Tricia Fukuhara Walks A Different Beat on ‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ [Interview]

If you have ever felt like an outsider for walking a path that is entirely your own, you will adore Nancy Nakagawa, the most unique-minded of Rydell High’s Pink Ladies.

The charm and personality Tricia Fukuhara brings to the role make Nancy so unique and fun. This bright, young actress knows her role is changing the face of a classic franchise and hopes to do the character justice.

I recently spoke with Fukuhara about all things Nancy, fashion, and friendship on Season 1 of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.

One of the most exciting things about Nancy is fans never know what to expect from her. Whether it’s her actions or her killer fashion, Nancy walks her own beat and is proud of that.

“I mean, most of my outfits were built for me because Nancy is making her own costumes, or not costumes, but outfits,” Fukuhara revealed.

Naturally, Fukuhara — much like fans of the show — could not pick just one outfit that stood out as her favorite. She felt there were too many memorable moments to narrow it down.

“I love Bad Nancy when she gets to wear her leather snake outfit. I’ve never worn that much leather in my life, and I got to choose the snake. We had different designs, and it was like, ‘Hey, which type of scales do you like the best?’ I felt like that outfit was kind of a collaboration, so I really enjoyed that one.” Fukuhara confirmed.

A fan-favorite outfit this season was Nancy’s lobster skirt, fashioned much like poodle skirts from those days. Fukuhara felt similarly about one of the first odes to her character’s personality.

“The lobster skirt is so fun in the first episode with the glove on the cardigan. It’s like she’s got a hand holding the leash,” she explained.

“The lobster’s so quirky, and it’s a nod to these famous designers like Caparelli, which is really special to me — and sea foam is my favorite color, so I love that outfit.”

One of Nancy’s memorable fashion moments comes during Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Season 1 Episode 10, “Racing for Pinks,” when she pulls a Pink Ladies jacket for Hazel out of her bag.

“I justify that because when the jackets got taken away by McGee, she was like my outfit’s ruined now. I need to have a backup. So, I’ve told myself that’s why Nancy kept a spare, just in case. And, you never know, she does works at the Frosty Palace, and teenagers be spilling stuff.”

When Nancy isn’t turning heads because of her fashion sense, she’s gaining attention for her overly dramatic antics. One such moment comes during “Racing for Pinks,” where she faces off against Mr. Daniels for wanting to marry a student.

Fans will never forget her iconic line, “She is a child!” And neither will Fukuhara.

“I was so excited to see that I got that moment because that’s what we’ve all been thinking this whole time, right? It’s like, what are you doing? I’d never thought that I would ever do that to someone. So the fact that I got to be the person to say and do what everyone else was thinking was really exciting.”

“I’ve done a lot of stage combat growing up too. So I was ready for this moment. And the first time we did it, I ran and did the fake slap. I don’t think Chris [McNally] was quite ready for how large I was gonna make it. It was kind of funny the first time, and they said, ‘Tricia, I think that was a little bit too big. It’s a little bit too Marvel.'” Fukuhara said.

The slap was challenging as Fukuhara is right-handed, but Nancy is left-handed. This created some laughable moments for her, from filming the slap to filming the more serious moment between Nancy and Cynthia.

“I’m not left-handed, but Nancy is, and [for that] moment, it says Cynthia reads the note and laughs. There were so many times when I tried to scribble something, but because I’m not left-handed, Ari [Notartomaso] would be like, ‘What does it say?’ I would try to change it every time and write something different. So, Cynthia’s reaction is genuine.”

Tricia Fukuhara and Ari Notartomaso are connected and close to one another off-screen, which helped when it came to filming their character’s most heartfelt moment of the whole season — the coming out. 

While Fukuhara’s writing skills helped bring some levity to the scene, there was heaviness after the cameras stopped rolling. “I think you can feel it through the screen. The emotions were crazy that night,” the actress recalled.

“We left, and I was like, ‘Do you wanna, do you wanna order a pizza or something? Is anything still open? Because wow, that was a lot tonight to go through.’ But yeah, it was really intense.”

“I’ve had people who I’m very close to come out to me. [The scene] felt very normal. But also, it’s difficult in the fifties, and it’s difficult now too. Anytime it’s something so personal and so sensitive, you have to be vulnerable, open, and caring. I don’t think I necessarily prepared for that scene.” Fukuhara said.

She added, “Ari even said, ‘I’m glad it’s you, it’s Nancy, but it’s you that Cynthia and Ari get to come out to. I feel very safe and comfortable with you.'”

Fukuhara has so much pride in knowing that her character paved the way for others to be more open-minded when it wasn’t commonplace. As she sees it, Nancy was the “first ally in 1954.”

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies sells itself on the diversity of the characters and their unique experiences. However, its stories impact the actors as well.

“I grew up just assuming I couldn’t be the lead in anything. I was taught from a very young age that I looked a certain way, and that wasn’t valued, especially in the entertainment industry. The best that I would be is maybe a sidekick, nerdy best friend. And to see that we’re finally able to break that mold is exciting.” Fukuhara reflected.

“It’s a lot to feel like I can be that for someone else. I feel inspired by people I watch, and when I saw Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, I got really emotional. To finally see that we are being seen is overwhelming. It really is.”

“I remember watching Cinderella with Brandy and Palo Montalban, and that was a moment where I thought, ‘Oh, wow.’ I didn’t know that we could be seen as princes and princesses, and to feel like I could be that for another child or even for someone who’s grown up with Grease and never felt represented. The fact that they can see themselves now is exciting.” Fukuhara concluded.

Beyond this season, Fukuhara will take a bit of Nancy with her always.

“I’ve always been trying to care less about what other people think about me. And I think this year Nancy has really just kind of nailed that message home a little bit more to just kind of go for it.”

“Go for the things that you want. It’s okay to be bold. Take those risks and make those big decisions. If you’ve wanted to dye your hair a crazy color forever, just do it. Who cares?”

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Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is streaming now on Paramount+.

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