All it took was one school play audition for actress Athena Park to catch the acting bug. Since then, Athena’s amassed a significant body of work, including a starring role in the family drama series Holly Hobbie. In addition, this talented thespian boasts a budding music career, with the launch of her single “Tuatara” on the horizon.
I had the privilege of chatting with Athena about playing Savannah on Holly Hobbie, what audiences can expect for Season 4, her favorite scene and more.
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This interview is condensed for length and clarity.
Melody McCune: We at GGA love a good origin story. What’s Athena Park’s origin story?
Athena Park: I got into acting through a school play, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I was in grade four, and it was a grade eight-only play. And me being an annoying and ambitious grade four begs the drama teacher to at least let me audition. She’s like, “Okay, you can audition for one of the dwarfs.”
I auditioned, and she’s like, “I’m impressed with you. Do you want to audition for the evil queen?” The evil queen was a substantial role, and I fell in love with it over Snow White. I got the part of the evil queen and fell in love with acting. My mom said, “Hey, you like this, and you’re ambitious about it. I’m going to help you out with this.”
MM: Let’s talk about Holly Hobbie. Can you tell me what it’s about and how you got involved with the project?
AP: Holly Hobbie is about this small-town girl named Holly. She tries to change the world through small steps. She inspires other people in this small town, and she does that through her songs and performances. I play Savannah Rigg, who is one of her friends.
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I was auditioning for one of the main characters. They said, “Hey, we like you a lot, but you don’t fit the main characters.” Then, they wrote in another character named Savannah. Originally, Savannah wasn’t in the script.
Savannah is this outgoing free spirit who loves theater and has a big voice. She often gets misunderstood for being so energetic and optimistic that people take this as a negative and think she’s too much. But people realize she’s an incredible person and comes from a good place.
MM: Describe Season 4 using three words.
AP: Friendship, camp, realization.
MM: Do you have a favorite scene you’ve done on the show so far?
AP: It was in Season 4, and I’m at my house. Amy (Saara Chaudry), Holly (Ruby Jay) and Justin (Elijah Sandiford) come over to my house, and they’re apologizing, and they’re all wearing costumes from my favorite TV show. They’re trying to make me feel better about what they did to me earlier. We have a big marathon with my favorite show. It made Savannah happy.
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MM: What can audiences expect for Season 4?
AP: It’s hard to explain because so much happens, but it’s a good time. It’s so relatable, especially for me when I was growing up. When I was reading the script, it resonated with my own life.
MM: Do you share any similarities with Savannah?
AP: Being a free spirit, outgoing and energetic. I get so much energy from hanging around other people. As I said, it’s often misunderstood as extra or too much. People realize after a certain point that, “Wow, she’s just happy to be here and excited to be with these people.” I share that with Savannah.
MM: Let’s switch gears. You’re also starring in The Swearing Jar, releasing this fall. Can you tell me about the project and how your character fits into the narrative?
AP: The Swearing Jar is a musical, and it’s about a music teacher who goes through a turn of events. It’s pretty sad, but it ends well. My character, Robin, is one of the music teacher’s students. I sing a song used in one of the main turning points. I’m singing in the background while the character goes through this sad time in her life.
When I listen to a song from a movie, I replay the scene in my head, so that was a big honor.
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MM: I do that too! Do you have a dream role?
AP: I don’t have a specific dream role, but I can describe it. It would have a good amount of comedic lines and perfect comedic timing because I love that. On Holly Hobbie, Savannah is a very comedic character, and I get to play with that because there’s a lot of freedom in comedy.
However, I also want this character to have a lot of growth, arcs and realizations because characters grow, and the audience grows with them. I think people learn from these characters’ mistakes, but since it’s not happening in real life, no one’s feeling these negative consequences. I want the audience to learn from my character’s mistakes.
MM: What else is on the horizon for you?
AP: I am about to release my new song. It’s called “Tuatara.” This song means a lot to me, and it’s inspirational. It’s what I have been experiencing regarding my love life, which is a very prevalent thing for a teenage girl. It’s the only thing we think about growing up.
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It’s motivating for other teenage girls going through a tough time with their partners. It’s about moving on, like, “Hey, I’m not going to be stuck in the past. I will keep moving on with my life, and I don’t need you to bring me down.” Then, we’re coming out with an album after we release the song. It’s exciting.
MM: That is exciting. Congratulations!
AP: Thank you!
MM: Have you binge-watched anything interesting lately?
AP: I just finished Breaking Bad, and I’m starting to finish Stranger Things. I’ve always heard people talk about this massive hype around Breaking Bad. I always try to avoid listening to the hype because I don’t want to have a specific set of expectations, but it met every expectation and more. It was so good.
MM: Name your top five favorite films and/or TV shows.
AP: I would say that a top trilogy would be The Hunger Games, then The Age of Adaline.
MM: That’s a good one.
AP: That’s a really good one. Joy, with Jennifer Lawrence. Love that one. Breaking Bad. And Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings with Simu Liu.
MM: Athena, thank you so much for chatting with me today! Congratulations on everything!
AP: Thank you so much for having me, Melody!
Follow Athena on Instagram (@itsathenapark) and Twitter (@itsathenapark). Season 4 of Holly Hobbie is now streaming on BYUtv and the Family Channel.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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