Aubrey Peeples: ‘Sharknado’ Actress Lands Big Role In ‘Jem And The Holograms’

Aubrey Peeples is moving from one campy movie franchise to another.

The 20-year-old actress has been picked to play the lead role in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Jem and the Holograms, the 1980s cartoon and doll that has gained a cult following.

Sources told the Hollywood Reporter that Aubrey Peeples has been selected to play Jerrica Benton, an orphaned tteenager who splits time as her rock star alter-ego, Jem.

Though production has just started on the Jem film, many of the pieces are already falling into place. Filmmakers have already selected Jem’s friends and bandmates, including Stefanie Scott as Jem’s sister Kimber, Aurora Perrineau as Shana, and Hayley Kiyoko as Aja.

The movie is directed by another veteran of the 1980s cartoon turned movie genre, Jon M. Chu of G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The movie will tell the story of Jem and the band as they travel across Los Angeles on a quest to find Jema’s father.

For Aubrey Peeples, Jem and the Holograms could represent her breakout role. This will be the first major movie role, coming after she appeared in the surprise summer hit Sharknado. Peeples has also appeared in Grey’s Anatomy, Drop Dead Diva, and Nashville.

Aubrey Peeples almost took a different role in life. In her senior year of high school she was accepted to Harvard University but deferred twice to pursue acting.

“I had deferred Harvard the first time to work in L.A.,” Peeples told Lake Mary Life, adding that she was set again to attend Harvard when she landed the role in Nashville. “I literally had to rearrange my whole life and get on a plane and move to Nashville.”

Though the role and the movie may be popular with children of the 1980s and 90s, it will be fairly foreign to Aubrey Peeples. She wasn’t even born when Jem was on television.