From child star to acclaimed actress and songwriter, Schuyler Fisk reflects on her journey.
Schuyler Fisk has lived many creative lives—child star, indie film favorite, and acclaimed singer-songwriter. Audiences first fell in love with her as Kristy Thomas in The Baby-Sitters Club, and years later she made them laugh in Nickelodeon’s Snow Day and Orange County. Now, she’s winning over a new generation with her role in Hallmark’s The Chicken Sisters while continuing to release heartfelt music.
Reflecting on The Baby-Sitters Club’s 30th anniversary, Fisk said she is still surprised at the recognition. “I am recognized more for that than literally anything,” she admitted. “I was just in Nashville and got recognized two times in one weekend for it. I think people expect me to hear ‘Orange County’ or something else, but instead it’s, ‘You were Kristy!’ It’s wild, but it’s cool, because it was such a special time in people’s lives. And now they’re showing it to their kids.”
Finding Amanda in The Chicken Sisters
Fisk’s latest role comes in The Chicken Sisters, adapted from the New York Times bestseller by K.J. Dell’Antonia. She plays Amanda, a complicated but relatable character.
“I wasn’t familiar with the book before I became aware of the script,” Fisk recalled. “I read it and immediately identified with Amanda. It’s such a nice thing when you’re really right for something because there are so many auditions where I know I’m not right. With this, I was like, ‘I’m her.’”
She said Amanda’s struggles felt familiar. “She just wants to be a good person. She’s spent most of her life thinking about everyone else and putting herself on the back burner. I identify with some of that. She’s not perfect, she makes mistakes, and that’s what I like about her.”
Working with a cast of powerhouse women made the experience even more rewarding. “We really are very, very close—like family,” Fisk said of her co-stars Genevieve, Leah, and Wendy. “We text all the time, we have a group chain, but also all individually. There’s genuine love there, and that gives you trust on set.”
The show films in Fort Langley outside Vancouver, which Fisk described as “a little picture book small town—just beautiful tree-lined streets.” While the fictional setting leans Southern, Fisk said the appeal is universal. “It really has something for everyone. It has those comforting things you expect from a Hallmark-type show, but it’s more than that. It deals with real issues people can connect to. It’s challenging at times, but also the perfect thing to watch after a hard day.”
Revisiting Orange County
Fisk remains fond of her 2002 breakout film, Orange County. She said its reputation as a “hidden gem” stems from the creative team. “Mike White wrote it, Jake Kasdan directed, and the cast was just incredible—Harold Ramis, Lily Tomlin, Colin Hanks, John Lithgow. And Jack Black was just hitting the scene.”
She laughed, recalling the challenges of filming. “The hardest scene for me was in the car with Jack and Colin. Jack was improvising every take. I was supposed to be asleep in the backseat, and I was literally biting my lip and pinching my hand not to laugh. Every time it was different.” She also revealed that a mishap ended up in the final cut. “There was a dog that bit my nose, and they kept it in. That set was full of those kinds of moments.”
Snow Day Memories
This year also marked the 25th anniversary of Nickelodeon’s Snow Day, another Fisk fan favorite. “We were shooting in Canada in the winter, and it was the first year they didn’t get any snow. So they had to truck it in from the mountains and spray fake snow everywhere,” she said. “Chevy Chase was constantly pelting us with snowballs. He’s such a jokester, you never knew when it was coming.”
She also recalled wardrobe challenges. “I had these boots with no traction, and I was slipping all the time. It was dangerous, but the crew thought it was hilarious, so they just kept it in. If you watch closely, you can see me constantly sliding around.”
A Parallel Career in Music
Alongside acting, Schuyler Fisk has built a career as a singer-songwriter. Her 2009 debut, The Good Stuff, topped iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter Chart, and she has since released multiple albums and singles, including collaborations with Joshua Radin and her indie duo FM Radio.
Her 2022 album We Could Be Alright showcased her continued evolution, and last year she released the single “Bout It” with Virginia band Klaus. “That song was inspired by listening to old-school country while filming The Chicken Sisters,” she explained. “I’ve always wanted to write music you can two-step to. I usually lean into slower ballads, so this was new and fun. We recorded it in Austin at Arlen Studios, which has this amazing history. It just felt right.”
Asked about her proudest moment in music, Fisk shared a memory tied to family legacy. “Loretta Lynn was my first concert ever when I was six months old, because my mom and Loretta were friends from Coal Miner’s Daughter. Years later, she asked me to open a benefit show. I had an indie country band at the time, and then she called me up on stage to sing with her. That was such a full-circle moment.”
Balancing Acting and Music
For Fisk, music and acting fuel one another. “Art really begets art,” she said. “When I was working on The Chicken Sisters, that creative switch flipped on, and suddenly I had so many songs I wanted to write. Music is a nice thing I can do anywhere when I’m not on set.”
Looking ahead, Fisk embraces both excitement and uncertainty. “It’s the scariest and most exciting thing, not knowing what’s around the corner. I’m hoping for another season of The Chicken Sisters, and I have new music coming down the pipeline. But mostly, I’m excited for whatever creative collaborations are to come.”
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
