Disney princesses get all the glory. But to be fair, they wouldn't be able to suggest we let it go or wait for our prince to come if it weren't for Disney moms. From feature films to productions for Disney Channel, moms are a big part of making the magic happen.
Now, actor Rebecca Metz joins the ranks of the unheralded members of the Disney family. She plays Jenna Wrather on the new Disney Channel family comedy "Coop & Cami Ask the World." Coop (Dakota Lotus) and Cami (Ruby Rose Turner) are two of Jenna's four children.
It's difficult enough to be a single mom, but Jenna also has to deal with her two middle children running the online show "Would You Wrather," where the young hosts ask their followers (known as Wratherheards) to vote on various topics.
New Jersey native Metz comes to the project with a long list of credits that include "Shameless," "Lopez" and "Recovery Road." Metz's additional television credits include guest star roles on "This Is Us," "Grey's Anatomy," "For the People," "Bones," "The Mindy Project," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Gilmore Girls" and "Parenthood." But landing the role on "Coop & Cami" is a whole different world.
"It's really something special to be a Disney mom," Metz says. "There is some pressure because Disney moms are kind of vital. Moms are ultimately the ones who make decisions about what the family is going to be involved in and to show support. So, it's a big role and moms have strong opinions about what is OK and what is not OK.
"I feel a lot of responsibility and a lot of pride in being brought into the fold of being a Disney mom."
Every day is an adventure in the Wrather household, which also includes their older sister, Charlotte (Olivia Sanabia), and younger brother, Ollie (Paxton Booth). In Friday's premiere, Cooper and Cami prepare for their school dance when they learn their mom is ready to start dating. It's been two years since their father passed away. And while the youngsters understand their mother wants to move on with her life, they're not happy it's with their principal.
This leads to the pair asking their followers to vote on "Would you Wrather have your mom date the principal or take your mom to the school dance?" The fact the opening episode is built around the mom puts Metz in the middle of the action.
"She's super supportive of Coop and Cami and their channel. She gets involved sometimes and keeps an eye on them to make sure they are not taking anything too far," Metz says. "She's a single mom so I think she's by necessity very involved in her kids' lives. She is who they come to for everything."
Metz knows from her friends who watch a lot of programs aimed at younger viewers is they like when there are elements for the real moms and dads watching with their children. In the case of "Coop & Cami," that will come through Jenna, who has her own conflicts and feelings. It won't always be easy, because Metz knows her character _ like any parent _ only has so much energy and it gets drained fast by her very active children
Metz understands what it's like to have her energy drained by multiple sources. For several weeks she was working on the last episodes of the third season of the Peabody Award-winning FX series "Better Things" while beginning work on the first season of "Coop & Cami." Having a starring role in two TV shows comes after years of struggles, but Metz would have it no other way.
"People early on told me that I was a character actor and I would start working when I believably looked like I could be somebody's mom," Metz says. "It was tough in those lean years when it was hard to get work, but I would much rather be a person who starts working like crazy in my 30s than someone who is done after they are 25.
"I feel so lucky I got to spend those years building my skills and my comfort level so now that I am coming into bigger roles with more responsibility, I have been around for a while."
"Coop & Cami" has a huge online element, something Metz isn't logged into completely. She laughs as she explains she was the last generation before the internet boom where everyone shares their thoughts and actions online. When she was growing up, Metz would use her parents' cassette tape recorder to make recordings herself and her friends telling stories and singing songs. She's glad she only had a tape recorder, because if she was a youngster now, she would be doing what Coop and Cami are doing.
A big part of "Coop & Cami" are the questions of what a person would do if given two options. Keeping with that idea, Metz is asked if she would rather watch back-to-back episodes of "Coop & Cami" or be in back-to-back episodes. Metz picks being in the episodes because her belief is it's always more fun to participate than stand on the sidelines.
