The Loud family gets merry in Nickelodeon’s ‘A Loud House Christmas’

A Loud House Christmas brings the town of Royal Woods to life for the holidays and follows Lincoln Loud as he gears up for the ultimate Christmas until he finds out that most of his sisters have plans to be elsewhere for the big day. Determined to remind his family that they all need to be together, Lincoln and his best friend Clyde McBride embark on a mission to preserve the family’s holiday traditions. I spoke with the cast about what makes The Loud House important to them. 

Wolfgang Schaffer

1. What drew you to this project?

I was drawn to the fact that it was based on the cartoon. I watched it so much as a kid; I would wake up in the morning and turn on Nickelodeon to watch The Loud House. I was shocked that they were rebooting this and that I was reading for it. I never thought I would, because you never think you’re going to book something. But I did, and the rest is history. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

It’s grounded in reality. This could actually be a family somewhere: 10 girls, 11 kids living in a small environment. That’s what I think makes the show really stand out, and that’s probably one of the reasons why I love it so much. 

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

I think that fans will really love the time and energy put into our characters, both in replicating them but also in making them our own. I hope that they appreciate the time we took to make it like the animated series. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

When I got the call, I wasn’t on some roller coaster or anything. I was just sitting around in my house. Probably watching The Loud House. My dad got a call saying they’re just going to call for a few minutes about The Loud House, and that I couldn’t listen. After some time, he got off the phone and he showed me the email that said “Wolfgang Schaffer is Lincoln Loud,” and reading those words I started crying. I was so happy about it. 

Jahzir Bruno

1. What drew you to this project?

When I was younger, I watched The Loud House a lot. It was one of my favorite shows, so when I saw the email and that it was for the role of Clyde McBride, I was surprised because it said ‘live-action.’ So I’m like, ‘Whoa, I’m going to be able to live as Clyde.’ That gave me the motivation to audition for it. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

What makes it different from the cartoon is that you’re actually playing it, you really have to envelop yourself in whatever character that you play. I had to think like Clyde, I had to react like Clyde, I had to think, ‘What would Clyde do?’ That’s what makes it different.

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

There’s actually a message behind it, and it’s very real. It’s that family is really everything and I think it’s something people can watch and it’ll bring families together and tighten bonds. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

We got an email that I booked it, and a lot of things were racing through my mind. I was like, ‘Whoa, I’m going to be able to live as Clyde. Wow, this can’t be real right now.’ It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m very grateful for it.

Lexi Dibenedetto  

1. What drew you to this project?

I was drawn to this project because it was so fun and I was really looking forward to doing something I could really play around with. I’ve worked with Jonathan before, so that made the project really appealing, and coming back to Nickelodeon was really exciting for me. The trip was so much fun, and I knew that if I became a part of it, I was going to have a blast for two months. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

Family definitely. It’s important to a lot of people and I think that’s why they’re so special. There are so many different characters for people to relate to, so I think that really draws it in because you can always find the character that you’re most similar to and be like ‘Wow, I love to sing like Luna’ or ‘I want to go to fashion school like Leni.’ I think there’s something for everyone. 

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

I think people are really going to love the humor. We have a lot of amazing physical comedy happening, but we also have really, really well-timed one-liners, a lot of which Lola says, and that was my favorite part personally. I hope it translates to others as well. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

I had just come back from school, and I was going to my friend’s restaurant. As I was sitting there, I got a call from my manager. I was like, ‘Oh, this is weird.’ So I left the restaurant. I was supposed to be going on a trip to Costa Rica at the end of May,  and she goes ‘Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re going to be able to make it to Costa Rica because you’re going to be in Atlanta shooting a Nickelodeon movie.’ I started freaking out, and my friend was filming me on her phone. 

Dora Dolphin

1. What drew you to this project?

When I read the breakdown of my character, Leni, I was drawn to her special sparkles. I just get these special feelings when there’s certain roles and I just wanted to play her, I could just feel it. It felt right. I love The Loud House and I knew I’d get a big family if I got to work on this project, so I was really hopeful. I’m so incredibly grateful for this experience.  

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

There’s one boy and 10 girls, as the theme song says, and every single character has a different personality. I think fans and viewers can relate to each one and I bet it’s super fun to find the character you relate to the most. I also just love how they always love each other and come together, and I think that is so special with such a big family. 

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

Fans are going to look forward to seeing their favorite characters come to life. We put a lot of hard work and dedication into our roles, and the cast, crew and creative team put their hearts and souls into this movie. They’re also going to love seeing our bonds on-screen. We all have different bonds with each sibling and they’ll be able to see how close we are. There’s also little easter eggs for super Loud House fans. I’m super excited about that. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

I did a callback, and when I finished it, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m not going to get my hopes up too much because it’s such a big role and there’s probably a lot of other people auditioning.’ I was actually at a movie theater, and it was the first time I’d been in one in a year and a half. When I got a call from my managers, I ran out of the theater. They said, ‘Dora, you’re playing Leni Loud and you’re flying to Atlanta!’ I still kind of get emotional talking about it because it was an incredible moment. I was mind-blown. 

Sophia Woodward

1. What drew you to this project?

What meant most to me was how beloved the Loud family is and how cherished it was. I saw people’s response to the cartoon and I was like, ‘It would be amazing to emulate these characters and bring new aspects to them while still staying true to the character.’ I think that’s what really drew me to it was how beloved they were across the world and how everyone can connect with them. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

Family for sure. I think why the Louds are such a good family is because there are so many different personalities and they mesh together so well. This film was cast flawlessly and all of us are our characters, and I can’t imagine anybody else playing the characters that they play. I think that really shines through our movie and I hope that everybody acknowledges and recognizes that.

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

They get to see the Louds in a totally different form than they ever have. For this role, they chopped my hair off. I used to have long brown hair, but now I love it; I thought it was super fun. But we look so much like them. It’ll be really interesting to see the transition between cartoon and real life versions of the characters. I think that’s so exciting and hopefully really exciting for everybody who watches the movie, and I hope everyone loves it. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

Both my parents happened to be visiting me in Los Angeles for my birthday, and they had traveled from our hometown in North Carolina. I was getting a call from both my agent and my manager, and when you get a call like this, it’s either really good news or really bad news. I was like, ‘Oh no, it’s both of them on a Sunday. Something bad must have happened.’ Then they told me the news, and they said they just wanted me to know right away because it was my birthday. I was really overjoyed, and I got to celebrate with my parents being there.

Catherine Ashmore Bradley

1. What drew you to this project?

When I first saw the audition, I was super excited. I’ve loved the Loud House ever since I was little; I kind of grew up on it. It was one of my favorite shows, and my family reminds me so much of the Loud House. Especially with Luan being probably my favorite part of the show, I was so excited about it. I went into my sister’s room, I grabbed her little flying pig stuffed animal and I sat in the mirror practicing ventriloquism.  That audition really meant something to me because I just really wanted to book it, and especially because I knew my little sister had an audition for her character in the movie. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

What makes it special is actually getting to play not one but two characters. I get to bring in not only the iconic character of Luan being a silly jokester that a bunch of kids can relate to but also getting to play her best friend and alter ego Mr. Coconut, getting to learn how to be a ventriloquist and keep those two characters alive. The bond I have with my sister really shows on stage, so we got the chance to improv together throughout the movie. You can really see our sisterly love, not just with me and her, but with everybody on set because it really felt like a family.

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

One of the things I think they’ll love the most is getting to see their favorite characters come to life. Everyone in the cast does such an amazing job of adding their own personal flair to their characters and making it their own. I mean, in this pandemic, we’ve all been so spaced out whether we’re in zoom, whether we’re behind masks, and we can’t all group together. But this movie reminds us how important it is to stay connected to your family, especially during the holidays, because ultimately family love is what really gets you through life and you can definitely see that in the movie.

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

The audition process was kind of like a normal audition process. When I found out I booked the movie, not only was I super excited to get to work with this awesome cast and recreate the role of Luan since she’s just so iconic, but also to be able to share this with my sister. It’s kind of hard to explain, but being able to share something so beloved to me, which is acting, but do that with my sister, it was kind of crazy. It was so cool to be able to think of how that was going to play out on set.

Morgan McGill

1. What drew you to this project?

I’ve been a huge fan of the show ever since I was ten. I used to come home and watch it every day, so my mom said, ‘Oh, you should audition. Tape it.’ I was like, I have to book this; no is not an option. So I worked really hard on getting the role, and now here I am.

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

It fascinates me on how they cast all these amazing people and how they fit so perfectly into their roles. It was such a fun time filming it together, and it was literally one of the best six weeks of my life.

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

It’s such a family-friendly movie and I think kids and parents will definitely enjoy it. Everyone can. It connects with people and helps them realize that it’s important to savor that moment with your family and friends. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

I had just come back from tennis, and I remember because my mom was videoing me. She’s like ‘Morgan, guess what? You booked Lynn!’  And I remember I had all these racing thoughts going through my head, and we went to Baskin Robbins afterward to celebrate. It was the best day of my life.

Aubin Bradley

1. What drew you to this project?

I also watched The Loud House when I was younger; I would see it on the airplane when I came home from a vacation or on the Nickelodeon channel. I always thought Lucy was the coolest on the show, so to see myself as Lucy was so exciting. Especially when I learned that it would be a live-action movie, I knew it’d be a step up from before. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

Catherine and I come from a big family, so we can totally relate to the craziness of having one. There’s six of us and there’s always something happening, whether it’s tests from school, doctor’s appointments, work appointments. We all do different activities like dancing, sports, acting; each day is a new adventure. Going into this role, I was like, ‘I’m ready to show this experience.’ 

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

They’ll definitely love the adventure in this movie. Lincoln wants his family to be together on Christmas to continue the Loud House traditions, but everybody wants to do this or that and not everyone can do it together. It makes Lincoln a little upset because he just wants everything to be the way it is. I think that thrilling adventure Lincoln loves and the scenes for it were crazy. But overall it was all done purely out of the love Lincoln has for his family and to have them all together again, and I think that was really special. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

When I get auditions, they come through email offers, so I just tape it and send it. I recorded it as usual, sent in the tape and then came to producer sessions, which was crazy. The wi-fi went down, it was glitching. Then some time passed and my mom said, ‘Your agents called, you booked Lucy.’ I was about to drop dead on the floor. 

Ella and Mia Allen

1. What drew you to this project?

When we got [to] the audition and read the script, we realized that it related to our family. Even though we don’t have as many brothers and sisters, we have one little brother named Justin and we’re two sisters. Certain people can really relate to it and we love it with all our hearts. We also fell in love with the script. It was so heartfelt and the family has such a strong connection without even knowing who was going to be cast. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

The Loud House is so special because of how the family bonded, especially how Lincoln always wants them to be. It’s really special because it shows other people that being with your family is the most important thing over everything else, and I feel like our movie does its best to show that. Every person that is watching can relate to a certain Loud, so they will feel connected to it. Another thing that makes it special is how Lincoln always tries to find a way for his family to be happy and to be together, and that it’s important to make time for the people you love in your life. 

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

I feel like each actor plays their character amazingly. The casting was phenomenal, and I’m so thankful that altogether it will make itself an amazing Christmas movie and we’re so excited for it to come out that way. It’s going to tell kids and families to gather around and it’s something that fans are going to cherish and want to keep watching. 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

My sister and I were doing a blindfolded makeup challenge, and it was horrible. So I (Ella) was the one doing the makeup blindfolded on Mia and my parents were like ‘Ella, Mia, come over here!’ We were so confused. We walked out to the living room and our dad was crying. I (Mia) was like, ‘What’s wrong with your face?’ Our mom says ‘Just got a call that unfortunately you’re gonna have to pack your bags and go to Atlanta.’ We couldn’t believe it and we started crying. 

Lexi Janicek

1. What drew you to this project?

I watched this show back in 2016 when it started to come out, and I thought it was a great show. When I got the audition, I was like, ‘Lisa was one of my favorite characters when I watched it.’ I actually started watching it again, and I was like, these new episodes are amazing. I really wanted to do justice for my younger self, so I was super excited for the audition. I also thought it would be cool to be in a family of mostly sisters because I live in a family with all brothers. 

2. What do you think makes The Loud House special?

At the end of every episode, the family comes together, even if they had a very chaotic time because they love each other. I don’t think there’s many families that are going to be closer than the Loud family. 

3. What do you think fans will love most about this movie?

Viewers will love how close the family is and they’ll love to see their favorite characters come to life. I feel that it’ll just enhance the relationship that fans have with the show by seeing them in real life, like ‘Wow, this is what they would look like before they start to grow up.’ 

4. Where were you when you got the call for this role, and what went through your mind?

I got the call from my manager and she was like ‘Hey, can I speak to Lisa,’ and I was like ‘I think you have the wrong person.’ I looked at my mom, and I really thought she made the wrong call, until my manager said ‘I want to speak to Lisa Loud,’ and my mouth dropped in my mind. I was so excited because I wanted to do one of these roles forever; I was screaming and jumping all over the place.