Tripped Up follows Lizzy, an aspiring chef who places all of her hopes for the future in the upcoming Saucy Food Festival. Lizzy, along with her three best friends, heads to the prestigious competition with a singular mindset. What starts as a road trip quickly spirals out of control, and Lizzy’s big break faces unexpected challenges that will test their friendship in a comedic, fun, and food-filled adventure.
Tripped Up stars a powerhouse cast led by Leah Lewis, Ariel Winter, Sasha Foc, Ashley Moore, and Vanessa Williams. The movie is directed by Shruti Ganguly. The script for Tripped Up was penned by Cristina Catanzaro and Carrie Shaw. Ganguly, Shaw, and Catanzaro, along with Linda Evans and Nina Warren, serve as producers. Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike thanks to an waiver agreement. The movie covered here would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
Tripped Up star Sasha Fox spoke with Screen Rant about her new movie. She explains why she was able to relate to her character, Taylor, so quickly and recalls writing a song for the movie. Fox also discusses the chemistry between the cast and reveals bands from the playlist she created to get into the headspace of her character.
Sasha Fox On Tripped Up
Screen Rant: Tripped Up is genuinely a refreshing coming-of-age story about friendship, food, and female bonding. Women led this movie in front of the camera and behind it, which is truly refreshing. Can you tell me a little bit about Taylor, and what attracted you to the role of Taylor?
Sasha Fox: Yeah. Taylor is, in the beginning and throughout the film, a very emotional, struggling girly. I think that she is a badass. I really, really related to the rock and musical elements that she had. I think when it came to the auditioning process, it was refreshing to see a character that I was like, “Oh, I don’t even really have to think too hard.” I know her mindset. I know that no matter what she’s thinking about—the music, the future, and taking little inspirations to write about, and so she’s cool. She’s a sick chick. Again, as I said, [she struggles] in it, but she has a good heart, always trying to crack a joke, always trying to look on the brighter side, even though things can get a little muddy. But yeah, no, she’s a pretty rad chick.
I mean, you kind of touched on some of this stuff, but how much of yourself did you infuse into Taylor, and what did you want to bring to the role that wasn’t on the page?
Sasha Fox: Yeah, I think that I brought a lot in terms of writing in terms of her mindset. I definitely made a bunch of playlists. I’m a playlist girl; as a musician, I am. I made at least a playlist a week of the scenes that were going on. What would she be listening to when she was in the car? If she was sick of her friends and was in her head, what would she be journaling about—that just-classic character study that people do? I kind of went deep, but the thing is, I got to sit with Taylor—the idea and the character of her—for so long. We had at least a year and a half post what we were originally going to shoot because of COVID.
We had to push it for so long, and I remember thinking throughout that whole time, “Well, I’m not just going to forget about her.” I have to carry her on the back. And so it was cool. I was writing a lot [from] her perspective musically. I was writing some songs, some that won that. I mean, I would say a song that I wrote for the movie. There are pieces of it that I had ideas for before, lyrically, but then tying it all together was really, really cool. But yeah, no, she’s sick. I think the artistic mindset that you got to have where you’re creating and being a clear vessel musically to push your feelings out is what I relate to her so much.
Out of curiosity, what were some of the songs that you had to get into Taylor’s head for your playlist?
Sasha Fox: Oh my gosh. Off the top of my head? That’s a really good question. I don’t want to waste time and look at my phone, but if I’m thinking off the top of my head, I know “I Think I’m Paranoid” by Garbage was definitely on there. “I Think I’m Paranoid,” probably a lot from the Pixies, a lot from X, the Band X, I would say maybe a little Talking Heads. Oh, a lot of Bikini Kill. I remember putting a lot of Bikini Kill on there. It was a lot of women and stuff that had a cool, dark sensitive side, but still a lot of energy and electricity, and so those were off the top of my head, but I want to listen to it again. Now you’re inspiring me to go out and listen to those playlists.
That’s so cool. That’s such a great way for you to get focused and into the mindset of a character. I really like that. Now, Taylor seems the most self-aware and level-headed out of the group, but she’s dealing with her own struggles. Can you tell me a little bit about Taylor’s hesitation to open up to her friends about some of her issues that she’s dealing with?
Sasha Fox: Yeah. I think that throughout the film, when she’s trying to be there for Lizzy, when she’s trying to be there for Ashley, when she’s trying to be kind of out of all [of them] the one that is not going to bring her own stuff into it, which is respectful for the situation, it’s a hectic situation, but at the same time, knowing that they are her closest friends, the fact that she does keep reserved, I think is her own self of being like, “Oh, I can handle this. I’m strong. I have my own little community that is helping me out, and I don’t need to bring it into it.” But as you see, in the end, it fizzles out and explodes, or not spoiler, but as you see, as it does, it fizzles out and things come to light.
And I think that, just like everyone who’s struggling, you can’t hold it in for as long as you think you can [or] when you need help. When those things come to the surface, thank God it was the people that love her the most and that would support her. But I think she was withholding. She didn’t want to affect anyone. She doesn’t want to make it anyone’s problem. So it was thinking of them, but also trying to be strong throughout the whole craziness. That was the trip.
Absolutely. Now, as a musician, you also get the opportunity to play the guitar and sing in this film. Can you talk about that experience?
Sasha Fox: Yeah. I got to play the guitar, and it was so much fun. Basically, the first shoot that we did was one of the songs; one of the musical numbers was the cafe shoot. And how it went about was that when I came to set that day, I had a feeling; I knew that Taylor was singing in the scene, but I didn’t know if they were going to have a song prepared or if they wanted me to sing something in particular. So I just wrote a song a little bit that night before, some ideas that I had from months before, some lyrics that I brought together, and then finished it up that day on set just with my one eye open and one ear out, and then Shruti, our director, came over, and she was like, “Hey, I got to ask you a really great, big favor.”
Is there any way that you can learn one of the songs we have or think of something? And I was like, “Oh, I already have a song written.” And she was so thankful, and I was glad that I kind of thought two steps ahead because if I didn’t, the song wouldn’t be as… I mean, who knows? Maybe it would’ve been even more raw and more honest, but I whipped it all up in those few hours, finished it, and was able to perform, and it was one of my first times performing in front of a lot of people because usually if I’m performing, I am background; I’m doing backing vocals.
I’m either doing keys or the bass. I’m not focusing on my voice. And then when they were like, “All right, it’s time,” as I was playing, I was like, “This is my first concert, my first show.” So it was cool. It was awesome, but a great practice for the future. But it was fun.
That’s amazing. Now I love the friendship and the bond that you guys share in this movie, and the friendships all feel real and lived in. This film also stars Ariel Winter, Leah Lewis, and Ashley Moore. You guys have tremendous chemistry together. Can you talk about building that chemistry on camera, and did that extend off camera as well?
Sasha Fox: Yeah, no, the girlies are so awesome. I think we definitely struggled over the heat, or bonded and struggled over the heat that was bestowed on us. It was New Jersey in the middle of the summer, easily 98 degrees every single day. The hottest day was 100, and like two, three at the lowest. It got so, so hot, and so we would bond, stripping off our costumes in the car and just trying to get any amount of air in between takes. We had umbrella, sunscreen. We were shooting on a farm, so the farm life of bugs and farm animals. It was so much fun. It felt like summer camp the entire time.
But yeah, no, we’ve kept close since. I mean, we have a little group chat that we chat in once in a while. Once we have stuff getting close to the film, it’ll fire up again. But we all live in different spots in the US or outside the US, so we don’t see each other. We haven’t seen each other since in person, but it’s cool. I think the bond that was instantly zapped in together, even in pre-production, one of the first days we met, was so, so clear and so strong.
That’s amazing. Now, I’m sure that he kind of helped that tension in that one scene where everything kind of comes to light, as you said, with it being so hot out there. Now, which one of you guys is most like your character?
Sasha Fox: I think that we’re all very aligned with our characters. We were talking about this the other day. Leah and I were talking about it in the group chat, where I think that I’m kind of always trying to keep the piece. I’m on the outskirts, where, honest, I don’t really look at my phone, so whenever things are going about, I’ll look and go, “Oh yeah, that’s funny.” I’m in my own other world. I think that in terms of the characters, we aligned very, very well.
I think that everyone has their own little quirks, and even when it came, at first, I felt that I would kind of be more like a Kai. I felt like, “Oh…” Me personally, and I can only speak to myself about myself, but I felt, I was like, “Oh, yeah.” I kind of would just be trying to meditate and be more trying to force the positive, and then I’m like, “Oh no, I’m meditating. I’m awake.” Not even trying to keep… I’m keeping the peace by just sitting and watching. But it was cool. I mean, it makes the performance even more natural.
About Tripped Up
Aspiring chef Lizzy sets off with her three best friends in tow to compete in the prestigious Saucy Food Festival. What begins as a calculated career move quickly turns into a madcap misadventure full of food, fun and female bonding, where the girls learn that struggle can be the secret ingredient to success.
Check back for our other Tripped Up interview with Leah Lewis.
Tripped Up is available in select theaters and on digital now.
