Avaah Blackwell is an actress and stunt performer. We chatted with Avaah about reprising her role as the Osnullus species on Star Trek Discovery, her favorite experiences as a stunt performer, what she is looking forward to in 2021, and more!
upfrontNY: Can you tell us when you discovered your passion for acting?
Avaah Blackwell: I discovered it at a young age, but it blossomed in high school under the supervision of my amazing High School drama teacher, Ms. Stratulat at Bishop Grandin in Calgary.
upfrontNY: What has been the best part of reprising your role as the Osnullus species on Star Trek Discovery?
Avaah Blackwell: There are a lot of great things about Osnullus and she will always be close to my heart. I think the best part that came out of her is that she was a jumping off point for all of the other great characters that i get to play, namely Lt. Ina (Episodes 311, 312 and 313)
upfrontNY: What is the process like for you getting into character?
Avaah Blackwell: When I am getting to know a character, I usually start by imagining the world they came from, how it looks, feels, sounds and smells. What family and social life is like, and what types of things drive them. I also “take the character on a walk, and spend time building playlists for each character I play. Music is very important to my process and I use it when breaking down scenes and characters.
upfrontNY: Do you believe in aliens? If so, if you had the chance, would you want to meet one?
Avaah Blackwell: Yes and yes. Due to the vastness of space it’s silly to think we are alone. I would definitely want to meet one, although I would definitely be scared/ intimidated. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
upfrontNY: How have you trained to become a stunt performer? Do you have any favorite experiences as a stunt performer, and is there any type of stunt experience you have not yet been a part of that you hope to one day?
Avaah Blackwell: Many martial arts classes, a lot of open gymnastics gyms, tagging along with any group of performers that would let me go with them. Classes with coordinators, watching action movies. Lots of stuff. I’d love to work up to doing some epic high falls, and more complex wire work eventually.
upfrontNY: We saw on Instagram that you have a tattoo; Alis Volat Propriis. Can you tell us the meaning behind this and why it is important to you?
Avaah Blackwell: Yes, thanks for noticing. Loosely translated from latin, it means “She flies with her own wings” or “She is self motivated /propelled”. This was important to me as a young woman because I wanted to remind myself that in order to achieve my goals in this lifetime, I need to go after them myself – nothing can happen without teamwork and collaboration but I never wanted to depend on an external source for my happiness and / or success. Funnily enough, my cousin Sheena also has the exact same tattoo a little lower down on her back. Neither one of us knew the other had the same tattoo for years. I always looked up to her growing up and it’s cool that we both chose this.
upfrontNY: As 2021 begins, what are you looking forward to in the upcoming year?
Avaah Blackwell: A healed humanity, the health and safety of my loved ones, and – Lots. More. Work.
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