Emma Hunton on Good Trouble‘s Latest Season and What It Means to Play Davia
Ever since we started obsessively watching The Fosters spinoff, Good Trouble, we've been huge fans of the character Davia Moss—and of course, the actress bringing her to life, Emma Hunton.
Davia has always been a complicated character, balancing a sharp sense of wit with sometimes abrasive and sarcastic sensibilities born out of her own insecurities from dealing with an abusive, body-shaming mother. She's an Instagram influencer who espouses body positivity, working hard to undo her ongoing traumas and help others, which leads her to some powerful places over the course of the show. With the Season 5 finale airing this Thursday, May 18, we had the opportunity to chat with Emma all about the series and the role, her love of performing in musical theater when she's not gracing the small screen and so much more. Read our full interview with her below.
Sweety High: When did you discover your passion for acting? Was there any specific a-ha moment that made you realize it was the path for you?
Emma Hunton: I don't remember a specific "a-ha" moment because I've been performing ever since I can remember. I would make my family announce me down the stairs and write songs with me. I was lucky to grow up in a very creative environment that encouraged my imagination. My mom finally put me in community theater when I was 6 and it kickstarted my entire career.
(Photo credit: Ben Cope)
SH: Were you a fan of The Fosters before you auditioned for Good Trouble?
EH: I've been a longtime friend of Bradley Bredewig, so I watched the show to support my friend, and in turn became a fan of the show—which helped when the audition for Good Trouble came around.
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SH: Tell us a little bit about your character, Davia. How similar are you to her in real life?
EH: Davia is definitely a little more savage than I am, haha. She tends to say what's on her mind, and I think while I share similarities with her—the older I get, the more we become two separate people. We have definitely shared the experience of brutality in the theater industry. But I think overall, she's got some more tools to add to her skill set that I'm thankful to have. But she's getting there!
SH: Davia is also a body positivity influencer. Why is that message so important to you and your own real-life journey?
EH: Look, I've been a lot of different sizes in my life, and I fully expect to be a couple more before I'm gone. As long as I am healthy and happy why should it matter to anyone that I'm confident in my body? I'm not hurting anyone by loving my body at every and any size. People have gotten comfortable telling strangers if they think they're too fat or too thin or unhealthy, and at the end of the day, it is no one's business. I didn't have that movement growing up and had to get rid of a lot of negative gremlins in my mind growing up. If showing younger people that it's okay to love your body and that it's beautiful, how it is, helps them now to avoid ever meeting those gremlins, then I'm happy.
SH: What's been your favorite moment from the set so far?
EH: There have been so many great moments in five seasons it's hard to pick just one. We really have gone through everything together as a family. I think one of my favorites was the wrap of Season 4. We had a giant party with just the cast and crew after wrap to celebrate another great season. One of our incredible producers, Chris Saccani, got up to give a toast and announced we were getting a fifth season (we hadn't heard anything until that moment), and there were cheers and happy tears and just so much joy that we all kept getting to do this show together.
(Photo credit: Ben Cope)
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SH: Is there anything you can tease about this season?
EH: I think this season we see Davia grow up a lot. She's steering away from the drama, and we get to see her in a healthy relationship. I think it's so important for people to see a supportive partnership on television—two people learning to communicate and grow together. It might sound boring, but I think it's beautiful, and it's been very lovely to play with Josh [Pence].
SH: What's something you're super proud of right now?
EH: I've been taking a page out of Davia's book and working with burlesque company Cherry Poppins. We're currently doing an extended run of Clue at Tramp Stamp Granny's every Wednesday!
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
eH: I'm very excited to be starring in the rock musical parody of The Exorcist, "Exorcistic" at The Three Clubs this summer. It's an incredibly funny, catchy musical written by Michael Shaw Fisher.
For more from our favorite actresses, click HERE to read our interview with Michelle C. Smith, the "Queen of the Lightsabers."