jacket. Amir Taghi
heels. Malone Souliers
jewellery. Awe Fine
tights. Stems
Sitting at home in Brooklyn, Sarah Yarkin is a far cry from the cynical, sarcastic Rhonda she plays in teen drama series ‘School Spirits’. Rather than the sharp edges of her on-screen counterpart, the California-born actor and producer is warm from the outset, her openness emanating through the Zoom call. It’s a contrast she’s well aware of. She admits that she originally found it hard to connect to Rhonda – a ghost who has been roaming the halls of Split River High for 62 years, ever since she was killed by her guidance counsellor, Mr Manfredo.
In the first two seasons, Rhonda’s prickly demeanour acts as a wall of indifference, boxing in her trauma and keeping others at arm’s length. By the third season, however, her true self finally comes into focus. “There’s this moment where she takes off her mask, and she goes, ‘This is me.’ I think that’s the most vulnerable we’ve ever seen her,” Yarkin shares. For the actor, that shift opened up new emotional territory to explore, particularly a queer love story that exists beyond the confines of a traditional coming-out narrative. “We’re not just sitting there talking about being gay,” she says. “That’s an amazing thing in the media today.”
Ahead of the show’s season finale, Schön! sits down with Yarkin to delve deeper into Rhonda’s character development, what it means to be part of the queer storytelling in ‘School Spirits’ and what she’s looking for in her next project.
bodysuit. Zeynep Arcay
opposite
bodysuit. Zeynep Arcay
skirt + corset. Eman Alajlan
heels. Tamara Mellon
jewellery. Awe Fine
Congratulations on season three of ‘School Spirits’! I remember watching season one and being shocked by the finale.
Season one’s finale was insane. I actually cried. I remember watching it – and I was there during the day, I know what happened – and seeing Peyton [List]’s performance, I was actually crying. And I think that happened again in season two’s finale. And I’m always shocked when they put it together, and I’m like, “That’s powerful.”
It’s gripping, so I’m really excited to see what they do at the end of this season. Over the last three seasons, we’ve really seen Rhonda face her trauma. How has it been for you to unpack such a complex character and get to play her as she evolves?
That’s such a good question. When I first got this breakdown for the audition in season one, I was like, “Wow, that’s such a dream.” Doing a period piece, a character from another time [is something] I’ve always wanted to do. Someone with such a horrible backstory, as an actor, is such a terrible thing and also such a gift. It’s very three-dimensional. There’s so much going on, so much research to do, and so many of these conversations with the creators of the show, Nate and Megan Trinrud about what actually happened to her? What do I think happened to her? What is spelt out in the script? What backstory am I creating?
She has just such a huge trajectory over these three seasons. In season one, she’s the most closed-off character. She’s sarcastic, she has no energy, her eyes barely open, she’s saying mean things, and flipping people off. In season two, she starts to challenge that to see if there is a way out of there. And then season three is this amazing payoff of all of that work, where she’s actually willing to connect – and connect with Quinn in this really sweet, beautiful way – and be honest with the other ghosts that she hasn’t been honest with in 30 or 40 years. It’s been really exciting to play these different facets of her as she’s changing, and although she can’t age, she’s still changing and growing in so many ways.
top. Libertine
skirt + belt. Avvenn
heels. Stylist’s Own
jewellery. Awe Fine
This season, she finally experiences true happiness free from trauma. How important is that scene for her story, but also the way that audiences perceive her?
What’s interesting is that when we actually did the scene, it was written very differently. It was written where she goes into more of her trauma and Mr Manfredo. There was some automated dialogue replacement in the scene, and I don’t even know if people notice – of course, I do because I’m like, “That’s not what I did!” – but there was more going into depth like, “I haven’t kissed anyone in 62 years because of what happened to me…” It was a more emotional, heartbreaking scene talking about her trauma, and then kissing and having this great moment.
Some of the editors, the creators of the show, and the producers all told me later, “There’s so much trauma in the show – that is what the show is about – and there’s so much trauma in queer love, as well. What if we have a moment where it’s not about trauma? What if we have a moment where she acknowledges it, but it’s not wrapped in her trauma?” As an actor, I was like, “No, put in my moment where I’m sad and I’m crying, I want that,” but to see it come together in this incredibly heartfelt [way], I think that’s almost the most honest moment we have of Rhonda. That is her admitting that she’s been lying, that this bravado is an act, that she is just a teenager. She puts on this show, and I had a hard time stepping into that role in season one. I was like, “I’m not cool. I have no bravado. How do I do this character?” So, there’s this moment where she takes off her mask, and she goes, “This is me.” I think that’s the most vulnerable we’ve ever seen her.
She says she hasn’t been kissed in 62 years, and directly contradicts her comments in season one. Did knowing that she had said that as a front make you see or treat her differently this season?
I fought back. I was like, “Wait, no, no, no, in season one, she said this, and in season two, she said we’ve all done whatever.” They were like, “No, this is who she is.” It made me understand her even better because that’s so much more relatable to me as a younger sister. I felt like a little prude growing up, and I got to connect with her more. I don’t think I played her any differently, but it made me understand her better, being like,“Yeah, of course I’m going to pretend I know what they’re talking about.”
I remember we were listening to ‘Dirty’ by Christina Aguilera when I was in fourth grade, and my sister and her friends were like, “Do you know what this song means?”, and I was like,“Yeah.” I remember thinking, dirt, like mud? That’s what [Rhonda’s] been doing for so long. It’s so much easier to pretend you don’t care, and you’re above it, and what a safer, less vulnerable place to be.
jacket. Amir Taghi
heels. Malone Souliers
jewellery. Awe Fine
tights. Stems
opposite
jacket + skirt. Haider Ackermann
jewellery. Awe Fine
Audiences are so invested in Rhonda and Quinn’s relationship that you even have a ship name, “Quinda.” Why is it so important for you to be a part of this queer storytelling?
I mean, it’s a dream, right? I came into my queerness as I was starting this show in 2022 and understanding myself as I began to understand this character. I said, “I think she’s queer,” and Nate Trinrud said, “Yeah, sure.” I don’t know, to this day, if she was going to be written that way, or if there are so many queer creators on this show that I said, “This is how she is,” and they said, “Yeah, we buy that.”
I think back to when I was younger, and I obviously didn’t know or understand this part of myself. I heard of the L word, but I was too young to have watched it. I was watching ‘The O.C.’, ‘The Hills’, ‘Recess’. There were no queer characters, there were no normalised queer characters. I can’t even imagine watching a show and there being two women or someone who’s queer or someone who’s non binary. We just grew up in a different time, and although it wasn’t that long ago, it really feels like a long time ago in the media. It’s so amazing to get these messages from people cheering them on. It’s the sweetest thing in the world.
A third grader just came up to me in my neighbourhood in Brooklyn yesterday, and she was like, “I’m such a fan of the show.” Her mom was like, “We love the show. We watch it all together.” I walked home just smiling. It was the sweetest moment. People of all ages are watching this – as young as third grade – and there’s nothing weird about two men kissing or someone non binary and a woman kissing. That’s just a normal story arc. I think it’s unbelievable. It blows my mind.
jacket. Amir Taghi
jewellery. Awe Fine
tights. Stems
It’s one of those things, as you said, that makes sense for the character. It’s not something that feels performative in any way, and that’s also why people latch onto it.
There was something I read about how there’s no coming-out scene for Rhonda. It’s not about that. Quinn has this whole speech about their gender identity, and that’s sort of coming out, but there’s no discussion between them of their sexuality, who they’re attracted to. Kristen Stewart had such a great quote like, “Enough traumatic coming out stories, let’s just have people be gay.” There’s something amazing about this, where we’re not just sitting there talking about being gay. Even Yuri isn’t talking about being gay. Charley’s dealing with his understanding of bisexuality, sure, but there’s not a coming-out scene for him. That’s an amazing thing in the media today. I’m so proud of it.
I’m hoping we’ll get to see more of that relationship before the finale. Without spoiling anything, what can we expect from Rhonda in terms of her character arc, within the last few episodes of the season?
It’s so funny, you’re like, “Don’t spoil anything,” and I genuinely don’t really remember what happens. It’s such a blur when we’re shooting the show out of order, and we’re wearing the same costumes every day, so I have no real memory. They haven’t sent us [episodes] six, seven, or eight yet, so I’m trying to remember. There was a very sweet scene – I’m not going to say who it’s with – and I’m looking forward to it so much. That, for me, is what this season is about for this character, as much as the “Quinda” stuff.
Rhonda is older than all of them – she has been here longer than all of them – and she steps into that position of an older sister for some of these other ghosts of giving advice. Not in a sarcastic way, and not as a front and not in a sassy, mean way, but being there and listening and showing up for people in ways she couldn’t before show up for herself. I’m really excited for people to see that.
jacket. Haider Ackermann
jewellery. Awe Fine
opposite
jacket + dress. Simkhai
I want to switch gears just a little bit. Your song, ‘Rosy Glasses’, was featured in season one of the show. How does your music allow you to explore parts of yourself that acting might not?
That was such an amazing thing to happen. I love them for that. There’s something amazing about acting, where you get to go and be a character and say other people’s lines and try to insert yourself into that character and figure out how you relate, but you’re not saying your own words. With music, I’ve been writing a lot just for myself. It’s like my own therapy and journaling. Being able to express myself in my own [words] is the most vulnerable thing. Acting is so vulnerable, but this, to me, tops that in so many ways where you’re like, “These are my words. This is about someone.” There’s something so vulnerable about it and therapeutic in ways where I can just say whatever. With acting, there are so many layers to it, and singing and writing music is direct.
You’ve dabbled in producing as well. You star, and you were a producer on the upcoming short film ‘Visitors’. How has that role helped you grow in your craft of acting, but also experience a new facet of storytelling?
We are premiering at SXSW in a month, which is so exciting, and we just found out we’re finalists for an award – it’s all been a dream. As an actor, you go to set and hear your lines and “Here’s your costume,” and “Say your line,” and “Stand on your mark.” Sometimes you get a little more creative control, but usually not – there are so many cooks in the kitchen. I’ve wanted to be a creative producer for so long in terms of like, “Here’s the work I want to be making. Let’s go and make it. And I want to be in it.” That is my ultimate dream – and it always has been – to get to do that in a smaller way and see it work, where I was like, “I’m actually good at this. I’m good at making calls, and I’m good at getting things to happen.”
Minnie Schedeen – a close friend of mine, an amazing writer and director – [and I] have been talking about working together for so long, and she thought of this idea. We said, “Let’s just go make it,” and we made it in two months. We got an amazing team of female producers together, and I got to sit there and learn everything from them. It demystified it for me. It was such an incredibly fulfilling experience. I’m just so excited and ready to do that in a bigger way now, and we want to adapt this into a feature. It genuinely was a life-changing experience.
That’s so exciting because you do have that much more control over not only where your character goes, but also the trajectory of the entire story.
One hundred percent, and getting to be like, “I think we should cast this person, and I think this is what this should look like, and I love how the director of photography is colouring this.” Minnie is such a phenomenal collaborator and wants my notes on the script, and I’m so in awe that she even considered what I cared about. Getting to work in that sense and saying, “I don’t think I would say that,” and not feel like I’m overstepping. For her to be like, “Oh, yeah, say it however,” that’s ultimately my dream as an actor, getting to decide what I want to make and be in charge of making it.
jacket. Amir Taghi
jewellery. Awe Fine
opposite
bodysuit. Zeynep Arcay
skirt + corset. Eman Alajlan
heels. Tamara Mellon
jewellery. Awe Fine
Definitely. With that said, what are you looking for in your next project?
It’s funny, I’m always like, “I don’t know, anything good,” and that’s not a very good answer. I would do anything where I could win an Oscar [laughs]. No, I’ve been getting some really interesting scripts. I love the indie film world, and want to be doing more in that. There are some incredibly creative things happening there that maybe studios wouldn’t support. I’m super excited to go to SXSW and show this as a showcase of not only my work as an actor, but also as a producer and collaborator. I have an audition tomorrow for an Off-Broadway play, and I am so nervous about it.
Oh my goodness!
Thank you! I’m so nervous. I’ve been singing for a long time and taking singing lessons, but to do that in front of an audience is a whole other beast. I’ve been working on this song for a month, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m just excited to keep pushing myself – and scaring myself – into trying things that are terrifying.
Good luck with your audition! It’s a very exciting thing to be in a position where you want to challenge yourself and take those risks with projects – and it’s a gift to get to that point.
No, totally. To even go to SXSW and say I’m not only an actor, but I’m a producer. It’s so easy to gaslight yourself in this industry and say, “Oh, no, I’m not that, I’m not a singer, I don’t do theatre, I haven’t done it since high school.” To go into a room and not say, “Oh, I’m trying to be…” or “I want to be…” but say, “I am a producer,” that’s the best gift you can give yourself. I’m trying to take that advice more, and be like, “I said I wanted to do the thing, I did the thing, and now I am that thing – and I can continue being that thing.” One hundred percent introducing myself as that thing, because that is who I am now. It’s so easy to trick yourself into thinking you’re less than that.
We all do it, right?
I’m a pro at it.
jacket + dress. Simkhai
heels. Alevi
jewellery. Awe Fine
The season three finale of ‘School Spirits’ is now streaming on Paramount+.
photography. Kendra Frankle
fashion. Amanda Lim represented by The Only Agency
talent. Sarah Yarkin
hair. John D.
make up. Tanya Alian
production. Cassidy Cocke
interview. Amber Louise
