Pop Culturalist Chats with Occupation’s Stephany Jacobsen

Stephany Jacobsen tackles an alien invasion in her new film, Occupation, which is out now in select theaters and on VOD. Though she’s no stranger to the world of sci-fi, having starred in Battlestar Galactica: Razor, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Quantum Apocalypse, this role provided a unique opportunity to embark on a journey with her character that goes from cafe employee to a warrior and leader of the resilience.


Pop Culturalist had the chance to catch up with Stephany to talk about Occupation, how it sets itself apart from other films in the genre, and where she’d like her character to go in the sequel (assuming she survives!).

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

PC: Tell us about Occupation, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Stephany: Occupation is an action/sci-fi film, but it’s also heavily military-themed. You’ll understand why and how when you see it! My character is Amelia. At the start of the film, she’s running a cafe in a small town in rural Australia and she’s engaged to her long-term boyfriend and by the end, she’s become a warrior and a leader of the resilience.

One of the big pluses for me was my character’s arc. I’ve done a lot of sci-fi in the past. I’ve played a lot of fierce, military characters, but this is the first time I got to take the character through the journey from an innocent to a warrior, which was definitely one of the things that drew me in. The second was how Luke Sparke wrote this character in a way that didn’t make any concessions because she’s a female. There are no compromises to her. She’s as strong as a man. She’s as competent as a man. She’s as commanding as a man.

PC: How does Occupation differentiate itself from other alien invasion stories?
Stephany: First and foremost, it takes place in a small town in Australia, and that lends itself to what I perceive as one of the core themes of the movie. It’s different from the large-scale alien invasion epics we’ve had. Fundamentally, this is a story about human relationships. It’s a story about family, camaraderie, and the human spirit.

PC: Throughout the course of the film, we see Amelia step into a leadership role, and see her development as a character. How did you prepare to step into her shoes and what about Amelia resonated with you the most?
Stephany: I’m not huge on prep. [laughs] What’s worked the best for me is to get on set, into your costume, and surrender to your imagination and the world around you. That’s how I’ve always worked. There are obvious circumstances when I have to do research, but for this role, her transformation happens on the fly, so it wouldn’t have been super beneficial.

In addition to the things I touched on before, she is someone who is very driven by love. She’s driven by the love for her family and friends. She’s fiercely protective of the people she considers to be her tribe. I loved that about her. To me, she’s a natural leader, but a reluctant warrior. She’s fighting so that one day she won’t have to fight anymore.

PC: The sequel was just announced. If your character survives the alien invasion, what would you be the most excited to explore further?
Stephany: [laughs] That’s a tricky question. Hypothetically, I would love to explore a close interpersonal relationship of hers. It’s an action movie, so we don’t spend a lot of time on that stuff because we don’t want people to get bored. Also, in the first movie, she is this noble and angelic figure. I’d love to see her be flawed.

Make sure to follow Stephany on Twitter and check out Occupation in select theaters and on VOD.