Interviewed by Erin Flanagan
West Coast talent, Tasya Teles, is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Echo in The 100. Born in Toronto to a Brazilian father and Ukrainian mother, Teles lived there for about 5 years before fleeing the harsh Toronto winters and moving to Vancouver, where she grew up.
“I’ve wanted to act since I was a child, but never believed it was something you could actually do professionally. Especially if you get a late start.” Before getting into acting, Teles pursued a Commerce degree at Concordia University, but soon found out that she was not where she wanted to be. “As I went through life, there was this little voice that kept telling me I would always regret it if I didn’t at least try.” Teles was reluctant to pursue acting as she was not sure if she would end up finding her way. “One day I finally gave in. I made a promise that I would give myself three years, and if I didn’t find my way in that time, I would move on.” That’s when Teles signed up for her first acting class, and knew she was where she needed to be. “I felt this sense of arrival. Like a light turned on and I had found my passion and I knew it.” After Teles was done with her studies of both commerce and acting, she moved back to Vancouver where she dedicated herself to, and pursued her acting career.
Teles was cast in Ekachai Uekrongtham’s movie, Skin Trade, as Rosa Cassidy. The movie shows the horrors of human trafficking, and was definitely emotional for Teles at times. “It was highly emotional at times, and has left a lasting impression on me.” As Teles started to learn about society’s most shameful and barbaric manifestation, she could not just sit back and not do anything about it. “After shooting Skin Trade, I was burned with everything I learned about sex slavery and needed to do something to contribute to a solution.” Teles started an organization called “Unslaved” which raises awareness and provides support for organizations battling the issue. “We are launching a new line of bracelets, which people can purchase as a show of unity against sex trafficking. I really hope to see more laws established to punish the ring leaders, and protect the children.” It is nice to see Teles trying to make a change and raise awareness to such a shameful horror.
Teles revealed to us what her most enjoyable scene or day was on the set of Skin Trade. “It was the day I was nearly set on fire. I was in a bed, in the middle of a bunch of sheets, and right before rolling, the pyro-technician would come out with this hose and start lighting everything around me on fire. More fire. More fire. More fire. I would sit there in the middle of it all. It was a crazy experience. If my mom knew this story she would kill me.” Talk about adrenaline rush!
As most of you know, Teles plays Echo on The 100. Going into its fourth season, The 100 is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction drama television series. Teles describes Echo as a “badass warrior with super samurai sword skills who never backs down from a fight.” Teles’ role as Echo has challenged her physically and emotionally, stating that it has been her most challenging role thus far. “Echo has a viewpoint that is the furthest from my own, so I had to work nonstop trying to find ways into her psyche and emotional constitution. She’s a trained assassin with violent instincts. I, on the other hand, am a yoga enthusiast, and second generation flower child!” While the role definitely challenged Teles, she was able to get past Echo’s ruthless behavior by “examining modern day pirates, child soldiers, spies of the cold-war era, and many strong historical female icons,” and become a prominent character in the show. Season 4 of The 100 is said to be very spectacular and disastrous all at once, and is definitely something to look forward to and keep up with.
Teles has a lot of big premieres in 2017 to look forward to. The premiere for season 4 of The 100 aired on February 1st, 2017, and is faced to be one of the darkest chapters yet… You can also look forward to the long awaited season 5 of Prison Break that airs April 9th, as Teles will be playing a new character named Tricia. While working in such unique and interesting acting roles, Teles is able to capture attention with tour de force talent and determination. Make sure to keep up to date with this up and coming actress!