Malia Baker On Nickelodeon's 'Are You Afraid Of The Dark': 'The Adults Who Watched The Original Series Can Pass This Down To Their Kids'

(CBS Local)-- The Midnight Society is back for season two of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" on Nickelodeon. The new season begins on Friday, February 12 and actor Malia Baker is excited for fans to check out all of the crazy things that are about to happen this year.

The popular 1990s hit was rebooted in 2019 with a brand new cast and the show tells the story of a group of kids calling themselves the Midnight Society that meets and tells horrifying stories to one another. Their love of horror stories is put to the test when the real world starts to become as spooky as their stories. Baker plays Gabby Lewis and she is excited to have the runway to develop this character.

"The experience was amazing and it was my first little taste of the horror genre," said Baker, in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "It was such a great opportunity to grow and see the other work I can do. The most surprising thing was that I thought it was going to be scarier on set. I play Gabby who is a smiley, sporty town sweetheart and she is super over this town. On the weekends, she even has a job, so she can pay for college to get away from this town. I found with Gabby that I wanted to make her arc really clear. At the beginning she is very tight and doesn't really want to have fun. She's kind of like the mother of the group. She's very rule-oriented and by the end, she finally lets loose. She's able to be a kid and have some fun."

Baker loved the opportunity to work with kids her own age after doing a few other shows where she was the youngest person on set. The actor's father has worked in the film industry for years and she learned a lot from him before her career even began.

"I would hear stories about his set and how he climbed his way to almost the top," said Baker. "It was very inspiring and I've been watching movies pretty much forever. Robin Williams is a huge inspiration of mine. I loved seeing him live his life to the fullest. Here I am and I think I've done a pretty good job so far and I'm hoping to progress in the future."

The actor's personal favorites from Williams are Good Will Hunting and Mrs. Doubtfire. Like these movies, the "Are You Afraid of the Dark" brand has lived on since it first premiered in the 90s. Baker definitely felt the added pressure of carrying on the legacy when she booked the role.

"It is such an honor. I remember feeling a little bit of pressure because it's Are You Afraid of the Dark, it's a huge thing," said Baker. "Then I remember hearing on set that we were the 100th episode of all of the Are You Afraid of the Dark series', which was even cooler to present to the world. I feel like it's awesome because the adults that watched the original series are able to pass this show down to their kids."

"Are You Afraid of the Dark" season two premieres Friday, February 12 at 8pm EST/PST on Nickelodeon and watch all of DJ Sixsmith's interviews from "The Sit-Down" series here.