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Calling all American Girl lovers! Time to add a new movie to the top of your wintery watchlist: Corinne Tan.  

Inspired by the 2022 American Girl Doll of the Year, the flick follows the story of close-knit sisters Corinne and Gwynn —and it dropped on Netflix this week! Besides all of its chilly-weather style inspo and adorb puppy moments, Corinne Tan marks a historic point in American Girl history. Not only are Corinne and Gwynn the first pair of sister dolls from AG, they're also the first Asian-American Dolls of the Year.

This is part of the reason that actresses (and IRL sisters) Miya and Kai Cech were so pumped to portray Corinne and Gwynn onscreen. "When I got the part of Corinne, I was ecstatic," shares Miya. "I grew up with American Girl Dolls, but I couldn't ever really find one that looked like me and had a unique story to go along with her." 

Kai, who plays Gwynn, is on exactly the same wavelength as her big sis. "It was just so fun, getting to walk into the American Girl store and see yourself," Kai says. "Every girl should get to experience that."

We sat down with them to get the inside scoop on working with family, surviving snowy szn and, well, living your dreams. Without further ado: Get ready to meet the *real* Cech sisters. 

1. The cold never bothered them anyway.

It's...FALSE!

Corinne Tan was filmed in Alberta, Canada and while the sisters agree that the vibes on set were nothing but warm and welcoming, the weather was a different story. "I will admit, it was a little too cold for us California girls," Miya laughed. 

But braving the chill was definitely worth it. "It's just so cool to get to go to a new place," Kai says. "Yes, it was really cold, but at least the snow is always fun."

Good thing the girls each have their unique snow day style on lock. For Kai, that means slouchy ankle warmers, puffer coats and a pair of cozy Uggs. Miya says she's more into the fuzzy knitted sweater and beanie vibe. 

2. They are major animal lovers. 

It's...TRUE!

Prepare to get ultra jealous: The Cech sisters got to work super closely with the cutest dogs on the set of Corinne Tan. Since they've both been obsessed with animals for for-evah (and have three of their own dogs!), Miya and Kai felt right at home filming with the two pups that each played Corinne's search-and-rescue dog, Flurry. 

"It was so interesting," Miya remembers. "There were two Flurrys: one dog playing the more 'trained' version and one dog playing the 'face' of Flurry."

Co-starring with your sis *and* two gorgeous golden retrievers seems too good to be true. But it gets even better: "It's so funny because the two dogs who played Flurry are actually half-sisters!" spills Kai.

3. They are *exactly* like their Corinne Tan characters in real life. 

It's...FALSE!

Kai connected with her character Gwynn from the moment she was cast—and reveals that the two of them have plenty in common. "She's very happy and bubbly, " says Kai. "Our personalities are very similar." 

"You guys are both fashionistas, too," Miya adds. 

For Miya, her relationship with her character is a little more complicated. Although Miya identifies with Corinne's thoughtful nature (and who wouldn't appreciate those trendy turquoise hair streaks!), she says they have some key differences. "I would say I'm a little more easygoing than her...I hope!" she laughs.  

4. They're always taking pointers from each other. 

It's...TRUE!

One perk of working so closely with your sib? Learning new things 24/7. 

Miya, who you may also recognize from Netflix's You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, was a huge support to Kai as she first entered the world of acting (Psst, this is Kai's first major film to be released!). "Miya has taught me so much about the industry," Kai gushes. "She helps me with all my tapes, all my callbacks, everything."

Even on a personal level, the girls are each other's biggest cheerleaders. "Something I definitely learned from Kai was how to, like, get out of your head," Miya shares. "She's such a go-with-the-flow person, someone who loves doing new things." Awh! 

5. 2024 is totally their year.

It's...TRUE!

This coming year is going to be ~maaajor~ for both Miya and Kai. To start, they've both got their new year's resolutions nailed down: Kai's determined to level up her GRWM and stick to a schedule each day, while Miya wants to take more "me time" and prioritize self-care.

The girls are already counting down the days until summer ("My favorite season!", says Kai), spending more time with extended family and, ofc, gracing the silver screen with their next projects. Needless to say, we're keeping an eye on you, Cech sisters! 

Stream the new Corinne Tan movie here!

More exclusive celeb content, right this way:
🌟 Everything you need to know about Wonka star Calah Lane
🌟 Go behind the scenes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+
🌟 Lily Brooks O'Briant spills her songwriting secrets

Slider and top image: Eryn Cech

by Katherine Hammer and Madelon Basil | 1/26/2024