Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Bosch’s Daya Vaidya

Actress-producer Daya Vaidya is an unstoppable force. From a young age, her father taught her that anytime life knocks you down, you get back up. That lesson has proven invaluable for Daya as she’s navigated through her career and battled cancer not once but twice.

Daya is best known for her role Jen Kowski in Amazon Prime’s Bosch, and Pop Culturalist caught up with her to chat about the show’s sixth season, her journey as an artist, and her experience as a cancer survivor.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Daya: I discovered my passion really early on. It started when I was eleven years old and I saw a play. That’s when I caught the bug. I fell in love with it. I was like, “This is what I want to do.” I enrolled in a theater company, and I haven’t stopped. Literally that was it. I went to see shows as much as I could.

PC: You have a dance background as well. How has that art form strengthened your acting?
Daya: I started dancing when I was three. That led me into acting. There’s a connection with your body that you need for both. It’s almost like the same muscle. You have to let go in the same way. It’s a similar art form in the way you have to get out of your own way. I use both. I interchange them. I use my dance background in my training.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Daya: Growing up, my dad. He passed away when I was young, but when he was alive, he was my biggest supporter and fan. He always told me from the youngest age that I could do anything and to always get back up. In this business, you have to have thick skin. It’s not about who’s the most talented or who’s the best; it’s who can withstand it and stay in it. He taught me that no matter how hard it gets, I have to get back up.

PC: Speaking of family, you’re also the mother of three. What advice would you give one of your kids if they wanted to pursue a similar career path?
Daya: Don’t do it! [laughs] That’s what I would say. Don’t. My daughter just announced to me that she wants to be a triple threat. I was like, “Oh God, no.” It’s a hard life. But obviously, if they want to do it, I’m going to give them the same message my dad gave me. I’d say, “Okay. You got to work hard and never give up.” I tell young actors this too. If you want to do this you have to really, really love it. Don’t just do it to be famous. Don’t do it to make money. Those aren’t good reasons. You have to be in for the love. That’s what gets you through.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Daya: I would say when I booked Unforgettable. That was a big moment because it was a big show. There were a lot of great people behind it. I really liked the character, and I took a big risk when I auditioned. I went in with an accent. I grew up doing a lot of different accents, but I didn’t tell them I was doing an accent. I went in like that was me. It was a risk. They didn’t find out that’s not the way I spoke until I was already on the show and four episodes in.

It was a risky thing to do, but I felt like that’s who the girl was. I was so committed to who she was as a character. I didn’t want their perception of me being something else to get in the way. I wanted to go in as her and not say anything. I went in as the character and let it just carry. It worked! That was a big moment for me because I was like, “Wow. Take risks.” It works in this business.

PC: You’ve been really open about your battle with cancer. During those challenging times, what did you learn about yourself?
Daya: Grit. It always goes back to never giving up. This is a theme in my life. That was intense. I’ve been through a lot, but that hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t want to give up my career. I was like, “How am I going to do this and keep my career?” That was important to me. So I was like, “Let me get through this and stay healthy. I want to get healthy so that I can go back to what I love.”

Luckily, everybody was really supportive. My team was really supportive, and I didn’t stay away long. I think I auditioned two or three days after surgery. That’s what got me through it. I need to be doing what I love, and that makes me happy. Nothing stops me.

PC: You’re currently starring in Bosch, and Season 6 just premiered on Amazon Prime. What can fans expect from the new season?
Daya: This season is awesome. I love this season. I’m a fan too. I watch it like a fan. Since we’re coming to a close with Season 7, they’re starting to tie up storylines. They’re really starting to put buttons on things. You’re finding out all these new things. It’s really exciting.

I love my character. Jen gets to finally get it in this season. I feel like I’ve been dancing around the peripheral scene with Lance [Reddick] who plays Chief Irving. But we get into it this season. We have a lot of good stuff. It’s my favorite season so far.

PC: You’ve been playing this character since Season 2. Has anything surprised you about Jen’s journey?
Daya: Surprised? Not really. I like that she keeps morphing. She’s very ambitious. I love how scrappy she is. I like how they write her. If something goes wrong, she’s like, “All right. What can I do next?” She always wants to win. She’s just a character. She’s super motivated by winning. That’s fun to play. That’s a fun avenue to go down to play a character like that because there’s so much that drives you when you want to win that bad.

PC: The show has already been picked up for a seventh and final season. Where would you like to see Jen’s storyline head? What’s been the biggest takeaway from this experience?
Daya: I want to see how she deals with Irvin. I don’t want to give this away because if you haven’t gotten to the last episode, I don’t want to give this away. But she gets blindsided by him and I am excited to see in Season 7 how she deals with that. I know how I would deal with that as her. I’m curious how the writers are going to do it because she’s pissed. When Jen gets pissed—I’m so excited about that direction. I’m excited about what happens with Bosch and the murder.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Daya: Game of Thrones and #BlackAF.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Daya: I don’t know if this is a guilty pleasure, but I’m obsessed with the Godfather series. I will watch and rewatch that. That’s my go-to if I need to pop something on. It’s super violent, which is weird because I’m not violent.

PC: Favorite book?
Daya: Eat, Pray, Love

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Daya: Rent. Rent. All day Rent.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Daya: Too $hort. I know that’s kind of embarrassing. But he’s smokin’.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Daya: Alicia Keys. I don’t know her personally, but I love her. We passed each other at the Grammys one time, and we both looked at each other. It was like looking in a mirror.

To keep up with Daya, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Stream Season 6 of Bosch on Amazon Prime.

Photo Credit: Morgan Pansing