Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Johannah Newmarch

Canadian actress Johannah Newmarch fell in love with her craft after witnessing firsthand how powerful storytelling could be. But in her twenties, she found herself at a crossroads, and said goodbye to the industry. That time away would prove to be invaluable, providing Johannah with a new perspective on life and a reinvigorated love for acting. Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of chatting with Johannah about her career and latest project.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Johannah: I was a highly trained ballet dancer during my youth, but, for a number of reasons, my desire to pursue that career path professionally waned in my mid-teens. I loved performing, though, so deciding to try acting felt like a natural progression…and sure enough, I loved it!

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Johannah: I think it would have to be all the various good people through the decades that said just the right thing when I needed it most. When I was wracked with self-doubt, when I lost the big part again, when I wondered if my work even mattered, when I questioned whether I should keep trying, etc.…I’m so grateful to all those kind souls who encouraged me, championed me, saw me, believed in me, cheered me, pushed me, and urged me on. Without them, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t still be an actor.

PC: In your twenties, you walked away from the industry. What led to that decision? How did you rediscover your passion for acting?
Johannah: I decided to leave the industry because, at the time, I wasn’t finding it rewarding enough, and an opportunity to study Tibetan Buddhism come up, which was more compelling to me. I also had this idea in my mind that I needed to do something with my life that would make a bigger difference in the world than I felt able to with acting at the time.

I became an actor because I wanted to be in the kinds of movies that really had something to say—the kinds of movies I’d seen growing up that really affected me and made me think. While I was very fortunate to be a working actor and did some fun roles, the first five years of my career were not as creatively or politically compelling as my young idealistic self wanted them to be.

My time away was a chapter of great exploration, adventure, growth, and struggle, which was absolutely invaluable as it provided some much-needed perspective. Being away from the arts for that long and pursuing other things clarified what acting meant to me, not only on a deeper personal level, but also in an outer more real-world way.

I tried jobs in other fields and realized that none of them were as enjoyable to me as acting had been. This new perspective was crucial for me to re-commit to being an actor, specifically, but also more generally, and in many ways, more importantly, to actively choosing to pursue a career as a creative, and proudly call myself an artist. This was a key transition/awakening for me, because until I actually claimed and validated being an artist and gave it MY respect, there was no way the real world was going to.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Johannah: Oh man, there are so many great moments, but I think one that stands out was winning my first Leo Award (Western Canada’s film and TV awards) for “Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Feature”. It was for a really fun role in a great indie mockumentary called Sunflower Hour. The whole project was such a labor of love, such a team effort, and I was so damn proud of us all when I saw the finished product.

Being recognized by a jury of my peers was really such an honor, but it also felt personally significant to me because I have a really savage inner critic, and I was able to turn to her, award in hand, and say, “See…I do know what I’m doing. So, shut up!”

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish

PC: Tell us about A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Johannah: Consistent with the franchise, it’s a fun modern musical take on the classic fairytale. Well, I play Deirdra Decker, the wicked stepmother, who is such an iconic villain that’s it’s just a dream role no matter what—but then when you add writer/director Michelle Johnson’s great comedic script to the mix, it became the most fun I’ve ever had with a role. She wrote a villain that you love to hate, which takes skill and a deft touch because it’s such a fine line to toe, as it is for the actor portraying her. So, I was excited by the challenge of trying to get that balance right.

PC: Is the preparation different when you’re playing a villain? Is there more freedom with characters like that?
Johannah: I can’t say that I find the preparation particularly different, as I ask myself the same questions about all my roles, but I would say that there’s definitely more freedom with a comedic villain, specifically. With a larger than life role like Deirdra, there’s room to really play and try things. It’s just a ridiculous amount of fun, really.

PC: Do you have any upcoming projects you can chat about now?
Johannah: Yes, Season 7 of the series I’m in, When Calls the Heart, premiers on February 23rd in the US on the Hallmark channel. It’s a lovely show set in a small frontier town in the 1900s, suitable for the whole family.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Johannah: Any home improvement show. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition always makes me weepy.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Johannah: Love Actually and Bridget Jones’s Diary

PC: Favorite book?
Johannah: Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Johannah: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Johannah: The Prodigy

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Johannah: Jessica Chastain

To keep up with Johannah, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Darryl Humphrey