Fans of the legendary 1978 movie Grease were treated to a surprise when Paramount+ announced Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies was coming to the streaming service. The musical romantic comedy-drama, created by Annabel Oakes, is a prequel to the original Grease film. The series takes place in 1954, set four years before the original film, and follows four outcast girls who band together and try to shake up the social order at Rydell High. For anyone looking to learn more about the show and its cast, we have an exclusive interview with Kallie Hu, who plays Peg. We talked to Kallie about the casting process, her costars, her character, and more, brought to you by Young Entertainment Exclusive.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies premiered on Paramount+ in April 2023 and the season one finale aired in June. The series was later canceled and taken off Paramount+ due to financial reasons. It is currently available for purchase on digital platforms including Apple TV and Amazon, with the hopes that another streaming service will pick it up. It is also currently on DVD and the soundtrack for the show is available on all music platforms.
Kallie Hu is an actress and dancer who has been in projects such as Disney’s Descendants 2, Yellowjackets, and Motherland: Fort Salem. Kallie is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Grease: Rise of the Pink Lady was filmed. Kallie said she was a fan of the original Grease film so getting to star in a prequel was a dream come true. She plays Peg, who hangs with the cheerleaders in the show. We asked Kallie about her character and she said she resonates with characters who want to feel seen and heard, and Peg has to learn to navigate her social status and footing as a minority in the show. Kallie is the youngest daughter of Chinese immigrants and she said getting to tell Peg’s story was important to her.
We asked Kallie about the casting process for the show and she said she auditioned more than 10 times for the show for multiple different characters. One Christmas Eve, she found out she had booked Peg, one of the few roles she did not audition for. Kallie said one of her favorite things about Peg was her wardrobe. She also said while playing a character from the 1950s, she had to be aware of being in various scenes and determining what was era appropriate, for example making sure she didn’t do any dances that were not from that time period.
As a trained dancer, Kallie said she was able to help some of her castmates rehearse the choreography, and she got along well with everyone. We asked Kallie about what she was most proud of in the show and she said just being able to show the world something that was made by a passionate and dedicated team and cast was extra special.
We ended the interview by asking Kallie some fun questions about her character. One of them was three emojis to describe Peg, to which Kallie responded with a purse, books, and the heart eyes emoji.
Thank you, Kallie, for your time and for speaking with YEM! Make sure to follow her on her Instagram at @kalliehu_ (KALLIE HU (@kalliehu_) • Instagram photos and videos). Please also watch the interview below, where we ask her more questions about her character, the show, and more! While you’re there, be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment!
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