May 15, 2020

Women Behind the Camera Weekend: Perrie Voss

Updated: May 20, 2020

On May 18th multi-talented co-creator Perrie Voss brings the long awaited show to your screens at home. The main overarching message is: generations have things to offer each other, regardless of age or experience.

What aspects of Avocado Toast the series are you excited for an audience to experience or discover?

This story has so much heart and truth enmeshed throughout it and I’m so excited for the audience to go on that journey with us and all that it involves. Heidi and I made it our mission to write characters that were full and flawed and hilarious, just like we all are at times. I’m so excited for people to see themselves in these characters, and if not directly, then perhaps come to a new understanding of another person’s experience. We had so many people along the way want us to further explain the reasoning behind aspects of these character arcs and the exact reason we chose to tell these stories. We’re hoping to not only give representation to the underrepresented, but create a sympathetic look at these character’s experiences. There is hilarity, heartbreak, and truth laced throughout this story. I’m so excited to share an honest look at two 30 something women who are in crisis facing their own truths while they are simultaneously having to understand their parent’s motivations and see them as real people outside of their roles as their parents.

Sex, sexuality, gender and different kinds of relationships are depicted in Avocado Toast the series. Why is it important to continue sharing these types of stories today?

I think that the more we can address these topics the easier it will be for people who are struggling with them. Society breeds paradigms that we absorb without realizing that they are ingrained in our psyche. What I have come to realize and continue to be faced with, is that these beliefs can continue far beyond an age that we are societally expected to outgrow them. Whether that’s around sex or identity or relationships these are ideas that vastly affect our perceptions of ourselves. Giving ourselves permission to re-invent ourselves or see ourselves afresh is perhaps one of the most challenging things we might encounter in our existence as adults. Self discovery wouldn’t fully happen in a set amount of time. What I’m looking for is to be inspired by people who have hit a wall, or a block in their own growth and tried to find a way through it. To grow. This is painful. This is life-changing. The more stories we can see of people accomplishing these things, climbing these mountains to get close to their truth - we will create community, change, and ultimately - acceptance.

Do you find it hurtful or funny when baby boomers refer to millennials as ‘snowflakes’ or when millennials dismiss baby boomer advice with a ‘Okay, boomer.’

Honestly? Yes! I’m all for using humour or banter to disarm a tense situation. But terms like these are a huge reason that we made this show with the themes that are present in it. I also don’t think that misunderstanding between generations is a new concept, but I find it frustrating that it’s ever present. Parents were yelling at their kids for listening to Elvis in the 50s, and there’s a reason why “when I was your age I would walk to school in snow uphill both ways” is a thing. I’m not sure what it is that causes people to assume that another generation ‘doesn’t know about things’ whether they’re younger or older. The overarching message that we’re trying to achieve is that generations have things to offer each other, regardless of age or experience. Yes there are people in the millennial generation who are absolute myopic egomaniacs. But there is also a boomer-aged President in the U.S. who is terrifying in his bigotry and narcissism. What I’d like to do is find what connects people. We’re all human beings, and we’re all here experiencing different things at different times (like coming out in your 30s or getting a divorce in your 60s), there is no age limit on experiences. The more we can talk about it together and find commonalities the better our whole population will do together.

What was the hardest scene for you to do and why?

There are two and for two very different reasons. The scene in the boardroom with Scott Cavalheiro (Hunter), Brenda Robins (Patricia) and Alexander Nunez (Jordan) where Patricia is showing her new ‘Learning Experiences’ video to us. It was a perfect storm of hysterical elements and I could not stop laughing. The hardest thing was that Elle in that moment is supposed to be a completely annoyed and angry. She’s sulking and needs to hate the entire situation. Between the corporate video itself (which is still one of my favourite things EVER), Jordan being a complete suck-up to Patricia and Scott Freaking Cavalheiro (which, I’m fairly sure is his actual middle name) improvising to the gods it is a miracle that I was able to get through any of that without breaking into laughter. I was hanging on for dear life and then he finally got me. It has to go in the outtakes!

And the EPIC diner scene!! Oh my goodness. This scene. From the moment we wrote that scene I knew it was going to be a beast, for literally EVERY reason. The location we chose was an actual diner in Leslieville. The floors of the diner were legitimately slippery from grease, it was close quarters. I was supposed to be in roller-skates initially but we couldn’t find a pair that fit me properly. But it ended up being a blessing in disguise I think because navigating that space in roller-skates with everything else going on would have been a disaster. There were also 4 fridges running the whole time (a sound nightmare), we were all in extreme costumes, and it was a one-shot, so no cutting from start to finish where the camera follows us the whole time, which is similar to theatre. Luckily Heidi and I have theatre backgrounds which helps for the understanding of the blocking and movement aspects, but the collaboration of the whole team and elements that need to come together perfectly all at the same time to make it work is astounding. The final shot that is the one that is in the show is I think take #18? Until then every take it was either a dropped line, or camera issue, or sound issue etc etc. When it all finally came together perfectly we burst into applause. It was SUCH an ensemble accomplishment. I’m really proud of that.

Is there a type of role you dream of playing but haven’t had the opportunity yet?

I think Elle is definitely a type of character that I have wanted to play, and I’m excited to see where she goes in season 2. Oddly enough I want to play a character who doesn’t talk much or at all, and let the camera do the talking. I have a script that I’ve been working on for a feature where a character does a lot of talking with her eyes, and we just watch her movement and going throughout her day. It’s set in a rural part of the world with horses and I’d really love to play her. There’s something about filming day-to-day simplicities that I’m really in love with. One of the early films I saw that made me completely fall in love with film had a scene where a man was just making an omelette. It was one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever watched. I’d also really love to play a period-piece character. A huge impetus for me getting into acting was through watching Road to Avonlea, and Little Women (the Wynona Ryder version) as a kid and I think I fell in love with that time period then, and now anything period I would adore to play. That’s definitely a huge goal of mine.

What's next for you as a creator/actor/performer?

Well, Heidi and I are going to take a wee rest and then we’re diving back in to start drafts of season 2 for Avocado Toast the series. I also have that feature film that I mentioned in the last question that I’d like to get back to writing. And hopefully, when the pandemic lifts I can jump back into a SyFy network feature film that I started acting in back in March. We did one week and then it got shut down and it was such a blast already, amazing group of humans. Beyond that, our production company, Guts and Gall Productions is just getting started with Avocado Toast the series. We have a slew of projects in the works and I’m so excited to get jumping into those avenues to see where they lead.