BSCKids got the opportunity to talk with Abby Donnelly of Just Add Magic. Based on Cindy Callaghan’s book of the same name, Just Add Magic follows Kelly (Olivia Sanabia, Extant), and her two best friends Darbie (Abby Donnelly, Suburgatory) and Hannah (Aubrey Miller, Austin & Ally), as they stumble upon a mysterious cookbook in Kelly’s attic and discover the recipes in this book are far from ordinary—they’re magical. The series also stars Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) and Amy Hill (50 First Dates). Just Add Magic, the brand-new live-action series with Olivia Sanabia debuts Friday, January 15 on Amazon Prime Video!
Photo Credit: Amazon Studios
BSCKids:Abby Donnelly
Can you all tell me a little bit about your characters and the show?
Just Add Magic is about three best friends, Kelly, Darbie, and Hannah who stumble upon a magical cookbook and weird things start happening to them and the people around them. It’s about their lives once the book enters them. I play Darbie who is a fun goofball. She loves going on adventures with her friends and is totally care free.
Do you share any similarities with your characters?
Definitely. Just like Darbie I am a total klutz and love hanging out with my friends. I like exploring and trying new things!
Did you get a chance to read the Cindy Callaghan book before reading for the show?
I did not have a chance to read it before we shot the pilot. But after we finished, Cindy sent all three of us a copy of the book and I absolutely loved it!
How do you get in character?
Because I am so much like Darbie, I am basically preparing to be myself. As soon as I am with Olivia and Aubrey, I feel like we become Kelly, Darbie, and Hannah.
Why has Just Add Magic been fun to film? What has been your favorite story on the show so far or scene without spoiling anything?
I love shooting Just Add Magic because I get to film and spend time with my best friends! There are so many scenes that I love! I just can’t choose!
The pantry room looks awesome, how cool was it to film in that room?
The pantry is actually my favorite set! You could never get bored in there because there is always something new there that you didn’t see the last time you were in there!
Amy Hill is great as Mama P, how was it working with her?
I loved working with Amy! She is an amazing actress and I definitely learned a lot from her! Sometimes it was hard to be in a serious scene because she was so funny!
The overall mystery is so much fun, how much did you know during filming?
We knew nothing! As we read the new scripts we were finding out new things and making crazy guesses about what would happen next and some of them came true!
If you could have any recipes real in your life which one would you want to use? What is your favorite thing to cook or bake in real life?
I don’t want to spoil anything, but my favorite one has to do with peppermint but if I say anything else it might spoil it. I really like to bake chocolate cookies with my mom! They are definitely my favorite thing to bake.
Were there any funny behind the scene stories you can share with us while filming?
We had three different hiding spots on set! The first one was the pantry but people found out about that, so the next one was a place we called Barcelona, but they found out about that one too, we have this new one though, which no one has figured out yet and it is in this little crevice, but it’s a secret!
Are there any celebrities you are dying to meet? Who has been one of your favorite people to work with?
I am dying to meet 5SOS, Jennifer Lawrence, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler.
Besides Aubrey and Olivia, Judah Bellamy, who plays Jake, is so fun to work with! We have like four different handshakes and we have a lot of fun together during scenes!
Give me a few tips to be a successful actor or for kids trying to get into acting?
Definitely start out at school, like in a school play so you can see what it is like performing and working as a team!
Where can we find you on social media? Any other projects you are working on?
You can find me on instagram @abigail.donnelly! Right now you can catch me in a couple national commercials! I am currently in my theater group working on a Shakespeare play!
Why should everyone tune in to Just Add Magic on Amazon Prime Video?
I think people will like that it is a family friendly show and that it is both comical and serious!
Special thanks to Abby Donnelly on Just Add Magic from Amazon Prime Video!
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