Pop Culturalist Chats with The 100’s Tasya Teles

Canadian-born actress Tasya Teles has been a part of the popular TV show, The 100, since season two. Now, in its fifth season, Tasya has been promoted to a series regular as Echo. Before this great news, she was on shows like Rogue, Intruders, Supernatural, and Witches of East End.

We got to chat with her about this season of The 100, how her character has evolved, and some other upcoming projects she’s excited about.

PC: Congratulations on being promoted to a series regular! What has this meant for you as an actor and for your character?
Tasya: It’s quite nice. [laughs] As an actor, working on season four, I never knew how often they would need me, or when I’d be coming back. I was spending a lot of my time auditioning for other shows, and I was busy trying to discover the next project. When I got promoted to a series regular it allowed me to focus all of my time on The 100 and my character development. Aside from that, it’s a great feeling joining this welcoming family and network.

PC: With the time jump that happened at the end of season four, how has Echo changed since we’ve last seen her?
Tasya: At the end of season four, Echo was a brassy Azgeda assassin. Now, she’s softened up a little bit—after spending six years in space learning new philosophies on life and friendship. She’s definitely still a warrior, but she’s learned another way of life. That’s changed her perspective. She’s a more humane version of herself.

PC: Do you have a favorite side of her to play?
Tasya: Yeah! I love her playfulness. I remember there’s a moment in season four where Bellamy grabs her arm and she flips him on his back. She looked at him like, “Aw, that was cute. Nice try buddy.” I was like “Yes! Who is this person?” She’s so cool and sassy.

PC: Bellamy and Echo have had a tumultuous relationship. What is the dynamic going to be like between them in season five?
Tasya: It’s going to be stressful. There’s a lot of pressure that comes from both sides once they get back to Earth. From Echo’s perspective, she’s feeling anxious which causes her to behave and do certain things. She’s carrying everything that happened on Earth, and she’s going to do her best to redeem herself.

PC: What else can fans expect this season?
Tasya: Fans should expect some new weaponry, some new relationships, and some twisted and messed-up relationships. But we’re [also] going to see different versions [of] each character that we haven’t seen previously. Fans will get to know more about their favorite characters because they’ll see them do things they haven’t in the past. [They’ll see] how they perform under pressure after this six-year time jump.

PC: If you were living in this dystopian world, what would be your keys to survival?
Tasya: If it was still season four, I would figure out how to swim to the Floukru oil rig and hang out there.

PC: Besides The 100, do you have other upcoming projects that you can chat about?
Tasya: I’m working on two projects that are filming in Vancouver. One is a TV show, and one is a film. I can’t say too much about it, but the TV show is one that I’ve already been on; they’ve called me back. I’m working on the launch of my website, Unslaved, to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking. That’s a project that I’m super excited about. I’ve been working on that for years.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

Guilty pleasure TV show
Million Dollar Listing and Keeping Up with The Kardashians

Guilty pleasure movie
Clueless

Favorite book
Half the Sky and Memoirs of a Geisha

Favorite play or musical
The Motherfucker with the Hat

Favorite social media platform
Instagram

A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist
The Black Keys

Last show you binge-watched
Travelers

Hidden talent
I can do impersonations.

 

Make sure to follow Tasya on Twitter and Instagram, and catch The 100 every Tuesday at 9/8c on The CW!

 

Photo Credit: Liz Rosa