'And Just Like That' 's Alexa Swinton on Advice from Kristin Davis, Her 'Excitement' About Rock's Journey

And Just Like That star Alexa Swinton opens up to PEOPLE about how her friends helped her portray Rock Goldenblatt in the HBO Max series

For Alexa Swinton, the role of Rock in And Just Like That has been exciting to play for many reasons and she's leaned heavily on her friends to help her portray her character's journey.

"A lot of my friends were going through something similar and they still are and they still identify as non-binary," the 12-year-old tells PEOPLE ahead of the series' Feb. 3 finale.

"One of my friends specifically was really moved by the fact that they saw a character on the screen that was like them, and that's kind of what I was really excited to have," Swinton says.

And Just Like That...
Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

In And Just Like That, Kristin Davis' character Charlotte, who is known to be a bit of a traditionalist, is shocked by the news that her child suddenly wanted to be called Rock while in the kitchen during a parent meeting. The mom of two then goes into the living room where her husband Harry (Evan Hansen) and eldest daughter Lily (Cathy Ang) are playing video games with Rock.

"I need information. Rose, did you change your name at school to Rock?" Charlotte asks.

"Yeah," Rock replies.

"And you didn't want to tell us before you told everyone at school?" Charlotte says. "I did let you know. I put up a TikTok," Rock responds as she shows her parents.

While Harry appears unfazed by Rock's news, Charlotte takes a second before coming around. Swinton tells PEOPLE that her friends told her that taking on the role of Rock will help create change.

Alexa Swinton
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

"They said that it really did make them feel like it was more normalized," Swinton shares. "Because when you see someone like you on media, it makes you feel like you're not abnormal. You're not alone. Like I said, I have a lot of friends that have the same experiences. They had to come out to their parents. Maybe they haven't yet.

The actress adds, "My character is very much realistic for 12-year-olds that are living through the current times. Because there are a lot of people like that."

Swinton didn't just get great advice from her friends about stepping into the Sex and the City franchise, but also from Davis, who knew the teen was the perfect fit to play Rock while helping her with her studies.

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"Kristen introduced herself to me first, which was very kind," Swinton recalls. "Because I don't know if I would've been able to. She said, 'Hi, I'm Kristen, it's great to meet you Alexa. I saw your tapes and I knew you were the perfect Rose, because it was Rose at that time.' Kristen made me very aware of the fact that I can always ask for help to run my lines with people."

The season finale of And Just Like That... premieres Thursday on HBO Max.

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