EXCLUSIVE | How 'Young Rock' star Lexie Duncan was inspired by Margot Robbie and prepared for Karen's 'many layers'
Spoilers for 'Young Rock'
NBC's 'Young Rock' starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gained popularity since its release in February. The series takes us into the future, in the year 2032, where we see Johnson running for president. While he's being interviewed by Randall Park he speaks of his life growing up as fans go back in time and watch glimpses of Johnson's life, from when he was young. Different actors play Dwayne Johnson at different ages – Adrian Groulx plays Dwayne Johnson (AKA Dewey) at age 10, Bradley Constant plays the actor at age 15, and Uli Latukefu plays Johnson between the ages of 18 to 20. But, Episode 2, which is titled 'On The Road Again' takes fans to Pennsylvania in 1987 where Dwayne pretends he’s rich to impress a popular girl named Karen played by the incredible actress Lexie Duncan.
In an exclusive interview with MEAWW, Duncan tells us what inspired her to pursue a career in acting, why she's referred to as 'Fine Ass Karen', and how it was like working with the members of the cast.
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Duncan explained that she was first introduced to the series when her team had sent her the audition brief for the role of the character 'Karen'. Dubbing the audition process simple, the actress had submitted a self-tape which included her portraying Karen in three different scenes. "I was drawn to this character, because Karen is so much more than what you initially see, which is always very interesting to explore. There wasn’t a lengthy breakdown for Karen, so I was able to give her my own spin," said Duncan. She further explained that she had auditioned from Australia as it was during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and her mother was her reader for the audition. "Three weeks later, I got the email that I was network approved and subsequently booked the job. So, I had actually never met anyone from the project until the first table read on Zoom!," added the actress.
The series sees Duncan deliver the role of Karen quite excellently which made us wonder how the actress got into acting and what had inspired her to pursue the profession. Explaining that she had always been interested in performing, Duncan said that both her aunts Carmen and Paula were also actresses in film and television and so she was able to see that she could pursue acting as a career from a young age. "I was introduced to acting through singing. I would perform in various school talent quests and musicals. My first professional job was playing Jane Banks in the Australian Musical Production of Disney/Cameron Mackintosh’s, “Mary Poppins”. I had the opportunity to work with unbelievably talented actors and actresses and witness, up close so many incredible performances at such an impressionable age. After being in the show for a year, it was clear in my mind that I wanted to be an actor whether that was in film, television, or theatre," said Duncan.
The actress also revealed that she was inspired by actress Margot Robbie who had spoken at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) when Duncan was completing a full-time Musical Theatre course back in 2018. "So much of what she said really resonated with me - hustling to get what you want, establishing a team that believes in you, and to always express your gratitude and appreciation to the people that help you and your career. I remember thinking how cool it was to hear a star of Margo Robbie’s caliber stress the significance of these things so passionately. It was shortly after this, that I moved to LA and fully committed to pursuing the profession," added Duncan.
'It was tricky to workout Karen’s many layers'
Karen is 'The Rock's high-school sweetheart, and Duncan spoke about how she was able to prepare for the role even though she didn't get "specific advice" from the man himself. Calling the preparation a "fun process," Duncan said that she was told Karen is an "amalgamation of a couple of girls Dwayne had a crush on in high school". The actress revealed that this allowed for a lot of freedom that allowed her to go with her instincts. We have to say that Ducan's description of her character makes it obvious as to why she very much deserved the role.
Duncan said, "You can look at a character like Karen and easily label her as the popular rich girl, who’s very materialistic and sometimes kinda mean. In my preparation, I couldn’t ignore that there is a reason Dwayne likes her. We had discussions with Diana Reed, the director of the Pennsylvania era episodes, on how the audience should want to root for this couple. Initially, it was tricky to workout Karen’s many layers, but I now understand her on a much deeper level. Karen is not necessarily a mean girl; she is just very honest and has high standards. She comes from a well-off family so she can be a little naïve."
Speaking of how she went about the specifics of the role, Duncan revealed, "I took notice of Karen’s quirks. For example, how she enjoys wrestling. I unpacked moments, such as when Karen could’ve left the flea market date but chooses to stay. Karen really does respect Dwayne standing up for his dad and even though it took a little convincing (and a killer wrestling match), that impressed her. Basically, I tried to play against the stereotype. My preparation also involved lots of 80’s research on popular fashion, music, all areas I thought Karen would be interested in. I also worked with a coach, Lesly Kahn, which gave me confidence in my choices and overall made me feel prepared for filming."
Who is 'Fine Ass Karen'?
If you've watched the sitcom so far, you'd know that Karen's character is referred to by Dwayne as "Fine Ass Karen", and of course, out of curiosity, we had to know if there was a story behind that. You'll be glad to know that the explanation is very simple. Duncan revealed, "Karen was obviously a very popular name at that time. The name Fine Ass Karen was used to differentiate between all the other Karens in Dwayne’s grade at Freedom High School." The actress also when that when she had first read the script she had hilariously thought that Fine Ass Karen meant that Karen has a “Fine Ass” – "I was hitting it hard at the gym. Bradley soon informed me that it just means Karen is “fine”. I couldn’t believe I’d spent all that time working out when I guess I didn’t have to." she added.
When asked if she could choose a favorite episode - aired or not - Duncan said that Episode 2 would have to be her favorite - this is the episode that Karen was introduced to. She loved filming the "initial flirtation" between 15-year-old Dwayne played by Bradley Constant and Karen. "I, also had the best time filming the scene, when Dwayne and Karen watch the Rocky Johnson wrestling match at the flea market! In saying that, I think audiences will love seeing how this relationship grows in upcoming episodes – there are certainly more lessons to be learnt by both these characters, and the audience should be prepared to laugh a lot," she said.
If you need a reason to watch the sitcom, Duncan provides a very hearty description of the series revealing that it explores "very real and amusing moments from The Rock’s unconventional yet heart-warming upbringing." She added that she thinks its important the "heart" in the stories being told should be appreciated adding, "I hope when audiences watch our show, they take away the important messages about family, respect, and love. There is a different lesson in each episode and I think that is unique to our show."
Duncan got to work with a very dynamic cast, including, of course, Dwayne Johnson. The actress revealed that the cast was all living in the same apartment in Brisbane and had a great time with poolside barbeques, rides around the city, and even a Halloween party. "I actually celebrated my 21 st birthday on the first day of filming the Pennsylvania era. Not only did the cast and crew decorate my trailer and organize a cake, but they also sang a brilliant version of Happy Birthday to me on set. It is a birthday I will never forget! My point is, we all bonded very quickly, partly because we didn’t have our families with us due to Covid restrictions.
The silver lining was that we were all so comfortable with each other once we were on set that scenes were just so natural, playful, and effortless," she said. If you're wondering how Duncan reacted to meeting 'The Rock' himself, like we are, here's what happened. After she met him at the first network table read, Duncan said it was "daunting" and that she remembers "feeling a little nervous, but also so excited". "He is such a kind and genuine person, that all the nerves went away very quickly!" she said.
What's next?
The role of Karen is Duncan's primetime debut as the actress comes from a musical theater background. The actress, however, explains that being a part of 'Young Rock' and playing the role of Karen "definitely confirmed" that she wants to continue working in the industry and pursue a career in acting. She added, "In the future, I’d love to work on more comedic projects as I really enjoy the fun and playfulness of comedies. In saying that, I would also be very interested in delving deep into a drama in a film, television series or mini-series."
The actress also spoke about what she would consider an ideal project saying, "In addition, because of my musical theatre background I think my ideal project would be one, in which I could also sing. It would be incredible to be involved in a movie-musical or a television series akin to Glee. Also, portraying a singer in a true story bio-pic would be work I would jump at the opportunity to do. So I guess, I am interested in working in a range of genres and projects." We don't know about you, but we're waiting on this. The actress also did reveal that "there are couple things in the mix" when it comes to her future projects, but she can't reveal any information yet.