NPC Seal of Registration
Cosmo.ph has been granted the NPC Seal of Registration in recognition of the successful registration of its DPO and DPS
'Astrid is smart, plus-size, sex-positive and fiesty—she reminded me of myself!'
Jana Morrison has guts—literally. In the teaser trailer for Astrid & Lilly Save The World, a brand-new science fiction comedy-drama television series, Jana and her co-star Samantha Aucoin are seen elbows deep in monster guts, sharing sarcastic quips perfectly fitting their roles as on-screen high school besties.
It's the first time the Filipina-Canadian has played a lead role in a TV series, and she took to it with grit and determination. But how did she land the role in the first place? Jana's agent in Canada actually sent her the character breakdown! "Astrid was described as smart, plus-size, sex-positive, and feisty—she reminded me of myself!" Jana shared.
After she submitted a video of her reading as Astrid, Jana didn't hear back from the casting directors for a month and thought her participation in the project was not meant to be. However, her luck changed when she was called back to read with the actors who were up for the role of Lilly. "I thought that was a great step in my career and I always celebrate every step that brings me a little closer to my dream. When my agent called me to tell me I’d gotten the role, it had been about two months since I originally submitted it. I was out with my mother celebrating her birthday, it was the best gift I could have ever given her."
Check out the rest of Cosmopolitan Philippines' exclusive interview with Jana as she dishes on her on-screen heroines growing up, her own high school experience, and proper representation in media.
"The producers all say that they knew we had chemistry as soon as they watched us read together on Zoom—I think that we're fortunate that we clicked instantly! When we got to St. John's, Newfoundland to film, we spent a lot of our free time together. It's was also both of our first times being leads on a TV show, which can be intimidating, but it was great to have someone on my side who understood what I was going through and to lean on when times were tough. As well as being co-stars, now we are great friends!"
"Growing up, my favorite TV heroine was Kim Possible—she’s just a regular girl who saves the world from supervillains in her spare time! My favorite shows were growing up were That's So Raven, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Lizzy McGuire, The Powerpuff Girls, and So You Think You Can Dance! I also really loved watching TV shows that included travel and food, like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations."
"'You're stronger than you think' is my favorite line of reassurance from Astrid—it's something I remind myself of when I'm feeling overwhelmed or incapable. Also "You’re a fierce queen b*tch who eats monsters for breakfast!" from episode 3 is a line I love and think of all the time. It's just so empowering to take words back that were initially meant to hurt.
I have a whole squad of cheerleaders that includes my family, friends, and mentors! But my number one cheerleader is my ate Wendy. She is my cousin but we're so close I tell people she’s my sister. She has been so incredibly supportive of my career since I was young and she's always there for me when I need her. She told me she always knew this moment would come after many years of hard work and I can't thank her enough for all the support she's given me."
"I was very much into performing arts in high school and I stuck around the people who loved what I did too. I hung out with the theater/dance/choir people who are artistic and different. I did get bullied for how I looked or what I liked to do, and it was really hard when that happened. But I tried to surround myself with people who accepted and celebrated me for the weirdo I am. Whoever you are, some people care about you and will accept you for who you are—find your true friends and look out for one another. It's ok to speak up for yourself and others."
"Astrid was always written as plus-size, but they didn’t specify a race for her. It is so special to me that the show’s creators were able to incorporate my heritage into the character. It's about time Filipinos get recognition in international media! When people see themselves represented in popular media it lets them know that they fit into the world, and when they see diversity on their screens I think it makes them more accepting of other cultures."
"I would want a magic dog who could fly and also shapeshift into different animals, like a fish or a unicorn! And I think an awesome superpower to have would be to control time. So that I can slow things down when I need time to think, but also speed through slow parts of life when I'm waiting for something to happen."
*This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
***
PHOTOGRAPHER: Raen Badua
STYLIST: Dion "Bleu" Drake
HAIR & MAKEUP ARTIST: Suzie K
SPECIAL THANKS TO: Platform Public Relations
On Jana:
***
READ MORE ON COSMO HERE:
14 Of The Best Teen Comedy Movies That Will Make You Want To Relive High School
Quotes We Love From The Female Characters Of 'Sex Education'
