Netflix '13 Reasons Why' Katherine Langford: Facts about Perth-based actress

Australian actress Katherine Langford has gathered huge attention for portraying the lead role of Hannah Baker in Netflix's newest original series “13 Reasons Why.” Here are some interesting facts about this Aussie girl.

It may come as a surprise that Langford, 21, has previously acted in the short film “Daughter,” which premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. According to her IMDb page, she also starred as Ruby in “Imperfect Quadrant,” another 2016 short action thriller. She never wanted to be an actress when she was young.

Langford was a national swimming champion at the school level. After graduating from Perth Modern School, she went on to study acting. She was inspired to act after watching Lady Gaga in a concert. “I went to see 'Born This Way,'" the Australian actress told Entertainment Weekly. “I don’t know what happened. It was like a spiritual experience, and I was so moved by her performance that I went home and that week I taught myself how to play piano.”

Langford initially prepared for the roles of Hannah and Jessica (another character in “13 Reasons Why”) for her audition but had an inclination towards the protagonist. According to her, she feels that Baker “goes through so many things that I feel like all of us have felt. In that way, I find her really personable.”

Interestingly, Langford was in Perth when she received the call confirming her part in the series. The actress said that although she spends more time traveling to Los Angeles because of work, there is still “no place like home.”

In the YA series directed by Oscar-winning director Tom McCarthy, Langford plays a high school student who commits suicide. After her death, 13 students from the school receive cassette tapes explaining their roles in her death. The actress has opened up about how difficult it was to shoot the rape scene in the show.

“There was a lot of discussion that went into that about how we were going to shoot it. When we did it, I felt super supported and absolutely comfortable on set, but it was very strange because that act makes me sick to my stomach. It’s so sickening and it’s uncomfortable and it’s ugly, but that’s also why we needed to show it,” she told EW.

The Netflix series highlights issues such as bullying, rape, drugs and mental illness. The series aired on Netflix US on March 31 and kept viewers intrigued with Baker's world. It is based on Jay Asher's 2007 novel "Thirteen Reasons Why” and is produced by Selena Gomez, who once said that she relates to Hannah's story. The show is currently streaming on Netflix in all countries including Australia.