Entertainment TV '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 By Lanae Brody Lanae Brody Lanae Brody is a former senior reporter of emerging content at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2023. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 2, 2022 08:00PM EST 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... Showrunner Reveals Stanford's Original Plotline Before Willie Garson's Death 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. And Just Like That... Unveils Trailer for New Documentary to Be Released Alongside Season Finale 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. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "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.