As Indigenous representation continue to grow in movies and television, Sarah Podemski, an Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi actor, joins SyFy’s Resident Alien. Read more below about her role in the show as well as her own personal pursuits and goals as an actor.

Hi Sarah, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! Tell us about SyFy’s comedy/drama series, Resident Alien. You play a character named Kayla, what kind of person is she and what role will play into the story?

This show is a mash up of comedy, sci-fi, heartfelt drama, and total insanity, it’s a real trip! The character I play, Kayla, is awesome! She is funny, and tough, a great mother, and a support for Asta at a pivotal point in the show.

Resident Alien’s premise is so funny and interesting, especially with Alan Tudyk playing the “resident alien”, Harry Vanderspeigle. What drew you to this unique series? What has been your favorite part about it?

I loved the way this role was written! It was written by an Indigenous writer named Tazbah Chavez, and she did such a beautiful job of creating a multi dimensional character. It’s very rare to find an Indigenous character written by Indigenous writers, unfortunately, so I was so happy to hear she was involved, and it made it that much more exciting to get the job! My favorite part of the whole show is the Indigenous representation. The show’s creator Chris Sheridan made it a priority to portray an Indigenous family, who are written with such love and care. It was so exciting to see on TV for the first time in a long time! 

Jessica Huras is a Canadian actor and filmmaker, and Bing! Bang! Bi! is her latest short film, which she wrote, directed and starred in. The film is a personal exploration of representation of bisexuality on the screen and is currently screening at Frameline International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, then at the Inside Out Film Festival in October. Find out more about the movie and Jessica below.

Hi Jessica, thank you for answering our questions today for Defective Geeks! Please tell us about your new short film, Bing! Bang! Bi! What inspired the story and the title?

The film is a bi-visibility, slice of life, comedic short that follows Morgan– a recently single, struggling actor, who is trying to navigate her sexuality and express herself amongst her oldest friends after arriving in her hometown for an unusual gig. I wanted to write a screenplay that was personal and meant something to me. My process was inspired by a scene I had observed between two exes who hadn’t seen each other for almost 20 years. By contemplating the fluid nature of relationships and love gone by, I started to zero in on what I really wanted to explore– the intricacies of being bisexual. The title is a play on the song at the end of the film. That Sophia Loren track really encapsulates the buoyant and slightly vintage feel I wanted the film to have.

Brandon Ash-Mohammed is an award winning comedian and writer who created THE ETHNIC RAINBOW– Canada’s first and only LGBTQ+ comedians of color show. He will be releasing his first comedy album with Howl & Roar Records, find out more below!

Hi Brandon, thank you so much for answering our questions. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you get into comedy, and what kickstarted this creative path for you? Who or what inspired you?

Thank you for having me! I’m Brandon Ash-Mohammed! I am comedian based in Toronto. The CBC recently named me one of their 15 Comics To Watch and my stand-up can be seen on Crave TV as part of the Homegrown Comics special. I also wrote on CBC’s Tall Boyz which just wrapped for the year! 

Emily Piggford is a rising star, and you can watch her on compelling web shows like That’s My DJ and on the popular Netflix series in The Umbrella Academy. She is back on the blog to talk about her new show, Warigami, a fantastical and action-filled adventure series on The CW. Read more about it below.

Hi Emily! Thank you for talking to Defective Geeks again! I watched the premiere of Warigami and loved it. Can you tell our readers all about it and about the character you play, Wendy Ohata? 

Thanks for having me back and for loving Warigami!! Warigami is an action-fantasy digital series that follows Wendy Ohata, her long-lost twin brother Vincent (Kai Bradbury) and his best friend Mark (Akiel Julien) as they face down a secret organization called the Akuma, armed with paper. Wendy and Vincent are descendants of an ancient bloodline called kami-jin who have the ability to turn paper into a weapon with a touch. The Akuma are also kami-jin and they want something the Ohata family protects. In a short amount of time, Wendy and Vincent have to figure out how to use their newfound ability and together with Mark prepare for some super-powered showdowns with a formidable enemy. 

As an Asian-Canadian, Samantha Wan is forging a path to inspire creatives within the entertainment industry and advocating for the importance of representation in television and movies. Her show, Second Jen, is a buddy comedy about two second-generation millennials who are trying to make it on their own in the big city. Find out more about her work below!

Hi Samantha, congratulations on your nomination for Best Comedy Series in 2019 Canadian Screen Awards for your sitcom, Second Jen! Tell us about your show and how you came about creating it.

Thank you! Second Jen is a sitcom about Second Generation kids and their crazy immigrant families. Two Asian Canadian girls moving away from home and experiencing all their adult-ing firsts together. It’s based around the lives and neighborhoods of my co-creator, Amanda Joy, and myself. We created the show because at the time we found there weren’t many developed roles for us as Asian actors. We created what we thought was a pilot (later we realized it was more 22 min short films) and then used it to pitch at the Banff World Media Festival. There we got the show optioned by Don Ferguson Productions and some interest from broadcasters. Skip over three years of stuff that is less exciting to hear about, numerous bible rewrites, pitches, and LOTS of waiting ( maybe a bit of crying, thinking the show was over, then it wasn’t, then it was…), Rogers Media picked us up for development and then series! We finished our second season last year and are super proud of the work. The nomination is the icing on the cake!

Devery Jacobs will be starring in season 2 of American Gods and will play the character, Sam Black Crow, who she feels a close connection to because of her own background as an Indigenous woman. Besides acting, Devery is also a director and is standing up for representation through her art. Read more about it below!

How exciting is it for you to be a part of the new season of American Gods! We love the show. Tell us about your role as Sam Black Crow. Do you relate to your character?

I recognize how rarely audiences have seen a character like Sam on screen, so I don’t take playing her lightly. I have been such a fangirl of Neil Gaiman’s novel, American Gods, for years, and I completely connected with Sam Black Crow. As an actual sarcastic, queer Indigenous woman, I thoroughly related to Sam’s experiences and hounded my agent to make sure I auditioned for her. Sam Black Crow is such a fun, meddlesome character whose beliefs are complex. While she’s sarcastic and opinionated, she’s also deeply curious about life, and about Shadow, who she is introduced to and encounters in this upcoming season!

Tennille Read stars as Frankie’s close friend, Bianca, in season two of Workin’ Moms. She is also the co-founder of Theatre Inamorata, a company focused on developing female-centric stories for the stage. Tennille talks to Defective Geeks about her work and the importance of representation in the creative community.

Hi Tennille, thank you for answering our questions! Tell us about Workin’ Moms and your character, Bianca? How did you get involve with the show? 

Workin’ Moms is a comedic sitcom about women who are juggling their professional careers with their personal lives and being moms. I love the show because we get to see women in different situations, expressing themselves in ways that we don’t typically see on tv. I first got involved at the end of Season 2. My scenes were with Juno Rinaldo’s character Frankie, and I think the powers that be liked our chemistry because I was brought back in Season 3. I think Bianca is pretty courageous, choosing to become a solo-parent and all, and I think she’s pretty relatable.

Olunike Adeliyi is a rising star, nominated for her role in BOOST for Best Supporting Actress by the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards. Her strong presence can also been seen in Darken where she plays a warrior, and the upcoming feature, Chaos Walking alongside Tom Holland (Spider-man: Homecoming) and Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Get to know the talented actress in our interview below!

Tell us about your upcoming feature film, BOOST. What can you tell us about your character, Amina Nour?

Amina is a hard working woman, caring for her two sons, and trying to keep her family together and out of harms way. She reminds me of my mother, an immigrant to Canada trying to make a better life for herself. Amina found she had to work ten times harder than most people who are originally from Canada, to prove she deserves to be a part of the Canadian fabric.

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