The Truth About The Girl Who Plays Claudia On Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club
The Netflix adaptation of The Baby-Sitters Club has proven to be a hit with both old and new fans of the beloved franchise. Based on the book series by Ann M. Martin, this isn't the first screen adaptation of the books. The books were also adapted into an HBO series in 1990 and a film in 1995 (per NBC).
Netflix's version adapts the series for the 21st century while remaining faithful to the original series. One of The Baby-Sitters Club's breakout stars is Momona Tamada, who plays Claudia Kishi on the show. For Tamada, who is also a longtime fan of The Baby-Sitters Club, landing the role of the artistic BSC member was a dream come true. "I read the books growing up, and I loved them so, so much," she told Elite Daily. "I definitely identified as a Claudia... Bringing these characters back was such an honor."
Claudia broke a lot of ground when the book series first launched in 1986. Not only was the free-spirited character Japanese American, providing some much needed Asian American representation, she also defied Asian stereotypes. Instead of being an overachieving student, Claudia was into art and struggled in school. The impact of Claudia Kishi was so big that it was even explored in a Netflix documentary, The Claudia Kishi Club (per Collider).
This is why it was important to Momona Tamada to play Claudia in The Baby-Sitters Club
Bringing such a character to life meant a lot to Tamada. "Growing up, I didn't have a huge amount of representation on screen, so being able to be that for younger generations and beyond is so incredible," she told Elite Daily.
A lot of work went into her portrayal of the character. "The Baby-Sitter's Club has such a huge legacy behind it," she said. "It was a lot of pressure making sure that I delivered Claudia just how fans read about her in the original series. I did do a lot of character studying before I got on set. I tried to pick out a lot of her character traits, and when I was reading the script and practicing for the next day, I would think about, 'Oh, how would Claudia say this, and how can I make sure that her personality stays true to the books?'"
Claudia isn't the only iconic character Tamada has brought to life. She also portrayed a young Lara Jean Covey in the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before and is set to reprise the role in the franchise's third film.