'Nancy Drew' actor Alvina August says the contemporary transformation of the teen sleuth onscreen is a reflection of girls and women today
Possible spoilers for 'Nancy Drew'
The CW's 'Nancy Drew' is a rendition of the beloved teen sleuth. The series is a fusion of the mysteries synonymous with Nancy Drew and the supernatural elements that are a signature of The CW.
Actress Alvina August plays the role of Detective Karen Hart on the show. She is the best friend to Nancy's (Kennedy McMann) mother, but after her death, she starts dating Nancy's father Carson Drew (Scott Wolf) — something that completely upsets Nancy.
"When we first meet Karen, we find her in a very difficult situation. His [Carson Drew's] wife was her best friend. And unfortunately, we open the episode with Nancy walking in and finding her dad and Karen secretly having a relationship after her mom's death," says August in an exclusive chat with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW).
The complexity of her character on the show is what pushed August to take the role. "That's what I sort of love about Karen. She's very interesting and complex," she says.
Her relationship with Carson Drew will also go on to become more complicated as the show progresses. "She was a very complicated relationship [with Carson] which will unfold throughout the series and will get to sort of understanding who she is."
"Those are the things I love about her. She's capable. She is confident and she is caring and compassionate as well," she adds.
Caring and compassionate, Karen has, on more than one occasion, gone out of her way to help Nancy which pushes her further away.
For Nancy, it is safe to make the assumption that her father might be replacing her mother with Karen soon after her mother's death. So it is natural for her to keep away from her.
"Nancy is going through a very difficult period in her life and is grieving in her own way. She sort of coming to terms with that loss," shares August.
When the show aired its first episode, fans of Nancy Drew, the teen sleuth, were upset with the plethora of changes the creators had made. August says the contemporary additions are necessary.
"'Nancy Drew' is just a result of where we are as a society. If you see the character Nancy from the 30s, she evolved to reflect society."
"She's undergone a transformation to reflect the time that we are in as a society and I definitely believe that we're seeing a lot of shows like that — woman shows that talk about female characters who are unapologetically complex and interesting and outspoken," August says.
Nancy's evolution is noteworthy. In the series, she is more outspoken, demanding, extremely confident in her sexuality and has a knack for sarcasm — changes that the makers had said were a part of who the character is today.
"Today, we see an entire generation of [young] people stepping up and talking about things like climate change, owning their teens and challenging the status quo. And I think that is refreshing," she says.
August adds that Nancy Drew is also a reflection of young girls and women everywhere today. "Women have always been attracted to the character of Nancy Drew because Nancy reflects sort of contradicting ideas of femininity and what that means."
"And she feeds this sort of fantasy of women in power and that's exactly something that we are in a position to experience which is great long overdue. This is a modern everyday woman," August adds.
'Nancy Drew' airs on Wednesdays at 9 pm ET/PT.
This is part one of our exclusive interview with Alvina August. Stay tuned for the following part.