INTERVIEW: Leah Lewis on the New Season of The CW’s ‘Nancy Drew,’ George’s Evolution, Booking ‘The Half Of It,’ and New Projects

Leah Lewis portrays George Fan in The CW’s Nancy Drew, and the actress shared what’s in store for her character in the new season.

Season two of The CW series continues to follow the famous teen detective and her sleuthing team of friends as they solve mysteries in Horseshoe Bay, Maine. George will be dealing with and using her clairvoyant heritage as they encounter the paranormal. The new season picks up right where the season one finale left off, and Nancy (Kennedy McMann) becomes an investigator for her adoptive father Carson Drew’s (Scott Wolf) by legal practice. This results in her bringing the Drew Crew new cases. New episodes air Wednesdays.

Read our exclusive interview with Leah Lewis below to find out about why she wanted to start acting, George’s storyline, favorite set memories, best life advice, and inclusivity in the entertainment industry.

GLITTER: What made you want to pursue acting?
LEAH: I have always felt drawn to the arts and expression. Even from an early age, I gravitated towards music, acting, dancing, anything that had to do with creating emotions and performing. For me, I loved the way it felt and the way I felt when also watching movies, plays, or taking in any kind of art. I think it had to do with my parents raising me on a LOT of Disney movies. Plenty of all of that in there.

GLITTER: Season two of Nancy Drew premiered on January 20; what can fans expect from this new season?
LEAH: Fans can expect a lot of character exploration in this season! I feel like the sea monster Aglaeca really starts to put things into perspective for our characters, and seeing them fight for their life, they start to do things you wouldn’t normally. A lot of scares, heartbreak, high stakes, and more scary, scary stuff.

GLITTER: Anything you can tease about George’s storyline for this season?
LEAH: Oh, it just gets worse and worse for George. That is what I can tease. We need to protect George at all costs every twist and turn. She definitely finds herself in a lot of situations that are…. much more intense than even season one, to say the least. She’s got herself to juggle and one really insane thing that totally shifts her life in this season. I can say, though, you start to see George and Nancy really team up in this season, which is bomb! I love working with Kennedy.

GLITTER: How do you think George has evolved between seasons one and two? Any major differences or changes?
LEAH: I think for George, she’s become much softer because of being around the Drew crew. They support her in a way that she never has really had before because of her broken family. She learns a lot about what it is to love and be loved in return. Her relationship with Nick especially turns things around a lot for her. Never has George felt seen before, so she’s navigating uncomfortable waters.

GLITTER: What is your favorite aspect of George as a character, and is there anything you hope to explore about her in the future?
LEAH: One thing I love about George is how she holds it down. She does what she has to do, and she’s done that since the beginning. Even though situations escalate and she softens a little bit, she still maintains this hardness about her that I really admire. She’s had a lot on her plate. I’m excited to explore this side of George that creates real meaningful relationships, though. She’s growing up, even though she’s had to be a grown-up of the household her whole life.

GLITTER: What has it been like filming with all of the necessary COVID-19 safety precautions?
LEAH: Shooting with Covid precautions had definitely been something new for all of us being on set, but I’d say that it doesn’t change much. The work is still enjoyable, I love being around my castmates, and yes, we have to take extra safety precautions, but I think it’s great in order for us to even be able to continue shooting. Safety first. We’re really lucky to be in production right now.

GLITTER: Back in November, it was confirmed that you are joining the cast of Paramount Animation’s The Tiger’s Apprentice; anything you can share about the project or your role?
LEAH: Ah! Yes. I can share that this is going to be such a new, cool, and unique movie. The fact that I was able to be a part of an all-Asian animation cast is beyond me. My character, Ran, actually has the edginess and spunk similar to George Fan. It’s my first animated role, so I was very happy to be a part of animation and something that really hit home culturally for me too.

GLITTER: What attracted you to the project?
LEAH: Tigers Apprentice has an all-Asian cast, and that immediately grabbed my attention. Their commitment to diverse and inclusive casting really was special for me, and just the storyline overall. I really loved it, and I loved the essence of my character right off the bat.

GLITTER: You starred in Netflix’s The Half Of It last year; what do you hope that film taught viewers?
LEAH: I hope this film, which is so close to my heart, taught viewers to look outside the box when it comes to love. Love isn’t just about romance and finding your soul mate. It’s a lifelong journey that involves self-love, family love, friend love, so many different types of love. Things are not always what they seem, and they’re different for every person too, but this film especially taught me about how multi-layered EVERYbody’s lives can really be behind closed doors.

GLITTER: Do you have any favorite memories from filming or favorite scenes from the project?
LEAH: I think one of my favorite memories from The Half Of It was when I filmed the last scene. We shot the last scene, Ellie departing for college on a train, in the middle of the shoot, but by then, I had become so close to my co-stars Daniel and Alexxis and also with my director that it felt like we were saying goodbye even though we still had so much more to go. I think it wasn’t shooting the scene that gripped me but realizing how invested I was in these people, this character, and it all peaked that day. It gave me the gratitude and excitement I needed to really soak in every second of the project that was left. The director Alice Wu was constantly reminding us to stay in the present moment, so almost every moment was my favorite.

GLITTER: Do you have a favorite genre to do acting-wise and a favorite to watch as a viewer?
LEAH: I really have so much fun shooting quirky comedic scenes that leave room for banter and improv, but me as a viewer, I really enjoy watching indie dramas with intense scores. I love leaving a film or show and feeling impacted heavily. I actually would love to do more of that style in my career as well.

GLITTER: What was a day in social isolation like for you?
LEAH: A day in isolation for me looks like waking up and making sure I am fed (big food fan), and then meditation and yoga. I love to wake up my body before my mind starts racing around thinking about what to do for the day. I make sure to call my loved ones, family, friends. I also just enjoy doing activities like reading, cooking, and working out whether I’m in isolation or not, so it’s helped. I’ve gotten really into indoor gardening, though, and that SAVED me through all this.

GLITTER: Best piece of life advice you’ve received?
LEAH: Best piece of life advice I’ve received….. Hmmmmmm. “This too shall pass.” The good and the bad. It’s always a good reminder for me to look at where my feet are planted and really be grateful for the good and know that some of the bad are only temporary. I try hard to keep a balanced relationship with both aspects.

GLITTER: Last show you binge-watched and loved?
LEAH: I last binged Queens Gambit, and do not even get me started on the wardrobe, intensity of acting, and score! The score had me weeping. I loved the color palette for the whole show too. I kept thinking about all of it for weeks after.

GLITTER: Any new favorite movies you watched over quarantine?
LEAH: I watched this Korean film called Burning, and it was one of the most cinematic, interestingly told stories I’ve seen. It was based on a short story, and they made it into a full-on feature-length film, and it was really unexpected.

GLITTER: Last song you listened to that you felt you could relate to?
LEAH: There is this song called “Doing Great” by Jasimi that I’ve listened to a lot this week. The artist who sings it is actually my friend Jaz Sinclair, and it’s this beautiful song about her self-growth and waking up one day and just being okay. I’ve related to that feeling a lot this year in the pandemic. Sometimes you’re in the thick of it, you’re still putting in the work, and then one day you wake up, and you feel okay, and that’s something to really hold on to, for now, and for future situations, you find yourself in.

GLITTER: What do you think the entertainment industry needs to work on to ensure it is inclusive?
LEAH: I think right now, the entertainment industry is making progress with actively casting more actors of color to play roles that authentically represent characters of color. That’s amazing, but on top of that, more stories and roles need to be written for these characters. Yes, it’s one thing to include the diverse token character to “pepper” in being inclusive, but I’d like to see more shows and films that are centered around these characters, the rich culture, the lives, and making them the main character of these narratives rather than just supporting.

GLITTER: Any dream roles or projects?
LEAH: A dream role for me would be a feature film involving some kind of physical badassery. Ha. I’d love to be in a martial arts film playing a really rough and tough gal who needs to fight for her life.

GLITTER: What is one role that made you emotional or shocked when you got the news that you booked it?
LEAH: When I booked The Half Of It, I broke down in the middle of Ralphs crying and screaming. It was the best moment ever because I had put so much into the audition process, truly still doubted whether I was the choice, and I just wanted to give life to Ellie Chu so badly. I also had never done a film, and that was also a dream of mine.

GLITTER: Any memorable fan interactions either in person or through social media?
LEAH: I actually had somebody tell me they came out to their father because of The Half Of It, and that was just memorable because, again, hearing stories from fans about how the stories I’ve been in affect them truly remind me why I’m doing what I’m doing.

GLITTER: Glitter has a celebrity #SelfLoveCampaign. What does self-love mean to you?
LEAH: Self-love to me means learning to sit with it all and really try to be your own friend! Not all of us will love every aspect about ourselves, but learning to be your friend through it all, I feel like, really does end up showing you how to love yourself. I think it requires self-acceptance, exploration, and boundaries.

GLITTER: Do you have any new projects coming up that you can share?
LEAH: At the moment, other than Tigers Apprentice, I actually have been dabbling in the voice-over world. I will be recurring as in the new Cartoon Network series Batwheels and also recurring on an animated Nickelodeon show called It’s Pony. Can’t share too much, though!

GLITTER: What are the best social media platforms for fans to follow you?
LEAH: You can follow me @leahmlewis on Instagram and Twitter 🙂