Faly Mevamanana is a Malagasy/Chinese/British actor who has been nominated for a Dora Award. Her work has taken her across Canada. She has held leading roles on some of the country’s most respected stages and is steadily building a portfolio of television and film projects that showcase her range, precision, and presence.
.In addition to her acting career, Faly is emerging as a writer. She is currently developing her screenwriting skills with Second City while serving as an Associate Dramaturge at Nightwood Theatre. Her work reflects a commitment to telling stories that center on mixed-race and marginalized voices with honesty and heart. This commitment is evident in her latest television project, *Be Better*, which she both wrote and stars in. The show is set to premiere on Bell Fibe TV1. We caught up with Faly to discuss the series, the inspiration behind it, and her current plans.
Faly, thank you for speaking with Occhi Magazine. You’ve worked across theatre, TV, and film—what’s one creative habit you built in theatre that still shapes how you show up on camera, and what’s one habit you had to unlearn?
The ability to collaborate. In theatre, we have time to rehearse, explore, and come up with incredible ideas as a team. Film is a much faster timeline. While we can’t always delve into ideas as deeply, I make sure to show up on set with an openness and excitement to collaborate.
I’m not sure I had to unlearn anything, but I had to learn to trust my instincts even more as an actor in film. Since there is rarely time to rehearse, you need to really trust your scene partner and your director, and that the work you have done to prepare will show up on the day.
As a Malagasy/Chinese/British actor working across Canada, have you ever felt misunderstood or “put in a box” by the industry?
Absolutely – it’s why I started writing! Being a mixed-race actor, I struggled to find spaces for myself as an actor in film. I wasn’t Chinese enough for the Chinese parts, or white enough for the white parts. I belonged to multiple races, and yet didn’t fit into any of them when it came to casting calls. At that time, most “Open Ethnicity” characters were small parts and one-liners. I didn’t want to be defined by my ethnicity – I wanted to play interesting, funny, well-rounded lead characters. In some ways, I am grateful for that experience because it gave me the drive to write and create my own work. I now have the ability to write interesting, well-rounded parts for other actors, and that is such a wonderful gift.
When you were first starting, what did you think it would take to build a real career in this industry? And now, with more experience, what do you think matters most?
Honestly, I used to think it all came down to luck and hard work. And in some ways, it does! But it’s different from what I expected. Hard work for me used to mean taking every acting class and working on monologues all the time. Now, it means creating my own projects and being fully present in my work and life.
At this time in my life, what I treasure most in this career is persistence and optimism. Rejection is a constant, and being able to build yourself up and get excited about opportunities is so important. I sometimes have to remind myself, in the midst of stress and overwhelm, that I am literally living my dream. This career is so special; I feel honoured to work in a field that I love so deeply, on projects that matter to me.
What’s a hard lesson you learned about protecting your craft (or your mental health) that you wish someone had told you before your first professional booking?
This job will have the highest highs and the lowest lows. I wish I knew to focus on and feed the other aspects of my life, so that when the industry is slow, I have something feeding me creatively that I am excited about. Being an actor means facing a lot of rejection, and it used to be really tough on my mental health. Now I know that it’s important to have other things that define me and excite me outside of acting. I’m so glad I began writing, because no matter what the industry is doing, I can always write. I have the power to create my own worlds and be creative, without relying on someone else to cast me. I enjoy my slow periods so much more now because it means I get more time to write and explore new projects.
You’re Dora-nominated and have performed across multiple provinces—how has constantly moving shaped your identity as an artist? Has it ever made you feel creatively untethered?
Absolutely! I am so grateful to have had the ability to work in so many provinces. We have a beautiful country, and I feel blessed to have seen so much of it. I’m grateful to have traveled and have great friends in many cities. Seeing new places expands my mind and gives me new ideas; it excites my creativity. Having those opportunities at the start of my career allowed me to learn what kind of communities, friendships, and art I wanted to foster.
Admittedly, it did make me feel untethered. It can be hard to build roots in a city when I’m not there for very long. These days I travel less, but when I do, I have some wonderful close friends in Halifax, Vancouver, and Toronto, so part of me can feel at home even when I’m away.
When you look back at your earliest experiences in the industry, what did you tolerate that you would never tolerate now—and what changed in you to draw that line?
I used to say yes to everything and accept situations that weren’t good for me. I value myself and my work so much more now. When I was new, I felt like I needed to take every opportunity that came – but there are some jobs that I regret taking. And that’s okay! I’m glad I made mistakes because I learned from the experience, and I know more now. I think there comes a point where you realize that you have more value than what is being offered to you, and it’s encouraging to know that you don’t always need to say yes. It’s a competitive industry, and there can be a scarcity mindset, but I try to remind myself that what’s meant for me will be mine.
Be Better centres caregiving, family, and mental health—topics that are often flattened or sensationalized on screen. What was your non-negotiable in how you wanted mental illness and caregiving to be portrayed?
A large part of making this project came from wanting to destigmatize mental health. So many folks battle or experience mental health struggles, and yet it is rarely talked about. I wanted the story to be comedic, so that we could see that it didn’t have to be this giant drama – mental illness didn’t have to be this taboo subject. I also wanted to show the layers – caregiving is not easy. It can be wonderful, but it can also be exhausting and frustrating. In writing it, I never wanted the Mom character, who has psychosis, to be seen as sick. She is dealing with issues, but we start the story after she has been to the hospital. It’s about hope; it’s about her journey to getting better.
You’ve said the idea came from feeling alone in the responsibility of caregiving and not knowing how to ask for support. What did writing Be Better teach you about asking for help—on and off the page?
It taught me that I’m not alone in my experiences. A lot of people can relate to this project and have experienced similar things. I was so afraid to ask for help or advice, afraid that I would be judged, and yet that judgment never happened. People, especially those close to me, wanted to help. What I learned the most is that it is impossible to support someone without being supported yourself, whether through self-care or through leaning on others.
For audiences seeing Be Better, what do you hope they laugh at, what do you hope they sit with uncomfortably, and what do you hope they carry with them after the final episode?
I hope they laugh through most of it! There are some very silly moments that, while still very real, will surprise people. Episode 4 is probably my favourite in a comedy sense – I can’t wait to hear what people think about it.
I think the tension in the relationship between Jaynan and her mom is very uncomfortable. There are moments in the show where you may not like them. Jaynan might do things that make you mad, but you always understand where she is coming from. Family can be really difficult – this show is very honest showing the ups, the downs, and the imperfection of people.
Without giving too much away, I hope they feel hopeful after watching the final episode. Caregiving for others, and for yourself, can be really hard. I want them to leave the show feeling a bit less alone in their struggles. We leave the show on an unfinished note, one that raises many questions so my big dream is that audiences want to watch season 2!
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