Kathryn Newton Says Big Little Lies Changed Her Life’ Praises the All-Star Cast: ‘They’re Still My Friends’ (Exclusive)

“It opened a lot of doors — those women opened a lot of doors,” the 28-year-old actress tells  of the HBO series and her castmates

Kathryn Newton Says Big Little Lies Changed Her Life and Reveals the Women in the All-Star Cast Are ‘Still My Friends
Kathryn Newton on Oct. 28, 2025; Zoë Kravitz, Reese Witherspoon and Newton in 2017.Credit : 
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

NEED TO KNOW

  • Kathryn Newton exclusively told PEOPLE that she is ready to reunite with the all-star cast of Big Little Lies for season 3
  • Newton played Abigail Carlson, the daughter of Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon), in the popular HBO series
  • Big Little Lies season 2 ended in 2019, while season 3 was confirmed to be in the works as of September 2025

It’s no lie: Kathryn Newton is ready for season 3 of Big Little Lies.

Speaking with PEOPLE in an exclusive conversation at the 2025 WWD Honors in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 28, the actress — who plays Abigail Carlson in the popular HBO series — discussed the recently confirmed upcoming season, as well as how the show has impacted her.

“I can tease that I think it’s happening — that’s all the people get to know,” Newton, 28, says. “And I won’t believe it until I’m on set, but I would be very excited to be reunited with those women. That show changed my life.”

Actors Shailene Woodley,Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Zoe Kravitz, Reese Witherspoon, Kathryn Newton, Ian Armitage, Ivy George, Cameron Crovetti, Nicholas Crovetti, Chloe Coleman, and Darby Camp attend the premiere of HBO's
Back row from left: Kathryn Newton, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley in 2017.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty

The Lisa Frankenstein star praised Big Little Lies’ director, Jean-Marc Vallée, and the all-star cast, which included Reese Witherspoon, Zoë KravitzNicole KidmanLaura Dern, Shailene Woodley, and Meryl Streep.

“Working with Jean-Marc Vallée, I’ve just been trying to find that kind of dynamic with the director and other actors ever since,” Newton admits. “It opened a lot of doors — those women opened a lot of doors.”

The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star still values the relationships she formed with the other actresses from Big Little Lies.

“I’m still close with them, so that’s what the life-changing thing is,” she explains. “I was at a young age where you — you know, when you make friends in middle school and then you drift apart and then you make your new friends in college? It’s kind of like I made friends with them in middle school, but they’re still my friends.”

Actors Kathryn Newton and Reese Witherspoon attend HBO's Official Golden Globe Awards After Party at Circa 55 Restaurant on January 7, 2018
Kathryn Newton and Reese Witherspoon in 2018. Emma McIntyre/Getty

Newton recently shared a piece of advice that Witherspoon, who played her TV mom Madeline Mackenzie in Big Little Lies, gave to her.

“She said, ‘Always say ‘hi’ first.’ You know, when you see somebody at a party that you maybe went to high school with, just go say ‘hi.’ You break the ice,” Newton recalled to PEOPLE in May.

Newton continued, “Everyone I’ve worked with has left a positive mark and makes me want to do that in the future — just lead by example.”

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