Are the ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Stars Friends In Real Life? What We Know About the Magnolias’ Bond
Find out whether the Magnolias are as close as they are in the Netflix series
Key Takeaways
- The 'Sweet Magnolias' stars are close friends behind-the-scenes of the show
- JoAnna Garcia Swisher says the trio loves filming the margarita nights the most
- The stars say their friendship is like a sisterhood off-screen as much as on-screen
The Magnolias love to “pour it out” over margaritas on the Netflix drama series Sweet Magnolias and, as it turns out, the same is true in real life as well. The stars who portray the show’s best friends—JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Heather Headley and Brooke Elliot—are just as close.
Sweet Magnolias follows childhood best friends Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue as they navigate adulthood in their small southern town, Serenity, South Carolina. While juggling relationships, careers and family, the women, known affectionately as the Magnolias, always make room for each other. The actresses do the same.
“I mean, speaking for myself, I feel like they’re two of my favorite women,” Garcia Swisher, who plays Maddie, shared of their friendship to People. “I genuinely love working with them. We are so different, but we celebrate each other in such a way, and we have our own role.”
Learn more about the friendship between the women when the cameras stop rolling and how close they have become.
They are ‘like a little pack’
When it comes to the Magnolias’ weekly margarita nights, it’s probably safe to say that everyone wants to take part in them. These nights are where the ladies spill juicy information about everyone and everything going on in town while enjoying a different margarita flavor each time.
But these nights aren’t only enjoyed by the characters and envied by the viewers. Garcia Swisher shared that the actresses love them too.
“We are like a little pack,” she said. “It’s fun to get together and just to see each other outside of work. That’s why I love shooting our margarita nights because we’re all together.”
Their friendship is easy
Maintaining friendships can become more complicated as you grow up, having other responsibilities and people to take care of. It’s the reason that margarita nights are the perfect moment for the Magnolias to reset and connect with each other. However, it’s not just those nights that the ladies appreciate about their friendship. Heather Headley, who stars as Helen, said she enjoys the ease of their friendship.
“It’s one of those friendships that we don’t need to speak to each other every day, every month, but we check in…” Headley shared. “When we get on set, a lot of times we sit and we talk about life and our marriages, or we talk about what’s going on with the kids. We’ve cried together, we’ve laughed together as Heather, Brooke, and JoAnna.”
Garcia Swisher also shared that they don’t take anything too seriously when they’re together. Although the ladies occasionally have to be serious on camera, the actress enjoys the times when they can just relax and have fun.
“I love working with them so much,” she explained. “It’s hard work what we do. It’s not easy. We work crazy hours. We’re in the elements and all of these things, but just to be with them and be on this journey together and not take anything too seriously—I feel like our outtakes are absurd.”
No matter what, their Magnolia bond is one that cannot be broken, both on-screen and off.
“It’s really a sisterhood,” Garcia Swisher said. “There is such an affection and love for each other and they just make me happy.”
Be sure to tune into Season 5 of Sweet Magnolias when it drops on Netflix on June 11, 2026.
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