Supah Ninjas Stars Dish on All Things Ninja!
On the Nickelodeon show, Supah Ninjas, a group of friends bands together to form a crime-fighting group of ninjas!
We asked Supah Ninjas stars Ryan Potter, Carlos Knight, and Gracie Dzienny all about what it takes to be a ninja, and what it's like to star on the show!
(For the full interviews, check out our Tumblr!)
Not everyone can be a ninja. It takes years of practice, concentration, and dedication. Gracie and Ryan agreed, however, that there's one thing that really helps them get into the ninja spirit!
"When I put on that black Lycra, I feel unstoppable," Gracie said.
"I put on the ninja suit and, BAM, ninja, in the shadows," Ryan agreed.
It's probably hard not to feel like a real ninja when you really look the part!
Carlos has a different ninja routine.
"All I really have to do is turn up my energy and take note of what's happening around me in the scene," Carlos said. "It all flows naturally."
Snacks also played a big part on the Supah Ninjas set.
Every week during the filming of the most recent season of the show, Gracie baked eight dozen cupcakes that tied into the villain of the week!
"The cupcakes I baked every week for the cast and crew really had an impact," Gracie said. "It was my creative outlet."
Ryan's power foods happen to be Japanese, which fits in perfectly with his role as a ninja!
"Anything Japanese – ramen, rice, curry, rice balls, miso soup, and did I mention rice?"
Ryan was born in Oregon, but he was actually raised in Japan until he was 7! He's also fluent in Japanese and has been studying kung fu since the age of 8.
The cast has loved working on Supah Ninjas, not only because of the cool opportunity to be ninjas, but because they've learned so much along the way.
Gracie remembers struggling on set, and hearing a line from the show that has stuck with her in real life.
"Your dedication is most impressive," says George Takei's character, playfully called "Hologramps." "But the road to perfection has no destination."
"I was really nervous about not always being perfect on set and I had to learn to embrace my flaws and that everyone makes mistakes," Gracie said.
Ryan Potter has learned some life lessons on the set, too.
"Study hard," Ryan said. "Be a good friend. Don't tease and bully people because that makes you a villain, not a ninja."
The young cast have also had the great luck of working with seasoned actor, George Takei. Gracie was especially thankful.
She said that one of the top perks of being a Supah Ninja was "Having a mentor like George Takei, both onscreen and off. He teaches us so much by example and you can't help but smile when you have a conversation with him."
You could definitely learn a lot by taking a note from their book!
