Words by Carol Wright | Photos by Richard Louissaint
We got to check in with actress Sera-Lys and talk about her most recent role as the “resilient and resourceful” Kodie Chartranda in Burden of Truth.
Did a certain TV show or movie spark your interest in acting?
I gotta come clean: I was a “Xenite,” a.k.a. a slightly obsessed fan of Xena: Warrior Princess. I was very much drawn in by the strong female lead and the chicks-kick-butt story lines. To this day, I love sword-wielding dramas and action sequences involving female heroes. I have been lucky enough to have played strong action characters a couple of times now, but I am by no means satiated. I would love to do more! As far as films, the most iconic one that really captivated me was Fosse’s Cabaret. Liza Minelli is so perfect for that character and it’s just such a beautiful, dark yet hopeful, timeless story. It would be a career dream-come-true for me to play Sally Boles one day.
What about Burden of Truth interested you?
The audition material was very dynamic and showed many aspects of a multi-faceted character. I found connecting to the material came quite easily for me. The writing had an authenticity which allowed me to key into a deep connection with what Kodie was going through. I felt like I knew this woman and I empathize with her struggles. I wanted to portray her with honesty and bravery. She’s a very compelling character and she won me over right away.
Tell us about your character Kodie Chartranda. What can fans of the show expect from her this season?
Kodie is hugely dynamic and a real spitfire! She is very loving and a fiercely protective mama bear-type. She is resilient and resourceful. She has a wild streak and a fun-loving side. Kodie was girlhood best friends with Joanna (played by Kristin Kreuk) and they lost touch and haven’t seen each other for about 20 years. Just after their reunion, Kodie’s two children are apprehended by Millwood Family Services. In family law courts, you’re guilty-until-proven innocent, so Joanna enters a new arena and helps her friend navigate a precarious legal battle to regain custody of her own children. There are A LOT of twists and ups-and-downs, and revelations about Joanna and Kodie’s shared past.
Can you relate to Kodie in any way?
Kodie reminds me of a lot of people from back home who I grew up around. There’s definitely something familiar about her and I tried to incorporate aspects of some of my extended family and friends’ characteristics into my portrayal of her. I was raised with my brother by our single mom, so I can definitely relate to the on-screen family dynamic we are portraying. Being a single parent is challenging! I also really value my friendships in life, and it was beautiful to navigate a deep female friendship bond on this show. It’s not anything that’s ever come along for me before and I found it very special to portray.
Kodie is the best friend of Joanna Chang. What did you and your co-star Kristin Kreuk do off-screen to create a believable bond?
We chilled in the cast tent a lot in between scenes and we’d run lines and talk about the story and get to know one another better as ourselves. We both love cats, so we’d talk about that! We have some friends in common from back in Vancouver, so there was always something to chit chat about anytime we were together. There are a lot of little funny stories shared. She’s very easy to get along with.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
If you love it, do it! And definitely train. We’re not all lucky enough to work consistently all the time, and so it’s very helpful to have a solid training background so that you feel confident approaching types of work that you haven’t had to take on before. Being versatile and developing skills to enhance my cast-ability has been key. If there’s something you are interested in that can compliment your acting, work on that as well. Whether it is languages, music, physical training, or some other skill. This career takes a lot of devotion, but I have never found anything more fun and rewarding.