At last, the film adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s bestselling series Uglies is out on Netflix! Almost 20 years after the debut novel in the four-part series, Uglies is back with a star-studded cast and the same fascinating science fiction plot. Before the film’s release, Young Entertainment chatted with Brianne Tju and Keith Powers to learn more about their characters, how they prepared for their roles, and what their experience on set was like. 

Uglies takes place in a futuristic dystopian society with enforced beauty standards, and Tally Youngblood, who is awaiting mandatory cosmetic surgery, embarks on a journey to find her missing friend. Joey King, who had long been a fan of the series, stars as Tally, Chase Stokes from the hit Netflix show Outer Banks plays Peris and Laverne Cox plays Dr. Cable. 

You may already recognize Brianne and Keith from their past works. Brianne first got her start on Disney on shows like Cory in the House and Liv and Maddie, and has since played Riley Marra on the MTV series Scream, Alex Portnoy in the Hulu series Light as a Feather, Alexa in the film 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, and Margot in I Know What you Did Last Summer. 

Keith has starred as Tyree in the film Straight Outta Compton, as Ronnie DeVoe in BET’s miniseries The New Edition Story, and co-starred in Famous in Love on Freeform. You can also catch him in the Netflix film #RealityHigh and the series What/If. 

Both Brianne and Keith said Joey King, who first got her big break in The Kissing Booth films and has since gone to star in other major films and series, displayed so much professionalism while on set and created a comfortable environment, setting the tone for the great chemistry the cast had. 

Brianne: “[Joey King] created such a safe and comfortable environment for all of us and if I ever have the opportunity to be a lead like her, then that is something I want to bring to set.”

Keith: “The chemistry off screen is really important.”

Brianne’s character Shay embarks on a huge character arc throughout the film, and Brianne revealed she even created a chart to map out Shay’s journey and her confidence levels throughout the story to prep for the role.

Brianne: “For this movie, I made a chart that charted out Shay’s confidence levels.”

This was our second time chatting with Keith, as we previously interviewed him eight years ago when he was on the TV series Faking It. Keith was a great sport going down memory lane and said it’s been such a journey, from first starting out as an actor, to growing and now having a large social following with many projects to his name. 

Keith: “I always figured that I saw where social media was going, but I didn’t realize I would get to a point where I’d have a bigger audience and people supporting me.”

We ended the interview by asking one of our favorite questions of duo interviews, with both stars asked to describe each other’s characters. Brianne said David is pure and very in touch with nature and reality and likes how he is sure of himself. Keith said Shay is strong and inspiring and knows what she wants.

Thank you, Brianne and Keith, for chatting with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow them on their Instagram’s at @briannetju and @keithpowers. Watch the rest of the interview where we ask about the chemistry between the cast members, how Brianne and Keith filmed intimate scenes, and how they prepped for their characters. While you’re there, be sure to like and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment. 

Consider this:

• When filming more intimate scenes, create a safe space and create an open line of communication with your co-stars. Also take advantage of intimacy coordinators and directors on set. Ask them questions to alleviate the nervousness. 
• One cool way to prep for playing your character is to actually map out their journey on paper. Especially if you are filming scenes out of order, take the time beforehand to understand where your character starts and where they go throughout their journey so you feel prepared when you get onto set.