JERRICA BENTON/JEM is the eldest daughter of Emmett and Jacqui Benton. After her father's death, she received a pair of earrings which act as remote projector for her father's holographic super-computer Synergy. Using the earrings to disguise herself as the pink-haired Jem, Jerrica launched a band called Jem and the Holograms in order to regain control of her father's music company, and keep the Starlight Foundation afloat. Jerrica is uncomfortable with keeping her identity a secret from her boyfriend Rio, but as time goes on, is more afraid of the possibility of losing him, should he learn the truth. She has difficulty maintaining distinct borders between her life as Jerrica and her masquerade as Jem, most often forgetting herself with Rio, who is confused and flustered by his attraction to "Jem." When he attempts to distance himself from Jem, Jerrica as Jem pleads with him to stay, blurring the lines between her two identities, while as Jerrica offering tacit approval of his relationship with "Jem" (Beginning, Starbright, The Music Awards).

While her younger sister Kimber is outgoing and extroverted, Jerrica has trouble loosening up. However, Jerrica is steadfast, loyal, and her friends and family respect and admire her for her hard work and maturity in running both Starlight Music and the Starlight House Home for Foster Girls. Jerrica has difficulty delegating responsibility, but constantly relies on foster sisters Aja and Shana, and boyfriend Rio for help in running Starlight (Beginning, Glitter and Gold, Starbright). She is young, smart, driven, and a very capable businesswoman in her own right, signing acts such as the Fifth Avenue Boys to the Starlight label (Glitter and Gold), and pursing new acts such as The Stingers to expand the business (The Stingers Hit Town).

Jerrica struggles with her dual identity, often feeling irrational jealousy toward her alter-ego (Glitter and Gold, The Stingers Hit Town, Midsummer Night's Madness). She subconsciously compartmentalises her life, allowing herself to be carefree, open, and spontaneous only while disguised as Jem. Unfortunately, this means Jerrica herself is often perceived as stuck-up, and a control freak, even by those closest to her. After regaining control of the family business, she attempts to end her career as Jem, but quickly realises that she needs the revenue generated by Jem and the Holograms to support the Starlight Foundation (Starbright). She and Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor keep up a steady rivalry between the Holograms and Misfits, on Jerrica's part stemming from her hatred of Eric Raymond, as well as her innate competitive streak (Glitter and Gold).

Jerrica was very close to her mother, Jacqui, and was deeply scarred by Jacqui's death in a plane crash in the 1970s. While at first she was jealous of the attention her mother and father paid to foster girls Shana and Aja, she soon formed a very close-knit bond with both girls (Out of the Past). This bond often eclipses her flesh-and-blood relationship with younger sister Kimber, of whom Jerrica is over-protective and often treats like a child, inadvertently encouraging Kimber's acting out (The Bands Break Up, Hollywood Jem). While the sisters are mutually frustrated by their often adversarial relationship, they also care about one another very deeply. Even so, Jerrica at times is blind to how deeply affected Kimber was by their father's death, and her ignorance can come across as insensitivity (Father's Day).

Jerrica loves Rio very much, but since beginning her double-life as Jem, their relationship has become strained. Their relationship began as teenagers when Rio first moved next door to the original Starlight House, and they often take one another for granted, seemingly only voicing the depth of their feelings to one another when the relationship is threatened. When Rory "Riot" Llewelyn of the Stingers sets his sights on Jem, Jerrica is confused by the feelings his attentions stir in her, and she appears to find his attentions to Jem flattering enough to sometimes encourage his advances (The Stingers Hit Town, The Day the Music Died). While she finds his arrogance and cruelty unattractive, once she learns of his background and his relationship with his parents, she finds herself drawn to him as a person, rather than merely as a convenient ego-booting escape from the emotional minefield that is her relationship with Rio (Riot's Hope).

KIMBER BENTON is Jerrica's younger sister. The youngest of the Holograms, Kimber has been playing and composing music since she was a child (Scandal). It was her father's hope that she would follow in her mother Jacqui's footsteps, and pursue a career in the music industry. Treated like the "baby" by Jerrica, and foster-sisters Aja and Shana, Kimber often acts irresponsibly and rashly. She is jealous of the attention Jerrica receives as Jem, and almost tells Rio about Jerrica's masquerade (Kimber's Rebellion) out of pettiness. However, the Benton sisters love each other dearly, and Kimber is not as childish as Jerrica sometimes believes her to be.

After a falling out with her sisters, Kimber left the Holograms and briefly teamed up with Stormer of the Misfits (The Bands Break Up). The two forged a genuine friendship that withstood pressure from both the Holograms and the Misfits to tear the two girls apart. Faced with such opposition, it only strengthened their bond. After playing local clubs such as The Scene, the two signed with promoter Dave Daniels to cut a record. However, Daniels was in league with Eric Raymond, who hoped to use Kimber's contract to gain control of her shares of Starlight Music. Kimber and Stormer delivered the record, "Back to Back", despite Eric's attempts at sabotage, and remained friends even after returning to their respective rock bands (Britrock, Journey to Shangri-La).

Kimber is young, romantic, and falls in and out of relationships constantly, often dating several people at the same time (Glitter and Gold, Hollywood Jem). Throughout the course of the series, she maintains on-again off-again relationships with Jeff Wright and Sean Harrison (Starbright, World Hunger Shindig, Scandal, Hollywood Jem). After almost marrying stunt man Jeff Wright, she realised she was much too young to settle down. Eric Raymond sees Kimber as an easy path to control of Starlight Music, trying several times to temp her to sign with him (Kimber's Rebellion, The Bands Break Up, The Day the Music Died). When Riot and Jem disappeared, she briefly joined The Misfits, but returned to her own group when Riot returned (The Day the Music Died).

Kimber was affected very deeply by the death of her father, Emmett Benton. While Jerrica seems to deal with the pain of her parents deaths by burying herself in her work, Kimber in unable to switch her feelings off with such ease. Emmett was very supportive of Kimber as a child, and her music is in many ways a tribute to his memory. Of the Benton sisters, Kimber is the one who most often goes to Synergy for advice and comfort, allowing the super computer to stand in for her mother Jacqui, even before she knew that Synergy had been based on Jacqui's recordings (Scandal, Out of the Past).

AJA LEITH was the first foster girl to whom the Bentons opened their home, and while Jerrica was at first jealous of the attention her parents showered on the new girl, she and Aja soon became fast friends, despite how much more comfortable neighbour Rio Pachecho seemed with the tomboyish Aja. Aja, Jerrica and Shana were deeply affected by Jacqui Benton's death in a plane crash. Aja feared that Emmett Benton would send the foster girls away to new foster homes, but Emmett assured her and Shana that they would never abandon them (Out of the Past).

Aja is fiercely loyal to Jerrica, but is also the first one to take Jerrica to task for keeping Rio in the dark regarding her dual identity. Kimber once wrote in her diary that Aja was "so cold [...] she wondered if she had any feelings at all."

Aja can read Chinese, although it's never made clear which of her parents or grandparents were Chinese, and if they spoke Mandarin or Cantonese. She was very excited that the Holograms were invited to play in China, and while they were in Beijing, she made a point of visiting a museum and was very interested in her heritage (Adventure in China).

Aja met drummer Craig Phillips in a music store where Craig was practising. She invited him to take part in the Holograms auditions for a new drummer, unaware that he only joined the contest in order to be close to her. The two fell in love, despite harbouring secrets. Aja was unaware that his younger sister Mary Phillips is a member of the rival band the Misfits, and is devastated when she mistakenly believes Craig and Stormer are married rather than siblings. However, the two patch things up despite both of their short tempers and remain devoted to one another (The Talent Search, Britrock.

SHANA ELMSFORD is the second foster girl to move into the original Starlight House. Shana had a hard time fitting in despite Jacqui Benton's request to Jerrica to try and make the new girl feel at home. However, despite a rocky start, Jerrica, Shana and Aja soon formed a close bond (Out of the Past). In addition to playing both the drums and bass guitar, Shana is a talented amateur fashion designer who is immediately taken under the wing of Danielle DuVoisin who encourages her protege to design professionally. It was on board Danielle's yacht that Shana first met director Anthony Julian (Disaster). The two began seeing each other, and Shana wears a gold locket containing his photo (Mardi Gras).

Shana is less sure of her own abilities than the other Holograms, particularly her abilities as a designer. Roxy preys on her insecurities when Shana is chosen as a contestant in an international fashion design contest in Venice. However, winning the contest for designing both the Holograms and the Misfits entries gives Shana an added boost of confidence (In Stitches). She briefly leaves the Holograms to design fashions for Liz Stratton for a mini-series. During that period she believed Aja, Jerrica and Kimber were glad to see her go, misinterpreting their support for her design career as a desire to see her leave the band. However when the actor proves impossible to work with, at Anthony's urging she rejoins the band playing bass guitar while Raya Alonso takes over on drums (Talent Search).

Shana can be timid where her own talent is concerned, but she is fiercely protective of Jerrica and the other Holograms, and is a force to be reckoned with when she believes they are threatened, easily taking on the Misfits single-handedly when necessary (Island of Deception). She has a special bond with Danielle's protogé Regine Cesaire and bears a special grudge against Riot and the Stingers for their treatment of the young designer (Straight from the Heart). Of the Starlight Girls, she is particularly close to Ashley, to whom she is teaching the principles of fashion design (In Stitches). She and Anthony are devoted to each other, and she has never strayed from his side, despite being pursued by other men (Mardi Gras).

CARMEN "RAYA" ALONSO is the only daughter in a family full of boys, and is doted on by her father, who indulged her passion for the drums despite her mother's misgivings. When Mr Alonso heard about the Starlight Talent Search, he drove Raya to the auditions, and spoke with Jem personally to try and convince her to give his daughter a chance. Raya doesn't suffer from stage fright, but is very self-conscious and why in personal situations. However, she is capable of standing up for herself, particularly when her friends and loved ones are threatened. During the Talent Search, she and Craig Phillips became friends, with Craig acting protective towards her much the same way he does his own sister, Mary (Talent Search). Raya was very nervous the first time she went on California Beat celebrity rock talk show because it was her first television interview (Scandal). Raya was raised to be very respectful of her heritage, and is excited when the Holograms travel to Mexico to shoot a music video in some newly discovered Aztec ruins. She also had a very friendly relationship with their guide, Luis (Astec Enchantment).

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