We knew 13 Reasons Why was intense for the viewers, but we forgot about what the cast went through.
The Netflix adaptation of Jay Asher's novel was released to the streaming site worldwide on March 31 and since then has generated more buzz on social media than any Netflix show ever. The story is about the suicide of Hannah Baker, who before her death, records 13 tapes to leave behind for those who contributed to her death. The show includes many incredibly emotionally challenging depictions including rape and, of course, suicide.
In an interview with PopSugar, leads Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford discussed the emotional atmosphere on set.
"I know there was one scene, I wasn't around, but they had therapy dogs on set," reveals Minnette, who plays the lead character Clay Jensen. "There was a puppy per hour. They really tried to help out."
RELATED: Who deserved their tape? Ranking the tapes of '13 Reasons Why'
While Minnette wasn't always the one dealing with the bulk of the emotion, his costars were aided by the presence of the dogs. "The puppies helped. [Langford] had the brunt of the emotional stuff. I mean, we all have very emotional parts, but this is about her character."
The show, executive produced by Selena Gomez, crushed Twitter records following its debut. Although it has been met with polarizing reviews, she hopes it will have a positive impact on young people.
“I would do anything to be able to have a good influence on this generation, but I definitely relate to everything that was going on," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "I was there for the last episode and I was a mess just seeing it all come to life, because I’ve experienced that.”