Megan Hilty (Wicked, 9 to 5, Noises Off) is an LA Mama just like us, except with Tony Nomination and two super hot shows hitting TV right now. In real life, she’s just like a normal Mom down the street who carpools your kids. Last week I met up with her along with a list of SoCal Mommy Bloggers who joined us for a special screening of her new Disney Channel show T.O.T.S.

Megan Hilty the Koala and Megan Hilty the Mama

Megan juggles it all while handling family and career. But to look at her that day in the DISNEY CHANNEL building, she seemed to do it all so effortlessly. Being the down-to-earth girlfriend that she is, Megan admits we are just all “tired mamas”. That’s so true sista! I was standing there with about a pound of concealer under my eyes while drinking a Cold Brew and high-fiving a room of gal pals who totally get it. Megan is definitely a part of our tribe.

Wearing a black and white dotted jumpsuit with pink sakura flowers on it (and not one coffee stain anywhere!) she makes motherhood look easy. Actually, she makes it look FABULOUS. She showed up to the screening of her new Disney show with a big smile on her face, looking absolutely radiant with a bubbly approachable energy about her. Megan stars as KC the Koala in T.O.T.S. While taking on the role of this adorable singing Koala she’s simultaneously raising a family of two at home. Her son Ronan, has just turned 2. And Viola Philomena will soon be turning 5.

After the crowd of Mom Bloggers watched two episodes of T.O.T.S in the screening theatre, all of our littlest ones were running around in a Baby Shower themed party room designed by Disney Channel PR. The Disney chefs created a luxurious tablescape for Brunch filled with finger sandwiches, cheeses and macaroons. Megan, along with all the Moms, got a plate of food and mingled. The kids ran over to the display of T.O.T.S. playsets brought in by two women from Just Pay Toys.

T.O.T.S. – Megan Hilty, who voices K.C. the koala in Disney Junior’s newest animated series “T.O.T.S.,” Travis Braun, “T.O.T.S.” creator and co-executive producer, and Joe D’Ambrosia, SVP, Original Programming and General Manager, Disney Junior, celebrated the upcoming June 14 series debut at a blogger event in Burbank, Calif., on Friday June 7. (Disney Junior/Todd Wawrychuk)
MEGAN HILTY, TRAVIS BRAUN (CREATOR AND CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

Megan Hilty is a Rock Star Mom

I mentioned to Megan that I didn’t see her little ones at the party. She explained that her kids are coming to a later screening in the afternoon and that’ll be their first time experiencing a full episode of the show. She said they’re really excited about it, as is she! But I wondered if she thought her kids would be able to understand that KC The Koala, is actually Mommy? We had a laugh at how funny it is to work in the entertainment industry while raising little kids at home who get to do some really fun stuff because of our jobs, but we’re not entirely sure that they really “get it”- get what we do for a living. 

Just then a 3 year old little girl who’s the daughter of a Mommy Blogger at the party was told she could meet Megan Hilty “the voice of KC the Koala”! She looked at us like we were crazy. She didn’t seem to compute what we meant by “the voice of”. She just stared at the real-life pretty blonde lady standing in front of her. How could she be the  cartoon koala that she’d  just been watching in the big screening room? Her face was so cute! She ran off to play with the little figurines Just Play Toys had displayed for all the little ones. That was the KC Koala the 3 year old girl was most interested in.

Thanks to Megan and Disney for a wonderful morning and a great show the whole family can enjoy!

Watch Disney’s T.O.T.S. on Disney Junior and the Disney Now App staring Megan Hilty. 

Photo Credit: Disney Junior/Todd Wawrychuk

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I had the chance to chat with movie creator Zara Hayes about POMS and her inspiration. Zara said she was drinking coffee on a Sunday morning on the sofa in London and saw pictures in the Observer Magazine of older women who started a cheerleading club. She searched the internet and found a few more images. It stopped her in her tracks. It was one of those moments where you know you’ve stumbled upon something personal yet universal. 

Q: I love that scene when Sheryl and Martha are at the hospital and she says “you’re dying today, you were dying yesterday, you’re going to be dying tomorrow. Life is short. In the meantime you should be dancing your ass off.” Was there a particular person in your life that inspired Martha or Sheryl’s characters? I know the women in the newspaper were your inspiration but are there any storylines in the movie that were real life?

A: Much of Martha’s storyline (played by Diane Keaton) was inspired by Zara’s own mother who quit school at age 17 to help raise her siblings (she was one of seven) when her mother passed away. Sheryl’s character has a bit of Zara’s husband’s grandmother in her. She lived to 106 in a retirement home in Florida and was a bit outrageous and flamboyant.

Q: How was this experience different for you, writing a scripted fictional story rather than a script for a documentary? Your co-writer on the movie is Shane Atkinson. How did you meet? How was it working with a co-writer?

A: I had never written a screen play before and to make this fly I needed someone who could write with the language of screen writing. Plus I needed someone who went to American High School because I didn’t. We collaborated a lot on the script – to maintain the authenticity of the women’s personalities. At times they did improv with things on set like when Sheryl said “My only talent is Poker and Poking.” I pulled from my documentarian experience during the scene where they are shout something they like about themselves in the mirror. Their answers are all improvised.  They all said real things about themselves.

Q: How was it working with Diane Keaton. Pam Grier, Jacki Weaver and Rhea Perlman? What an amazing cast!

A: They are all naturally funny. The cast really contributed to the dialogue as well. They were given permission to put things in their own voice.

Q:Your previous work conveys clear messages of social impact – specifically the feminist movement with The Battle of the Sexes and Clothes to Die For. How do you feel POMS contributes to this ongoing message?

A: There’s a physicality to the women on screen in my films. For example in the Battle of the Sexes – no one wanted to see women sweating on camera. The way we view older women hasn’t progressed much. Once you reach a certain age as a woman your value has gone down. Seeing older women being physical and using their bodies is something we haven’t seen before. This was why I wanted to make this film.

Q: How does it feel to be in the same genre / circle of female writers of Book Club (Erin Simms) and Something’s Gotta Give / Its Complicated (Nancy Myers)? 

A: We’re crying out for any depictions of older women. These movies that are anomalies and do well in the box office show that there are women over 55 going to the movies who want to see movies about themselves. What’s unique about this movie is the focus on the friendships that are built between the women. The women in POMS find fulfillment through their friendship. The main story isn’t about the romance – the man sweeping in and making life better for women – its about Sheryl changing Martha’s life and friendship changed her. 

Q: What’s next for you?  Do you have some projects in mind or are you looking for materials?

A: I’m becoming a mom! 35 weeks pregnant. I am currently writing a treatment for a new script and receiving materials from people as well. 

ABOUT POMS

Inspired by true events, Poms is a hilarious female-powered film, which follows a group of women in a retirement community that decide to form their own cheerleading squad – proving you’re never too old to have fun. Zara is known for her work in the documentary space, directing feature documentaries including THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES and DIAN FOSSEY: SECRETS IN THE MIST. As Poms is her first narrative film, Zara uses her experience as a documentarian to impressively portray the perfect balance of comedy and authenticity. 

When Zara saw original images from the 1970’s of a senior citizens cheer quad called the “Sun City Poms”, she was inspired to create a story that was funny, sincere, and conveyed the redeeming power of female friendship at any age. The film has an amazing ensemble cast including Diane Keaton, Jackie Weaver and Rhea Perlman.

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