AFTER A DOUBLE-SEASON RENEWAL AND A TWO-YEAR BREAK, SARA WAISGLASS RETURNS TO SCREENS IN THE LONG-AWAITED THIRD INSTALMENT OF NETFLIX’S HIT SHOW GINNY & GEORGIA. WHILE HER CHARACTER, MAXINE, WAS WIDELY DESPISED BY FANS IN SEASON TWO – OFTEN CRITICISED FOR BEING LOUD, OBNOXIOUS, AND MISUNDERSTOOD – THIS TIME, IT SEEMS THE TABLES HAVE TURNED. THOUGHT-RIDDEN, HYPER-SENSITIVE, HYPER-AWARE, AND OVERDEPENDENT, SARA DELIVERS A KNOTTY PORTRAYAL OF A HIGH SCHOOLER GRAPPLING WITH SERIOUS EMOTIONAL WEIGHT: HER BEST FRIEND’S MOM IS ON TRIAL FOR MURDER, AND HER TWIN BROTHER IS BATTLING ALCOHOLISM. AS DRAINING AS THAT MAY SOUND, SARA ADMITS IT’S THE OPPOSITE - THE EMOTIONAL DEPTH ACTUALLY LEAVES HER FEELING ENERGISED AND DEEPLY CONNECTED TO HER CHARACTER, FROM SCENE TO SCENE, SEASON TO SEASON, AND EVEN IN HER DOWNTIME.

IN 2026, AFTER WRAPPING SEASON FOUR OF GINNY & GEORGIA, SHE WILL STAR IN TUBI’S HOW TO LOSE A POPULARITY CONTEST OPPOSITE CHASE HUDSON. IN THIS OFFBEAT TEEN DRAMEDY, SARA PLAYS AN UNPOPULAR, ACADEMICALLY DRIVEN STUDENT WITH A CONTROLLING STREAK, DETERMINED TO STICK TO HER GOALS, ALL WHILE TRYING NOT TO BE SWOONED BY CHASE’S CHARACTER, A CHARMING, ROGUISH, POPULAR BOY. BTB SAT DOWN WITH THE CANADIAN ACTRESS TO DISCUSS THE EVOLUTION OF NETFLIX’S MOST-HATED TWIN AND WHAT’S NEXT IN HER GROWING CAREER.

Left Full look **Shushu/Tong**, watch **Longines**
Right Full look **Celine**

You just wrapped How to Lose a Popularity Contest. How did the audition process go for this film?

I had chemistry read with Chase, and then I checked in every day and was like, “Is this happening”? And they didn't tell me anything, so I let it go and told myself I wouldn’t get it. Then they just called me late on a Tuesday night, and they said, “You're in.” And so I literally packed up in two hours, and the next morning I was on a flight. It really came out of nowhere, and I loved every second of it.

How has life been since the release of season three of Ginny & Georgia?

Interesting. Funny. I feel like after season two, I had a lot of negativity from fans and a lot of people abandoning my character because she was being evil and very dramatic, and people did not like that. But then, for season three, Max had a very different arc, which shed light on why she is the way she is and why she puts on a mask and tries her best to be a big presence in everyone's lives and keep things happy. I think a lot of people resonated with that. I've had a lot of people say, you know, I hated Max, but now I understand her, and I think I probably hated her because I saw myself in her, which is a beautiful thing to hear. Not that I want people to hate themselves, but it was just really powerful to know how much a character can affect people.

Left Full look **Versace**, watch **Longines**
Right Full look **Shushu/Tong**, watch **Longines**

I feel like each season, the writers are adding an extra layer of emotional depth to your character, and in doing so, they make Maxine more relatable.

Part of what makes our show so incredible is that every time you think you know someone, there's a new layer that we explore, and it builds compassion. That's what the world needs more of, and it's something I'm very proud of about Ginny & Georgia. I know the writers take a lot of pride in that, and they're very attentive to detail when it comes to that. I always believe that passion shines through the screen, and all of us care about our characters so much.

Your dynamic with your twin Marcus, played by Felix Mallard, is amazing – how has your relationship evolved over the seasons?

Felix and I never had a chemistry read. We never met before we were cast. Which I think is shocking because we really do have such a great camaraderie, and we’re able to go back and forth with each other quite easily. That's a huge gift, and I said in season one that what I wanted for season two, to be able to work with him more and to explore that sibling bond more, which we did in a silly way, but then in season three, we really get down to the root of who they are to each other.

Suit, shirt, bag & sneakers **Louis Vuitton**, watch **Longines**, sunglasses **Celine**

We often look at Marcus as the broken and hurt twin, whose issues we easily recognise as signs of depression and anxiety. But I think this season we delve deeper into Maxine’s way of interacting, reacting, building relationships, through her oversharing, her obsessive attachment and seeing another side of anxious and depressive behaviour.

I think mental health is a huge part of our show, and everything is always passed through Mental Health America, which is an organisation that studies mental health. For the characters we play, we always do our research and we pass it through them, so we can tell things authentically. Mentally, I think Max and I are different, and last season, everyone talked about Marcus’ depression, but I'm a strong believer that depression manifests itself in many different ways. I think Maxine deals with her depression in a very extroverted way, having to cover her pain and convince herself that it's not there. To not be a burden to people. So to be able to play up against Marcus's depression, which was so visible, painful, dark, and contrast it with Maxine's version of that, which is very hard to see from an outside perspective. I think that's why she doesn't get the support from her parents or her friends, because everyone just believes she's fine, and I think that is a very interesting take on depression that I haven't seen much of on screen.

Episode nine was a real glimpse into Maxine’s mind, and also a glimpse into your musical theatre side. Tell us about the preparation for that episode.

First of all, I am so grateful that I get to do a musical every season. I am a theatre kid. And every season, the musicals walk hand in hand with the plot. Preparing for that episode was a blast, just for the musical alone, the choreography and the recording sessions and everything like that was oodles of fun. The hardest for me was the scenes in Max's bedroom, where she's running all around her room and it's her inner monologue and she's going all over the place, and then a few scenes later when she's getting ready for school and she's telling her mom that she kind of wants to talk to her friends and her mom's like, “Don't do that”. Those were the hardest to prepare because that is all Max's inner dialogue and all her physical energy as well, and with no one to really go back and forth with. It's hard, and I don't wanna say it's exhausting because I love playing with her, but I slept so well after that day.

Left Full look **Shushu/Tong**, watch **Longines**
Right Full look **Versace**, watch **Longines**

Where do you hope your character goes next season?

Max has never really stood on her own two feet. She's always had close friends, and now she's at odds with them, which is going to force her out of her comfort zone. To really make her learn her own independence and hopefully make her more accepting of who she is. I think it's easiest to go down the root of asking yourself, “What did I do wrong? Am I too much for people”? But eventually you learn that sometimes rejection isn't about you at all. I think that's a really important lesson to learn as a kid. On top of that, the buffer of rejection is radical self-acceptance. So I'm hoping that she learns to completely accept herself because she deserves to.

You have also gotten into screenwriting. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

I’ve always been a storyteller. I grew up writing poetry, and I would tell stories through that. When I was in high school, I took this creative writing class, and that really kicked me in gear. I just think there's a lot more control with writing that you don't really get with acting, because with acting, you're a victim to your character. It really does make you see a different side of performance and why certain things are important. I'm very happy that I get to do that. It's frustrating staring at a blank page. But again, it teaches patience, and it makes me exercise self-belief and determination.

What’s next for you?

I’m writing this musical, and it is so good. I'm not someone who praises myself for anything. I am my biggest critic, we all are, but this thing is great, and I am so excited about it. Me and my buddy, Josh are working on getting that made and developing it to the best of our abilities. Hopefully, we can bring it to the screen or to the stage. I also have this pilot that I'm really proud of, which I'm hoping will find its place. And I get to go back to Ginny & Georgia this fall, which is a way shorter time between seasons and excited to get back to Max and all my castmates, who I'm so proud of.

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Discover the full story in our FW25 Issue - out next Fall25

Interview by Gabrielle Valda Colas

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Oliver Vaughn

EIC Michael Marson

Hair by Candice Birns

Make-Up by Fiona Stiles

Casting by Imagemachine cs