Canadian actress and director Wendy German started her acting career at Windsor Light Music Theatre, performing in live shows with Cardinal Productions and Migration Hall, including Bye Bye Birdie, The King and I, Legally Blonde, and Beauty & The Beast. She’s made a name for herself landing roles in several popular television shows and feature films including the much acclaimed ‘Clash’- a Nigerian-Canadian film that reached the #1 position on Netflix Nigeria and is set to make waves around the world after being released on Netflix platforms worldwide in July 2021. We had the opportunity to speak to her about her career and the success of the movie.
How and when did you fully embrace acting as a chosen career path?
I would say that July of 2016 when I signed with my agent, was the first time that I committed myself to acting as a career. In 2018, I moved to Toronto to act professionally. I was 47 when I made the decision to move and it was the first time that I moved away from my hometown of Windsor, Ontario. It was the best decision I could have made.
Who have been your career influences, and why?
Ava DuVernay has always had a big influence on me. She has taught me (though she has no idea!) to do what I want in the acting world – to not wait for permission and just go and do the things that live in my wildest dreams. Reese Witherspoon and Amy Adams also both created their own female-led production companies, continue to act, and are close in age to me, so I also draw a lot of inspiration from them as well. If they can do it, maybe I can too.
You studied at Windsor Light Music Theatre at the start of your career and University of Windsor. Please share your experience studying at these institutes and how it prepared you for your journey?
My first WLMT show was Bye Bye Birdie when I was 14. I fell in love with theatre, and with the palpable energy that is exchanged between the audience and the whole cast. It was magical. After I lived a regular life for several years, I went back to WLMT in 2006 and did a dozen more shows after that. The anticipation of opening night is and will always be intoxicating for me, and it’s one of the things that keeps me passionate about theatre and on-stage performance. The University of Windsor’s amazing professors also taught me how to analyze literature and develop critical thinking skills that have served me well when looking at scripts and developing characters in my own career. They taught me about the power of female agency—I’m all about it.
What advice would you give to budding young actors and directors starting their careers?
It’s important to remember that the only things stopping any young actor or director are the limits that they place on themselves. For actors, I recommend getting into good acting classes—with so much available online now, the possibilities are vast! For directors: get onto sets, volunteer, learn, try, and try again. Believe in yourself—you can absolutely do it!
Your resume includes success on stage and screen. You’ve also found success both behind the camera. Which medium do you prefer, and why?
I began on stage and screen, but I was always curious about how each of those worlds were created. That curiosity led me behind the scenes into props, wardrobe, marketing, and directing. I needed more on-set experience once in Toronto, so I became a PA, put the work in, and figured it out. And while I love viewing stories from behind the camera, bringing a character to life through acting still lights a fire inside of me. I’ve had the privilege of playing two characters so far, each based on real people. I have a huge desire to honor those people and the weight of doing them justice on-screen matters immensely to me. There is something absolutely fascinating about becoming them in every possible way for a short while.
What do you look for in a project, particularly with regards to film or television roles?
I’m not yet at the point of picking and choosing my roles—I would be very grateful to get there and that’s definitely something that I strive for. When I do book a role, I devote a lot of time to researching. The internet is obviously great for this and I’ve gone down many wormholes when prepping for an audition. If it’s a series, I’ll watch the series and get my hands on as many interviews with the actors as I can find. I’ll also look up people who are like or have similar experiences to the characters. I recently played a doctor who was murdered on Homicide: Hours to Kill, which was based on a real-life crime. I was able to find the news stories, and even parts of the murder trial, where the victim’s sisters, husband, and son spoke. I also try to use my past experiences to my advantage as much as possible, so the fact that I worked as a medical secretary in Windsor for several years helped too. I look for connections between the character and myself and ask, “what can I bring to this role?”, “How can I become this person?”, and “what can I learn from it?”
What has been your biggest challenge as an actor and director?
My biggest challenge as an actor has been learning how to make my acting not look like acting. From a broader industry standpoint, realizing the importance of genuinely developing professional relationships with casting directors that you want to work with is also crucial and takes time and patience. Balancing the talent of acting with the business of it is definitely a skill in itself.
When it comes to directing, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is learning to be comfortable with vulnerability. It sounds so simple, but if we are putting our story out there, we have to learn to accept the fact that people may not like it or be able to relate to it as much as we do, which feels risky a lot of the time. It takes courage, fear, some doubt, and then just doing it anyway to really get over that challenge. It’s exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I often hear that you should make your own projects and stories while you are waiting for your career to develop, so that’s what I’ve been doing. Needless to say, there are all these crazy stories in my mind, just waiting to get out.
You starred in the acclaimed 2018 film “Clash”. For the benefit of our audiences, please tell us about the film, what interested you in the role of ‘Donna’, and why do you think it had such an impact?
The story of Clash centers around a Nigerian family that lives in Toronto. Their father comes from Nigeria to join them and discovers that his children do not have the same customs and traditional values that he expected, so there is a clash of cultures. Donna, who I play, is an intriguing and extremely complex character. She is initially so unassuming but, in trying to protect her daughter, she tells a terrible lie. She later owns up to it and tries to make it right, despite her own discomfort, but this ultimately causes another clash in her family outside of the main plot. The film cast is largely BIPOC, including the producers, director, and DOP, and I’m really proud of that. It was such an honor to be included in this cast. People can relate to this storyline because it includes complex relationships between family members and between several families. We all need to belong, fit in, and feel loved and that’s what Clash is about.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am lucky (when preparation meets opportunity, as per Oprah) to be actively auditioning a lot right now. My short documentary, Finding Orleen, is nearing the end of post-production, and my goal is to enter it into film festivals this fall. I’m also currently planning out another documentary that I’m hoping to bring to life soon. Aside from that, I’m continuing to act and immerse myself in the world of film. I have especially missed dance class and being on stage, and I really hope for opportunities to get back to that soon when it is safe for everyone to do so.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
Note: please provide website and social media links
More about my career, my past works, and my latest and upcoming projects (and some behind-the-scenes sneak peeks!) can be found on my Instagram and Facebook pages.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/german_wendy/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.german.90/
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