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EXCLUSIVE! 13 Reasons Why star Alisha Boe opens up about playing a rape victim

Alisha Boe is quickly becoming one of the brightest rising stars around, and she’s taking on her grittiest role yet in 13 Reasons Why.

The actress has one of the most difficult story lines on the Selena Gomez-produced Netflix series, in which she portrays a victim of sexual assault.

Alisha chatted to LAGoss.com about the challenges that came with her harrowing role at the premiere of the show on Thursday.

Challenging: Alisha Boe chatted to LAGoss.com about playing a victim of sexual assault on 13 Reasons Why | Netflix

The star revealed that she “definitely” felt an added sense of responsibility in playing a rape survivor, explaining, “I don’t want to exploit the situation, and especially doing research I didn’t want to go interview people that have gone through that because most of the time they’re not ready to [talk about it].”

Alisha said that instead, the showrunner and producers had her speak with experts and therapists, and she did a lot of reading about the subject too.

“I read a lot about victims and especially acquaintance rape – usually when there are rape survivors they are raped by someone they know. And that’s when it’s not reported as much because it’s within the community,” she told us.

“So I learned a lot, and it was really important for me to know exactly how it feels and all of that.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ6NYucBD8U/?taken-by=alishaboe&hl=en

Alisha said that while it certainly wasn’t easy to depict such a dark storyline, she hopes more sexual assault survivors will speak up because of it.

“It is difficult, but I just think more about the bigger picture of how important it is for the story to be told, and important for the stigma to be erased about the conversation,” she shared.

“I feel like day-to-day acting as a rape survivor was hard, but you have to remember that these are real people who go through these things and their story needs to be told.”

As well as dealing with sexual assault, the show delves into several other problems that young people face including mental health issues and suicide, and Alisha hopes viewers will be encouraged to talk about these issues more openly.

Out now: The actress plays Jessica in the Selena Gomez-produced show, which is now on Netflix | Netflix

“This was a story that I really needed, especially as a teenager, I think it’s really important,” she said. “It opens up a conversation about many important topics, like rape and depression and mental illness in general.

“So I’m just really happy that the story is being told in this way, because it will open the conversation and lower the stigma around it.”

Alisha added: “The book saved so many people’s lives and I feel like the show is just going to be able to expand on that so much more. I think it’s going to help a lot of people – I hope it will help a lot of people.”

13 Reasons Why, based on the Jay Asher book of the same name, is available to stream on Netflix now.

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