We cannot blame you for getting all teary-eyed while watching the last moments of 13 Reasons
Why. After all, the doors of Liberty High School are now closed permanently. The series’
cast and crew have moved on to other projects. But hey, even if the show is over, we still
have the precious memories of how it all started, and how the careers of our idols deservedly
took off. Most importantly, we have an excellent example before our eyes on sharing both joy
and despair with the people dear to us. Because the cast of 13 Reasons Why had gone through
a lot as a group. Did America’s beloved pop princess and the
show’s executive producer Selena Gomez literally save the lives of some cast members? Were
the young stars of the devastating and controversial series always there for each other? Are the
friendships they have forged on the set genuine and strong enough to last a lifetime?
Today on RumourJuice, we are looking back on the years our favourite actors spent together.
We’ll remember the fun moments, the bonding moments, and, of course, the darker moments
full of tension and real struggles.
Being each other’s emotional support The cast of 13 Reasons Why used to gather
together and go through their parts of the script before facing the cameras. This way,
it was easier for the actors, writers, directors, or producers to make changes ahead of time.
We all know how emotionally taxing 13 Reasons Why is. And the actors were not immune to
tears during their collective script reading. Devin Druid, who plays a loner high school
photographer Tyler Down, recalls that there were so many scenes where they found it so
difficult not to break down. And after every table read, the cast would sit around the
table and let the tears flow freely. Then, they would hug each other. This gave the young
actors the strength to cope with some of the most sensitive scenes they were about to shoot.
So we can only imagine the mood at the table on the day of their last table read. Dylan
Minnette, or Clay Jensen, managed to express the bittersweet feeling in his farewell message.
He admitted that he already started missing his co-stars… but at the same time, he was
excited for us fans to see how it all ends. Alisha Boe, who plays Jessica Davis, said
filming the finale was a lot of emotions for her. As she came to terms with the fact that
the show was ending, she felt “angry one day, sad the next, happy the next."
And yet, Ross Butler aka Zach Dempsey, added: "Even when we were going to the deep dark
places, it was a lot of fun".
Selena Gomez was the glue that held everything together
You may know that 13 Reasons Why owes everything to Selena Gomez, who served as the show’s
executive producer. But did you know that she was initially going for the part of Hannah
Baker? Ultimately, Katherine Langford was cast for the role. But Gomez stayed very much
involved in every aspect of the show and couldn’t be more supportive of
the cast. Dylan Minnette recalls the day when she visited the set, stayed with them the
entire day and talked to everyone. “She took us out to dinner and saw a movie
with us, and we hung out with her.” How’s that for team building activities?
“I don't think I can emphasise how generous she is and how genuinely she cares," Minnette
said. He added that the superstar singer makes all of them feel very loved and welcome.
Creating the right atmosphere on the set is crucial, and we think that Selena Gomez excelled
at that (and made new friends, too).
Matching and meaningful tattoos 13 Reasons Why deals with some pretty dark
issues. It’s no secret that many of the show’s cast members have struggled with
mental health issues, just like their on-screen counterparts. As has the show’s executive
producer, Selena Gomez. That is why her and some of the actors made the decision to get
matching semicolon tattoos. What does a semicolon mean?
"Project semicolon is a movement dedicated to presenting hope for those suffering from
depression, thoughts of suicide, addiction, and self-injury," actress Alisha Boe explained.
Tommy Dorfman, who plays Ryan, documented their tattoo-salon adventure on Instagram:
“Today was a magical day. Another day to be grateful to be alive. For us, [the tattoo]
means a beginning of another chapter in life, in lieu of ending your life.” The actor
revealed that he had struggled with addiction and depression issues through high school
and early college. He didn’t even think he’d live past the age of 21. But he reached
out for help. Brandon Flynn, who plays Justin Foley, has
the same semicolon tattoo. He encourages those struggling with their mental health to allow
their story to continue and inspire others. 13 Reasons Why, saving each other’s lives
and the lives of the fans from all over the world. If that’s not a strong bond, we don’t
know what is.
Some of the cast knew each other prior to the series
It’s a small world, indeed. As actor Christian Navarro revealed, he and 13 Reasons Why co-star
Brandon Flynn went to college together. “Crazy,” Christian commented.
The show’s two main stars, Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford, have also crossed
paths before. When they were 16, they worked together on a pilot of an NBC show. Fun fact:
as Katherine recalls, both of them had just gotten their drivers’ licenses. The series,
unfortunately, never got picked up, so Dylan and Katherine lost touch for quite a while.
"Four years later, I saw his name on the 13 Reasons Why call sheet, and it was like, oh
my goodness, what are the odds? It was great to have a reunion when I signed on," the young
actress says fondly.
Living together - and loving it! 13 Reasons Why, the show that made us feel
all the emotions at once, has come to an end. The cast, however, could very well star in
their own reality TV show now. Especially since they’ve had a bit of a Friends situation
when the show was in its first season. Ever wondered why the on-screen chemistry among
the cast is so good? “None of us lived where we filmed the show,
so we all had to move there,” Miles Heizer, who plays Alex says.
As fate would have it, seven cast members accidentally moved into the same apartment
building! “The best way to describe it is like summer
camp. You get close so quickly,” the actor added.
Alisha Boe was one of those lucky people. For her, the main advantage of their close
proximity was that she had companions to watch her favourite shows with.
“I lived two doors down from Christian [Navarro, who plays Tony], and every day after set I
would go over to his place and watch RuPaul's Drag Race,” she said.
Navarro, on his part, confirms that their living situation was a pure coincidence and
totally surprised everyone! Together with Dylan Minnette and Brandon Flynn, he casually
went to check an apartment complex. The group liked it and moved in. And then found out
a bunch of their co-stars made the same decision. “Before you knew it, half the cast was all
living in the same place. We all got to know each other really well. I think you see that
a little bit in the show too,” Navarro added. Oh to be a fly on the wall during those gatherings!
Doting on “the baby” of the group Actor David Druid is just 22. He won our hearts
as Tyler, a bullied student at Liberty High and an aspiring photographer.
“Since season one I’ve been the baby of the cast. I’ve been the youngest. I started
this show when I was 18,” David says. Mild spoiler alert: the 4th season introduces a
new 18-year-old character, and David calls her “the new baby”.
“It’s been fun having a little sister,” he jokes and adds that the cast are a very
tight group, like a big family. Oh, and they hung out all the time during filming, too!
Uplifting each other every step of the way When Katherine Langford received a Golden
Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her heart-wrenching performance
as Hannah Baker, her co-star Dylan Minnette was the first to praise her for this achievement.
“Many congrats to Katherine Langford on her Golden Globe nom for 13 Reasons Why. Hannah
is such an important character, and not an easy part to portray by any means. So deserved,”
he wrote on Twitter. And Katherine is a fan of Dylan’s cool music
band called Wallows. She’s been to their shows and enjoyed their performance!
“So proud of [Dylan], you’ve been a rockstar since the day I met you, and Wallows absolutely
crushed it last night!”
So this really is the end of 13 Reasons Why. But certainly not for the friendships that
bloomed and blossomed on the set! The actors will always have tons of fun and heartwarming
memories to fall back on a rainy day, and, hey, they’re still just one phone call or
tweet away from each other. What are your favourite on-screen and off-screen
relationships from 13 Reasons Why? Do share in the comments section below!