And beyond the rainbow is a wealth of remarkable facts about the show's pretty stars, Bridget Michele, Blanca DeGarr, Tisha Campbell and Kimiko Gelman! Asked to describe herself, Kimiko Ruth Gelman ("Rose") says simply, "I am a native New Yorker!" What does brown-eyed Tisha have in common with her character, "Marva"? "She gets along well with her sisters on the show, and I get along really well with my family," confides Culver City, California-resident Tisha.
Both Los Angeles-natives, Bridget and Blanca are the only RTR girls born in the state of California! Before landing the role of "Diane", Bridget, whose full real name is Bridget Michele Levin, appeared in a variety of TV commercials, including ads for such popular products as Pop Tarts, Levi jeans, Diet Slice cola and Fruit Roll-Ups! She also co-starred with Ricky Schroder in a TV movie Two Kinds Of Love.
Fourteen-year-old Blanca admits that she's "totally different" from her character, "Patty". How so? "I'm much more sedate than 'Patty is," explains the daughter of Richard and Rose Lynda DeGarr Several years back, some of Bridget's friends tried to fix her up with a then-known actor named Micheal Fox! However, no romance came of their matchmaking efforts!
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-native Tisha reveals that while her friends enjoy watching her each week on Rags To Riches, she feels uneasy watching the show because she's super critical of herself! Blanca's favorite childhood memory is "mimicking TV commercials for anyone who would watch!"
Bridget confesses that when it comes to eating, her taste buds are partial to "anything fattening". The first time Kimiko ever stepped foot on an airplane was when she left New York to come to L.A. for her Rags To Riches audition!
Bridget, Blanca. Tisha and Kimiko are all official spokespersons for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization! Tisha won a Ford Granada in a talent contest when she was just six years old! Since she was too young to get behind the wheel, she gave the auto to her loving parents, Clifford and Mona Ray. On RTR Kimiko, or Kim for short, plays the oldest of the orphans. In real life, she's a middle child. Animal-lover Blanca prides herself on her ability to cope with any problem, no matter how big or small! "I work best when I'm under pressure," confides this pretty vegetarian. Bridget and Tisha are October birthday girls! Tisha (age 19) celebrates on the 13th of the month and 21-year-old Bridget has her big day on the 14th.
When interviewed by the BOP staff, all four gals expressed warm feelings for their RTR co-stars, Joseph Bologna ("Nick Foley") and Heidi Ziegler ("Mickey").
Article Copyright BOP magazine.