'The Baby-Sitters Club': Meet Alicia Silverstone, Mark Feuerstein and the rest of the cast of Netflix's reboot
The nostalgia is about to kick in on high gear as Netflix is set to premiere the third on-screen adaptation of Ann M Martin's Baby-Sitters Club book franchise with Season 1 of 'The Baby-Sitters Club.' There are 131 titles in the book series. With the new reboot, the '90s kids will go back in time with this modern remake of a classic that gained intense popularity for its uplifting and empowering narrative. While the books have been adapted before in the 1990s with a short series and a feature film, fans are in for a trendier take as the streaming giant's reboot is set to re-tell the adventures of Kristy Thomas, Mary-Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer to a new generation.
Here is the dynamic cast that will bring the coming-of-age novels to life:
Sophie Grace as Kristy Thomas
Grace is an American television and film actress known for her roles as Hadley in 'Business as Unusual' (2018), Colonist in 'Genesis' (2018), and Kaitlyn in Lifetime's 'Terror in the Woods.' As per Grace's IMDb page, she perfected on stage staring at the age of 3 and began professional training at the age of 10.
Malia Baker as Mary-Anne Spier
Baker was born in Africa and raised in Canada, and is known for her roles as Malia Weir in Hallmark's TV movie, 'Hope at Christmas' (2018), Little Girl in ABC's 'A Million Little Things' (2019), Alice Bolen in CW's 'The Flash' (2019) and Young Anna in 'The Twilight Zone' (2019)
Momona Tamada as Claudia Kishi
Tamada made her debut in 2019 with Amazon's 'The Boys' and then went on to play the role of Kazu's Great-Granddaughter in AMC's award-winning series 'The Terror' that same year. Most may remember the young actress from the fan-favorite series 'To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You' where she played the role of Young Laura Jean. Her other works include the role of Erica in Netflix's family film 'The Main Event' (2020) and a dancer in 'Gabby Duran & The Unsittables' (2020). According to her IMDb page, Tamada is also an award-winning dancer and has been competing in the sport since the tender age of 4. She has performed at the BC Summer Games Opening Ceremonies, and with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Shay Rudolph as Stacey McGill
Rudolph's career began on stage and now the young star has set her eyes on the television entertainment scene. Some may remember her from her recurring guest role in FOX's 'Lethal Weapon' (2018-2019) where young Rudolph played the role of Maya Flynn, the daughter of Seann William Scott's character, Wesley Cole. The actress's other roles include Young Mae in 'Mae' (2017), Becky Thatcher in 'The Adventures of Thomasina Sawyer' (2018), Gisele in 'Less Than Zero' and soon in Showtime Pilot, 'RITA', where she plays the role of Abbey.
Xochitl Gomez as Dawn Schafer
Gomez is a young actress, known for her roles as Young Ana in 'Gentefied (2020)', and Chucky in 'Shadow Wolves' (2019). Gomez who plays the Latina character Dawn in 'The Baby-Sitters Club' has been involved in quite a few productions at such a young age. In 2018, Gomez won the award for 'Best Young Actress; for her role as Francis in 'Boob Sweat' (2018). Her other recent roles include her role as Delia in 'By River's Edge' (2018), Lily in 'Matty Paz Is a Noob' (2018), Eclipse Kid in 'You're the Worst' (2019), and Emma in 'Roped' (2020).
Alicia Silverstone as Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer
Daughter of Didi (Radford), a former flight attendant, and Monty Silverstone, a real estate investor, Silverstone has made quite a name for herself in the entertainment industry. While most remember her classic role as Cher in fan-favorite 'Clueless' (1995), Silverstone has portrayed many other excellent roles. Her first few roles when she came onto the entertainment scene include her roles as Jessica from 'The Wonder Years' (1988), Darian Forrester in 'The Crush' (1993), and Delphine in 'Torch Song' (1993). Her role as Darian Forrester won her the MTV Movie Award for 'Best Villain' and 'Breakthrough Performance' in 1994. Not to mention, she also won the MTV Movie Award for 'Best Female Performance' and 'Most Desirable Female' in 1996 for her role as Cher. Most interestingly, Aerosmith had also hired Silverstone to be in music videos such as 'Cryin' and 'Amazing ' in 1993. Silverstone's other recognizable included her role as Batgirl / Barbara Wilson in the 1997's 'Batman & Robin' and Emily in 'Excess Baggage' (1997). Her most recent works include, 'The Lodge,' 'In the Time It Takes to Get There,' 'Bajillion Dollar Propertie$,' 'Bad Therapy' and 'Valley Girl.'
Mark Feuerstein as Watson Brewer
Feuerstein's portrayal of Officer Phil in the 1983 soap opera 'Loving' was considered to be his breakthrough role as a recurring character. According to the actor's IMDb page, he has other skills including the fact that he was a high school state championship wrestler and enjoys sports such as mountain biking. Most viewers may remember Feuerstein with the nickname Chaplin that he had apparently got while on the sets on 'Giving It Up' (1999) where he played the role of Ralph Gagante. Feuerstein's other notable roles include his role as Clifford Calley in 'The West Wing' (2001–2005), Hank Lawson in 'Royal Pains' (2009–2016), and Jacob Anton Ness in 'Prison Break' (2017). The actor also has writing and producing credits for the CBS sitcom '9JKL' in which he played the role of Josh.
Watch the amazing trailer of the modern adaption of Ann M Martin's Baby-Sitters Club book franchise below:
The official synopsis reads, "The Baby-Sitters Club’ is based on the best-selling, beloved book series that follows the friendship and adventures of Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace), Mary Anne Spier (Malia Baker), Claudia Kishi (Momona Tamada), Stacey McGill (Shay Rudolph), and Dawn Schafer (Xochitl Gomez) as the middle-schoolers start their babysitting business in the town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. Ann M Martin, the series author, and show producer conceived the idea of these inspiring young girls with different backgrounds, personalities, and opinions that were brought together by a business venture they created and bonded through the friendships they forged. The adaptation of the contemporary dramedy continues to champion friendship, female empowerment, and entrepreneurship.”
Catch Season 1 of 'The Baby-Sitters Club' on July 3, 2020, on Netflix. If you want to catch up on the books or re-read them, Audible has all 131 available for download.