Four seasons into the mind-bending world of FROM, Hannah Cheramy has watched her character, Julie, transform from a frightened teenager into someone far more complex and powerful. Cheramy spoke with NYOTA about Julie’s emotional evolution, her advice for aspiring actors, and the series loyal fanbase.
You’ve been acting since you were a child. As a kid, was acting a way to express yourself or to burn off excess energy, or did you know then that you had a love for it?
I think it was a big mix of all three! I always knew that I loved performing, no matter in what form. I used to sit my parents down on the couch and force them to watch my song-and-dance performances. I always wanted to be in any performances my school put on, and I never half-assed them either; I gave them my all.
Take us back to the audition for FROM. What initially drew you to the story?
To be completely honest, I knew nothing about the project until I was in Halifax waiting to start filming. I had the three scenes I auditioned with, and a two-sentence description of the plot. But after I received the scripts, I was sucked into the world that John Griffen created right away.
Your character Julie has changed in numerous ways since Season 1. Four seasons in, what feels most different from the version of her you first played?
I think her maturity and the logistical side of her have changed the most. While she still leads with her heart and emotions, she has definitely grown to think before acting, as you will see in season four.
It’s revealed that Julie is a storywalker, adding another interesting layer to her character and giving her a bit of control in this chaotic environment. Do you see that ability as empowering for her?
I think that Julie being a storywalker makes the most sense for her character because she has always been a character that things happen to, with almost every aspect of her life being out of her control; her being a storywalker gives her that control and empowers her in a way she has never felt before.
The scene where Jim dies contains so many reveals. Julie is a different version of herself; the man in yellow appears, and we, as viewers, can assume this plot point will be one Julie revisits to see if she can change the outcome. How did you approach that scene and the emotional balancing act it required?
That scene was difficult for me to say the least. I had little to no information about who this future Julie was, where or when she came from, or how many times she had seen him die in such a way. I really didn’t know much going in, so I had to make a lot of decisions myself that could very well be proven to be false in Season 5, but we shall see!
FROM has built a dedicated fanbase. Have you ever come across a fan theory that involved Julie that made you rethink how you play her?
I think there are definitely theories that have stuck with me that I have found to be very similar to the prep that I do to play Julie. I don’t think I could say anything has made me change how I play her, because four seasons in, I’ve got quite an understanding of Julie and her motivations and such, so to change her now I think would just confuse me.
How would you describe Season 4 in one word?
Shocking!
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
Stay committed, even when you feel like giving up. If it’s your dream, keep at it.
