In just a few short years, Dutch-born Emilie Ullerup has done what many actresses only ever dream of: going from bit parts to award-winning, starring roles. Soon after graduating from Vancouver Film School, Emilie (pronounced like Amelia) started her career in 2006 with guest spots on shows like Blood Ties and Battlestar Galactica. She then landed the role of Ashley Magnus in the Amanda Tapping and Damian Kindler produced web series Sanctuary. It was the first series shot with RED cameras on greenscreen sets, and was the most ambitious and expensive direct-to-web series ever produced.
While Sanctuary’s world was still being rendered, Emilie was then cast as video game artist Kaitlin Joyce on CBC’s jPod (based on the book by Gen X author Douglas Coupland). jPod was critically acclaimed, won a global audience through positive word of mouth (and torrents, since CBC chose to regionally lock the episodes they streamed on their website) and was nominated for twelve awards, winning four. While jPod’s fate was still being decided, Sanctuary’s was set in stone: redevelopment for television. Emilie rejoined her castmates for thirteen episodes of Sanctuary, which broadcast internationally, as well as on SCI FI channel. The show received high ratings in all of its markets, securing it a second season. In case you aren’t counting, that’s two lead roles in two hit shows in two years, and a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series for her role in jPod.
With the holiday season just wrapping up, Emilie set aside some time to talk with us about her recent successes and her plans for the future.
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I know you have been really busy and I’m sure your life has changed a lot over the last year or two.
Emilie Ullerup (EU) Sanctuary is really helping propel my career forward. It’s really exciting.
(ÜSFG) It is! I’m thrilled for you and we really appreciate how connected you are staying with your fans. It means a lot to all of them.
(EU) I LOVE MY FANS! They rock! They mean a lot to me. This business is at times so damn hard, and you get so much crap from all directions, that a strong fan base really helps to pull you out of the lows once in a while.
(ÜSFG) Everyone is thrilled every time you stop in and check the forums. And everyone I’ve talked to who has met you has just been very excited about how open and friendly you are.
(EU) I’m glad that I’ve been so well received. It’s a little scary being the “new young thing”. But it’s been a warm welcome.
(ÜSFG) I don’t know if you realize that sci-fi fans are fiercely loyal. We’ll watch anything you are attached to no matter the genre because we tend to get neglected by mainstream media so we are very thankful for people who work in sci-fi.
(EU) That’s good to know.
(ÜSFG) You’ve lived a lot of places in your life haven’t you? How does Vancouver compare?
(EU) Every place has its own charm. They’re all really great in their own ways. And they’ve all got less exciting things about them too. Vancouver is great for its outdoors, friendly people and it’s a major city so it’s just always open! You can always get what you any need time of day. I’m a fan of that.
(ÜSFG) I’ve moved a lot too, some big cities and some small towns and in addition to climate, I’ve noticed a lot of social changes. From one area to another, it seems there’s a completely different mind-set. Moving south, sometimes I feel like I’m on another planet, not just another part of the world. Has it been like that for you, too?
(EU) Oh definitely. There are places where it’s harder to build close relationships because you just don’t think the same way. And then there are cultures where you get each other instantly.
(ÜSFG) Yes, that’s how I felt in Seattle. I just felt like I was a part of it instantly. From everything I’ve heard, I think Vancouver would be like that.
(EU) Very similar.
(ÜSFG) Speaking of Vancouver, why did you choose Vancouver to start your career?
(EU) I wasn’t interested in going to L.A. right away. It seemed too big and too full of actors. I figured it was better to go to Vancouver where the talent pool is smaller, and then start a solid resume up here so that I would eventually be able to go to L.A. without being just “another new face”. I want to go there when there’s interest in me. It’s so easy to get lost in the movie machine down there.
(ÜSFG) Yes, well your plan seems to be working so far. You’ve gotten a lot of attention, not only with the success of Sanctuary (web and TV) but with jPod!
(EU) Yeah… I guess I have. It’s been an incredible ride. jPod was the best first experience for an actor. I still miss it.
(ÜSFG) So do I! I have to admit that after watching Sanctuary on the web, I was worried that I’d only see Ashley when I saw Kaitlin but Kaitlin was really a night and day different character then Ashley Magnus. I was surprised and delighted that I saw no shades of Ashley in Kaitlin. You changed personas very well. Are you drawn to a particular type of character, do you look for diversity in the roles you pursue, or are you still discovering what you want and enjoy in a role?
(EU) I certainly always yearn to stretch my acting muscle. There are things that I’m not as good at, but will take them on anyway. I love the Kaitlin characters. The dramatic parts certainly draw me in but then I look back at jPod and realize that Kaitlin was pretty crazy too! I think that as long as I feel that I can be free in my work, that I can explore and not be restrained by anything, I am happy with any character. Ashley is most certainly a challenge for me though.
(ÜSFG) jPod received rave reviews, developed a demographic-bending cult following and was nominated for 12 Leo Awards going on to win 4 of them, including yours for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series. Congratulations for that, by the way.
(EU) Thank you!! Ah, I still get a bit of a rush in my stomach when I’m reminded of that win.
(ÜSFG) That’s so cool though. I mean, like you said, it was a first show for a young actor. I imagine that it’s going to feel good for a real long time.
(EU) It will always be “the first one”. (Hopefully of a few more (blush))
(ÜSFG) I’m sure there will be more.
(EU) I wish… It was such an important win, because it solidified the fact that we’d been cancelled waaay too early.
(ÜSFG) Yes! I know we fans feel jilted. A lot of us are really sore about how it ended. How do you feel having the series cut short like that, especially after receiving so much praise and fan support? Has there been enough noise made by the “Save jPod” websites to actually stir any interest in a second season or at least a “special” to wrap up the story and let us know what happened to Kaitlin?
(EU) I think that jPod is dead though. I felt awful when we got cancelled. We all did. We were the tightest group, we had so much fun, there was incredible trust, and we all completely believed in the show. So to sum it up, BOO!
(ÜSFG) So, you said Ashley is a challenge to play. Why is that?
(EU) It’s really an art to master the balance in Ashley. She’s no bullshit but she’s also scared and sensitive and has to be likeable. So it’s a challenge to be a likeable “no bullshit” character, for me anyway. Especially because I had formed such a strong Ashley in the web episodes that bringing it back and making her softer felt wrong at first. It was like trying to put on a tight sweater on top of a really big one. I didn’t know how to make it fit.
(ÜSFG) Yes. Ashley was my favorite character in the web series. Of all the characters Ashley Magnus seems to have gone through the most drastic changes in the transition from web series to television. I know I’ve struggled a bit with reconciling the changes. Comparing the two incarnations, what are some of your favorite changes? What are some of your least favorite changes?
(EU) I like that she laughs more, smiles more. It allows for some of me in there but I do sometimes miss the ridiculously short Ashley. Shoot and then think. Later… a lot later… It was fun to explore such an instinctual character. That has disappeared a bit but I do think that she’s much more 3-dimensional now.
(ÜSFG) Yes, it seems our “Kick-Ash” has become a bit mellowed.
(EU) She is. Hopefully season 2 will allow for some real madness.
(ÜSFG) She does seem more fleshed out as a person and that’s a very good thing for character development.
(EU) It certainly looks that way.
(ÜSFG) It also leads to questions like, “why is there a man’s shirt in her closet?” and all sorts of things…
(EU) Ha haaaa, yes. That was Sam Egan. I love his ideas.
(ÜSFG) What would you like to see happen in Season 2?
(EU) I would love to see her get real bad.
(ÜSFG) Well, I think Ashley is an incredible character, you have so much to work with, fans who’ve seen you in other shows know the range you have and could do with her so everyone is eager to see how far you can take her back into a bit of the madness we saw in the webisodes but still remain someone we care about seeing heal, change, grow…
(EU) Hear hear! Thank you for the compliments.
(ÜSFG) You are most welcome! I am far too used to seeing actors being the same character in different clothes from show to show so I am THRILLED to see a truly different persona emerge.
(EU) Me too! I would love some sort of head to head conflict with mom.
(ÜSFG) That would be great to see! That was one of the discussions from the webisodes, how the mother-daughter conflict wasn’t explored the way it could have been.
(EU) I hope the Sanctuary team will feel the same way and give me some juicy, juicy stuff for us all to sink our teeth into. And hopefully season 2 will bring out something way different from season 1.
(ÜSFG) What kind of Ashley-centric episodes would you like to see happen in season 2?
(EU) Hmmm… Other than some badass ash-kicking?
(ÜSFG) Yes, other then more ash-kicking. You’ve got so many different directions she could go. If you could pick something really juicy and challenging, what do you think it would be?
(EU) It’d be fun to explore how the possibility of power could mess with Ashley. She’s young. She’s been introduced to some new powers. She’s not levelheaded at this point. What if she, just for an episode, got disgustingly power-hungry and turned into a Dana times 10.
(ÜSFG) Oooh… I like that idea.
(EU) It would also be great to see her come back to the good side and then have to be taught how to use her powers by daddy. She keeps messing up her teleporting. Instead of landing in Thailand, she lands in a men only steam bath in Turkey.
(ÜSFG) Oh, that would be one of those classic bits of TV that goes viral in web clips!
(EU) Ha ha ha.
(ÜSFG) Would she be embarrassed or like, “Hey”. 😉
(EU) I think a good mix of both. Depending on the men.
(ÜSFG) Back in the web series days, Ashley was nick named “Kick-Ash” because of all the fight scenes. While she’s been toned down a bit, she still sees a lot of action. Do you have a lot of fun doing the fight scenes and, as an actor, how does that compare to the more dramatic scenes you share with your costars like Amanda Tapping and Christopher Heyerdahl or the humor-laced “romantic” scenes with Robin Dunne?
(EU) I love, love, love all of them. The fight scenes are so great to get to do. We have the best stunt team and so fight rehearsals are a blast but I wouldn’t be happy without the dramatic scenes. I really, really crave dramatic scenes.
(ÜSFG) Your fight with Bam Bam (stunt man James Bamford) is what got you hired in the first place, isn’t it?
(EU) Yeah, I believe it was one of the factors. They sprung that on us in the callback session.
(ÜSFG) I have seen people take screen caps of some of your fights and give play-by-play descriptions of the moves you are doing, like it’s a football game or something.
(EU) Ha, really??
(ÜSFG) Oh, yes. Especially the martial arts or military fans. They will name the moves you are doing.
(EU) It’s been really hard training but a great base to have, to know some moves. And it’s so satisfying to see the show and know that a lot of the fights are actually me, and not the double.
(ÜSFG) Yes, that’s been another comment frequently made, to see a single shot with no cut away and know beyond a doubt that YOU are the one making the roundhouse kick to someone’s face, and then in the very next scene you’re moving us to tears with a dramatic moment.
(EU) Aaaaaaw. You guys… :*
(ÜSFG) Did you watch sci-fi when you were growing up? Were you planning on getting into the Sci-Fi/Action genre or did you just sort of fall into it?
(EU) I honestly just fell into it. I didn’t have any concrete plans when I started the business. I just wanted to work! But sci-fi is a really fun genre. Anything is possible!
(ÜSFG) There have been very few actresses who have been able to establish themselves as action heroes. Are you getting action roles sent your way more than dramatic ones?
(EU) I am getting a good mix of both. I think there’s excitement when they know I have a bit of training ’cause there are many parts that call for a bit of action and it’s upsetting when your hero doesn’t know how to hold a gun properly, I think.
(ÜSFG) Yes. People notice the smallest details and when something catches their attention, it isn’t as easy to suspend your disbelief and get into the show.
(EU) Precisely!
(ÜSFG) So, with new roles coming your way, you were just cast in the film adaptation of Arcana Comics’ Paradox. Kevin Sorbo has been cast in the lead role as Detective Sean Nault, a homicide detective on an alternate universe Earth where Magic rules instead of Science. IMDb.com lists you as “rumored” but doesn’t list what character you are rumored to have been chosen for. What role have you been cast in and who is she?
(EU) Yeah, no need for the rumored part, I shot it already, just before Christmas.
(ÜSFG) Oh? Really? What can you share?
(EU) I actually didn’t think I could do it because I had only about two days available. I had laser eye surgery and then was going to Denmark for Christmas so they weren’t sure what I was able to do. I ended up getting a small cameo part as a nutty lab tech. Brenton Spencer, the director, did two episodes of Sanctuary. We really hit it off, so it was such a blast to get to work with him again. And I got to work with my very close friend, Steph Song, who did jPod with me! I’m so happy they made it happen despite the tight schedule I was on.
(ÜSFG) I was going to ask about Steph! I’m glad to hear you got to work with her again. She’s been cast as Lenore, a fairly significant role in the comic book.
(EU) Yes, she is the female lead. And her first introduction to sci-fi! Very exciting.
(ÜSFG) I’m really thrilled that she got the part and that you two saw each other. That was actually one of the questions I had here so I’m glad you brought it up! Any chance you could try to get her a bit more rooted in sci-fi, oh, maybe getting her a guest spot on Sanctuary?
(EU) I would love to have them on Sanctuary. Unfortunately I have very little say.
(ÜSFG) Do you still keep in touch with the jPod gang frequently?
(EU) Yes! I just saw David (Kopp) and Steph yesterday! And of course I live with the crazy klown now!
(ÜSFG) Yes, yes. I know that! It’s great to see you two together. What was it like working with him?
(EU) Kyle (Cassie) was great to work with. He’s a madman, so working with him is a challenge, a great challenge. He’s so intense and all over the place, that you really have to work hard to keep up. It was the best way to get to know one another.
(ÜSFG) Did you actually have scenes with Steph or were you just on the set at the same time?
(EU) No, we had a scene together. Me, Steph, and Kevin. Good times.
(ÜSFG) You’ve been working with the Sci-Fi Pantheon for a while now. With Paradox, it’s really broadened that list of actors. What was it like working with Kevin? Did you get to meet Chris Judge?
(EU) Chris was leaving set right as I arrived. So I didn’t get to meet him.
(ÜSFG) Aw. I’m sure you will eventually.
(EU) Kevin was great fun. He’s really laid-back and welcoming. He’s so easy to be around.
(ÜSFG) I’ve heard that about him. I was a Hercules fan from way back and everyone who met him said he was a “California Beach Boy”… really laid-back, easygoing, fun, charming.
(EU) Couldn’t have said it better myself.
(ÜSFG) So when can we expect to see Paradox hit the big screen? It’s listed as 2009 on IMDb but there are no dates yet.
(EU) You know what, I actually don’t know! I should find out.
(ÜSFG) Have you done any other projects since Sanctuary and Paradox that we can keep an eye out for?
(EU) Nothing as of yet. Everything kind of dies down at Christmas so it’s only starting back up right now. I’m very busy with auditions and such so that’s good. Hopefully something will come my way.
(ÜSFG) I’m sure it will. Thank you and good luck!
Paradox is currently in post-production, but look for Emilie Ullerup in Season 2 of Sanctuary later this year, and don’t forget to pick up the jPod DVD box set now available at Amazon.com.