When actor, director, writer Clea Duvall met Canadian indie pop duo Tegan and Sarah 15 years ago, she became both…
When actor, director, writer Clea Duvall met Canadian indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara 15 years ago, she befriended the twin sisters and became a frequent creative collaborator.
Tegan and Sara contributed music to DuVall’s projects, and DuVall is now co-creator of the new Amazon Freevee series ” Secondary school,” which is based on the sisters’ 2019 memoir of the same name.
“The luxury I had reading the book was that I knew all the other people in the book, so I knew how big the world was and how interesting all these characters were. The idea of being able to tell not only Tegan and Sarah’s story, but also expand the world around them, just seemed like such a rich field.”
“High School” tells the story of twins Tegan and Sarah Quinn who enter high school in Calgary, Alberta in the 1990s. Each sister struggles with self-identity, and although they appear to be divergent, they don’t know that their experiences mirror each other’s. When they find their stepfather’s old guitar in the basement, they get back together as they start writing and singing their own songs. The show is produced by Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment.
“It was really important to me that the show felt timeless, that it didn’t lean too heavily on ’90s nostalgia and that it was just a quiet, intimate story, because it is. It’s a process of growing up, self-discovery and coming to terms with sexuality,” said Duvall. who also co-wrote the series and directed several episodes, including the pilot.
Tegan Quinn is credited with finding “High School” stars 21-year-old twin sisters Reilly and Sisyn Gilliland after stumbling upon their popular TikTok accounts.
“She said, ‘These kids are adorable,'” Duvall recalled, and we said, ‘Yes, they are. They are not actors. It’s crazy.” But there was something about them that was, you know, very, very special… I don’t know that I’ve ever seen actors work so hard for a role. They took it very seriously and understood the responsibility of putting on a show. I was so impressed with what they did, I’m so proud of them and I just love them so much.”
DuVal admits that adapting your friends’ story for television is nerve-wracking.
“The whole time I was terrified because of our friendship and because I really liked the book. I just didn’t want to spoil it, you know? It really stressed me out.”
DuVal, who has starred in projects like “Veep” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” has also become a rising talent behind the camera. She co-wrote and directed the holiday rom-com Happiest Season starring Kristen Stewart.
When choosing projects, DuVal likes to ask himself, “Does this contribute something of value? Can it affect anyone?” I’ve done things that have impacted people’s lives, and those are the most meaningful things in my career. Things I’m really proud of.”
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