'And Just Like That' 's Alexa Swinton on Advice from Kristin Davis, Her 'Excitement' About Rock's Journey

For Alexa Swinton, the role of Rock inAnd Just Like Thathas been exciting to play for many reasons and she’s leaned heavily on her friends to help her portray hercharacter’s journey.

“A lot of my friends were going through something similar and they still are and they still identify as non-binary,” the 12-year-old tells PEOPLE ahead of the series' Feb. 3 finale.

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“I need information. Rose, did you change your name at school to Rock?” Charlotte asks.

“Yeah,” Rock replies.

“And you didn’t want to tell us before you told everyone at school?” Charlotte says. “I did let you know. I put up a TikTok,” Rock responds as she shows her parents.

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“They said that it really did make them feel like it was more normalized,” Swinton shares. “Because when you see someone like you on media, it makes you feel like you’re not abnormal. You’re not alone. Like I said, I have a lot of friends that have the same experiences. They had to come out to their parents. Maybe they haven’t yet.

The actress adds, “My character is very much realistic for 12-year-olds that are living through the current times. Because there are a lot of people like that.”

Swinton didn’t just get great advice from her friends about stepping into theSex and the Cityfranchise, but also from Davis, who knew the teen was the perfect fit to play Rock while helping her with her studies.

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“Kristen introduced herself to me first, which was very kind,” Swinton recalls. “Because I don’t know if I would’ve been able to. She said, ‘Hi, I’m Kristen, it’s great to meet you Alexa. I saw your tapes and I knew you were the perfect Rose, because it was Rose at that time.’ Kristen made me very aware of the fact that I can always ask for help to run my lines with people.”

The season finale ofAnd Just Like That… premieres Thursday on HBO Max.

source: people.com