Willa Fitzgerald, a gorgeous spirit with looks and talent to match, is in change-everything mode. She’s got a new home, a new dog, and all kinds of personal goals she’s set for herself, including working on the next season of her hit show on the USA network, Dare Me. But there are certain constants that keep this actor grounded and capable of being calm and present, including reading, baking, and people-watching. Bare recently caught up with the actor and discovered how the Yin and Yang of Willa’s life currently is propelling her forward.

Bare: Your show Dare Me is getting raves. Does the thought of jumping into your character’s sneakers again and joining the cast and crew to film another season just thrill you?

Willa Fitzgerald: Yes, oh yes! We’re still waiting to hear, but we did half of the book in the first season, so we’re all excited to keep telling this story and living in these characters that are so complicated and dense. There’s so much left unsaid in the script — that’s an exciting place to work from as an actor. 

Bare: Can you share some of the things you love about your hometown, Nashville, and about New York City, where you live now?

WF: Nashville was a great place to grow up, but I was always hungry to get out. Growing up, I had this romantic idealization of New England because of the books that I read. I chose a school close to New York City [Yale, in Connecticut], and I think I went to the city for the first time sophomore year and just fell in love. New York is such a special place for me because I love to walk. The fact that in New York I can go for a walk for hours and people watch, and think, and write and read … that’s how I like to decompress. And pretty much every space in New York is a public space, unlike in LA, where you live in more of a bubble. In New York, you’re constantly around people and life, and there’s something beautiful about that.

Bare: You’re a proud first-time homeowner and you have a new puppy, too! How’s all that newness feeling?

WF: Yes, I live in Brooklyn with my puppy Goose. My old dog passed away, so I just recently got this new pup. I think there’s something to be said for when there is a lot of change happening, leaning into it. Change invites change. Growing up, I never would’ve imagined that this would be part of my life. It’s a humbling, exciting and magical moment to step back from and really cherish.

Bare: So what do you do when you’re not working or exploring Brooklyn?

WF: I’m always excited to have a lot of creative outlets going on that aren’t related to the industry. Right now I’m on a big pottery kick. It’s exciting to make something so tangible with your hands. It’s great to say, ‘I’m going to the studio today for four hours to make six cups,’ and come home with six cups. I also like to bake and cook. Baking is like a science experiment; you follow the rules and know what you’re going to get. I love cooking because it is a meditative and creative experience and there’s more room for making something in an improvisational way.

Bare: What are some other ways you like to escape?

WF: A couple of New Years ago, my friend and I made a commitment to doing things in a public way, you know, to get over ourselves. Those things are dance class and karaoke. I’m terrible with choreography, so I started regularly attending dance class. It’s healthy to do something that you don’t feel confident about.

I also love Prospect Park in Brooklyn — it’s a great place to get lost in. And I love being by the water. A big thing that was missing for me in Nashville was proximity to water. In NYC, you can get to a beautiful beach on the train! Having that ability to go to the beach even in the winter is so restorative.

Bare: A source tells us you may occasionally get anxious .... true or false?

WF: (Laughs) Always. Especially when you’re a freelancer and structuring your own time. What grounds me is self-created routine: waking up, going to the gym, walking the dog, making coffee. It makes me feel like I’ve started and ended my day, and done things that made me feel good in between.

Bare: You just turned 29. Can you tell us any life lessons that have recently revealed themselves to you?

WF: Releasing expectations. Expectation is the one thing that is sure to make every experience less magical and your presence in it less immediate. As I near the end of my 20s, that lesson has been firmly proven. So many things you expect to happen don’t, and so many things you don’t expect to happen do. It’s been a wonderful few months because, in all the change, I’ve been able to stay present, which is very grounding.

I remember a high school teacher said to me in my senior year, “be as a leaf on the stream.” Knowing what you want and being able to seek it out is important, but seeing what you’re being given and responding to it is essential.

Bare: Finally, can you share some of your bare essentials?

WF: My essentials are definitely regular puppy time, a good cup of coffee in the morning, a solid 30-minute writing session a day, and I always have a book in my purse [right now it is On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by the Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong], and a chapstick. And water! I drink so much water. When I don’t have water, I get nervous. It’s an actor thing, we always have about seven liquids going — coffee, tea, seltzer … gotta keep those vocal chords lubricated!

Hair by Cameron Rains