mary kate wiles

Electric both on and off screen, Mary Kate Wiles is a name you want to get familiar with! We talked to the multi-talented actress about her latest roles, life in quarantine and more!

words by VANESSA SALLES photo by ERIC CARROLL

Tell us about The Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye! What is it about the show

that drew you in and made you want to be involved?

Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye is a new digital series that is being told through traditional episodes and podcast episodes! We shot it back in 2017 and I’m so glad it’s finally coming out and being seen. The show was written and created by good friends of mine - the Tin Can Brothers, who I first worked with on Spies Are Forever back in 2016 - so any time your dear friends ask you to come play, you say yes.

What can you tell us about your role?

Artemis is a very driven, very headstrong journalist. She is such a foil to her happy-go-lucky twin brother Paul, who’s constantly backing her up, but Artemis is 100% steering the ship. She’s very fact-driven and super hungry to get to the bottom of a story and doesn’t really let anything get in her way.

Any behind-the-scenes moments from filming that you can share with us?

Oh, man. Being on set was just a blast. It was such a joy every day to come to work and get to tell a story with some of my favorite people. I also got to work with Sean Astin, who plays Artemis and Paul’s boss, and as a gigantic Lord of the Rings fan, that was truly a dream come true for me. And he was such a delight to work with. That was a really special day.

What has life in quarantine looked like for you this year?

Well, I’ve been very thankful to have my life partner, Sean Persaud, with me in a time that has been kind of sad and lonely for a lot of people. With so much of the film industry grinding to a halt, it’s made me very thankful that I’ve spent so much time these past few years investing in creating content on my own. My day to day life really hasn’t changed all that much, and I think those of us who are self-sufficient have been able to carry on continuing to create content for our audiences as usual. And that’s definitely been a blessing for me.

What can you tell us about your new podcast? What’s your experience been so far?

So I’ve been creating a sort of radio play of the Anne of Green Gables series for my Patreon for over a year now, and I recently began releasing the chapters publicly as a podcast so that everyone can enjoy them. I have different actors come in and read the various characters, and I add music and sound effects, just to create a new way to experience these novels. It’s been such a joy to create! Re-reading these books has really just re-ignited my love for this story. Anne Shirley is such a good heroine for this moment in time - her unfailing ability to see the wonder and beauty in life has been such a good reminder for me.

Any special message for fans?

I’m just so thankful that my audience has been so supportive of me for so many years. So much of what I’ve done these last few years is all due to the support that my audience and the audience of the various groups I’m involved in has shown us. So, thank you! I hope we get to continue to create things you love for a very long time.