Pop-Culturalist.com

Tony Giroux is one of Hollywood’s most versatile young talents. He’s a dancer, actor, and director whose credits include Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, My Name Is, and The Romeo Section. But he’s best known for his breakout role in Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem.

Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution three hundred years ago by cutting an agreement to fight for their government, Motherland: Fort Salem follows three recruits who go from basic training in combat magic to early deployment. For three seasons, Tony has taken audiences on a ride as his character Adil searches for his place in the world.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Tony about the final season of Motherland: Fort Salem, saying goodbye to Adil, and the importance of celebrating differences.

PC: Your character has had such a journey on this show, as he’s come to terms with loss, finding his place in the world, and honoring his community. You’ve handled it with so much nuance. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to dive into those emotional storylines?
Tony: You’re jumping right into it! [laughs] It’s a weird craft what we do as actors. You get the script. You learn the story. With Adil, he’s faced a lot of grief—both in terms of losing people and losing values that go with that. He’s grieving parts of himself and the people he’s lost. Personally, there’s always a joy in expressing those darker colors and emotions that typically happen in day-to-day society. We don’t embrace that as much as we should. It takes a lot of focus and silence for me.

Typically, when I film for an extended amount of time, I go into a bit more of a recluse mode because it’s hard to completely separate Tony from the character. Obviously, there’s always a separation. Once they say cut, I don’t remain in character, but those colors naturally affect me. You can pull a lot from life. Life is difficult in a lot of ways. To me, it’s about accepting what happens and then being able to use it as an actor.

PC: Many of your castmates have talked about Eliot Laurence’s special ability to incorporate an actor’s essence into each character. In 307, we see your character showing off his dance moves, which is another passion of yours. Was that something that you collaborated with Eliot on? What was your reaction like when you read that in the script?
Tony: I was completely surprised by it. I had no idea. All of a sudden I heard Eliot say, “We got a dance scene coming up for you.” I was like, “What?” I hadn’t even read the script. When I did read it, it was awesome. We met with the choreographer and I was so excited. I had to do a lot of research on how Adil would dance and honor his heritage and the journey that he’s been on, which has been going from a more traditional Eastern world to Fort Salem, which involves more Western norms. He embodies both of those colors, and it was a lot of fun to try to bring that into the dance. I had so much fun. You can see it on screen when it comes to the dance, especially since Adil is showing off a bit to Abigail. It was such a delight.

PC: It definitely comes across on screen. This has actually been the longest that you’ve lived with a character. Has anything surprised you about this experience or your character’s journey?
Tony: It becomes like a turtle race where you have the space to become really comfortable with a character. There’s always change happening. Adil’s growth has been so much fun to play. To me, so much of this has been about the immigrant’s tale of coming into a new land. How is it that you find confidence? How is it that you find belonging when you’re different? How is it that you fit in with your different way of thinking, behaving, and sometimes even language? By the third season, Adil has truly become part of the unit. It’s been so incredible to experience that both on and off screen with a character for that long. I’ve also grown so attached emotionally to his journey. It’s very bittersweet to say goodbye.

PC: In 308, we’re going to see Abigail and her unit surrender themselves for the greater good. How is that going to impact your character moving forward?
Tony: It’s more loss and separation. Adil has had to face that a lot. It’s a chaotic world for everybody in the show. But for Adil, he’s had to separate from his sister and now he’s separated from his lover and partner. It’s the kind of separation where you have no idea what’s coming out of it, and that’s terrifying. He has to watch the person he loves the most surrender and not know what’s going to happen to them. Is their life in danger? That relationship takes such a hit. She was the only place of safety for him. He was a place where she felt at home, and now he has to say goodbye. That’s a very difficult choice.

PC: As you close this chapter in your life, what will you remember most from this experience?
Tony: Being on a show that celebrates differences and diversity. Eliot created a world where all of that is normalized. A lot of people who have been marginalized and felt different can come into a world without having to justify themselves and without having to face hatred, bigotry, or racism. It’s still part of the show, but the family that we created really embodies those values. We’re all similar, and where there are differences, how can we exchange and collaborate as opposed to passing judgment and remaining distant? That’s been an incredible experience that I hope to take with me on every job that I do.

PC: What was your reaction when you read that final script? What can you tease about those final moments? What did you feel on the final day of shooting?
Tony: It was emotional. It’s so bittersweet. This has been three years of my life. There’s something particular about having to say goodbye on a film set because you’re working with people you know you’re never going to see most of again. Or if you do, the setting is never going to be the same. It’s this working relationship where it really becomes a world of its own. You see these people every day. You can create a lot of great connections.

It was really emotional. It makes you really emotional. It makes you look back on how much everybody’s grown over the years. Ashley [Nicole Williams] started the show when she was twenty. She’s twenty-three now. It’s been incredible to see her growth as a woman. Or Khalida (Kylee Brown). I met her when she was so small. She’s grown so much over the years. When you spend three years with a teenager, it makes you really see the growth. That was a very emotional goodbye, saying goodbye to Kylee. I miss her.

PC: This is a question that we’ve asked all of your castmates, but did you keep anything on set as memorabilia from this experience?
Tony: I kept some of the clothes. That’s my way of commemorating the show. The costume department did such a fantastic job. The show had so much originality and great fashion. I really enjoyed some of the pieces, so I went to that clothing sale and got my fair share. [laughs]

PC: If you could share some parting words with Adil and the fans, what would it be?
Tony: I’m going to get emotional thinking about that. I would say, “It’s very normal to feel that you don’t fit in and to feel like an outcast. It’s okay to feel that way and to embrace those parts of you that are different.” That’s a really beautiful thing that I’ve learned from playing Adil. I hope everybody can take that on as well. Celebrate your own differences amidst the pressures to conform.

PC: You’ve also recently started directing. How have your experiences behind the scenes impacted the way that you approach characters on screen and vice versa?
Tony: As an actor, I do all these weird things that don’t help the job at all. That’s been a really nice learning curve. Sometimes it’s made me be less self-conscious about certain things. I just have to say the line this way. If the director wants me to go and grab a pencil and say the line, just do it. It doesn’t always have to make sense. But then there’s also an emphasis on the element of collaboration. If I’m working as a director, I need to have conversations with the actors so that they understand. That really helps me as a director to have been on the acting side.

On the flip side, it’s given me a lot more understanding of what the director goes through. They have a million things going on in their head. As an actor, you’re being vulnerable and you’re being quite open. It’s natural to want that validation or reassurance that what you’re doing is good. But sometimes the director doesn’t have time for it. Try not to make it so personal. But it’s hard if you’re opening yourself up and saying, “This is me.” It’s grounded me in a lot of ways.

PC: This is such an exciting time in your career. 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? What’s next for you?
Tony: There are people that I’d love to work with. I love Christopher Nolan. I’d love to one day be on screen with him directing me. I’d love to work with Tom Hardy. He’s an incredible performer. But in terms of stories, I’d actually love to write my mom’s story and make a film about it. She moved to France when she was in her early twenties and married a man. She did that all in the ’80s. That came with a lot of struggles and this beautiful story. That’s something that I’d like to do twenty years down the line.

As far as what’s next, there’s this documentary that I directed. We’re looking to release that. It’s taken a lot of time. Acting-wise, I’m back to training. I’d love to do some Shakespeare. I discovered Shakespeare recently. That’s become a passion very quickly. But also seeing what opportunities come up and trying to be smart about which ones I want to go towards.

To keep up with Tony, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Motherland: Fort Salem on Freefom today.

Photo Credit: Richie Lubaton