Neela Jolene is a young star on the rise as she recently landed the role of “Grace” in the new Brat TV show, Juniors.
For those who don’t know, Juniors is a teen-soap in which lots of drama goes on in the lives of several high school students, mainly following Jolene’s character Grace
Grace has suffered much trauma in her life as she lost her parents at a young age and lives solely with her aunt. “It’s really not easy to put to yourself in Grace’s shoes because life is not easy for Grace. Her parents died, she doesn’t have any siblings, and her aunt, who is single and working, is Grace’s only guardian,” Neela tells Celeb Secrets.
Some relationship lessons can be learned from the show by watching Grace’s relationship with “Connor.”
“Grace has a boyfriend named Connor. Connor has his own struggles in life and is not always able to be a perfect boyfriend. His behavior is inconsistent, and it doesn’t always give Grace the security she needs in a relationship,” she says.
Before landing a lead role in Juniors, Jolene had some minor roles in Take it Easy and Astrall Story.
Jolene very much emphasized how fun it is to work on the set of Juniors and meet actors and actresses from other Brat TV shows.
When asked about what it’s like working with her castmates, Jolene said, “It’s been amazing. I love hanging with everyone there. It’s always a party atmosphere to me even though we are all working very hard to make great content.”
The up-and-coming actress sat down with Celeb Secrets to let us in on what it was like working on Juniors, her bond with her castmates, and what she hopes for her character!
Read the full Q&A below and let us know your thoughts on Neela Jolene and what you want to see from her next! You can connect with Neela by giving her a follow on Instagram @neelajolene.
Celebrity Secrets: Congrats on your role as Grace in Brat’s Juniors! Can you tell us about the show and your character?
Neela Jolene: “The show is called “Juniors.: It is a new series in the Brat universe that is posted on BratTV’s YouTube channel. After the news episodes premiere on BratTV’s YouTube channel, they will be syndicated across multiple streaming services. You can currently find brat content on Tubi, Samsung TV+ and Roku. BratTV has been making original shows intended for teenagers of Generation Z since 2017. The Brat universe is the world used in every show that BratTV puts out, and “Juniors” is the local coffee shop. The show is soap opera style with lots of teen drama and intertwining storylines among the characters. My character’s name is Grace and she is one of the main characters.”
CS: Grace has to cope with difficult life circumstances – what is it like to tap into those challenges?
NJ: “It’s really not easy to put to yourself in Grace’s shoes because life is not easy for Grace. Her parents died, she doesn’t have any siblings, and her aunt, who is single and working, is Grace’s only guardian. Grace is still a kid but she has been forced to take on the world without much support and security. I feel sad that Grace has to face the level of fear and insecurity that she has from such a traumatic experience.”
CS: What do you wish for Grace to achieve by the end of the season?
NJ: “I wish for grace ti gain confidence and achieve lots of happiness by overcoming all her worries.”
CS: How has it been bonding with other cast members on the show?
NJ: “It’s been amazing. I love hanging with everyone there. It’s always a party atmosphere to me even though we are all working very hard to make great content.”
CS: Have you brought back any of your high school experiences to the role of Grace?
NJ: “Yes, I definitely can relate to all the friend and boyfriend drama. I think every high schooler can relate to the drama in high school. High school is an intense time for everyone because we are growing up so fast and dealing with lots of pressures to be successful. And the emotional intensity is even more magnified because we are dealing with all kinds of new and continuously changing relationships. So, I definitely am able to feel a strong connection to Grace from my own high school experiences.”
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CS: Can you give us a glimpse into Grace’s relationship?
NJ: “Grace has a boyfriend named Connor. Connor has his own struggles in life and is not always able to be a perfect boyfriend. His behavior is inconsistent, and it doesn’t always give Grace the security she needs in a relationship. You’ll have to watch the show to find out if they can overcome their relationship challenges.”
CS: What has been your favorite part about playing the role of Grace?
NJ: “One reason I love playing the role of Grace is because she is on an emotional rollercoaster. It is fun to create all her emotions She can react insecurely at times, but also with confidence at other times. I’m not sure where the writers will take Grace, but so far, my most favorite part of Grace is her determination to be independent and strong despite all the crazy and tough circumstances surround her.”
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CS: What can you tease from upcoming episodes?
NJ: “Do you think Connor is good for Grace? If you were Grace, who would you trust and who would you avoid?’
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, what’s a secret (fun fact) from set that we wouldn’t know just by watching the show?
NJ: “BratTV filmed Juniors at the same time it was filming 2 other shows. So, there were lots of us hanging out together between scenes. We have all become close friends, and we are always laughing and having fun. There is a big TV in the studio and on our lunch break we would watch everyone’s YouTube channels, social media reels and past performance videos. We laughed at so many but mostly we would applause give each other support. If you watch the show you may not realize what close friends we really are.”
