The first time I saw the new series, Awkward., on MTV, it caught me by surprise. Initially, I hadn’t planned on watching the show, but had tuned in for the sake of curiosity. Needless to say I am glad I did. Not only did I find myself pleasantly surprised, I found myself literally laughing out loud.
As is often the case with a hit series, the writing is hilarious, but most importantly, the cast is epic. I quickly become enthralled with the tale of the awesomely awkward teen, and I was instantly drawn to her trusty sidekick- best friend Tamara, played by actress Jillian Rose Reed.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Jillian and talk about the show and her role on Awkward. Read what she had to say after the jump!
STELLA BELLA: First off, congrats on being picked up for a second season of Awkward!
The show is very relatable, in that I think most of us have “been there” at one time or another, what do you think appeals most to viewers about the show?
JILLIAN: I think the characters are what most viewers find so relatable. Everyone has the Tamara, the Matty, and the Sadie in their lives. These characters are a bit exaggerated for the sake of TV, but they were created based on real people, and I think the viewers can relate to that.
STELLA BELLA: What first attracted you to the role of Tamara on Awkward?
JILLIAN: What first attracted me to Tamara was her sense of freedom. She is very secure in who she is and she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She literally has no filter!! That was super excited to me because I can kind of relate to that!
STELLA BELLA: Any similarities between you and your character?
JILLIAN: There are quite a few similarities between Tamara and I! I always say Tamara is down for an adventure; I’m like that. I consider Tamara to be a great best friend, she’s always there for Jenna, and I value my friendships more than anything so we definitely have that in common too!
STELLA BELLA: What is one of your own “awkward” moments?
JILLIAN: One time I asked a friend of mine to pick me up from a class. When I got into her car I immediately (before even looking to say hello) starting messing with her about not cleaning off her front seat. After I pushed everything off and got in, I looked over and found out that it was NOT my friend!!!! I got in the wrong car and there was a girl eating a sandwich in the drivers seat staring at me like I was crazy!! So I ran away.
STELLA BELLA: How has this show been different from other shows you’ve been on, like Weeds?
JILLIAN: Awkward is the first show that I have ever been a series regular on. It’s such a different experience to be able to get up every morning and go to work with the same cast and crew and get to know everyone on such a personal level. We have the best cast and crew of any show, hands down! The whole tone of the show is also different from something like Weeds, so the vibe on set is very different as well.
STELLA BELLA: You’ve been acting for some time now; did you always want to be an actress?
JILLIAN: Yep!! I started acting when I was very young in musical theater. There was honestly never anything else I could imagine myself growing up to be!
STELLA BELLA: Any surprises in store for us this season?
JILLIAN: Of course!!! Coming up you’ll get to see a little drama between Jenna and Tamara. It’s going to be a great story arch because up until now Jenna and Tamara have had no issues. But just like every best friendship, there’s struggle. It was exciting for me to work on that!
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Massive thanks to Jillian for taking the time to chat with me! Be sure to tune in to MTV and stay up to date on all the latest news and episodes HERE on MTV.com. You can also follow Jillian Rose Reed on Twitter HERE!
Photos via WireImage
