Anne Winters On Working With Eva Longoria On Grand Hotel + 13 Reasons Why Season 3

Photo Credit: Tiziano

Photography: Tiziano

Makeup: Merav Adler

Hair: Michael Kanyon

Styling: Lo VonRump

Emmy award-winning actress Anne Winters is quickly and powerfully making her mark in Hollywood as she stars in some of the hottest shows and films of the moment, shining in all different types of roles—and she’s not slowing down anytime soon. From starring in the summer’s newest, steamy drama series, Grand Hotel—executive produced by Eva Longoria—to returning to screen as Chloe Rice in Netflix‘s 13 Reasons Why, you can expect to see the blonde beauty all over your television within the coming months.

Prior to this, Winters starred in Universal’s Night School with Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, as well as the horror-comedy film Mom and Dad alongside Nicholas Cage and Selma Blair. While Winters is grinding day in and day out on high-profile Hollywood sets, she still hasn’t lost her charming and bubbly, positive outlook on life and the industry. And taking it all in one day at a time, she’s grateful for where she’s gotten and hungry for more.

Here, we chat with Anne Winters prior to the premiere of Grand Hotel to learn about the new ABC drama and working with Eva Longoria, the upcoming season of 13 Reasons Why and the evolution of her character, Chloe, as well as which Hollywood A-listers are on her wish-list to work with.

Photo Credit: Tiziano

HL: What was your favorite part about shooting Grand Hotel?

AW: I had actually never been to Miami before and had always wanted to go so that made it a really good time being there and filming with everyone. We all got super close staying in the same hotel, some of us being on the same floor, so we were all hanging out every day and it made for a great vibe going forward for the whole season. The filming itself was amazing, because I loved exploring my character. Ingrid is a completely different character than any other part I’ve played before—she’s a bit more mature and grown up, and she’s stuck working at a hotel and hates it and is trying to figure out how to get a better life for herself. She finds out that’s not as easy as she may have thought.

HL: Is it very similar to its original series?

AW: I have never seen the show, but I think it’s pretty different. Eva [Longoria] says Grand Hotel isn’t meant to be a telenovela at all, but it’s based in Miami, which helps contribute to making it super sexy and fun.

HL: What was it like working with Eva?

AW: Eva is amazing! She’s a role model for basically all of America and all over the world. But for people who are lucky enough to get to work with her, I think we see that she really is also super down to earth, humble and is kind to everyone and treats everyone like they’re special and they’re her friend, which I think is so cool. She is also a workaholic, which I relate to, so I really look up to her and I’d love to be just like her as I progress in my career. I want to be working while also pregnant and breastfeeding. She was literally doing this all as we’re on set and she’s running around directing all day long—it was crazy! [laughs].

HL: It seems she has a very contagious energy.

AW: She has such a contagious, fun energy. She directed a couple of our episodes and it was such a great way to start off the show because she is such a talent and it really set the right message for how everyone was going to treat each other on set and how much fun we were going to have.

Photo Credit: Tiziano

HL: And looking past Grand Hotel, you also have 13 Reasons Why Season 3 coming up next. What can we expect from Chloe this season?

AW: At the end of Season 2, you’ll remember she finds out she’s pregnant with Bryce’s baby. Anytime that happens to a girl at that age, that changes your whole mindset and really makes you grow, whatever the decision may be with the baby. So, you’ll see her grow up and have to face a lot of difficult decisions in Season 3.

HL: What was the hardest part about playing her?

AW: The hardest part is showing the balance between her really loving Bryce but then also being afraid of him. In the one scene from Season 2, you’ll see the conflict she faces between her being uncomfortable when he comes onto her too forcefully, but also, he’s her boyfriend and they’ve been there before. It’s something that should be comfortable, but it was a hard line to battle with. It all came together perfectly because Justin Prentice who plays Bryce is an amazing actor, so I’m really grateful for getting to work with him in this role.

HL: Having worked with some of the industry’s leading names in such a short span of time—from Eva Longoria to Selena Gomez in 13 Reasons Why and Kevin Hart in Night School—is there anyone else you’d love to learn from that you haven’t yet worked with?

AW: I would love to work with Reese Witherspoon or Nicole Kidman. Right now, I’m watching Big Little Lies and I just feel like they’re such power women, and I’d love so much to be able to work with them and learn from them. Also Charlize Theron—I feel like she’s the goddess of Hollywood—I’d love to be in the same room with her, and that hasn’t happened yet.