'Siren' season 2 ends with a 'pretty cool twist' for Janine, teases actor Hannah Levien: 'Don't miss that!'
'Siren's season two is on the verge of concluding with just one episode left before the Freeform mermaid thriller wraps up this run. And while you can never expect or put your finger on how the season finale will pan out, if you're a fan of the extremely outspoken and fiercely sassy Janine, actor Hannah Levien who plays the role assures you're in for an absolute treat!
In an exclusive interview with MEA Worldwide (MEAWW), Levien teased that while we have seen Janine's arc grow throughout the entire season, it is the twist in her tale right at the end of season two that we must watch out for. "We've seen Janine's character grow throughout the season, most obviously in her relationship with Calvin, but also with Xander and some of the other characters in the town," Levien shared with us, speaking about Janine's relationship with Calvin (Curtis Lum) and her recent connection with Xander (Ian Verdun), with whom things have been complicated as he and Janine have slept together in the past, but she is now with his best friend Calvin.
But here's the fun part: Levien teased that "we're starting to get a bigger picture of the town (Bristol Cove, the fictional setting of the show) and the history some of the characters have. I loved getting to work with Eline (Ryn) and Fola (Maddie). It was great to have all the women of the town together. But there's a pretty cool twist coming up for Janine at the end of the season, so definitely don't miss that!"
Levien has been playing Janine ever since the Freeform drama premiered in 2018 and immediately won our hearts with the character that seems like the stereotypical, no-nonsense, popular girl with a heart of gold. "Janine was the only character I ever read for on 'Siren' — and I guess the shoe just fit," Levien reminisces about falling in love with her on-screen avatar for the first time.
"I love how direct she is, her sass and how deeply she cares for people. I'm certainly not as forward as Janine is — and sometimes it's a struggle to find the courage to do and say the things she does truthfully. But I love that challenge too. I feel like she teaches me things — which is really cool."
A well-rounded character that's constantly evolving wasn't the only attraction for Levien though, as the show's theme of mermaids and a diverse cast drew her in too! "Before I auditioned for 'Siren', I had seen the trailer for the pilot and I thought it was really unique and exciting. Killer mermaids in a seaside town... it seemed right up my alley. And then I did a bit more research and found out a lot of the main cast are foreign — as am I. And I always love working with an international cast. I think it creates a really dynamic flavor on set. So that made me extra excited!"
The journey of playing and growing as Janine is sprinkled with its own share of challenges too, one of which happens to be the "intimate scenes", as Levien quipped. "The intimate scenes are always a bit challenging! But Curtis (who plays her on-screen boyfriend) is great to work with," Levien remarked, adding: "Janine also has a more emotional scene with the women of the town in episode seven, which was a challenge as we (as an audience) had never seen Janine that upset before... so it was new territory for her as a character, and it took a bit of working out on set with the episode writer Zoe Green and Director Amanda Row. But that was really rewarding — and great to have a female team working out Janine's story!"
At its core, 'Siren' has always been a mermaid thriller, underlining the disastrous effects that humans' ambitious deeds have on the oceanic pollution. The story kicks off when oil rigs dug into the ocean results in mermaid-inhabitants around the waters to wash up on the shore of Bristol Cove, thus ensuing war between man and the merpeople with each taking the other captive, and sometimes worse, by killing them. When asked how she makes sure her scenes with the fantasy creature seem authentic, Levien stated: "I've always had a pretty wild imagination, so imagining that fantastical creatures exist isn't that much of a stretch for me."
But what she loves the most about 'Siren', "and partly why I think it has been so successful, is that the story, as seen through the characters Ben and Maddie, explores Ryn and the mermaid species in a scientific way, but we are also taken on an emotional journey as they fall in love with Ryn. So it's fascinating as well as it is heart-warming and painful at times." And she isn't wrong, as thousands of loyal fans all over the globe think the same.
'Siren' airs on Thursdays at 8 pm/7c, only on Freeform.
