SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for ‘Jem and the Holograms’ so if you haven’t seen the movie, you may wish to read this later!

The original cartoon Misfits, (l-r) Stormer, Pizzazz and Roxy.

We reported two months ago that pop star Kesha was playing Pizzazz in ‘Jem and the Holograms’ but besides the pop star’s Wikipedia page, this information hasn’t been reported elsewhere… until now.  The movie premiered in theaters on Friday and fans who stayed until the end were treated to a mischievous surprise cameo by live action versions of The Misfits, the bad girl band that rivaled Jem and the Holograms on the classic 80s cartoon.

And sure enough, Kesha stood front and center as the green haired leader of the group.  She was joined by Eiza Gonzalez (‘From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series’) as Jetta, Hana Mae Lee (‘Pitch Perfect’) as Roxy, and Katie Findlay (‘How To Get Away With Murder’) as Stormer.

It turns out that Kesha, who recently had one of the hottest records of the summer, hitting number one with the single ‘Timber’ with Pitbull, was a huge fan of the original ‘Jem’ cartoon and lobbied to get a part in the movie.  Little did she know she’d wind up playing the biggest scene-stealer from the show, Phyllis ‘Pizzazz’ Gabor.  She says, “When I heard they were making it into a movie I told my manager, ‘Get me in there’.”

When asked about her love of the cartoon, she said:

“‘Jem and the Holograms’ is, in my opinion, one of the most badass cartoons ever made because it’s all about girl power and feuding pop stars. I always idolized Jem and the hair and the makeup and thought it was so cool growing up. People would comment about how my makeup looked like Jem and the Holograms, or [asked if I’d] ever seen ‘Jem and the Holograms’ because it seems like my hair was inspired by it…

“And when I got the role I was like “Oh, this is perfect.” I couldn’t have picked a better first movie role for me. My dream role was Pizzazz. Jem is great but she’s the nice one. I like being the one with a little bit more of an edge, a little bit more evil and fun. I wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted people to see it and be like ‘Wait, is that Kesha?’”

Of course, one possible sore spot for longtime fans are the modern updates made to make the movie more current, while the cartoon was a product of its time, back when MTV was known for only showing music videos.  But this is a different age and Kesha discussed making the movie more modern.

“The cartoon was so of the moment when it came out, and I think the film is very of the moment too, because it addresses what it’s like being a part of the music industry now. It’s really different than it was in the ’80s, so it addresses social media, and how it really does all play out, and how the record industry, you can’t trust everybody. There are shady parts, and you really have to keep your fold close and good people around you.

“It really touched on a lot of things that I thought were pretty accurate to the way that the music industry actually works. It’s not exactly like the cartoon, but I don’t think it should have been exactly like it, because then there’s no element of surprise. I was at a screening of it a couple days ago and had no idea what to expect. I was super surprised that they made it as current as they did, but I thought it was really cool because it makes a cartoon that’s however many years old super relevant today.”

Reviews for ‘Jem and the Holograms’ are mixed, so it’s unclear at this point if fans will get a chance to see more of the live action Misfits ‘Makin’ Mischief’ in the future, but Kesha certainly hopes there will be one.

“I really hope there is [a sequel], because first of all, that neon green hair is by far my favorite hair color I’ve ever had, but also, I so much enjoyed being on the set of the movie. It was so different, and I was so nervous and out of my element — I just loved it. It’s super infectious. I’m used to doing my songs and my music, so to channel that into an acting role was super exciting for me. I’d love the opportunity to do a sequel, and I would love to have badass girl fights with Jem.”

It sounds like if there is a sequel, it may be more in line with the source material.  It was the absence of The Misfits in the trailers that upset most fans of the original show the most.

Would you like to see a second ‘Jem and the Holograms’ movie that is more like the cartoon?  Would The Misfits make the difference?

‘Jem and the Holograms’ is playing NOW in theaters!

Source: Entertainment Weekly