*This article is the cover story for our September 2025 issue – scroll down to flip through the issue for free or order a print copy here.*
There’s something about coming-of-age movies that feels timeless. No matter the generation or our age, watching teen films is like stepping into a universal time machine.
The ’80s and ’90s delivered classics that captured the struggles of rich vs. poor and popular kids vs. “geeks.” Films like The Breakfast Club, Can’t Buy Me Love, Pretty in Pink, She’s All That, and Can’t Hardly Wait set the tone for their era and beyond. The 2000s tried to keep up, but let’s face it—aside from Mean Girls—not many standouts emerged. That’s about to change.
Almost Popular is a new film directed by Nayip Anthony Garcia and starring Ruby Rose Turner (Descendants: The Rise of Red, Coop & Cami Ask the World) as Susie Quinn, an unpopular teen buried under layers of clothes and wild hair who desperately wants to be noticed—for the right reasons. She teams up with her best (and only) friend, Bobbie, played by Reid Miller (Joe Bell, Boo Bitch), who is growing tired of trying to fit in.
Through their schemes, we meet the school gossip, Darby (Sarah Dorothy Little), and the “Pop Girls”: Vicki (Ellodee Carpenter), Renee (Isabella Ferreira), and Ginger (Victoria Caro). After seemingly ruining her reputation by buying fake TikTok followers, Susie hatches her boldest plan yet—to become one of the Pop Girls. A reluctant Bobbie, of course, gets dragged along for the ride.
Like any good teen film, Almost Popular delivers more than just a quest for popularity. At its core, it’s about staying true to yourself and finding acceptance for who you really are.
The film also boasts a stacked cast, with rising young stars and influencers adding to its energy. StarShine sat down with director Nayip Anthony Garcia, Ruby Rose Turner, and key cast members Reid Miller, Ellodee Carpenter, Isabella Ferreira, and Sarah Dorothy Little to talk about the film, their favorite teen movies, and more.
Nayip Anthony Garcia on His Directorial Debut
“Pam [writer Pamela Duffy-Little] reached out to a friend of mine, and we went over to her place to talk about the movie. It started as a small idea, and I said, ‘Well, if we’re going to do this, let’s go big.’ Pam did over 200 drafts of the script, showing her hunger to get into the industry. She was inspired by her daughter, Sarah Dorothy Little (who plays Darby Duncan), and a lot of the film came from Sarah’s experiences during COVID.
Once we got Ruby Rose Turner and Isabella Ferreira attached, I knew this was going to be something special. Sarah helped too—we’d have her act out scenes as we wrote, and we’d say, ‘Write that down, let’s do that.’ It was such a community and family effort. This wasn’t a big studio film—no one cashed out big. We mom-and-popped it all the way from a condo in L.A. to 20-plus theaters across the U.S. I still can’t believe it.”
Ruby Rose Turner: Stepping Into Susie Quinn
“For Susie, I basically pushed myself to do everything that Ruby would be embarrassed doing because Susie’s a tripper, a loud sneezer, she pronounces words wrong, she wears crazy combinations. Jumping in fully gave me the confidence to play her to her fullest, weirdest extent. At the table read, hearing how strong everyone was in their roles really lit a fire in me to be just as strong. For me, it was about embracing the things I usually try to hide and letting Susie wear them on her sleeve. That was really fun.”
“I usually try to hide my quirks, but Susie wears them on her sleeve. That was really fun to play.” -Ruby Rose Turner
The Pop Girls & the Gossip Queen
Sarah Dorothy Little (Darby): Darby Duncan is the news reporter, the school gossip—the one who always knows everything. Every school has someone who pushes the drama around – Darby is that. She’s very worried about what’s going on at Clovis High. I wanted her to be a little bit insane. She loves covering little stories and keeping people updated. I love talk shows, so a lot of Darby is maybe that dream.
Ellodee Carpenter (Vicki): Vicki is the queen bee, the villain. She runs the school like it’s her career and feels pressure from home life to stay the most popular girl in school. When [Susie and Bobbie] try to join the Pop Girls, she does everything to squash their little dreams. For inspiration, I pulled from iconic mean girl villains—Regina George, Megan Fox, and Sharpay Evans.
Isabella Ferreira (Renee): I’m very similar to Renee, so it was fun to play someone I relate to. She’s empathetic. I think she might be a little sassier than me.
Reid Miller: Playing Bobbie – the Underdog
“Honestly, I drew a lot from the script. It was so clear and descriptive that I immediately knew who Bobbie was. Working with Ruby and Isabella also brought out this other side of me that became Bobbie.”
Favorite Teen Movies
When it came to favorite teen films, the cast had a wide range. Sarah Dorothy Little cited the indie drama Thirteen. Ellodee Carpenter loves 10 Things I Hate About You. Reid and Ruby are big Twilight fans. Ruby also loves the original Scream. Isabella picked Pretty in Pink. Director Nayip Anthony Garcia listed his influences: Napoleon Dynamite, Mean Girls, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Breakfast Club.
FUN FACT: Most of the cast weren’t traditionally “popular” because many were homeschooled. Reid Miller joked, “I was the most popular, the least popular, class clown, and valedictorian because I was the only member of my school.” Ruby laughed and claimed the same for her “class of one.”
Favorite Scenes from Almost Popular
The cast had plenty of memorable moments:
✨Sarah and Ellodee teased a shocking “graphic line” exchange that still makes them laugh.
✨Reid loved filming the wild party scene—complete with a punch, beer pong, and a cameo by his wife.
✨Ruby and Isabella both picked the bittersweet prom and car scenes toward the end of filming, calling them “special” and “emotional.”
Watch the trailer for Almost Popular
Ruby Rose Turner’s Message to Fans Watching Almost Popular
“I hope that you can leave just loving yourself a little more, giving yourself less of a hard time, and not putting so much pressure on yourself to be perfect. I hope you can laugh at yourself and not take things so seriously. This is also advice that I’m giving to myself still to this day. Sit down with your family, have a good time, enjoy yourself.”
The rest of the cast echoed similar sentiments—embracing uniqueness, finding humor in chaos, and appreciating friendship.
As director Nayip Anthony Garcia put it: “We lure you in with silliness, but you leave with a powerful message. It’s not about popularity or TikTok—it’s about acceptance and finding the people who mean the most to you.”
Watch/Listen to Director Nayip Anthony Garcia, Ellodee Carpenter, and Sarah Dorothy Little on the StarShine Stars Podcast!
Watch/Listen to Ruby Rose Turner, Reid Miller, and Isabella Ferreira on the StarShine Stars Podcast!
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Sandy Lo is an author, blogger, journalist, and digital strategist. Her personal story is inspiring. Sandy started StarShine Magazine, an online publication in 2001, at the age of 18. She wrote her first novel in 2009, “Lost In You,” followed by the “Dream Catchers” Series. She was the first person ever to professionally interview Taylor Swift and has received personal endorsements for her books from members of boy bands Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees.
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