Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Sweet Magnolias’ Logan Allen

Rising talent Logan Allen has gone from scoring touchdowns on the field to achieving them on the screen. Since catching the acting bug on the set of Talia in the Kitchen, Logan has dedicated his life to his craft, which led him to his biggest role to date on Netflix’s new series Sweet Magnolias.

Set in a small town in South Carolina, Sweet Magnolias follows the lives of three childhood best friends and their kids. Logan plays Kyle, the son of one of those women, and his character is one he shares a lot in common with.

Pop Culturalist caught up with Logan to chat about all things Sweet Magnolias.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Logan: I started out doing commercials and photo shoots. That was fun, but I don’t think I would have called it my passion at the time. It really started when I got my first show back in 2015, Talia in the Kitchen. A few scenes in, I knew that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Logan: My family and friends, mainly my parents. They’ve been so supportive, and I wouldn’t be where I am now without them. The main thing people need to understand is if you want to make it, you need to surround yourself by people who want to see you succeed. That’s the most important thing to do if you want to achieve your dreams. You don’t want people dragging you down.

PC: You grew up playing football. How have athletics made you a stronger actor?
Logan: I think sports are great when it comes to life skills. I think it’s definitely helped with my mentality. It has also taught me to be a team player. When on set, you need to be in sync with all your castmates and crew. When we’re not on the same page, the product won’t be great.

PC: How challenging is it to balance your career and life as a normal teenager?
Logan: It’s a lot sometimes, especially with school. Even though sometimes I’m not able to see all my friends, I can still keep in contact with them via social media. When on set, you’re pretty much there all day. You wake up early and head down to set and then come back to the hotel/house and it’ll be night. There are long days, but it’s what I love and I really enjoy it.

Sweet Magnolias

PC: Tell us about Sweet Magnolias, your character, and what drew you to the project.
Logan: Sweet Magnolias is about Maddie Townsend. She’s a lady who has three kids and is in the middle of a divorce. The season is situated around her and her two lifelong friends dealing with all the conflict in the small town of Serenity, South Carolina.

My character is the son of Maddie Townsend, Kyle. He is probably the nicest kid ever and has a huge heart. It’s also really cool because he’s an actor himself; he’s a theater kid. So I got to connect with him on another level.

What drew me to the project was that the show is based off a book series. I love acting because you get to bring characters to life, but it’s even cooler when the characters are already established in a book series.

PC: Your character undergoes a roller coaster of emotions throughout Season 1. How did you prepare to tackle that?
Logan: I knew that I had to be versatile. Like you stated, he goes through a roller coaster of emotions throughout the story. One scene I may be happy/excited, and the next is an intense, emotional scene. I think it just makes it more fun as an actor. You don’t just want to play the same character with the same emotions throughout the entire show or season; you want to mix it up a little. The hardest thing was going straight from the schoolroom into an emotional scene.

PC: This is the second time in your career where you’ve played a character for an extended period of time. What did you learn on the set of Talia in the Kitchen that you brought over to Sweet Magnolias?
Logan: I learned the basics of the function of a set on Talia in the Kitchen. Keep in mind that was my first-ever show/film, and I was only ten years old. I was still relatively new to this whole acting thing. I learned everything from marks to cameras to lighting to cheating towards the camera, etc. They knew that I was inexperienced and took the time to teach me, and I am very thankful for that! All of that made it easier, acting-wise, on the set of Sweet Magnolias.

PC: You’ve said in previous interviews that you spent a lot of time learning from your fellow actors and the crew behind the scenes. What was the biggest lesson you learned?
Logan: This is a tough question. There were many lessons in not just acting but also in life. If I had to choose one, it would be camerawork. I know that isn’t explicit, but I learned some cool little camera tricks. We also had three different directors throughout the show, so it was interesting to see their different visions and how they all set up shots.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Logan: I love The 100

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Logan: A Nightmare on Elm Street [2010]

PC: Favorite book?
Logan: Tuesdays with Morrie

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Logan: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Logan: Jack Harlow

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Logan: Paul Rudd [laughs]

To keep up with Logan, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Binge-watch Season 1 of Sweet Magnolias today.

Photo Credit: JC Stuart