A.N.T FARM arrived on Family Channel with a spark and a promise of high school drama that feels fresh and relatable. The series follows Chyna Parks, a gifted 11-year-old who is bumped into a high school program called Advanced Natural Talent, and it tracks her efforts to fit in with new friends Olive Doyle and Fletcher Quimby while she navigates the school’s queen bee Lexi Reed. Stefanie Scott, the actress who brings Lexi to life, shares what filming was like, how she steps into Lexi’s mindset, and what makes the character memorable on screen.
The premiere aired on Family Channel at 7:30 p.m. ET, introducing viewers to a world where younger kids share a high school stage and a whole lot of personality. Scott reflects on the experience, noting how much fun the cast had during production and how thrilled she is that audiences would finally get to see the show.
Are you excited about starting the series? Scott recalls the mood on set with a smile. I’m so excited, she says, we’ve been having such a great time filming it together and I’m just so happy that it’s finally going to be on the air and everyone’s going to be able to see it!
Lexi is described as the head cheerleader, the student body president, the star of all the school plays, and she pretty much owns the school, she runs the school. She is at the center of the school’s social scene, and her confidence is felt in every scene she dominates. Scott notes that Lexi’s leadership is challenged when Chyna arrives, creating tension that drives the show’s high school drama.
“Lexi’s is the head cheerleader, the student body president, she’s the star of all the school plays, and she pretty much owns the school, she runs the school,” Scott says. “She’s the head of everything, so she feels really threatened when Chyna comes in and she has so much talent.”
“No, they clash instantly! She feels threatened by Chyna, so she feels she needs to make herself seem better, so she kind of tries to get Chyna to feel threatened by her.”
“It’s great, honestly! I have so much fun playing her, I have so much fun with all her witty remarks and her comebacks and she’s just so different from me so I have so much fun being someone totally different. And the wardrobe is great, I love her fashion!”
“She wears really high heels, she has a lot of heels, like stilettos and high heeled boots, and there’s this one episode where I got to wear these hot pink boots. So lots of heels and boots, and lots of rhinestones, I’ve noticed. Lots of sparkles.”
“I get into this character, honestly, I know a lot of people like Lexi! I know a lot of people who will be like her, so I kind of act like them, I pick up on things that they would do in a certain way. That’s how I kind of become Lexi, she’s just so fun and she is so much different from me, so it’s so great to be somebody else, it’s fun. Especially when they’re the head of everything!”
“I think that Lexi is honestly, she’s a mix of Rachel’s character and Quinn’s character on GLEE. She’s the popular girl, but at the same time she’s the musical theater girl who’s the star of all the school plays and she can sing and she can act and she can do it all, so I think she’s a mix of Quinn and Rachel from GLEE, that’s how I would picture her.”
“Me, I love doing music and I’ve always really been into ballet my whole life, so those are some things I love to do. And art, I’m very artsy and creative like that, so those are the things that I’m probably good at!”
“It’s so exciting to be on a steady show for a while. It’s a character that I get to stick with for a couple of years, and there’s a new script every week and I get to play the same character every week with all the things she says and all of the comebacks. There’s a certain sentence that she would always say, and it’s her thing, so it’s really fun to have that kind of character in the show where I get to play her every single week, whereas a guest star, you only get to play that character once. In movies, you only get to play the character for a month or two, so it’s exciting to have a longer run with the same character.”
“There have been a couple crazy moments, not embarrassing but silly moments on set. I remember one of our first episodes there was a blackout on the soundstage. There were no lights and we were all in the scary sound stage by ourselves, so we turned all the lights out and started telling scary stories. The director bought us all ice cream, and we just had a real party. It was the most memorable moment.”
“I think A.N.T FARM stands out because it involves younger kids in a high school setting. It isn’t just about high schoolers; it has a wide range of ages and personalities, so it feels relatable and there’s always someone viewers can connect with. It’s going to fit in great on Family Channel, and I’m really hoping audiences will love it.”
“My favorite shows? MODERN FAMILY, GLEE, and PRETTY LITTLE LIARS are my top three.”
“Dream roles aren’t limited to one thing. I’d love to explore a scary movie one day. Horror films fascinate me, and I’d enjoy playing the villain in that world.”
“Animals are a big part of my life. I have two dogs, Frosty a Bijan and Mocha a Chihuahua, plus two cats, Tinkerbell and Pumpkin. They’re adorable, and we’re thinking of adding a kitten soon, which I’m really excited about.”
Be sure to tune in for the premiere of A.N.T FARM at 7:30 p.m. ET on Family Channel.