TACOMA, Wash. — 16-year old Riya Richardson knows how to keep a secret.
"I tried so hard to not say anything to anyone," she said.
Richardson spent three years playing a secret but pivotal role in the making of "Inside Out 2."
"I was so quiet," she laughed. "I had to watch myself every time people would see the trailers about 'Inside Out 2' and they'd be like who wants to go see it with me and I'm like 'I didn't do anything! I didn't do anything!'"
Actually Richardson has a pretty big role. Nominated by her mentor Achiya Clemons, the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound's Youth of the Year was invited to join Riley's Crew, named for the teenage girl in the movie.
"We would see like 90 minutes of the film every 4 to 6 months," Richardson said, "and every time it changed."
Richardson offered feedback and advice from the perspective of a teenage girl.
"Telling these producers who made worldwide famous films 'I don't know if this felt the right way,'" she said as an example.
The producers listened closely. They valued Richardson's opinion. After all, when asked what emotion she'd want to create, Richardson came up with one of the movie's characters, Nostalgia.
"Looking back at all the things that I've done in my short lifetime, I thought Nostalgia is a perfect character that I don't think a lot of people talk about and especially at my age," Richardson said.
At the world premiere, Richardson walked the same purple carpet as Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke and Ayo Edibiri.
"It was so cool just seeing all of these celebrities," she laughed. "There was so many places to take pictures and they even had mood swings which I thought was so clever.
With the help of her mother, Richardson met the actress June Squibb who played Nostalgia.
"And I will always remember that as one of the best moments of this film making process," she said.
As "Inside Out 2" breaks more global box office records, Richardson feels a number of emotions about her involvement, but none bigger than joy.
"It just makes me feel really happy to know that youth get to see this across the globe and get to see emotions that they are going through right now on the screen," Richardson said.
"Inside Out 2" will be available for purchase digitally on Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Fandango at Home starting on August 20.
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