Alisha Boe Originally Auditioned For The Role Of Hannah Baker On '13 Reasons Why'

4 June 2018, 14:38

13 Reasons Why Hannah Baker — Picture: Netflix

By Woodrow Whyte

Things could have been VERY different at Liberty High.

It's almost impossible to imagine anyone else playing Hannah Baker on 13 Reasons Why other than Katherine Langford. It was the Australian actress' first proper acting role and she did an incredible job - and picked up a Golden Globe nomination and 10 million Instagram followers in the process.

But she wasn't the only actress in the final 13 Reasons Why cast that auditioned for the lead role.

In an interview with W magazine, Alisha Boe - who plays Jessica Davis - revealed that she originally auditioned for the role of Hannah Baker.

“I was so surprised when I booked 13 Reasons Why, because I originally auditioned for Hannah and was like, ‘There is no way I am going to book a lead on the show,’” she said. “I had read the book when I was 14, and it was one of my favourite books."

However, they then asked Jessica to audition for Jessica which, initially, she wasn't so keen on. "When they asked me to audition for Jessica, I disconnected with it," Alisha said. "She’s supposed to be a pretty, popular teenager, and in my head, just from being brainwashed from all these breakdowns growing up, it’s a blonde girl with blue eyes."

Alisha went on to praised the show's decision to be inclusive with the casting on the show, saying, "It was my first time being able to be separated from being someone’s best friend, or being the butt of the joke, or an accessory. It was a dream come true for me. I didn’t expect it to come that fast.” [H/T Teen Vogue]