Taylor Hickson – Motherland: Fort Salem

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How was Raelle originally described to you?

A) She was originally described to me as a reluctant recruit lost in the grief of her mother. Even reading the script and looking at a lot of the physical attributes and sort of in her actions, they spoke a lot about her walking on the track and feeling sorry for herself and bad for herself. Upon a conversation and collaboration, we thought it would be a much stronger choice to make her come from a place of rage, which is our play on toxic masculinity. So, she communicates her grief by pushing back to authorities and just being very angry and resentful to the army and to the world for taking the life of her mother and condemning her to the same fate.

Q) She has a wall up when she meets her roommates. Is it the grief that keeps her from connecting with them?

A) Yeah, completely. She blames the army for her mother’s death. These people that are so enthusiastic about being there, I think it really angers her because they will never understand or sympathize (in Raelle’s mind) with the kind of grief that she went through when this kind of grief is ravaging witches all over. So, I think she is just very much self-absorbed in thinking that she is the only one who feels that way and using support or relying on other people isn’t helpful to her. So, she goes in with a very reckless mindset in throwing herself on the front lines and getting herself killed because that is the fate she is condemned to already. Through a lot of diligent work and support from her sisters she is able to find an importance in herself, feel valued and learn to trust again because the one person she really instilled trust in was her mother. Her mother taught her everything she knows about her identity and where she comes from and that was taken from her. So, she begins to find those bonds again in the witches around her that share the same blood.

Q) She holds her mother’s death against Abigail because it was Abigail’s mother is responsible for that death. Does Raelle blame Abigail for her mother’s actions or is she worried Abigail will be capable of that same kind of behavior?

A) It’s a double-edged sword from Abigail’s perspective. That’s the way of their world and Raelle takes it very personally whereas Abigail (Ashley Nicole Williams) doesn’t. Obviously, there is that initial conflict which segregates and divides them from having any kind of connection immediately. I just think that is something they both learn about each other – you can’t blame past members of your lineage for what has happened, but you can change what is to come. I think that is a massive metaphor for our history, for not only North America but the rest of the world. Yeah, we can’t change what happened in wars and the plague going on, but more than every you have to stand together and work towards a team strategy rather than finding independent success by taking others down.

Q) Raelle seems to be the definition of a “strong female character.” What does that term mean to you and how does that really embody these fierce female characters we see at the forefront of this series?

A) I think it means being a leader, being forgiving, empowering other people – not only other people, but especially women. As a woman, encourage men and women alike to support each other and uplift each other. To me, the idea of a perfect woman is my mother. My mother lives and breathes to help other people and gives her life to help other people. It’s something that I’ve always admired so much about her because this is never something I could fully do to her extent. There is always selfishness and my own motivations, but she’s got to be the most selfless person that I’ve ever met. I think a strong woman is rebellious, free spirited, kind, witty, edgy and also vulnerable. My mother is incredible. She’s also hard of hearing. So, to do all of that with the amount of setbacks in her life and the discrimination she’s had…Just to see the kind of woman she is and how strong she is…Yeah.

Q) There was this great fight scene in the series premiere. How did you prepare for it?

A) What you see us doing is sort of a take on an ancient forgotten martial art called Rope Dart. It was said that back in the day these Chinese farmers who were too poor to afford guns or heavy machinery to protect themselves would fashion a knife on the end of a rope. They’d sort of swing it to protect themselves and create an impenetrable shield in kind of combat. Our creator Eliot Lawrence somehow uncovered this skill for us to put on our resumes. It actually carries a lot of the same structures as fire spinning or even juggling. You’re having to do something with your hands that are very much like batons, strangely. Things that are bit more obscure with arts and sports, but it took a lot of coordination that most of us don’t have. What we ended up doing was tying a tennis ball to the end of a rope, which is probably a much safer choice for us actors. It’s why we’re not in sports. We’re all in arts because we’re all very uncoordinated. [laughs]

Q) There is such great and intense chemistry between Raelle and Scylla. What intensifies and propels these too in their relationship?

A) Their relationship is very powerful and all consuming. They are determined to make it through despite all the pushbacks. It’s very passionate and very intense, but I think it’s the one place you see Raelle soften because she very much feels like she’s looking into a mirror and a lot of the things she sees in her own self she sees in another person. And she really just feels understand and validated. She feels like someone gets her and she feels heard. And I think that is key in allowing her to open up and feel vulnerable. Scylla (Amalia Holm) makes her feel special. I think, in turn, it leads to a very consuming relationship for sure.

Q) The show has a unique take on real events that took place in American history. What are some historical events we will be seeing in the “Fort Salem” world?

A) I can’t giveaway too much, but there are similarities in birthing room wards and very much the terrorism. There is a lot on that. There is a lot on terrorism and share a lot of similarities to today’s world. A lot of the stigmas too. Stigmas throughout history such as women versus women and that LGBT representation or the color of your skin. All of that is in play in the world of “Motherland” and these are thing that people have fought for for years and years and years. So, this kind of takes a look at a world where there isn’t really agism and much mind paid to the color of your skin. It’s more about where your lineage came from and how many medals you have. It’s something promoted from a different perspective. The things that they value and that they hold as virtues are different, but it’s very much a massive metaphor for things continuing the way that they are today.

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

A) I want to say it is episode 7. It’s hard to translate because we look at the pilot like 000. I can’t quite remember, so in our minds when we were doing episode 7 it was actually episode 8 or vice versa. Something like that. I want to say it’s number seven. That’s my best educated guess. It has to do with my relationship and other relationships being formed and how it is affecting each other. Just some of the hurdles that some of these characters have to go through in the later arc of the season. It’s very, very compelling to watch. Then, obviously the finale. I just keep telling people not to trust Easter Eggs. Not to trust your assumptions. You’re wrong. Every time we’d get a script and think we knew what was happening or we think we’d know what a certain situation or object a person was alluding to we were always misled. Reading the script was like a massive engaging riveting dystopian novel. So, I mean, I hope that translates to screen. It is even more fast paced to watch everything cut together than it was to read it. You can only imagine how action-packed it is going to be. It is chalk full!

Q) What do you hope viewers take away or what have you personally taken away from your time working on “Motherland: Fort Salem?”

A) Having that sense of unity with so many women is something I took away. It’s something I’d love to see out here in the real world. I know I referenced it before, breaking that women versus women mindset and culture and just having females pitted against each other. On this show we were all fighting for that same opportunity and I guess it took me a minute to realize we could all share a creative space and achieve something together and have the same fulfillment rather than feeling like you have to one-up somebody. That is how is subconsciously interpreted the way that women communicate with each other through media and growing up…I mean, the only great relationships I really had were with my sisters and my mother. I really felt like I couldn’t trust anyone else because we were all set to be pitted against each other, which is really unfortunate and sad. I realize I grew up with the subconscious of not trusting women or not getting along with women because I felt like I couldn’t rely on them or I felt like they were all just serving their own interests. So, I spent a lot of time with boys growing up because of the much different focus and mindsets that they had. So, obviously, I was very intimidated walking onto set with so many big female personalities and that is including female producers, directors and so many great crew members. There was a very heavy female presence on our set and it just really taught me what it means to be a woman and that is an experience and a mindset that I will forever be grateful to “Motherland” for. It taught me how to stand up for myself and hold hands with my many beautiful sisters at the same time.

Q) Since you are a part of social media, what kind of fan feedback have you already received to the show?

A) Oh man! [laughs] People seem very excited. I’ve been getting so many questions about our “ship” name for Raelle and Scylla. It seems the one that is trending most is “Raella” and I love it. But people have been asking me for confirmation and I can’t pick one yet so I’m just sort of waiting for them to sort it out. So many people have suspicions about Scylla and what that means, which we (hopefully) were expecting. Everyone is sort of picking their favorites. I love to see Tally our living exclamation mark and Abigail our fearless leader and Raelle the rebel. Everyone is picking teams and favorites. It’s so fun to see everyone interacting. We’re just hoping the show can do something really special to bring people together and communities together that we never thought we’d see hand in hand. It’s a very special group of people, our viewers. I can already tell.

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

A) I guess I could say we do dive into very, very uncomfortable issues. Yes, the show will open up hard conversations. But I think that is not just a great way, but the only way to see a great improvement in our society, communities and the media. We really touch base on things like mental illness, the effects of mental illness, relying on support systems and how you create them. If you don’t what that looks like and if you do what that looks like. Like I mentioned earlier, women versus women, toxic masculinity, emotional repression and LGBT representation. We really want to encourage our viewers to use supports and use their resources. Know that you’re not alone and you have so many like-minded people out there. We’re here with you. You can always tweet us and we’re always watching. We’re here for our viewers, too. We’re all wanting to stand up and empower each other. That’s what we want to see from the people watching as well – be there for each other.