Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Anne with an E’s Helen Johns

Helen Johns is a dynamic storyteller who’s brought many characters to life on both the small and silver screens. This January, she will be reprising her role as Mrs. Eliza Barry in Netflix/CBC TV’s Anne with an E. Pop Culturalist caught up with Helen to chat about Mrs. Barry’s growth through the seasons and what fans can expect for Season 3.

Anne with an E

PC: For readers who may not be familiar, tell us about Anne with an E, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Helen: Anne with an E is a Netflix/CBC TV show based on the series of well-loved novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery featuring Anne of Green Gables. The show is set in the late 19th century in a small town in the Eastern part of Canada. Anne is a spirited orphan girl who is somewhat accidentally adopted into the community of Avonlea.

I play Mrs. Barry, the mother of Anne’s best friend. I feel a lot of concern about the idea of my daughter becoming friends with an orphan, someone who I initially perceive to be a troublemaker, far beneath us in social standing.

I love working on period shows and this one was being funded both by Netflix and the leading Canadian TV network. It was also created by Moira Walley-Beckett, who won an Emmy for her work on Breaking Bad, so I had a feeling it was going to be great!

PC: The series is returning for its third season in January. How has your character changed since we last saw her? How has her relationship with Anne grown?
Helen: Mrs. Barry’s relationship with Anne goes in cycles. In Seasons 1 and 2, you see her feeling very anxious about Anne’s influence on Diana—let’s face it, she does get into a lot of trouble! But then you see Anne saving the day, for instance with Minnie May’s croup in Season 1, or with Nate and Mr. Dunlop in Season 2. It’s hard for Mrs. Barry to stay angry with her for too long! She is always going to be very protective of Diana and Minnie May, but it’s hard to resist loving Anne. You’ll have to watch to find out more!

PC: What can you tease about Eliza’s journey in Season 3?
Helen: All the youngsters are hitting their teens full-on now, so their preoccupations are more grown-up. They are trying to figure out who, what, and where they want to be as adults. Careers, university, love lives—it’s a lot! They are trying to graduate from their families in a way, so their relationships with their parents are definitely changing. Tune in to see what’s going on…

PC: Which of her relationships has been your favorite to explore and why?
Helen: Ooh, that’s a tough one. I really do love all the cast so much. I’ll say that in Season 2, I think it was her relationship with Mr. Barry because we had quite a lot of scripts for just the two of us, and Jonathan Holmes is such a joy to be around. In Season 3, it was my relationship with Diana. Dalila is brilliant, and I had just become a parent myself, so I had a whole new appreciation for what it feels like to be responsible for another person’s wellbeing.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Helen: I announced to my family at the age of three that I wanted to be an actor. I don’t even really know how I knew what an actor was! I think it was from doing little shows at my kindergarten around Christmas time—I was just desperate to be on stage. The passion for it never waned, and once I got to theatre school, I knew for sure it was all I wanted to do.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Helen: I think my agent! I owe her my career.

PC: What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career?
Helen: That it pays to be brave. I wish I’d moved to North America a bit sooner, but then, perhaps things wouldn’t have worked out as well as they have. You never know.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Helen: Say Yes to the Dress!

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Helen: Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I cry every time she saves poor Slob the cat.

PC: Favorite book?
Helen: Madame Bovary

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Helen: Sunset Boulevard—I’m a sucker for the glitz and craziness!

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Helen: Toumast

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Helen: Call My Agent on Netflix. It’s a French show about an acting agency and it’s completely brilliant and hilarious.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Helen: Hopefully someone wonderfully talented and British, like Florence Pugh.

PC: Hidden talent?
Helen: Languages and accents—check out my audiobooks on Audible

To keep up with Helen, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Catch Anne with an E on Netflix.