Bruce Miller, Lee Enterprises' entertainment reporter, talks with Sara Waisglass and Chase Hudson, stars of the Tubi film "How to Lose a Popularity Contest." The show premieres on January 16.

There isn’t one way to make it in the entertainment industry. Just ask Sara Waisglass and Chase Hudson, the stars of “How to Lose a Popularity Contest.”

She started as a child in commercials and TV shows; he made videos and attracted a social media following. When he got his first acting role, he didn’t take the move lightly.

“If you’re stepping into this lane you have to take it very seriously,” Hudson says. “For this, they gave me a proper amount of time to really understand my character and prepare for the role. I knew what was at stake. And I wanted to make sure that I killed enough not just for myself but for everyone involved and the fans out there watching.”

Chase Hudson is shown in a scene from “How to Lose a Popularity Contest.”

Social media followers, after all, didn’t come overnight.

Hudson, a California native, says he just wanted to fit in his freshman year of high school. “I wanted to be cool, I wanted to have a laugh with everybody, and I really put myself out there. But I also was pursuing the arts and social media at the same time. I got into it and started to gain popularity in sophomore year, and people actually turned on me at school and I thought I was a loser, so I felt like more of an outcast.”

Hudson retreated into music and began cutting songs that attracted attention. He grew an audience on TikTok (in 2020 he had more than 30 million followers) and found friends in social media circles. He also got interest from Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker and others. His “21st Century Vampire” and “Don’t Freak Out” landed on the rock charts. And then, he started to think about acting.

Waisglass, meanwhile, can’t remember a time when she wasn’t involved in commercials and television.

Sara Waisglass is shown in a scene from “How to Lose a Popularity Contest.”

“I was very artistic,” she says. “I loved film. I loved working with other people. I loved teamwork. I steered clear of sports because I wasn’t always at school. But I really loved learning and being funny.”

Roles in “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and “Degrassi: Next Class” brought her fans and other acting work. “Ginny and Georgia,” a Netflix series, introduced her to an even bigger audience.

And then, she and Hudson were offered “How to Lose a Popularity Contest,” a rom-com about opposites who work to get their candidates elected student body president.

At one point, the two actors imitate each other and “we could have gotten worse,” Hudson says.

“I didn’t want to hurt his feelings,” Waisglass says with a laugh. The two found such a good rhythm that they say they’d like to do a sequel.

Chase Hudson and Sara Waisglass star in “How to Lose a Popularity Contest.”

“We talked about it so much because we loved the people we worked with,” Waisglass explains.

For Hudson, it was a great introduction to acting and another open door.

The path is possible, he says, if you’re willing to put in the work. “You can be whatever you want in life. Everything takes a lot of work and everything’s hard, but you just have to pick your heart.”

Life as an influencer? “It can be lower effort or super high effort,” he adds. “It also depends on consistent you are and how active you are.”

How to win a popularity contest? Work at it, Hudson says. It’s just that simple.

“How to Lose a Popularity Contest” airs on Tubi.

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.