I didn’t think people would take me seriously, but I felt a connection to Kat.
I relate to Kat on so many levels.
How did those collaborations manifest while you were working on the show?
Credit: HBO
It’s all open for conversation.
Sam is an incredible collaborator because he really respects our opinion as young people.
He really peeled back the layers of each and every one of us.
He’s just an incredibly empathic man.
From an animated bit to aGame of Thrones-style set piece.
Yeah, it’s all about the escapism of being a teenager.
What lengths did everyone go to towards making the shoot a comfortable environment?
I was very vocal about like “I would like to see it.
I loved that day.
I remember going home smiling.
It’s an exploration of sexuality with this man, regardless of what he looks like.
There’s a sexiness and there’s an allure to that.
It was never like “Do this.
Come over here and look at this micro dick.”
They explained to me what I was doing, they asked me if I was comfortable with it.
Another interesting thing about Kat is that she’s not a stereotypical outcast.
She’s still fashionable before her makeover scene and is pretty popular.
I don’t think anyone wanted to tell that story because it’s overdone.
She has her style and she’s popular enough.
Her style changes because it’s an armor.
She feels like she has control over her own sexual needs, completely in control of the situation.
Is that kind of like Kat’s armor that you were talking about?
Her trust is broken.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
