Jennifer Tong and Emilija Baranac Say Filming "Fakes" Was Like Working "With My Best Friend"

While the stars of Netflix's new teen dramedy "Fakes" might run a fake-ID empire on screen, both actors insist they never used any false identification in real life before hitting legal drinking age. That's not exactly true for everyone they know, though. "Sorry, Mom, I'm going to put you on blast here . . . she did-ish," Jennifer Tong laughs. "She used her older sister's fake ID to sneak into clubs. I guess she's a bit more of a badass than I am."

Though Tong might not see herself as a badass, her character, Rebecca Li, certainly is. The teenage Rebecca navigates challenging family dynamics, crushes, and friendships with a flair for style as she and her best friend — stressed-out, superstar student Zoe Christensen (played by "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" alum Emilija Baranac) — inadvertently build one of North America's largest fake-ID rings. As their world explodes from the halls of their high school into a ritzy penthouse and interactions with shady businessmen, Zoe and Rebecca find their solid relationship challenged.

Baranac applauds that, throughout the fourth-wall-breaking drama, the girls' connection still feels like "a genuine friendship." She tells POPSUGAR, "I feel maybe sometimes female friendships can be a little stereotypical, or women are just pitted against each other, so it was really nice to see two girls that have grown up together, and they just genuinely have a lot of love and support."

The love and support of their onscreen accidental criminal masterminds has transferred off the camera as well. The actors first met over Zoom while doing chemistry reads, but Baranac describes their connection as "effortless." Finding a bond through shared acting experiences — and, admittedly, a love of food — "I felt like we had known each other for so long, too. Even though we literally just met," Baranac says.

"I think having someone, a partner to go through the filming process and everything was so crucial for me," Tong explains. "It was both of our first times being leads on a series, so having someone go through the exact same thing with me — and obviously that comes with its challenges and tribulations and stuff — so having someone to vent to, or connect with, who was going through the exact same thing as me was so lovely."

She continues, "It was just . . . I'm going to say it again, going to work with my best friend. That's what I felt like." The feeling is mutual. Responds Baranac: "It was a very special experience."

"Fakes" season one doesn't necessarily end with quite as sweet of an exchange of friendship between Tong and Baranac's characters, unfortunately. Zoe and Rebecca are facing the consequences of meddling in a dangerous underworld. "Audiences will be left wondering, 'How did we get to where they are? And what's going to happen next in terms of their friendship? Who betrays who? And how is their friendship going to survive?'" Baranac teases.

The women have "pitched a couple ideas" for the direction of a second season, if "Fakes" is renewed, Baranac says. They also are already equipped to continue handling the scenes with a darker tone. Part of that comes from feeling "comfortable on set and supported by the cast and the crew," Tong tells POPSUGAR. "And I definitely felt that. So when we were moving into, 'Yeah, of course we're always having fun on set,' and I truly felt that no matter how much stress and pressure we were under, I always felt like I was having fun. And then when we were moving into the more deeper, heavier scenes, I think as an actor, it's important to stand your ground about what you need and how you can feel supported, and that I felt very comfortable to be able to dig deeper into the emotions or the circumstances of the scene because I felt so supported in the environment."

Baranac says, "It was all so fun every day. It truly felt like a dream come true."

Stream "Fakes" on Netflix now.