Katherine Kupferer, who plays Gretchen Potter in the film adaption of the Judy Blume book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, has brought to life one of the most cherished characters from the pages of this iconic coming-of-age story. Her portrayal captures the emotional depth, challenges, dreams and insecurities of a young girl on the cusp of adolescence.
Having discovered her passion for acting at a young age, Katherine Kupferer dedicated herself to honing her craft through years of training and hard work.
You play Gretchen in the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. How did you feel when you found out you got the role in this movie?
When I first got the role of Gretchen, it was actually on the Zoom call where I was having a directors meeting. Basically I finished my scene and the producer, James L. Brooks, said to my director Kelly Fremon, “Hey, I just sent you a text” and she looked at it and laughed and then said “We’d like to welcome you to the team.” My mom was the first one that heard because she was standing behind the computer, she was completely shocked and stunned to speak. because her and I really didn’t think that I would book it, so it was a massive surprise.
Tell us about your audition for the film.
I auditioned in person the very first time and actually I read for Margaret, but then we decided that I’d be better for Gretchen which is who I ended up getting. But then the production got put on paused because of the pandemic. A couple of months in, we got an email saying that casting wanted to see a self tape from me. From there, I did multiple director sessions and then got the role. For auditions, I wore the same thing every time which was a striped red shirt and overalls. The glasses that you see in the film are real because I am as blind as a bat and they are incredibly similar to the ones that I have myself.
You were born to theatrical parents so some might say acting is in your DNA. What are your thoughts about children being brought up in the entertainment world starting from a young age?
Yeah, so I was pretty much born into the theater community in Chicago and grew up with both my parents in the industry which, sometimes was hard, but mostly it’s really awesome. I think that when a young actor gets big it can either end very good or bad and we have seen this in the past multiple times. But for me personally being brought up in this community has made me (I think) much more mature and definitely gave me a boost in my career. I think that it also educated me on world problems in a way that school or just living couldn’t because not only do I see my own experiences but issues from other perspectives… and I think that’s very important for anyone.
Did you face any challenges while working on the set of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret? How did you overcome them?
During Margaret I think the only challenge that I faced was making sure that I maintained a certain energy level throughout all of filming and that it looked real every time. Because especially when you’re younger doing the same scene over and over again can get pretty boring and tiring — even more so in the heat. But through coaching I was able to learn tactics and exercises to keep my concentration and energy high.
How did you balance your schoolwork and acting commitments during the filming of the movie?
Filming was during the school year, but since it was in Covid, I was all online already. Basically each kid had to get three hours of school a day and sometimes more depending on what you were doing that day. So my teachers at school would send me the assignments and then I had a tutor who would work on them with me and make sure that I was getting my hours everyday.
How did your family and friends react to your success in the movie? Did it change any dynamics in your personal life?
My family and my friends were so happy for me and there was no real jealousy, just loads of support. I had a group of people that came with me to see it the day the movie came out and many more friends still wanted to see it with me. I think that the weirdest thing about it was how at the movie theaters people would come up to me and ask for a photo, I just couldn’t get over how someone who I had never talked to knew exactly who I was.
Please share a valuable lesson or skill you learned from working with the experienced cast and crew members.
The whole crew on the movie was so top of their game it was more like a master class when we were filming. Through this I was able to see what great work ethic looks like and it also provided me with a very clear picture of what filming a magic movie would look like. I also think that Kelly, our director, was good with us kids and really gave us a space where we could bring our own ideas to the screen and insert our own personalities into the characters.
How do you plan to use this experience as a stepping stone for your future acting career? Are there any specific roles or genres you would like to explore next?
This is a huge stepping stone for my career not only because of how big a movie it is right now, but it’s a story that is going to be around and relevant forever, while also connecting to different generations. So being a part of this will hopefully keep my name in the industry for a while. I hope that I can get into some other TV or movies but I really want to get some roles that are a little darker where I can play a troubled girl – LOL.
You love horseback riding. Tell us how you got into riding and tell us all about your horse.
I ride at my family farm in upstate NY and have been riding since I was a little girl. I have my own horse and her name is Piper. Together we compete in three day events that include different disciplines. I compete against older people in a division called novice and I am also in the United States Pony Club.
Anything else you’d like to say?
I want to give a huge thanks to the crew and amazing cast of Margaret and to my parents who are my biggest supporters, and dropped their lives to help me with the movie and auditions. Also go and watch Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret in theaters right now!
