With Chilling Adventures of Sabrina now streaming on Netflix, I recently got to sit down with Kiernan Shipka to talk about the making of the show. During the exclusive interview, she revealed how she landed the lead role and the audition process, what it was like working with a cat when you’re allergic, her thoughts on a Sabrina/Riverdale crossover and how they might pull it off, how she prepared to play the role, what it’s like shooting the second season before the first one has even premiered, the mythology of the show, and so much more.

If you haven’t yet seen the show, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. The adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit. The show also stars Miranda Otto, Lucy Davis, Ross Lynch, Michelle Gomez, and Chance Perdomo. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, wrote the script for Chilling Adventures and executive-produces alongside CW kingpin Greg Berlanti.

Check out what Kiernan Shipka had to say below.

Collider: I’ve always heard from people that you're not supposed to work with animals. Animals can be very difficult, but I love cats so … let's talk about working with a cat.

SHIPKA: Let's talk about the fact that I am allergic to cats.

Are you really?

SHIPKA: And found out on the show the very hard way.

You'd never been around a cat in your life?

SHIPKA: No. You know, I am only ... It's not a respiratory thing. I break out in really bad hives. Fun, right? It's really only when I touch the cat. It's not like if I go in a house where a cat lives I'm going to stop breathing all of a sudden or something like that. My uncle is like that and my dad is allergic to cats. I've just never grew up in a family of cats. I just didn't know.

How does that change the writing of the show? I'm curious if the script had you doing a lot more with the cats and then all of a sudden they're like, "Oh, yeah. That's not going to work."

SHIPKA: You know what? It's so funny because Salem still is a pretty prevalent part of the show but there is not as much touching and holding. It kind of works because he's Sabrina's protector in a certain way. Since he's not the sassy cat that talks and he's more of the grounded, chill cat that comes in and saves the day, it's workable. Honestly, I cannot say nicer things about the three cats that play Salem. They are wonderful, prepared, kind.

They work for tuna.

SHIPKA: They show up on time. Exactly. They do indeed work for tuna and little toys and snaps. They are great.

There's a scene where the cat is going outside and I'm sitting there watching the show and I'm like, "How does the production grab the cat when it's done?" Isn't it just going to run off?

SHIPKA: It was tied to me.

Oh, was it?

SHIPKA: Oh, yes. The cat has been strapped onto me several times, to follow me.

Movie magic revealed.

SHIPKA: Movie magic.

That's great. So talk about the audition process for the show. Is it one of these things where you're like, "Oh, I want this”? How did it come to you?

SHIPKA: Yeah. I think it was sort of a no-brainer sort of situation, especially after I read the script because I knew from the second that I read it that it was material that I liked and I knew it was good quality. Obviously it was all really appealing. I got sort of a call that people were interested […] Met with Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa] and we ended up having a pretty long meeting in which we talked about the show for probably all of two minutes because we just get along. We're just very similar people.

Then I did a work session with Lee [Toland Krieger] and with Roberto on tape. That was sort of my audition. I had long brown hair. I did the audition. They said it was amazing but, "You've got to come back and do it as a blonde" because that's the only way that we're going to really sell you as Sabrina. I dyed my hair blonde and did the thing all over again and then waited.

When you go back after you dye your hair are you in pins and needles the night before? Like, "This is a really big deal"?

SHIPKA: Yeah. To a certain extent I think I’ve tried to train myself to not dive too deep into things, or get my hopes too way up, because the fear of disappointment and whatnot is only natural. At the same time, sometimes you can't resist. I just became so obsessed with the project and so just hellbent on doing it. I was pretty confident throughout the process, but then the second that my audition ended I went into straight denial I think as a coping mechanism for all the stress. It was like, "Oh, yeah. That was fun. I'm not getting it or anything. That's completely over. I'll never play that character again in my entire life. Fine. Whatever. It was a good time." Then two days later ...

That's what I wanted to know. You only had to wait two days to find out?

SHIPKA: I think I did it on a Tuesday and I got it on a Friday. Yeah.

That has to be the greatest phone call.

SHIPKA: I was at the orthopedist and I was in the waiting room. It definitely made my hip flexor feel a lot better.

How long did you have to keep the secret before it got out?

SHIPKA: A good month.

Oh, wow.

SHIPKA: Yeah. It was right before Christmas. We went away for the holidays, and everyone's like, "How are you doing?" I'm like, "I'm great. How are you?" They're like, "Oh, really? Anything in particular?" "No, no, no. Just, you know, living the dream." It was fun.

How much are you begging people for a Sabrina/Riverdale crossover?

SHIPKA: You know what? It's so funny because I would be so down. I'm a big Riverdale geek myself so I think it would just be super fun. I don't know as a fan of both the shows how exactly a crossover would work in a logical way that feels right and natural, but oh my God, I would kill to see Archie and Sabrina just have a random run-in. I just think little things like that can be really funny and satisfying.

Do you think it would be more applicable for the crossover to air on CW or be on Netflix?

SHIPKA: You know what? I always say that I think it would be really fun to bring a Riverdale character into our world. I think if they got lost or something like that, just off the beaten path, were looking for something, got chased into Greendale. I think that that would be really fun.

The thing is, with witchcraft, there's a lot of possibilities.

SHIPKA: So much. So much.

I guess it'll come down to how the show is received and then how can it be figured out.

SHIPKA: Yeah. For sure. I guess it's that fine line of how Riverdale isn't quite so supernatural and magical, and we are so kind of finding that balance that still makes sense for both the shows.

Completely. There are also these things called dream sequences.

SHIPKA: Totally.

I'm joking around, but, you get the role. You know you're going to be filming. What's the first thing you do in terms of … are you reading as much as you can? Or are you waiting for the scripts?

SHIPKA: I got the first two scripts to work on and I had like three months before we started filming. I was working with my coach probably upwards of three times a week. Just developing the character and working on her voice and working with a vocal coach, like a speech coach, and kind of just ... really, I felt lucky. I had a lot of time before to just prep and sink into the role. A lot of people got the role the week before and then had to fly up to Vancouver. I felt like I had an eternity to just work on her and figure her out. It was great.

Yeah. I think a lot of people don't realize that that is an eternity.

SHIPKA: Yeah. For sure. I actually got a chance to do a lot of chemistry reads after I got the role, which was just so fun to play around with other actors. One of my last chemistry reads was with Ross. Roberto and I were actually then popping on a flight to go up to Vancouver for good. Ross was like, "Why are you guys leaving so early?" We're like, "We're going to see you tomorrow. You just don't know that yet. You're going home and packing your bags, buddy, and moving tomorrow."

That's very, very funny. I'm sure that he was also happy to go.

SHIPKA: Yeah. Totally.

When you are going away like that … what was it like filming in Vancouver, and maybe what would surprise people to learn. Also, how long was the shoot?

SHIPKA: The shoot is still going. We're doing two seasons at once. We're on episode 114 or episode four.

I did not know this.

SHIPKA: Yeah. We're still out there. We're on our second of two one-week hiatuses in which we're promoting. Yeah, it's interesting because everything films outside of Vancouver. It films about 45 minutes outside of Vancouver but the city itself is so small that you run into everyone everywhere. Ross lives in the apartment next to me. It kind of just feels like college in a way.

Stalker!

SHIPKA: Yeah. I know. I know. Seriously, though. I was like, "Come on, Ross. You could have moved like two doors down, three doors down." No, it's all fun. It just feels like a big college dorm in some ways, where you're all sharing this new experience together and have each other and only each other. It's really fun.

When did you start filming?

SHIPKA: March.

You're done hopefully by December?

SHIPKA: Yeah. December 21st.

The first ten episodes are coming out while you're filming part two.

SHIPKA: Yeah.

That's crazy.

SHIPKA: Yeah. We're going back on Monday or Tuesday. Yeah.

It must be weird, though, also, because no one had seen it at that point, but you've made these choices for the whole first season.

SHIPKA: Yeah. We were lucky. Roberto has been screening the episodes for us up there. I had seen through six, and then two nights ago I watched seven and eight. It was so helpful to watch ... I think we were on maybe episode five or six when we were screening the first two. It was just so helpful to watch it and get just more of a taste for what the tone actually is and how it all reads.

When you rewatch now that you're so far along with the character, is there anything that you wish you had changed in those early episodes?

SHIPKA: Yeah. For sure. You know what? It's interesting because I think Sabrina's had this very natural growth throughout the season. She's so much more innocent in the first episodes. I wouldn't change it but it is fascinating to look back and see how far she's come and how much she's just been forced to grow up over the course of the season just given the challenges and the situations she's gotten herself into.

How weird is it — with a show like this, which could run for a number of seasons — what is it like signing that contract that could be five or seven years of your life?

SHIPKA: Yeah. It still feels like my normal. That's weird but true. At the same time there's parts of it where there is parts of it that's scary but another part that's so cool is that you get to play a character for a long time and you get to explore their growth. I'm lucky that we're on a show that it's a multidimensional character and the character is not going to stay in the same place. I kind of look at the exciting aspects of it. Just a sort of the exciting vibe of like, "Oh my God. I get to play this character for a long time and figure her out and grow and change with her." That's something that's pretty cool.

How much do you know about what the goal will be for the overall growth of the character in terms of if you do get to five seasons?

SHIPKA: It's usually pretty episode by episode. I talked to Roberto a lot about the character's arc and I make sure I know anything I need to know to play the character as truthfully as I can in that moment.  As far as where Sabrina eventually ends up, I have my ideas but it could all change. As long as it's not applicable to what I'm doing in the moment then I'm not super ... I try not to be too concerned about it.

There's a lot of mythology and a lot of backstory with the universe and these characters. Can you touch on that? Do you have a favorite of this kind of stuff?

SHIPKA: Yeah. I am a big fan of once Sabrina starts spending more time at the Academy of Unseen Arts. It's basically Hogwarts to me. The Church of Night is beautiful. There's so many events and things that happen there. I'm just a big fan of those giant scenes where all the background are just really cool-looking witches and warlocks. That's just really fun to me.

Yeah. That actually sounds very cool.

SHIPKA: There's also a club that makes an appearance. I think probably in the second season. It's a witch club and it's awesome.

When everyone is dressed up like that and just in the full costume, how much are you sitting there being like, "We should really all go to Starbucks and hang out"?

SHIPKA: No, seriously. It's so funny because it truly feels like one of those very Hollywood set experiences where the demon is at crafty grabbing an apple. Everyone is just doing their thing, but we all look so fun and different.

Not on this film, but I was filming a movie two years ago and I remember I was a character that was pretty beaten down and had been through a lot. I went to go get a coffee on my break and I totally forgot I was in this kind of makeup. The barista was really treating me kind of oddly. I was like, "What is going on?" Midway back to set I was like, "Oh, that's why because I have scratches all over my face" and the whole thing.

Talk a little bit about when you get the scripts and if you know the character well enough to say, ”Yeah. She might not say this but she might say this"?

SHIPKA: Yeah.

Or do you not feel comfortable yet with that?

SHIPKA: No, I do. I like to go over the scripts every Sunday, it's sort of my tradition, and really break down everything and analyze everything. Luckily the writers are awesome and everything usually makes perfect sense. To just make sense of all the moments and if I have any questions to mark things … it really helps me to take a good two hours of my Sunday to just solely focus on that. Just to get it all in my head and digest it before I have to do it.

Some people love the Clint Eastwood method where you shoot the rehearsal, a take or two, and others love the Fincher method of 50, 60, 70 takes.

SHIPKA: Yeah.

Where do you fall on that spectrum? How has it changed through your career?

SHIPKA: Oh, man. That's such an interesting, fun question. Honestly, I can get down with both. I really can. I think that there's magic in those first couple takes. I really do. I think that there's something special about them.

Occasionally as an actor you're not ... Sometimes at least for me, I'm not fully in the groove until the second or third take in which I would not want to just stop. If it's a scene that takes a lot of work and time, sometimes the scene gets better with time, and sometimes it gets exhausted. I think it just depends on the scene. I think that goes for me, for like emotional scenes; I think the more I do it, just the more into it I get, that more can't hurt.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is currently available on Netflix.