Mercedes currently co-stars opposite Janel Parrish in the made for television film RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME on The Hallmark Channel. She is currently filming The Machine for Legendary Pictures.
How has the #MeToo movement impacted the way you have seen women show up on set and represented in film and television?
Since the #MeToo movement I have seen a huge shift in the number of female talent we see in production. I was fortunate enough to work with two incredible female directors Lucie Guest and Linda Lisa Hayter, in the last two romantic comedies I did!
Do you prefer to be called an actor or actress, and why?
To me those are semantics. You can call me an actor or actress and it means the same thing to me. I’m a person that loves to act, period.
Who have been your role models as a woman? As an actor or model?
When I was a child I loved Oprah Winfrey. I thought she was such a strong and courageous woman and seemed to have such a positive attitude. I loved watching her show after school and I even wrote her fan mail and made suggestions for an episode! I got out my favorite kitten printed stationary and wrote her a letter in colorful felt pens requesting that she have a “star search” kind of episode where children from Canada could get recognized! I also watched Get Smart religiously after school and always loved Agent 99 played by Barbara Feldon. I loved her bangs and chic attire.
I wonder if maybe that’s why I wore bangs for most of my childhood?
In the fashion world I absolutely loved Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer! Kate Moss was a big inspiration to me too because she was the shortest model of her time at 5’6”! Her height and popularity gave me hope of someday becoming a model myself. My height is just shy of 5’4” and somehow I have actually been able to make a somewhat decent career of modeling over the years!
Did you always have freedom when it comes to your body?
No. I’d always compared myself to the unattainable photoshopped images I saw in fashion magazines. It seemed like no matter how ripped I got, I wanted to go further. I think that we all have some degree of body dysmorphia and don’t see ourselves the way others see us. I know I am definitely my own worst critic. Luckily over the past decade I’ve dedicated my life to a healing journey of self actualization and in that came great lessons in self appreciation. Before, I thought I’d be better if I lost a little more weight, was taller, or applied my makeup more perfectly. But now I’m just happy with who I am. I feel prettier these days with no make on. The more I love myself, the more free I feel, and the more I get out of my own way with the roles I play. I’m less worried about how I look and more interested in diving authenticity into the character that I’m playing.
You’ve been told that you might be taken less seriously for certain opportunities as an actor if you did nudity. As someone who has embraced nudity in their career, is this true or have you found otherwise?
I have played quite a few roles that have called for nudity of some kind. I was warned in the beginning that if I were to take these roles it would limit me from working with more conservative productions such as the Hallmark Channel. Well…that obviously has not been the case considering the Hallmark production I just did this year. I think it’s important to forge our own path. Others can give their opinions, but essentially they’re just giving the advice that’s meant for them.
Photo: Brandon Elliot
Do you think nudity is stigmatized?
Absolutely. I was very fortunate as a child to travel with my family in Europe and abroad. I saw at a young age that the naked body was not something to be ashamed of there. I saw advertisements showing breasts and went to nude and topless beaches. This is not the case in the West where there is a huge stigma that nudity makes you bad and guilty and is something to be ashamed of. It wasn’t until this past decade when I really was able to shed these old beliefs that had me trapped in that old way of thinking. Also, I have found over the years that the more confident I get with myself, the less provocative I want to dress. When I was younger I thought to be sexy I had to wear low cut tops; now I feel extremely sexy in a turtle neck. It’s not what the person wears that makes them attractive, it’s how they feel about themselves inside that shines. I feel very empowered showing less in my everyday life and feel extremely empowered getting nude at the beach.
How do you think we can overcome this stigma as a culture?
I understand that all cultures have different ideas and it’s not for me to say that one is more right over the other. For me, I think the body should be free and embraced. Nudity doesn’t have to be sexual, it’s just being human. We were born naked.
I also don’t feel like it’s up to me to force anyone else to change their points of view. I know from my experience that the more accepting I am of myself and others, the more accepting the world is of me. The mirror effect is an interesting thing, It’s like it was just my judgments I saw. So I’m just gonna worry about me and lead by example.
We talk about the importance of women showing up for one another and yet we have a tradition of regularly pitting women against one another for entertainment purposes, from beauty pageants to reality television. Why do we glorify female rivalry? Is there a solution?
I think competition comes in all forms and with all genders. I don’t think it’s just with females in television. I think it’s based on striving for love through acceptance and claiming worthiness. When we don’t see our own perfection then we try to gain acceptance from others and try to prove our worth. The things is…There is nothing to prove! We are all perfect just the way we are. We are uniquely ourselves, no one can be a better version of me than me. I think everything is about intension. Whatever it is I’m doing, I can do it with a goal of love, fun and connection or I can do it with the intension of rivalry. Whatever my goal or intension is, is what I will achieve. You get what you’re looking for. I think the solution is to teach by example. Again, I just need to see the beauty in myself and then that pours out into the world around me.