After debuting 30 years ago,Rugrats was revived earlier this year on Paramount+. Along the way, most of the original voice actors returned for their roles -- including Cheryl Chase, who originated the role of Angelica Pickles. The oldest of the titular Rugrats, Angelica's selfish shortsightedness makes her a perfect foil to the rest of the group, even as she pretends to be an expert on everything. When she had the chance to bring the character into her latest incarnation, Chase relished the ability to reprise a role that had been a piece of her career for decades.
Speaking to CBR ahead of the upcoming holiday special "Traditions," Chase reflected on playing Angelica for over 30 years and what the role has come to mean to her. She also discussed what makes the franchise so enduring, teased the upcoming holiday special and more.
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CBR: You've been playing Angelica fordecades at this point. Have you discovered any unexpected connections to the character over the years?
Cheryl Chase:No, not really. She's kind of grown... I've had Angelica attached to my heart for 30 years and she's always been the same lovable, little minx. She's a little spitfire is what she is. So everyone loves to have that kind of personality in their lives because it makes their lives interesting when they have people like that. With Angelica, you never run out of interesting things to experience with her. She's always thinking.
What does it mean to you that you've gotten to play the part for so long?
It's unbelievable. It's sucha wonderful experience to bring back a franchise that was so beloved worldwide. Now those kids that watched Rugratsare now grown up, contributing members of society, bringing their own children into the world and being able to share such a beloved iconic show. I'm a part of that... It's a miracle that for me that happened. To be a part of such a wonderful thing. It's a blessing. It really is a huge blessing.
[The show creators] want to reach out and they want to have the audience relate with the characters on TV and they're doing it beautifully. They're bringing to life real life experiences through toRugrats. I mean, Steven Spielberg said that at the time when Rugrats was coming out, when it was a hit, he said that Rugrats is the Peanuts of that generation. We're creating new Rugrat fans with the kids of today. So it'll go on and in the future too. It's just a great thing.
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CBR: What do you think givesRugrats such an enduring quality that allows it to appeal to audiences old and young alike, regardless of generation?
Well, I think the core of it all is family and friendship. Another theme that Rugrats has is fantasy. Those three elements, themes started in the original series and brought them in the new series, but now the adventures are even more extravagant and with CG, everything is bigger... You can see the minute detail like Cheerios on the carpet and sparkles on Angelica's shoes. The animation is gorgeous.
The family dynamics with the Pickles and the Carmichaels, and Betty and Drew, they're very close-knit family and friends. They have a history together. They're all bonded together, going through experiences of their own while raising their children. Now, they're raising a family and the millennials that watched Rugrats growing up, they're having the same experiences.
It's the magic of Rugrats. They reach both the adults and the kids. The creators and the writers and producers are doing a fantastic job of molding everything together, as they did in the first go around.It gives me goosebumps sometimes, when I start going off on it, but I'm just so happy to be a part of it.
I have to tell you, this past Halloween, I was watching Peanuts, the Great Pumpkin Halloween Special, and then it was the Rugrats Halloween right after special. I thought, "Oh my gosh, I'm actually in a classic Halloween special!" Then there's Charlie Brown and Lucy, and then I get to be in the Rugrats special. It kind of blew my mind there for a minute there. I'm part of a classic show that's going to go on and kids are going to grow up and find it. It's really exciting for me.
I love the new special, "Traditions," that's going to be airing on soon. It's really heartwarming. Tommy's first Hanukah, it falls on Christmas Eve. So the Pickles, they scramble to fit in everybody's traditions and to make everybody feel important and included while they also help Betty celebrate Las Posadas with her family. So you have the Latin influence and you have the Jewish influence and the traditional Christmas influence all involved in that episode. It explains the ABCs of the holidays. It explores how families with different cultural backgrounds, how they come together and then they celebrate new and unique traditions. I loved it. I love this special. It's really special. It really is.
The new Rugrats holiday special, "Traditions," is set to air Dec. 2 onParamount+.
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