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How Triple-Threat Sabrina Carpenter Built Her Confidence For Netflix's Work It

By Allison Crist Aug 13, 2020 5:36 PMTags
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Watch: Sabrina Carpenter Talks "Work It" & Dancing Again

Sabrina Carpenter is a true triple threat.

The actress-singer-dancer not only stars in the new Netflix film Work It—a coming-of-age story that culminates with a high-stakes dance competition—but she also served as an executive producer and recently released an accompanying song tied to the release. 

"I'm so excited," Carpenter told E!'s Scott Tweedie on Wednesday, Aug. 12's HappE! Hour. "I filmed this like a year ago—last summer in Toronto—and never expected that we'd be releasing it during a time where people need it now more than ever. It's been really fun to see the reaction like more than anything, just get to reunite with my cast every day and get to relive that experience."

The cast is full of fan-favorites, including Liza Koshy, Jordan Fisher and Keiynan Lonsdale. According to Carpenter, there was "so much love" among everybody. 

"It takes a lot of focus and confidence to make a dance movie," she explained. "Being comfortable with your body is such an interesting thing to do in front of people that are working on set. I think that trust, and support, was just constantly there. I know I felt that from my castmates."

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Carpenter was particularly lucky to play opposite Fisher, her sort-of love interest in Work It, since the two have known each other for a while. 

"I feel like when you are in character and when you're on set, something just snaps into place," the 21-year-old said. "Obviously, us knowing each other for a long time creates a familiarity which is really, really, I think, important when you have to feel comfortable in the physicality of doing scenes with a love interest."

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"Especially in our movie," Carpenter added. "Again, the dancing—there's so much physical contact. In general, he was so incredible in his role and as a performer and dancer that it made me feel really comfortable in doing what I had to do."

The dancing itself was difficult for the actress, even though she used to be a pro! Carpenter described training as "bootcamp," and noted that she "definitely was more sore than I should've been for my age." 

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Once Work It was almost complete, Carpenter noticed something was missing: a song for the end-credits, which include a compilation of all of the different characters in the movie dancing or freestyling. "It's such a beautiful way to recap and celebrate the film we watched," the Disney alum explained.

So to add to that beauty, Carpenter produced "Let Me Move You," a high-energy bop.

"I wrote a few other songs as options, but I basically had a week to get the song in the film before it had to be sent in," Carpenter recalled. "It worked perfectly and I've been so, so grateful for the support from everyone involved in the movie and Netflix."

Watch the complete HappE! Hour interview in the above clips to hear about the triple threat's Broadway experience, what she currently has in the works and her passion for the Malala Fund!