ABC Family’s new half hour comedy series, STATE OF GEORGIA, premieres on Wednesday, June 29, at 8:30pm.
The series stars Raven-Symoné as Georgia, an aspiring actress with a larger-than-life personality, and her science geek best friend, Jo (Majandra Delfino), who are trying to make professional and personal headway in New York City.
Raven-Symone and Majandra Delfino recently took some time to answer a few questions about the show.
Can you talk about your characters?
Majandra Delfino: I play Jo, a scientist, or as she likes to call herself Jo 3.1415. She’s an aspiring physicist who moves out with her best friend Georgia to New York.
Raven Symone: I’m Georgia and I want to be an actress and we move into my Aunt Honey’s apartment in New York, played by Loretta Devine, and I just want to be the most amazing actress in the world. I will go above and beyond to make that happen. Honestly, I think that Georgia is in love with the thought of fame because we have this episode where she’s looking for this party, like, ‘I need to sit with the right person and do this,’ but when she acts it’s just not quite there. I think she’s in love with that, which is a testament to the generation that’s happening right now with all the youtube and creating your own personal five minutes of fame. I think with her best friend as a scientist and her aunt it shows what that person would go through if they were on their own in New York trying to make it happen.
How did the characters meet?
Majandra Delfino: We grew up together.
Raven Symone: Since we were five.
Is there comedy out of the scene and acting choices Georgia makes?
Raven Symone: There will be, but right now being that it’s the beginning of the season we’re definitely solidifying the characters a lot more. There’s only been one main audition scene and then once acting scene, but most of the time we’re understanding what her life is going to be about. We’re understanding the dynamic between me and Jo, the dynamic between me and Aunt Honey and Jo and Aunt Honey so that when the audience comes in they’re invested. They want to learn more about the trials and tribulations that they go through with their lives because they understand why these people are friends. That’s what we’re laying down.
Majandra Delfino: It will be her world and the crazy hijinks that she gets herself into and then the science world and that craziness. So it’ll blend in to her getting some crazy auditions.
How much research did you have to do to be a science geek?
Majandra Delfino: There’s only so much research one can do in science before they get really confused. I didn’t really have to do much. Right now she’s at a basic physics level. She just entered a graduate program. So it’s not too crazy, but I’m sure it’s going to get to a point where we’re like, ‘What?’
Is there some ‘Big Bang Theory’ humor in here?
Majandra Delfino: Definitely in Jo’s world, just nerdy jokes. ‘Star Wars’ references, yeah.
What do you love best about your characters?
Raven Symone: I love that she always brings her friend along with her. It’s not about trying to control the situation. It’s just about reaching her dream. It’s out of love, but she doesn’t want to be there by herself because some people will be like, ‘I will leave behind no matter what,’ and Georgia is like, ‘No. I want you to come with me. I want you to reach your goal and I need to reach mine as well, but mine’s first. Then I’m right on yours,’ that whole thing is what I like.
Majandra Delfino: It’s very sweet, and in fact, I just love their friendship. That’s my favorite thing about Jo.
Can you tease what we’re going to see in the first season?
Raven Symone: A lot of different relationships, a lot of different funny moments and situations.
Majandra Delfino: The girls are always pursuing what they want and making a disaster out of it.
Raven Symone: You want to know the truth, we’re on the fourth episode. So we’re going to be honest with you say we just gave you what we think is going to happen. Now what could happen is I don’t know.
Do you think that multi-camera is making a comeback? So many sitcoms recently have been single camera, no audience.
Majandra Delfino: I feel like they are. I feel that the climate is so different right now that people want to have that old school sitcom feeling that brings. There was a while where it was just not succeeding and I think it really is coming back, that people want to have that nostalgic moment. It doesn’t need to be this grounded in reality thing that was so big for a while. What do you think?
Raven Symone: I think you’re right and it hurts my heart because I was raised on four camera. So instead of watching everything else I just turned to TV Land or Disney Channel. The Disney Channel really just kind of kept the four camera alive more than any other network. I’m not just saying that because they paid me. I’m saying that because it’s true. That’s where I come from and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think it’s a shame because it is the one type of format that the family can sit down and everyone can understand and there’s just been a lot of not understanding recently.
What message do you hope fans get out of your show?
Raven Symone: To follow your dreams.
Majandra Delfino: Keep your hope alive, kids.
Raven Symone: Have fun, follow your dreams and know that your friends and family, as long as they’re sane, always keep them around.
How is working with Loretta Devine?
Majandra Delfino: Awesome.
Raven Symone: Amazing. Moments of greatness.
Do you think that since you all three sing that they would incorporate that into the show?
Raven Symone: We’d like that to happen. We need you guys to talk to the four girls and all the writers.
Majandra Delfino: Can you make that happen, please?
Raven Symone: Because I will sing.
Majandra Delfino: I want to sing and dance.
Raven Symone: That would be so much fun. We’d have to get Debbie Allen in there. That brings me joy.
