Photographer: Jonny MarlowMake-up: Anthony MeranteHair: Preston WadaStylist: Sonia Young — **Photographer:** Jonny Marlow
**Make-up:** Anthony Merante
**Hair:** Preston Wada
**Stylist:** Sonia Young

Skyler Joy’s journey to Hollywood starts with humble roots. The Alaskan starlet was raised in the small town of Ketchikan where she cut her teeth participating in local community theater. Self perseverance saw dreams of auditioning for industry roles come true once the actor turned 18. We recently sat down with the actress to discuss all things “P-Valley”; her hit new Starz show. “P-Valley”, an adaptation of creator Katori Hall’s play Pussy Valley, takes place in the Mississippi Delta, and follows the complicated lives of Autumn (played by actress Elarica Johnson) who is a new dancer at neighborhood popular strip club The Pynk and residential “queen bee” Mercedes (Brandee Evans) and their various coworkers at the local joint. Joy’s onscreen persona Gidget is a second generation pole dancer who takes the sport seriously and is the best friend to veteran dancer Mercedes. We see Gidget’s spunk right from the get-go, as she’s not afraid to speak her voice and possesses a no holds barred attitude. That’s the beauty of “P-Valley”- the unapologetic dialogue and strong female narrative these characters invoke. Femininity and sexuality are embraced and the idea of sex workers is validated rather than exploited.

Skyler took out some time with us during quarantine to catch Rival Magazine readers up on the show including her audition process, where season led Gidget and what’s next in store for the deep South crew, as it was announced that the series was picked up for a second season.

RIVAL: What’s your upbringing and background?

SJ: I grew up on a small island in Alaska called Ketchikan. My home was a long- term foster home to many girls I still call my sisters and my older brother. I’ve always had a strong drive and passion for the arts and my family has always encouraged me to pursue a career in acting. I’ve been able to take a lot of my unique experiences of living in Alaska and turn them into art.

RIVAL: When did you start to get into acting?

SJ: My acting career really began as a child. After seeing a summer camp play that my older brother was in I fell in love with performing. I had no choice but to be a theatre actor because there wasn’t any films/TV shows being shot in our town, which I’m glad I did because it made me the strong actor I am today. I remember always begging my parents to take me to LA to let me audition. My mother would always tell me to take every opportunity I could in our town until I was old enough to move. At the age of about 8 I had done my research and started saving my allowance to pay a photographer to take headshots of me. I took those headshots to school and autographed them ha! If you were a casting director in Washington or Alaska you probably received an e-mail from 10 year old me asking to cast me. When I was around 13 my parents surprised me with a trip to Seattle to attend my first meeting with a casting director I had been emailing back and forth with. So I guess you could say I got into acting by creating my own path with what I could do in small town.

RIVAL: How did the part of Gidget come your way?

SJ: I first auditioned for the role of Gidget in 2018. I was living in Atlanta at the time and I remember receiving the audition from my agents. My first thought was “Wow I’ve never auditioned for a role like this before.” After I had auditioned I felt so connected to the project. I thought to myself “I can do this role.” I had the feeling that I like to call MY ROLE feeling. It’s where you have no doubt it your mind that the role is yours.

RIVAL: Did you audition? If so, what was that process like?

SJ: I attended several auditions and it was a lengthy process. After my last audition for the show it took a while to hear back which was difficult emotionally for me. I knew in my heart that I was going to be involved in the project regardless of what happened with the role of Gidget, but I didn’t know how or when. After sometime I attended another callback for a different project. I’ve heard about actors messing up their auditions before but had never experienced it myself. I took a red eye to Atlanta to attend the call back and I was beyond exhausted as I walked into the casting room. I messed up my callback and left the office in tears. Everything kind of hit me all at once. In my mind I felt defeated. After years of rejection I had never had the feeling of wanting to give up. But at this moment that’s exactly what I felt. I hadn’t heard anything back from P-Valley, I had no money, and I just felt like it had all caught up with me. I wanted to give up so badly, but I knew it my heart that I would never actually give up. About a week after this I was at another callback. As I walked out of the room my phone began blowing up! My agents were texting and calling me saying “YOU’RE GIDGET! YOU DID IT! YOU GOT THE ROLE!”

RIVAL: What drew you to Gidget’s character?

SJ: So many things drew me to Gidget! Katori Hall writes with so many layers and depth that initially drew me to Gidget. Reading the script I loved how Gidget is so unapologetic when it comes to being herself. I tend to chase things that scare me and give me a challenge, and that’s exactly what this role was for me.

RIVAL: What were your thoughts on how your character would be dressed?

SJ: I should probably warn my grandma and father. HA! I actually understood Gidget a lot more through her wardrobe choices. Her choice of lingerie in the club is a story within itself. Gidget transforms herself in the club in order to escape her reality. The way Gidget dresses is necessary in order to tell her story in an authentic way, and I knew that coming into it.

RIVAL: Are you involved in the wardrobe part of production? If so, how?

SJ: Yes, I attended fittings every episode! From there I was able to try on tons of outfits to ensure that I would be comfortable. However, Katori Hall and the costume designers were in charge of all of the main designs, and I’d get sent their choices.

RIVAL: Is it at all tough to wear the costumes?

SJ: Only when it was freezing on set! I think people would be surprised how comfortable the costumes actually were. The only thing that would drive me nuts at times was wearing wigs. The wigs would get so heavy towards the end of the day.

RIVAL: How hard is it to walk in those heels?!

SJ: It’s actually not that difficult! Pole heels have more grip to the bottom of them and a thicker base to walk on than normal heels. The only time that I had a difficult time wearing them was was I had to run and jump off of the stage into Duffy’s arms in episode 3!

RIVAL: Are you doing most of the stunts/dancing?

SJ: The girls and I had hours of pole rehearsals most days to prepare for our scenes. There’s a lot of scenes we had dialogue in while we were dancing, so we needed to feel comfortable while we were doing our scenes. All of us had stunt doubles that performed the more extreme tricks that take years to learn. However, I think people would be surprised at how much I was able to do in the show. My dance double was Alethea Austin who is well known in the pole community. She is an incredible dancer, I learned a lot from watching her!

RIVAL: Did you embrace the sexuality and femininity of the part? How?

SJ: Yes! Every episode in Season 1 was directed by a women and most of our crew was women which by far made this the most empowering set I’ve ever worked on! I felt so safe and supported the entire time. I hope that other projects will continue to follow in P-Valley’s footsteps in this regard. I embraced the role of Gidget knowing that her story needed to be told in the most authentic way possible. I know that there are many women like Gidget in the world that deserve to have their stories told, and I felt it was my job to ensure her story was told through her perspective, a women’s perspective.

RIVAL: Where did season 1 leave Gidget and what do you anticipate happening in season 2? (Congratulations by the way on the renewal!)

SJ: Thank you! I’m beyond excited to continue telling Gidget’s story! I think Season 1 does a great job of giving the audience the understanding of what these character’s lives are like within the club. They are able to see what role the Pynk (the club) plays in Gidget’s life. I think and hope that Season 2 will reveal more of Gidget’s backstory and what’s next for her at the Pynk and beyond.

RIVAL: What was it like working alongside Octavia Spencer in, “Ma" for one of your first feature films?

SJ: Ma was definitely one of the bigger projects I’ve worked on. I’ve always looked up to Octavia Spencer she is so genuine and talented. I had a blast working on the set and loved spending time in Mississippi. I remember receiving a callback for the film right after someone had broken into my house and trashed/stole all of my valuables in Atlanta. I was living somewhere temporarily with barely any money when I received the callback. I made the decision to drive 8 hours to attend the callback in Natchez, Mississippi! I spent all of my money on a local hotel and attended the audition the following morning. I remember walking out of the casting room with that MY ROLE FEELING. Sure enough, I had officially booked the role the next day!

RIVAL: How did the ‘Ma’ script catch your eye?

SJ: Reading Octavia Spencer in a horror film was what I loved most about the script. I hadn’t seen her in any horror films yet, and I was already familiar with her work. I loved the story line and I knew it was going to be a popular film by the way I was on the edge of my seat while reading the script!

RIVAL: Do you prefer working in film or television?

SJ: I really enjoy both! However, being able to tell a character’s story progressively for over a season or multiple seasons can be very satisfying.’

RIVAL: How are you holding up and transitioning during quarantine?

SJ: I think this has been tough for everyone. We’ve all had to work through the obstacles day by day. But I’ve been trying to take advantage of the down time by practicing gratitude, meditation, and self reflection. When things are busy it’s been difficult for me in the past to just simply remember to take some deep breaths, which is why I’m trying to work on that during this time. I think that we we all walk away from this with more gratitude for the little things that surround us.

RIVAL: Whereabouts were you/what were you doing when the quarantine began?

SJ:I was and still am in my home in Los Angeles with my boyfriend and two dogs. It didn’t feel real and I had extreme anxiety for the first month or so.

RIVAL: What do you think the future of the entertainment industry looks like post-COVID?

SJ: I think when the entertainment industry starts back up things will be different for sure! I think most auditions that would be in person will be held over Zoom. I think it’s even possible that a lot of roles will be cast through Zoom!

RIVAL: What’s next for you? Any new projects you can talk about?

SJ: First is getting through this pandemic! Next will be beginning to prep for season 2 of P-Valley!

RIVAL: Where can fans follow you online?

SJ: Fans can find me on social media platforms as @skylerjoy. They can also subscribe to my Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/skylerjoy.

“P-Valley” had already received critical acclaim even before its debut with journalists declaring the series as brave, real and unapologetic. The show holds a coveted 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Daniel D’Addario boasts “how powerful it is when women team up to take it on in their own way” and it’s no doubt in part to portrayals such as Skylers’ that brings a raw authenticity to these individuals. We’ve only just seen the tip top of Skyler’s juggernaut of a performance- there’s a whole lot of punch in this petite powerhouse. “P-Valley” season 1 is available to watch now on Starz.com or Starz network.

Beyond the Valley: Showtime's 'P-Valley' star 'Skyler Joy' chats with Rival about the Hit Show and Whats in Store for Season 2!

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