As one of the new cast members in the recently released season two of 13 Reasons Why, all eyes are on the Emmy Award-winning Anne Winters. Not only has she achieved a dream many actors have yet to at such a young age, she has also continued to impress the world with her work in a number of current and upcoming productions, including the highly-anticipated Universal comedy, Night School.
Anne spoke with Her Campus about the controversy surrounding 13 Reasons Why, preparing for the tough themes of Zac & Mia and a road trip she hopes to take this summer.
Her Campus: You’re currently in season two of 13 Reasons Why, had you watched the first season and/or read the book before auditioning? Did you have any doubts before going into it considering all the controversy surrounding the series?
Anne Winters: I didn’t watch the whole first season before I auditioned, but I did read the book in high school. When I booked it, I decided to binge-watch it all on the plane to Oakland and at the hotel before I went to set. I didn’t have any hesitation and was just glad to be part of a show that actually showed real and tough situations. I kind of like that it’s a controversial show. It’s not boring.
HC: Have you met Selena Gomez before, given that she’s one of the series producers?
AW: I didn’t meet Selena until she came to our season two wrap party. She’s super sweet, but I think she was there a lot more during season one. She must have been either busy or whatever, but I’m really glad to be a part of something she’s doing.
HC: Can you elaborate a bit on your character and what we can expect from her?
AW: My character is heavily involved with Bryce, and she definitely is going to be showing a new kind of asset to the storyline. She’s going to be showing a relatable girl in high school that just doesn’t really know what the right thing to do is. She’s hearing rumors or things about this guy, but she doesn’t really know for herself what the right thing is to do. I think that’s really realistic. She thinks she can just handle it all and that she can take on the world, but then she realizes that she’s a fragile person like everybody [else].
HC: You’ll be starring in the Universal movie Night School, which will premiere this September. What was it like working with big names like Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Ben Schwartz? Did you learn anything about acting from them?
AW: I was working on a set with all SNL alums. I was the only person on that set who had never been on SNL before, so it was a little intimidating. But I learned a lot just comedy-wise, like basically the script goes out the window and every scene is just up to whomever to make it different or make it their own, or say this thing or that. Everything was super hilarious because you never knew what was coming. So many times I was laughing on set and would really have to keep it in. I was sweating trying to keep in the laughter sometimes.
HC: You also have a lead role in the TV series, Zac & Mia, in which you play a teenager undergoing cancer treatment. How did you prepare yourself to take on a character who struggles with such a difficult illness? Have you been able to relate to her well?
AW: Yes, that role was a super passionate one for me. We went and met with a lot of kids who had cancer in a hospital and asked them a billion questions. We paired up with Make-A-Wish and had a girl come on set and be an actor for the day. I mean, just meeting kids like that and asking them questions and seeing their lives really helped me prepare for it. But at the end of the day, nothing prepares you 100 percent, so it’s just putting yourself in that situation and really going to different levels. There were a lot of days on set where I surprised myself and what ended up happening for a scene. It was a very crazy experience, but I love that show.
HC: What was your reaction when you received an Emmy nomination for this role? Did you think it’d ever happen?
AW: No! I mean I’m so glad I got everything on tape, so everyone could see my reaction. I literally thought there was no way. First of all, I was so shocked that I even got nominated, and then to win was so shocking. It was crazy. I didn’t even know that Zac & Mia would get nominated, let alone win. Now I just have an Emmy sitting on my coffee table, and it’s honestly insane.
HC: Did you ever consider going to college before becoming an actress? If so, what would have you studied?
AW: I was going to go to college. I started acting around my sophomore year and really heavily did it then, so I missed out on a lot of school. My junior year I took off. Basically I did stuff from Texas—I’m from Texas—so I would put them on tape a bit, but I didn’t come out to LA and do pilot seasons or anything until junior year. Instead, I applied to all different colleges, and I was thinking about being a normal kid. When all my friends got into colleges and were visiting colleges, I was thinking about what I would study, which was going to be nutritional sciences. I was like, “You know what? All of this is just so not my passion. I already have basically a job right now. I’d already worked a little bit. If anything, I could defer for a year and then if nothing happened or I didn’t like it, I could come back and go to college.” I was going to go to SMU in Dallas, and I ended up coming out here and started working right away.
HC: What’s on your summer bucket list?
AW: I have no thought about that. Right now my plate is just so focused on the show coming out. I’m also actually moving right now, so those two things have been crazy. I do want to take a road trip with my boyfriend and go and pick up his dog in Iowa. It’s so random, but he lives in Iowa and his little pitbull has been there for a few months. I want to go and get her and make a little trip out of it. Other than that, summer is only summer for actors for a couple weeks, but hopefully in July I’ll be starting filming again for a pilot that is hopefully getting picked up this week.