The charming Netflix series about a group of middle-school girls who are bonded for life as friends and business partners has captured the affection and attention of several generations of fans of the original books (the series is based on the beloved novels by Anne M Martin) thanks to its overwhelming sense of heart. While gearing up for Season 2 of the family-friendly show (which dropped on Oct. 11), Rudolph was eager to talk about her character Stacey McGill, who is surrounded in this girl power-themed series by her lifelong friends as they support one another through teen angst, first boyfriends, divorce, blended families and more. Her character is especially topical during American Diabetes Monthin November; an estimated 1.6 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes, and some 200,000 children and teens under the age of 20 are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes each year, a number that continues to rise. Shedding a light on both the challenges and new technologies that surround diabetes has been extremely helpful for young girls as well as their friends and family members watching The Baby-Sitters Club around the U.S. Dr. Michael R. Brennan, a Michigan-based endocrinologist, says that technological advances in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes have improved the quality of life for those living with it. This includes insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors that send data to a cell phone. “No one can see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to specific outcomes, but a patient who has good control will be okay," he says. “I tell my young patients to always be hopeful.” He adds that “with all of the responsibilities that high school students have, adding Type 1 diabetes to the mix can be a bigger hill of beans in someone’s life. So, illustrating how this character (Stacey) handles it, can be very enlightening.” Dr. Brennan, a Type 1 diabetic since he was 13 years old, says that he looks at the positive side of the chronic disease. “As long as you can get access to care, people with diabetes go on to live long lives,” he explains. “I try not to think of it as a limiting or restricting disease.” Dr. Brennan is a member of the advisory board for Insulet Corporation and receives a fee as part of such engagement. Nonetheless, the opinions expressed by Dr. Brennan are his own. In episode three of Season 2, the Baby-Sitters Club prepares to rule the runway as Stacey’s special guests for a gala fashion show, but a series of concerning symptoms related to Stacey’s diabetes challenge the glitz and glamour of the event. Of course, the BFFs are there for Stacey, just as we would expect them to be. Diabetics who have watched the episode have told Rudolph that it is an accurate portrayal of some of the issues that they have encountered. For Rudolph, the opportunity to play Stacey McGill is like being a big sister to her viewers. “Being able to educate people in a few of the episodes is really what this is all about and why this is so important to me,” Rudolph exclusively tells Parade.com. “It’s really vital to have role models in various types of the media.” Keep reading to find out what being a role model means to Rudolph and what she’s learned from The Baby-Sitters Club about the importance of friendship.
Shay, how do you think Stacey’s journey on the series is helping teens with diabetes?
Some people might not naturally have these role models in their real lives as I have with my older sister. So, being able to be that person that somebody looks up to and is inspired by, even though it’s just a character I play, I feel so connected and also so honored to be that person. I think it’s an incredibly important topic to bring awareness to because so many people do have Type 1 diabetes, and they struggle with it a lot because people might bully them for it or make them feel ashamed of it. But I hope that Stacey can just show them that they don’t have to be ashamed of it and they can still be their bright, confident selves regardless of anything that’s going against them in the world.
How seriously do you take the fact that you are a role model for teen girls?
It’s really important to me. I have an older sister, who is two years older than me. I grew up constantly looking up to her and wanting to be exactly like her, and wanting her to approve of everything I did. It’s really important to have a role model while you’re growing up. I think everybody strives to have one. It’s really an honor to know that I am that person to so many younger girls. I take it very, very seriously and I hope that I am doing some justice to every young woman who is a role model.
What has Stacey taught you? And what have you taught her?
Stacey has taught me to be more confident in who I am as a person, and to really just love those specific things that I can’t change about myself. I think that’s one of the many things that Stacey is really good at teaching all of us!
Since The Baby-Sitters Club is all about BFFs, what is your definition of friendship?
To me, the definition of friendship is just somebody that you can love and trust no matter what. Also, somebody that you can lean on in some of your toughest times. Even when you just need to smile a little bit. They’re just people that are always there for you and will always love you and you always love them. I think the really important thing about friendship that I’ve discovered through being friends with these incredible girls is that when you’re really friends with somebody they love you for who you naturally are. I believe that you don’t ever have to try and change any bit of yourself to feel comfortable around them and that is one of the most important things. As soon as you can find friends like that, you’ve succeeded.
What are the show’s fans like when you talk to them on social media or meet them?
Just being able to speak with people that love the show as much as we love being a part of it is so, so special. And to be able to hear all the different cases of this show changing people’s lives and affecting them for the better on an amazing scale. Especially with Stacey’s character, I’ve heard so many comments of people who have Type 1 diabetes, and Stacey has helped them in more ways than I can describe. And that is so incredible to me and I’m really grateful for it.
When you and the other actresses aren’t working on the set, what are you doing?
We are doing a lot.Playing Minecraft with each other. Watching Netflix. Doing schoolwork since we are still in high school—but [also] having fun just as regular teen girls. We’re always getting snacks at craft services. They have the best stuff. Or we’re like, I don’t know, we’re just always hanging out and just talking, just being real friends really. We hang out in the greenroom a lot, which is kind of like a break room. We eat our snacks there. When we have a five-minute break, not enough time to go back and do other things, we’ll just sit in our chairs, spend time talking and laughing a lot, and taking videos of each other.
What was it like coming back for the second season?
Being on set with people you really love and trust makes it all so much more fun. And you’re able to really relax when you’re filming a specific scene, especially when it’s an emotional scene or something that might not come as naturally as just being the character and just hanging out in a room full of girls. So, it’s really nice to be able to have those bonds and those supportive girls on screen and off for tougher times.
I have to ask, do you babysit in real life?
Yes, I do. I babysat somebody just last week. We played with LEGOs pretty much the whole time. I used to babysit just my younger cousins. But now I’ve upgraded to actually babysitting just on my own with a kid and I think it’s very fun. And then for being an entrepreneur, I think that would be incredible. I really admire anybody who creates things in the world on any kind of scale. Seasons 1 and 2 of The Baby-Sitters Club are available to stream now on Netflix. Next, Girl Power Returns! Everything You Want to Know About Season 2 of The Baby-Sitters Club, Including New Characters and Trailer!
