Katheryn Winnick On Not Taking No For An Answer, Connecting to the Moment and Her Hit ABC Series 'Big Sky'
Katheryn was virtually photographed and interviewed in Vancouver by Alison Engstrom;
Hair and Makeup by Nadia Hoecklin for Exclusive Artists using Glossier and Oribe Haircare.
When did you realize that your current career path was your calling?
I don’t think it was one particular moment other than I have always been interested in the arts. I definitely showed a creative side when I was a child. I used to make up dance routines and during the holidays I made all of my siblings, aunts and uncles watch them. I would put on these plays as entertainment. I always knew I knew I wanted to be a creative storyteller. It always drove me, I just didn't know how to do it since I didn’t grow up in the business so for me it was a bit of a long shot. I am glad I stuck with it and didn’t believe everyone who told me no. I kept pushing myself to find a way.
I always find it interesting when you love something as a child but decide to take it on professionally.
That moment was much later. I started working professionally when I was around 18. I went to York University for kinesiology; it wasn’t until my third year that I moved to New York and transfered my credits. I did some theater courses at Tisch and I wanted to pursue acting just really for me. I started working in New York as a host and an actress; I constantly got work and was flown out to LA for several pilots but it wasn’t until years later, even with the amount of work that I did, that I made a conscious choice to say, okay, I need to treat this as a career and not just taking what you can and feeling like you have it. At that point, I ended up firing my manager and I tried to take it seriously as if a doctor would go to med school in a sense and take every step towards it as a step in the right direction.
Where did you grow up?
Toronto, Canada in a town called Etobicoke; I come from a very strong Ukrainian family. It was one of those things that even to leave Toronto was a big deal, but I am glad I did.
What was your first big break that shaped your career and shifted things for you?
I think it was a couple of things; for me it was the conscious decision I made to take acting seriously. I did a guest starring role on House—it was a pretty strong guest arc. Then I got the chance to go toe-to-toe with Hugh Laurey, FOX noticed me and offered me a holding deal from that to pursue my own show. Unfortunately the writers strike happened but it gave me the confidence I needed. I haven’t had shortage of work, I have always worked but it’s a matter of finding that thing for people to say, Katheryn Winnick is from that and helped define my professional career. I would definitely say it was playing Lagertha on Vikings was a big turning point.
Have you received any advice that has helped guide you in the decisions you make?
I don’t think there is one bit of advice but I think, don’t take no for answer. For me, it’s not really the audition, you know the audition is really a tough business. You go in and it’s a rejection business. You really need to have a thick skin for it. It wasn’t really the result, and I still take that advice to this day, it wasn’t going in and feeling good if I got the job but rather feeling good about the two minutes that I was there and feeling good that I made an impact. That relates to me now even when I shoot a movie or a TV show, I have a hard time even watching it. It doesn’t really matter at the end how it ended up being edited or how it debuted, but did I feel connected in that moment? Did I feel authentic in that moment is really the journey that I have. I still haven’t seen all of Vikings at this point. It’s just how I process things. It’s irrelevant in a lot of ways for me. It’s just about that moment being captured on camera.
You have had more physical roles with ‘Vikings’. Do you find it more of a challenge for physical roles or more emotionally fueled characters? I know you have a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a second-degree black belt in Goju-Ryu karate.
It’s a big part of my life. It’s definitely a combination of both; with Vikings, it was obviously very physical with the stance, the sword and the shield but it was an extremely challenging role, as well as emotionally. It’s what I loved about it how she was not only strong physically but she was also very vulnerable, a human and a woman.
CONGRAtuLations on the success of your new hit series ‘big sky’. What hooked you most abouT the project?
I wasn’t really interested in doing another series this close, it was simply the fact that David E. Kelly was a showrunner on it—that was the only reason. It felt like a different type drama, it wasn’t formulaic, which I don’t respond well to like an opened and closed case each week. Here it could be storytelling in a more epic way. I think the show has come a long way in the first six episodes and it’s still evolving and changing. We are still redefining our look. We just got a whole new cast so it’s a new storyline. We have Elwood Reid, who is now on board as our writer and showrunner, as well. It’s an interesting dynamic that keeps evolving and people if they tune in there will be even more surprises because there are a lot of twists and turns.
There have been a lot of twists and turns, what can you elude to for the second part of season one? How far in advance do you know where the story will turn?
You don’t really know until it’s written. They are writing number 12 right now. I will say since the show is based on C.J. Box’s novels that there is a premise that can be followed, how much they follow that storyline is up to Elwoods at this point. In terms of backstory, my character is very underdeveloped in the books and in the show it’s a bit of a wildcard. I am still waiting to hear what all of her ticks are.
Does the ambiguity keep you excited as an artist?
You try to make choices and hopefully they pan out later. I know on one hand there is a lot of freedom because it hasn't been written yet and I can choose to take it in whatever direction I want in combination with the writers. It’s something that yes, it would be nice to be able to know my character and her overall life journey but with Jenny, I am still discovering it.
One of the storylines is the friendship between your character Jenny and Cassie. It’s interesting to watch the dynamic play out of a female friendship.
We just started to bond in the last episode. The books are based Cassie, they took her character and the theory was they were going to split it into two and they were going to have both her and Cassie share that protagonist role. I feel there has to be strong, individual voices within that. There is a lot of contrast between the two characters and it obviously starts out in a very contentious way with her cheating with my husband. I also feel there is a lot of growth in our friendship and we have overcome that and have come together in a lot ways.
You are also a director, I read your talents go back to highschool. When did you grow confident in that part of your work?
It’s an evolving thing. I directed Vikings after Lagertha was killed off and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had and the hardest as well, too. To work with your fellow friends, co-stars and co-workers after six years of spending every day with them pretty much was such an honor. I knew them better than a lot of the other directors who come on board. I am very inspired to direct, I am looking at things right now to develop and direct later. It’s extremely time consuming and definitely a different creative side but it’s also something that I can grow into and feel challenged. It makes me nervous and I know I will be directing more and more in the future. I actually wanted to be a director before I was an actress. Directing was the one thing that actually was what I saw myself doing but acting was a way in. Don’t get me wrong, I love both, but I think directing is definitely something I will be doing in the future.
How has this time period been for you creatively speaking?
Creatively I think for me, it’s been better than ever. On one hand I have been working constantly because we are now filming. We are in a bubble here and get tested three times a week and everyone wears masks, but we are working. Also, this downtime gives me time to create other projects in the pipeline, if it’s developing, producing or finding things to direct.I am working with William Horberg’s next movie, he produced The Queen’s Gambit. There are a lot of things in the pipeline that I can’t wait to share, but all in due time, since I am juggling being on set.
You have a very busy filming schedule, how do you recharge?
Spending time with loved ones is really important. For me also, I am here shooting in the mountains so for me hiking and getting outside—Vancouver has incredible landscapes. It definitely is something that recharges me. My trailers is also really important, I just set it up with incense and comfy pillows just to have that reminder to remember that life and balance are important. A glass of wine definitely helps too, it doesn’t hurt (laughs).
Can you share anything else you are working on?
I am excited; I started getting involved by investing in a clothing company called Vuori. It’s an athleisure wear, they have the most comfortable joggers you will ever put on. Especially with quarantine, it has really taken off. I am excited to continue to see the growth in that and there is also a hard kombucha line called JuneShine that I am involved with as well.
Was investing something that you always wanted to do?
I have always been investing at a young age. I think it’s very important for women to diversify, whether it’s in real estate or maxing their IRAs. I think it’s really important for women to keep their options open and I was lucky enough to find some people to get involved with who are creative with companies that I believe in.