After four seasons of Freeform‘s hit show Good Trouble, Emma Hunton‘s character, Davia Moss, is “finally growing up,” the actress, 31, exclusively tells GRAZIA USA, adding that Dennis (played by Josh Pence) and Davia are finally together after playing a cat and mouse game over the years. “I love that they’re in a healthy, communicative relationship, which I don’t think is very common on television. We’re used to seeing these dramatic fights and hiding things and keeping secrets and not talking to each other. We see them growing up and leaning on each other, which is an important message to share with the younger generation to see.”

“I’ve been rooting for them since day one!” she exclaims. “When we first started this show, there was no plan for Dennis and Davia to be together. We were never supposed to be love interests. We always knew the poking and jabbing and how it would become this big epic love story, but we just didn’t know when or how. When Dennis finally came and said he loved me, the entire crew burst out into applause. Everyone’s been rooting for this to happen.”

After playing Davia over the years, the blonde beauty knows how to tap into her brain. “She has this tendency to speak about what is on her mind, and she doesn’t have a filter which can get her into some sticky situations,” the star says. “That’s fun to play because I am not like that in real life. Davia is a bit more judgmental, so it’s fun to play someone whose a bit meaner. Sometimes Davia says things, and I am like, ‘People are going to hate me!'”

She adds, “It’s fun because we see different sides to her.”

The series, which is a spinoff of The Fosters, follows Callie and Mariana as they embark on their next adventure in Los Angeles, and this time around, Davia, who is known for having a lot of self-confidence, viewers get to see a more vulnerable side, especially as she has been struggling with body confidence.

“For me, it’s important to show all different sides of body positivity, and I think that means sometimes there are days we’re not feeling so confident in ourselves. That’s something Davia does, which is wonderful she recognizes that and puts herself in an uncomfortable situation to jump over that hurdle. What everyone can learn from Davia is to face your fears and go for it. Don’t let anything hold you back if it’s something you can move past,” she says of why she looks up to her character.

In the series, Davia gets into burlesque — something Hunton has also pursued in real life. “I do it with a group called the Cherry Poppins. It was a fun crossover for me when life really imitated art. I had a fun time with Davia falling into that world. I also got to work with Donna Hood, who is probably the best burlesque dancer in the whole world. She took me under her wing and was able to take that into my real life burlesque, and it was a really, really fun storyline. I’m really happy we did that. The costumes were incredible, and it was a fun story for me to play,” she gushes.

On Good Trouble, it was more “traditional burlesque,” whereas in real life it’s more choreography based, Hunton explains. “It was a challenge to get everything perfect, in addition to getting the lines down and make sure my butt was in the right position for the camera. I definitely feel better now, and I’ve noticed my group now puts me more into the choreography numbers now.”

The Happy Endings alum applauds the writers for always “doing things that we love on screen.”

“I think that’s partly why our jobs don’t feel like jobs,” she states. “We all genuinely enjoy going to work every day and we love seeing each other. It feels like we just get to play. Davia and I are similar in the way that we care strongly for our friends, and we’re loyal to the people who we love — sometimes almost to a fault. Everybody on this set is like that. This is the best group of people I will ever work with, and I get sad when I think about working on something else because I don’t think I will ever be with this great of a group of people again.”

Hunton has been fortunate that she’s learned a few things from Davia, including how to be more confident. “Since Davia speaks her mind, I’ve taken that into my own life and been better at addressing the issue instead of letting it sit,” she shares.

Over the years, Hunton has received a lot of comments about her body type, and when she joined Good Trouble, she “never intended to be the leader of the body positivity movement.”

“I was happy to be involved. I was lucky to grow up in a household where we didn’t talk about diets. I wasn’t made to feel like I had to lose weight. I was always told I was beautiful the way I was,” she explains. “I grew up in the entertainment industry, so I felt that pressure, but my mom did her best to shield it from me. I grew up relatively normal, so it’s crazy that other people don’t get that kind of support growing up. Now, I am on a personal mission to make sure every human on this planet feels beautiful the way they are because I had that growing up, and I didn’t have the body positivity movement. I want to be that voice before any negative comments get in someone’s head. If I can be an extra voice to remind people they don’t have to change who they are to be beautiful, then I am happy to do it.”

“It means the world to me,” she says of being a role model. “Anytime I get a message from any fan or people I’ve met in public, it means so much to me. I will never get tired of people telling me they feel seen because I truly believe that’s why we do it. If we’re not telling stories to make people feel seen and heard, then why are we telling them?”

Ultimately, the producer’s life has changed for the better because of this series, which began in 2019. Hunton, who has a live show called Tramp Stamp Granny’s in Los Angeles, was in New York prior to filming Good Trouble, but this show was an opportunity she couldn’t turn down, and in turn, altered the trajectory of my career. “It’s a show that says something. It’s a show that doesn’t back down. It’s a show that says how people feel and makes people feel seen and heard,” she states. “I’m so proud to be part of a show that is so in tune with the world and with the youth. They know what people need to see and know what people need to hear to know they’re not alone. There aren’t many shows like this out there.”

“I will always want what’s best for Davia at the end of the day, but I also just love these people so much that I think all of us would just keep working forever together if we could, and working for Freeform has been a gift.”

Though Hunton would love to continue to play Davia forever, she knows it will come to an end at some point. “I want to send Davia off on a good note,” she says.

She also would love to continue performing and perhaps act in a movie. “I will go where the work is. I just enjoy working,” she concludes.