Sailey WilliamsEvery season unexpected fresh and familiar faces climb the ranks to celebrity & super stardom. Sometimes it’s easy to predict who will land among the year’s most popular and successful.Other times a person pops up almost out of nowhere. Who will be the newest members of the exclusive club in the year to come? While we don’t know for sure, our Editor in Chief has found 7 talents that we are betting on.
Photography:
BRIAN ROLFE . SHANNA FISHER . LESLIE ALEJANDRO
ANGELA ZAMORA . MAX EREMINE
You currently star as Aaron on the popular AMC series The Walking Dead. Tell us a bit about your character.
Aaron served as a former relief worker in Africa who dealt with countless druglords and warlords on a daily basis…lots of high-pressure negotiations where death was always a possibility. Because of this experience, he feels comfortable thrusting himself into dangerous situations in the hopes of bringing good people back to his community, Alexandria. As the township’s recruiter, he and his boyfriend Eric find Rick’s group and convince them to join forces.
Were you a fan of the show before being cast? Were you familiar with Aaron’s story line in the comics?
Oh, most definitely! Ever since that first Halloween episode in 2010, I’ve been hooked.The comics and the show are both so well done. I wasn’t as familiar with the comics until I was cast, but I’ve read most of the compendiums now and only stopped because I didn’t want to know where my character was going- I like being surprised.
Aaron’s introduction was much anticipated because this is the first male gay couple in the series. Did that add any extra pressure to how your approached the character?
I wouldn’t say it added any extra pressure, per se (being cast on one of my favorite TV shows was pressure enough!). I never want to portray Aaron as anything more than he is…a wonderfully complex, genuinely altruistic man who loves his boyfriend dearly. I will say that I feel an immense responsibility to make the character really breathe; to be a fully developed person that serves as a role model for LGBT youth and help present a storyline that fans will find compelling.
In last week’s episode we saw Aaron in a few run ins with walkers, what are some of the physical challenges filming those scenes?
Yeah, may it never be said that actors on The Walking Dead shy away from stunt work! Especially our incredible stunt team lead by Monty Simmons – they’re exceedingly brave. I personally love getting down and dirty but all of us walk away with a few scrapes from time to time, despite our best efforts.
What can our readers expect from you in the next year?
I think it’s safe to say that Aaron will be pushed to the limit this year. Aside from deciding how to best serve his community, he will deal with soul-crushing guilt and hopefully find a way to make amends for his decisions. He’s also going to set aside some of his recruiting duties to take on a more proactive role as a defender of Alexandria. It’s gonna be a wild season for Aaron and everyone else.
You can be seen next as a stunt double for lead bond girl, Lea Seydoux in the new bond film SPECTRE. What was that experience like?
Bond is the job that every stunt performer wants on their credits, so for me to get so young and early on has been such an incredible opportunity for me. I absolutely loved working with the stunt crew and had a lot of fun with the cast, Lea is a fantastic actress and I learned so much every day from the guys I was working with and also from watching top actors in their own game.
You are also currently starring as the lead actress in Pressure alongside Matthew Goode, out on VOD now. What can you share about your role?
I am! Pressure was a super fun one, I played opposite Joe Cole (my husband in the movie) and along side Danny Huston and Matthew Goode. I was rather young and rather pregnant and a little scary at times. They put me back in my natural habitat… underwater, where I had a fantastic scene with Joe! Once a Siren, always a Siren!
What is the most challenging part of being both actress & stunt woman?
Trying to fit it all in! To be honest it has worked out way better than I could have ever wished for and I’m now managing to combine the two industries. So many roles are now after actresses that can do a decent bit of action. So yes, the most challenging part is when jobs clash over industries and having to choose. Could be worse..!
What has been your most humbling moment?
I’d say being dragged through the dirt at high speed and getting my fair share of injuries over the last couple of years certainly makes you humble!
What can our readers expect from you in the next year?
I have some super exciting projects in the pipeline, most of which I can’t mention yet unfortunately! But I can say I have a few acting gigs lined up of which I cannot wait to start on. Obviously Spectre is out soon but I also stunt doubled on the new Tim Burton movie ‘Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children’, and also stunt doubled on ‘The Infiltrator’ for Diane Kruger. I’m also getting well into writing and producing too!
You will be releasing your next EP “Let’s Fall” later this year. What can listeners expect?
Listeners can expect to hear romantic melancholic tunes by a young woman maneuvering through the ins and outs of relationships.
Last year you toured with Leighton Meester and released the Fleetwood Mac cover song “Dreams” together that reached over 3 million views. What brought you two together to do this string of performances?
Leighton and I met many years ago. We attended school together and she and my sister were good friends! They kept in touch after all of these years, and after I graduated from college I started playing out. Leighton saw me perform and we realized we shared a similar music sensibility. So, when she plays shows she usually asks me to open for her. One afternoon, we were hanging at her place and we thought it would be cool to sing a duet together, since we both agree that singing duets is a lot of fun and when she suggested ‘Dreams’ I thought it was a great idea, because who doesn’t love Fleetwood Mac? I don’t think either of us anticipated it’s success!
You recently covered “What Do You Mean” by Justin Bieber. What makes for a good cover selection?
To me, making a good cover selection is just picking a song that I can sing well and put my own spin on. I typically enjoy singing older songs but when a new song comes out, it’s cool to put it in my style.
What influences your fashion choices, any favorite designers?
My fashion choices for the most part are shapes and flattering silhouettes. My style is simple and a lot of the time I like to be comfortable. It’s cool that we live in a time where we are able to take inspiration from most any decade of our choosing, depending on our mood. I have always been tall so I never fancied wearing heels, I do like to wear Ferragamo classic bow tie kitten heel. A couple of my current favorites are also Valentino and Mansur Gavriel.
What can our readers expect from you in the next year?
In the next year I plan on releasing more music, I have been writing a LOT this passed year, along side video content, and more collaborations, and of course more covers!
You recently released your first original single “Lightning In A Bottle” feat Silentó of the viral “Watch Me / Whip Nae Nae” track. How did your collaboration come about?
I always loved Silentó’s energy and thought he’d be a fun artist to meet and sing with. We sent him the song. He loved it and added his flavor! 🙂
You are set to collaborate with Flo Rida & “Cheerleader” crooner OMI on your forthcoming singles. What can listeners expect from those tracks?
It’s still in the works, but i’m super excited about the possibility.
What are your favorite social media apps to use?
Instagram!
What has been your most humbling moment?
The first time I went to the children’s medical center I performed for a young girl who was paralyzed. When I came back a few months later she had learned to play guitar. She told me I had inspired her to start playing. That was so humbling and rewarding.
What can our readers expect from you in the next year?
More music, high energy performances and getting to know who the real sunny is. 🙂