High School Series Based On The Memoir By Tegan And Sara Finds Its Lead Actors

On March 17, 2022, IMDb TV announced the cast and March 21 start-of-production date for its coming-of-age series High School, a new original series co-created by identical twin sisters and platinum recording artists Tegan and Sara Quin and executive producer Clea DuVall. The series is based on the Canadian indie-pop duo’s New York Times bestselling memoir of the same name released in 2019.

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Tegan and Sara are known for their activism and involvement in the queer community. In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, the sisters found the Tegan and Sara Foundation to fight for “economic justice, health, and representation for LGBTQ girls and women.” High School will look at how the twin sisters became the musical and LGBTQIA+ icons they are today, “told through a backdrop of ’90s grunge and rave culture. The series weaves between parallel and discordant memories of twin sisters growing up down the hall from one another.”

Casting Railey and Seazynn Gilliland’ Felt Kismet'

     Tegan and Sara  

Discovered by the Closer musicians themselves, TikTok creators and TV newcomers Railey and Seazynn Gilliland have been cast as the leads in High School, portraying the high school versions of Tegan and Sara. In the press release, Tegan discussed discovering Railey and Seazynn for the first time, saying:

Railey will portray Tegan, described as “a gregarious, confident, and extroverted teenager, who turns to music to explore her vulnerabilities.” Whereas, Seazynn will portray Sara, described as “a reserved, observant, and sensitive 15-year-old who, for the first time, starts to access her own self-confidence through playing music.”

“It felt kismet when I saw Railey and Seazynn for the first time on TikTok. There was something undeniably intriguing about them: They were sweet and original, impossible not to watch. I felt compelled to send Sara the video. ‘Too bad they don’t act,’ I texted her. Sara wasn’t deterred. They were performers, musical and dynamic. ‘You can’t teach charisma,’ Sara said, which they had in spades. Sara was relentless—these were the twins that had to play us. We were overjoyed when they were cast, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that it all worked out.”

Playing Tegan and Sara’s parents are special guest stars Cobie Smulders, who plays Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Kyle Bornheimer, who played Agent Ray Krzeminski in Agent Carter. The series will start filming on March 21 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.