BY IRVIN RIVERA

Dexter: New Blood star JOHNNY SEQUOYAH is a passionate storyteller who loves mysteries. For her, stories could be shared in a myriad of ways- whether you’re acting, writing, producing, directing, you’re sharing the stories that you’re meant to tell. 

At a very young age, Sequoyah was exposed to the entertainment world and has started creating and sharing stories early. Since she was young, She’s been steadily building her resume as an actress throughout the years. In 2014, she played Bo Adams, the lead character in Alfonso Cuaron’s TV series BELIEVE.

In this exclusive interview, we spoke about her character Audrey Bishop, her music playlist, her acting journey, fashion, Alfonso Cuaron, and why she would be a Book of Spells. 

So how have you been Johnny? What's keeping you busy nowadays?

I have been kind of kept busy running around auditioning. I actually have a full on other job where I'm a social media director for a wellness company, which definitely keeps me very busy. I'm always having work calls and kind of creating content for that. So it's been a lot of fun. I'm excited about everything that's happening.

And how was that like? I feel like it's nice that you're on the other side of things as well, aside from being in front of the screen, right? 

For sure. 

How does that help you generally as an actor? 

Well, I think just in general, the work that I'm doing for my other job is such spiritual and grounding work that it feels kind of like a safe space for me to just work on myself. And also know that like, I think it's healthy for everyone who's in the industry to also have a life outside of it, because it can be very chaotic and it's a crazy world.

Absolutely. It’s a crazy, crazy world out there. Now let's talk about your character, Audrey from Dexter: New Blood. How was it to play her character?

Audrey was super, super fun to play. She felt similar to me in a lot of ways. So I didn't feel like I had to create a character. I definitely created a whole other world that she's lived in. But I also felt like I could bring a lot of my own sense of humor and my own sense of justice into it in who I am, because she definitely is someone who really strives to serve justice and be an activist in her community and within her friend group, and her home.

What's the best thing about playing her?

I love that she says whatever she thinks. I think that she has a real sense of bravery and speaking her mind, and I think that's inspirational for a lot of young women out there.

If Audrey will have her own song or soundtrack as a character, what songs will be in it, and why?

Great question. I have to think about this really quick. I would say that... I definitely think that The New Abnormal by The Strokes is like her favorite album. I think that's kind of the soundtrack to her life. I imagine that she is driving through the snow to school, just blasting that. Also, a radio-head. I know she loves Radiohead.

Amazing song choices. 

Thank you. Yes, well she uses a guitar.

Yes. Tell us more about the show. How different is this Dexter from the original?

I think that what's great about Dexter: New Blood is, there are a lot of things that fans from the original will love- a lot of the comfort foods are still within the story. But in this new version, there's also a lot of new characters and a whole new fictional world that it takes place in and hopefully people will really be intrigued by and connect with the characters and the world that we're living in through the story.

Now, let's talk about the challenges and the highs. What are the challenges that you've experienced, and of course, the high points?

Yes, I mean the highlights, to start on a positive note would be that I absolutely adored my cast and my crew. They were so incredible to work with and everyone was so hardworking and committed to telling this story and it was really inspiring to be a part of. For challenges, I would say my main challenge was being away from my friends and my family for like seven months. It was the longest I had ever been away from my home and my parents and my community, which taught me a lot, but it was definitely challenging at times.

Where did you film?

We filmed all over Massachusetts.

Everyone's process is different, especially with their approach to acting. How about you? Can you walk us through your creative process, whenever you're about to film a scene, what gets you there?

 It depends on the scene. But personally, I kind of have a ritual every morning when I get on set, no matter what time my call time was. I love to do a three-page stream of consciousness writing. So that was one of my favorite things in the morning, I would just write everything that I was feeling- all my anxieties, my worries, the feelings I was having, just so I could kind of let go of Johnny, let her be on the page, and kind of let Audrey come through, in a way. I also really loved listening to a playlist I made for Audrey, which I consider like her playlist. It's called Bishop. And I love to listen to that with my air pods and before scenes just to get into character and be in her mindset.

It's so interesting that a lot of artists have their own playlists before they go on scene. 

Yes. 

And it's really amazing to hear more about these playlists stories and how music influences their character.

Yes! 

It's crazy.

Oh, if you ever need to cry in a scene, just listen to Bon Iver.

Yes. Like, you just want to cry and go into a grocery store, just listen to that. 

Yes. If you want to cry in general, just listen to Bon Iver. 

Exactly. 

How did acting start for you? When do you think you caught the bug?

I definitely caught the bug at a very young age. I grew up on my parents' little independent movie sets. And was just so fascinated by the whole process of storytelling, but especially acting, I thought it was like, the most cool thing in the entire world. So I remember like, honestly, some of my earliest memories being alive are playing with my great grandma and making up characters that we were like, I would cast her as her character, and I would be my character. And I just remember being so upset with her if she would ever break character. I would literally be like, don't break character.

You're also the director.

Exactly, and the writer I guess. 

See, it's a full production. I love it. Where do you see yourself a couple years from now? Because you're doing well, you're in it and you're following your dreams as an actor. 

Thank you. 

I really just hope to be continuing to tell stories, whether that be in front of the camera or behind the camera writing, directing, producing, I'm really intrigued by it all. And I just hope to continue to uplift other people and tell stories that are inspiring.

Do you love fashion? You seem like a very fashionable person 

Oh, thank you. I love fashion. Yes.

How much does fashion influence you?

Fashion really influences me in a lot of ways. I think that like most people, I definitely had to find my style and had many failures. But I find that fashion to me is what makes me feel confident and what makes me feel like Johnny, what makes me feel like myself. Whether that be a really comfortable sweat suit or a dress, I really find that if I'm wearing something that feels uniquely me, I just feel like the best version of myself.

Do you feel like there's a correlation between dressing up and acting? You're taking different characters, you're wearing different clothing. I feel like it's kind of the same in a lot of ways.

For sure. I mean that really is like you said. When you put on your character's clothes, all of a sudden you like... For me, I look in the mirror and I see someone else.

I want to go back to what you said earlier, like how movies influenced you growing up. And what's your favorite film or TV show? 

Oh my gosh. That's really, really hard. Honestly, it's interesting that I re-watch movies more than I re-watch TV shows. 

Same. 

I feel like I think it has to do with the fact that when I was younger, I just was so fascinated by movies and I love them so much that there's these movies that throughout my life I have just continuously watched over and over and over that really are comfort films. I think that's really just again what the beauty of storytelling is. You know, if you need a distraction, if you need to escape, there is storytelling, and you can just enter a whole other world. But I've probably seen Narnia and A Little Princess like hundreds of times.

A little princess is such a beautiful movie. I keep telling people to watch that. And they're like, what is that? It's a beautiful, innocent, just a beautiful, beautiful film.

Seriously, a crazy little full circle moment too is that A Little Princess was one of the first, really the first movie I became absolutely obsessed with. And I actually ended up working with Alfonso Cuaron on my first television job, which was actually also my first audition.

That's amazing. 

Yes, it was a dream come true. And I remember being like 10 years old, being like you're directing my favorite movie.

Alfonso is brilliant. 

He's brilliant.

I just really love the way he makes films. So it's definitely one of those things that makes me really excited. What's a valuable lesson that you've learned throughout the years of your career that you always carry with you?

I would say that, in terms of acting, I've always really gone back to believing that you will always tell the stories that you're meant to tell. Just because in this industry, you face so much rejection, that I've really learned that most of the time, well, really every time when you're being rejected. It's because you're being redirected to the place that you're meant to go.

I totally agree. You couldn't have said it more precisely. 

Oh, thank you.

That's what it is. Rejection is not just purely rejection. It could be a redirection. That's great. 

Johnny, final question. If you're a book, what book would you be and why? 

I think I would be a Book of Spells.

I am a triple Scorpio. I love tarot readings. I love to give my friends tarot readings. And I just think in general the history of witchcraft and just modern day witchery is so intriguing to me. So I'll call myself the Book of Spells. 

I love it. 

I know, I think it's quite mysterious.