I cannot say this enough. Because of my devotion to the Hallmark network, I am regularly introduced to such a wide variety of exceptional actors that I may not notice otherwise. As a result, I research these actors and often discover their other works, and that is exactly how I happened upon Tasya Teles. From seeing and reviewing her work on Autumn Dreams, I began to notice her elsewhere, much to my delight. Recently, Tasya agreed to answer a few questions about her journey to become an actress, her noteworthy roles, and even some about what she hopes to do in the future.

Photo Credit: Liz Rosa

​RH: What inspired you to become an actress? What kind of training have you had?

TT: There wasn’t one event in particular. It was always something I loved doing since I was a kid, without knowing exactly why. I guess that made it easy to push the acting aside, so that when I went to university, it wasn’t even an option. I had to think of a “real” career choice, and understandably, my parents encouraged me towards other professions. But there was always something nagging at me, telling me to follow my intuition towards acting. Once I did that, the flood gates were open, my senses were turned on, and I was totally obsessed. I studied acting lightly in university, which is when I fell in love with it, and again as an adult. Now I train in every way I can. From breath work, to theatre, to audition technique, and character analysis. I look for the best teachers in my city and train with them, and also travel to different cities to train with different teachers. I’m continually training and continually learning. I absolutely love what I do.

What was your first professional acting job?  What was your experience like on that job? 

My first network acting job was on DirecTV’s Rogue, and I was totally and completely terrified. It was a very edgy role, and definitely pushed me beyond my comfort zone, but I knew I could do it. It was a recurring role, which was a big deal, so I just had to take it moment by moment and rely on the director to help me if necessary. I read a book written by Michael Caine, Acting in Film, and he says he maps out his scenes and runs them frontwards and backwards until he can do them with his eyes closed. That helped me immensely to stay relaxed on set. In one interrogation scene, the actress who was playing the cop questioning me, actually told me I was making her nervous because I was so still and calm. That confidence came from knowing the scene so thoroughly.

How did you get the job? What can you tell us about your role on Rogue? Any memorable stories from that show?

For this role, I auditioned by tape, and went and met with the director, who took a chance on an unknown actress with no experience. I played Kendra, a troubled girl from the sketchy part of town. She hangs with dangerous people, and at a party someone ends up dead, and she thinks it’s her fault. She then has a meltdown, which was so much fun to shoot. I had to run into the living room naked, well I was wearing a “modesty patch” if that counts, and I’m screaming and crying; it’s just total chaos. I eventually start throwing glasses at my scene partner, so he doesn’t kill me, and I remember just watching these prop glasses flying around the room, and my aim was totally off. I think I hit a few light fixtures, the sound guy, and one of the camera men. It was a bit embarrassing, to be honest. Thank God it was sugar glass, so no one got hurt. My adrenaline was pumping so hard I could barely focus.

You’ve been on a couple of Christmas films. What do you like about Christmas? Any special moments from those holiday films?

The holiday films are a nice break from the dark sci-fi and drama shows we often shoot in Vancouver. They’re always so sweet and remind me of muffins and baked goods, family, and all that warm holiday cheer. When I was shooting Autumn Dreams, I ended up making great friends with my co-stars, and we had such a blast shooting together. That reminds me..I need to give them a call. 😉

Tasya Teles, Colin Egglesfield Credit: Copyright 2015 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Bettina Strauss

You mentioned Autumn Dreams. Was that your first Hallmark film? What do you like about working for Hallmark?

I think The Christmas Secret was my first Hallmark film, but Autumn Dreams was my most recent. Comedies and Hallmark movies are good for the soul. They are light and fun, which is always a nice break from the heavy emotional world of a drama series.

You are also a recurring character on The 100. How did you get involved with that show? What has been your experience with the fans of the show?

The 100 — “The Tinder Box” — Image HU405a_0282 — Pictured: Tasya Teles as Echo — Credit: Diyah Pera/The CW — © 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

I auditioned for many different Grounder roles, but eventually Echo grabbed me and pulled me into the story. It’s said that you don’t pick your roles, they pick you. I really felt that when it came to Echo. My experiences with the fans have been sublime. I absolutely adore them, and love chatting with them online, and meeting them at conventions. They have so much soul, and The 100 fans especially are so generous and passionate. It’s an amazing gift.

I notice you are in The Perfect Pickup. How did you get involved with that film? What was the experience like filming it? Any word on when this might be available for distribution?

My friends wrote a story about four guys trying to navigate the perils of the dating world, and they ended up casting a lot of our mutual friends. It was a hilarious experience because we were free to be as crazy, creative, and spontaneous as we wanted. {The movie is scheduled to be released in the U.S. April 17.}

Any other upcoming works you can mention?

Currently working on a couple things, but it’s too early to start spreading the news, unfortunately.

Any plans to eventually write, direct or produce?

I am in the middle of writing a script as we speak. Wish me luck; it isn’t easy! I have a renewed respect for all the writers out there. I also hope to direct one day, but I have to take things one humble step at a time. There’s always so much to learn, I want to make sure the people I’m working with have confidence in my ability to direct them. There’s a lot of trust involved.

If you could work with anyone in the business, whom would you choose and why?

Wow. That’s a great question! Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett give such spellbinding performances, I would love to learn from them. I would also love to play opposite someone like Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, or Leonardo Dicaprio. Gentlemen with fire in their belly. I love playing passionate characters, and playing off someone who will join me in the madness of it all would be euphoric.

Photo Credit: Liz Rosa

While Tasya may not be a household name at this point, she has been given an assortment of roles that have established her versatility and remarkable dramatic ability which have in turn set her on a course to attain every dream and hope within her heart. I appreciate her candor in the brief stories she shared as it demonstrates what I had deduced from the moment I recognized her talent–she immerses herself fully in her roles with a passion of which not every actress in the business is capable. While it is true that she has trained extensively and still continues to do so, her attention to detail and willingness to pour such intrinsic intensity into every one of her roles is a gift with which she has been blessed, and the consistent honing of her craft has only enriched those inherent talents. Moreover, her eagerness to tackle the challenges of writing and eventually directing is something which thrills me beyond belief as she takes these projects soberly and with purpose. I applaud her for her assiduousness in this area and the whole of her career. Tasya is one who has begun on the correct path in this business, and as more opportunities come her way, I have no doubt she will seize them and make the most of them all while keeping herself grounded and humble. In my opinion, those qualities are the keys to her success, and I joyously await the actualization of all her dreams and goals in future days, weeks, months, and years. Thus, I invite all of you to join her on her journey by following her at all the links below and checking out more of her illustrious works, for I have no doubt, you will never regret the decision to support such a conscientious and benevolent (not to mention radiant) woman. 

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