Netflix's 13 Reasons Why contains tales of and depicts rape, bullying and suicide—all serious and heavy material in their own right. At the center of the series is Katherine Langford as Hannah Baker, a high school student who takes her own life and leaves 13 tapes behind explaining how actions of others impacted her decision. Langford is a relatively unknown actress from Australia who handled the role with almost expert ease, but that's not to say the material didn't affect her.
"I watched a lot of The Office, but I didn't get to go home until we were well and truly done, so," Langford told E! News about how she handled the heavy and bleak material.
"Poor Katherine's from Australia, so she had no chance to go home and take a break. We filmed in Northern California, I lived in LA," Dylan Minnette, Clay Jensen on the series, told us. "I would escape for 24 hours at a time and go and Katherine was stuck—"
"It's cool," Langford chimed in.
"In a beautiful place," Minnette concluded.
She found her outlet though. In addition to The Office, Langford found release in music.
"For me, what kind of eased it was that when I got there we had to find locations to live and inhabit for the next six months. The first thing that I put in my apartment was a piano. I bought one for $50 and it was a lifesaver because I just went home and played and played…I'm sure I annoyed everyone on the same floor, but," she shrugged.
To mark the one-week anniversary of the show's premiere, Langford took to Instagram to speak to fans.
"Marking one week since 13 Reasons Why dropped on Netflix, and the response has been so overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who has watched and responded to the show so far. This is a story I feel affects so many people, and I'm proud we were able to tell it in the way that we did," she said. "Even though this is a show/there for entertainment, if at any point you or someone you know needs help, please go to 13ReasonsWhy.info for resources and information. Additionally, if you've just finished the season 13 Reasons Why: Beyond the Reasons, is available on Netflix also.
"Please know that you are never alone, and that there are places to go and people who care," she continued. You can watch Netflix's Beyond the Reasons special above.