Looking back at all the hits! Netflix had some major new releases in 2021, and we broke down all the best ones.
Addison Rae made her film debut in August when He’s All That premiered. A gender-swapped remake of the 1990s movie She’s All That, the new rom-com starred the TikTok personality alongside Tanner Buchanan.
“It’s been a dream of mine forever to be an actress,” Addison told Glamour U.K. in February 2021. “To be really called one now, is just really insane. Growing up, I was always in acting classes and watching movies and pretending I was the character.”
From the time she was cast as main character Padgett in September 2020 to the day the movie premiered, the ITEM Beauty founder couldn’t help but gush over her first-ever movie role.
“People have a lot to say about ‘Did she work for it, does she deserve it, does she even like to act?’” the Louisiana native told The Los Angeles Times in August 2021. “That was the most difficult part for me to comprehend, because I do love acting and I’ve done it my entire life, but people don’t know that. In a way, I am trying to prove myself. Like, ‘Hey, I do love this; this is a passion of mine.’ And that’s very hard.”
But, her costars had her back!
“She put in the work. She did audition for this,” Addison’s costar Tanner explained to Variety in August 2021. “She had to send them her self-tapes and everything. Everybody had to be OK with her, and she did an amazing job.”
He continued, “I’m really big about my lines, but I screw up a lot. She knew her lines way better than I knew mine. She was on top of it the entire time. That’s what I keep telling people, is you would think that she’s [been acting] for years.”
When it came to TV shows, a few Netflix series returned to the streaming service with their second or third seasons. Outer Banks, for one, premiered season 2 in July 2021, and fans, once again, saw the Pogues hunting for treasure!
“What a labor of love this season has been. To the best crew in this business. Thank you. You have fought through adversity with a sense of humor. Sacrificed your time during a global pandemic to bring to life another incredibly compelling story,” the show’s star Chase Stokes wrote via Instagram when filming wrapped in April 2021. “This isn’t an easy show to do, and for those that are there before we get to work, and those who stay when we leave. My heart is filled with gratitude for you. This is more than just a tv show. This has become a big ole’ family.”
Scroll through our gallery to see which other Netflix movies and TV shows we loved this year!
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