Burnaby native Stephanie Bennett knows what it’s like to work hard. She has studied ballet since she was a kid – a style of dance that requires a training ethic known mostly by athletes.
But seven years ago, Bennett made a decision that would set her on a new path. That path has led her to a starring role in the upcoming CBC soccer drama 21 Thunder.
“My favourite part of dance was always the storytelling, acting part of it. So I always knew acting was something I wanted to do,” she told the NOW.
Bennett took her first acting class at 21 and she loved it. She’d been a performer her whole life and acting just felt like a natural next step, she said.
But it wasn’t easy. Acting became her whole life. She worked hard, faced rejection, worked harder, faced more rejection. The cycle continued for several years until finally she hit her stride.
“It did take a while to get into it,” she said. “I had to balance side jobs and all that, but I just kept doing it, which I’m grateful for now. It was hard to keep doing it.”
For the past four years, she’s been working steadily on a variety of projects. Her credits include starring and recurring roles on CBC’s Romeo Section, Shadowhunters, UnREAL and a smattering of made-for-TV movies, includingStolen Dreams(Are You My Daughter?) for which she won Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Television Movie at last year’s Leo Awards (B.C.’s film and TV awards). She’s also made appearances on Supernatural, iZombie and Motive.
But 21 Thunder is unlike anything she’s done before.
The show tells the story of the competitive world of pro soccer. It’s about the Montreal Thunder under-21 team and its players and coaches, following its stars on and off the field.
“A story of love, crime, race, sex and athletic glory, at its core the series is about how a group of players and coaches unite as family in the whirlwind of life, one step away from the pros,” notes a press release.
Bennett was immediately drawn to the show, which is not to be mistaken for a “soft family drama,” she said.
She plays Christy Cook, a former Olympic soccer player and the U21’s new assistant coach. Her appointment is a sore spot for the rest of the coaching staff who believe she’s only there for the sake of optics. (Which is true, but nonetheless the girl’s got skills.)
“She’s faced with so much scrutiny and judgement and a lot of sexism; and I really loved that side of it because that’s something I’m very passionate about, and so I loved the role right off the bat,” Bennett said.
Facing sexism is something she has first-hand knowledge of, but what woman doesn’t, she remarked. She’s even had to turn down a few roles because they crossed a line.
“There’s always roles coming out where you feel a little bit degraded because of the nature of the role. There’s just a natural sexism in Hollywood, and it’s unfortunate,” she said, adding she’s seen some change but it’s slow to come.
“One of the reasons I was so drawn to this role is (Christy) is such a powerful, intelligent human being, and she’s so strong, which I love.”
In fact, Bennett sees a lot of parallels between herself and her character.
“(Christy’s) strong because in order to be a professional soccer player you have to be extremely powerful and hardworking, but she’s also out of her element for the first time and she feels like she’s starting over,” Bennett said. “I could relate to that because I don’t play soccer, but I’ve been an athlete my whole life and I’m very confident in my acting abilities and my athletic abilities, however, I’m not confident in my soccer abilities.”
It’s unknown yet if 21 Thunder will be picked up for a second season, but if it does, Bennett said she’s keen to return to her role. Until then, she’ll continue to work hard on her craft in hopes of landing a role on a show like The Handmaid’s Tale (one of her favourite shows on TV these days), where the female characters are complex and multifaceted.
“I’m excited to kind of get going again,” she said.
And as for 21 Thunder, her advice?
“Just watch it.”
21 Thunder premieres on CBC Monday, July 31 at 9 p.m. For details, go to www.cbc.ca/21thunder.
