DON'T PANIC, HERE'S AN INTERVIEW WITH KERRI MEDDERS

Photo by Mathilde Bresson

An accomplished actress and a fantastic singer and songwriter, Kerri Medders has steadily risen in notoriety since her run as Gwenny in the Emmy nominated Netflix series Alexa & Katie. She also plays Emma Hayes on the CBS drama SEAL Team, the daughter of David Boreanaz's character Jason Hayes.

More recently, Kerri took on the role of Ruby Anne McDonough on the Amazon series "Panic" that premiered on May 28th this year. Panic takes place in the rural town of Carp, Texas, in which every year the graduating seniors compete in a "game" where they face their biggest fears to win life-changing money and escape the otherwise sleepy town. Additionally, you can catch Kerri in the new Disney movie Spin, releasing this Friday, August 13th, on the Disney channel.

We had the chance to talk with Kerri a little bit and learn some juicy tidbits about her ongoing projects as well as her overall trajectory, don't miss it!

You have been in a variety of projects over the years. Including two Emmy nominated shows. How'd you get involved with acting? Was this something you always wanted to do?

When I was seven years old, I ended up being a part of a theatre production of 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' in Houston, TX. l remember the feeling of falling in love with the adrenaline rush of being able to perform and I knew it was always something I wanted to pursue.

Tell those who haven't caught on already a bit about Amazon's "Panic." What's been your favorite episode so far?

My favorite episode of Amazon's "Panic" has to be "Joust," the season finale. I say that because I remember shooting the joust scene, and it felt like it was all play. The work came easy because we (Jordan Elsass, Maya Hendricks, Bryce Cass, and Myra Campbell) were all having a blast together in the back of the trucks. I remember specifically at 3 am, we all just started laughing for no reason and couldn't keep it together, so whenever the cameras turned on us for our shots, it made it so 'lively' because the energy was naturally there.

Speaking of facing your biggest fear. What would be your own personal "Panic" situation? What kind of money would it take for you to go through that willingly?

That's such a fascinating question! I think my "Panic" situation would involve being confined to space where water was readily flowing in. That's always been a fear of mine, and honestly, I don't think there is a price I could put on it to overcome that fear willingly.

You play 'Ginger' in the upcoming Disney movie, "Spin." Can you tell us about the film and what drew you to this character?

"Spin" follows Rhea, an Indian American teen, and she is on a journey of self-discovery. This journey empowers her to find her true love- creating and producing beat-driven music infused with her South Asian culture. In the process, her life revolves around her eclectic group of friends (Molly, Watson, and Ginger) and her multigenerational family. What drew me to Ginger was how the archetype in films usually portrays the popular, social butterfly personality as the antagonist; however, Ginger ends up being the supportive hypeman to Rhea's dreams and goals. It's honestly a refreshing take and adds more depth to the usual blueprint of a character like Ginger.

What's your dream actor or actress to share a screen with?

Without hesitation, Timothee Chalamet.

It's great to see that you're also musically inclined. Who are your top 3 musical influences at the moment?

I'm usually all over the place when it comes to music, but right now, I've been influenced by Phoebe Bridgers, Shakey Graves, and Caamp. I've been in a super Americana singer-songwriter era, and I'm soaking it in as much as I can.

It's been a while since you last released music. Any plans to release something new?

I know it's been a while! I have so many unreleased songs that are just sitting, waiting around, but maybe I'll release it surprisingly one day without notice. That seems very much like something I would do.

I've read that you've worked with the JDRF and the American Diabetes Association. As a type 1 Diabetic, what's the most critical educational fact about Diabetes that people ignore or forget?

I sometimes think people tend to forget that we constantly have to be aware of our glucose (sugar) numbers, and in balancing that, we have to be mindful of what we're consuming, food-wise, to control our sugar. 

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.