MyBindi interviews Suleka Mathew March 2002

WORKING WITH THE DEAD: JUST PART OF
FOLLOWING HER HEART

Actress Suleka Mathew seems to be at the top of her game. Portraying the forensic pathologist Sunny Ramen on the multi-Gemini winning CBC drama "Da Vinci's Inquest," her face is recognizable to any connoisseur of Canadian television. And her four years of hard work on this Vancouver-based gritty crime series have netted her three Best Actress nominations in the Leo Awards.

So it's hard to imagine that she had once considered pursuing something other than the performing arts. Although the adopted Vancouverite (her family moved there from India when she was two) had been involved in acting throughout elementary and high school, "when I went to university I stumbled around in the humanities, unclear about what I wanted to accomplish. I thought that I would try something different [than acting], even though I knew as a kid that I wanted to do nothing more than theatre." Suleka spent the next two years in higher education, broken-hearted about giving up her lifelong dream. But when she couldn't ignore her heart any longer, she took a year off university and started taking private acting lessons, meeting up with people who shared her passion. After gaining experience and participating a theatre showcase presentation, she was approached by an agent. Six months later she scored her "lucky break" by landing a lead in "Family Pictures," a CBC Anthology. "It was my third professional audition, and I knew nothing, nothing about film or television. It was just a half-hour show, but it launched my career in a significant way. From that point on I started going out and getting parts." Over the next fourteen years those parts would be in such films as "Lola" and "Run," as well the television shows as "Dark Angel," "X-Files," and "The Crow."

Suleka acknowledges that her climb hasn't always been easy. Noting the constant pressure of auditions and lack of stability of her profession, she remarks that, "there have been times when I wish I was equally passionate about something else." She also had to work at many side-jobs to facilitate her career, ranging from receptionist to bartender to tour bus host. Although some might consider those experiences annoying but necessary ventures, looking back Suleka knows that they have strengthened her socially as well as artistically. "It's always nice to experience the different professions out there, and through them I've also met scores of different people who have taught me a lot about human nature. That sort of stuff imprints on your work on some level, whether you're conscious of it or not."

When she initially secured the character of Sunny, as with her past roles Suleka made sure to learn as much as she could about the world of forensic pathology. She researched the field, interviewed experts, and even attended a real-life autopsy. "I've been really fortunate to have met a lot of people in forensics who have been generous with sharing their knowledge. The other night I was invited to the Women in Pathology Dinner, and had met many doctors from the wide field of pathology. I found them funny, charming, sophisticated, and down-to-earth. I'm so happy to be associated with that ilk of women."

Over the years, Suleka has been able to see how Sunny's development has paralleled her own. "I'm much more comfortable at presenting the technical facts in the same way that Sunny is more confident about her abilities and sensibilities. So in the same way that I've grown as an actress, I think she grew into her knowledge, in finding her own authority in a male-dominated environment, and in becoming able to explain things to the cops in layman terms."

During the hiatus of "Da Vinci's Inquest," Suleka has returned to stage for a Carousel Production at Vancouver's Waterfront Theatre. Performing in Paul Ledoux's "Anne" (an adaptation of the classic "Anne of Green Gables"), she will be portraying Anne Shirley's best friend Diana Barry in early 1900's Canada until March 24th (extended from March 9th). The role will be a bit of a digression from her TV work: while both characters share a sharp intellect, "Sunny is career-driven, while Diana was raised to think that marriage and the home were proper spheres for women."

Diana is also a role that has usually been portrayed as a Caucasian. And although Carousel has been a long proponent of colour-blind casting, Suleka believes that this trend of choosing actors on ability instead of race is indicative of the current arts and media scene. "I think [the industry's view] has changed tremendously since I started, and that being an ethnic actor has gotten easier…It's been a nice progression to be part of."

At the same time, she notes that it still can be difficult to succeed as a female minority, especially when "about 33% of the available roles are for women." But she remarks that every actor has his or her own obstacles to overcome. "All you can really do is work hard at getting better at what you do. Because if you work hard and make the opportunities for yourself, or capitalize on the opportunities that you have, then hopefully the universe is going to provide you with what you need."

As for the future, Suleka would love to continue her role on Da Vinci's Inquest past its upcoming fifth season, or at least work on another television series. "But truthfully," she adds, "And this is going to sound funny from someone who's in a drama, but I see myself in comedy…As an entertainer, there's some kind of release that you get in comedy that you can't always get in other aspects of storytelling. It's really what I want to be doing, and what I love doing. So in five years I hope to god I'm making people laugh."

From hanging with corpses to hanging with the "Sex and the City" gals? Only time will tell…

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"Anne" is currently playing at Vancouver's Waterfront Theatre until March 24th. To purchase tickets, call the Waterfront Theatre Box Office at (604) 685-6217.

Links for Suleka Mathew:

Da Vinci's Inquest Official Website: www.davincisinquest.com