In Conversation With Actress, Stunt Performer and Producer Avaah Blackwell

Avaah Blackwell is a multilingual actress, versatile stunt performer, and producer. Classically trained in Europe, Avaah began her exciting career as a performer upon graduating Prague Film School’s renowned “Acting for Film” pilot program at the top of her class. As one of 10 actors globally selected for PFS’ innovative program, Avaah is equally captivating when performing for stage or screen. Avaah is the Co-Founder and Co-Host of a curated series of film industry-related events entitled “Behind the Camera” at Soho House Toronto. Her recent on-screen credits include Jupiter’s Legacy, EFC Movie, and Secret Society of The Second Born Royals (Disney) She’s also reprising her role on Star Trek: Discovery as the sentient species Osnullus. We had the opportunity to speak to her about her career and exciting projects.

Please tell us what led you into the creative industry? 

Being a Military Brat (Child of two military parents) I often had to integrate into new communities. Theatre was the way I always connected with people, Music too. Mom and dad were always signing us up for camps and it’s the way I made friends and connected to the local culture.

You studied acting classically in Europe, at the Prague Film School. What drew you to acting and what or who were your earliest influences? 

I could never decide exactly what I wanted to be or do, and I saw both acting and music as an opportunity to explore many possibilities and ways of being. My earliest influences from childhood were actually mostly musicians – but ones that had visual and storytelling flair – and I did music for a long time too – Like Weird Al, Queen, Aerosmith,  Michael Jackson, and later on heavier stuff like Tool, Opeth, and Green Day with their American Idiot Album.  Lord of The Rings was probably the most powerful influence I had as a teenager. I really got lost in that world and love it still to this day, the books and the films.

I listened to an interview where you mentioned that you were a musician. I’ve heard people talk about the mutual developmental benefits for actors and musicians working together and with other disciplines. How much has music influenced you and your interest in other disciplines? 

Well as mentioned in the previous question, I am very drawn to music. I even have a musically inspired tattoo. Truth be told, music makes me feel more than even most films and I am often drawn in by the music in films. However, I was always better at acting than music. When I approach a scene I always “hear” it first, the rhythm, the beat, and for almost every character I play, I build a playlist for. It’s one of my ways of getting to know them.

Your parents are Canadian based military personnel and through this you’ve traveled, meeting different people. You were also a Rotary Youth Ambassador based in the Netherlands. With the rich and diverse experiences, meeting different people, cultures, and being multilingual, how much do you think this influences the roles you are drawn to and your ability to empathize and portray a character? 

Wow, great question. I think as artists/creators of any kind, one of the best things we can do is to travel and increase our exposure to as many people, places, things, and experiences as possible- then go and let them percolate through our being. The deeper your well, the more you can draw from it. I definitely believe in the process of indrawing and outpouring, like a tide – ebb, and flow. 

You’ve also been cast against gender in productions such as Rebel Without a Cause as Ray, Banquo in Macbeth, and Sergeant Wood in A Soldier’s Farewell. How important were those roles to you and have non-gender-specific roles had an impact on the industry? 

Well, this was happening to me early in my journey as an actor. My high school teacher, Ms. Stratulat, to whom I owe a great deal of confidence as an actor to, cast me in incredible roles in our high school play that no one expected me to be able to play, she really believed in me to do them and so I felt safe to give it my best shot. I guess I just took that energy with me into my career and went into the room with a “Well if I can play the character, and tell the story, why should my gender stand in the way?” kind of attitude. The industry has changed a lot (for the better) in the last few years, but in the first 3 or 4 years of my career there weren’t a lot of roles for women that I was even interested in playing, so I always just found a way to read for the parts that guys were going for – the cops, the bad guys, the cool supporting roles, the creatures – they were more interesting, and I guess because I’m tall and can be kind of intense, casting was willing to let me come in and read for them as the “wild card”. Sometimes, I ended up getting the part.

Thinking of non-binaries, you play Osnullus in Star Trek Discovery, an amazing show. Osnullus is physical, in that you’re performing body language mannerisms. What were your references/influences in playing this role? 

To be honest, I just kind of showed up, looked at the prosthetic, and was like “I think she’d do this” the gender has never been discussed by producers, but I just call her a “she” because that’s how she feels to me. Being almost totally blind in the mask, I really had to “feel it out” and that’s another main way Osnullus’ mannerisms were formed.  A weird, mysterious, cool, intelligent, fun alien on a spaceship. Rock n’ Roll.

You were also made up in prosthetics, as a Klingon for the IMATS 2018 Make-up artist show and as the Alabaster woman in 12 Monkeys. What opportunities does performing in prosthetics offer as an actor compared to acting without it? 

Being in prosthetics really gives me a solid jumping-off point for the character, it’s very collaborative which I like, as It feels like the prosthetics artist and I are working together to create the character.  I look at the pieces and immediately get a sense of what the artist is communicating. I just go from there.

Acting without it is obviously more comfortable, and there’s usually less “bodywork” involved depending on how heavy the prosthetics are. For film, one usually scales down the performance and brings the emotional intensity more into the eyes.

Again, thinking of strong women, I’ve watched FanGirl Fights which I love. Can you talk about how the idea of filming FanGirl Fights came about? 

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! That was just a way for Paul Neary, my co-star Maragryta and I to build our reels a little when we were first starting out! Paul is so knowledgeable in the comic universe and he really helped to guide M and I into cool fights and combinations of characters.

FanGirl Fights combines fight choreography and comedy. You’ve also worked in Fringe theatre performing improv and stand-up comedy. How much more challenging is comedic acting and improv compared to dramatic or scripted roles? 

Improv and physical comedy are my first loves. Honestly, I thought that comedy was going to be my career for a long time. To me, dramatic acting and scripted roles are more challenging than physical and improv comedy – however, it varies from artist to artist.

You’re also a black belt in Shotokan Karate and an accomplished stunt performer. You were also a stunt artist in Disney’s Secret Society of Second Born Royals. When did you first start training and what other forms of training do you do? 

Yes! I got my first exposure to combat for stage and screen during my time at Prague Film School, under the direction of Guy Roberts. He taught us a fair amount about Rapier and hand to hand combat. I left that for a while then came back to training in 2016 for Fan Girl Fights and have more recently gotten into training deeper as more roles have been coming up. When the world isn’t on hold due to a global pandemic – I train Muay Thai, Karate, boxing, and some Jiu-Jitsu, Acrobatics, and general weapons work. Since we’ve been on hold I’ve managed to get my Motorcycle license, do more solo weapons work (Nunchaku, Guns, Bo Staff some Tonfa and Sai) As a stunt performer, it is important to be well rounded in many things, as well as specializing in what is typically demanded of your category.  

Tell us about your role in MMA feature EFC and the challenges involved as a stunt performer? 

I am one of the lead actors in EFC Movie, Directed by Jaze Bordeaux. I also did most of my own stunts (whatever the insurance would allow me to do). There was a fair amount of challenges as with any production, but everyone did an incredible job. One of the biggest challenges I can remember was the heat going out in our studio during one of the worst snowstorms in Toronto history. It was almost -30 (Celsius) outside and not much better inside, we had to do our scenes in boxing gear (Sports bra, bare feet, and shorts). The girls killed it and did an amazing job.

You will be in Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy series. It’s an amazing comic. Can you tell us about your role in Jupiter’s Legacy? 

The comics are amazing, aren’t they?! I can’t say much, as it is all still very under lock and key, but I promise you, you do not want to miss this series! Since it’s on my IMDb, I will mention that I was lucky enough to be part of an incredible stunt team for a few days. Very talented coordinators and performers on both the Canadian and American side of things. Stay tuned and make sure to check it out!!

I watched a video on YouTube of your performance of Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1. It is very emotional. You’ve related its relevance to the unprecedented times we’re in. And, I think also have highlighted the importance of art by doing so. As an artist how has staying creative sustained you during these times (and in general) and how relevant do you see the arts to mental health and community particularly now?

“Space is the breath of art.” – a quote I love from Frank Lloyd Wright. During the initial wave of the pandemic, I had the luxury of space- in relation to time and other people. I (like millions of others) went from interacting with hundreds of people per day in a jam-packed schedule to being completely alone, with huge expanses of time suddenly thrown out in front of me. Like an endless ocean – beautiful and also deeply terrifying.  An old type of creativity was unearthed in a new light from this. It was reminiscent of being a kid on summer vacation in the prairies again. The things that fulfilled me then were once again highlighted. Wandering through the woods, going on bike rides, training karate on my own, writing, reading… and just sitting and thinking, feeling, processing. These are all SUCH IMPORTANT ASPECTS TO OUR GROWTH and they are so easily lost in the movement of the digital age. Creativity came from that unstructured and frankly, deeply feminine time. Things need time to gestate and be born into this world.  The performance of that Hamlet soliloquy came from that space and that breath — into the art.

In your FanGirl Fights video “How to organize for success” (really interesting BTW) you mention the importance of knowing your “why”, organizing and motivation in pursuing your goals despite external opinions. What fundamental advice would you give to people wishing to enter the creative industry be it as an actor, stunt performer, or otherwise?

Be nice, stay humble, work hard, encourage others, be happy for others, don’t shrink, and don’t puff up (Brene Brown), your time will come.

What other projects are you currently working on that we should look out for?

Stay tuned on my IMDb and Instagram @therealavaahblackwell I’ve got some great things coming up that I can’t quite talk about yet but am excited to share!

Finally, what is Avaah Blackwell’s mission statement?

Constantly evolving. Constantly in flux.  Make dope sh*t with awesome people and help out whenever / wherever I can.

 

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