Actor, Helena Marie, plays Whitney Cortez in the Family Channel and CBCC’s new television series, My Perfect Landing. The show features talented young gymnasts, and Helena’s character moves to Toronto with her family to start a gymnastic club. Read about it more below!

Hi Helena, thank you for answering our questions today! Tell us about yourself and how you got into acting. Where did you start and what pushed you to pursue a career in entertainment? What was your big break?

It’s my pleasure, thanks for having me! I started acting during my last year of high school, and then studied theatre in college. When I first started to pursue it professionally I basically just did everything I could. I took all the classes I could afford, I acted in student films, short films and indie projects, I narrated audiobooks– you name it, I did it. The more I did, the more I knew that this was the path for me. I needed to perform. Working on Stagecoach: The Texas Jack story was a huge milestone for me. I got to play a kick-ass character alongside some truly heavy hitters like Judd Nelson and Kim Coates.

Born in Toronto, actor and singer/songwriter, Hallea Jones, stars in Netflix’s LOCKE & KEY as Eden Hawkins– the “it” girl who does her own terrorizing of the show’s protagonists. Hallea talks about discovering the comic books by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez and what she loves most about being a part of the adaptation below!

Hi Hallea, thank you for doing this interview with us! Tell us about your new show, Locke & Key, and your character, Eden Hawkins. Can you tell us about the role she will play in the story?

Thanks so much for having me! Ah, there’s so much to say. First off, Locke & Key is about a family moving back into their ancestral home after their father is murdered, only to find magical keys which border fun, and danger. While the kids are warding off a key hungry demon, the two oldest kids, Kinsey and Tyler go to school to deal with Matheson’s very own haute demon– Eden Hawkins. She’s the Regina George of the town, and does it all with a little smile on her face.

Comic book fans are excited to watch Netflix’s October Faction, based on a graphic novel series written by Steve Niles and Damien Worm. Rising star, Gabriel Darku, stars as the show’s Geoff Allen and talks to DEFECTIVE GEEKS about joining the cast of a unique sci-fi, monster franchise.

Hi Gabriel! We are so excited to watch October Faction on Netflix. What can you tell us about the series and your character, Geoff Allen?

October Faction is a story about a family– the Allens– whose specialty happens to be hunting monsters. Parents Fred and Deloris carry on the family legacy unbeknownst to their children, Geoff and Viv, who believe them to be insurance agents. When the death of Fred’s father brings the family back to it’s roots, it becomes harder for Fred and Deloris to hide the truth as the twins begin to experience strange happenings and the town proves itself to be not-so-idyllic. It’s a fantastic and twisted story that– while living in a world of supernatural horror– is firmly rooted in the characters and their relationships. It also focuses on topics that relate heavily to society, which I love. My character Geoff is definitely a bit rebellious, and likes to do things his way. He has absolutely no issues with who he is and with being himself, which is great to see. However he definitely has to navigate some pretty rough waters throughout the season and its interesting to watch him handle such vulnerable situations.

Actor and creator, Vasilios Filippakis, talk to Defective Geeks about the brilliant origin story of the title his new series, FAK YAASS– and if you wanted to find out what his dream project would be, keep reading below!

Hello, Vasilios, thank you for talking to Defective Geeks! FAK YAASS looks absolutely hilarious and heartfelt. What inspired the title and how does it tie-in with the themes of the show?

Hey there! Thanks so much for taking the time to ask me some questions about the show. I love shows that are exactly that, have heart but make you laugh out loud. I was serving a table at my night job and I happened to serve these wonderful Greek ladies and their mother. We got chatting, I told them about the show and how I wanted a title with a pun. I tossed the ideas of something with gyro, or souvlaki but still couldn’t figure it out. Later when I got back to the table, they said “what about FAK YES!” So that’s how I get the title! Fakes– pronounced “fah-kehs”– is an authentic Greek lentil dish. We put a play on the words and created our title FAK YAASS. I owe those ladies a free dinner. 

Actor, Sydney Meyer, is known for playing Helena Blackthorn in Shadowhunters, a show beloved by fandom. Soon, you will see her in a new series called Departure as well as Netflix’s V-WARS alongside Ian Somherhalder.

Tell us about your new upcoming television show, Departure, and what was it like working with a cast that includes Archie Panjabi and Christopher Plummer? Who is your character, Sophie? 

Departure is an exciting mystery mini-series centered around a flight disappearance. It’s absolutely beautifully shot, so cinematic, and it has all these rich entwining storylines that keep you guessing until the last episode. It’s a beautiful, exciting, emotional series. The cast was incredible. It’s funny, when I was maybe 14 I went to Shakespeare school at Stratford and I remember seeing Christopher Plummer in The Tempest and being absolutely blown away by him. He was an actor I so looked up to and respected. So being on a show with him was just an absolute dream come true for me. Archie is so fabulous and such an amazing woman to be around as a young female artist. She is so incredibly skilled and intelligent and kind. She’s just remarkable to work with, and to be able to do scene work with her and learn from her was such a gift. She’s truly an inspiration to me.

Veronika Slowikoska began acting at a young age, trained in improv with Second City Conservatory, and has been seen in Degrassi: Next Class and See No Evil. You can soon watch her in What We Do in the Shadows is one of the most anticipated comedy-horror series which premieres March 27th on FX. Find out more below!

I have to say, I am excited to watch the What We Do In The Shadows television series! Tell us about your character Shanice, and what kind of role will she be playing along the vampire shenanigans.

Shanice is an insecure, sassy, LARPer (Live Action Roleplayer). She’s the nerd-ier side, but so am I! 

The lovely Arista Arhin is best known for her role as the young Michael Burnham on Star Trek: Discovery, where she delivers a strong and emotional performance. She spoke to Defective Geeks about the challenges and inspiration for her work, as well as her upcoming show, Bajillionaires. Read all about it below!

Thank you so much for answering our questions, Arista. It is so exciting that you get to portray Young Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery! Can you tell us what it’s like working on this series and knowing that it’s part of this huge, sci-fi universe? 

It felt unreal and a little startling when I first got cast for the show knowing that I was now part of one of the most iconic TV shows of all time. When I first started filming, I felt under pressure to deliver a great performance knowing how huge the franchise was and not wanting to disappoint any of the fans. Yet, after a lot of positive feedback, it really meant a lot to me to know that people enjoyed watching me on the show. I was very happy to have been invited back to Season 2. 

Megan Hutchings plays the daring and seductive lawyer in the show, In Contempt. Megan began her journey into acting at age 18 and have already landed roles in shows such as Beauty and the Beast (The CW), The Smart Woman’s Survival Guide (W Network), Reign (The CW) and The Good Witch (Hallmark Channel). Find out more about her career in the interview below!

Tell us about your upcoming show, In Contempt, and your character, Tracy Campbell. What do you love best about Tracy?

In Contempt is a really entertaining show filled with all the drama of love, relationships, broken friendships, rivalries, etc. that audiences crave but it also focuses on some real, complicated issues that our world is dealing with today. As public defenders we’re dealing with people who are often suppressed because of the colour of their skin, poverty, mental illnesses and other issues.

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