After the season 1 finale of Ginny & Georgia debuted in February 2021, fans were left on the edge of their seats as they watched Ginny (Antonia Gentry) steal Marcus’ (Felix Mallard) motorcycle and ride off with her little brother, Austin (Diesel La Torraca), after it was revealed that Georgia (Brianne Howey) murdered her ex-husband Kenny (Darryl Scheelar).
Luckily for viewers, season 2 of the hit series, which premiered on January 5, picks up two weeks after the cliffhanger.
“Georgia’s worst nightmare has come. This woman is always four steps ahead of everyone, but this is the one thing she’s never planned or accounted for. Of course, Georgia lets her pride get in the way and won’t easily admit how devastated she is,” Howey, 33, who plays one of the lead characters, exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “This is quite an earth-shattering moment for the whole family. The kids have learned one of biggest skeletons in Georgia’s closet and they abandoned her.”
“This is rock bottom for Georgia,” she adds. “She doesn’t see this coming. I think it hurt Georgia more than she knew, but with Georgia, if there’s a will, there’s a way. When Georgia puts her mind to something, she will get Ginny back.”
In the new batch of episodes, the blonde beauty reveals “there are a lot of unlikely pairings, which will allow you to see a completely different side of every character.”
“I feel like season 2 makes season 1 look like we barely scratched the surface on some of these heavier subjects,” the actress notes. “It was shockingly easy for everyone dive right back into season 2 because everyone knows their characters so well by now.”
Though the show can tackle some tough material, such as race, teenage dynamics, murder and divorce, Howey is grateful to have Gentry by her side as they’ve “created such a safe space where we fully trust each other.”
“I know we can dive right in. We don’t have to overly rehearse and we try to save a lot of it for the camera. She’s such a fantastic actor and it allows me to get locked and loaded right away. Not to mention, we care so much about these characters and we want to do them justice. I love Georgia so much and I want to make her proud and do her story justice. You always have to be on your character’s side, no matter what decision they’re making,” she declares.
Though Howey and Gentry, 25, are actually only eight years apart, the former admits their relationship is very similar to Ginny and Georgia’s. “I feel so lucky that we get along so well. It’s a dream come true,” she gushes. “I love and adore her — and I would do anything for her. She’s so honest and present. It’s funny, I thought she would need more help in some way, but this girl’s totally got it. She’s a natural.”
Since the Hart of Dixie alum has four younger siblings, whose ages range from 15 to 28, she knows all too well what it’s like to do anything for her family. “That’s how I can relate to Georgia,” she says. “It’s also fun to play someone who takes up so much space. I lean into that a lot. Georgia has a tendency to take things personally and make it about her, which is not something I do naturally. I love the amount of space she takes up because it’s one of the areas in my life that I get to do that — or I feel comfortable doing that. I feel like I have permission to do that.”
Of course, Georgia, who didn’t have the best childhood, is complicated, which leads Howey to be “very present” while playing her because she can “flip on a dime.”
“One line is funny and the next line is scary. She is so on it. She lives so much of her life in survivor mode,” she points out. “She really has to live second to second and just stay incredibly present because Georgia’s life is life or death — that’s how she was raised.”
On the other hand, Howey loves to play silly and funny Georgia, who isn’t shy about making her kids feel uncomfortable. “I like when Georgia is a fish out of water and not in her element,” she quips. “It’s really fun. She’s so dynamic and with every character she interacts with, it portrays a different side of her. She almost has a different mask on with each and every person. As an actor, it keeps me on my toes and there’s never a dull moment.”
In season 2, viewers will get to learn more about Georgia’s past — specifically from Georgia herself.
After the comedy-drama debuted in 2021, it immediately soared to Netflix’s Top 10 and became one of the streamer’s most watched shows ever. “It means the world to us,” the Dollface star says of the show’s success. “We knew this story and these characters meant something to us, but you never know if it will resonate with anybody else — and that people found catharsis in it is honestly a privilege. It’s why you want to become an actor.”
“The part that blew our minds was when the demographics came out and grown men approached me to talk about the show. That to me is one of the coolest feelings in the entire world,” she adds.
Though Howey grew up in Southern California, she fully wasn’t aware of the entertainment industry. “I fell into acting in high school because I didn’t make any of the sports teams and I had to pick an elective,” she shares. “I tried out for the improv team, and I made it. I loved it and realized, ‘These are my people.’ My improv coach told me I should try out for plays. Since I went to an all-girl school, I auditioned for a play at the boys’ school and had a blast.”
From there, the TV star fell in love with NYU and got into the Tisch School of Arts. “The rest is history!” she says. “It’s been slow and steady. I’ve had an oddly linear career for an industry that’s not very linear. I started with one line that turned into a couple of lines and then one episode turned into a couple of episodes into a series regular role. Now, many years later, I get to do something as wonderful as Ginny & Georgia.”
“I know a lot of people who don’t have linear careers and it’s hard not to compare yourselves, but I tried to be a racehorse and keep my blinders on. I’m just happy that people are watching the show. It took a minute, but we’re here,” she adds.
From Dollface to Hart of Dixie to Batwoman, Howey has gotten to play varying roles — something she hopes to keep doing in the future. “I want to keep working and playing dynamic characters and working with people who I can learn from, who elevate me and who are better than me so I can keep striving to be my best,” she says. “I’ve had the opportunity to work on so many different shows with so many different kinds of actors, writers, directors, producers and that alone feels like such a privilege. I’ve gotten so many different experiences and that’s what life is about.”
She continues, “You sort of walk through doors that open. Looking back, it’s been one of the best things for me to be part of different genres because I’ve gotten to exercise all these different muscles and learn so much.”
While season 3 of Ginny & Georgia hasn’t been confirmed just yet, going forward Howey hopes the two main characters can “work on their relationship and their vulnerability, in addition to Georgia working on her truths. Georgia doesn’t care what other people think about and I love that about her. I want her to continue working on herself,” she says. “Wait until you see the cliffhanger — the finale is absolutely bonkers!”
“I’m very excited about 2023!” Howey declares. “A lot of fun things to come.”
