Stefanie Scott is an actress and musician and she can also beat you in a good game of Mario Kart! She currently stars as Lexi on Disney’s hit show, A.N.T. FARM. THE MAGAZINE caught up with Stefanie to talk about boarding school, WRECK-IT RALPH and her new music.
You play Lexi on Disney’s A.N.T. FARM. Tell us about her.
Lexi has always been the overachiever. She’s starred in all the school plays, she’s the student body president and she always has her plate full of these overachieving activities. I think that’s what makes her so insecure and sassy at times. She realizes China is kind of taking over her role a little bit. I think her occasional rudeness is her trying to protect herself. She wants to just protect her pride and I respect her for that. She’s very fun to play because we’re so different.
Lexi is the popular cheerleader at school. Tell us about your high school experience.
Personally, I haven’t had too much of a high school experience because I’m home schooled. I started normal high school but then my schedule was too crazy and I couldn’t keep up. I’m on set every day so that’s kind of like my high school experience. I grow up with my cast members because we all do school together in our classroom with our tutor. I did get to experience my first school dance, meeting friends, having a locker, walking around, things like that. I think that I have a much different lifestyle as a teenager because of my job and because of my responsibilities.
How do you fit in school on set?
We fit in the school somehow. I do about three hours a day on top of filming and rehearsals and other things. Whenever we get a break, we do school with the teachers. Usually when we get in at 7 a.m. we have to do a block of school, which is like an hour and then we fill it in the rest of the day. It’s exciting because one minute you’re reading scripts and memorizing and the next minute you have to be sitting in the classroom doing your geometry and algebra. It is a lot of work, I’m not going to lie, but it works because it’s what I love to do.
What can we expect from season three of A.N.T. FARM?
I can’t reveal too much, but we are changing the storyline a little bit for some fun. We all go to A.N.T. Farm Boarding School. It’s quite different and I am really looking forward to seeing what the writers do with that and to see how this all works out. I can’t wait to see everybody again on set. I miss my A.N.T. FARM family!
You voice Moppet Girl in the upcoming family film, WRECK-IT RALPH. What can you tell us about the film and your character?
I am so excited I got to be a part of WRECK-IT RALPH. I got the chance to see it and it’s adorable. The movie is about what happens when the arcade goes to sleep at night and it closes. You get to see the characters come to life and go to Game Central Station. They have their own lives and that’s what is so cool. Wreck-It Ralph is misunderstood for being the villain, when he just wants to be a hero and get his gold medal. I play Moppet Girl who is the first one to notice that Wreck-It Ralph is missing. She notices what’s going on and that creates a whole series of events for all of the games. She’s a young girl who loves video games but is also kind of a wallflower type. I had a blast. It was a dream of mine to be in a Disney animated feature film.
When you were recording WRECK-IT RALPH, how did you get yourself into character?
When you’re recording an animated piece, it’s so much different because you don’t really get to see the sets and your character and everything. I saw a couple of pictures and I came in with my script. It’s so funny because, as you’re saying your lines, you also have to do the real life things like sighing and breathing. We literally spent ten minutes just giggling, playing video games and trying to make all of the noises that I would make if I was really shooting the guns and shooting the arrows. I had so much fun. The film focuses on arcade games and their characters.
What is your favourite arcade game?
Growing up, I’d play Mario Kart with my brothers. I have two older brothers and they would be so competitive because I was their younger sister and they would never let me win! I beat them a couple times.
Besides acting, you are also a great singer and you just released a song called “FYI” with a wonderful positive message. What is it about?
I am very touched by that song and it just came out on iTunes. “FYI” stands for "for your information" and it’s about embracing yourself and letting you know you don’t have to be a cookie-cutter girl or boy. You can stand out in your own way. The song is me telling a guy I know about how he’s the cute wallflower kid you don’t really notice. [I say,] don’t think you’re the awkward one. You think you’re the awkward one, but I still think you’re cool. You can see it’s the imperfections that make you perfect.
If you had to choose between acting and singing, which would you choose and why?
I get this question all the time and I can never ever answer it. I have such a passion for both! I grew up doing musical theatre. I love acting and being different characters. Once you step on a set and you’re in wardrobe and hair, you become this other person, you have the best time and you get to create so many great relationships along the way. With music, you get to write about your relationships. I love to write my own music and poetry. Somewhere along the road, I’d love to combine them and do a Broadway show or a musical movie.
