At 22, Liv Hewson stepped into the Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet having no idea what to expect. However, starring alongside Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant — she plays their teenage daughter, Abby Hammond — has been a learning experience, every single day.
“We make each other laugh a lot. I think we’ve all been guilty of cracking up during a scene; we’re lucky enough to work with a great team of writers who have as much fun with the material as we do,” she told Us Weekly exclusively. “It’s a very warm and friendly set to work on. I get a lot out of working with Drew and Tim. It’s a great time and I’m always learning new things watching them work.”
Read the rest our our Q&A with Hewson below:
Us Weekly: What’s been the best part of taking on the role of Abby?
Liv Hewson: I have the most fun playing around with the mix of real and absurd in our show. On the one hand, Abby is a teenager coming into her own both inside the family unit and outside it; that’s a very normal teenage experience. On the other hand, her parents murder people for her undead mother to eat, and Abby has absolutely no problem with vigilante justice or crime … maybe not so normal. Dealing with those things at once is great fun. She’s a badass! She’s whip smart, funny and brave. I look up to her in a lot of ways.
Us: What can you say about Eric (Skyler Gisondo) and Abby’s future?
LH: My favorite thing about Eric and Abby’s dynamic is that they have each other’s back 100 percent. Their relationship is so solid and based on mutual care and trust, and you really get the sense that these kids are going to be important to each other forever. Regardless of whether their relationship takes a romantic turn or not, there’s no doubt that they’re always going to be there for each other. I think that’s really special. I’m not sure myself what’s in store! But I’m as excited to find out as everyone else.
Us: Assuming it gets renewed, what are your hopes for season 3?
LH: Here’s the thing: I have no idea what happens next. I feel like I have a relationship with the story both as an actor and an audience member, because the story’s unfolding in front of me as we make it. I would love to go again, not only because I love my job but I want to find out what happens! Sometimes I try to trick people on the writing or producing staff into telling me things, but they’re always like “it’ll be better if it’s a surprise” and they’re right, even though it pains me to admit it.
Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Netflix.
