Mary Kate Wiles – Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye

By starrymag | November 4, 2020

By: Spring Marie Cullen

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise of Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye.

A) After podcast investigative reporter Artemis and her twin brother Paul uncover a secret race of werewolves in the tiny town of Connor Creek, they must decide who to trust and the price they’re willing to pay for a juicy story.

 

Q) What was it about this series and role that drew you to the project?

A) I’m dear friends with the creators – The Tin Can Brothers – and any time friends ask you to come play, you say “yes.” They have gifted me with a couple wonderfully well-rounded female lead roles now and I’m just very honored that they continue to write me such great parts in their projects.

 

Q) How was Artemis originally described to you? How did you make her your own?

A) I don’t exactly remember. Brian, Joey and Corey had told me a lot about the project as they were planning it – that it would be about these two podcast reporters who came to a small town and get more than they bargained for. And, at one point when we were at a bar over drinks, Brian just said to me, “Yeah, and we want you to be the podcaster.” Any time you know your friends are working on a project, you hope you’ll be asked to be a part of it, but you don’t want to get in their way at all. So, it’s always a nice honor when they do ask you.

Playing Artemis was a really interesting challenge because for the past few years most of the characters I’ve been playing have been very stylized – either with accents or specific ways of speaking/moving, etc. Artemis, as the straight man of the series, is a little more grounded and closer to me in terms of her voice and mannerisms. So, a lot of the work was focused on developing my relationship with Steve [Zaragoza], who plays Artemis’ twin brother Paul, and also digging into why Artemis is so drawn to investigating – why she has this need to get to the bottom of things; what drives her.

 

Q) What are some favorite episodes or moments viewers will love in Wayward Guide?

A) Oh man. There are so many. The town of Connor Creek is populated with all these wacky characters, many of whom are played by some of my dear friends. The one liners and weird accents are delightful. And there is a couple more intense sort of action sequences, which are very fun and exciting.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to film?

A) Well, getting to work with Sean Astin (who plays Artemis and Paul’s boss, Lesly) was an absolute dream come true. I am such a huge Lord of the Rings fan – it’s what made me want to pursue a career in filmmaking. So, I was just beside myself getting to be on set with him. And he was so lovely! So excited to be there, so eager to work the scenes with us, so warm and congenial. It was a dream.

 

Q) How do you feel about conspiracy theories? Do you buy into any of them or are they all works of fiction?

A) [laughs] I can’t say there are any conspiracy theories I’ve gotten very into, no. Although, I do believe in ghosts! But that’s not quite the same.

 

Q) The podcast element is a big part of what makes the series special. How did you enjoy recording those?

A) It was great! We actually recorded the podcast this past summer, so it was really lovely to have some work that we were able to do safely during the pandemic, in a time when it’s been really slow for actors/filmmaking all around. It was fun to get to dig into Artemis’ professional side – in the series, you watch her and Paul investigating and you see them planning this podcast, talking about their findings, making mistakes, etc. In the podcast, you get them as they choose to present themselves and the story in the way they ultimately choose to tell it. So, it’s a completely different view of them and the events of the show. It’s really fun to be able to show these different sides of a character.

 

Q) Do you listen to any podcasts yourself?

A) I listen to a lot of NPR, although I’m not a huge podcast person. I love “Ask Me Another,” which is an NPR puzzle and quiz show. Doesn’t get much nerdier than that. But I did listen to a few female-led true crime podcasts in preparation for filming.

 

Q) This wasn’t your first time working with the Tin Can Brothers, what makes their projects so appealing to you?

A) Yeah! Like I was saying before, it’s just a joy when you get to work with your friends. Joey Richter, in particular, and I have been working together since 2013 and he is one of my most frequent collaborators. I think when you’re working with friends the work is automatically more creative because everybody feels comfortable with each other. And that just fosters a very collaborative environment where everyone feels able to do their best work.

 

Q) You’ve done your fair share of web series, is there anything that makes them different from the standard television shows you’ve worked on?

A) I mean, they’re different in every way. The scale is different, the pay is different, the amount of collaboration is different – everything. But more than anything I’ve found it’s my web work that has allowed me to connect with an audience in a way that other types of acting just don’t quite foster. And I love that. Getting to make things for an audience that you know will be excited to watch and consume them is extremely fun and fulfilling. We are so lucky to have such a supportive audience that enables us to continue telling the stories we want to tell.

 

Q) What are some recent projects you’re working on?

A) I have a group myself – Shipwrecked Comedy – with my partner Sean Persaud and we were planning on crowdfunding and shooting our biggest project in four years this year. But, of course, that all got put on hold because of the pandemic. But we’ve still been working hard on it and we’re hoping we’ll be able to make it in 2021. And I, myself, create an Anne of Green Gables podcast – myself and friends read through Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic books and I add music and sound effects to create an all-new experience to enjoy them by. That’s been coming out weekly on Apple podcasts and Spotify since earlier this summer.

 

Q) What would you like to everyone who are fans and supporters of your work?

A) Just truly, thank you. I have such an engaged, supportive audience full of thoughtful, smart people and I am constantly honored that they support me in the ways that they do.