If you've got a child, chances are at one time or another they've dreamed of becoming a Disney Channel star. I remember watching Adventures in Wonderland and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse when I was a kid. I was fascinated by the actors and wished I could be a part of their magical storytelling. That's pretty much exactly what happened to the child stars of Stuck in the Middle. I had the chance to interview the Stuck in the Middle cast and I wondered if the chemistry on the show carries over to real life. They answered my question pretty quickly.
An Interview with the Stuck in the Middle Cast
On our recent trip to LA for the premiere of Disney's Moana, we down with the cast of Stuck in the Middle for an intimate Q&A session. The Stuck in the Middle cast, comprised of Jenna Ortega (“Harley Diaz”), Ronni Hawk (“Rachel Diaz”), Isaak Presley (“Ethan Diaz”), Ariana Greenblatt (“Daphne Diaz”), Kayla Maisonet (“Georgie Diaz”), Malachi Barton (“Beast Diaz”), Nicolas Bechtel (“Lewie Diaz”), Cerina Vincent (“Suzy Diaz”) and Joe Nieves (“Tom Diaz”), is quite large, as you can see. Just FYI since I've gotten a few messages about it, this was before Joshua Bassett joined the cast in season 3.
This American comedy television series centers around Harley Diaz as she maneuvers her way through the bustle of being a middle child in a family with six other siblings. The series showcases heartfelt and comedic stories of this big family, with Harley devising creative ways to cope with – and stand out – in her family’s Marshport, Massachusetts household. Her ingenuity often wins the day for the Diaz family, even with many different personalities living under one roof.
Stuck in the Middle
Jenna Ortega
It turns out that Jenna Ortega (who plays the lead character Harley) has a lot of inspiration to play off of. We asked the cast members if any of them were part of a big family and she responded, "I’m from a large family. I’m one of six kids but if you add one of my nephews, there’s seven. But my sister just had another nephew so now there are eight of us. And they’re always over at the house because we babysit them, so there are eight kids in my family, I guess you could say. So it’s pretty big"
Jenna went on to say, "I love being stuck in the middle [in real life]. I like Harley’s storyline because at first, she’s kind of uncertain of where she’s going with her life. She feels very invisible but later on, she realizes that she is very important. She plays a very important role in her family. It’s important for those middle children out there who feel like they’re not noticed to know that they are. And they are very important to the families because they make their families their families."
P.S. You can also catch Jenna Ortega as Princess Isabel on Disney's Elena of Avalor.
How does the Stuck in the Middle Cast get along?
The cast went on to tell us about the pranks that they play on set, about how they FaceTime each other when they're not filming, and how genuinely excited they are for one another's successes. So, it was no surprise when we asked what the chemistry was like on set and Ariana Greenblatt replied, "Family, just straight-up family... Off the set, we hang out at dinners. And we really love each other."
Joe Nieves, who plays the dad on the show, added, "And that happened right from day one. It was immediate and fantastic."
Cerina Vincent isn't a mother in real life yet but plays the mother on Stuck in the Middle. She said, "I always wanted seven kids. And, it was just like a weird childhood thing... and I have them all, but in a different form. It’s really cool." That's pretty uncanny since she's got 7 beautiful children on this series.
What surprised the cast of Stuck in the Middle
Cast members told us they were thrilled that entire families are watching the tv show together. Nicolas Bechtel, who plays Lewie, mentioned, "It’s really cool when even the parents walk up to you and they say... 'My family watches. I love your show.' And so when we started off we thought it was just going to be a kids’ show. And only kids were going to watch it but now we have parents walking up to us like, 'Oh, you’re one of my favorite characters. You’re one of my kid’s favorite characters.' It feels so good to know that it’s not just kids who watch the show and appreciate your hard work, but it’s the parents too.'"
The children of the Stuck in the Middle cast were extremely well-spoken. They are absolutely delightful to watch on-screen and in real life. Watch Stuck in the Middle on Disney Channel or stream it online. Do not miss "Stuck in the Store." This short-form series consists of clips varying in length. They tell the story of the Diaz family attempting their weekly shopping trip to a warehouse store. They're really clever and will be debuting on the Disney Channel App.
If you like Stuck in the Middle, you'll also probably really enjoy Bizaardvark. Check out my set Bizaardvark set visit and interview with Bizaardvark cast members. You might also enjoy the Disney Channel movies Bad Hair Day. You can read my exclusive interview with Leigh-Allyn Baker and check out my Bad Hair Day review.
Linda Manns Linneman says
This sounds like a great show for my family. The characters sound great and they have alot of wisdom for their age. Thank you so much for sharing this
Amber Ludwig says
How fun!! I love to see casts that have amazing chemistry on and off screen!! I also love that the mom says she has 7 pseudo kids, how fabulous 🙂