Disney•Pixar’s Turning Red draws much of its inspiration from director Domee Shi’s experiences as a Chinese Canadian teenager growing up in Toronto, Canada. The coming-of-age film centers on Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang), a confident, albeit dorky, 13-year-old navigating the chaos of adolescence. As she figures out how to strike a balance between being herself around her best friends and revering her overprotective mother, Ming Lee (Sandra Oh), Meilin is shocked to learn that she becomes a giant red panda whenever she gets too stressed or excited.

The Nerds Of Color had the chance to sit down for a one-on-one virtual interview with Chiang and Oh to discuss how Turning Red celebrates female friendships and tiger moms. We also chatted about what it was like long to grow up alongside their characters during the recording process and whether or not they put themselves into the characters they play. And just for an added bit of fun, the two shared their favorite karaoke songs and played a game of name that boy band.

Turning Red launches exclusively on Disney+ on March 11, 2022.