Pop-Culturalist.com

Amrita Acharia is a gifted storyteller who has brought dynamic characters and stories to life on the stage and screen. Her past credits include projects like Game of Thrones, Frikjent, and The Good Karma Hospital.

She’ll next been seen in STARZ’s The Serpent Queen. The period drama tells the story of Catherine de Medici, who, against all odds, became one of the most powerful and longest-serving rulers in French history.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Amrita about her multifaceted career, The Serpent Queen, and what audiences should know about her character.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Amrita: I have always loved storytelling. I moved around a lot as a child, and it became a way that my sister and I would bond. We would play together and create our own little worlds. I think very early on I was inspired by Bollywood movies as I was growing up in Nepal. Later, I moved to the UK and expanded my cultural horizons. Then I moved to Norway and really got into Scandinavian noir. It was really in Norway where the concept of acting, directing, and storytelling via those mediums came about. It was a long and organic (I hate that word) process. Because I don’t think I’d ever considered it to be a viable career until I moved to Norway. The way that they approach schooling, teaching, and creativity was a little bit different from what I’d experienced in both the Nepalese and the British schools.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Amrita: First and foremost, the person who gave me the confidence to approach acting as a profession was my teacher in what would be equivalent to high school in the States. She was like, “No, you’re really good at it. There are drama schools in England and other places that you should check out.” It had a really big impact on me because, without that push, I would have probably retained it as a hobby. I very much wanted to go down the psychology or tattoo artist route.

PC: You’ve had so much success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Amrita: It’s the ones that are the most challenging. One of the first films that I ever did was an indie film called I Am Yours. It was one of my first gigs, and it was a lead role and I’d never been in that position before. It was also a really personal story to our director. It was very challenging approaching that project because it was something that was so big and I was really inexperienced. That stands out to me. I learned a lot from that in terms of approaching a character and making sure that I kept my distance from the character and knew who I was outside of playing this character. That was one of the big learning curves for me.

Then, obviously doing something on an epic scale like Game of Thrones. That was the polar opposite of I Am Yours, which was a really small indie Norwegian film. It was a very Scandinavian style of shooting with one camera. Then I went to an epic, big-budget project like HBO where I was working with new and seasoned actors and different green screens, locations, countries, and directors that gave me opposing flavors of acting as well.

I’d say those two early on in my career stood out to me because they really made me think about “What kind of projects do I want to choose? Where do I want my career to go? What kind of roles am I interested in playing? What’s my voice within the industry going to look like?”

PC: In addition to the incredible work that you’ve done on screen, you’ve also produced and directed. What did you learn from your experiences behind the camera that you’ve now been able to apply to your work on screen and vice versa?
Amrita: I’ve always been intrigued by what goes on behind the camera. On set, I’m always hassling the crew to tell me about what they do. I always want them to give me tips. I’m constantly asking to shadow people. I’ve always been incredibly humbled by the crew. They’re the first ones in and the last ones out. Without them, nothing can function. If you watch anything and you see the credits roll up, you can see the magnitude of everyone that’s involved. I’ve always had incredible respect for everyone behind the camera.

I’ve also gained a lot of respect for my own profession as an actor because I realized it’s not just sitting around having biscuits and waiting for your take. It is literally you having to be ready. You have to be able to switch it on. You have to be able to take direction at any given point. You also have to allow yourself to disagree. So much of it is about relationship-building with the team.

The other thing is I realize that actors have it really easy. We just go learn our lines. We go in there, we do our thing, and we sit. Everyone else is literally 24/7 in a different way. My respect for both in front of the camera and behind the camera has really heightened everything to new levels.

Having been a bit more involved in the producing side of my latest short film that we’re in pre-production for really made me see all the minutiae of how something so small as a short film comes together. It blows my mind what it must take to make something like an HBO or Starz show. As you can tell, the world of filmmaking really excites me.

PC: Tell us about The Serpent Queen and your character.
Amrita: The Serpent Queen is an amazing piece of writing and artwork, in my opinion. It is based on the book by Leonie Frieda called The Serpent Queen. The “Serpent Queen” is the nickname of Catherine de’ Medici, who was a French noblewoman and princess who got married into the Valois court in France. This is a really modern, gutsy take on it. The writing is so raw, but it’s also funny. I have a dark sense of humor. Justin Haythe (the creator and writer) does as well. I loved it so much because it allows women to be really ugly towards each other. It’s so nice to see a period of drama where it’s not all prim and proper. You see the people behind the costumes. Also, by the way, the costumes are absolutely incredible.

It was such an amazing thing to be a part of last year. I was lucky enough to be out in France most of the time during lockdown. A lot of people weren’t working. I was so grateful to be part of such a brilliant team. I’ve made lifelong friends there as well, which sometimes happens and sometimes doesn’t. But this time it happened to a massive extent.

My role was really fun. I play Aabis, who’s part of Catherine de’ Medici’s entourage. The whole story is about her rise in the court and how she can be ruthless in her own way towards her entourage, her enemies, or people who are supposed to be most loyal to her. She takes no prisoners and dabbles in the dark arts. There’s all this really interesting material that gets intertwined in the political storyline, but it’s very rooted in the characters and their relationships to one another.

PC: You’ve brought so many dynamic characters to life on the screen. What was it about this one in particular that attracted you to this project?
Amrita: I liked the fact that she could be nasty. A lot of the time, I can be put into the nice, lovely girl category. It was nice to play somebody that’s fighting for survival, very much like a lot of the women on the show. She is willing to do anything to make sure that no one stabs her in the back and is quite cutthroat. It’s also quite interesting to play a character within the LGBTQIA community within that time period. It’s really important that that’s shown on screen, so I really enjoyed having the space to explore that side of the world as well.

It’s really interesting when you play women within these time periods. It’s interesting to play a character that has a subtext and an arc besides simply being the queen’s handmaiden. All these women within the show have their own things going on. They all have their weaknesses and strengths. Going back to what attracted me to the show in the first place was the nastiness—the absolute savageness of women towards women to get what they want. Also, the way they’re able to manipulate, especially the men who are in power, to get what they want. This show really hits the nail on the head.

PC: With this character being a little bit of a departure for you, did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Amrita: It’s not a strong takeaway because I already knew it, but I suppose it’s knowing that even within evil there is always some form of good or a reason to be evil. There was a reason to be stubborn, angry, or any emotion that doesn’t necessarily equate to being the “nice girl” character. It’s a matter of finding a softness within the strength as well. Sometimes I battle with that. A lot of us can get stuck in playing the strong female characters, but it’s about finding nuances and vulnerability within that strength and finding a broader palette in terms of how you approach a character and their vibe.

PC: Something that I appreciate about you is that you’ve always used your platform and projects like this to push inclusive storylines forward. What has it meant to you to be a part of a project like this?
Amrita: I mean, I never ever thought I’d get to be in a period drama. I was so delighted because I got to wear amazing dresses but also because it was a world that I never thought I would be able to be included in.

That’s what’s great about this industry now. They’re acknowledging that people of color are part of this world and that they did hold spaces in those societies as well. We weren’t just slaves or handmaidens. They were courtiers and part of entourages, confidants, and so on. It means a lot of that world has opened up. There is so much space for inclusivity in so many ways, whether it’s gender, sexuality, or color. People are becoming much more aware of that. It’s thinking within the realms of realism.

PC: There are so many different facets to your talent. As you look ahead to the next five to ten years, is there a dream role or story that you would love to bring to life on the screen?
Amrita: I’ve always wanted to be in an action movie or to play a supervillain. I’ve always wanted to do that even though I love drama, whether it’s a psychological thriller or a straight drama. I really want to get on a motorbike with weapons and fly around being evil.

In terms of what kind of role, I’d love to play something quite original. I’d love to do a biopic. That does come with a certain amount of pressure. But that might be because I had never really thought about playing somebody that’s alive or who had been alive. That might be a question for another time. [laughs] But in terms of what I’d like to play next, it would definitely be an action film. I haven’t done that before. I also love to do comedy. I absolutely love comedies. It’s a big passion of mine. I think they’re hilarious.

I’d really love to not just act but to also direct women and help shed light on how to be inclusive through that mode as well. I had the luxury of working with some phenomenal female actors and getting to be a part of a crew that was quite female-heavy. It was the first time I’d ever worked with a female gaffer before actually. I was so proud that we were able to get somebody that was so talented. I’d love to be a part of that, whether it’s behind or in front of the screen. I want to tell stories that people can relate to and create stories for a wider audience that hasn’t seen themselves represented on the screen or stage.

To keep up with Amrita, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. The Serpent Queen premieres in the US on Sunday, September 11, on the STARZ channel at 8 pm ET/PT. It will be available at midnight on September 11 on the STARZ app and on all on-demand and streaming platforms where a STARZ subscription is available.

Photo Credit: Michael Shelford // Hair: Davide Barbieri // Make-up: Mirijana Vasovic // Styling: Jennifer Schneider