Mama’s Geeky chats with Ava Ro about her starring role in Lila Goes Viral, stepping into her producer era, and inspiring real climate action.
Music, storytelling, and internet culture are colliding in real time, and Ava Ro is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting new voices in that shift. Ava is a rising singer, actress, and producer at the center of Lila Goes Viral, a live-action YouTube series from Oscar-winning Lion Forge Entertainment and Emmy Award-winning Sinking Ship Entertainment that fuses scripted storytelling with original music and creator-driven content.
The series follows a teen who posts an original song about climate change, wakes up to overnight internet fame, and has to figure out how to use her platform for real impact. Backed by Magic Star, the kids and family label of Sony Music Entertainment, each episode rolls out with original music videos and vlog-style content.
Outside of the series, Ava’s own EP Overwhelmed dropped this past April, adding to a resume that already includes a JUNO nomination with GEN:ZED and roles on Nickelodeon’s Erin & Aaron, Paw Patrol, and Dino Ranch.
Mama’s Geeky spoke with Ava to talk about her experience bringing Lila to life, stepping into her producer era at just 18 years old, and working alongside a very special family member on set. She opened up about her creative freedom, her upcoming music, and why you don’t have to be a climate expert to make a real difference in the world.
Ava Ro on the Magic of Lila Goes Viral
Mama’s Geeky: What intrigued you most about the character of Lila when you first received the audition?
Ava Ro: Honestly, I think what intrigued me the most is the fact that she, like, writes her own music and is a musician herself, because I’m a singer and songwriter outside of acting too, and I don’t know, I just love roles where I can incorporate music and acting together, and the fact that she plays guitar and is just kind of a normal girl living out her truth, I feel like I can relate to that a lot as well. Even though I’m an actor, a lot of my friends are just normal high school kids, and I like to kind of surround myself with other people like that too. So, yeah.
Mama’s Geeky: Since the show is shot vlog-style, how structured were the scripts versus improvisation?
Ava Ro: So, yeah, we do have, we had a script for every single episode, and a lot of stuff was, a lot of ideas and writing and, of course, like a regular TV show, but I was lucky enough to be able to improv a lot of the stuff that we did, along with my other cast mates. We were in the, they kind of gave us that creative freedom when we were filming the scenes, just because it was vlog style, so we were holding the cameras ourselves. What they wanted was for it to look as natural as possible, so I was able to do my own little things, and a lot of my improv and funny things ended up in the series, so it was super fun.
Mama’s Geeky: What do you hope to remember years from now when you look back on your time working on this series?
Ava Ro: Honestly, I just hope I remember how just unhinged it was. It was definitely the most, like, chaotic isn’t the right word, but it was just the most fun show ever. I felt like I was able to be myself within Lila and just running around, holding the camera, doing all these crazy things. Actually, a fun fact, the girl that plays Sophie, my best friend in the show, she is my first cousin in real life. She’s an actress. Yes, you wouldn’t be able to tell because we don’t look alike, but yeah. So we’re actually cousins, and I’ve known her my whole life, and you can definitely see the chemistry there, the fact that we’ve, like, known each other for a long time, and it’s always been our dream to be in a show together, so I hope I remember that as well.
Mama’s Geeky: How important do you feel it is for this generation to take action regarding the environment?
Ava Ro: I think it’s, it’s so important. Honestly, before this show, I didn’t know much about climate and the environment. Honestly, it’s not like I didn’t care. It’s just, I didn’t see too much out in it. Also, sometimes it’s not what kids want to see. You know what I mean? But honestly, I love the fact that there’s an environmental element and I feel like it’s not your typical TV show about the planet. I know when I see a lot about the environment, it can be really sad and like almost depressing at times, but I feel like Lila Goes Viral just isn’t, it isn’t that, I mean, Lila isn’t a climate expert when you can see in the series. I’m definitely not an expert at all. And we know that our viewers probably aren’t experts either, but like you don’t need to be an expert to make a small difference. And we hope that our show inspires young teens to do their part no matter how big or small it is.
Want to hear more from Ava Ro about her 5,000+ auditions, her favorite original songs from the soundtrack, and details on her upcoming music releases? Watch our full video interview.
