Cassie: [laughs] It is sooo fun. I love the girls and all the characters they play but this is definitely the best one for me personally. I’m always up for new challenges and you don’t want to be bored as an actress. Lauren is always doing something horrible and laughing about it then feeling bad about it and trying to make up for it. She’s so crazy. It’s so fun to play her.

Kidzworld: Do you think there is something coming up that nobody in the show will be able to ever forgive Lauren for? The girls seem to let bygones be bygones a lot.

• Cassie: I know! It’s interesting. I think the thing is, the girls know Lauren so well because they’ve grown up together. They’re on a team and you have to be able to put things aside and focus. It’s about teamwork. Lauren is a bad girl but it’s not always for malicious reasons. She makes mistakes and ends up paying for them.

She’s had a lot of heartbreak in her life, a lot of pain and underlying insecurities and vulnerability that the other girls might not have experienced. No sister, no mother, she doesn’t have that foundation.

Kidzworld: Are you girls on the show still pals? You sort of grew up together too, from teens to 20’s.

• Cassie: Yeah. We are best friends. Have been for five years. These girls have been such an influence on me growing up. I look up to them. They say you are who you surround yourself with. I couldn’t pick better girls to be surrounded with every day. We threw a surprise birthday party for Josie on Monday. My birthday is coming up and me, Josie and Nicole (Anderson who plays Kelly) are going to Cabo.

Kidzworld: Wow, Happy birthday! You started out dancing, right? You won a big hip hop competition. How did that translate to the gymnastics?  How much of Lauren’s moves on the balance beam do you actually do?

• Cassie: I was more of a tomboy growing up. Dancing was a big part of my life but I played soccer most of my life and my brother and sister did as well. My dad was the coach. Dance, soccer and boxing helps with everything.  Anything you do that’s athletic can contribute.

We do do some of our own stunts. We have stunt doubles due to liability (getting hurt would stop the production). I have gotten really confident up there on the beam. The specialty picked for each character, me with the beam, Ayla with the bars etc. are things that we’re all good at in real life. They matched us as people. Josie is great on the floor. I learned splits and almost handstands and all the dance stuff is me because of my dance background.

Kidzworld: Give us some new season hints. Will at least one of the girls come out of these Olympic trials for Team USA ready to quit?  

• Cassie: Basically not all the main girls this season will be on the Olympic team. It’s a very cutthroat competition. There is a character named Wendy who is very much huge competition for the girls. She’s younger. She’s on her game. And Lauren winds up with a severe, life-changing, life threatening illness this season. Lauren has a change of heart this season. It will be very difficult for her from then on.

The girls love each other but have to think about themselves this season because at the end of the season you find out who made that team and it’s not going to be everybody. Lots of tears.

Kidzworld: So tell your fans in a nutshell why this new season will rock more than ever.  

Cassie: This is where the girls might have to stop. Gymnastics is basically over for them if they don’t make the team. If they don’t qualify, they won’t go down that Olympic road. It’s so crazy this season with all the twists and turns and betrayal. There are some really, really serious things going on. There is a mole in the group spying on them and new boyfriends and new alliances. And Lauren has her health challenge.

Kidzworld: Sounds like the best season ever! 

By: Lynn Barker