Photo by: Megan Vincent
We caught up with Canadian actress Sirena Gulamgaus who can be seen playing Pav in the Netflix film, Code 8 Part II, a sequel to the 2019 sci-fi film, Code 8. Part II premiered on February 24th, and Sirena stars alongside cousins Robbie Amell (Upload, Exmas) and Stephen Amell (Heels, Arrow). Part II takes place five years after the events of the first film and finds Connor (Robbie Amell) out of prison and working as a janitor at a community center and has cut ties with his former criminal associate Garrett (Stephen Amell). Connor’s attempt at staying out of trouble is put to the test when he’s forced to help 14-year-old Pav (Sirena Gulamgaus) escape from corrupt officers.
We asked Sirena about working with Robbie Amell, what she learned from filming Code 8 Part II, her upcoming project, and more.
Check out our conversation below.
What do you enoy the most about acting?
Sirena Gulamgaus (SG): I love being on set! It’s so fun and every day is never the same as the day before. It’s always fresh and exciting. But also the final product, whether a tv show or film, when it’s available for everyone to see, that’s such a good feeling. You put hours, weeks and months into something and release it out in the world.
What were some learning experiences you gained from an acting perspective working on Code 8 Part II?
SG: There’s so many, I don’t know which one to talk about first. I think for Code 8 Part II, I took away believing in myself more. When you believe in yourself, there’s confidence and confidence goes a long way when it comes to acting. As each day went by, I became more confident and relaxed and I felt I was able to perform better. If you remove confidence, then you’re always doubting yourself and that steals away from your performance.
In Code 8 Part II, you worked with Robbie Amell in many scenes; what was it like and what was some advice he gave you from an acting perspective if any?
SG: Robbie Amell is a Canadian legend. He is so professional. Thoughtful. Respectful. Definition of being a Canadian. He takes his work seriously and commits. He was a very brotherly and fatherly and that made our relationship on set so much better. And more importantly, humble! Some people act humble, for the sake of being humble, but Robbie is genuinely humble. I think who he is taught me more than any acting advice. Because as an actor, you need more than just knowing how to act. How you hold yourself on and off set, is crucial.
What was the coolest aspect about being part of Code 8 Part II for you?
SG: The coolest part was that it was a Netflix film and there’s a lot of cool things that comes with that. Netflix knows how to make things cool, so shout out to everyone at Netflix for giving us this experience. I hope to do more things with Netflix! And being on a Netflix set, they go big, so everything is on a much grander level. It’s like being a kid in a candy store.
Outside of acting, would you like to eventually get behind the camera?
SG: I haven’t thought about it but maybe some day? At the very least to produce alongside acting. That’d be cool!
You have a film coming out April 26th, Humane, dircted by Caitlin Cronenberg. What can say about it?
SG: I don’t want to give it away but this film is great and unique. Really. I haven’t seen a film like this. It’s a mix of thriller, horror, comedy, family, a bit of everything. If you can, please support Canadian films and watch this in theatres. There is some legendary Canadian talent in this film and they know what they’re doing. Humane in theatres April 26th in the US and Canada.
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You can also check out our video Code 8 Part II interview with Robbie Amell and Sirena Gulamgaus below.
Code 8 Part II is streaming on Netflix.
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