The stars of NBC’s Rise are sharing their thoughts after learning that the series has been canceled after one season.
Shannon Purser, Auli’i Cravalho, and their co-stars took to Twitter to reflect following the network’s announcement on Friday (May 11).
“đź’” It hurts to say that we have not been picked up for a second season,” Shannon wrote. “I’m so grateful to our cast and crew for their hard work and I’ve made memories and friendships I’ll never forget. Thank you to all the fans for coming on this journey with us. @NBCRise.”
“Man. This really hurts,” she added.
The one-hour drama focused on a working-class high school drama department and the students as they come alive under a passionate teacher and family man whose dedication to the program galvanizes the entire town.
See more Rise cast members’ reactions to the cancellation below.
#RISE will live in all of us! Find your voice, live your passions and FIND YOUR OWN SACRED TROUPE!!! We love you all to the moon and back, and thank you for a truly wondrous first season. ❤️ #StantonDrama forever. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/pgMrLvhRdI
AnnaSophia Robb has done a lot of TV — from The Carrie Diaries to Mercy Street — so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see her back on the small screen sometime soon.
One show that the 24-year-old actress is really excited about seems to be Rise.
If you don’t know, AnnaSophia‘s former Mercy Street co-star Josh Radnor stars in it.
“Josh is in it, Taylor Richardson, I did a film with her a couple years ago, she’s fantastic, she’s in it,” she shared in a recent interview with IBT.
She adds, “One of my friends from school, Rachel Hilson, she’s in it. It’s so fun living in New York because all of a sudden, I don’t know, it just feels like a much smaller town than LA.”
AnnaSophia would even be open to guest starring, if there’s the opportunity.
“Oh God, I’d love to,” she shared. “That would be fun.”
“We’re very different. We’re a show within a show,” Auli’i shared in a recent interview. “We’re putting on Spring Awakening within Rise. The real heart of the show is in fact the students and Lou, the teacher, and Tracy and how they’re coming together and really inspiring everyone. And then we also have the musical aspect.”
Damon joked that they’re “not gonna randomly break out into song like some of the other musical shows or movies that we’ve seen.”
He added, “The music serves either as an underscore or a parallel to what’s going on outside of the theater. But it’s a lot like Friday Night Lights. It wasn’t all about football — it was about these people’s lives around what’s going on.”
Get a sneak peek of what’s going on in tonight’s new episode in the gallery below!
We have only a few more hours until NBC’s Rise premieres tonight!
The show centers on finding inspiration in unexpected places: when dedicated teacher Lou Mazzuchelli sheds his own self-doubt and takes over the school’s lackluster theater department, he galvanizes not only the faculty and students but the entire working-class town.
“Gwen and I might be more similar than I care to admit,” she shared in a recent interview. “The way I saw her when I read the script… was driven and passionate, and she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to do what she needs in order to get it.”
Amy adds, “I think sometimes she forgets she’s in high school because she’s ready to take on the real world.”
To celebrate the premiere, JJJ‘s teamed up with Amy for an Instagram Stories takeover! Check out our IG soon!
I’m Canadian, but I don’t like poutine so do I really count?
I have five siblings so trying to bully me into agreeing with you probably isn’t going to work. ;)
I’m more of a grandma than a millennial. Give me some yarn and knitting needles, tea, and a puzzle and I am SET!
I have a matching stick and poke tattoo with my best friend.
I have always wanted to get my nose pierced but I’m too scared.
I have always wanted to pursue a career in music. My hope is that it can happen organically and at a time that allows for my acting career to continue.
I’m taller than I look on screen, or so I’ve been told. I’m 5’9 and not afraid to wear heels. Tall girls can wear heels too!
I have always wanted to go back to school to get my degree in Psychology, as well as nursing.
I used to be fluent in French. I was in French immersion until the sixth grade but have lost most of it. I hope to spend some time in France in the near future to brush up on my long lost second language.
I have a dog named Charlie and she just might be the best thing on the planet.
When dedicated teacher Lou Mazzuchelli sheds his own self-doubt and takes over the school’s lackluster theater department, he galvanizes not only the faculty and students but the entire working-class town.
