By: Lisa Steinberg
Photo By Karolina Turek
Q) Please tell us the premise for the new Netflix series “Crew Girl.”
A) It follows a girl who loves rowing and is forced to join an all boys team at a really wealthy private school. And all the love triangles and drama that ensues. It gets juicy, but there’s a lot of heart in the bonding and friendships between the characters.
Q) What was it about the show that made you want to be a part of it?
A) I mean, it’s obviously such an amazing opportunity to be able to be a part of such a great show on a platform like Netflix. The whole dynamic of the rowing team really excited me and seemed like a dynamic that could continue to grow and shift for a while which was really exciting.
Q) How was your role of Damon Quaid originally described to you? A bit of a troublemaker perhaps?
A) Yes, definitely a troublemaker. But it was made clear that the “trouble” he makes is always justified as retribution for people that deserve it. He was also described as giving comedic relief and levity to the show a lot of the time which was something I hadn’t really explored before, at least on TV or film.
Q) Was there anything you added to him that wasn’t in that initial character breakdown?
A) I guess his physicality was a big one as I’m a bigger guy, so I’ve been told, and I’m not sure the creatives were necessarily looking for a bigger guy for the character in the first place. I just showed up in my tall self. I actually enjoyed being a big goofy oaf in a funny way.
Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them on “Crew Girl?”
A) I had likely been in the same rooms as many of them as most are Vancouver locals, which I’m very proud of, but it was technically my first time meeting all of them. I knew of Miku [Martineau] beforehand, as one of my best homies, Ayo Solanke, who I worked with on Clown in a Cornfield, worked with her on “Bet.”
Q) Being a part of a crew team takes a lot of upper body strength. What kind of training did you do to be ready for rowing?
A) I didn’t really overthink getting super jacked as I wasn’t one of the love interests, so there wasn’t necessarily pressure to be super hot. I just went to the gym like I I usually do and tried to spend extra time on the rowing machine.
Q) There are so many powerful, funny, heartful and action-packed scenes for the show. Is there a particular moment or scene that you’re most proud of the work that you put into?
A) Episode 3 is my probably favourite for my work as I got to do a little more internal work with Quaid’s past of being bullied and how that affects him and Teagan’s relationship. I also had a lot of fun with some improv in episode 6 and I’m happy with the product.
Q) Netflix teen dramas have always garnered a lot of viewer attention. Have you already started getting some fan art and messages about your work on the show?
A) There’s been plenty of positivity online and personally, which is always lovely to see. I do try my best to ignore it, though, as I know there’s always gonna be negativity mixed in as with any project. And, knowing myself, it’s better to try to ignore the good with the bad and just understand that I did my job and continue to try to be the best artist and actor I can possibly be. But it’s very cool to see people already so in love with the show.
Q) What do you think it is about “Crew Girl” that will make it such a fast fan favorite series? Everyone loves a good love triangle…
A) A love triangle is an easy sell and I think everyone did an amazing job on the execution of that. I also hope people will connect with the dynamics between the students and the rowers. From the onset, I had a goal of making people feel like they want to be a part of the team or that they are a part of the team while watching. When I was younger, I remember having that same feeling when watching ensemble TV shows and movies and was hoping to convey that here. I also think Brad Creasser, our Director of Photography, is the MVP of the show. I really think he made it look amazing.
Q) What’s next for you? Have you been busy working on some other recent projects?
A) A few episodes on various shows here and there. Hopefully, a sequel to the Clown movie I did and hopefully a second season of “Crew Girl.” All I wanna do for the rest of my life is act and make movies, so until that changes, I’m gonna keep doing that.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of the work you do on our screens?
A) I really appreciate the positivity and support. I do feel positive reactions and I am incredibly grateful as this has been my dream for a long time. I hope to help make art that stands on its own and can affect people the way I’ve been affected by artists of all generations.