Allow us to take you back to February 2021. We were in the middle of yet another COVID-19 wave, suffering through the winter and, to be frank, pretty bored. Suddenly, it felt like everyone was watching Ginny & Georgia, a sort of gritty, Gilmore Girls-esque dramedy about a tight-knit mother-daughter duo hoping to settle down in a new town. Netflix claimed that the first season was watched by 52 million households in just a month, and much of its young cast—including 24-year-old Toronto-based actor Sara Waisglass, who plays Ginny’s quirky, outgoing and unabashed BFF Maxine—were now under a huge spotlight. But just like the rest of us, they were stuck at home while it all happened. “Season one blowing up during the pandemic was honestly very helpful because I was surrounded by family and stayed grounded,” says Waisglass, who started out as a child actor and starred in both Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class. “The only thing that really changed in my life was what people were saying online—[otherwise] we were all stuck at home. It was hard to think of myself as important because I was in my childhood bedroom.” Now, after a lengthy wait, the show is back for season two (ending Wednesday’s six-week run as Netflix’s top English-language TV series), and it’s bigger, more emotional and better than ever.

Riled up

“[Season two] of Ginny & Georgia being out [in the world] was nerve-racking—I’m not going to lie. But if ever I don’t feel nervous, that’s the day I’ll know that I’ve completely lost myself. The good thing is that the cast is very close, so there was a lot of texting and there were a lot of FaceTime calls, which is really cute of us. We rely on each other, and it really helps to have solid community support.” 

Character moment

“Maxine is original. I’ve never seen anyone like her on TV. She’s energetic, full of life and funny. She’s out and proud. She is just exactly who she is, and she’s so happy about it. I love her because of her heart and how deeply she loves her friends and family. I also just love her energy—that’s what really stuck with me. Getting to embody her energy shifted things in me and changed the way I see myself. It made me brave. She’s the biggest gift I could ask for—Max changed my life because the show changed my life, and I’m so full of gratitude.”

Time out

“I took a break from acting when I was around 10 because I was missing out on the regular parts of childhood, like making friends and going to school. I remember seeing The Hunger Games and being like, ‘Damn it, I wish I could have done that.’ I wanted to be Katniss. That got me thinking about going back to acting. Then I read a script with a friend who was auditioning for a school musical, and that made it all click. I was like, ‘I have to go back.’”

Full control

“Because I had those early acting experiences, I’m very adaptable. When things go wrong on-set, I’m very chill about it, and I’m ready to do some problem solving. I know how to keep morale high, which is really important because energy on-set is contagious, and I like to make sure that everyone’s having the best time so they can do their best work.”

And action

“I love the medium of TV and film. Getting to be a part of it is such a privilege. It really is a team effort, and I like being part of a team. But the thing that keeps me going is [that feeling] when I’m literally in the middle of a scene. I don’t think there’s anything better. It doesn’t matter what the scene is—I could be bawling my eyes out or screaming—it is the most fun ever, and it’s when I feel the most alive. Acting is just the most magical thing.” 

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