Samantha Marie Ware – What/If

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you have been working on?

A) I’ve been watching my own work on the series. I just relocated to LA last September so the projects that I’ve been working on have been seeing myself into an apartment and being human again. Also, I’ve been working on my solo project Sameya, which is music that will make its debut at the end of the month.

Q) How was the show “What/If” originally described to you?

A) [laughs] Actually, I ended up getting on the phone with Mike Kelley (eventually). All I knew was it was supposed to be a noir thriller; which you know I was all about the drama so I was so excited. I knew that I was going to be playing a surgeon, like on “Grey’s Anatomy.” So, that was exciting. He got into the outline of the script, but I also think the writers weren’t 100%. What I thought was smart was that sometimes they would build it around how the characters would start to flow and the synergy as actors. I only had the outline, but I had no clue what the ending was going to be until like two days before I did it. Half of it was a surprise and half of it was an idea.

Q) Was there something that you added to your character Angela Archer that wasn’t initially scripted for you?

A) That’s a really interesting question. I try to bring a humanity to any character that I play, even when it is on stage and there is already a set mold for how this character should behave or act. Especially because I play a lot of generic female roles – and I’m not saying that Angela is generic. There are variables as in damsel in distress slash woman who can’t make up her mind, etc. I think just for any character I try to bring the humanity like we’re all not perfect and we’re all going through situations that people either know about or that we keep well hidden. I tried to bring a little bit of that realism towards it.

Q) Talk a little bit about working with your costars.

A) Everyone on the show is amazing and very, very talented. It was a great group of people. I call Jane Levy “a king” because she started to take total control of the scene and you can’t pay attention to anybody else but her. So does Renée Zellweger, but Jane and I are around the same age. It’s just really nice to see women take positions of power and just go for it. Keith Powers, who played my husband, is one of the sweetest men I’ve worked with. Dave Annable is also just funny and sweet. It was really comfortable, especially given the circumstances of the content and being able to play this role and feel okay with it.

Q) It’s quite an intense series. How did you shake off a long day of filming?

A) It’s California. I get a little ginger tea and maybe a glass of wine. [laughs] I wasn’t shooting on the day we wrapped, but we had a little screening of a very botched pilot. I had taken out all of my tracks as Angela so I had the curly, big hair. I cut it all off and everybody was like, “Oh my gosh! Why did you cut all your hair off?!” I was like, “I don’t want to remember that! I still have dirt on me!” I smelled like that weird forest for like two days. I was over it. So, I just cut all that shit out and had this long Cher wig on. Everybody was like, “Whoa!”

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

A) My favorite scenes were the hospital scenes because I’ve always wanted to be on “Grey’s Anatomy” because I’m a huge fan of Shonda Rhimes. So, those are fun. It’s always fun to play pretend. Shooting a man whose goal was to make a woman feel inferior was liberating.

Q) You are a part of social media. What kind of feedback have you gotten to the series?

A) I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback. Nothing negative, which has been great. There is also an ingrained “Glee” fanbase so they are obviously excited that there are three “Glee” kids in the same series. Just positive feedback.

Q) What did you personally take away from working on this project?

A) As far as acting goes, every job that I’ve managed to be a part of is always bigger than the last or a larger opportunity that opens more windows and doors. So, it’s always a challenge. This is actually a role on television where I’ve been able to play a grown woman, as opposed to me playing a sixteen-year-old on “Glee” three years ago. So, that in itself was a challenge to see my own self as a grown ass woman. I’m grown, but a while to go before I might solidify the not grownness. So, that was fun to play with. Other than that, it’s all a learning curve. My manager tells me all the time that I don’t feel good about anything unless I challenge myself. Like, I have to dig myself out a six-foot hole to feel accomplished. It doesn’t feel difficult if there is nothing that challenges me as a person and as an actress. Then, it’s not doing its job. With this, I definitely felt challenged.

Q) Talk a little bit about the new music you’ll be releasing.

A) The project is Sameya. I could explain to you what to expect, but then it would kind of ruin it. I feel like the point is to express to everyone that I am a ubiquitous creature, black woman and artist. I have hella thoughts constantly and I’m just ready to start expressing them to the masses or even just to a couple of people. It doesn’t really matter at this point. I just want to leave this planet knowing that I was able to extend on my inner beliefs and/or self-battles…human stuff.

Q) Have you kept in touch with any of your “Glee” costars?

A) For sure! Obviously, it was great to do a show with Blake [Jenner]. I didn’t get to directly work with him on “Glee” when I was there, but we were a part of the same family. We’re good friends. I’m really good friends with Alex Newell and I say all the time that he’s probably one of the most talented people to come from “Glee.” He’s getting ready to star in a new series “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” with Jane Levy. So, it’s amazing! Also, John Clarence Stewart who plays Lionel in “What/If” is also going to be in the series with them. They are pretty much like family so it’s just nice to see first of all people getting work and just having fun while doing it.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure we share with our readers?

A) It’s just nice to be acknowledge. I’m also a writer so, first of all, my goal is to write myself into my own narrative because I have yet to see women like me portrayed on any of these outlets. And at the same time, God bless Mike Kelley for recognizing me as a dark-skinned black woman and still being able to cast me regardless of how Hollywood is about. I’m just grateful to be in a position where I’m recognized.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan of your work?

A) Oo! I would just say stay tuned and if I was talking to an individual or a group of people, I would say that I’m human and that I would give the same patience and love that I would hope to also get back from those who see me on a platform.