Alisha Boe burst onto the scene as a star on the Netflix hit show “13 Reasons Why” where she portrays Jessica Davis. However, the Norwegian-American actress has been in the field for a number of years. She first began her career as Lisa Swan in the film “Amusement,” before resurfacing in “He’s On My Mind” and “Paranormal Activity 4.” She also appeared in 15 episodes of the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”
Because of her role in “13 Reasons Why,” Boe has been speaking out about survivor-shaming in sexual assault cases, especially in the wake of the ongoing #MeToo movement.
In the show, her character was raped by Bryce, who is portrayed by Justin Prentice, after a night of heavy drinking.
“There was a small percentage of people who would slut-shame Jessica and be like… ‘You’re the one that got drunk. Why did you fall asleep?,'” she said in an interview with Refinery29. “It made me realize the culture of victim-blaming. And I think in this whole year alone [after the #MeToo movement], it has shifted so much more… I feel like we’re moving towards a positive change where we actually believe women.”
The character continues to seek a sense of peace in the upcoming season.
“Jessica is moving towards trying to find a new normal,” Boe added. “[The series] picks up five months after the last season, and she is coming back and reintegrating into school, and trying to find a good support system.”
Season 2 of “13 Reasons Why” was released on Friday, May 18 and is currently available on Netflix.