We chatted with actress Aimee Carrero from ABC Family’s Young & Hungry about what’s coming up next for her character Sofia, as well as the show in general. In tonight’s episode, Gabi and Sofia visit a psychic to get a better idea of what the future holds. Sofia’s skeptical at first – but then Madame Paulette’s predictions begin to come true… Read on for the full interview!
It sounds like you get a ton of screen time in the next episode, between the storyline with the psychic and the question that Elliott and Alan have for Sofia. Without giving too much away, what can viewers look forward to?
Aimee Carrero: In this episode, there are a lot of twists and turns. It starts with Gabi and Sofia going to a psychic [who] predicts a few things, one of which is an earthquake, and then each of them gets news of an impending doom. Sofia’s storyline is that she’s freaking out about something, and the episode ends with her finding that something in an unexpected way. I know that’s like the most cryptic thing you’ve ever heard! To add on top of that, Alan and Elliott put Sofia in a difficult spot because they ask her to do something for them that could be potentially life-changing. Sofia puts two and two together with the psychic’s prediction and starts freaking out about something that turns out to be something completely different in the end! I loved working on this episode because the whole cast is in it a ton and we get to have a lot of scenes together, which I always love, and it just seemed like a really tight episode from the beginning. I think the audience will definitely enjoy it.
In the last episode, Sofia got fired, and then she didn’t get the job with Josh. Compared to Gabi, Sofia’s usually been the more stable force and the one whose life is a little bit more together, but now it seems like things are reversed. What has it been like to explore that new dynamic and show a different side of the character in the process?
It’s been fantastic. I mean, that’s like every actor’s dream, especially in the sitcom world where time is limited; you only have 30 minutes, and you have to get through a lot of story in that short amount of time. It’s really nice when the writers throw you for a loop and give your character some nice challenges. I think what you said is exactly right – there’s been a role reversal, and so it’ll be interesting to see how Sofia handles her need for control in a situation where she’s completely powerless. Much like in real life, when we get in these ruts where work isn’t going right and our personal relationships aren’t going right, it’s usually because we have a lesson to learn. It’s been nice to see Sofia learning in a really uncomfortable sort of way, because some of the best lessons we learn are painful. It’s been really fun for me to play as an actress.
As you mentioned, in addition to all the drama in her professional life, Sofia also got dumped by her boyfriend in the last episode, so she’s newly single. What kind of romantic prospects are coming up for her in the rest of the season?
She has a couple of things, but nothing too serious. I like that the writers did that because her character has always been incredibly ambitious as far as her career goes, and relationships sort of take a back seat – not that that’s a great thing for balance, but it’s certainly true for her character, so I like that the writers didn’t throw her into the dating scene as a way to fill the void of not having a job. But she does meet a nice man in an episode coming up!
The show, like a lot of sitcoms, only has a couple of main settings: inside Josh’s apartment, and inside Sofia and Gabi’s apartment. We usually see Sofia at home, but for the next episode, there’s a whole new set for when she and Gabi visit the psychic. Was it a nice change of pace to shoot somewhere new?
Absolutely! The set is set up like a stage: The middle of the stage is Josh’s apartment, and then Sofia and Gabi’s apartment gets a partial view of the audience. You feel the energy of the audience [on the set of Sofia and Gabi’s apartment] but there’s nothing like being in front of them and being able to play your jokes. It’s an unspoken conversation that’s really nice to be a part of. As far as the psychic’s set goes, it was so technical – we had to do something with a crystal ball – so we did it on a Thursday when we don’t have an audience, but it was really fun. We have some really talented set decorators and architects, and there are some wonderful pieces of set work.
We’ve seen Gabi change in a lot of ways since the beginning of the series, but other things have stayed the same, like the fact that Sofia is both her best friend and her roommate. For Sofia, what would you say has changed and what’s stayed the same?
I think Sofia’s learning to relinquish a little bit of the control she thinks she has over things. A lesson [for her] to learn is that sometimes life will throw you for a loop and you just have to go with the flow, and I think that’s why Gabi and Sofia are such great partners – they balance each other out. Sofia has become a little bit more relaxed and more open to things, and certainly toward the end of the season, you will see those changes in her. I think both Gabi and Sofia have adopted the good parts of each other’s personalities.
You can watch tonight’s episode of Young & Hungry, titled “Young & Earthquake,” at 8/7c on ABC Family. Keep up with Aimee Carrero on Instagram and Twitter!
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