Interview: Jordana Lajoie Talks Playing Cherie on ‘The Boys’

Recently we had the chance to talk with Jordana Lajoie, who discussed the world of acting, the theatre, working in television, and her role as Cherie on Amazon’s The Boys.

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Horror Geek Life: Was acting something you always wanted to do or did you discover it later, like a happy accident so to speak?

Jordana Lajoie: A bit of both, really. As a kid, especially an only child, I loved telling stories, I loved putting up little plays and stuff for family, I never really thought it would go anywhere. Eventually, when I was in school, I was in university for political science and taking acting classes on the side, I figured it would be really good for public speaking and all that jazz, and then it kind of brought me back to when I was a kid, having fun, and I really fell in love with it again. I put my law and political science stuff on the side and tried out for this theater program, a three-year classical theatre training because I thought, if I don’t do it now I’m going to end up regretting it. I can become a lawyer, or anything like that, at any time in my life, but it’s better to start off acting at a younger age. I went and gave it a try, auditioned, and got in and thought, you know what…I’m just going to go ahead with it. I have had a really good time doing it, never went into political science.

HGL: You’ve done a lot of work on television. Is that your favorite medium to work in or have you found the best roles and opportunities on the small screen?

JL: What I love about TV, and I would definitely be more geared towards going into film to be perfectly frank, but the opportunities in the past, you have to go with what is presented, especially in Canada, and I really love indie films. As far as TV goes, you have the chance to really explore a character, you get to live with that character a little longer. I love that aspect of it, so it can be a great little adventure and lots of fun.

HGL: You had the chance to build the character Shannon and the TV series Patrice Lemieux 24/7. What was that experience like?

JL: Oh yeah, that was great. That was my first official project coming out of theater school. She’s the lead, she’s great, she’s funny. I cared about her, she was like a baby to me, a project that really meant a lot to me. I got to give her a lot of backstory, watch the character evolve, and so seeing how that all worked was really a great experience. It was a comedy as well, in my mother tongue, which is French, so for me, it was nice to have fun on set. Funny enough, though, I play an American, so she was speaking French with a really broken accent, so that was kind of fun to experience as well.

HGL: You mentioned doing three years of theater school. Do you recommend all actors try theater, the whole working without a net experience so to speak, or is it just not for everyone?

JL: That’s a great question. Originally, I just wanted to do film and TV, I didn’t want to bother with the theater thing, but most of the artists I really respect have had theater training, not that you can’t be a great actor without it. What I do enjoy about the theater is it really, really helps you focus on other parts of the acting, things we sometimes forget, like our body movement, voice, and seeking space. Film and TV are totally different from theater but I feel like when you have that formal training, you’ll able to bring it all down to a smaller scale. I find that sometimes I notice, not everyone, but some people find it harder to bring it out, so theater is a huge benefit in that regard.

If anything, do it for the thrill because when you are on stage, I don’t think there is any other feeling like it, it’s like an addiction, you are out there working with an ensemble and anything crazy or bad could happen at any time, you can’t control it, with the audience there, it’s electrifying. It’s great being on set, there’s great energy, teamwork, all of that, but having that audience there, nothing compares to that for me, only love, that’s the only thing that could beat it.

HGL: So let’s talk a bit about your role as Cherie on Amazon’s The Boys. What was that audition like, to land that part?

JL: I was supposed to do it in person but couldn’t go, I had some other project, so I was asked to tape it. I didn’t know much about it, I remember the breakdown being something like, badass weapons dealer who is super high on Ecstasy and I thought well, that’s great, why not, let’s try this. You don’t really think too much about the audition itself, the one that’s going to pull through is going to pull through. The next thing I knew, I was working and my agent called and said, you know that audition, you actually booked it, so you need to go to Toronto in four or five days for fittings and such, which I thought was crazy. When I got there, it was a wonderful, crazy ride, it really was. I had no idea this was based on a real comic book, but it was a really pleasant surprise to book this one, it was so much fun.

HGL: What was it you liked about the character Cherie and the show in general?

JL: What I like about this character is she’s a bit of a wildcat, you can’t really place her, you don’t know what it is about her, she’s very mysterious and I love that. It gives me the ability to go out and have fun and I really like her energy. She has a lot of layers and they are not all obvious and, hopefully, in season two you’ll see more of that. Being on set as that character, I got to speak to the gun master, getting to know him, getting to know the weapons, and hold them. Also, the electrifying energy from the crew, actors, the showrunner Eric (Kripke) and honestly, it’s very rare to work on a show that lets you have a great time, but everyone also is very aware of being very good at the job they are doing. It’s so fun, really, I love that.

HGL: The character Cherie doesn’t exist in the comics. As an actor coming onto this show, is that exciting or terrifying or a bit of both, in terms of creating something new, yet still feel faithful to the comics?

JL: Yes, both of those, man. (Laughs) I don’t know if you’re a comic book fan, but I am and I get annoyed now because I have much more respect for the poor performers who get involved and are like, look man, I just accepted the role, so back off. The thing is, comic book fans are amazing and they want the story to be THE story, but they often forget that sometimes that story can be elevated, and really, you don’t want to know everything all the time. I was definitely afraid once I got to Toronto because I have a friend there and he loaned me the comics and I was going through them and I was like damn, she’s not even in here. I took that as a challenge and thought, okay, this is a great opportunity, you’re doing something new, just give it your all, and if they don’t like you well, that’s okay, too. It’s not my job to get everyone to like me, but to tell the best story possible, so I came at it that way. I hadn’t read the comics and I’m glad because it gave me a kind of freedom to have a great time. Eventually, Darick Robertson, who’s the co-creator of the comics and is now a great friend of mine, when he first saw the show he said, I love Cherie way more than Marie. Frenchie’s girlfriend in the comics is Marie and she is in no way, shape or form anything like Cherie, so when Darick said yeah, you have my blessing, you’re way cooler, I thought you know what, I’m good with that.

HGL: Cherie is a weapons expert, serious…what was it like playing off of the likes of Karl Urban and Jack Quaid, and did they manage to make it fun, even during the serious scenes?

JL: Oh my god, yes, definitely fun. On the one hand, there is a lot of money invested in this project, you can’t mess around, you have to do your job. On the other hand, you have Eric in the background smirking and laughing, so if he’s having fun, why can’t I? It was a great set, full of laughs, jokes, pranks, I’m telling you, it’s very rare you get to be part of something where everything, and I mean everything, is amazing, and that was this experience for me.

HGL: What was it like returning for season two, and are there any teasers you can give to the fans?

JL: Honestly, I mean, no. (Laughs) There is not much I can say but as far as teasers go, you are definitely going to see some people this season that you saw in the past so that will be nice, a little reunion kind of thing. It’s a different ride, season two, incredibly exciting but a different kind of excitement. There might be some heartbreak, maybe, but yeah, such an exciting ride.

HGL: I know COVID has turned the world upside down, including the entertainment industry, so saying that, what other projects do you have coming up?

JL: We have a few things down the pipe and lots of things on hold, I can’t even talk about them right now, I don’t really know what’s happening with them. At this point, all I can do is hope that we are all going to get out of this sooner than later. I’ve been trying to keep myself busy, I’ve been writing a lot and really trying to focus on making time for myself. The situation is not great, but there is something nice about being able to take a break and refocusing on myself, people that I love, writing again, that’s something that’s been a positive during this pandemic.

I want to thank Jordana for taking the time to speak with us.

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