Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Youre mostly known for dramatic roles.
So I was like,I have to speed up.
Ive got to bring it.
Were there things you picked up from your co-stars about how to approach it?Theyre brilliant actors.
I think Im a good listener and watcher, so I watched them.
Theyd throw lines at me.
Theyd go, Michael, try this line!
Thats the part of the culture thats really specific and not made up.
Its the way we operate.
I was delighted that they recognized my uncleness on the show.
Theyre fictitious characters, but the truth always comes from who we know we are.
But also soft, too.
I had to, like, kill it.
When I first read that speech, I practically cried.
That really is the end goal of power: Can I access that script?
Can I access that role?
Since its dawning, weve been outside the access.
I know that it cannot be squandered in any way.
We have an opportunity, and we have eyes on us.
It seems like youre also interested in the question of what system you could build on your own.
You foundedSignal Theatre, which produces its own work.
Thats where I became the artist that I am.
Whats interesting about theater work and having my own company is that we are an Indigenous company.
We make the decisions, we decide whos cast, what shows are done, what we present.
So in that sense, we are empowered, in the theatrical community, as decision-makers.
It was different because the show was written by Indigenous people.
Often, we had Indigenous writers, and every day Sierra was on set there to answer a question.
I had never worked on a show where a decision-maker had been Indigenous.
I wrote to her to say, Every day you had my back.
Ill never forget that.
Theres one in episode four, with Terrys family at the tailgate of a lacrosse game.
I remember saying, We dont see Indigenous families like this on TV.
Its how we live, but its never filmed.
What defines that Indigenous humor for you?Its really about awareness.
Ive traveled all over NDN country, and Im always blown away by the people I meet.
Theyre so smart and savvy and knowledgeable.
I always feel like I learn whenever I travel and meet my people.
Thats what the humor was.
The humor was smart like were smart.
The humor was sly, the way our humor works.
Despite all this, we find humor in the moment.
In every page ofRutherford Falls, that complex humor was present.
Im actually learning how to play the bass, just in case.
[Whispers] Dont tell anyone.
In a very different vein from comedy, you also have a role in the upcoming adaptation ofFirestarter.
It also allows me to play a character that was previously played by a non-Indigenous actor.
To play someone that driven is new for me.
Its an interesting place for me to inhabit, especially after Terry.
I advocate for it for myself personally, and Ive been fortunate to be able to land the roles.
I love sci-fi, and … ## Related
