For any young actor breaking through in Hollywood, getting the chance to not only share screen time but also be on set with a cinema mastermind like Lily Gladstone is the opportunity of a lifetime. But for up-and-coming Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation/Anishinaabe star Isabel Deroy-Olsen, the experience held an extra level of personal significance. Unlike many who came before her, Deroy-Olsen is part of a new generation of actors experiencing an industry that is much more open and eager to champion Indigenous voices and tell the real stories of Native American communities. This is thanks to trailblazers like Gladstone.

Together, they bring to life Roki (Deroy-Olsen) and Jax (Gladstone) in Erica Tremblay’s new Apple TV+ production *Fancy Dance*. At times heartbreaking and at times heartwarming, it’s a tale of trauma, heritage, and loss, as we follow the aunt and niece duo navigating the layered complexities of womanhood from a Native American perspective. Ahead of the film’s release, Wonderland caught up with Isabel to chat all things Roki, working with Lily Gladstone, and the power of on-screen representation.

Hi Isabel! Thanks for chatting with us. Can you tell me about your artistic upbringing? How did everything start for you? And when did you first fall in love with acting?
When I was a kid, acting didn’t really seem like something that I could do. It wasn’t something I ever thought about. Kids in elementary school would always say, you know, when adults asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And everybody would say, ‘I want to be an actor.’ So I looked at everybody and said, ‘I want to be an actor.’ And I didn’t really think about it, but I grew up as a dancer, so I had that outlet of performance and, you know, really developing my artistic abilities through that.

But through dance, I was also doing a lot of musical theatre, but I never ever processed it as an acting thing. It was always, ‘Oh, I’m dancing,’ and then I’d say a couple of lines, and that’s all. And it wasn’t until I was about 14 and my mom found a Facebook post for an open call and she looked at me and said, ‘Do you want to try this?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, okay, sure, why not?’ So we tried it, we sent it, and didn’t hear anything, laughed about it, and moved on with our lives. And then a couple of weeks later, we got an email from the casting director saying, ‘We want you to audition for this other role.’ And that was for the feature film Beans. And so through that, I sent in a self-tape. We filmed it, sent it in, moved on with our lives, laughed about it. I was a little bit embarrassed, because I had no idea what I was doing back then. But I ended up getting flown to Toronto for a callback and I met so many amazing Indigenous media makers and storytellers there, and really building those connections was really important to the start of my career. Because I didn’t end up booking that, my mom left it for a while and I turned to her a couple of months later and said, ‘I wanna try this.’ So it kind of started from there and then I got my agent and I kept auditioning and filmed so many auditions. Just so many auditions, and booked a couple of them. So I’m really grateful that I got to book Fancy Dance though, because I’m so, so proud of it.

How did Fancy Dance come about? And do you remember your reaction the first time you read the script?
Yeah, Fancy Dance started as just any other self-tape. I was definitely really excited about it, though, because the script is amazing. Michiona and Erica did such an incredible job. It was just a regular self-tape that I sent in. What I was unaware of, though, was that Erica had seen me in another self-tape I had sent in for Dark Winds, another show she was working on. And so I was too young for that role, but she saw me audition for Roki and was like, okay, this one works. This one could happen. And so I had a meeting with Erica, and I got sent the script. I read the script and just cried. It’s such an important story, and it’s so, so well written, and I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of it and bring Roki to life.

What about Roki fascinated you the most? And what about her did you find most challenging?
I mean, Roki’s a lot younger than I am, but getting to kind of tap into that younger version of myself was really helpful when I was prepping for the role. The thing that I love most about her is she’s just, you know, she brings so much light and joy and, you know, she’s just a kid and she’s growing up. Getting to play that was so fun because I just looked at my younger cousins and my younger sibling and I was like, okay, this is who I am representing on screen. I’m playing all the little Native kids, and getting to bring those stories to life was something I was really grateful for. She’s very quiet and within herself, but she’s also very intentional with her presence there. And I think those moments of just sitting and listening were my favourite. And obviously, sitting and working with Lily was also my favourite. But the thing that I found most challenging about her… I’m not really sure. I think she’s dealing with so much, so pinning down where my head was at in every scene was really important to me and kind of thinking about all the different nuances of her life and what she would be thinking about. You know, it took some thinking, but yeah, overall, it was just really, really fun to play Roki.

How was your character preparation for this role and which tools did you use to deep dive into her story?
Yeah, so I talked a little bit about looking at my younger sibling and my cousins. A lot of my prep was just thinking about how I was when I was younger and, you know, getting to be a kid. Prep for the role was definitely a lot of language and dance focus, so we had rehearsal two weeks prior for both of those things. Lily and I really cared about getting those right. It was definitely something we worked really hard for. I have a bit of a dance background, so powwow came a little bit easier to me, but the language, I really had to work for. But yeah, that prep was really, really fun, getting to work with everybody and really focus on those things because they are such integral parts of the film.

Personally, I looked at the people around me and made my little playlists for Roki that I listened to throughout filming. We filmed all of our emotional scenes really early on, and I would listen to those really sad songs on there to get me in the right headspace.

Looking back, do you think you understand all your characters’ layers and complexities? How do you feel most connected to her?
Roki’s a really complicated character. She’s very quiet and, you know, like I said, she’s just a kid, but there’s so much going on in her life that she has to deal with and go through. She has to grow up pretty quickly, and we see that throughout the film. It’s her coming of age. Even through womanhood, her process of growing up is really showcased throughout the film. Looking back, I definitely feel like I do really understand her, relate to her, and care about her, you know what I mean? I know when I watch the film, I’m watching myself, but no, I’m looking at Roki and I just love her so much. So yeah, I mean, I just really care about her, and I definitely relate to her.
How was your experience on set? What are some of your core memories from that time?

My favourite memories from set are just those moments of Lily and I sitting there laughing with each other because, you know, there are very heavy topics in the film, but those moments of joy that we found even within scenes were just so fun. I think the fact that we’re so close brought so much nuance to the performance. I remember we were filming some of the driving scenes, and we were parked in a parking lot. Lily and I were just sitting there laughing while they were resetting the camera. We were watching videos on her phone, just laughing with each other. Even the really emotional scenes like the cornfield, which were very early on in filming, were memorable. We ran lines in different accents in Lily’s trailer and just laughed with each other. Those little moments of joy and laughter were my favourite.

You’ve just touched upon this a bit, but the next questions are, how was the experience of working so closely with Lily? How did you form such a strong bond on screen? And did that connection also happen off screen as well?
I met Lily on the first day of our rehearsals in the production office, and we clicked immediately. That relationship just continued to grow throughout filming, and now she’s one of my favourite people. Whenever we’re in the same place, we just have to see each other because we’re so close. I think what’s really special about our relationship is that we got to bring that to Jax (Lily Gladstone’s character) and Roki’s relationship. She’s the most generous and talented scene partner anyone could ask for. She’s so, so brilliant. Getting to work with her is just absolutely unreal because she’s just amazing. I mean, everyone’s seen her work. She’s incredible. I could talk about her for years.

What did you learn most from Lily? And do you remember any specific advice she’ll carry with you moving forward?
Working with her, you see how gracious, generous, and genuine she is. On set and off set, she’s just a very genuine person. The relationships she builds with people are really important because, you know, being nice is such an easy thing to do, and she does it so well. Bringing that energy to set every day is something that I really admire and aspire to follow.

Looking ahead, what are your expectations for the release of Fancy Dance?
I have no idea. I just, you know, it’s something that I’m so proud of and something that I personally really enjoy. I’ve seen it three times, I think, but I could watch it again and again. It’s something that I’m so proud of and something that I’m just forever in awe of Erica, Michiana, and Lily because their work on this film is absolutely incredible. I really hope people watch the film and see all of those really important discussions around Indigenous issues across North America, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S), and missing and murdered Indigenous people. I hope people really take the time to let that settle in. And I hope after watching it that they just want to learn more. So that’s what I hope, but I don’t know what to expect.

FANCY DANCE is available now on Apple TV+.