‘Friday Night Sext Scandal’ Stars Open Up About Shocking Lifetime Movie

Lifetime’s Friday Night Sext Scandal is a real conversation starter. The movie, which premieres March 16, pulls from the headlines, centering on a 16-year-old named Shawn (Anthony Timpano), who gives in to peer pressure of his football teammates. They engage in the practice of “hunting” nude or provocative photos of their female classmates to add to a covert website.

After being sidelined with an injury and feeling rejected, Shawn’s dark place makes his best friend Lauren (Keana Lyn Bastidas) a target. When the site and photos of young girls are found including Lauren, things start to unravel leaving damaged lives that change forever. We caught up with stars Timpano and Bastidas about why this is such an important watch.

Friday Night Sext Scandal – Anthony Timpano and Keana Lyn Bastidas (Lifetime)

I’m seeing this movie and thinking to myself, “How hard is it to be a teen in today’s day and age?” What were your first impressions about the project and the characters you play? 

Keana Lyn Bastidas: I think when I first saw the audition material, Anthony and I compared notes afterward. The scenes I got to tape for were extremely well-written and natural for how teens actually talked. It felt lived-in. I was excited to learn more about the project right away. Fortunately, they had the full script done at that point, so they shared that with me as well. I remember going through it in a first pass and wanting to know where it goes. It really throws you off guard a bit. I was eager to get started on a project that had such emotional depth. To get partnered with Anthony to bring this to life was amazing.

Anthony Timpano: I’m in agreement with Keana. When I first read the script, it hooked me. I thought there was more to my character than what was on the surface and what was on the page. I wanted to be able to explore that. It was interesting to play Shawn because it’s easy to judge him for the mistakes he made throughout this movie. I let that go and gave a portrayal that was more real, and honest. I understand him so much more as a human being. I don’t agree with the choices he made, but I think opening up to that made me able to play Shawn in an honest way.

This movie really gets people thinking twice about sending any photo of yourself to someone because you never know what the recipient is going to do with it. 

Keana: As young people, and not long ago teenagers, we’ve experienced the world in the film. For me being this age and reflecting on those times through a project like this, it was very cathartic in a way. I got to see things from a different lens. Also, through Shawn and his mother’s (Tara Nicodemo) relationship and what is happening internally. When it comes to social media, the youth of today I think are so resilient. It’s ingrained in a society where we are on social media. We are everything we do online. There are so many people who can unfortunately relate to what happens on screen. It happens far too often. I think what is so important is if we keep engaging in dialogue where people can talk about this in an open space. Where they can try to find guidance. There is always help and resources, especially now. We’re getting to a different point and steps forward, which is a good thing.

There are some very emotional scenes in the movie. How was it working off each other? 

Anthony: It was great. We met the first day we arrived in Ottawa and became friends instantly. We jumped right into it as we discovered our own characters and life. Keana, I’ve told her multiple times, is an amazing actress. Working beside her, you really have to be present and react to everything she does. I think she gives you so much and is able to play with that.

Keana: You are so sweet. Anthony’s character could easily be perceived as a bad guy. I wondered who would be playing Shawn, as we would have to navigate this teenage friendship. We had to get that right and build chemistry. We didn’t have much time, but I think we did that. I felt so safe with Anthony. He is such a bright person and so positive on set. We also had a fabulous director Gail Harvey and executive producer Danielle von Zerneck. It made the environment super comfortable.

Then you have two single moms who are friends. Shawn’s mom is conflicted about what to do. She wants to do right by your son, but he did this unimaginable thing. Things get complicated within their mother-son relationship, especially with the decision she has to make. 

Anthony: It’s a tough decision. I am her son. Throughout the movie, I keep her away from what I’m doing. She has no idea what is going on in my life. I think that’s the sad thing and emotional part of the film. You see these two relationships between me and Keana and then me and my mother. My mother and I have a beautiful relationship. That fades out a little bit. I’m now holding everything inside and not sharing what is going on. When she does find out, I don’t know how she would react. It’s something you don’t think you can deal with. By the end of it, she somehow finds a way to move forward. I think she does an amazing job given the circumstances.

Friday Night Sext Scandal – Anthony Timpano (Lifetime)

Keana, how important do you think it was for the film to have an attempted suicide scene? 

Keana: I think the thing is when you’re young everything feels like it’s the end of the world. As an adolescent, you’re going through so much rapid change. In any sort of situation where you might feel like a target, you can feel it on an emotional level. It was one of those things where the decision to do that didn’t seem like something she would do or necessarily go that far. It showed it can happen to anyone. Anyone can feel especially vulnerable in a place like that. Of course, it’s really tricky. We just have to keep our eyes out on the young people. We have to make sure we are pulling them out of spaces and getting answers from that.

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What is it like for you to be a young actor in this industry? 

Anthony: For me, I think it’s a beautiful time to be in this industry moving past the strikes and everything. There is so much opportunity now and films being made; I think from a personal standpoint I want what a lot of actors want, to be taken seriously as an actor. You want to be taken seriously. You want to put on good performances and tell stories. I’ve had a deep passion for creating. I’ve been lucky to have a good career so far and am excited to see where it goes.

Keana: We are at a turning point in the industry. Also, we’re seeing headlines around audiences asking for more original content. That has been a popular discourse among young people. They want new and not a remake. I think the next few years will determine what new voices we can get on screen and behind the scenes. How far we can go. We’re becoming more open to being more experimental, which is always exciting. I feel fortunate where I’m at right now and excited about the future.

Friday Night Sext Scandal premiere, March 16, 8/7c, Lifetime