HomeFeaturesFeatures › Q & A with Disney Star and Desert Stages Alumni, Landry Bender - Page 2

 

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AFM: Being a Disney star is a dream for some people, and you got to star in not one Disney show, but two. What was it like being on the Disney set? Any favorite memories you want to share?

LB: I started when I was 12 and ended when I was 16 so there’s so many good memories. We would be talking for hours long if I start talking about all of them. I think overall to experience that as growing up watching the network then being able to be a part of it is really special. And different things like being able to do the wand activity, where you're like ‘you’re watching Disney Channel’ was super cool. Also, to have a camaraderie with the other kids because we’re all so weird, and getting to be among a group of kids where we all understand each other is really cool. Overall, the experience, in general, was an amazing way (I’m still growing up) to grow up and I will forever remember it. 

AFM: Being on that show during your teen years (12 to 16 years old), how do you think it shaped you into the girl you are today? 

LB: I think it’s an interesting way to grow up. The whole crew that you get up with and go to work with every day are all adults and then a few kids on the set. You really do become like family and, in some instances, I see them more than I see my actual family. I spend a lot of time with those people. They are people that are like father and mother figures to me and siblings in terms of the cast. To be able to grow up with those people and have so many amazing role models in my life is something that I will forever cherish. They are people that are still in my life which is very cool. Those people will forever be in my life and, if I get married someday, they'll probably be at my wedding which is the best, and I think it's just awesome. 

AFM: Many were sad to hear “Best Friends Whenever” didn’t get renewed for a third season. What’s one powerful message from that show that’s shaped you into who you are today? 

LB: That show had so much girl power that was involved in it. The show was about two teenage best friends who I think were the definition of girl power. They had such an incredible sisterhood and bond, and I’ve had so many little girls who are friends come up to me and say how, ‘we pretend we’re you guys and we pretend to time travel, me and my best friend’ and that’s very cool to hear. [The two main characters in the show] were so strong and powerful and it showed little girls and boys that they can be exactly who they want. 

AFM: Working with Disney must have been a dream come true. How was it working on the show “Fuller House”? Did you grow up watching “Full House”? 

LB: Yes, today I was actually on set for the season three finale, and it’s been really fun. I am a new addition to the third season that comes out late September, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it. It has been really fun, but I was a little intimated at first just because I did watch the old show and I don't know, it’s one of those things where you grew up watching those people and now you're working with them, so it’s a weird dynamic. But, the second I got to set, all of that went away, they were all so welcoming and incredible. I love being a part of it and they are all so awesome to work with.

AFM: That’s super cool that you're going to be a new addition to the third season! You recently posted a picture on Instagram, of you and McKenna Grace (co-star for the Disney XD show “Crash and Bernstein”) with the caption "Look who's working together again!  #sistersforever." Could you tell us any details about that?

LB: We’re working together again, and our characters don't interact with each other at all in this episode—which is a little disappointing—but she is amazing and is one of the most talented kids I know. I met her when she was five years old and now she’s 11, which is insane, but after a few years, we’re working together again and it’s been great. We had lunch together today, and she’s the best. She's amazing!