Pop-Culturalist.com

Mercedes Morris and Aason Nadjiwon take flight in the world of SkyMed, steering the medical drama to new heights with their exceptional performances.

Now in its second season, the nurses and pilots flying air ambulances in Northern Canada face all-new challenges as SkyMed expands, throwing them into intense emergencies at work and in their personal lives. In the end, they face what it means to grow up and must decide whether they’ll do it together or apart.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Mercedes and Aason about SkyMed Season 2, their characters’ emotional journeys, the importance of representation, breaking stereotypes, and various captivating aspects of the series.

PC: Mercedes, I love Lexi’s journey this season, where she’s taken this really scary moment and turned it into something really positive, discovering her voice, which I think will resonate with so many people. You brought so much nuance to that moment. As an actor, how did you create that space for yourself to tackle that emotional arc?
Mercedes: That’s a great question. I will say that my life really does resemble Lexi’s in the sense that I’ve always had to advocate for myself and overcome challenges. Stepping into that world, I think any woman can relate to sometimes that sense of danger and uncertainty. I tried to tap into my very natural instincts. But then the strength that I know I have inside and the strength that I know Lexi has inside, and how we could use that to overcome any situation. That was a challenge, but I knew she had to stay strong because she’s an example for so many.

PC: Beautifully said. Aason, your character has probably the biggest transformation since Season 1 where, in the past, he made a lot of selfish decisions, but now his sole focus is to provide and protect his family, which you brought so much depth to that contrast. How did the preparation change emotionally for you as you headed into Season 2?
Aason: Going into Season 2 without spoiling anything, it was a bit of a challenge for me because Bodie is going to go through so many different situations that I, personally, have never gone through. So I reached out to close friends and relatives, and without telling them what was going on in the show, I started picking their minds because I know people that have gone through these things. I was trying to learn from them and embody and portray that on camera. It took a bit of prep, but it was a beautiful story.

PC: You accomplished that. Mercedes, representation is such a cornerstone in media. What this show does so brilliantly is it highlights all these different walks of life without having to call attention to it. What does it mean to you to play a character like Lexi, who is this powerful Black female pilot in an industry that’s predominantly male and be that voice for so many young women?
Mercedes: It’s an honor. It’s a complete privilege. I take it very seriously. Sometimes people are like, “Mer, breathe.” And I’m like, “No, you don’t understand.” When you value diversity, inclusion, equity, and all of those things, it’s in the little details. Something as simple as having a hairstylist on set who can cater to my natural hair as a Black female is important for me. When you feel good, respected, and comfortable, you can do your best. Everyone deserves to have that type of care and attention to detail.

I’m getting emotional. But if you remember the last scene in Season 1 where Lexi is in a restaurant and there’s a little girl who is looking up to her, I give her a little wink and that encouragement. I feel that sense of pride every single day when there are people who reach out to me online, all these different young women, Black women who are like, “Hey, I want to get into aviation.” I am always like, “Wow, I feel so honored to provide that type of inspiration and representation.” I’ll never stop. I always encourage people to keep doing what they love and when they think their dreams are big, dream even bigger.

PC: Continue blazing that trail. Aason, one of the benefits of television as a medium is the opportunity to grow with a character for an extended period of time. This is the longest that you’ve lived with a character. Has anything surprised you about his journey across the two seasons? What’s been the biggest takeaway for you as an actor being a part of this project?
Aason: One of the biggest takeaways is having this new appreciation for pilots, nurses, and just the job. Before this show, it was never a thing that I thought about. There’s a great moment between Lexi and Bodie where they’re discussing that every time a pilot gets into that cockpit, they’re not always promised that they’re going to come home. We’re just so used to those things, just like driving a car. You’re used to getting from point A to point B, but you don’t think of all these other things as a passenger. So one of the biggest takeaways is seeing everything that these pilots go through and these traumatizing and crazy situations when they have next to nothing and they’re taking care of communities that are truly struggling and they’re giving it their all. That was the biggest eye-opening thing for me is seeing these people really putting their lives at risk every day for these small communities who really do need help.

Mercedes: It is a big sacrifice being away from your family sometimes for these long trips that are dangerous, but they do it because they love it. I’m in the same boat as Aason. I have such an appreciation for aviation. I can’t even turn it off now. I’m in the plane, and I’m just looking around.

Aason: Same here! [laughs]

Mercedes: I’m like, “Okay, the flaps are going down.”

Aason: [laughs] Yeah, I’m like, “They’re doing checklists now.”

PC: This is a question for both of you. One of the major themes of this series is the concept of chosen family and how these characters take care of one another. Having been a part of this series and family for two seasons, has there been a moment when one of your co-stars has shown up for you in a similar way?
Aason: For sure.

Mercedes: We love everyone. It’s really interesting how close we all are. We do live in different provinces and travel quite a bit, but we all try to stay in contact. A memory that just popped into my mind is when we were shooting up in North Bay. It’s not that far from Toronto where I’m from. We took this weekend trip, and some of the cast came down to Toronto. We went to different restaurants. I showed them around the city. We crashed at my place. It was really nice to host not just my castmates but my friends.

Aason: 100% We really are there for each other. We all check in on each other randomly, whether that’s a phone call or text message. It’s a real family over here. Multiple people have tapped me on my back and helped me through difficult situations that I was going through personally. Like I actually hurt my back a bit before Season 2 started filming. Thomas [Elms], Mercedes, and Kheon [Clarke] had my back literally. They were taking care of me and making sure that I was good to go. It’s things like that and more personal things where everybody is chiming in and making sure that everything’s okay. If there’s anything you need to talk about, everybody basically comes out and says, “Look, we’re a family. If you need to talk, I’m here for you.” That’s the vibe of that set.

PC: That friendship comes across in your performances. There are so many different possibilities where this series could go. If we’re lucky enough to get a third season, is there an aspect of your character that you’d like to delve further into a relationship/dynamic that you’d like to explore more?
Mercedes: That’s a good question. You’re good. [laughs]

Aason: He’s got the questions. [laughs]

Mercedes: Without giving too much away, I thought it was beautiful how Lexi was able to find a new romantic relationship this season. I’d like to see where that goes. But also her relationship with herself and her leadership and confidence. As we know in the aviation industry, there’s always room to grow. There’s always a next position to level up to. So as she continues to climb that ladder, I want to see her continue to be a leader, take charge, and come even more out of her box. Stepping into a leadership role would be really fun. Personally, I love kids. I love working with the youth. So if we could find a way.

PC: Chopper’s doing that now!

Mercedes: Chopper, call me!

Aason: I could see that! I could see Lexi showing up for Chopper. Maybe we’ll see that little girl again in her class.

Mercedes: Or I could babysit. If Bodie needs a babysitter.

Aason: For Bodie, I would really like to see him step up as more of a positive leader and be more selfless. It would be cool to see his relationship develop being a father and see how that translates into his workplace. I love that we touched upon the fact of a Black Indigenous man wanting to be there as a father. It’s breaking that stereotype that we see in so many different things where a household is fatherless. I love the fact that he wants to be there and give him everything that he may or may not have as a kid to his son and being a true father for him. It’d also be cool to see how his relationship with Madison develops and how that translates to how he leads going forward. Because he was so cocky at first. He literally comes out of nowhere and snaps at Lexi. Like, chill bro, she’s just stacking boxes. [laughs]

Make sure to follow Mercedes (Instagram) and Aason (Instagram). Season 2 of SkyMed is out now on Paramount+.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Cronenberg/Paramount+