'A Million Little Things' star Lizzy Greene on the challenging times ahead for Sophie in Season 2 and why she loves the show
Possible spoilers for season 2 of 'A Million Little Things'
'A Million Little Things' is one of the very rare shows that deeply touches its audience. A family drama series, DJ Nash's 'A Million Little Things' follows a tight-knit circle of friends that finds itself grieving and devastated after one of them, Jon Dixon (Ron Livingston), unexpectedly dies from suicide. Each friend realizes that they need to finally start living life as they cope with the loss of their dear friend.
Lizzy Greene plays the role of Sophie Dixon, Jon's daughter. Sophie is navigating being a teenager and the suicide of her father at the same time. And it is not an easy task. In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide, Lizzy talks about preparing for that rocky time in her character's life. "While it’s important to have a clear mindset, as an actor sometimes you have to do the opposite (temporarily). My scenes this season have been very emotionally challenging lately, but I love to be challenged. My most common way to reach a place and mindset like my character is simply putting myself in their shoes. I always write about my scenes and practice in the mirror before filming. When I film scenes with my castmates, we completely block out the cameras and people surrounding us and live in that exact moment. But being in a serious and dark mindset for too long can get a little alarming, so as soon as the director yells cut we go back to laughing," she says.
After playing Dawn Harper in Nickelodeon's 'Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn', Sophie Dixon is her first substantial gig. And the actress is more than grateful to be associated with a show that is dear to its audience. "I feel so grateful and proud to be a part of it. It blows my mind how so many people support and have found commonality with the show," she says. Greene also recognizes the responsibility that topics such as suicide, sexual assault as a child, infidelity and sexuality require. "...because these storylines to us become normalized, while in real life many people are actually experiencing these events. We take everything very seriously and want to make it as realistic and respectful as possible."
As Sophie, Greene is "assertive and confident and loves her family and friends more than anything". The young actress admits that she sees a lot of herself in the role she plays. And points out that going forward into season 2, the state of the family dynamics is on a roller coaster. "I think it's even better than season one because this season we really focus on each individual characters' battles and situations," she begins. "There is so much heart and humanity in the episodes made thus far, and also such great emotional moments. The characters all have beautiful and heartbreaking storylines."
But most of all, Greene is excited for her character, who she says goes through a complete revamp of some sorts. "Sophie gets a pretty amazing arc this season - something happens that makes her take a 180 turn. I've done some really challenging work this season, as well as some acting that I’m most proud of. I truly can’t wait for people to see everything," she teases but is careful to avoid giving away spoilers.
Season 2 so far is a ticking timebomb. There are secrets that once revealed have the potential to wreak havoc. The most important of it all is that Sophie's new baby sister Charlie is actually not her mother Delilah (Stéphanie Szostak) and Jon's. It is, in fact, Eddie's (Stéphanie Szostak), one of the closest friends of her parents. And Greene is looking forward for the season to unveil itself. "There are so many moments between my character Sophie and Delilah that I’m beyond excited for. Our family dynamic really goes on a roller coaster ride this season, our relationship gets really tested and challenged. This season you’ll get to see my character at her high points, and at her lowest points, too."
'A Million Little Things' airs on Thursdays at 9|8 c on ABC.