‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ Star Kiernan Shipka On Her Relationship With the Aunts

Kiernan Shipka counts herself lucky to be close enough with her Chilling Adventures of Sabrina co-stars Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis that their familial dynamic on the show ends up feeling effortlessly believable.

Otto, best known for her work in the Lord of the Rings films, and Davis (Wonder Woman, The Office) play Zelda and Hilda, respectively. Sabrina’s aunts and guardians, the pair are charged with taking care of their niece after the death of her parents — and raising her to become the teenage witch fans expect.

“It’s one of those things where you know you’re on a really fun show when you look forward to the waiting in between set-ups, as much as you do the actually filming, because you enjoy the conversation with the people so much,” Shipka told reporters during a recent visit to the set. “Lucy and Miranda are both such wonderful human beings. Such fun, amazing, badass women. I feel really lucky to have developed friendships with both of them….We are a lot different than our characters in real life, but we do also have similarities. I think, at least for me, I try to bring some of myself into whatever character I’m playing.”

“The camaraderie that we have and the energy on set, especially when we get into filming, most of the time, we’re on the same page, which feels really good as an actor to go into a scene and feel like you’re just in it together,” Shipka continued. “Day one, they came in, and they were those characters. It’s been so solid and consistent throughout the season. It’s amazing to watch.”

Fans may think they know what to expect from the relationships, given the comics and the ’90s sitcom version of Sabrina, but Shipka feels like the relationships are deep and fun, but have some surprises in store for the audience.

“I love Sabrina’s relationship with both her aunts, because both relationships are so different,” Shipka said. “There’s some really beautiful, heartbreaking moments with Zelda as the season goes on. Obviously, Zelda is the more stern and is the one that’s maybe a little more closed off. But, there are moments that show how much Zelda fiercely loves and will protect Sabrina that genuinely bring up so many emotions. It’s such a strong, beautiful relationship. Then, Hilda is funny and she’s charming and she’s adorable, yes…but, she’s also such a kind and interesting soul. I think there’s a lot more than meets the eye with Hilda, especially when it comes to her past experiences and knowledge and wisdom. There’s a lot in there that we’re still discovering.”

The series deals with Sabrina Spellman, 16, as she finds her way in the world of magic and struggles between her destiny as a witch and the human life that she will have to leave behind.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season one will launch on Netflix on October 26.