As the stars of the fun-loving TV show, Kimiko, Tisha, Bridget and Blanca are all smiles. But during audition time, no one was laughing. Are Kimiko Gelman (who plays "Rose"), Tisha Campbell ("Marva"), Bridget Michele ("Diane"), and Blanca DeGarr ("Patty") having the time of their lives starring on Rags To Riches? You bet! But as these four gals recall, the events which led up to their winning roles on this heartwarming series were anything but enjoyable!
For 21-year-old Kimiko, everything happened so fast that she didn't really have time to feel nervous - that is, until she had to fly from her native New York, where she was living at the time, to Los Angeles for her final audition! “I auditioned in New York on Saturday morning. That Tuesday I got called back in again. Then I was laying in bed Thursday morning when the casting director called and asked, 'Can You fly to L.A. tomorrow?'" explains brown-eyed Kimiko, who moved to Hollywood after winning her role as "Rose". "I was scared to death because I had never been on a plane before. I didn't even know how to get to the airport or what to do when I got there. "Some of the other people on the plane were actors and they had flown to L.A. for auditions before, so they knew the ropes. All I kept thinking was, 'Where am I going to stay?' I didn't even have much money with me," concludes this February 20, 1966-born actress. Little did Kimiko know that one of her fellow passengers on that plane was her soon-to-be costar, Tisha, who was living in New Jersey at the time. Remembers Tisha, who celebrated her 19th birthday on the 13th of this month, "Kimiko and I flew to L.A. together, but we didn't know it at the time. She was so cute at the final audition because she had originally tried out for the part of 'Nina' (a character who only appeared in the first episode). "She didn't know anything about 'Rose', and she's sitting next to me - this girl I didn't even know - putting her head on my shoulder being really depressed," giggles brown-eyed Tisha, who confides that her last day of tryouts for the series was also far from fun! "It was the worst! It was six hours long, and all had to sing, dance and act. It was so hard, especially because there were so many talented people there!
Among those talented girls was green-eyed Bridget, who was also expecting to read for the role of "Nina". "I had the part of 'Nina' down, and then they threw the role of 'Diane' at me. I was frantic! I walked down this hallway full of girls from all over the country, and I was freaking out," exclaims 21-year-old Bridget, who lives with her family in Beverly Hills, California. "When I had to sing, I was so nervous that I forgot the words. I totally forgot the words. I had to start the song over again. It was so embarrassing. Then I had to wait around for an hour. So I sat on the floor just about ready to cry."
What was that day like for 14-year-old Blanca? "Nerve-wracking! All these girls were sitting around and our knees were knocking. We looked like shy, scared mice," begins brown-eyed Blanca, who's the proud owner of three cats, two guinea pigs and a mouse! "I had to do all these things, like throw food on people, that I would never do in real life. But I decided to act as disgusting as possible, and it worked, I suppose," laughs Blanca.
Article Copyright BOP magazine.