Most children's programs (and really, TV shows in general) eventually pair up their male and female leads as a romantic couple. They may start out antagonizing one another or engaging in light flirting, but their chemistry becomes too much to resist. The Nickelodeon show "Bella and the Bulldogs" bucked that tradition with its lead characters, Bella and Troy, a development much appreciated by actor Coy Stewart.
"We talked about it early on in season one. We all talked about the direction of the show and our characters and what the future holds. But we felt like you watch the show, Bella and Troy are complete opposites," Stewart, who plays Troy, told Headlines & Global News in an exclusive interview.
"Bella and the Bulldogs" revolves around former cheerleader Bella Dawson (Brec Bassinger), who is recruited to become the new quarterback of her middle school football squad, the Bulldogs. Her addition to the team bumps Troy from the starting position, causing an immediate rift between the teammates.
"I just find it amazing how in the first couple episodes, I was almost Bella's enemy because she was taking Troy's spot. Fast-forward a year later, we're two best friends, and I think that type of character progression is really rare in kids' shows," the 17-year-old actor said.
It's a power that Stewart understands and does his best to use his accounts on Twitter (@CoyStewart) and Instagram (@coystewart) to distribute positive and truthful messages to his fans, or just to share really cool photos. He also uses his star power to give back to his community, especially when it comes to issues of bullying.
"I was bullied as a kid in school. I would hear kids tell me that I couldn't be on TV. I couldn't do what I wanted to do and to be here now, it's crazy for me. I feel like I should spread that to other teenagers who don't have that vision, don't see it as possible. I didn't see it as possible until I did it," he explained.
Stewart and his father made anti-bullying the subject of Derek's short film, "Christian," which centers on a high school bully named Christian Gordon. The film, recently accepted into the 2016 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, follows Christian home where he lives with his mentally ill mother and explores the idea of what can make a good kid a bully.
"It really shows the other side of what the bully person might be going through in their life and that's why I loved it so much. There could be something horrible like what this character was going through in his home life," Stewart said.
Be sure to catch Stewart on "Bella and the Bulldogs" on Nickelodeon, with new episodes to air soon.