Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Julianne Kaye
We got to chat with triple threat Imogen Cohen, who can currently be seen on The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, about playing the quirky Zina, being encouraged to pursue acting, and her advice for aspiring actors.
With your mom and dad both having artistic backgrounds, was it very encouraged for you to pursue your interest in acting?
My parents definitely encouraged my interest in acting. The love of dance came first when I was four — I was one of those kids who would do impromptu dances next to street musicians. The love of theater came next with Shakespeare camp, and then the love of singing came when I discovered Broadway musicals. My parents found me a dance teacher, acting classes, and a singing teacher as early as possible. I never had to persuade them to help me – they saw my interest and offered support, and still do to this day. My mom is a classical violinist, and she teaches me piano and helps me with vocal practice. Also, my dad is an English teacher and occasional Shakespeare actor, and he taught me sonnets and monologues early on. I got to see his performances, too, and hang out backstage, and it all felt so fun and natural to me.
You can currently be seen in The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder. How does Fairly Odder pay homage to the original cartoon while putting its own spin on things?
Both the original Fairly OddParents and today’s Fairly Odder are set in the wacky town of Dimmsdale. Dimmsdale is a place where everything is a few degrees brighter, faster, louder, and more eccentric than our world. And there’s the magic, too. The fairies will give their kid anything they wish for. The kid is unhappy, and the wishes are meant to help. But the wishing, in both the original and in Fairly Odder, leads to complications and chaos – the wishes naturally go sideways, and the kids almost cause disaster. The lesson in both series is to be careful what you wish for. Timmy, the protagonist of the original, is heading to college in the first episode of Fairly Odder, and he hands Wanda and Cosmo to his cousin, Viv. Before you know it, two kids, Viv, and her stepbrother Roy are making wishes. The new show features new characters and an emphasis on their relationship.
Tell our readers about your character Zina. While she is a bit quirky and has some interesting hobbies, are there still parts of you in the character?
Zina is Viv’s best friend, and she’s hopelessly devoted to Roy. Zina and I have many similarities and differences. She is obsessive and bizarre, and I like to think of myself as reasonably stable. She craves a whiff of Roy, and I can’t imagine myself wanting to smell someone so bad. Zina is an actress – she’s constantly taking on new personas. When Roy is injured, for example, she becomes a World War II nurse, and when Roy is running for class president, she becomes Jackie-O. I, too, love playing parts and changing things up, both in my work and in my everyday life. Another thing I share with Zina is fashion. We both love dressing up and trying out new styles.
Next year you’ll be seen in The Naughty Nine, which story-wise is a lot different from Fairly Odder. What did you learn from working on the Disney+ film?
Working on The Naughty Nine was a blast. It’s a Christmas heist movie, and my character is the spunky, adrenaline-junkie getaway driver, Ha-Yoon. We shot the film in Montreal last winter, and it was cold and snowy, which was new to me. I got to work with a bunch of great kids and made some close friends. The director Alberto Belli wanted my character to be larger than life, and he pushed me to make Ha-Yoon as energetic as possible.
Your future goal is to be part of a production on Broadway. What would be your dream show to be in?
I’ve kind of grown out of Annie and Matilda, though I was cast as both in productions that were canceled due to Covid. I’ve got my eye on a couple of dream roles in the near future. I’d love to play Lydia in Beetlejuice, and if Tuck Everlasting ever comes back, I’d love to play Winnie Foster. Later, when I grow up, my dream roles are Kim from Miss Saigon and Eurydice from Hadestown, and Eponine from Les Misérables.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
I would say a few things. First, take chances and get out of your comfort zone. It’s important to experiment with a character and to really stretch yourself to find a way to give a character life. Keep looking until you are sure you are satisfied. Second, you have to believe in yourself. Even when you feel nervous and full of doubt, you have to find confidence somewhere inside yourself. Finally, learn to live with rejection. A lot of times, you won’t get the role. And you just have to pick yourself up and brush yourself off over and over again.