The main cast of Freeridge knows that long-time fans of On My Block, the hit teen dramedy that ran for four seasons on Netflix, have had reservations about their new spinoff. After all, the actors shared many of the same concerns when presented with the daunting task of revisiting the same inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood and creating their own version of the “Core Four,” a diverse group of high school friends that lies at the heart of this beloved franchise.
“I’m a huge On My Block fan, and I do remember being really, really scared before shooting or seeing any episodes,” Keyla Monterroso Mejia, who plays natural-born leader Gloria, tells Teen Vogue in a roundtable interview with her co-stars. “I think it was maybe a couple of months after we got cast [that] we were able to read the pilot, and it felt like all the worries that I had went away. We deal with a completely new set of problems, but the essence of why I think the fans loved On My Block is in Freeridge. It’s relatable, it has heart, it’s really funny and witty, and it has moments that are also really honest. So, in some ways, you get the same feeling even though you’re watching a completely new show.”
Gathering together from their respective homes over Zoom, the new “Core Four” — Keyla, Bryana Salaz (Ines), Ciara Riley Wilson (Demi), and Tenzing Norgay Trainor (Cameron) — reflect on the show’s exploration of culture and sexuality, their favorite episodes of Freeridge and nods to the original series, and the finale cliffhanger that left them all floored. (Warning: Major spoilers ahead!)
Teen Vogue: Beyond the more supernatural elements of Freeridge, what was some of the connective tissue that you wanted to find in your characters that could tie back to the world established in On My Block, and what were some things that you feel sets this spinoff apart from the original series?
Tenzing Norgay Trainor: On My Block dealt with a lot of real issues and represented a lot of groups of people that don’t necessarily get the representation that they deserve, so I think it was really [a case of] trying to do justice to those groups and also keeping that vibe that On My Block had within that neighborhood and city that it takes place in. We had a lot of help by getting a lot of Easter eggs and some returning characters, which also helped a lot with us getting into the groove of things, because they already knew the vibe from their past show, so they kind of mentored us and helped us along the way.
Ciara Riley Wilson: I think there’s a lot of pressure in general, since we are living in this spinoff world. We have so much respect for On My Block. I think Freeridge does a really good job of not trying to recreate the world of On My Block and what made it so special, but showing [those] fans a different side of the Freeridge town. [We’re] expanding the universe and getting to fall in love with four new incredible characters that don’t try to relate back to the incredible first “Core Four,” so I think that’s what’s really special.
TV: Keyla and Bryana, Gloria and Ines are not only grieving the premature loss of their mother but also coming to terms with potentially losing their father to cancer. How would you say this show honors culturally specific traditions, such as El Día de los Muertos, and explores loss and grief through the eyes of these two sisters?
Keyla Monterroso Mejia: I was just thinking about this, and I think one thing that I really loved is the way that the writers really introduce our culture. It doesn’t feel like an afterthought; it doesn’t feel like they’re just using it as a way to show diversity. We don’t have Mariachis or things like that. [Laughs.] I feel really grateful that it’s just sort of woven into the story, although Día de los Muertos is very common, and I think we’ve seen and come to learn about it in Coco and other wonderful shows.
Bryana Salaz: I think the whole point of Episode 4 is really peeling back those layers of the sisters’ relationship — how it got to be that way, where everyone is coming from, why Ines is the way she is — without it being too in your face or trying to focus on this tradition to show and prove that we’re Hispanic. But it’s very much like, “This is who we are, and this is part of our culture.”
I remember the first day that Keyla and I walked into our house on set. We both just got this huge, warm, nostalgic feeling, because it reminded us so much of the homes that we grew up in, and there are little things here and there that you don’t see. A huge shout out to the set dec team, because every little detail in there was so thought out, and it made us feel very seen.
TV: Tenzing, there’s a line in the fourth episode that Cameron says to Demi that really stuck out to me: “If you can’t accept me for who I am, what chance do I have that the rest of the world will?” Considering the dearth of positive bisexual representation on television, what parts of that experience and that journey of self-acceptance were important for you to play out?
TNT: I think that you said it perfectly when you said that there is a lack of bisexual representation in our industry, and I feel so lucky and honored to be able to play such a fulfilling role like Cameron was, and I think that our show handles it really well in the sense that [the writers] don’t shove it in your face. They don’t force it on you that Cameron is bisexual; they deal with it in a really classy way and show that it doesn’t determine all of who he is as a person. It’s just a part of who he is, and they would rather focus on how bisexual teen characters deserve to be seen and heard by the people that they interact with on a day-to-day basis.
TV: But the show also doesn’t shy away from the biphobia that exists in the real world and the enduring impact that seemingly innocuous comments about someone else’s identity can have on that individual. Ciara and Tenzing, what do you think your characters each learn from those difficult conversations?
CRW: I think that whole arc about those biphobic comments and the growth that Demi does throughout the series is one of the things that I hope resonates with people when they watch the series, and I think it’s an important conversation. One of the hardest parts of playing Demi was trying to justify the "why?" behind her actions, and it had me pull from past experiences and actually showed me a lot of compassion towards experiences that have happened in my life and [with] my peers.
These are the things that teens are talking about right now, and I hope the viewers can look back at their past experiences and look at those comments with compassion [and] growth and know deep down that people can change when you hold them accountable and we have these tough conversations. I’m really glad that Freeridge is shedding light on those conversations in a way that we’ve never really seen before.
TNT: From Cam’s perspective, I think it’s important [to show] how forgiving he is. He does hold Demi accountable and make sure that she owns what she said and is truly sorry for what she said. But the fact that he’s able to forgive her and give her a second chance and even jump into a relationship with her, I think, is also super important for his character.
TV: Why do you think they decide they might be better off as friends for now?
CRW: Throughout the series, we see there’s so much love there between them, and it’s kind of this moment of romantic love and this moment of growth, and they’re fighting, and they’re experiencing teen intimacy together and all of this stuff. But at the end, [the reason] they’re so comfortable being friends is because there is so much deep-rooted love there, whether it’s romantic or friendship, and you can just see that they’re gonna be connected for a long time.
TV: What are your favorite Easter eggs from On My Block that made it into Freeridge?
KMM: Demi and Andre [played by Zaire Adams] are walking down the street, and they’re having this conversation, and they stop at this house. And then as soon as they walk out of frame, it stays on the house for maybe two seconds, and you get to see that it’s César’s house. It breaks my heart in the best way. It just really puts you in the feels. I remember watching that, and I wasn’t there when they were shooting, and oh my God, I cried on the inside. It was beautiful.
TNT: For me, on top of the fact that we got to work with Ruby’s parents [played by Paula Garces and Eric Neil Gutierrez], I would say going to their house and being able to do that little weird karate thing in their front lawn while I’m acting alongside the parents and seeing their interactions with each other was super fun.
CRW: Bryana, I was thinking of the gnomes.
BS: Yeah, that was the coolest thing to walk into. First of all, it was really fun to be able to do a scene where you get to see more of Ines and Demi’s relationship develop. And then we were both so stoked when we saw those gnomes, oh my gosh, because we are huge On My Block fans. I think everyone is gonna love that. I know that is such a core and special part of On My Block, so it really was an honor truly to be able to work with those little guys. [Laughs.]
CRW: I think it’s fun in On My Block that the kind of mystical, magical element was Jamal’s journey with Rollerworld and the gnomes. We have so much of that in Freeridge, and it’s fun to kind of connect those two worlds again.
BS: And it’s like the backstory of it. I think having the backstory of it all is also really cool.
TV: What are some moments or episodes that stood out to you either when you were reading them on the page or when you were actually watching them come to life on camera?
CRW: I loved episode 5 — the house party episode. It’s right smack in the middle of the season, so the story has been developed and now the drama starts happening and people start getting together. There’s romance and fun — and there’s Mariluna [played by Peggy Blow]. Everything is happening in its own little corner and it’s cutting in between, and I just think it’s so fun and fast-paced and full of energy, and it’s fun that it’s in [Gloria and Ines’] house too.
BS: I think episode 4 is definitely one of my favorite episodes — it pulls at your heart strings. I got more insight into Ines myself, and it’s really easy to just watch the first few episodes and get this idea of a sassy, aggressive girl who isn’t afraid to be herself and tell it like it is, and it’s really easy for her to be misunderstood. In episode 4, you really see why she is the way she is. It was also such a great moment for me as an actress to be able to do a really emotional, dramatic scene with Keyla, because I feel like that was where I grew a lot as an actor, and Keyla is just such a lovely person to work with. I really do learn so much from her every single time, and I remember hugging after that scene and we were just like, “Oh, I love you.” [Keyla nods and laughs.]
KMM: I was a fan girl. I loved filming at Dwayne’s BBQ joint. I was taking pictures like nobody’s business, and I was like, “Oh, make sure you get the logo on the shirt. Get the good angles. I want to see everything in the background!” [Laughs.] It was just so much fun.
TNT: I think episode 3 when we get to those scenes from the other people’s perspective. I remember reading it in the script, and I think they referenced Ant-Man, and I thought that it was hilarious to act how I think my character would be seen in Ines’ eyes as opposed to how I think my character would act in my eyes. Then going into ADR and verbally getting to speak it and match each other’s mouths was a lot of fun.
TV: We also have to talk about that big cliffhanger in the finale: Mariluna gets shot, and then the screen cuts to black! How did you react to that twist when you first read it in the script, and what are your theories for what happens next?
CRW: Oh, we were like, “Not again!” [Everyone laughs.] “Again, really? Poor Peggy! Always dying!”
KMM: And can I just say that I’m a huge Sad Eyes [played by Steve Louis Villegas] fan? I love Sad Eyes. You could have had anybody else do it—anybody else shoot her—but personally, I was offended.
CRW: It’s crazy though. It’s hard to tell if she dies or not, so I think [that’s] all up in the air.
KMM: Her feet were dangling... Oh my God. [Covers her mouth and winces.] They did not have to do that!
BS: We have many theories on our end. We’re in the same exact position that you guys are in because we don’t know what’s happening, and we want to know just as badly as you guys. [Laughs.]
The first season of Freeridge is now streaming on Netflix.