We Are Paper Girls! Ask Us Anything!

What do you have to say to your musical nemesis, the Scissor Sisters?

*blank faces*

Georgi - I had some pretty good nights in clubs while the Scissor Sisters were coming up. But the Paper Girls win. I think Riley would like the Scissor Sisters.

*Someone played scissor sisters in the background*

Fina (K.J.): Yeah, they're rocking.

The graphic novels are set in a timeline from before you actresses were born. What was it like trying to learn about the 80s and include the culture into your performances?!

Camryn (Tiffany) - It was really fun because we got to research the music, the fashion, and even the influencers of the time and reference the comic books which were written by people who were alive at the time!

Georgi: "You didn't say all we had to do was speak to the director".

Fina (K.J.): All you need is Georgi. #YouCanBankOnBanks

Riley (Erin): Keep calm and Georgi on.

What were your first thoughts reading the source material? I was pleasantly surprised at how creative and authentic the graphic novel was.

Riley (Erin) - The uniqueness of the story. Paper Girls is a genre in itself. We all became huge fans.
Camryn (Tiffany) - I thought it was fire. I really liked the message it represented and I liked how determined and real the characters were.
Fina (K.J.) - I was immediately drawn to the colour palette and the relatability of the characters and it told the story of 4 young girls taking agency over their own lives.
Georgi - It's the comic I wish I had when I was 8. It's girls how I wanted to see them.

Did you get a chance to spend any time with Brian K. Vaughan? What is he like? (Huge fan of him!)

Riley (Erin) - Right now him and Cliff are like the men behind the curtain, so we can't wait to meet them at Comic-Con next week.
Camryn (Tiffany) - We met him at the first table read. We can't wait to see him in San Diego for Comic-Con!
Fina (K.J.) - We met him over Zoom, but we are going to meet him next week when we go to Comic-Con and we're going to chat it up.
Georgi - I win because I actually met him on set. He's the coolest guy ever.

for the girls: what contemporary singer do you think the girls would listen to?

for georgi: who is the paper girl you most identify with?

greetings from México

Riley (Erin) - I think Erin would listen to Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers. I think all the 4 girls would really like Marina and the Diamonds.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Sza, Summer Walker, Jhene Aiko.
Fina (K.J.) - Also Phoebe Bridgers. And Doja Cat!

Georgi - All of them a bit. I've been through crises that they're all been through. Tiffany is a nerd and I was a total nerd. I had the same identity crisis as K.J. discovering my sexuality. Mac is a tomboy and I love her energy. And for Erin: I moved about a lot when I was a kid. I can't choose just one!

How did you prepare for your roles, where did you draw Inspiration?

Riley (Erin) - The set decorators did a fantastic job of transporting us to these areas, that really helped. And talking to Georgi.
Camryn (Tiffany) - We read the comics, I researched the 80s, I watched Back to the Future. But Georgi really helped us. She told us as long as we were in it we couldn't do wrong.
Fina (K.J.) - We drew inspiration from the comics. And I watched Stand By Me to prepare for the quartet vibe. We also worked with Georgi for 2 weeks before filming to get into our characters, where we wrote down everything they would do in a day.

Which paper girl would you have liked to be your friend when you were 12 years old?

also thanks for adapting one of my favorite comics, this means a lot to all the fans ❤️

Riley (Erin) - Definitely Mac. Actually all of them! If I had to pick one, Mac. Although I would use Tiff for homework.
Camryn (Tiffany) - I would say Mac because we would get into trouble and that would be fun.
Fina (K.J.) - I think Erin. She's so sweet! And when she opens up she's funny.
Georgi - I'm going for Mac. She's gonna have your back. You can ride around at 4am with Mac and be safe.

Looks dope! Any other favorite graphic novels?

Riley (Erin) - Thank you! Anything Batman related. And Paper Girls! And I love Heartstopper (plagiarised from Georgi).
Camryn (Tiffany) - I'm a big Scarlet Witch and Spider-man fan. Also Paper Girls.
Fina (K.J.) - I like Saga... and Paper Girls.
Georgi - Tank Girl and Heartstopper.

Without giving away any spoilers, what episode did you enjoy making more than the others?

Riley (Erin) - We can all say this at once...

All: 5!!!

Fina (K.J): - 5 has a little bit of everything. All the action. All the comedy tied up into one little amuse bouche. Slay 5.

Georgi - 5 is worth waiting for. It's perfect TV. I had a lot of fun in the pilot introducing the characters then seeing it going on this War of the Worlds x Stand By Me journey.

What was the funniest thing that happened on set?

Riley (Erin) - There were a lot of funny things. It's hard to choose just one.

All: Can we confer for a sec?

...

All: So, while we were working we got the pleasure of working with Georgi who happened to win a BAFTA while we were recording. We were standing in the woods getting covered in blood and chocolate cake, then Georgi came over and said "Do you remember what today is?", we all screamed "BAFTA!!!", then chased her through the woods and she ended up rolling all over the ground. Keep in mind this forest was right next to a neighbourhood, you could hear the screams echoing.

What's your favorite medieval weaponry?

Riley (Erin) - Oh! The thing! The ball and chain! Or a classic straight sword. And have you seen that one where a piece of bamboo grows into you?
Camryn (Tiffany) - I like the guillotine. Is that a weapon? Does that count? If not, that spiky ball thing. Canons are also fire.
Fina (K.J.) - The most messed up one is the iron bowl. They cook you inside of a bowl. And a chastity belt is like a metal diaper. That seems so claustrophobic.
Georgi - The enthusiasm to this question is off the charts. This got very graphic.

Would you rather fight 100 paper sized girls or one girl sized paper?

All: Girl-sized paper.

Camryn (Tiffany): All I need is scissors!

Fina (K.J.): That's where the Scissor Sisters help us out!

Riley (Erin): But what if she's chill? Why do we have to fight her?

Georgi: I'll take the 100 Paper Girls. I like a challenge.

hey! i’m so excited to watch the show :D! i’m wondering that if you could take anything from the set, what would you take?

Riley (Erin) - We took lots of stuff. I took a stack of newspapers and a babydoll head that I became emotionally attached to. I named him Garth and put eyeliner on him, he comes with us everywhere.
Camryn (Tiffany) - We were given stuff from show. We didn't steal it. I took a poster, a mirror shaped like an eye, newspapers. If I could take anything, I'd take the walkies. And I took Tiff's scrunchy!
Fina (K.J.) - I took a carpet, shoes, a little horse, a huge stack of newspapers, a little plastic monkey, butterfly clips. We did get approval but we still liked to pretend we were stealing.
Georgi - Shh! don't tell people you were stealing.

What always struck me about Paper Girls is how "whole" the characters are - Brain K. Vaughan's words and Cliff Chiang's artwork work together to create these four complete individuals with unique mannerisms, styles, and expressions. As actresses, did that make it easier or more difficult for you to play those characters?

Riley (Erin) - We all bring a new essence to the characters that brings the story to life.
Camryn (Tiffany) - I would say it made it easier because we had a baseline to follow which made it easier to relate to them so we could become them and put ourselves into them.
Fina (K.J.) - Because of that source material we knew the comics meant to so much to people and we wanted to do the characters justice so they stayed true to what Brian and Cliff created, but it did add a bit of a daunting feeling!

to the actresses: would you get along with your character? how similar are you to them?

Riley (Erin) - We'd get along very well. I saw a lot of tid bits in here, like wanting to protect the people I love.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Definitely. We're very similar in how we always want to learn.
Fina (K.J.) - Absolutely. We have very similar qualities with compassion and our sense of humour.

To Riley - what was it like when you found out Ali Wong was playing you in the future?

I was ecstatic. I wasn't expecting it but I was really excited and we bonded a lot on set. We had a lot of fun and talked about food a lot. It was a real honour!

For Georgi, what's your biggest directorial inspiration and what was it like to adapt something with so many varied genre themes?

All the Paper Girls are saying "us". They are pretty inspiring. Actually, thats not untrue. I always take inspiration from the actors. When you're thrown right into a story, the characters really are important for inspiration. Growing up, one of my favourite movies was The Goonies and I wanted to make an homage to it, and I thought here's my chance to do it with Paper Girls.

The genre really fun. It's the most fun. You can thread stuff around and play with it.

But the biggest inspiration is the Paper Girls.

It’s such an incredible graphic novel with important themes - what does being in Paper Girls mean to you?

Riley (Erin) - Paper Girls has a special place in my heart. The story itself is so touching and unique and the characters are so relatable. I hope the fans love it. Because as a fan myself, I love it.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Paper Girls is a part of me. I fell in love with how it expresses themes that aren't talked about and how it's very female-empowering while retaining that sci-fi, thriller element.
Fina (K.J.) - It means so much to me. I love how anyone can find themselves in the show. We have such a diverse cast, so whatever you're going through, I hope you can find some support in one of the characters.
Georgi - It means I have best friend for lives with these legends. It. means loyalty, love support, openness, support, being a family, showing young woman the way I never saw them when I was growing up. I love being the 5th Paper Girl. It's the best.

What’s y’all’s favorite dinosaurs?

Riley (Erin): T-Rex.
Camryn (Tiffany): I'm a pterodactyl girl because they fly. Also that one with the long neck.
Fina (K.J.): I have a stegosaurus named Doug!

Georgi: I'll go for a raptor. Just for Jurassic Park.

what is the most relatable thing about your character? i love paper girls and can’t wait to see the show!! 💗

Riley (Erin) - Wanting to take care of the people she loves.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Always wanting to learn something new
Fina (K.J.) - Her journey of finding out who she is.

What’s your favourite musician??

Riley (Erin) - My taste changes a lot. Right now it would have to be New Order, Joan Jett, and Paddy Smith.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Mine change a lot. I would say Giveon, Doja Cat, Zendaya, and I think we can go Tupac.
Fina (K.J.) - Harry Styles & Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Georgi - There's so many. Little Simz, Saut, Kamasi Washington, Miles Davies.

Who would win in a fight, Darth Vadar or Iron Man?

Riley (Erin) - I'm not familiar with either. But probably Darth Vader.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Darth Vader.
Fina (K.J.) - Darth Vader.
Georgi - Darth Vader.

If you were a tree, what tree would you be?

Riley (Erin) - Maybe a bonsai tree. They're very chill.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Oh shoot. I'm feeling... maybe I would be a birch. That was my favourite wood in Minecraft. I think I'm an oak girl actually, they're very sturdy and stable.
Fina (K.J.) - A weeping willow.
Georgi - I'd be a Christmas tree.

What is your favorite type of paper? Legal, Letter or A4?

Riley (Erin) - Paper is paper. If I can write on it I'm happy.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Can I say dotted? I really like dotted. That's my journaling paper.
Fina (K.J.) - Letter!

How have your weeks been?

Riley (Erin) - Fantastic. Loved spending it with these guys.
Camryn (Tiffany) - Exciting, thrilling, and a lot of fun.
Fina (K.J.) - A whirlwind of fun and adventure.