JoAnna García Swisher weighed in on the surprising backlash to a specific Sweet Magnolias story line.
“Someone had mentioned something about people who were not happy that Maddie took a job in New York City. And I was like, ‘OK, let’s look into that. Let’s kind of dive into that because it’ll help me as I navigate Maddie in season 5,’” Swisher, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with Ziploc.
Swisher didn’t realize Netflix viewers were divided on the matter.
”It’s really all about just expanding and contracting. That’s what life is. Just because we got the man or we have the kids at home, we’re still vital, living, breathing people. Our dreams don’t end when we just get to one destination,” she explained. “That’s the part that I’m really leaning into.”
Sweet Magnolias, which premiered in 2020, is based on Sherryl Woods’ novels about three women who have been best friends since childhood as they navigate their romantic lives, careers and family. Season 4 of the hit Netflix series showed Swisher’s character, Maddie, choosing to take a job in New York City despite living in South Carolina.
“For so long, Maddie had dedicated her life to her family, and then that got turned upside down when Bill and Noreen got together, and then she met Cal. So much has happened for her in such a short period of time,” Swisher continued. “So to get this opportunity to flex her muscles and be in a big city and feel that energy, I know it was triggering for people. But for me, I leaned into it and I really likened it to how I feel very lucky that I have a husband and kids that are supportive of my dreams and my career. They’re always along for the ride and they’re always ready to support.”
Swisher is hopeful that fans will keep an open mind going into season 5.
“It definitely was something that I never thought twice about when I read the scripts. But it was interesting to see the feedback and the way people felt,” she noted. “So I feel really excited to be able to portray a character that is still flexing her muscles and still dreaming and has an incredibly supportive partner and children. They’re all thriving and everyone’s OK and life is still revealing itself.”
Speaking of the next season, Swisher teased a potential delay, telling Us, “It is very exciting this season. We are all over the place. It’s taking us a little bit longer to complete a season because we’ve gotten the opportunity to travel.”
She concluded: “Actually, last night we were shooting at the baseball field and I was looking around, and we have a lot of new cast members. There’s these new faces in Serenity, South Carolina, that are so exciting for me. I get to direct two episodes this year and I’m prepping that right now. I get these incredible moments with the heart and soul of our show — our Magnolias — and the kids on our show. But there’s new, fresh blood and energy in Serenity.”
While Swisher continues to film season 5, she is using the time to partner up with Ziploc to help show families across North America that food preservation doesn’t have to be complicated by sharing fresh tips for a smarter lunch routine.
“Ziploc is very much a part of our daily lives, and it was really fun. We care a lot about food waste in our family. We talk about that a lot. I was really excited to share the ways that we try to minimize food waste in our lives,” JoAnna, who shares two daughters with husband Nick Swisher, explained. “My kids are getting older and they have a lot of opinions about their lunches. All of that is really centered around our Ziploc bags.”
JoAnna broke down her approach, adding, “We create these little prep stations so we have just little ways to make life a little easier in the morning. Then I don’t open up a lunchbox at the end of the day that is filled with food. I’m always looking for ways to make sure that my girls are getting well-balanced, healthy lunches and I love good organization and making things easy, and Ziploc helps with all of those.”
She concluded: “Even for me, right now I’m working on season 5 of Sweet Magnolias, and I take a lunchbox to work because I’m always nibbling on things and wanting to have healthy, quick things. I’m always dipping into our little bin of snacks that make grab-and-go easy and help keep things fresher longer. It makes it easy and everything looks good too.”
Sweet Magnolias is streaming on Netflix.
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