The Ontario actress stars opposite Alexander Skarsgård in a new series based on Martha Wells’ award-winning novels…
Growing up in the small rural town of Manitouwadge, Ont., left a lasting impression on actress Tattiawna Jones. “It’s a world away from the city experience,” she tells IN Magazine. Her backdrop growing up consisted of striking landscapes, forests, wildlife and the occasional performance by the Northern Lights. It was a place of inspiration for the star. “I think when one lives in a rural space, certainly from my experience, imagination becomes a very close and necessary friend,” she says.
With these elements constantly opening her mind to possibilities, it’s no wonder the actress became attracted to the out-of-this-world and magical genre of sci-fi.
Jones has appeared in countless sci-fi series including The 100, Lost in Space and Orphan Black: Echoes. Now she stars in the Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy series Murderbot. Even with her extensive experience in the genre, she found this project very different from the others. “I have been privileged to be a part of a lot of sci-fi, and this one was truly something that I had never encountered before,” she says.
Murderbot is based on the bestselling Nebula Award–winning book series The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. It follows a self-hacking security construct robot played by Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, Succession) who is horrified by human emotion, yet drawn to his vulnerable clients. Throughout the series, he must hide his free will and complete a dangerous mission, even though all he wants to do is watch his futuristic soap operas.
The synopsis alone makes it clear this isn’t your typical sci-fi series, which is what attracted Jones to it. “What I love about Murderbot is that it’s very odd, awkward and uncomfortable,” she explains. “I was laughing and falling in love with these characters.”
She also appreciates how its world feels similar to the one we’re living in. “It was refreshing to be part of a story that, although it takes place on a fictitious planet, deals with very real and potent themes,” she shares. “Sci-fi walks this beautiful line of talking about things happening in our society under the guise of a land far, far away and on a planet that is different from ours. It poetically addresses things that may be difficult for some to digest.”
Jones’ character, Arada, is a biologist married to legal expert Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu), who are in an awkward throuple with the team’s wormhole specialist Ratthi (Akshay Khanna). Arada is a character who appears in the novel, but Jones created her own interpretation. Having read the original source material, she found Arada shared similar characteristics to other characters who do not appear in the series and fused them together to create her on-screen version.
As she developed and played the character, Jones became attached to Arada, and she gets emotional talking about her. “I love her bravery,” she shares. “I think she found a bravery that she didn’t know existed in her. It was exciting to go on that journey with her as it was happening.” She even found similarities with herself that she channelled. “Arada is a biologist, and I do have a deep love for nature.… I felt close to her drawing from some of those experiences.”
Now, Jones is reconnecting with Arada and her intergalactic friends as a viewer, getting so lost in the plot that she has to remind herself that she’s on screen. “I should probably watch my acting,” she jokes. “But I keep forgetting that I’m in the show and I’m just falling in love with it and on the ride with everyone else. I hope they [audiences] love it as much as I do.”
Stream all episodes of Murderbot Season 1 on Apple TV+.
STEPHAN PETAR is a born and raised Torontonian, known for developing lifestyle, entertainment, travel, historical and 2SLGBTQI+ content. He enjoys wandering the streets of any destination he visits, where he’s guaranteed to discover something new or meet someone who will inspire his next story.
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