Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Van Helsing’s Keeya King

Actress Keeya King joins the cast of Syfy’s Van Helsing this season as the fearless badass Violet. It’s a dream role for the talented up-and-comer who has not only relished the opportunity but also learned a lot through the experience. Her character has taught her the importance of being bold, making choices, and taking breaths. Pop Culturalist caught up with Keeya to chat about Van Helsing, her character’s journey, and her career.

Van Helsing

PC: You and your character are new additions this season. Was there any pressure heading into this project, given how dedicated this fan base is?
Keeya: There was a lot of pressure coming into this, but I think it was pressure I put on myself. I was really nervous. I know how much this show means to a lot of people. It’s such a great project. But everyone on set alleviated that pressure. I worked a lot with Aleks Paunovic and Kelly Overton, and they were amazing actors to work with, and they relieved any pressure I put on myself.

PC: What initially attracted you to this project? Were you familiar with the series before you joined?
Keeya: I wasn’t! I kind of knew about Van Helsing before I joined, but not a lot. I had some other actor friends who have had spots on the show, but I wasn’t too familiar with it. However, when I received the audition, I was really attracted to the way this character was written. She was written as this strong, impulsive young woman who’s trying to figure out who she is.

While this is a vampire show, what I love the most about Van Helsing is there are a lot of metaphors, and that’s what attracted me to this project. There are a lot of metaphors about family, struggle, humanity.

PC: We heard the first scene you filmed for the season is Violet kicking some major butt. How did you prepare to tackle the physicality of your character?
Keeya: [laughs] My first day was so intense. I’m really proud of myself. I didn’t think I was going to last. My first day was a series of different fight scenes. I was fighting all day! It started in the morning, and we didn’t wrap until 10:00 p.m. To prepare for the physicality of the day and the character overall, I had an amazing stunt team to work with: Kimani Ray Smith, Dan Rizzuto, my amazing stunt double, Maya! They all helped me prepare. They created the fight choreography and taught it to me. We drilled it a few times before we actually shot it. On top of that, I did a lot of gymnastics training to prepare to play Violet.

She has a gun that she uses throughout the series, so I went to a gun range and shot different weapons like a pistol and an AR-15. It’s crazy to look back on it now. I can’t believe we did that and what we accomplished. I mean, they’re used to it, but I wasn’t. The team was just incredible. It was amazing to work with them, and they were so patient with me.

They literally threw me in the ring, but that’s Violet. She’s always like, “What do we need to do? What do we need to solve? All right, let’s go and do it!” The experience really helped me get into her mindset.

PC: Violet has lived a sheltered life. As she begins to get exposed to this vampire apocalypse, how will that change her?
Keeya: That’s a great question, but I don’t want to spoil the season. But she has lived this sheltered life, and that’s because of her father, Hansen. He’s kept her protected in Fort Collins.

Her journey is figuring out what these vampires are really like and how can she take her training from Julius and apply it. That’s what you’ll see throughout this season. Violet is constantly applying Julius’ teachings and putting them to work. I can’t say much else! I want viewers to be surprised. [laughs]

PC: Will she hold resentment towards her father as a result of being sheltered? What can you tease about that dynamic this season?
Keeya: That’s another great question! Like I was saying earlier, while this is a vampire show, there are a lot of metaphors. This is about a young woman and her relationship with her father. They struggle a lot together. They struggle with sharing their feelings and what’s going on. Violet is trying to figure out if her dad is someone she can trust. This show really shows the different aspects of humanity. There are a lot of young woman who struggle with issues with their father. It was interesting to play it out on screen.

PC: There are so many different layers to Violet. Which was your favorite to explore and why?
Keeya: The physicality of Violet was so delicious to play. I think any young actress wants to portray a badass, and that’s definitely who Violet is. Her relationship with her father was delicious to play. During my preparation, I wanted to understand where Violet had been in her life.

The showrunner, Jonathan Walker, and the rest of the writing team told me that she grew up in this really military upbringing, so I wanted to know what that environment was like. I really relished in researching about military upbringings. I called up a friend who was in the armed forces and asked her about it and what she learned.

She shared vivid, hard stories about what it was like in the armed forces. It’s a grueling process. You have to be a brave fighter, decisive, precise, and make decisions for the betterment of humanity. You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I really loved learning about that mindset.

PC: This is your first big television role. What’s been the biggest takeaway being a part of this project?
Keeya: I was just thinking about this because I journal a lot. It’s really been the entire experience. As an actor, you’re always auditioning. You’re always like, “I hope I get something.” I hope I get the opportunity to play a character over a long period of time. I was blessed by everyone on this team. I was blessed with this opportunity to put my heart, mind, and soul into this young woman over a stretch of time. That’s so exciting as a young actress to be trusted in that way. I’ve been wanting to experience something like this for a long time. I’ve never had this responsibility before, so I’m so grateful for it. The characters you play teach you a lot. Violet has taught me so much. She’s taught me to be bold, to make more choices, and she’s taught me to take more breaths in life.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Keeya: I went to a new school in high school, and I didn’t have a lot of friends. I spent my lunches inside the library. I thought to myself, “This is ridiculous. I need to go out and meet more people.” I remember seeing a sign-up sheet for the school’s play. I thought, “Okay, doing an activity is a great way for me to meet more people and make new friends.” So I actually started acting as a way to make friends and build a community. But I grew really interested in acting, and I knew I needed to do more of it. Acting is about connecting with people and being honest with your feelings and everything going on. I started to take it more seriously and started to take classes and everything involved with getting into the business side of acting. When it comes down to it, what made me discover acting was just wanting to connect with humanity at a basic level.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Keeya: I think my parents have had the biggest influence on my artistic work, especially my mom. I grew up in poverty. I lived in a women’s shelter with my mom at one point. I grew up to two teenage parents. They taught me strength in being vulnerable, in telling the truth, and the power of persistence. They also taught me the power of persisting even when things are difficult and the power of changing your perspective as well. They helped me understand that the ordinary things in life are the most extraordinary.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Keeya: Bob’s Burger

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Keeya: Stardust

PC: Favorite book?
Keeya: I’m currently reading Becoming by Michelle Obama.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Keeya: In the Heights

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Keeya: My Chemical Romance and System Of A Down! I always listen to them before a fight scene.

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Keeya: Wu Assassins

PC: Hidden talent?
Keeya: My hidden talent is bo staffing.

To keep up with Keeya, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Catch Van Helsing every Friday on Syfy at 10/9c.