The remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead released in theaters nationally this month and it’s not lost on lead Simone Joy Jones just how culturally relevant the 1991 cult classic still is for both fans and newcomers. Between working with Nicole Richie and reprising her role as “Lisa” in Peacock’s Bel-Air, the multi-hyphenate (she’s also a musician known by the moniker S!MONE), Jones chatted with us about her skin care routine and linking up with the original cast.
I think it’s safe to say this is a remake of a lot of 40-something’s favorite movie gowing up. What was it like getting the call that you got the job?
Oh my gosh, it was magical. I was like, “What?” I was so excited. As an actor, you’re the last person to be plugged into the project. I actually hadn’t seen the original before we started, but once we started getting close, I was like, okay, I obviously have to watch it. Of course, I fell in love with the film.
I read an article where you were talking about Christina Applegate [Applegate starred in the original]. Have you heard gotten any feedback from her on the film?
No, I haven’t heard from her, but I know she’s living her own life right now. Hopefully, she gets some time to watch! But we have the original Kenny and the original Rose working with us. Joanna and Keith Coogan were just so incredible—we got their big approval and big hugs on set and off-set. That was really, really reassuring and lovely.
That’s amazing. Do you have any beauty secrets from on-set or anything you did on the regular?
My big things is always washing my makeup off. I always make time for that. Sometimes, I’m the person who goes to sleep with my makeup on just because I need to sleep. But I like products that are really gentle. Honestly, it’s all about cleansing. My skin is very temperamental, it’s very picky about the things that it likes. And it likes things that don’t have lots of fragrance in it, things that have really clean ingredients. Also, the eye patches! I love those. My eyes get puffy.
What’s your routine for separating work from your personal life at the end of the day?
In college, we had a practice of “shaking the day off” and I still do that. With the heavy projects, sometimes you take them home with you. I always take a shower and then I take a bath. That’s my jam. That’s my routine. Also, yoga. I do yoga before I go to set and I’ like to say I do yoga at the end of the day, but, let’s be honest, that’s more in a perfect world situation!
Our wellness routines are all great in a perfect world.
Exactly! You can write that in there! I’m just kidding, but yoga in the morning is my daily.
Now that the move is out there, what else are you working on?
I’m working on Bel-Air right now, every day. It’s so exciting for the third season to be out to the world. For my music, I’m putting out a song next month in May and then I’ll have a full-on project in June. That’s been very fun and exciting and just been nice to button up. I’ve been writing a short film. It’s busy, but oh so nice.
