By Joy Tanner
Tell us about your award-winning role in smokeBreak and what inspired you about playing Sue.
Sue is a woman who has struggled throughout her life due to significant mental health challenges that were exacerbated by Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ignited by her involvement in a highly volatile marriage when she was younger: a situation that led to her giving up her baby daughter so both she and her child could escape the cycle of abuse. Sue is alone in the world; in the film she is given the opportunity to reunite with her now thriving adult daughter.
I was inspired to play Sue mostly because she touched me. I found her story and her struggle affecting. Though the specific circumstances are unique to this story, the experience of familial abuse is far and deep reaching and unfortunately more common than we imagine. Its causes and consequences, both short and long term, need to be exposed so positive changes can be enabled.
I was also moved by Sue’s matter-of-fact manner of coping with her significant mental illness. Individuals with mental illness are rarely imagined by others as also being courageous, tenacious and intelligent, but they often are. Sue is all these things, but she doesn’t exude it. I loved that about the writing. She is depicted as a woman trying her best. Neither winning nor losing. It’s hard graft living life with chronic illness, whether it be mental, physical and often both. Sue has fought and made hard decisions. She’s made one of the hardest and she knows why she has made it, though I bet many would not imagine that of her. There are people whom I love who rarely get to simply live the day. They must counter thoughts, memories and feelings that make moving through this world even more of an obstacle course than it is for most. Because we can’t see the internal workings of others’ minds and bodies, their challenge is underestimated, under supported and misunderstood. Mental health is something I hold very close to my heart because of loved ones’ significant challenges and my own personal past challenges with anxiety and depression. I thought Lisa Robertson wrote such a touching story and I was honoured to be asked to be her collaborator on it.
The Outstanding Performance award nominees and winners are decided by a jury comprised of ACTRA Toronto members. How does it feel to be honoured by a jury of your peers?
It feels marvellous. Being seen is one of the best feelings; especially to be seen and honoured by one’s peers. A vote of support from people who do what you do and who can see more than the just tip of the iceberg is extremely heartening. On the whole, we don’t lean into celebrating and promoting the excellent work done by actors in this country enough. It’s a Canadian habit that needs rumbling. We can always afford to continue to expand the celebration pool. Raising people up is the way to go. I am grateful that ACTRA Toronto contributes to this by acknowledging its members’ accomplishments.
What does it mean to you to be an ACTRA member?
I’m proud to be an ACTRA member. I take it seriously that I bring the professionalism that should be expected of a skilled artist to the table. And that I and others can and should expect that our professionalism be compensated and responded to respectfully and honourably. It’s not an easy career; we rarely rise through ranks or climb ladders. For most of us, it’s pretty well a horizontal trajectory with peaks and valleys and, therefore, we need an entity that understands the needs of people whose lifestyle and livelihoods are shaped differently due to the nature of our profession: one that can help us help ourselves to survive through all the ups and downs. It’s an amazing and necessary thing to have a strong, caring professional community that works to provide us with ever-shifting and improved resources and that lays out and backs us up on the bottom lines that we need to survive and thrive.
Do you have any advice for performers just getting started in the industry?
Be in the world, take it in; take care to build your life, not just your career. Watch other artists’ work; make it your mission to learn, to grow, know who you are and what you want to do. Be prepared to shift course at times; learn to be resilient but don’t tolerate bullshit. And don’t be the bringer of bullshit. See value in your fellow artists. Remember, acting is not about you, it’s about what is happening in between all the parties involved. Be the human you are now, you will be a different one in 40, 60, 80 years. Each version of you will have something vital to offer. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you bring something of worth (try to know what it is) to the table and that you should not be shortchanged by people who don’t see or don’t want to acknowledge your valuable skill. I only recently learned this from two actors much younger than I, and I am grateful for the reset. Know that though you will have to answer to others at times, you will always have to answer to you. Some actors will have a short explosive ride in this business, some will have a very slow, long trajectory; pace yourself and always do the work, you can’t foresee or assume which you will be.
What is the most significant role you have ever had and how has it impacted your life or career?
My most significant role to date is Donna in MGM+’s FROM. Donna has challenged me, and continues to challenge me, in exciting ways; she has offered me opportunities to reveal and explore the scope of my ability, which I had until now not had a great deal of opportunity to explore, though there have been some. She has taught me a lot about myself, both as an actor and as a person. Likewise so have the people I work with on the show. Donna has allowed me to be a part of an incredibly generous ensemble of artists who work hard with much joy and a sense of play. I feel incredibly fortunate she arrived. She is written as an individual. This happens too infrequently for female characters in film and television. More well-drawn imperfect, inimitable, relatable women of all ages and bodies please! I say this not only as an actor but as a viewer. Career-wise, she has helped Liz be better seen as an actor that has something unique to bring to the table so new doors have begun to open. As a person, she has given me a much better understanding of my worth as an artist. And as a bonus, it has brought me an insane amount of love from the incredible fans of the show.
Have you ever had a specific challenge with a role and how did you work to overcome it?
Oh yes, I can’t imagine after this many years to have not encountered specific challenges. I think the first big one on screen for me was learning how to trust that I would stay true to a series regular’s arc while it reveals itself through scripts delivered throughout shooting. In this case, I worried I wouldn’t be consistent in my portrayal of the character who was unusual in her thoughts and actions. I can’t fully answer how I overcame that challenge here, but it began with good communication with directors and writers; a safe and open rapport with fellow actors. And my building a strong sense of why my character was the way she was and finding the road to the relatable ‘why’s’ in me; it’s always in me somewhere. I must believe if the production has me in it, I will have the character’s actions and the way they manifest in me. In this specific case, I found it in the voids this character was misguidedly attempting to fill. Then, ultimately, it came down to trusting I’d done my homework and could allow those aspects of me that resonated with her needs and fears to come into play.
Can you share anything about any upcoming projects?
Upcoming for me is the release of a few projects. Season 3 of FROM will drop in the fall on Paramount+ here in Canada. I am immensely proud of this show and must point out it has a phenomenal cast and most of us are Canadian ACTRA members! I am also thrilled to be part of David Cronenberg’s beautiful and thought-provoking The Shrouds, which recently premiered at Cannes and will be released in the fall. I also anticipate the release of R.T. Thorne’s 40 Acres. Artists for Real Climate Action’s (ARCA) clever and hilarious comedy web series Big Oil Alliance is available now on YouTube and will be screening at T.O. Webfest in September. Meanwhile, I plan on soaking up my newest real-life role of Zaza (Grandma)!
Joy Tanner is the Editor of Performers Magazine, and Performers on Set. She has voiced Candy Kong in Donkey Kong.
