In case you missed the hype two years ago, Sweet Magnolias is the small country-town mommy-drama that makes you feel nostalgic for true friendships and wholesome community values. Based on the novels by Sherryl Woods, and developed for the screen by Sheryl J. Anderson, Sweet Magnolias follows the ups and downs of three best friends in South Carolina.
After the ten-episode inaugural season aired in May 2020, Season 2 was finally released on February 4, 2022, with another ten episodes. Perhaps proving the need for feel-good shows and long-awaited resolution to cliffhangers, Sweet Magnolias quickly reached number one in Netflix’s public ranking.
The cast of Season 2 includes mostly familiar faces that you’ve already come to know and love from Season 1 and a few less-familiar faces whose stories are brought into the forefront in the second season. Here’s everyone you need to know before getting into the show.
Related:Why Forgiveness Matters in ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Season 2
JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend
Maddie is a determined and passionate mother of three who continues to navigate through the stress of her recent divorce while attempting to remain a positive example and emotional backbone to her children. Though Maddie’s divorce is something that defines her character’s motivations in Season 1, Season 2 finds Maddie increasingly more comfortable in asserting her aspirations and boundaries in her relationships. With the support of the other Sweet Magnolias, Maddie is able to face mysterious stresses at the spa, community gossip, and the unfamiliarity of strained relationships with her teenage children.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher is best known for her roles as Sandy Sue in the film Not Another Teen Movie and Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery in the TV series Reba. Most recently, Garcia Swisher appeared in TV movie As Luck Would Have It. Aside from these, she is known for playing recurring characters in Once Upon a Time, Gossip Girl, Pitch, and Privileged.
Heather Headley as Helen Decatur
Helen is one of the Sweet Magnolias, best-friends with Maddie and Dana Sue. She is a determined, passionate, and justice-focused lawyer with community values. Season 1’s development uncovers part of Helen’s former life, where she left her friends and family in small-town Serenity and moved to the big city, San Fransisco with her boyfriend at the time. Ultimately though, this act of impulse and idealistic youth is overpowered by her love and family values which brought her back. Season 2 follows Helen’s journey in creating the family that she so desperately wants, as well as continuing to help the community as well as her friends.
Heather Headley is best known for her recurring role as Gwen Garrett in Chicago Med and as Dr. Jamison in She’s Gotta Have It. Before this, Headley was known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Aida in the Broadway production of Aida. Most recently, she is credited for playing Clara Ward in the Aretha Franklin biography Respect.
Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan
Dana Sue is a successful chef and food aficionado, who owns her own restaurant in Serenity. Best friends with Maddie and Helen, Dana Sue and the girls make up the friendship group known within the community as the Sweet Magnolias. In the first season, Dana Sue faced adversity as a single parent with an inability to relate to her daughter, Annie. The second season shows Dana Sue in an even less stable position, as she deals with the economic burden of the restaurant, community gossip surrounding her relationship status as well as being there for her daughter.
Brooke Elliot is most known for her star role in the 6-season long television series Drop Dead Diva. Elliot is also known for her roles in the TV movies Furst Born, Crazy Wonderful, as well as her role in More Beautiful for Having Been Broken. Most recently, she was featured in Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings TV show.
Related:'Sweet Magnolias' Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson Answers All Your Season 2 Questions
Justin Bruening as Cal Maddox
Cal is an ex-professional baseball player whose career choices have brought him to coach the high school baseball team in Serenity. In Season 1, his character grapples with his feelings for newly divorced Maddie and the potential awkward conflict being her son’s coach. The second season provides the audience with more personal insight into Cal’s past as he continues to open up to Maddie.
Justin Bruening is widely known within the television industry, most notably for his roles in Grey's Anatomy and Good Behavior. He is also known for his work in Switched at Birth, Ringer, and All My Children. Recently, he has also starred in the Christmas movies The Last Vermont Christmas and Swept Up by Christmas.
Chris Medlin as Isaac Downey
Isaac is a young, up-and-coming chef, learning under the guidance of Dana Sue in her restaurant. Most of his Season 1 storyline is surrounded by intrigue and mystery, ultimately leading to one of the loose ends of the first season finale, where Isaac’s motivations are uncovered to be in aid of finding his birth parents. Season 2 follows this storyline more closely than the first season as finding his parents becomes a team effort, assisted with the help of the Sweet Magnolias.
Chris Medlin, though relatively fresh to the television industry, has a strong musical background. He is best known for his performance as a part of the original Broadway cast of Mean Girls: The Musical as well as the Broadway production Diana on Netflix.
Anneliese Judge as Annie Sullivan
Annie is Dana Sue’s only daughter, who is attempting to find her way, dealing with growing up and unrequited love all within the seemingly tiny confines of the town that they live in. The second season follows Annie navigating the return of a family member, making surprising friendships and discovering young love.
Anneliese Judge’s first acting role was in Season 1 of Sweet Magnolias, however, since then she also appeared in the thriller Where’s Rose.
Related:'Sweet Magnolias' Season 1 Recap: Everything You Need to Know Before Season 2
Carson Rowland as Tyler Townsend
Ty is the oldest of Maddie and Bill’s children. He is very much driven towards reaching his goal of playing scholarship baseball in college under the guidance of Coach Cal. As the oldest, he bears much of the emotional weight and responsibility for the younger children, including Annie, despite her not being a part of the family. Season 2 follows his journey dealing with an injury that threatens his ability to play baseball for the school season.
Carson Rowland has been acting since 2015 when he landed the role of Riley Sturgis in Tweet: The Series. Since then, he is most likely to have been seen in the television shows I Am Frankie, and American Housewife. Most recently, he has been tied to the upcoming Pretty Little Liars reboot, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
Sam Ashby as Jackson Lewis
Jackson is the son of Mary Vaughn and the mayor of Serenity, Trent Lewis. He is the ‘bad-boy’ antagonist to Ty and Annie at school. As both Ty and Jackson are teammates in the same baseball team and in the same year level, Season 1 establishes the feeling of long-term animosity between them. The second season offers the audience a deeper perspective into Jackson’s character, encouraging us to empathize with his upbringing that influences his bully-like behavior.
Before Sweet Magnolias, Sam Ashby had most notably appeared in the television show Legacies where he played the character Connor. Since then, he has appeared in Queens and Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings. Ashby is also going to appear in the upcoming action-Western film Desperate Riders by Michael Feifer.
The second season of Sweet Magnolias is now streaming on Netflix.
