Known best for playing Cheechee in Teen Beach Movie and her role as Flo Fuentes in Pitch Perfect 2 and Pitch Perfect 3, Chrissie Fit is a remarkable actress with a knack for humor and an unparalleled talent for singing. With the Blu-ray and DVD release of Pitch Perfect 3 today, Fit has has her eyes set on some new projects—including acting gigs and philanthropic work. The Cuban-American star recently spoke with Her Campus about bidding farewell to Pitch Perfect, the cast’s and her reaction to that insane Bachelor finale this season, what she misses about college, her admirable partnership with Days for Girls, and her message to young college women looking to pursue a future in Hollywood.
Her Campus: With the upcoming digital/DVD of Pitch Perfect 3 on March 20, how do you feel about the Bellas era coming to an official close?
Chrissie Fit: It’s super sad; I’m not going to lie. We’ve known each other for so many years now, and we’ve become such great friends off-screen that it’s sad that we’re not going to get together again and learn acapella music and new routines. It’s also sad because it’s like a celebration of having those opportunities of working together in three different movies and having the people respond to it so positively, knowing that it’s created a whole community and support system within the fans themselves feels awesome.
HC: What’s your funniest memory of your time on the Pitch Perfect 3 set?
CF: We had a lot because I think that when we started rehearsing, we decided to make memories both on screen and off together. We went roller skating with Usher one day, which was very random. On Sunday nights, Brittany Snow would be like, “Hey, what are you guys doing? Does anyone want to get dinner?” We all stayed in the same apartment building, so we felt like we were in college again and we were in dorms. We would shoot a text to the group and Ester Dean said, “Hey I’m going to Usher’s birthday party, does anyone want to come?” And we were all like “Yes!” It was such a fun night, and we were cracking up the whole time. Everyone was helping Anna Kendrick skate because we were scared she was going to fall and then the movie would be over. We were still filming, so we were so nervous.
We had so many fun times. On set one day, we were so delirious because we were doing a scene in one room for like 10 hours straight. It was when we were going to a hotel and having a pow-wow in the room. There was always candy, and I don’t know if we were on a sugar high, but we started switching hair extensions. I had both red and blond in my hair. Anna had my dark black hair. We were psychos [Laughs], but we were laughing like kids.
HC: Who did you grow closest to? Do you all still keep in contact now?
CF: We all got pretty close. I got closest to Brittany Snow and Kelley Jakle. We live like a few miles from one another. I live like three miles from Rebel, and Anna lives pretty close, too. We still have Bachelor Mondays, where we get together and watch The Bachelor. This season was pretty nuts! I mean it was so boring until the end and then we were like, “Oh my gosh! What the heck is happening?” But we try to get together as much as possible, like this weekend was Brittany Snow’s birthday. We went out of town and to the mountains. We hung out, and it’s really nice because I think that’s the best thing that’s come out of this movie—the friendships we’ve made.
HC: So what did you think about The Bachelor finale?
CF: Oh, it was just awkward and wrong! How do you do that to this woman on camera? It was kind of shocking. Anna Camp was just like, “They should’ve edited that. We didn’t need to see that. We didn’t need to see them break up on camera.” It was messed up, but ultimately, I think the couple that was supposed to be together ended up together. Lauren and Arie, best of luck! I’m sure the Bellas are going to get back together and watch that go down as well. But I think it’s more about getting together with your girlfriends than the show itself.
HC: What’s the best thing you’ve taken away from playing Flo Fuentes?
CF: I think she’s a very strong character, and I think I became a stronger person by playing her. Ninety-eight percent of the feedback was very positive. Though, there were some negative comments about Flo, as well. In the second movie, we talked about the character and extended her to the third movie, making sure she represented the Latino community that I know, which is hardworking and smart and wonderful. You see Flo in the third movie and she has her sh*t together more than the other girls after college. We were really happy we were able to portray that. But you get closer to these characters, so any time a person criticizes them, you kind of feel like it’s an attack on you and it’s not. At the same time, she became a part of me for three years. I’m going to miss her strength more than anything.
HC: Is there anything you would’ve changed about this character?
CF: No, I wouldn’t. I think that she was dark and sarcastic and made fun of their white girl problems in the second movie. In the third, she was more like an organic part of the group. I think that was a growth in the right direction. I’m very proud of her in the end. I think she’s hilarious and one of the most fun characters I’ve played. I also want to say that we Latinas come in all different shapes, colors, sizes, attitudes. We’re not just all loud and flashy. Some of us are sarcastic and dark-humored. I love seeing different types of Latinas on screen.
HC: You went to Florida International University and were a member of Alpha Xi Delta. Is there anything you miss about being in college and/or a sorority?
CF: I think this is why this experience was so amazing because I got to be back in college for a certain time, and in a type of sorority. I miss learning something new every day. I feel like I forgot the extent of being in school and the communities that I had. I was in theatre and I studied theatre performance. Having that home base on campus was good because I went to a commuter school so I didn’t live in dorms, but some of my friends did. That was a different energy. I feel like every center was a different kind of energy. It just felt cool to be in all of these different places and have friends, and learning who you are. It’s an amazing time. You can’t take it for granted.
HC: What advice would you give college women looking to start a career in the entertainment industry?
CF: I would to say to study your craft and make sure if you want to be an actor—do that. But also, expand and learn the technical stuff, too. I think it’s very important now to be multifaceted and to be able to create your own content, to be a writer, a director. Being on the other side of the camera, you’re able to make a little bit more of the change or effect. We need more women on the side as well. I would say as much as you love one area, also try to know all the others. If you want to be a director, you have to take some acting, so you know how to communicate with actors. Don’t just zero focus in. Make sure you’re very knowledgeable in a lot of different things. If you have the opportunity to study abroad or somewhere else, try as hard as you can to do that. It can expand your mind so much. You’ll feel more connected to people and the world.
HC: You recently teamed up with Days for Girls—why was this so important to you?
CF: I think that there are a lot of problems in the world that seem so big, and we always think, how are we going to change that, or how are we going to fix that. We do. We try our best and we do whatever we can. I saw what this woman and this group were doing for girls all around the world about something that happens to us every month. Girls in different parts of the world don’t understand or don’t have access to menstrual hygiene and education. It’s something so basic that happens to us, and we go to the grocery store and get pads or tampons. They don’t have that luxury.
Partnering with Days for Girls seemed like something that’s really doable. It’s something that we can do to help keep in girls in school because a lot of the times, these girls will get their period and they won’t be able to go to school for the five days. I saw that it was something that was tangible, that we can do as women and make these Days for Girls kits. The minute I saw their reaction and how happy and grateful they are to have this solution, and have something that they can reuse and also helps the environment, it just knocked off a lot of things on my list. It also helps the women in those areas make these kits and it becomes a source of income for them. It’s just a lot of different ways that you’re helping by doing one small thing.
HC: Do you have any upcoming projects you’re excited about?
CF: I just did this pilot for Pop called The Demons of Dorian Gunn, and it’s really hilarious. It’s definitely a character that I’ve never played before. I’m pretty much a terrible, awful human being, and it was fun to do because I’m not that person in real life at all. That was really fun, and it was in New York. It’s a fun comedy, it’s fresh, and it’s different. Once I read the script, I was like, “I’m so into this.” Krysten Ritter, who plays Jessica Jones on Netfix and has done so many amazing things in the past, is one of the producers. It’s so funny and hopefully you guys will get to see that in the fall. I’m still also developing things on the other side. I’m doing something really fun and cool at the moment that I can’t talk about, but it will bring something fun to the big screen in an interesting way. Hopefully that will happen this year some time.