ASHLEY NICOLE WILLIAMS ON PLAYING AN EMPOWERED WITCH IN THE ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE OF 'MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM'

INTERVIEW BY IRVIN RIVERA

Breakout American actress Ashley Nicole Williams plays Abigail Bellweather in the new Freeform TV series Motherland: Fort Salem. The show is set in an alternate women-dominated universe where the United States government ended persecution of witches 300 years ago after cutting a deal with the them to fight for their country.

Abigail is one of the three women that moves the story forward along with Rael and Tally.

Motherland: Fort Salem is a contemporary take on the classic themes of witchcraft, magic, patriotism and women empowerment. There’s a lot to unpack in this new series’ universe. The way the witches uses their voices as their source of power, using the term “work” instead of magic, the different dynamics and types of witches, as well as the vast world and history embedded in the show.

In this exclusive interview, get to know the Motherland actress a little bit deeper. Read more about her character Abigail, how she and her castmates evolved in the show, how her character is similar to her in a lot of ways, her acting journey and her favorite book.

How are you holding up during this time of the pandemic?

I am doing well. I’m just spending a lot of time with my parents and my puppy dog.

How about you?

STYLIST: WAYMAN AND MICAH, MAKE-UP: SAISHA BEECHAM, HAIR: RENA CALHOUN

Writing, editing and watching a lot of shows. Actually watched your show and I really really enjoyed it. Congratulations.

Thank you!

If we are to put the current social norm, with the world inflicted with Corona virus, in the world of Motherland: Fort Salem, how do you think the witches would handle the current situation?

I think that we would try to heal everyone. I fell like they would. Especially with Rael’s power, she is a healer. I feel like general Adler would probably make every witch a healer so we can heal the world so no one could be sick anymore with the virus.

Wow that’s a good one. Given that you are all very powerful, that would be a good solution.

If we can use it now, right?

Absolutely!

How would you describe the show to those who haven’t seen it yet?

It is a kick-ass show run by kick-ass women breaking down barriers, social-norms and stigmas. It’s a type of a women empowerment show and it’s definitely something needed right now in this world. It shows that women are just aren’t the housewives, the mom, the cook, etc. We’re kicking ass.

It’s really such a powerful show. The concept, execution and everything.

Enlighten us a little bit more about the singing and the harmonizing in the show as a means to project power from the witches? How does that actually work?

Our creator, Eliott Laurence, he didn’t want to use the word magic so we call it our “work.”

Us, women are using their voices because you can’t shut us up and that’s our power. I think that’s the underlying theme- letting women know that you can use your voice to be heard and that it’s powerful.

I think it’s something that we want to portray to our audience- You are powerful. It doesn’t matter what anyone says. You have a voice and we will hear you.

That’s very well said. Now let’s talk about your character. What’s the best part about playing Abigail Bellweather?

I think the best part about Abigail is that we’re so similar. When I read her character description, I was like, wow, I am kind of hand in hand like this girl. I’m just not like a big of a queen bee as her. But I think the best part about playing a character that is so close to me is that while Abigail learn things about herself, I actually learn things about myself as well. I was able to grow alongside with my character as I was filming which I felt was really cool and special.

That’s really cool because you get to evolve with the character.

Would you say that you’re also a leader yourself?

Yeah. I would say that I try to be a leader. But I think the biggest thing about being a leader is realizing that you have to work with others and care about others in order to lead. Abigail’s biggest thing in the beginning of the episodes is that she only cares about herself in getting where she needs to be so she doesn’t disappoint her mom and her family.

But she needs to realize that there is no “I” in team. So when I try to be a leader, and not a follower, I think one thing that I think I do well is including everyone.

Do you have a favorite episode from this whole season?

I don’t know if I have a favorite episode but I do have a favorite scene. It is a scene in episode 10 that I can’t talk about obviously. But it’s with my co-star Taylor who plays Rael. It’s so special. You’ll know exactly what scene it is when you see it but it just shows how far our characters have come and how they essentially evolved together throughout the show.

Will look forward to it.

Have you seen any witchcraft related shows? In some interviews you mentioned that you love Twitches.

Show-wise, I grew up watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the classic. I loved it. But with movies, when I said Twitches, it was one of my favorite Halloween movies. It’s either Twitches or Halloween Town. I also watched the original Charmed growing up. So both the originals of Charmed and Sabrina. I think it’s also cool to be in a witch show but I think we’re also reimagining the witch as well and it’s kind of different so it’s cool.

How much preparation did you do to get into your character, into your role, in this newly imagined world?

I prepped with my acting coach. For the pilot episode, I know each one of us have 2 years to work on it. So there’s two years in the making. I have those lines ingrained in my brain forever. You’ll see the scene with Rael where I’m telling her off in our little cafeteria - those lines are in my brain forever. I prep a lot with my acting coach especially every time we get a new script. We also have an on-set acting coach. Her name is Deb Podowski and we also go to her studio and prep as well. We put a lot into these characters. So I hope that it comes across on screen as we hoped.

It does.

In terms of physical training, the first three weeks, I was in Vancouver, we have classes with the ancient rope dart. We use a weapon called the scourge in the show and we’ve been training with that for three weeks. We also train for our fight scenes. We do that over the weekends. It was a lot of physical training and preparing for our lines and a whole bunch of training and prepping.

Now let’s talk a little bit about your acting journey so far. What inspired you to pursue acting?

I’ve always wanted to be an actress since I was 5. I know it’s crazy to think that the little 5-year old knows what she wants to do with her life forever. But that’s something that I’ve always felt in my soul as my purpose. Everything else I’ve done. I played sports and I did dance for a little bit as a child. But everything else I ended up having to quit or I did quit. Acting is just something that I could just never ignore. I wanted to get my degree and I wanted to pursue my career, maintaining that and just listening to God so I can follow his path on where he wanted me to lead or where he wanted me go. It wasn’t really a choice for me. I’m just gonna get both done and I’m gonna keep pursuing both and I think I’m doing well. May is around the corner and I’m about to graduate.

That’s awesome. Let’s hope this Corona ends soon so you all can graduate.

I know. Unfortunately we can’t walk in May but they were saying that we can maybe walk in August if Corona was done. But we can also walk in December.

How’s your relationship with your cast mates?

It’s so awesome and genuine. I keep saying we’re all best friends but we all really are. Jessica, Taylor and I are just that. We are a unit- Abigail, Rael and Tally. It’s the same in real life.

There was a bumpy road in the beginning of the show though, with Rael and Abigail butting heads. But in real life, we clicked immediately. Taylor and Jessica are my sisters. I can call them for anything. We don’t even live in the same country. Jessica is in South Africa. Taylor is in Canada yet we still talk everyday. I think we’re very fortunate to have that type of relationship and connection because I know a lot of actors don’t get that.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

Oh my gosh. I love this question. It’s definitely gonna be a book that I’ve read. I love the Twilight saga and the Hunger Games but my favorite book is Fahrenheit 451. But I don’t know if I will be Fahrenheit 451. Let me take all that back. I think I’m gonna be The Fault in our Stars. Because it’s such a good book and I’m such a sappy, hopeless romantic. So I think that’s what I’d be.

Motherland: Fort Salem is now streaming