Sarah Podemski Talks Representation on ‘Resident Alien’ [Interview]

While previews for Resident Alien put Harry (Alan Tudyk) front-and-center, the show also introduces us to a dynamic town with a variety of perspectives. Among those perspectives are the Twelvetrees family and the Ute Reservation. 

Through Asta (Sara Tomko), Harry gets to know the people who live on the Ute Reservation including several members of Asta’s family. One of those is her cousin, Kayla, played by Sarah Podemski.

I had the chance to speak with Sara Podemski about Kayla and some of the work that Resident Alien has done to increase First Nations representation on television.

One of the things that Podemski likes most about the show is that nothing is a parody. While there is comedy in Tudyk’s performance as Harry, there’s something human about it. 

“It makes it real. We have real feelings for him and we have real feelings for these characters,” Podemski said. “When you don’t make fun of people and you actually treat them with humanity, you get to really get a glimpse into what that experience is. And I think all of the characters, all of the actors have brought something really true and honest to this show.”

Kayla is often seen opposite Asta in everyday situations, from bowling to being a new mom enjoying a girl’s night. Podemski credits Kayla’s beautiful writing to one of Resident Alien‘s writers, Tazbah Chavez.

“[She] just wrote a really dynamic native woman, which I don’t really get to play that often. It’s very rare that we get these really fun, tough, women to play where they’re fully realized,” she said. “She has a lot of heart, but she’s also fiercely loyal and will throw down if anyone needs her to. It’s really nice to see a native woman portrayed like that.”

Many of Podemski’s scenes in Resident Alien Season 1 have been with Asta, D’Arcy (Alice Wetterlund), and Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen). Their scenes encompass a lot of comradery and support while bringing different perspectives to the story.

“The women are all so dynamic and so different, but also have such heart to them even in these complicated situations that they’re in. I think it’s really special. All the actresses just bring such a brightness and energy that really shows and it really shines.”

Resident Alien set a First Nations narrative from the pilot and has continued to progress with the narrative in a respectful place. Podemski spoke about how creator Chris Sheridan developed the Twelvetrees to be a native family in a modern context. 

Podemski, who is half Saulteaux (Bear/Thunderbird clan) from Muscowpetung First Nation in Saskatchewan, marveled at how the show has presented a nuanced representation of a First Nations family.

“It was really important for them to portray the native characters in a really true and honest and authentic light, and I think that they really accomplished that,” she said. “When a show like this comes on, people are given reference to who we are. That we’re your neighbor and we’re the mother of the kid that your kids go to school with. And we work at the diner, and we work at the office next to you. All of those things are really important for us to be represented in a really full way.”

“We’re used to seeing native characters through comedy, so it’s been really amazing to be part of a show where you see that there’s like millions and millions of viewers, just being able to have awareness of them on the screen because that becomes familiar. Our faces become familiar, and then it’s not so strange and disconnected when people hear about indigenous issues,” Podemski continued.

Podemski also spoke a bit about what the media can do to better represent the voices going forward. While she thinks there’s a lot more work coming, there are broader issues that need to be addressed and she called for some empathy in hiring for creative roles.

“There just needs to be more aware that there are systemic issues that have made us work the way that we do. When you’re working in a mostly white-passing environment, that’s familiar to you, so the thought of hiring people of color, people from a different demographic, it doesn’t cross your mind as easily,” she said.

“It is a little bit of extra work to find out who are these great directors, who are these great writers, who are these marginalized communities that haven’t had the opportunity to rise to the top. How can I help raise those voices, raise awareness, help mentor?”

Podemski also shared some insight when it comes to working in the entertainment industry. She grew up taking different art classes from acting to skiing and knew that she wanted to be an actor from a young age when she worked opposite her sister Tamara and she’s just kept working since. 

Over the years, she has found that having a full life matters. She explained that working in entertainment is a bit like summer camp where people go away and come back. 

“You go away, you do something and you come back. If you don’t have a great support system and you don’t have something to look forward to it can be really depressing and sad when something ends. In this industry, everything ends eventually,” Podemski said. 

Outside of acting, Podemski has a business where she makes dreamcatchers. She says this business keeps her creative and inspired and, in turn, attract more work. 

“It’s a really great way to not just be focused and honed in on the industry without having a balanced life. This way, when that work comes it’s great, but when it’s gone it’s also great,” she said. 

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Resident Alien will return for Season 2 in 2022.

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