Anneliese Judge‘s life changed overnight when her character, Annie, became a fan-favorite on Netflix‘s hit series Sweet Magnolias. From then on, the show was renewed for a second season and when it premiered in February, it took the No. 1 spot on the streaming service.
Since this was the actress’ first major role, she got to learn from her amazing costars — JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott and Heather Headley — which is something she will never forget.
“Brooke is one of my favorite people in the world. We text every week, and we’re trying to get together again over my spring break from college, and I am hoping to see her in L.A.,” the 20-year-old exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “She is so natural and so graceful, and I think that that is something that I really picked up. During season 1, I was so nervous while meeting everyone and there was so much going on. I just learned how to fall into the work and not let all of the distractions around you take you out of your element.”
“Brooke looks them right in the eye and she really feels things with you,” she adds of Elliott’s acting technique. “You learn so much about someone and you learn so much about yourself when you give people permission to see you and that has been a really cool learning experience for me is to allow people that I work with to truly see me. I think that really translates on camera too and letting people see your vulnerability for all it is.”
Garcia Swisher and Judge also have a couple of scenes together, “and she is just an incredible person as well,” the rising star notes. “She did help me a lot this season, especially with getting that first take out and then just allowing yourself to play. I tend to be a perfectionist and I want it to be meaningful, connected and powerful every single time I do it, but when you’re working for 14 hours a day, the take is not going to be perfect and so she really helped me with that stuff this season.”
“I am really fortunate that everyone that I work with is really humble, really kind, really empathetic and giving and always so into giving advice and help in whatever area. They are such genuine people,” she gushes.
During season 2, viewers got to know Annie a bit more, as she finally feels seen by boys, a.k.a. Ty (Carson Rowland) and Jackson (Sam Ashby).
“I honestly love both storylines. I think it would be really exciting for her to explore the Ty and Annie end game. I really want that, but I am also enjoying the Jackson and Annie plot line right now because I think this is the first time that any guy has ever been attracted to Annie like that,” she says. “In season 1, she said, ‘Mom, nothing bad is going to happen to me because nobody looks at me like that,’ and now all of a sudden, someone actually likes her for her and all of her quirks. I think she has fallen head over heels for this boy, but I don’t really want her to get her heart broken yet! Part of me wants to protect her. I don’t really want to see her heart broken just yet, even though I love Ty and Annie, I don’t want to see that taken away!”
Over time, the brunette beauty has really tapped into her character — especially since she understands Annie on a deeper level.
“I see a lot of myself in her. I am 20, and she is 15, and when I was 15, I was a lot like her. I would describe Annie as naïve, but she has a really big heart. I think that comes from having really loving — but strict — parents who just want the best for her,” she notes. “She has got this big world mentality, but she lives in this small town and she knows there is more for her. She knows she has got so much potential. There’s so many things she wants to see and when I was 15, I felt exactly the same way. I feel like Annie is just a younger version of myself that I get to explore and really reflect on and share with everybody, which is another reason why she is such a vulnerable character for me because when I share her scenes, it’s me! It’s so much of me, and even though it’s not my words, it’s my story almost and I relate to so many aspects of her.”
Though Judge is busy with acting, she also likes to dabble in other things. So much so, she is studying consumer apparel and retail studies in college and hopes to get into the fashion world one day.
“I think it would be awesome to maybe one day have my own clothing line or work with other clothing brands or have my own collection,” she shares.
What’s even better is that Judge and Annie have a similar aesthetic, so it’s easy for her to try on anything when she’s at fittings. “I really like to be comfortable. Whatever I am wearing has to be comfortable, but my style is actually very much like Annie’s, which is really funny because sometimes I will post in a picture and people will be like, ‘Oh, I loved Annie’s outfit,’ and I am like, ‘No, this is actually mine,'” she quips.
Judge is still getting used to being in the spotlight and being recognized while out and about, but at the end of the day, she couldn’t be happier with how her career has panned out so far.
“I feel like I am just someone who is learning and going through life. I am on my own journey and to think that my journey is inspiring to other people is just really surreal,” she states. “It feels really nice to know that the things I am doing are comforting to other people or helpful to other people, and it just feels really nice that that is something that I can do for others or that I can be an outlet for other people. Even just people who message me in my DMs and they are just talking about their own life or telling me personal stories or sharing things with me that maybe they haven’t shared with other people. I love being a sound board for other people. I care, and it’s really nice that I can be someone who people can relate to.”
Judge is crossing her fingers that the show will be renewed for season 3, but for now, she is soaking up this time in her life.
“I honestly just feel nothing but gratitude. I journal a lot, and I have a gratitude journal that I like to write in everyday. I’ll write, ‘I am grateful I woke up today and I was able to get out of bed, grateful I had the opportunity to go to college, grateful I had the opportunity to pursue what I love, the show being in the top 10 and being on a show that everyone who has resonated with it,'” she says. “It’s just so overwhelming the support we’ve gotten and the amount of people who have fallen in love with our serenity and the characters on a show and found someone that reminds them of themselves on our show too.”
Season 2 of Sweet Magnolias is now streaming on Netflix.
