Sherry Cola

Sherry Cola has never really been stuck playing one thing. Across projects like Good Trouble, Joy Ride, Shortcomings, and Shrinking, she’s gotten to be funny and emotional, often in the same breath. Little Brother, though, gave her something that still felt new: a version of herself that was flirtier, more romantic, more openly wanting.

In the Netflix comedy, Cola plays Mia, the assistant to Rudd (John Cena), whose life gets complicated when she starts emailing Marcus (Eric André) while pretending to be her boss. The setup has all the makings of a classic comedy, but Cola was drawn to what was underneath it: the thrill of wanting someone, the fear of being seen, and the kind of bad decision that only makes sense when your feelings are running the show.

That mix of raunch and tenderness is just one direction that Cola is currently eager to explore. She’s already proved she can make a scene bigger and funnier. Now, she’s thinking more about specificity, or what she calls the “microscopic shit.”

When we spoke with Cola, she talked about finding Mia through wardrobe, flirtation, loneliness, and risk; how her stand-up background helps her catch what a scene partner throws at her; and why she’s ready for roles that show another side of her. Supervillain? Romcom lead? Something completely weird and out of left field? She’s ready for all of it.

Timid Magazine: First things first, what drew you to the role?

Sherry Cola: First of all, Netflix is a dream. Little Brother, when it came into my inbox as an audition, it already was so exciting because of the people involved. The script itself was so fun and raunchy and also tender. It was just everything and more, and of course I'm no stranger to an R-rated comedy, so any chance to dive into that just excites me.

I keep telling Matt Spicer [director] that he really took a chance on me, because this is a very flirty, earnest, girly, vulnerable version of me that I've never been able to portray on the screen. Michelle Buteau, who was at the Little Brother premiere last week, said that it was a ‘pounce’ vibe that she's never seen me do, and it's so true. That's exactly how I feel.

I always talk about representation, and I've been very lucky to be a part of Asian projects or queer projects, but Little Brother is so refreshing in that it's different from anything I've ever done, and I can't wait for everyone who's followed my career since Good Trouble to see me in this role.

TM: What do you think made Mia a fun character to play beyond the basic setup of the assistant with the secret?

SC: A lot of things contribute to a character, like wardrobe. The skirts were short, so she was kind of giving that sex appeal, even in the workplace, and the tendrils—the thin bangs that she was kind of playing with as she's throwing herself at Marcus. These were the little tools that kind of made this character more than what was on the paper.

She was an assistant that was very good at her job, but hiding this big secret, going behind her boss's back, crossing a major boundary, but unapologetically because she was following her heart. You see how actually meant to be her and Marcus are—and they really are kindred spirits—and you root for that, you root for them.

There's just so much heart in between all of the jokes, which was, again, the balance and range that I've been dying to show. So Mia is more than meets the eye in so many ways, just like Sherry Cola is. I just can't wait for people to get a taste of this and maybe want to see me in other kinds of roles that I haven't done.

TM: We obviously see the consequences unfold through the movie. For Mia, what do you imagine was her thought process when she decided to write back? Do you think she thought at all about what the repercussions were going to be?

SC: I think Mia, when she was emailing Marcus as Rudd, she was just not thinking with her brain. She was thinking with her heart (and also her vagina, low key). She was trying to get it. She was feeling frisky and she wanted to get intimate with Marcus since hitting the first send button. She was feeling bold. She was feeling italicized, okay?

I think that the ripple effect of lying, and then getting deeper and deeper in the lie—it's so hard to reverse, especially with how she's falling more and more for Marcus as the movie progresses. She's trying to connect with him with all the things they have in common, but he thinks that's what he has in common with Rudd. It just is also very cringe at times, and just so chaotic, just being her, she's kind of just balancing all of these things within the film, and when it all comes out, you really feel for her and Rudd and Marcus.

‍TM: For a supporting character like Mia, the audience only gets pieces of who she is. How do you fill in the gaps to make someone feel real, even though some of the work may never be directly shown on screen?

SC: A specific scene that Eric and I have that's one of my favorites is when she's checking her lipstick and perking up her boobs before she bombards him in the office kitchen. There's so much of Mia that is putting yourself out there. There’s a risk that you might get rejected, and that's the human experience. She just came from probably preparing what she's about to say for 45 minutes in a mirror, and there's just something so real about that, just being a girl who wants to find love and to belong.

I think about that a lot with Mia's character. When you follow her home, she's probably very lonely. I think these characters kind of remind you that reaching out is okay, and finding connection is everything. Expressing yourself is a big part of what society wanted Asian women not to do. To be able to step into these characters and get thoughts and feelings off of your chest in very, very different ways, I feel like I'm living my dream. It's all about expression. It's all about therapy through the craft.

We've all been in Mia's position where you have a crush and it consumes you, and you don't know how to just be upfront about it, because there are fears of the truth coming out or being rejected, or the person finding out who you really are, whatever it is. Everyone has a public version of themselves and a private version of themselves, and that's very much what's happening here.

TM: Speaking of trying things, does your background in stand-up make you more willing to try things in the moment? Were there many chances to improvise during the film?

SC: Yes. There was so much play, and Matt Spicer gave us the liberty to find magic in those moments. The script was already so present, and you knew who these characters were based on the words, and you knew where the story was going, and you knew those specific character arcs, but we got to improv, and a lot of us have that background.

I think that is a superpower, just with my stand-up background, to step on a set and do the thing that now I feel like I'm almost expected to do, which I love. I love that people know that I will bring a little extra Tajín on the rim of the margarita. I will absolutely show up with all that, and then some. You have to know the script, but at the same time be ready to go with the flow, ready to catch whatever your scene partner throws at you.

‍TM: What kind of comedy feels most natural to you right now: awkward, deadpan, physical, chaotic, or something else?

SC: I have to say, all of those comedy types are in Little Brother. Slapstick is so back. All of these stunts, the physical comedy in this movie, is really bringing me back to those classics that we loved, the ones that gave us goosebumps when we weren't even allowed to watch them.

What I'm interested in doing personally… I've done physical, I've done deadpan. I've done a lot of things that required me to be big, and right now I'm realizing that less is more. There's a quality over quantity kind of mantra that I live by, even in my life, because as you experience more of life and also Hollywood, you just want to do things that are intentional, things that make a difference.

Especially with roles like Shrinking, I told myself, I just want to dig deeper, I want to do the microscopic shit, because I've been very lucky to do the very broad things. I want to get more specific. So I think all of the above, for sure, forever and always, because I'm goddamn good at it, and I want to do every corner of comedy, always. But what I'm looking for these days is the more discreet, more subtle, the unspoken between the obvious, that is what I've been kind of wanting to do.

TM: Are there roles that you feel ready for now that you might not have known how to play before?

SC: Absolutely, I love that you asked that question. The dynamic between Mia and Marcus in Little Brother was so special. The “will they, won’t they?,” the flirtiness, the vulnerability, and the grand gesture at the end! It makes me want to be the lead of a romcom! Hollywood, I’m ready! I’m a very hot woman and I love kissing on camera! Let’s go!

TM: Yes! I love that. We need more romcoms, and definitely more Asians leading romcoms. Alright, last question, then time to go. You're in the highly anticipated Camp Rock 3. Is there anything you can share with us about the movie or your role? Were you a fan of the earlier movies?

SC: First of all, it's really something to be a part of the Disney Dream Machine. I still can't believe it. When it was announced that I was doing this movie, a lot of people came out of nowhere. The Camp Rockheads are real, babes, and they are activated. They have been highly anticipating Camp Rock 3, and I'm telling you, it delivers. It is so cinematic, it is elevated. The new teenage rock stars are just going to blow you away. I mean, the future is bright, honestly.

For me to be a part of it as the tour manager of Connect 3, I play a character who is very powerful, but also just she's at camp, okay? She just cannot be bothered. She definitely doesn't want to be around these kids. It's such a funny role for me. I was channeling Alex Bornstein in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. It's very much that kind of character, that character that we know and love, that hopefully will become a Halloween costume.

Sometimes I'm doing press for Little Brother or Shrinking, and people ask me about Camp Rock 3, and I'm like, “Oh right, Camp Rock 3, I'm in Camp Rock 3.” I'm just really stoked for everyone to see it, because it delivers.