Our newest feature for Popternative Magazine is with actor Victory Van Tuyl who stars as Marissa in the new Passionflix series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The series premiered on June 5th and is based on J.R. Ward’s New York Times bestselling novels.
The Black Dagger Brotherhood follows a group of elite vampire warriors who protect their race from the ruthless Lessers – a society of evil beings bent on eradicating them. Victory discusses what viewers can expect from her character, reading the scripts and the books, and getting to be part of a project about vampires.
Exclusive photos for Popternative Magazine by Paul Smith
Hair/MUA: Adriana Bene
What was your reaction to reading The Black Dagger Brotherhood scripts for the first time?
Victory: It was exciting! The world immediately felt very real and very authentic to the books. What immediately stood out was how internal a lot of the characters are. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface within each one of them.
Had you read the books before landing a role on the series?
Victory: I’d heard of them but hadn’t read them before the audition. After I got involved, I started reading and quickly understood why the fanbase is so loyal. They are addicting.
What did you know about the world of vampires before and after joining the series?
Victory: I grew up on Interview with a Vampire and Twilight, among others, so I had some kind of baseline to the pop culture references, but I think this series adds a different layer. They’re not just powerful, but also vulnerable. There’s a real emphasis on emotional scars, tradition, and identity.
Photo: Paul Smith
What can viewers expect from your character?
Victory: Marissa starts in a very controlled environment. She has been confined by tradition and has always followed the rules and what was expected of her. Throughout the series, she slowly learns to define herself on her own terms, and the choices she makes become riskier and more honest. She has spent her whole life being told who she’s supposed to be, and this arc is about her finally asking herself what she wants, and not being afraid of the answer.
Photo: Paul Smith
How did you balance the vampire and romance components of the show from an acting perspective?
Victory: The vampire world definitely adds a layer of history and heightens the stakes to some extent, but the heart of the show is all about human struggles—trust, fear, desire, and belonging – which is what I focused on. The act of letting someone really see you when you’re used to hiding is a huge aspect of playing Marissa, and that was important to me.
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