Alyah Chanelle Scott as Whitney in ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ season 3.Photo:Tina Thorpe/Max
Tina Thorpe/Max
Alyah Chanelle Scottis loving her character’s storyline inThe Sex Lives of College Girlsseason 3 — anxiety and all.
The long-awaited third season sees Whitney — Scott’s put-together, perfectionist soccer star — navigate some seriously turbulent emotions as she finds herself with anxiety for the first time. Scott, 27, tells PEOPLE it was both a cathartic and inspiring storyline to explore.
“I love it. I really, really love it,” she says. “I love getting to represent something that isn’t perfect and represent someone that is early in their journey of learning how to deal.”
“I’m so grateful that I get to be that because I think when it comes to mental health specifically, everyone’s experience is so different and some people are very accepting and understanding of that…and some people have a very hard time with that. And you watch Whitney have a very hard time with that and have a lot of internalized embarrassment and shame and denial and you just want to shake her and say, ‘No, wake up and do it.'”
“But also, there’s something beautiful and you feel proud watching her struggle through that process,” she continues. “And I really appreciated that — getting to represent that version of that experience.”
Renika Williams, Alyah Chanelle Scott in ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ season 3.Tina Thorpe/Max
Scott knows that it’s “so special and good for people to see” Whitney “let go” of the shame and denial she’s feeling about needing to start therapy. “And I hope people relate to it. I know I definitely did.”
It was only when Scott went to college that she says she came to terms with her anxiety — and the fact that she needed help. Still, she was “scared to say it because I don’t come from a place where that’s accepted and that’s normal.”
Given her own experiences, she says she’s “glad” that the show can “add to that conversation.”
Amrit Kaur as Bela, Alyah Chanelle Scott as Whitney in ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ season 3.Tina Thorpe/Max
The added bonus was that Scott had a pretty easy time portraying Whitney’s anxiety onscreen this season. “In the moment, I’m actually feeling anxiety. I’m like, I just get to release,” she says, laughing. “Let me just tap in and do some really ‘hard’ character work. No, really, I’m just, ‘Oh, I’m anxious. Let’s roll.'”
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New episodes ofThe Sex Lives of College Girlsseason 3 premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Max.
source: people.com
