Interview: Chelsea Alden talks joining 13 Reasons Why season 2

Chelsea Alden gives Hidden Remote an exclusive look into her role in the upcoming second season of the Netflix hit, 13 Reasons Why. She talks about her character, Mackenzie and what it was like on the set of the popular series.

13 Reasons Why was easily one of the most talked about shows of 2017. Within days of its Netflix premiere, the series became a social phenomenon. The story focused on Hannah Baker, a teenager who committed suicide but left behind a series of cassette tapes detailing the reasoning behind the decision. The series was often difficult to watch due to the graphic material it focused on. It certainly shed light on topics and invoked important conversations on suicide, rape, and gun violence.

Netflix greenlit a second season just weeks after the series initially premiered. So what else can be explored in the second season after Hannah’s story has seemingly played out? Well, Hannah will still be a presence in the upcoming season but in another form. This season focuses heavily on the aftermath of Hannah’s death and the process of recovery. It won’t just be Hannah’s parents and Clay trying to come to terms with last season’s events, every character we met last season still has more story to tell. There will also be a number of new characters this season, including Chelsea Alden who is portraying Mackenzie, a student at Liberty High described as artsy and not afraid to speak her mind. The actress spoke with us about the new season of 13 Reasons Why and her thoughts on the series.

Hidden Remote: Perfect timing for this interview as the season 2 premiere date was just announced (May 18th)! How excited are you for fans to see the follow up to the series the resulted in so much ground-breaking buzz last year?

Chelsea Alden: Hi Kara! Nice to meet you. I know! I think excited barely begins to cover it. I’m really thrilled to be a part of the show this season, and I’m so excited for audiences to see how the story develops.

Hidden Remote: There are a lot of newcomers for season 2, can you tell us about your character, Mackenzie?

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Chelsea Alden: I love Mackenzie as a character, and I actually wish I was more like her when I was in high school! I like to describe her as being confident in herself and her own point of view. She’s honest, non-judgmental and kind of a breath of fresh air! I’m really curious as to how viewers will react to her coming into the Liberty High scene.

Hidden Remote: So you have a brother, Cyrus, but what other characters will Mackenzie be interacting with?

Chelsea Alden: I do have a brother! Played by the wonderful Bryce Cass. As far as who else I interact with… I don’t know how to answer that without giving away potential spoilers! So I’m going to err on the side of caution and say you’ll just have to watch and see!

Hidden Remote: The season is said to focus on the trial and the aftermath of Hannah’s death. Will we see flashbacks of Mackenzie interacting with Hannah? Or possible Clay in the present day?

Chelsea Alden: This season definitely spends time focusing on the aftermath of everything that happened in season one, and how these characters will move forward given all they’ve gone through. There are so many unanswered questions and a lot to be said about truth, justice, consequences, etc. Mackenzie is a student at the school, so let’s say she comes across her fair share of Liberty High students…

Hidden Remote: Last season, the use of the cassette tapes were used to solve some secrets, what can you tell us about the polaroids this season?

Chelsea Alden: As you can tell from the trailer and the posters that have been released, the polaroids definitely play their part this season! You ask good spoiler questions… I wish I could tell you more!

Hidden Remote: There were a few cliffhangers last season (Alex in the ambulance with a gunshot wound, Tyler’s stockpile of guns, Jessica telling her dad about being raped). Will all of these events become major storylines in season 2?

Chelsea Alden: Err… gaahh.. too many spoilers… can’t contain myself… PASS!

Hidden Remote: As a fan of the series, were there any characters from season 1 that you hoped would get a bigger story for season 2?

Chelsea Alden: After binge-watching season 1 and knowing there was a second season coming, I became very interested in Jessica’s storyline… because a) Alisha Boe is magic on screen, and portrays Jessica so well – who WOULDN’T want to see more of that girl! b) The Jessica character is living through so much difficulty, and I know as a fan of the show I really wanted to see her story continue. Also, Brandon Flynn’s character, Justin, really intrigued me throughout the first season. He’s so complex and layered, so much more to the character than meets the eye… I definitely wanted to know what his future looked like.

Hidden Remote: What are your thoughts on fans theories? I think my favorite is that Tony was a ghost, even though he is seen driving Clay around in multiple scenes. Do you have any favorite fan theories?

Chelsea Alden: Hahaha! I LOVE that theory! That’s actually the only one I’ve heard though or variations of it. Ghost, guardian angel, etc. I’m might have to scour the internet for more.

Hidden Remote: Due to the show’s intense storylines (suicide, rape, gun violence), there will always be some sort of controversy but these are important stories to be told. It certainly brought about a conversation, especially among young people. What do you hope viewers take away from season 2?

Chelsea Alden: My hope with season 2 is that it gives kids watching, the opportunity to see that if they are in trouble or affected in similar ways to our characters – that they know they’re not alone. Also, that for parents, that maybe they walk away from seeing the series and have a little more understanding of how hard it can be, just to be a kid in high school in a social media age.

Hidden Remote: What attracted you to join the series, or more specifically, the role of Mackenzie?

Chelsea Alden: I loved the first season. I thought it was brilliantly acted and written; I geek out over cinematography, so I loved the tone and style of how the show was shot. So with that much admiration for the show already, I was pumped to have the chance to be a part of it myself. With Mackenzie, I guess I just felt like I already knew her. When I read for the character initially, she just made sense to me. I looked at the words on the page, and I thought “I know how this girl thinks. I can feel how this girl feels.” I love it when that happens.

Hidden Remote: What were your initial thoughts on the show before joining?

Chelsea Alden: I loved the series. I wanted very much to be a part of it, from the get-go. I was even having a conversation with a friend, shortly before I booked the show and I said, “I would love to be on a show like ‘13 Reasons Why.’” Once I knew I was coming on board though, I was certainly intimidated. So much controversy on one side of the coin, and so much pressure to get it right, coming in as a new person, to all those who are hardcore fans.

Hidden Remote: You have appeared in some super popular series (AHS, Grey’s Anatomy, VEEP, etc.), how did your experience on 13 Reasons Why differ than your previous acting experiences?

Chelsea Alden: Well the biggest difference was that I worked maybe one or three episodes on some of those shows, so I was still always the new girl coming in and trying to learn everyone’s name and where I fit in. On 13 Reasons Why, I was lucky enough to get to work with these amazing cast and crew day after day. I really got to feel like part of the family! Plus, I had never worked on a series out of town before, that made it totally different and fun because I felt like I was on vacation the whole time!

Hidden Remote: And you have a few films coming out, including one opposite Laura Dern, can you tell us about those projects?

Chelsea Alden: Yes, THE TALE is coming to HBO on May 26th! Laura plays a character based on the writer/director Jennifer Fox, a professor who begins an investigation into her own past and first sexual experience. She begins to realize the stories she told herself and the truth of what really happened were two different things. I play one of her students, sort of caught in the cross-fire of Dern’s self-examination and discovery.

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Hidden Remote: To end on a lighter note – Despite the seriousness of 13 Reasons Why there must be some fun on the set with a large number of young cast members. Do you have any fun set stories?

Chelsea Alden: Oh man, let’s see. We definitely would crack jokes and try to keep things light-hearted and playful on set, and between setups. Lots of music and singing in the makeup trailer! We were filming on Halloween last year, and a bunch of the cast and crew showed up in costume! Everyone is so rad on the show, it’s hard not to have a good time!

13 Reasons Why returns for its second season Friday, May 18th on Netflix!