Exclusive Interview: Maria Sten Chats Reacher, Creating Inclusive Stories, and More

Maria Sten is an actress, writer, and filmmaker who has made it her mission to tell stories that matter. She’s lending her voice to those who do not have one and bringing inclusion and empowerment to the forefront. She’s created meaningful narratives in projects including Channel Zero, Big Sky, and Swamp Thing. Currently, she can be seen starring in Amazon Prime Video’s Reacher.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Maria about her career, Reacher, and how her training as a dancer prepared her for the role.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and the arts?
Maria: Oh, wow. That’s a big question. On some level, I’ve been a storyteller my entire life. I was the kid at school who had a vivid imagination. I’ve traveled my whole life. I’m a very outdoorsy person. I grew up on Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Diving into these make-believe lands was always a part of my childhood.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career, either personally or professionally?
Maria: My mother, on a personal level. My mother is a painter and visual artist. She’s a tough cookie. She set the example of someone who was able to live that life despite how challenging it is. When I told her that I was going to be a performer, she said, “Oh my God, can’t you just become a professor? Can’t you get a PhD?” I said, “Really?” [laughs] She thought, “Mm, yeah. I see your point.” I have always had that support from my mother.

Professionally, it was growing up on movies. It wasn’t as much the performances that I saw as much as it was these movies that I grew up on. I was a big Western-head. I grew up on all these Westerns and fantasy and action movies. That was what I leaned towards. I always wanted to live in those movies more than in my own life.

On some level, it was probably more the things that I didn’t see in the landscape of cinema and television that inspired me. I was born and raised in Denmark, but I’m Black. I came to the US and suddenly saw Black people in the ads. I spent some time on this ranch. I fell in love with the cowboy life when I was seven years old. Then I got home and rented all the Westerns and blockbusters. I never saw myself reflected. So a lot of that was the desire to be that representation on screen. I have all these dreams in my head. I have all these fantasies that I want to indulge in. A lot of it was trying to find a space as a writer to develop these stories for people who look like me.

PC: In addition to the work that you’ve done on screen, you’re also a director, writer, and producer. How has your work behind the camera made you a stronger actress and vice versa?
Maria: As an actor, it’s about understanding the writer’s intention on the page. The roles are symbiotic in that being an actor makes me a better writer and also a better director because I understand where the actors are coming from (most of the time). It’s a really lovely, albeit challenging, thing to hop between those roles. But when you’re looking at good material, it’s about recognizing it’s good material. It’s about understanding the writer’s intention. I love the collaboration in what we do. I always look at it like it’s a collaboration all the way around, across the board. It’s really helpful to do all those roles. Anybody who’s an actor should try to write something or direct something or work as a production assistant because you’ll learn so much.

PC: You’ve had so much success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you? What has it meant to you to pave the way for the next generation so that they can see this representation on screen?
Maria: There have been a few different moments. I had a weird roundabout way of getting to where I am now. I was always an actor first. But I wasn’t booking any jobs. I would always get this feedback from casting that I was great, but I wasn’t quite right for this particular role—which of course is true oftentimes. It’s gotten way better now, but at the time, roles for women of color were often reductive. It’s the Black best friend and these types of roles that women of color could play.

I’m a multicultural mutt. I’m not African American. I’m African European. I grew up in Europe, but I am not White. There is this marrying of different cultures, a lot of different ethnicities. I wanted to expand that landscape. That’s why I started writing.

When I started writing, people apparently thought it was good. I ended up being signed to the biggest agency, CAA, across the board with no credit to my name. They just wanted me as a writer. I kept telling them, “You don’t understand. I’m an actor too. I’m telling you.” They were like, “Yeah, sure. That’s great.” Then the first audition they sent me out on was Channel Zero, which was the lead of the season at the time.

I ended up booking it. I created my mark as a writer and actor. My dreams came true. I booked the job. I was finally a working actor, but I couldn’t give up writing. You have so much power as a writer that you don’t have as an actor. You get to decide what stories to tell. You get to decide what roles and what characters we’re going to see. That was a big transition for me. I decided that I was going to continue to hop back and forth between writing, acting, and directing.

PC: Speaking of acting, you’re one of the stars of Reacher. The series has been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Maria: I have to give so many props to Nick Santora (our showrunner) and the entire team at Skydance and Amazon. You can tell everyone really loves the books and this property. It’s not something that they’re doing because it’s a splashy property. They’re really invested. That makes me really excited to be a part of something that is made out of love.

We’re living in such challenging times with everything that’s going on in the world. Reacher is a fun, flashy adventure ride. But it’s dark and gritty. At the same time, it feels accessible to audiences. It’s really interesting to see how many people are receiving it, from elderly White women in South Carolina to people in Jordan, Denmark, and Africa. It’s really humbling to see it so well received.

PC: So much of the way that your character expresses herself is through movement. How helpful was your experience as a dancer and athlete? How much more challenging is it to express yourself in this way?
Maria: It’s so helpful. I’m very much in my body, which is part of the reason why I love acting so much. I get to be in my body and become these different characters.

Neagley is very much a woman who is in her body. She’s strong, fierce, and incredibly skilled. I always felt that she embodied that the way Lee Child described her in the book, even though that is often my way into a character. But for her, it was such a natural way to get into her mindset. She spends so much time at the gym. She’s good at what she does. For someone who is naturally a dancer, it’s been such a joy to play that. It helps when you have to learn stunt choreography very fast. I have that mindset. I can recall those old skills that I used to have.

PC: Your character plays such an influential role in grounding and humanizing Reacher. What was that collaboration like with Alan [Ritchson]?
Maria: It was fantastic. We had so much fun on set. Alan is such a gentleman, a dedicated worker, and a great leader. We had so much fun. It’s really so lovely when you get to set and these relationships happen organically. You don’t have to fake the camaraderie and the chemistry. You get so lucky when that happens. That was very much the case. We were cracking up on set half the time and having a good time together. I’m so thrilled that he’s the guy.

PC: Your character is such a badass. She has so many standout moments in the first season. With the whole season being out now, do you have a particular scene that you were really excited for your fans to see?
Maria: I really like the diner scene where they meet for the first time. It’s really cool because we’ve seen Reacher be the smartest person in the room the entire time. It’s such a wonderful moment when they meet in the diner. She basically says, “No, no. I’ve been ahead of you this entire time.” That’s so wonderful because, as you said, it shows a different aspect of Reacher and it also shows their relationship to a large degree.

Also, the finale in the warehouse. It was so fun to shoot. It was nuts with smoke and fire everywhere. I’m running around with an assault rifle. It’s absolute madness, but such a good time. I love high adrenaline sequences. I really got to play. We had a great director, MJ Bassett, who’s so fantastic and knows exactly what she’s doing. It was wonderful.

PC: The series has already been picked up for a second season. Where would you like to see your character’s storyline head in the future? Is there an aspect of her that you want to dive deeper into?
Maria: The relationship between her and Reacher is an interesting one. People who have read all the books know there’s definitely more to be mined. There’s more to be mined about why she’s so guarded, but there is also something about her where she seems like she’s at the very least seeking connection to Reacher. That’s really interesting to explore. Deepening the camaraderie between Neagley and Reacher would be cool. Showing more of the two of them having that bond. More than anything, doing things because they are the right things to do. That’s such a trait of both of them. I can’t wait to see where they’re going to take that.

To keep up with Maria, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Reacher on Amazon Prime Video today.