TV

Ana Golja talks Zoe and Grace on “Degrassi” and working with Jennifer Beals

Ana Golja may be new on AfterEllen’s radar, but she’s more than making up for lost time. The 19-year-old came to our attention this summer after her character Zoe Rivas fell for schoolmate Grace Cardinal (Nikki Gould) on Degrassi: Don’t Look Back. But she’s also been busy with other projects—most notably starring in the TV movie Full Out opposite Jennifer Beals.

Based on a true story, Ana plays Ariana Berlin, an athlete who suffered an accident that nearly ended her gymnastics career. Ariana fought her way back to the sport through a combination of incredible determination, UCLA Coach Valorie Kondos Field, and an amazing hip hop dance crew. The real Ariana and Coach Val each had parts in the movie, and it was Ariana who performed the Olympic-level moves in Ana’s place. But Ana did hit every single landing! She also has a song (“Feel So Good”) on the movie’s soundtrack because she’s just that good.

We recently sat down with Ana to discuss everything from how she got the part in Full Out, to what working with Jennifer Beals was like, and, of course, the Zoe and Grace storyline on Degrassi.

AfterEllen.com: I read that you really, really wanted this role in Full Out. That you put your all into getting it. What was it about the role that made you just have to have it?

Ana Golja: For two reasons: I saw a lot of myself in Ariana. We’re very similar in the way that we’re both fighters. We have that drive and that passion, and that go, go, go attitude. And very similar upbringings—like really loving, supportive families. So I connected to her in that way. And then I just thought it was a really incredible inspirational story that I really wanted to tell. That I wanted to be a part of. It was a real passion project for everyone involved.

AE: What was the audition process like?

AG: The audition process was very simple actually. Yeah, way simpler than one would imagine. I received the script, I read it, I said I was very interested, I went into the audition, I did the few scenes, I gave a little speech as to why I wanted the part—which usually you never do because auditions are usually very formal. And that was it.

AE: So it wasn’t like in Bring It On where Eliza Dushku pulls that little stunt during tryouts?

AG: No. Oh no!

AE: Besides gymnastics, you also did a lot of hip-hop dancing in the movie. Was that all you?

AG: That was me.

AE: Do you have a background in dancing?

AG: I started dancing when I was five and a half—almost six-years-old. And I did the works: ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, Latin, ballroom. And then competed and everything. So thankfully I had about 10 years of dance experience under my belt prior to the film.

Actually the executive producers, they didn’t want me to do any of the dancing or the stunts. Just because they’re like, “You’re the star! Don’t hurt yourself!” And I insisted. I was like, “No, no, no. There’s no way you’re going to get a double to do all the dancing when I myself am a dancer. No.” So I insisted, and thankfully they let me do it.

AE: So, you got to hug Jennifer Beals. Was that one take? Several?

AG: Several!

AE: Do you realize how lucky you are?

AG: I do, I do. Because I’m a huge fan of hers. Like Flashdance, it’s one of those iconic films. So getting to work with her, she’s just such a humble and incredibly—she just has such a vast knowledge of the industry. I learned so much from being on set with her. It was absolutely amazing.

AE: She drop some knowledge?

AG: Absolutely. Absolutely. A lot of wisdom.

AE: Like, “Hang in there kid,”?

AG: Yeah. She’s like, “Just stay true to who you are, stay focused, and do you.”

AE: Watching the movie, it looks like you had a blast. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much fun did you have?

AG: 100. Off the charts! When you’re working with such incredible, talented, passionate people, I mean it honestly, it wasn’t—I didn’t feel like I was going to work. I was going to hang out with friends everyday, and do what I love, which I’m so blessed to do.

AE: I’m going to switch it over to Degrassi. When did you find out that Zoe was going to have this storyline with Grace?

AG: I didn’t find out until the read-through.

AE: How long before shooting did that happen?

AG: Two weeks before we shot. And I must say, everyone was so surprised. Like I did not see that coming.

AE: Surprised about the kind of storyline? That it paired Zoe with Grace? Or what?

AG: A mix of all that. Grace is—the thing about their relationship is that they’re complete polar opposites, yet at the same time they have so much in common. They’re both very strong women, they’re both, you know, feisty in their own ways, and very confident in who they are. So I think that’s what really connected them.

AE: Did you notice anything from before that makes this development logical for Zoe?

AG: I was surprised, but then after I really took it in and absorbed it and thought about it for a couple of days, I realized that given Zoe’s experience with guys, I did kind of see it coming. But I was surprised—I was.

AE: So you found out about it shortly before filming. How did you then interpret that? Was it that, because it was as new for you as it was for Zoe, you could go on the journey together?

AG: Absolutely. Like I went on that journey with Zoe. Just because, again, I didn’t see it coming, and neither did Zoe. And you’ll see that continue into the new season.

AE: What was the actual shooting of those scenes like?

AG: Again, it was a journey that I went on with Zoe. I mean, she’s really struggling to find a sense of self, and, at the end of the day, Zoe just wants to be loved. That’s at the core of it all. And again, you see that underlying throughout the entire upcoming season. She’s just struggling to find out who she is.

AE: Have you encountered fan reaction yet?

AG: Oh my gosh, the fans are so excited. There’s so many different ship names. There’s Groe. There’s Gracivas. The fans are freaking out. They’re so excited. They’re really connecting to it.

AE: What can you tell us about next season? Is the Zoe-Grace situation acknowledged?

AG: It’s acknowledged. Yes. Again, you’ll see Zoe struggle with finding her identity.

AE: Their relationship when we saw them last was very much just the two of them. In the new season, do we see how the other characters react to their dynamic?

AG: Yes. You see how other characters are affected by it.

AE: Okay, now Netflix! Netflix came in and saved the day. When you originally shot the Zoe and Grace storyline, was it known that Netflix was picking up the show?

AG: No.

AE: So it could have been that the summer special was the wrap up? We have Netflix to thank for this new lesbian storyline?

AG: Yup, absolutely. Because we shot that and then we didn’t have an official pick up until May.

AE: So now I have to ask, knowing how important it is to play these kinds of characters and what it means for the community, do you let it affect you at all?

AG: Of course there is a bit of weight to it, because I do want to represent the community in its truest form. But at the end of the day, it is a TV show, it is a character that I’m playing, and I have no say in what happens. I just do what I’m told, and that’s it. But I just hope that whatever I create is compelling and relatable in some way.

AE: Do you ship Zoe and Grace?

AG: I’m still figuring that out.

AE: You know what’s coming, and I don’t. Is it that when these two come together it’s not always a good thing, or —?

AG: They’re just—they’re so similar in so many ways, and they’re completely opposite in so many ways. And you see that affect their relationship.

AE: Is there anything else you can tell us?

AG: I can tell you that this new season on Netflix will be—it’ll be going back to original Degrassi. It’ll be more explicit language. It’ll test limits a little more. It’s a little edgier than what it’s been these past few years

AE: You get to take advantage of that Netflix flexibility.

AG: Exactly.

AE: And whatever that means for Zoe and Grace.

AG: I’ll leave that up to your imagination.

Full Out premiered on NBC in early August and on Canada’s Family Channel on September 11. Canadian fans can catch it again tonight at 6:30pm and 10pm EST.

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