EXCLUSIVE: Erica Dasher Dishes On Her “Guidance” Character

“You’ll see a bunch of women fight for what they believe in.”

The second season of Guidance debuts November 14 on Verizon’s go90 and we can’t wait! With the premiere less than a week away, we chatted with the show’s star Erica Dasher.

She plays Alana Matthews, a new guidance counselor to Capitol High. When class over-achiever Hilary Lehane (played by Arden Rose) accuses the school’s most beloved teacher of favoritism, Matthews leads an investigation that uncovers years of school secrets. Erica also told us that her character is autistic.

Here’s what she had to say in our Q&A:

What was it like to play Alana?

When it comes to her ability to relate to the kids, she just has more a hurdle to overcome (being on the spectrum) in order for everybody to understand each other. Coupled with everything that is going on in the series, it just makes for a really interesting, complex person and somebody that’s very far from me. It was a cool [to play her] and it was challenge.

What type of student were you in high school? How does your character compare to the guidance counsellors you interacted with in school?

I was sort of the class clown in high school. I was a speech-debate student, was very ambitious and was a theater kid – very nerdy not popular at all. I definitely didn’t have a guidance counselor that cares as much as Alana does. I think I may relate more with the Hillary character because I cared a lot about my grades.

Your co-star Arden Rose told us that this season of Guidance has a “feminist undertone.” Can you tell us about that?

Inherently, it has [a feminist undertone] with the female leads of the series. It sort of allows you to see multiple sides of the equation and the subtleties and intricacies of how women are operating in the world. You’ll see a bunch of women [in the show] fight for what they believe in.

What does girl power mean to you?

‘Girl power’ means helping other women, communicating with other women, extending your resources time and energy to help friends and young people have the same or more opportunities then you had.