Netflix's The End of The F***ing World opens up like any other comedy aiming to resonate with Generation Z. When teenagers James and Alyssa are fed up with their lives, they decide to pack their bags and run away. However, the plot abruptly pivots when it is revealed that Alex is a psychopath with not-so-subtle plans to kill Alyssa on their great escape.
Alyssa's character immediately stood out to me. I loved how normal Alyssa seemed as a character. It wasn't this extraordinary teen drama or period piece, it was just two middle-class teens trying to figure out life together. I hadn't read anything quite like it yet and, at the time, I saw Alyssa as this really exciting blank canvass.In more ways than I can even articulate. I've continued to put my own personality into Alyssa as a character.
Mental health is such an important theme in the show and something I've always really loved about the script. It is so important for young people to see characters with different mental health challenges on-screen.What do you hope the show adds to mainstream conversations about mental health? I find the intense reaction to the show really extraordinary. I am really lucky to experience something like this in my life. It's surreal because it's just a TV show, but it's literally changed my whole life. I remember when the show came out, and my Instagram following kept growing in front of my eyes. It was a surreal time, but also it doesn't really change my life that much. I just have a platform now. I'm still me.