'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' star says producers told her to quit her job at a 'Harry Potter' theme park after she landed a lead role

• "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" star Tricia Fukuhara found out she was cast in the show while at work.
• Fukuhara told Insider she was still in her uniform at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
• The actor added that the producers encouraged her to quit her job after they told her she was cast.

"Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" star Tricia Fukuhara said that she was told to quit her job by the show's producers after landing a leading role.

Fukuhara plays Nancy in the "Grease" prequel series on Paramount+. Nancy is an aspiring fashion designer who is ditched by her friends.

In an interview with Insider ahead of the new series, Fukuhara said that she found out that she was cast in the series while she was at work at one of the branches of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

"I was actually in my 'Harry Potter' uniform at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter backstage," Fukuhara said. "And I thought that it was another test because I was on round, like, eight or nine at this point. I'm like, 'Seriously, another one? I can't do it right now. I'm on my lunch break and I don't have an outfit. what am I gonna wear?' And I'm on the phone: 'Just wear anything that looks like Nancy.' I literally came in a hoodie and Nancy would never wear a hoodie."

She continued: "I found a tiny corner in an office building and I'm like, 'It's dark. It's so dark here. They're not even able to see me. And this is where I lose the role.' And that was when they told me that I got it, and then I had to go back and do shows and work my second job that night and not tell anybody."

Fukuhara said that was when the producers suggested that she quit her day job.

"They actually told me: 'Quit your job. Just quit right now,'" the "Grease" star said. "I'm like, 'I can't quit now. I got Christmas, I got this, I got people who are dependent on me.'"

Fukuhara was not the only one who was surprised by being cast in the show. Her costars Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Wells, and Ari Notartomaso all say that they were tricked by the producers.

"I ended up finding out that I booked it when I was in rehearsal for another show," Wells told Insider. "I had to go into a room in the corner and they told me it was a test as well. And then I walked in, they told me, 'Hey, we're your producers actually. You're playing Olivia.' And I was like, 'Holy... well, okay.' And then I had to act like nothing happened."

"Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" is available to stream on Paramount+.