Aria Brooks is best known as the newest cast member of All That on Nickelodeon. But that isn’t her first time on the screen! Aria Brooks appeared in the Oscar nominated film Harriet as Cynthia Erivo’s niece, Anger. Aria can also be seen as Nola in the Netflix anthology series Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings. YEM spoke with Aria Brooks right before she took over our Instagram for the day. (Head over to YEM’s Instagram account now to see the highlights!) Here’s what Aria had to say about joining the cast of Nick’s iconic show All That.
Young Entertainment Mag: You are a cast member on the Nickelodeon show All That! How fun is it to be on a sketch comedy show?
Aria Brooks: It is so fun being able to play a new character every week. It allows me to show my versatility as an actor as well. It is so great!
YEM: You joined All That during the show’s first season. What was it like to join the show?
Aria: It was unbelievable when I found out I got the part. I’ve always wanted to be a series regular on a show, and it was so cool. Everyone was welcoming and I’ve learned so much about being on set and Improv techniques.
YEM: Were you familiar with All That before joining the show?
Aria: I had heard of it before, then when I got the audition, I researched it and watched the sketches to become a little more familiar.
YEM: Do you have a favorite sketch to perform on the show?
Aria: My favorite sketch that I performed was the DJ Salad Story, which is a parody on DJ Khaled. I played Rihanna in the sketch so I truly enjoyed the hair, makeup, and wardrobe transformation. Plus, the sketch is REALLY funny.
Credit: Byron Brown Photography
YEM: If you could have any celebrity guest star on All That, who would it be and why?
Aria: I would want Zendaya to be a guest on All That. She is very funny and her personality would shine on the show. Also, I have wanted to work with her for years. I’m one of her biggest fans!
YEM: What can fans of the show expect from upcoming episodes?
Aria: Definitely expect us to “bring the funny”. There will be a lot of messes that most likely took us days to get out of our hair. We’ll be bringing back some sketches as well.
YEM: You have also starred in the movie Harriet and Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings on Netflix. How different is it to go from sketch comedy to drama? Do you have a preference?
Aria: Drama is more emotional than sketch comedy. Drama is more authentic and realistic; it’s all about getting people in their feelings. Sketch Comedy makes people laugh and is very high energy. Even though it may seem like fun and games, it takes a lot of skill to master improv. I don’t really have a preference. I love both drama and sketch.
YEM: Do you have a dream role you would want to play in a movie? Or a dream character you would want to play or do an impression of on All That?
Aria: My dream role in a movie would be to play the lead character. I would like to be the character to undergo a lot of changes. My dream All That impression is Michelle Obama because we could really find a lot of ways to make it funny.
