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! 

Actor, Sydney Meyers, is known for her roles in shows such as Shadowhunters and The Expanse. Now, she stars in Netflix’s Grand Army, a show that represents and explores many social issues that teenagers are facing today. Season one of the show is now available on Netflix.

Tell us more about your new show on Netflix, Grand Army. What is the series about and what drew you to the project? Who is your character, Anna Delaney, and what role does she play in the story?

The series is a true to life look at five teens in Brooklyn and their lives in school and online as they struggle to find themselves and their voices in their community. I was working the casting sessions in Toronto as a reader and I was immediately drawn to the rawness and authenticity of the scripts. I was invested right away and knew that I wanted to be a part of the project. Anna is Joey’s best friend since childhood and Tim’s twin sister, she’s also the motherly figure of her group. She is put in the middle of a conflict that arises between Joey and the rest of her friend group and Anna is forced to pick a side and ultimately to deal with the consequences of having to do that.

As millennials, we are often boxed into very specific generational stereotypes. In Avocado Toast the series, Perrie Voss and Heidi Lynch hopes to give the viewers a more complex representation on the lives of two women growing into their relationships, sexuality and experiences. The series premieres on Amazon Prime on May 18th– learn more about the show and creators below!

Hi Perrie and Heidi, thank you for answering our questions today. Please tell us about Avocado Toast the series– what is the show about and what inspired the title itself?

Heidi Lynch: The show is about female friendship and mother/daughter relationships. We explore bisexual millennial coming out stories and coming to terms with watching baby boomer parents fall in love again. That article about millennials, mortgages and avocado toast. We wanted something symbolic for causing a wedge between our millennial and baby boomer characters.

Jeff Teravainen went from music to acting, and currently stars as Gerald in Hulu’s Original Series, Utopia Falls. The new sci-fi show explores a dystopian/utopian future in a very unique way that has not been done before. Jeff talks about the show and what makes it stand out from the rest.

Hi Jeff, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! UTOPIA FALLS is so much fun to watch, it’s so different– how would you describe the show to someone who hasn’t watched it? Can you tell us about your character in the show?

Thanks for having me! First off, I will say it is NOT a dance show or a musical! It’s a great sci-fi show with some cool musical elements. Utopia Falls is set 400 years in the future after humanity almost ended. It is an amiable place on the surface. For example, there are no issues with race etc. However, there is a lot of nefarious things going on underneath it all, which the public knows nothing about. When my daughter Aliyah finds a cave in a restricted area full of artifacts, music, history, things start to change very quickly. Things are not as they had been seen. 

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.

Nurses is a new original medical drama airing on Global TV with actor, Tristan D. Lalla who plays the head nurse in the series. Tristan has been a part of several projects including Quantico (ABC), The Art of More (Sony) and he voiced Adéwalé, the first black lead in Assassin’s Creed. Learn more about his new series below!

Hi Tristan, congratulations on the premiere of your new show! Can you tell us about NURSES, and the character you play, Damien Sanders? What role does he play in the series?

Nurses takes us into the hectic life at St. Mary’s Hospital. It follows five rookie nurses who are thrown into the realities of what it takes to be an effective team player under high stakes situations. It’s an ensemble piece, put together by a highly acclaimed team of writers, directors, producers, and editors. I’m really proud to be a part of this one. I play Damien Sanders, head charge nurse at St. Mary’s. He’s a bit of a hard ass (having been a Master Corporal and chief field medic in the military) but he definitely has a soft side. Maybe two soft sides. 

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.

Tamara Almeida changed her career path to pursue her passion and now stars in AppleTV+’s reboot of Ghostwriter. She has also been seen in Degrassi: Next Class, Heroes Reborn and Good Witch. Find out more about her journey as an actor in our interview below!

Hi Tamara, thank you for answering our questions! Tell us about yourself and your journey towards pursuing acting as a career. What or who inspires you?

Hi Defective Geeks, thanks for having me! Like many others, I grew up with a strong desire to be creative. I went the long route and had a completely different career in sales before becoming an actor. I’d been terrified to commit to an industry I knew nothing about, but once I started taking classes, I was hooked. I left my career, and it’s been a lot of training and learning over the last decade. There is a lot of opportunity in this industry to diversify and find where you fit. My business experience led me to want to produce, and my technical background has led me to editing. I love storytelling, and am inspired by watching artists in different industries evolve. I’m inspired by the work ethic of Beyonce, she’s someone who is always letting her work speak for itself, and never stops making an effort to top her last efforts. Then there are Brit Marling and Phoebe Waller-Bridge who are content creators, writers, actors, and producers. They inspire the work I want to do, and Waller-Bridge in particular creates the type of content I am so blown away by that she’s the ultimate goal. Watch Fleabag, Crashing, Killing Eve, and anything else she’s done because she’s a genius!