Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with 4400’s Wilder Yari

Rising star Wilder Yari has quickly emerged as one to watch in Hollywood. They’ve brought dynamic characters and stories to life in front of and behind the camera.

This fall, they join the cast of the CW’s newest hit show 4400.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Wilder about their career, 4400, and more.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Wilder: That’s a great question. I grew up in a really art-oriented family. My mom lectured at MoMA. My dad’s mom was a painter. I grew up loving to draw and paint, but I thought it was a little isolating. It’s a solitary activity, so I loved it, but it didn’t feel quite right. Then around five or six, I fell in love with performing and started doing theater. I was a big Shakespeare nerd. I loved it and did that for a while, but as I got older, I was like, “Well, this doesn’t feel right either. Something about this isn’t where my heart is.”

Then when I was seventeen, I had the opportunity to take an acting for the camera course in Scotland. We were supposed to bring in examples of good film acting and none of us did. One of the TAs brought in a film called The Fighter. It wasn’t the kind of movie that I would ever watch in a million years. I was sitting there with seventeen girls, and I was like, “God, I hate every single second of this. This is so dumb.” As I continued to watch it, I realized how beautiful the visuals of the film were. I was like, “Oh my God.” It was a light bulb moment. I was like, “Wait, so film and TV are just visual art plus theater? I want to do this for the rest of my life.” It’s been nonstop ever since.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Wilder: Probably Prince, to be honest with you. There are countless performers that I look up to, and my family has been an immense support and guidance throughout my career. But if I think about one person or one thing that has had an influence on my career, it’s probably Prince and his willingness to challenge gender norms, his willingness to insist on perfection, and his insistence to be like, “You’re going to hear me. You’re going to understand who I am, and I’m not changing that for you or for anyone.” He’s been the person that I looked up the most and respect the most. He’s been a role model in my career, aside from the homophobia…but other than that.

4400

PC: Tell us about 4400, your character, and what attracted you to this project.
Wilder: 4400 is a reboot of a cult series. In 4400, overlooked and misunderstood people show up in Detroit in 2021. They all turn out to be missing persons cases from the last hundred years, and they’ve come back with a few updates.

My character is agent Jessica Tanner of the DHS. Her job is to spearhead the investigation of who these people are and what they’re doing here. She’s trying to get to the bottom of the whole situation. She’s also romantically involved with Keisha, a parole officer that is also tasked with handling the 4400.

As the series goes on, there’s a question between the two characters about the sense of obligation and duty versus humanity. That has been really fun to play with. But the thing that really attracted me to it was playing a character that’s so different from myself. If you could see me now, I’m in a ripped t-shirt and a grungy leather jacket. My whole career, everyone’s been like, “Yeah, antihero vibes. Wrong side of the track,” [laughs] but some casting director looked at me and was like, “Cop. Definitely cop. Agent of the system.” I’m forever grateful for the opportunity, but definitely playing someone that is an arm of an institution has been a real departure.

PC: When you’re playing a character that’s so different from who you are, is that more or less challenging?
Wilder: I would definitely say that it’s really challenging because not only am I anti-authoritarian in general, but I also have really strong feelings specifically about DHS and ICE in the US. My mom’s an immigrant, and I have really strong feelings about treating immigrants with care and compassion. Playing someone that is on the other side of that has required a lot of research and soul searching.

PC: This is one of your largest projects to date. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Wilder: This wasn’t a surprise, but I had a feeling that I would love it. Then I got to set, and I was like, “Oh yeah. I love this so much.” But I have to say, this is the first time I’ve worked on a project that’s not pre-written; the scripts are coming out every couple of weeks. What is going on is as much a surprise to me as it is to everybody else. Getting to sort of roll with those punches and see what happens week to week is not something that I thought was going to happen, but it’s been really, really fun. Me and the hair and makeup team have our own theories about what’s going to happen.

PC: If you had to describe the first season in a sentence, what would it be?
Wilder: There are a couple of phrases. Don’t trust the government. People that have been overlooked have the most to contribute. Don’t be afraid to break some rules.

PC: What do you hope audiences take away after seeing the show?
Wilder: I hope the audience takes away the importance of representation behind the camera as well as in front of it. One of the best things about working on this project—and something that I’m so very proud of—is that our writer’s room is full of people of color. It’s full of trans people. It’s full of queer people. Nine out of ten of the series regulars are Black, which is unheard of on TV right now. Every single episode is directed by people that you don’t normally see behind the camera, like Kenny Leon, who won a Tony for A Soldier’s Play, and women of color.

It’s such a gift and such a blessing. I really attribute that to Ariana Jackson and Sunil Nayar, who are the showrunners, for setting that precedent right from the top. As a result, you get to see these really whole, nuanced storylines. It’s so much more than just having people in front of the camera. These stories are so good because they come from a genuine place.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Wilder: The Great British Bake Off, but I’m not guilty about that.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Wilder: Not guilty about this either, but High Fidelity.

PC: Favorite book?
Wilder: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Wilder: I love Halley Feiffer. Halley, if you’re reading this, please call me. How to Make Friends and Then Kill Them is one of my favorite plays.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Wilder: I really love classic salsa. I don’t think people would necessarily expect that I like that, but yeah. I’m like, “Let’s talk about Celia Cruz, please. Someone.”

PC: Dream role?
Wilder: I’m Persian and white, obviously, so I don’t usually get called to do roles for Middle Eastern characters, but getting to play someone from my ethnic heritage would be an absolute dream come true. Also, Scar in The Lion King.

To keep up with Wilder, follow them on Instagram. Watch 4400 every Monday at 9/8c on the CW.

Photo Credit: Drake Hackney // Hair: Mikey Lorenzano // Make-up: Melissa Murdick // Stylist: Horacio Aguilar