Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Breach’s Cody Kearsley

It’s no surprise that the person who once won the prestigious Michael Chekhov Award for Most Promising Actor now has so many projects under their belt. Canadian-born actor Cody Kearsley was recurring character Moose Mason on CW’s Riverdale and as series regular Turbo Bro Jock on Netflix’s Daybreak. His film projects include Power Rangers and, recently, Breach.

However, acting isn’t the only thing Cody does. He runs Vagrant Players, a non-profit theater company and Seventh Wolf, a Canadian production company. Clearly, Cody Kearsley is a rising star to watch.

We chatted with Cody about his new film Breach, what it was like working with Bruce Willis and Thomas Jane, and what’s ahead for him

PC: Tell us about Breach, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Cody: Breach is a survival story where humanity has pretty much destroyed our current planet, so we’re moving onto New Earth in order to begin the new human race there. My character sneaks onto the last ship going to New Earth in order to be with his partner and unborn child. That’s what drew me to this story. I mean, he jumps onto this military ship. He’s a regular dude who never held a gun in his life, but he sneaks onto the ship in order to be there for his family. That’s what drew me to it the most. What would you do and what circumstances would you put yourself in to protect and provide for the ones you love?

PC: Over the course of the film, we see your character come into his own. How did you prepare to tackle that journey?
Cody: The prep I did was building the relationship Noah has with his family because that’s the driving force to everything that happens in the film. For Noah, that’s his biggest driving force in wanting to survive. As far as coming into his own, I was surrounded by all these incredible veteran actors, so it was very much a parallel to what was really happening in my life: being around all these other actors. Noah is surrounded by all these war vets. He learns to stand up beside them and hold his own while learning how to survive. It’s very much just being present, being in the moment, and jumping headfirst.

PC: You’ve done a few sci-fi projects already in your young career. What is it about this genre that excites you?
Cody: I mean, I’m at the point in my career where I don’t know if I can really choose the roles I get. I audition and I hope that I book them. It seems to be that I’ve landed a lot of projects that are based around graphic novels, comics, and sci-fi. I really enjoy doing them. I come from a theater background, and there’s a lot of play involved in theater and a lot of creating these worlds in black box studios. The sci-fi genre is very much like that. We have this incredible playground in which to play in. You have to really use your imagination. It’s very fun. You feel like a kid, you know?

PC: Definitely. Your character is at the center of this film and has a fun dynamic with Bruce Willis and Thomas Jane’s characters. What was it like collaborating with them? What did you learn from that experience?
Cody: I didn’t get too much time with them. But it was good watching them because they’ve been doing this for so long. Their stillness, confidence, and conviction are incredibly powerful. It’s good to watch them and see how they handle that.

PC: What do you hope audiences take away?
Cody: I just hope they have fun. It’s a fun little ride. I hope they enjoy themselves and get caught up in the chaos of the film.

PC: In addition to Breach, you have a couple of projects coming out. Is there anything you can tease about those projects?
Cody: I’m writing and directing a couple of projects. I’m working on my first short film and first feature.

To keep up with Cody, follow him on Instagram. Watch Breach in select theaters, On Demand, and digital.

Photo Credit: Kyrani Kanavaros