JoAnna Garcia Swisher Dishes on 'Sweet Magnolias' Season 4—and Says Her Daughters May Appear on the Show Again

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By Nakeisha Campbell

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Published Dec 15, 2023

joanna garcia swisher sweet magnolias season 4

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*Warning: Season 3 spoilers ahead*

If you're itching to take a trip to Serenity and pour it out with Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue, you're not the only one.

We last saw the loyal trio in the season three finale of Sweet Magnolias, which, surprisingly, didn't end with a massive cliffhanger, but on a hopeful note. And now that Netflix has confirmed season four, we're curious to know: Will this mean fewer margarita nights for the leading ladies in the future?

Well, according to JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who plays Maddie, not necessarily. The actress, who's currently promoting Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Self Tests, sat down with PureWow and teased that things will be far from serene in the South Carolina town.

"I don't think we should rest on our happy, hopeful auras too much," Swisher told us. "It's going to be a big season, there's a lot headed our way."

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In case you need a quick refresher, the third season ends with Maddie leaning into her creativity, starting a potential book with her mother and strengthening her relationship with Cal. But don't be fooled, because according to Swisher, "Maddie's got her hands full in season four."

She added, "I can't confirm nor deny anything, but I can tell you that I'm mentally preparing for acting in this." *Grabs a margarita.*

While Swisher didn't reveal too many details about what to expect, she did hint that her real-life kids might make another appearance. (FYI, the star previously revealed that her two daughters, Emerson, 9, and Sailor, 6, were background actors in one episode in season two.)

She told us, "That was a really fun day. Heather [Headley] brought her kids there too, and so it was really fun to just have them with me at work. And then my youngest also did an episode of Santa Clauses, which was really fun. She wants to be an actress, so we're just taking really tiny baby steps."

The proud mom also acknowledged the parallels between Maddie's parenting journey and her own, noting that they both have a "mama heart."

She said, "I definitely think [we have] that mama heart, you know, wanting to protect your kids and make sure your kids are doing okay. My kids are a lot younger than the boys are, so she's dealing with things that I haven't quite hit yet. But yeah, I definitely think it bleeds into each other a little bit."

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In addition to what fans can expect, Swisher also opened up about wanting to share more scenes with the younger cast in Sweet Magnolias.

She said, "Margarita nights are my favorite because I'm with the ladies. It's just so fun. But I'd love to dip in a little bit more with the younger group, because they have a lot of fun. Their storylines are usually like, in their own little world, and I want to get in on that a little bit."

As for who she wants to see more of, she told us, "I want to see what's up with Noreen and Isaac. I feel like their house is gonna become like a fun little [space] because they're roommates now, and I'd love a little bit of that, too. So, Maddie could dip her toes all over the place. I want to see what's going on with everybody." TBH, same.

Abbott

Regarding her recent partnership, Swisher told us "When Abbott asked me to join them in this campaign I was just really excited. To be able to have self-test kits stocked in our home that are reliable, it's just part of my mom arsenal for cold and flu season."

Yep, we can definitely see the similarities to Maddie.

Nakeisha Campbell

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...

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