Anna Jacoby-Heron is basically a newcomer to acting and now she’s one of the stars of MTV’s new dramatic series, Finding Carter. The series premiered on July 8, 2014 and follows a teenage girl named Carter (played by Kathryn Prescott) who finds out that the woman she has grown up believing is her mother actually kidnapped her as a toddler.
Carter’s life is turned upside down when she’s reunited with her biological family and learns she has a twin sister, Taylor. Jacoby-Heron plays Taylor, and at the Television Critics Association press day, I had the chance to chat with the enthusiastic young actress about her role in the series.
Anna Jacoby-Heron Finding Carter Exclusive Interview
You’re supposed to be twins, so how did the audition process work?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “We went in to do chemistry reads and they had basically like three blondes and three brunettes. Three brunettes for Carter and three blondes for Taylor, and I don’t know if they were matching the look so much as the connection. When Kathryn and I went into the chemistry read, they said that we both sat down at the same time and we both crossed our legs at the same time. We did the same things with our hands and they were like, ‘Wow, that’s really weird.’ So I think it just came across naturally.”
What is your character’s relationship with her mother up to this point?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “Up to this point I think her mother’s a huge part of making her the very sheltered individual that she is. I think that after her sister is kidnapped, she kind of drilled it into Taylor to be careful and to be the sheltered person that she became. I think that put a lot of fear into her about living. But she doesn’t resent it, at the time. I think once Carter comes home, Taylor’s kind of more questioning of how Elizabeth has handled their relationship. Her whole life it’s kind of been about Carter.
Even though Carter wasn’t there, Elizabeth was looking for Carter and thinking about Carter the whole time. But Taylor’s not one who would really talk to her mom and be like, ‘Mom, I’m having an issue with how our relationship is.’ She keeps to herself and just does what she needs to do to make her family happy.”
Is Carter’s coming back the first time Taylor’s questioned the way she lives?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “Yes. Definitely.”
How much further does she go in that regard as the season goes on?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “Pretty far. She kind of does a 360 as the person that she is. She changes a lot which is one of the reasons that I really love playing her is because she just changes completely.”
How does she change?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “It’s not like a crazy party girl change; it’s not like she’s a crazy drinker. She’s pretty tame in that regard. In regards to her opinions and how she reacts to things and how she handles herself, it’s definitely in a more ‘what I have to say matters’ way. She makes things known and doesn’t sit back and let things happen.”
Does Taylor remember having a sister before she was three?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “No, I don’t think so. I don’t think Taylor has any… I’m feeling like she may have random memories that come up out of the middle of nowhere. You know when you have those weird childhood memories when you’re older? So maybe that, but I think it’s a shock when she meets her finally.”
What can viewers expect from the rest of the season?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “Taylor’s going to meet some new people and hang out with some new people. She’s going to change a lot, but in a really natural, authentic way. Like, I’ve known girls like Taylor who were really goodie two shoes in high school and then they get to their first year of college and they go absolutely crazy because it’s like a whole world has opened up for them. Taylor’s going to experience that.”
Will we see Taylor and Carter going to school together?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “Yeah. There’s a not of ton of school time. But they start hanging out with the same people. They kind of have this friend group that’s really fun.”
Have you gotten any feedback after the first episode aired?
Anna Jacoby-Heron: “Yes, there’s been really, really positive feedback. It was trending on Twitter which is a big thing! And the reviews were really good. People seem to enjoy it.”
