Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with V-Wars’ Sydney Meyer

Sydney Meyer has built an illustrious career on the screen. Her credits include The Expanse, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Shadowhunters. This year, she has not one, but two exciting new projects: V-Wars and Departure. Pop Culturalist caught up with Sydney to chat about the series.

PC: Tell us about V-Wars, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Sydney: V-Wars is about a virus that gets out of the melting arctic ice and triggers a mutation in your DNA if you have the “predator gene”. This mutation then turns you into a vampire. Depending on your family lineage, there are different breeds of vampires and different rules for each breed. I was drawn to this project because it’s so different from any vampire concept I’ve seen before; it’s so relevant, political, and close to the bone. The female characters are also incredibly strong and complex. It’s a project and role that I couldn’t pass up.

PC: Your character wasn’t in the comics or books. Was that an advantage or disadvantage for you as an actress? How did you prepare?
Sydney: For me, it was a fun challenge. I got to read the novels and the comics to understand the vibe of the source material without feeling bound to it or feeling like I may be letting readers down if I didn’t bring a fan favorite to life in a particular way. I drew so much inspiration from the books and comics in building my character, which was amazing, but I also felt a sense of freedom. I read everything. I watched film and TV, studied performances that I thought informed my character, and built her personality and her past from there. I had a notebook and a playlist for her. I tried my best to get comfy inside her skin. I also started training in fighting. I wanted to inhabit her.

PC: What can you tease about your character’s arc?
Sydney: When we meet Ava, she’s already been through a lot. She’s highly emotional and is looking outward for support and confidence and a way to move forward. Over her journey, we see Ava grow into herself. She becomes intelligent and impulsive, but widely ambitious. She learns how to fight for what she wants and learns she deserves it. She becomes her own biggest motivator.

PC: You’re also starring in Departure. What can you tell us about that series and your character?
Sydney: Departure is a mystery about a plane that disappears heading into Heathrow. It’s a very exciting show with an amazing cast and some heart-wrenching performances. My character, Sophia, is tied up in a conspiracy theory about the plane that her boyfriend is convinced is real. She is doing her best to support him in proving his theory, but really she would prefer to be having fun with him in England.

PC: How does Departure differentiate itself from others in the genre?
Sydney: Departure is politically-driven, family-driven, humor-driven, and love-driven. It does not pigeon-hole itself; it tells many stories and handles all of them with equal love and care. That is how it is different from any other procedural.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Sydney: Scrubs

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Sydney: The new Footloose

PC: Favorite book?
Sydney: The Contortionist’s Handbook by Craig Clevenger

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Sydney: Hamilton and Of Mice and Men

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Sydney: Something Corporate

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Sydney: Trinkets! Shout out to my dear, Kiana.

PC: Hidden talent?
Sydney: I can crochet a mat out of milk bags.

To keep up with Sydney and her new series, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.