stylist: Roseann Rosete
When Chelsea Clark returned to the set of Ginny & Georgia, it felt totally different — in the best way possible. While filming season 1, which debuted in February 2021, the cast was unable to socialize as much due to the ongoing pandemic and specific protocols that were put in place.
“We were all so excited to come back and be together. The girls who were part of MANG (Maxine, Abby, Norah and later Ginny) are my friends in real life. It felt like we never stopped filming. It was wonderful to be with the same crew we worked with on the first season, in addition to having some new people as well,” the actress, who plays Norah in Ginny & Georgia, exclusively tells GRAZIA USA.
During the “off-season,” Clark and her costars were able to keep in touch via their group chat. “Since we’re all at the beginnings of our career, it’s great to see how we’ve grown and to be able to support each other during this time. The show opened doors for us that no one could have expected, and it was such a wonderful experience.”
Since the brunette beauty starred in of Degrassi: Next Class — she played Esme Song for four seasons — she knew what it was like to be on successful show, but once Ginny & Georgia landed in Netflix’s Top 10 — and stayed there — for several weeks, she knew it was something special. “It exceeded everyone’s expectations. We were all like, ‘We’re in the same boat here.’ I loved how it doesn’t just focus on one genre. You have your murder, your teen drama, your adult drama, your comedy. I knew people were going to love it, but I didn’t realize it was going to become such a phenomenon. I watched the first episode and for the next three days, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. It was a really cool experience.”
stylist: Roseann Rosete
Clark also loves playing Norah, as she’s “so sweet.”
“It’s so wonderful to see her have such a strong female friendship group and to be in a group of females that aren’t really represented on TV and film right now. It’s great when you see a bunch of girls not be pitted against each other. To be able to play Norah, who feels so strongly about her friends, makes me feel so grateful for all of my female friendships.”
“She comes pretty naturally to me,” she adds of getting into character. “It was a good foundation that I built for the character. So come season 2, it felt like I was coming back to a well-oiled machine. I was nervous in the beginning because I hadn’t played her in so long, but once I got onto set, I realized a lot of her character is part of me as well.”
In season 2 — and hopefully in more episodes to come if the show gets picked up again — Clark wants Norah to “gain more of a backbone with her friends because I think that through her love for them, she lets them say more hurtful things to her. I want her to develop on her own and make her own choices.”
stylist: Roseann Rosete
“I am excited for season 2,” she gushes. “It’s going to be exciting because it takes on similar themes through a different lens. You can expect a lot more drama and a lot more suspense. Of course, there will be a lot more secrets coming out.”
The Canada native also couldn’t help but rave about working with Antonia Gentry (Ginny) and Brianne Howey (Georgia). “They put 110 percent into everything. They both show up to set and are ready to work and are present,” she notes. “They know what is going on, and they’re so wonderful and welcoming. You know you’re in good hands with them.”
Since Clark and Gentry get to share a lot of scenes together, they’re able to improv and riff off one another. “It’s wonderful because you feel like you’re in a safe space when we’re all acting together,” she says. “With Brianne, she’s so beautiful and talented and it’s so amazing to watch her do her thing. Every time I watch her, I’m like, ‘I want to be at that level.’ She’s so good at what she does that I’m always in awe.”
Clark had been in showbiz a while before she landed on Ginny & Georgia, but once she got on set, she knew this was the right job for her. “I was like, ‘I want to keep doing this,'” she recalls. The star became hooked on acting when she served as a writer, director and producer for the Canadian television miniseries Ezra, which follows a gay vampire entering the human word to find love. “I was in the writer’s room and I just remember building these worlds, which was an amazing experience,” she shares. “I was like, ‘No matter what I end up doing, this is the place for me. I love being here. I love what the film industry does, and I love the world you can create.'”
stylist: Roseann Rosete
“I’ve been acting for so long that I didn’t realize how much knowledge I had, so to be able to come to set and use it in a way that wasn’t through acting was very fulfilling,” she continues. “I was excited to be there and so happy to put it all together.”
Next up for Clark is to hopefully be cast in another comedy series similar to Ginny & Georgia. “Something that is fun and super relevant!” she exclaims. “I love these core female groups that are now showing up on shows. I would love to be part of my own show. I’ve been developing a series that I’d want to be a part of. After Ezra, I am like, ‘You can write for that. You can do that.'”
“I hope to inspire others by leading by example,” she concludes. “I hope that by me working hard, I can show others who want to be an actor that you can do it. At the end of the day, people want escapism and they want to see someone they can relate to. I hope I can be that for them as well.”
Ginny & Georgia premieres on Netflix on January 5.
