Issa Rae Moderates ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ Q&A
Starring Nicole Richie, Simone Joy Jones, Ms. Pat & More.
The BET+ Original Film, the 90s classic “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead,” opened exclusively in theaters last Friday April 12th and will hit BET+ later this fall.
In the remade version starring Nicole Richie, 17-year-old Tanya Crandell (Simone Joy Jones) can’t wait to spend the summer living it up with her friends in Spain before heading to Howard University in the fall.
But when her mom (Ms. Pat) decides to head to a much-needed wellness retreat in Thailand, Tanya is forced to stay home with her three siblings instead.
To celebrate the films release, the film stars Simone Joy Jones (“Tanya Crandell”) and Nicole Richie (“Rose”), alongside director Wade Allain-Marcus and writer Chuck Hayward participated in an intimate screening and Q&A moderated by award-winning actress, writer, and producer Issa Rae.
Hosted by BET+ and Iconic Events, the screening and Q&A took place Friday, April 12th at the Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas Inglewood IMAX in Los Angeles.
The cast discussed the importance of the film, diving into Wade Allain-Marcus’ inspiration from the iconic film “Crooklyn,” why Simone Joy Jones and Nicole Richie were such important castings, and Allain-Marcus’ desire to showcase the love story between “Tanya” and “Bryan” which highlighted two Black teenagers’ appreciation for each other’s nerdiness.
Simone Joy Jones noted that she drew from Issa Rae’s signature “awkwardness” while preparing for the role, and Richie shared that her two teenagers were her inspiration because she knew the audience would be watching her character through a teenager’s (Tanya’s) lens.
Executive produced by Tyra Banks and directed by Wade Allain-Marcus from a script by Emmy-nominated writer Chuck Hayward.
