Zoey 102, the sequel film produced by Paramount+ and starring Jamie Lynn Spears, marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Zoey 101 series, and this time it’s a family affair!
Spears has confirmed that both of her children, Maddie, 15, and Ivey, 5, will make cameo cameos in the film, which will be available to watch online beginning on July 27.
“Having my two girls be a part of this film and get to make their little debut cameo, if you will, it was so special because they got to do it together,” the 32-year-old Sweet Magnolias actress told ET’s Denny Directo. “Having my two girls be a part of this film and get to make their little debut cameo, if you will, it was so special because they got to do it together.” “And in addition to that, her best friend, who is like another child to me, was able to participate alongside her.”
“Just seeing those two worlds collide, it was a really proud moment for me as a mom,” Spears said of the experience. “Maddie mentioned to me that she like what she saw, including the set as well as the production and what it was. She was all like, ‘Mom, I can’t believe that, like, they’re all here because this is the movie that you’ve made.’ And the fact that she acknowledged it and realized that you are capable of doing significant things made me feel really pleased to be her mother. It makes no difference. And being able to see her participate in it was simply, it was just a unique and unforgettable experience.”
Spears said that “there have been a lot of times where I’ve felt like I’ve been fighting for my seat at the table,” while discussing what it means to her to set that example for her girls. Spears also talked on the importance of being a role model for her daughters.
“And I just believe that my children are powerless to make different decisions,” she said. “I have to show them that it is possible to do that in addition to the fact that I have to provide for them and be somebody who is doing something that they enjoy,” she added. “And every time I have a chance, I can’t help but feel really fortunate. But I believe it all boils down to the reality that I want my girls to carve out lives for themselves that are fulfilling to them. Therefore, how else am I supposed to teach them that other by doing it myself?
She said that before deciding to make Zoey 102, she consulted her oldest daughter to get her thoughts on the matter.
Certain topics were ones that I had asked her about. I’m like, ‘that are the folks that are really cool? Who are the individuals who we would want to have a role in this? She also said that the movie was quite great. You should be proud of the work that you’ve done. Spears joked that she probably ought to have given her a credit on the EP.
Considering that it’s been 15 years since Spears was in Zoey Brooks’ position, the pop star has been thinking about the guidance she would offer her younger self on the things she wishes she had known.
Oh my god, just put your faith in your intuition; that’s the best course of action. “You’re going to get there in a way that you’re proud of, even though it might take you a little longer to get where you want to get,” Spears told me. “The fact that an orchestra is playing music for a movie that I’m in and I’m an executive producer on, if you would have said that to 16-year-old me, I would’ve been like, ‘No, I’m not worthy, I’m not good enough, there’s no way that I will ever be able to accomplish that,’ because that’s what I was taught. Now I’m an executive producer on a movie that has an orchestra playing music for it. Therefore, I am grateful to you beyond words for the opportunity to have that.
According to Spears, bringing Zoey 102 to life has “100 percent” stimulated her creative process as she looks for new projects to work on.
I had the attitude of ‘Give me anything.’ I am now reading screenplays that I typically wouldn’t read. “I just want to see what I’m capable of because I feel like if I can overcome my own personal things, then I feel like creatively I could really push myself more as well,” she stated, adding that her part on Sweet Magnolias “really got me feeling like, ‘Oh, I can still do this.'” “I just want to see what I’m capable of because I feel like if I can overcome my own personal things, then I feel like creatively I could really push myself more as well.”
She has indicated interest in becoming “part of the process behind the camera,” which includes “one day” directing, although she has admitted that she has “a lot to learn.” While Spears is open to continuing the Zoey 101 franchise, she has also expressed interest in being “part of the process behind the camera.”