‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ Cast Interview

Opening in theaters on April 12th is the remake of the classic 90s’ comedy ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead‘. Directed by Wade Allain-Marcus (‘Black Box‘), the new film stars Simone Joy Jones (‘Anything’s Possible’), Nicole Richie (‘Good Burger 2’), June Squibb (‘Nebraska’), Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams (‘Drugstore June’), Jermaine Fowler (‘Coming 2 America’), and Gus Kenworthy (’80 for Brady’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Simone Joy Jones and Nicole Richie about their work on ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead,’ their reaction to the screenplay, their love for the original, their characters, and the humor of the movie.

Moviefone: To begin with, Simone, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and the idea of making a remake of the 90’s comedy?

Simone Joy Jones: First impression was, “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m belly laughing reading the script.” There’s a lot of times you’re like, “Oh, that’s going to be funny once that person’s there. That’s going to be funny once it’s all happening.” I was like, “No, it was funny off the page.” Which I was like, “Okay, amazing.” With this specific remake, I was just so excited about Wade’s Vision. He came with all the fabric of how the film was going to be made, and I was like, “I’m on board.”

MF: Nicole, were you a fan of the original and what does it mean to you personally to be in this remake?

Nicole Richie: I am a diehard fan. I’ve seen this movie no less than 1,000 times. I could tell you everything about it. So, when we shot at the original house, I was walking through just so excited. We’ve got some very special cameos from the original version there, and it felt like I was at Universal Studios. I was like, “I cannot believe that I am here. I’ve been in this living room; I’ve been in this kitchen.” I connect to Rose so much. I quote her all the time. So, it was just so much fun.

MF: Simone, can you talk about what Tanya learns about responsibility from working with Rose and taking care of her siblings all summer?

SJJ: I think she just learns that you got to figure it out. I think that’s kind of what I’ve learned in real life of just like, “Okay, nobody knows.” The secret is that nobody knows. So, I think watching her find that out in real time, it’s just so refreshing and it’s awesome to see.

NR: Which is a real confidence that I think only a teenager can have, because you really don’t know. I think obviously as we get older, we know the other side of it and we’re like, “I don’t want to fail.” I do think that there is this kind of blind confidence in Tanya that’s like, “All right, what do I have to lose? I’ve got my whole life ahead of me, so I’m just going to do it.” I really love that.

MF: Finally, Nicole, you are very funny in this movie. Was all the humor in the script or did you find some of it on set? Also, could you relate to Rose as a character?

NR: Thank you. Well, one thing that it was very important for me to remember the whole time is that we are always looking at Rose through a teenager’s eyes. So, the amount of responsibility that she’s talking about as she’s trying to lightly move through everything that’s going on in her head, and she’s talking to Tanya, but she’s also kind of talking to herself and she’s also talking out loud. I think that that’s what teenagers view adults as, nuts. So, I think it was really just important for me to know that that was the perspective and the light that we were looking at her under all the time. What I love so much about Rose is that she’s not going to let anything get in her way. I mean, she really has that forward energy. She knows as the boss and as the head of this company, that it all starts at the top and she wants everyone else to be excited, and she just wants to build her life and keep it moving. I really love that about her.

What is the Plot of ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead’?

17-year-old Tanya’s (Simone Joy Jones) plans for a carefree summer are derailed when her stressed-to-the-limit mom (Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams) takes off for a wellness retreat and puts Tanya and her three siblings in the charge of a crotchety (and racist) old babysitter (June Squibb). The babysitter’s sudden death leaves the kids short on cash and reluctant to pull mom prematurely out of her much-needed R&R, so Tanya is forced to get a job. Posing as an adult, she gets a gig as the executive assistant at a fashion company and overnight is thrust into the world of adulthood and parenting.

Who is in the Cast of ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead’?

• Simone Joy Jones as Tanya Crandell
• Nicole Richie as Rose Lindsey
• June Squibb as Mrs. Sturak
• Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams as Mom
• Donielle T. Hansley Jr. as Kelly
• Miles Fowler as Bryan

2024’s ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.’ Photo: BET+.

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