Exclusive Interview: Logan Allen Talks Kyle’s Journey in Sweet Magnolias Season 2, Stranger Things, and His Desire to Direct in the Future

Logan Allen has quickly emerged as one of Hollywood’s most versatile young actors. He’s brought dynamic characters to life in projects like Talia in the Kitchen, Creepshow, and Bernie the Dolphin.

This February, he reprised his role as Kyle Townsend in Netflix’s breakout hit Sweet Magnolias. Now in its second season, Logan delivers a nuanced performance as his character deals with the aftermath of his actions.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Logan about Sweet Magnolias Season 2, how he approached the many layers of Kyle, and what he’s learned about his craft working on this show. Plus, he talks about his upcoming appearance in Stranger Things and his hopes to direct in the future.

PC: Fans have been on the edge of their seats since the Season 1 cliffhanger. How early on did the writers let you know what was ahead for your character? How excited were you to dive into all of these different layers of Kyle in Season 2?
Logan: You know what’s funny? They didn’t even tell me that he was in the car! I had to wait. They didn’t tell anyone in the cast. They didn’t trust anybody. [laughs] They didn’t want us to pull a Tom Holland or anything. They made us wait a year and a half before we knew. It was as big of a mystery for us as everybody else. We were all coming up with our own theories and trying to figure that out. It was a lot of fun. They didn’t tell us anything.

What’s funny too is that they teased us! They would throw little hints at us and mess with us. I was like, “Come on. Just text me and let me know.” [laughs] But they wouldn’t tell us anything. It was a long year and a half waiting for that and also to see what they were going to do with our characters. You never know what they’re going to do with it. Of course, I get into the car crash. I was wondering what my condition was going to be like. What are they going to do with me?

PC: You do such a brilliant job displaying all of the emotions that Kyle is going through in Season 1 and especially in Season 2. For you as an actor, how did you prepare for those more emotional moments?
Logan: It really varies from scene to scene, but I think a big part of it has to do with who your scene partner is. If you do have a scene partner, you really feed off each other. You really have to communicate with them and make sure you’re on the same page so you’re not dragging down their performance or they’re not dragging down your performance. That is very important.

If I’m by myself and it’s a super emotional scene, I have to block everybody out. I feel bad doing that because there are a hundred people around you working, putting up lights, and setting up the cameras. But when you’re by yourself, you have to do that. You have to get into character for that. I try to dive deep so that I’m not even mentally myself anymore. I’m mentally Kyle and whatever he is dealing with. It’s so, so specific because you have to dive into what he’s feeling in that moment but also into what led up to that moment. That’s what’s so fun about it. I love doing emotional scenes because you have so many things to explore and dive into.

PC: One of the big storylines for Kyle this season centers around his mental health and removing the stigma around seeing a therapist. What was your reaction when the writers told you that’s where his storyline was heading? Did that bring any pressure just given how important that story is to bring to life?
Logan: It was interesting. [laughs] They beat Kyle down all the time. It’s like, man, Kyle just can’t be happy. They always have to make him depressed. But no, it was so much fun to play a character who’s traumatized by his guilt. There are all these emotions on top of him. You see how broken he is early on and it starts to not only affect him, but everybody around him. It’s so, so deep. At first, I was excited but a little hesitant as well. When I finally read the script, I saw they had written it so well. I was so excited to jump into Kyle’s journey.

There was definitely some pressure. But I think it’s the pressure of the fanbase that the show has now. With Season 1, we didn’t really have any expectations. There wasn’t a fanbase. But now with Season 2, there is a following. They’ve been following all the behind-the-scenes photos throughout the season. We see all the edits that they do. They DM us. Every little photo we took, they would analyze it. It was definitely a different experience. There were definitely expectations that I felt I had to live up to and do justice to. I was definitely a little anxious at times.

I had a little anxiety, but once we got in the flow of things, it felt like Season 1. I was worried about how it would be because of COVID. In Season 1, we didn’t have to film during COVID. In Season 2, we did. It was my first project filming in COVID. I didn’t know what to expect with any of that, but it was pretty much the same cast and crew. The first few days were weird. We couldn’t have lunch together. We had to go back to our trailers to limit the contact and exposure, which was weird. But after that, we got back into the flow of things like in Season 1.

PC: There are so many beautiful relationships that unfold throughout the series. Which of Kyle’s has been your favorite to explore? Has that changed from Season 1 heading into Season 2?
Logan: It definitely has changed. In Season 2, he branches out and goes to different people, which is really fun because this cast is so big. It’s huge. With Season 1, I didn’t get to work with everybody—or at least work with them enough. In Season 1, Kyle has a great relationship with Noreen because they both don’t have anybody. They’re both going through tremendous struggles. They both needed somebody and they found each other, which was really sweet. Doing scenes with Jamie Lynn [Spears] was great. I only have a couple of scenes with her in Season 2.

The relationship that I really liked in Season 2 was with Cal (Justin Bruening). Let me tell you about Justin. He’s one of the coolest, most laidback, funniest guys ever. He is effortlessly funny. He doesn’t try at all. He’s hilarious. He’s so cool. I only had two scenes with him in Season 1. I was able to get to know him better and learn about him, his family, and where he came from. He says that I’m like a mini him when he was younger. That’s always fun. He was great in every scene we did. It was a blast and we really had a good time.

PC: You were talking about the fan base earlier. The series has been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Logan: That’s a really good question. One thing that I love about the show and that I think everyone else loves about it is that there are so many life lessons in it. You actually learn a lot when you’re watching it. There’s always something new because there are so many different characters. They go through so many different experiences and have different backgrounds.

You learn a lot. There are a lot of life lessons about friendship, family, community, and relationships. That has really helped me in my own life. I get messages and DMs from all types of fans. They’re like, “This moment changed my life or this moment made me reconnect with a friend of mine or a family member that I haven’t talked to in ten, fifteen years.” Being able to know that we’ve had an impact on somebody like that is insane. It’s very surreal. I’m so glad that we’re able to help people.

People use this show as an outlet or something that they go to when they’re down and it brings them up. Being able to have an impact on somebody is amazing. I’ve talked with the cast and crew about that. They all feel the same way. That’s why I love my job. We’ve had this big impact on people that I wouldn’t be able to help make if I hadn’t pursued this business or industry. It’s great. I love interacting with fans and seeing them in public. That’s always so fun. To see people that I’m actually impacting in person is always great.

PC: It wouldn’t be a season of Sweet Magnolias if it didn’t end with a huge reveal. Without giving any spoilers, what was your reaction when you read about the reveal? How do you think that’ll affect Kyle moving forward?
Logan: It was interesting. I remember when we did the table read. It was virtual, so it was through Zoom. I remember we were reading the script together and we all didn’t know what the heck was happening. It was crazy. It’s action-packed. It comes out of left field. You have no idea what’s happening, but that’s what makes it so much fun.

It’s going to affect Kyle in a lot of different ways. There are multiple people involved. There are people very close to him involved with it. You know what’s kind of messed up? He’s happy right now. He’s finally getting in the groove of things towards the end of the season, and of course, that happens. I was like, “Great!” [laughs] The writers, once again, have to make him mad and sad. [laughs] But it was great.

They played it out so well. The scene was incredible—the shots, the acting, the lighting. Everything was so great. We had to leave you guys on a cliffhanger because you’ve got to get to Season 3. We’ve got to bring you guys back and immerse you in it. That’s the reason it was so confusing. Hopefully, in Season 3 we’ll get the chance to explain it. We’ll get the details about what’s going on and what happens next. There’s more than one cliffhanger. There are a couple at the end.

PC: If we’re lucky enough to get a Season 3, where do you want to see Kyle’s storyline head?
Logan: It’s a great question. I want to work with as much of the cast as I can. I feel like I haven’t had many scenes with Dana Sue who’s played by Brooke Elliott. She’s amazing and super, super talented. I’ve done two scenes with her, which is crazy. I really want to work with her more because she’s so funny. She’s so nice and talented. I really want to work with Brooke again.

I want to work more with Heather Headley who plays Helen. Her character is my favorite. I love her so much. She has this cockiness and confidence about her. I love that so much. She does such a good job as Helen. I want to work with Heather more. I haven’t been able to dive deep into that relationship. I just want to work with as many people as possible. Everybody has their own experiences, how they got into the business, what their techniques are, and things like that. I love working with different people and getting their insight on different things.

That goes for our directors too. We had three or four this season. But they bring in different people and give different people opportunities. I got to work with a bunch of different people and they all had different backgrounds and experiences. It was so much fun to learn things from them to apply to my career later on—because I eventually do want to explore directing and that side of the industry.

PC: As you look ahead to the next five, ten years of your career, what do you hope to accomplish? Do you have a dream role that you would love to play?
Logan: Coming in with the deep questions. I like it. I got you. I want to see myself in the acting industry. I want to keep pushing this career. I want to expand and do different roles. I’m actually playing a bully in the new season of Stranger Things, which is really fun. That’s way different than sensitive Kyle. I love playing different characters. Hopefully, I get to dive into some different genres as well. That’d be awesome.

Eventually, I want to dive into the directing side. I think that would be fun. I want to cement myself as an actor first and then explore the different aspects of the industry. I want to keep going and putting these projects out. Hopefully, we’ll get six or more seasons of Sweet Magnolias too.

To keep up with Logan, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Sweet Magnolias Season 2 on Netflix today.

Photo credit: Steve Swisher/Netflix