Punky Brewster has made its successful return to television courtesy of Peacock’s new revival, with Soleil Moon Frye and Cherie Johnson reprising their beloved roles from the original series. In addition to the nostalgia, there are several new additions to the mix, including Izzy, who is a lot like Punky was when she first met Henry all those years ago. Izzy (played by Quinn Copeland) also happens to be a huge fan of WWE, and later in the season, she gets to meet two of her favorites in Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. It’s a delightful episode, and ComicBook.com recently had the chance to speak with Flair all about it, starting with how it all came together.
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“Well, I think that Izzy, actually, the character in the show is a wrestling fan and I believe she actually really liked myself and Alexa Bliss and it was a perfect fit. I was honored to be a part of it. It was that simple,” Flair said. “And I mean, it’s always nice to hear when there’s another show, for example, with Peacock, that’s a fan of our show and we’re a fan of theirs and wanting to do the crossover, like with Psych and USA, I was excited.”
Flair enjoyed her time on the set, especially when Izzy gets a complete Charlotte costume thanks to some help from her sister Hannah (played by Lauren Lindsey Donzis).
“She’s a star, so I just enjoyed being in her world,” Flair said of Copeland. “I always enjoy when fans or other stars from other shows come to our shows and I like to show them how to woo or kind of show them, not literally the ropes, but what it’s like on our turf. So when I went there, it was more like I want to be the guest, I want her to run the show and just go along with what she wants to do. The best part to me was just seeing her enjoy being dressed up as the characters. I mean, that always feels good to me. Like seeing a little girl dressed up as you knowing that you’re inspiring an entirely different generation, it’s just awesome.”
That sequence in particular is why I asked if it was still surreal when children run up to her and look up to her like that and are wearing their own Charlotte Flair gear, and it still very much does have an effect on her.
“It is. I can’t say that it’s still doesn’t shock me just because it’s one thing to be at work and all dress up and have the boots on and robe. But it’s a whole other thing to be on your own time and then feeling in your own space and then seeing someone else dressed up as you and the impact that you have,” Flaire said. “You’re like, wow, I do really mean something. I know that I am important to my job, but still it’s like, wow, I did that. It’s such a gratifying feeling, but also empowering, makes you want to work that much harder. Like, wow, that little girl thinks that highly of me to want to dress like me. I just want to be that much better of a person and performer. I don’t know. It just never gets old.”
“I think a lot of it to also be with I was growing up in a household where my dad was a star, who’s bigger than Ric Flair, right? I never pictured myself in that light or his shoes, so now that it is happening it’s very surreal,” Flair said. “Plus our personas are completely different in terms of like the message that I’m sending or wanting to send.”
You can find the official description for Punky Brewster below.
“In this continuation of the iconic 80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, Punky is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy, a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punky a lot of her younger self.
Soleil Moon Frye (Punky) and Cherie Johnson (Cherie) will reprise their original roles. The series also stars Freddie Prinze Jr. (Travis, Punky’s ex-husband), Quinn Copeland (Izzy), Noah Cottrell (Diego), Oliver De Los Santos (Daniel), and Lauren Lindsey Donzis (Hannah).”
Punky Brewster is available to stream on Peacock now, and you can catch Charlotte Flair every week on Monday Night Raw on the USA Network.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things Punky and WWE with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
