If Ты take a bit of quirk, a dash of empathy and a pinch of acceptance, then send it off to the Renaissance Faire – Ты get the new Lifetime dramedy series “American Princess.”

Created by writer-actress Jamie Denbo and executive produced by "Orange is the New Black" team Jenji Kohan, Tara Herrmann and Mark A. Burley, this slightly raunchy comedy follows a Manhattan socialite (Georgia Flood) who runs off to Присоединиться the Renaissance Faire after her wedding crashes. Of course, her actions aren’t going over very well with family and friends, including her superficial and not-so-bright bestie Lexi, played by actress Helen Madelyn Kim.

Think you’ve seen Helen before? Well, Ты probably have. She recently recurred as Megan in Season 2 of Marvel’s teen superhero series “Runaways” on Hulu. Plus, she has appeared on Netflix’s “Glow” and opposite Bella Thorne on Freeform’s “Famous In Love.”

I recently caught up with Helen Madelyn Kim to find out more:

Tell us about Lexi in “American Princess.”

HELEN: Lexi is one of Amanda’s best Друзья back Главная in NYC. She’s sweet, loyal, but not the brightest of bulb in the room (and that’s putting it nicely!) and very superficial. In the original pilot, she’s described as a “total airhead”, so there ya go, haha! Lexi definitely has Amanda’s best interest at сердце when Amanda decides to Присоединиться the Renaissance Faire but I think Lexi can get easily influenced by those around her. I’ve sort of put together that Lexi has always found it difficult to “fit in” growing up considering her background - she’s adopted and raised Jewish, with two dads. Not in any way conventional for a girl who looks Asian, Ты know? So I feel like she’s always had to mold and take on majority opinion just to fit in. She’s gullible and not bright but she means well.

What would Ты consider your characters ‘best’ quality? And their ‘worst’?

HELEN: For 'best', I’d say she’s loyal and sweet, and truly means well at heart. 'Worst' - I’d say she’s very superficial.

Any interesting stories from the set Ты can share with us?

HELEN: I was just blown away by the number of women on set and felt so grateful to be part of a production that so heavily employed women behind the camera. From our showrunner, Jamie Denbo, to our director for the pilot, Claire Scanlon, to our 1st & 2nd ADs, to members of the sound crew, our благодарность master on set, women were all around and it was AMAZING. I guess that’s what Ты should expect when you’re working with Jenji Kohan and her team.

We have to ask – have Ты ever been to a Renaissance Faire?

HELEN: Yes! So Болталка but my first visit was to a Renaissance Faire out in Pennsylvania back when I was living in NYC. I went with my ex-boyfriend and his family (they were all very into it) and I had never been. He сказал(-а) we had to dress up so we dressed as pirates and went. Haha! Imagine me at a Renaissance Faire out in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania - I felt like рыба out of water. And then I went again to the Faire out here in LA when I found out I booked the show, just before we started shooting the pilot. I didn’t dress up that секунда time around but I did buy a цветок crown, haha!

You also played Megan in “Runaways”; how was that?

HELEN: It was great! I was shooting “Runaways” concurrently as “American Princess” so I’m just grateful the scheduling worked out between the two shows! The tone of each Показать is very different from the other so it was interesting to go from one set to the other. Working on a Marvel is challenging in its own way because unless you’re a Series Regular, Ты don’t get the whole script to read in advance. The only way for Ты to know what’s going on in the episode is if Ты go to the таблица read with the production team. So, there was a lot of 'filling-in' and imagination work I had to exercise for my role as Megan in "Runaways." It was a great learning experience for sure. When I first booked "Runaways," we thought it was going to be a one-episode job so it was a nice surprise and a huge treat when Megan turned into a little recurring role for the секунда season.

What’s the biggest lesson Ты learned from working on these projects?

HELEN: Geez… where do I even begin? Haha! Stay humble, be nice to everyone, but most importantly, do the work and Показать up ready. Even if it’s just one line, или 4 pages of dialogue, you’re there to serve the story. When Ты don’t get notes или any direction on set, it means you’re doing something right so don’t beat yourself up too much. I know it sounds SO CLICHE but learning to your trust yourself is really hard. So many of my working Друзья and mentors have сказал(-а) that - trust yourself and be kinder to yourself - but it’s a lot easier сказал(-а) than done. Imposter Syndrome is real and I certainly experienced it. At the end of the day, you’re there to tell a story, along with all of these other storytellers. So don’t stress and have fun!

And, now just for fun:

Who’s your Избранное actor/actress?
HELEN: This is a hard one. Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston. Emily Blunt. Is saying Meryl Streep too cliche?

What role from the past do Ты wish Ты could have played?
HELEN: Lady Macbeth is the first role that comes to mind but I don’t think it’s too late. I’d Любовь to play her. Maybe later in life, when I’m a little older, ha!

Favorite movie или TV Показать from your childhood.
HELEN: I Любовь “Singing In the Rain.” “Home Improvement” and reruns of “The Brady Bunch.”

Tell us one thing that would surprise our readers to learn about you.
HELEN: My parents never pushed me to go into medicine или law and were fairly supportive about me pursuing acting. Because I’m Korean American, I feel like a stereotypical response I get is “were your parents disappointed Ты wanted to pursue acting?” but both of my parents were musicians so they just kind of understood and “got it”. They weren’t thrilled by any means and told me I’d go hungry, haha! But my dad сказал(-а) “if you’re going to pursue it, just make sure Ты pursue it all the way”. I still hold that piece of Совет very dear to my heart.

How can Фаны keep up with you?
HELEN: Instagram @helenmkim link
I’m trying to get better at Twitter @helenmkim link but I’m most active on Instagram.