Actress Mary Kate Wiles On Producing, Tenacity, And “Fairly Odd Parents: Fairly Odder”

This actress just took on an iconic role!

You may recognize Mary-Kate from her roles in “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” and “Wayward Guide”. Now, she takes on the nostalgic role of ‘Vicky’ in Paramount+’s new series “Fairly Odd Parents: Fairly Odder”.

We had the amazing honor of talking with Mary-Kate about her advice for young actresses, ‘The Little Bennett Diaries’, and more!

Mary Kate, your career as an actress, producer, and creator is one of a kind. Could you introduce us to how you got involved in the world of acting and creating content?

M: “Oh, thank you, that’s very nice. Well, I knew I wanted to be an actor from the time I was a teenager. It wasn’t until I got involved in so many digital series in my career, however, that I started to gain an audience and begin to see myself as a creator. Many times the projects I have created have come out of my need to stay busy in between jobs! Acting as a career can be very trying, because you’re always waiting for the next job, so it’s very nice to have projects you are in charge of yourself to keep you creatively fulfilled.”

You recently got chosen to bring “Vicky” in the new reboot of “The Fairly Odd Parents”.  How was the experience of embodying such a legendary and fun character?  

M: “It was nerve-wracking, haha! But ultimately, so much fun. I definitely was nervous about playing a character as iconic as Vicky – a character that people already know and have strong feelings about – but ultimately I tried to put that aside and just trust that I got the job for a reason, and to play my version of Vicky to the best of my ability. I watched a lot of the cartoon just to get her in my brain, and at the same time tried to play this version of Vicky that the writers were creating as truthfully as I could. I really love that in Fairly Odder, we get to see kind of a vulnerable side to Vicky. I love that they let me play so many different shades of her. I love that you see her being mean to the kids, which is I think what you expect from Vicky, but also that you see her alone and kind of sad and lonely. It’s so exciting to get so play so many sides of a character.”

We know you are a powerhouse when it comes to producing both your own, and others, content. What do you enjoy about producing? 

M: “Haha, that’s a good question. I don’t know that I would say that I necessarily “enjoy” it, and there are only certain projects I want to produce and certain people I like producing with. Producing projects is stressful no matter the size of the project, but especially on something like “Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story,” the project I just finished shooting with my group Shipwrecked Comedy, it was…the hardest thing I’d ever done. I didn’t get much sleep for two months. I lost weight. I don’t mean to glamorize the struggle at all – I just want to be upfront about how truly difficult producing a shoot over three weeks with a cast/crew of 50 people can be. I like producing with Shipwrecked because my fiancé is also my producing partner, and I believe in him and his talent so much that ultimately all that stress and work is worth it. It makes me really happy if I can help bring his projects to life because the alternative is too sad for me. So yeah, I suppose that’s what I enjoy about producing – getting to bring projects that I really care about and believe in to life. But beyond that, it’s less about enjoyment and more about necessity. Haha!”

Is there a project you think marked a before and after in your career? Why?

M: “Absolutely – The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It is the thing I’m best known for, and it led to a lot of the work I did after it. If I hadn’t been in The LBD, my career and my personal life would look completely different. I met my fiancé doing a project that I probably wouldn’t have been hired for if it weren’t for The LBD. So yeah, it’s definitely the turning point. I also don’t think anybody knew who I was before then, ha!”

What would you say are the challenges of being an actor, and being a creator/producer? Would you say it informs or feeds your acting in any way? 

M: “Oh gosh, how much time do we have? Haha. Acting is unbelievably challenging – the acting work itself can be challenging at times, yes, but the act of pursuing acting as a career is beyond challenging. You’re constantly auditioning, falling in love with characters and imagining yourself as a part of stories that nine times out of ten you don’t get. The ability to keep going and keep trusting that another job is coming, even after months and months or years of not booking – it’s incredibly hard. And then of course any role can present its own challenges depending on what it is and what you’re having to do. And oftentimes film schedules are uncomfortable and exhausting. Wow, I’m really selling it, aren’t I?

As for creating/producing…I find the biggest challenges are finding ways to create with limited means. And with producing, similarly, the hardest thing is always making the scale of the production fit the budget. There’s also just so much to juggle. I certainly can’t do it alone. 

I have often said that I think all actors should produce, because there is just no possible way you can truly comprehend how much work goes into any project you’re a part of until you’ve done it yourself. You can know that the producers of shows you’re in work hard, but having to stay late to pick up trash or go buy snacks the week before or triple check the call sheet or organize costumes or WHATEVER really puts all that into perspective. I think it makes you a more understanding, more well-rounded actor.”

We know you have experience in voice acting- how is that experience different than on camera acting?  

M: “I do have some VO experience, but I’d love to do more! They’re just completely different mediums. VO acting makes you be really creative in your performance and also really granular, because obviously you only have your voice to convey a feeling or emotion with, rather than also having the use of your facial expressions and your body. At the same time, I find it kind of freeing, because there’s less to get in your head about when you’re not worried about what your face looks like or what your arms are doing. It’s a really fun challenge.”

You have participated in major productions like “Young Sheldon”, “Code Black” and “The Middle”. What would you say to a young actress aspiring to book these kinds of roles?  

M: “It’s all about tenacity. For every job I’ve booked, there are at least 20 – maybe even 40 or 50 – that I didn’t. But over time, you make relationships with casting directors, and the more they see you, the more they’ll think of you. Many of the jobs I’ve booked I got after auditioning for those casting directors many times previously without booking. You just have to keep at it.”

There is so much going on in your life at the moment- what are things you do in your day-to-day life to keep yourself grounded and connected to the work?  

M: “Oh gosh, I don’t know, haha. Connecting to the work is not my problem – all I want to do or think about is work. It’s disconnecting that I have a little more trouble with. But I like to cook and do puzzles with my fiancé. I’m trying to get better at giving myself time to breathe.”

Is there any character in the last couple of years that you have particularly enjoyed playing? Why? 

M: “All of them! I mean, I feel quite lucky in that I have gotten to play so many fun characters in the various projects I’ve done. Vicky is certainly up there. I’ve never played a character like her before – so loud and unpleasant – and they allowed me to show so many different sides of her. That was a joy and every day on set was a blast.”

What is next in this amazing journey? 

M: “Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story should be coming out later this year, and I’m so excited to finally be sharing it with our audience. Shipwrecked is also starting to look towards/plan out our next project post-Headless, and it’s something we’re really excited about that we’ve been thinking about for a long time. And crossing my fingers for Season 2 of Fairly Odder!”

Links:

Shipwrecked Comedy 

My Patreon

Anne of Green Gables Podcast

Watch Season 1 of “The Fairly Odd Parents: Fairly Odder” only of Paramount Plus!

Jojo Gentil–Entertainment/ Celebrity  Reporter- Joaquina (Jojo) is a Latinx actress, podcaster, writer, producer, and creative, who trained in France and in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she also has been working in Production and in the Industry Relations Department for the past 3 years. She is a bit of a traveler and adventurer, having lived around the world. In her free time, Jojo loves watching Formula 1, going Wine Tasting, hiking, and watching a good episode of a crime show.