Anissa Borrego on K Pop Demon Hunters, Comedy Inspiration and Leading the Cheer

Words: Lauren O’Neill | Photography and creative direction: Lewis Vorn | Videographer: Marie Koury | Makeup: Mikey Clifton | Hair: Beth Rolon | Styling: Marissa Pelly

For our latest cover, we went behind the scenes on Stumble, NBC’s hotly-tipped mockumentary about the world of junior college cheerleading. Here, we chat with Anissa Borrego, who plays cheerlebrity Krystal, on the show, about her own history of cheer, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and taking inspo from Spongebob.

Read our cover story with the cast of Stumble here. 

Before you encountered Krystal and the rest of the Stumble characters, what were your perceptions of cheerleading? 

I actually cheered for a large portion of my life! So I knew the hard work, dedication, athleticism and fun that comes with it. When this opportunity came along I was BEYOND excited. Cheer can really bring you to life, and I am seeing that there are different styles of cheer. When I cheered it was a lot of “hit! Hit! Hit!” But with JC cheer, the type of cheer we are doing there is a lot more room for some sugar and spice. I’m having a lot of fun discovering Krystal’s flavour and self-expression through movement.

How has it been working with Taylor, Georgie, and Arianna? Have the four of you bonded? 

I love them so much! We are actually a team. I trust them. I adore them. I learn so much from each of them individually. They are incredibly talented, soulful, intelligent, and interesting in their own ways. I’m a fan. Also, it’s really special to be able to form this kind of bond, connection, friendship as an adult.

How do you get into the character of a cheerlebrity? How did you prep? 

I studied THE CHEERLEBRITY herself Miss Gabi Butler. I watched her Lives, YouTube videos, instagram, tik tok, all the things. I watched how she engaged with the public and her relationship with her fans. Also, some of the pro-cheerleaders we work with like Tati Davis and Kory Little. I watch how they operate. They are business minded, energised, insanely talented, revered and respected in the world of cheerleading. Also, I got back into training on my own... I want to represent Krystal well. She is the ultimate cheerleader so I’m watching videos and taking notes on how I can be better. 

What has the choreography element of the show been like? Challenging, fun, or both? 

I can’t get enough. Truly. It is so stinkin’ exciting. Mind you, we are doing choreo by the ICONIC Dahlston Delgado so every routine is so cute and so fun and just mwah, chef’s kiss. It’s so much fun that Georgie and I are going to cheer practice tomorrow because we want to learn a routine that we are not even in.

What's your favourite onset memory from shooting so far? 

There are so many. Every single day. But one that comes to mind was probably on our first day back to filming. Someone said something which led one person to start singing “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters, then another person and then EVERYONE was singing “Golden”!

It was just such a beautiful moment and what an amazing way to kick off filming. It really is an example of the kind of tone we have on set. Yes, we TCB, but we also have the absolute very best time doing it.

Stumble of course is a mockumentary in the vein of a number of very successful NBC shows from The Office to Brooklyn 99. Did you feel pressure taking on that mantle? Which mockumentaries and comedies in general have you enjoyed in the past? 

My favourite comedy ever and one of my biggest inspirations for becoming an actress is the movie Superstar. I love Mary Katherine Gallagher. She is my favourite character and she started off as a character on SNL! A Night at the Roxbury also one of my all time favourites and also came from SNL. Elf. Spongebob. I’ve heard someone say that the shows you watch growing up help shape you as a person... I don’t know if that’s true for everyone, but I definitely have MKG, Buddy the Elf, and Spongebob in me. 

What do you think Stumble brings to TV that is currently missing from the landscape? 

Stumble is a comedy with so much heart. It’s an underdog story and I think that there is a character for everyone to love. I hope that our genuine joy and love for each other and what we are making will shine through and connect with our audience. As an audience member I love watching people who are having fun, it just makes things better and brings things more to life.