Rainbow Wedell Breaks Down Claire’s Evolution in School Spirits
Paramount+’s School Spirits follows Maddie, a teenager trapped in the afterlife as she investigates the mystery of her own disappearance while navigating the unfinished relationships and secrets still tied to Split River. The series blends supernatural suspense with a high school drama core, letting the mystery unfold through shifting loyalties, old wounds, and the emotional fallout between the people left behind.
That mix is part of what makes Rainbow Wedell’s presence on the show so compelling. Wedell plays Claire Zomer, a popular Split River cheerleader and Maddie’s former childhood friend, and she brings dimension to a role that could have easily stayed within a familiar archetype. Instead, Claire grows more textured as she becomes increasingly involved in Maddie’s attempts to reclaim her stolen life, adding a charged mix of history, tension, and vulnerability to the story.
With Season 3 currently airing on Paramount+ and new episodes releasing weekly, Wedell is chatting with Stardust about her connection to Claire, the character’s recent arc, and the thread she’d most like to see explored in a potential Season 4.
Claire has a lot to offer in the world of School Spirits as a popular cheerleader, a former childhood friend, and someone who becomes involved in Maddie’s fight to reclaim her life. What drew you to Claire when you first read the role?
Rainbow Wedell: What really drew me to Claire was how layered she is. The writers do such an incredible job of breaking down the typical high school stereotypes and giving her real depth and real-life struggles, which made her feel so human and interesting to explore.
Claire carries history with Maddie, which adds an emotional layer to the dynamic beyond the mystery. Were there any specific details you added to the character that you didn’t find in the script?
Rainbow Wedell: One thing about Claire that doesn’t really get explored until later is her relationship with her parents. Nate and Megan, our creators, gave me a really detailed backstory, which helped me bring a lot more depth and underlying pain to her. It really explains why she’s so guarded and why she strives for perfection.
What has been most rewarding about exploring Claire’s evolution over the course of the series?
Rainbow Wedell: Claire has such a big evolution over the course of the series and getting to explore that has been the most rewarding. Watching her grow into her own and really find her identity has been so special. She finds her chosen family, people who make her a better person. She gets that sense of redemption for her past mistakes, while finally finding the strength to stand up to her parents.
Now that a good chunk of the season has dropped—how would you describe Claire’s headspace in Season 3, and what makes this chapter especially compelling for her?
Rainbow Wedell: This season, Claire really steps into her own. She starts to break down her walls and finally allows herself to feel accepted by her new friends, which makes this chapter especially compelling to watch.
Claire can be read in a lot of different ways depending on where the viewer is in the story. Is there anything about her that you feel audiences tend to misunderstand at first?
Rainbow Wedell: Claire really guards her heart by putting up tough walls. What people might misunderstand at first is just how hurt she actually is. She’s been taught to be the perfect daughter and student, and because of that, she’s scared to fail or truly put herself out there. That can come across as cold or mean, but it’s really coming from a place of fear.
You’ve worked on projects like The Bureau of Magical Things and The Wilds before School Spirits. Did any part of those experiences help prepare you for this role or this kind of fandom-driven series?
Rainbow Wedell: Both shows I’ve worked on before were set in pretty wild, unique worlds, but I try to approach every project differently. The Bureau of Magical Things, being set in a magical world, definitely helped me understand the mechanics of how spirits and supernatural elements work on screen, which I could carry into this.
If you could choose one part of Claire’s story to explore more deeply in Season 4, what would you want to see expanded?
Rainbow Wedell: Ooooh, I'm really excited for Claire to interact with the ghosts more! I think that would open up a whole new side of her and create some really interesting dynamics, especially as she continues to grow and understand the world around her. I think Claire and Rhonda would be friends!
