Actress Tennille Read chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about “SurrealEstate” on SYFY, and being an actress in the digital age.
“It was surreal,” she said. “We shot at the beginning of the pandemic when very few productions were happening anywhere in the world. On top of that, we shot in St. John’s Newfoundland which is on the east coast of Canada and one of our oldest cities. On an average day, I’m amazed by set life.”
“There are so many moving parts and people synching together to create something unified. Add the scope of this particular show to the mix, with its metaphysically engaged properties (that in real life looked and felt 100 percent haunted), while also being in a pandemic, and it’s nothing short of surreal,” she said.
She opened up about working with Tim Rozon as her love interest. “It felt like a special position to be in -with big shoes to fill seeing as his love interests from past shows are all actresses I respect so deeply – including Sarah Levy, Melanie Scrofano, and Annie Murphy. Tim is a great guy, very personable, genuine, and down-to-earth. He made it easy to develop chemistry with him because he’s so magnetic, but also, he’s simply kind,” she said.
On being an actress in the digital age, she said, “It seems like there’s more content being created now more than ever which means more opportunities for actors, but also, everyone involved in the industry. Thanks to streaming, shows like Workin’ Moms (a half-hour Canadian comedy I was on for four seasons) got to bust through International borders. It’s fulfilling to know that my work can be seen, and have an impact, far and wide.”
For young and aspiring actors, she said, “Attending an acting conservatory established such a solid foundation for me, so I would say, start there. I did a three-year theatre program and it was basically bootcamp. Nothing hones skills like an intensive like that. It doesn’t have to be theatre school though, just immerse yourself in classes, or if you’re on set, be a sponge and absorb all the lessons you can.”
“I would also say, find your community,” she said. “Find those people who you can create with, who will cheerlead you, who you can lean on during tough times. But also find those friends who have nothing to do with the biz just to remind you that there’s a world outside of your career pursuits.”
On her daily motivations as an actress, she said, “I am motivated by a bunch of things. Others’ artistry and imagination, my own imagination, my sometimes-compulsive desire to please, good music, glorious sunrises, a compelling story.”
Regarding her dream acting partners, she said, “I’ve been a big fan of Sandra Oh for a long time because of her naturalness and comic sensibilities. It’d also be a dream to work with Jean Smart, Jennifer Coolidge, Andrew Scott, and both Duplass brothers. They know how to make the tension between humor and sadness sing”.
On her definition of success, she said, “For me, success is working on projects that I find creatively challenging and fulfilling while working with talented and passionate people. When those elements can tell a good story and have a meaningful impact on audiences, then I’m a very happy camper. And if it can pay my bills too, then I’m a very blissful being.”
Read concluded, “I would like people to know that SurrealEstate is not just a spooky jump-scare show. It has a whole lot of heart and humor too. I even found myself empathizing with some of the paranormal entities featured in each episode. That’s pretty special storytelling.”
To learn more about Tennille Read, check out her IMDb page, website, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
