There’s a lot to love about John Green’s latest tearjerker, Turtles to the bottom—which began airing on Max last week—but the standout for me was Cree Cicchino, aka the actor who plays Daisy, the protagonist’s supportive best friend.
Based on Green’s 2017 novel of the same name and directed by Hannah Marks, Turtles to the bottom It stars Isabela Merced as a 16-year-old girl named Aza, who struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Aza’s outgoing best friend, Daisy, knows all about Aza’s “thought spirals.” Not only is Daisy understanding, but she goes out of her way to pressure Aza into enjoying normal teenage things, like dating and boys. The “supportive best friend” character can sometimes be a one-dimensional and thankless role. She is a character designed to enrich the protagonist’s world, and not the other way around. But thanks to a standout performance by Cicchino (or simply “Cree,” as she is credited in the film), Daisy becomes the most dynamic character in the film.
Like Daisy, Cree is confident, direct and fun. She sports pink streaks in her hair and Billie Eilish-inspired emo outfits. She loves Star Wars and will talk to anyone who will listen about his popular fanfiction. (In my day, no one would dream of admitting the deeply unpleasant sin of writing fanfiction. These kids don’t know how good they have it!) She works minimum wage in a “Kids Zone” and spends her lunch breaks in Applebees with Aza, lamenting the indignity she is forced to endure.
“I currently wash pool balls for $8.40 an hour. Do you know what I’m taking off my balls? You? It’s pee. It’s pee, Aza. Pee.”
It was Cree’s impeccable delivery of that line that made me pause the movie, just so I could find out who exactly this hilarious girl was.
In fact, Cree, who is 21 and originally from Queens, New York, has been acting since she was 13, when she was cast as Babe on the Nickelodeon comedy created by Dan Schneider. game shakerswhich ran between 2015 and 2019. From there, Cree starred in the Netflix comedy. Mr. Iglesiasgot a recurring role in Sex and the city cleave And just like that…and appeared in the David E. Kelley series. Big sky.
But Turtles to the bottom It feels like an escape for Cree in the same way. bird lady It was for Beanie Feldstein. Whenever he appears on the screen, he catches your attention. Credit also goes to Merced for her stellar performance as Aza. The easy, fun chemistry between the two lead actresses serves as the heart of the film and elevates familiar coming-of-age tropes. The face Cree makes when her on-screen best friend brings Harry Potter in a conversation about Star Wars? Priceless. That level of pure outrage is an art form.
Hopefully, this is just the beginning of a long career for Cree. Hollywood, give this girl a comedy to direct. she deserves hers Smart reservation.
