‘13 Reasons Why’ Star Kate Walsh Shares She Almost Backed Out Of The Project

“Private Practice” star Kate Walsh will be playing the role of Mrs. Baker in the upcoming Netflix series “13 Reasons Why.”

In an interview with TV Guide, Walsh revealed that she almost backed out of the project. According to the actress, she liked the story of the show, but she was worried that the role of Mrs. Baker would be too demanding for her emotionally. “It was really appealing to me, but I really did consider it very seriously because it’s so heavy – my character, what she goes through – that I was like, do I want to put myself in that place for seven months?”

Despite her personal concerns, Walsh realized that playing the role will serve as her way of fostering discussions on teen suicide, LGBTQ youth, bullying and sexual assault. “I feel lucky I have some autonomy and that I can say, I want to be part of projects that I think are interesting creatively, for sure, but also culturally important,” she added.

Read: Selena Gomez admits ‘13 Reasons Why’ dark storyline hits home

In the series, Mrs. Baker is the mom of Hannah (Katherine Langford), a teenager who commits suicide. Hannah leaves 13 cassette tapes before her passing as her means of telling her classmates why she decided to take her own life. The Netflix series was adapted from the Young Adult book written by Jay Asher, according to CNN.

In the teaser released by the network, Clay (Dylan Minnette) is surprised to see the 13 cassette tapes in front of his door. He starts listening to what Hannah has to say and is shocked when he hears her say that he’s one of the reasons for her demise.

The 13 episodes of “13 Reasons Why” will be available on Netflix on Friday, March 31.