This Is Why Victoria Justice Isn’t Joining The Zoey 101 Reboot
While Victoria Justice is gearing up to take on more mature roles (like her role as the pregnant Annie in The Tutor) and release new music, Kristen Maldonado of Pop Culture Planet connected with her about the roles that make her a star and why now wasn’t the right time for her to return to Zoey 101.
Justice had her break out in Zoey 101 as Lola Martinez and then got her own Nickelodeon show as Tori Vega in Victorious. As a half-Puerto Rican actress, she’s proud to represent for the young people who watched her growing up. “I've always said, being Puerto Rican, I feel like is my better half, you know? I love being Puerto Rican. I love the culture. I love the food. I love it,” she shared. “To be able to play those sort of characters and to have kids who can look at me and be like, ‘Oh, I relate to this person or I kind of look like this person,’ or you know whatever it may be, just to have that representation I think is so important. If I can do that in any small way, then that's wonderful. That makes me very proud and very happy.”
It was recently announced that Zoey 101 would return in a reboot movie for Paramount+ called Zoey 102, but that Justice wouldn’t be joining the production. “I had a lot going on at the moment, to be honest, and timing-wise it was just hard to make it all work. It was not because of a lack of love for the cast and for that show,” she revealed. “I am so grateful to that whole time in my life and for being on that show. Zoey 101 is what put me on the map in that whole world and I had the best time making it. I love that cast so much, each of them. They all hold a very special place in my heart.”
Justice confirmed she’s “rooting” for the cast. “I really wish I could have been there, to be honest. I'm sad that I missed out on it because I really do love each of them, but I'm sure the film looks amazing,” she said. “I was in contact with all of them and talking to Jamie [Lynn Spears] a lot and so I know the movie's gonna be awesome. I'm rooting for them so hard. I can't wait to see it.”
Her new film The Tutor is playing in select theaters — and learn more about the Zoey 102 reboot, below:
