Riverdale alum Drew Ray Tanner said representation shown in his new film, Boot Camp is necessary.
“As an actor, it’s always going to be about the story,” he told Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum. “It’s always going to be less about what the character is defined as externally, but more so their motivations and things like that.”
He described how Boot Camp, the latest film from Wattpad WEBTOON Studios has representations of varying types via the two main characters, played by him and Rachel Boudwin.
“I would love to be in a world where things like representation in race didn’t have to play a huge part in order for us to be able to tell our stories,” he explained, also reflecting on his time on Riverdale. “Sometimes it feels a bit like that where it’s like, well, can you actually fit this specific sort of thing that we’re trying to do right now? Or can you just be the actor that’s right for this character and not let race play a part in it? And so I think I spent a lot of time in the beginning being like, ‘I don’t want to be defined by my race. I don’t want to be defined by who I am on the outside,’ and none of that matters…just accept me for who I am. That was actually a reflection of myself trying to come to terms by being mixed [and] biracial and everything like that. Now I’ve kind of come at it differently.”
Tanner said that now that he’s in a different mindset about his own racial identity, he feels he can be a better advocate for others like him.
“I do believe two things can be true at once. And I do believe that I would love to be able to play characters that are not defined by their race,” he said. “If can advocate for it for myself, then maybe others will advocate for it too. And I realized the importance of that. We want to tell stories where these characters are just being who they are, but at the same time, it’s so important that we give people in the minority a place to thrive.”
“I want to grow as an actor and as a performer and I would love to tell more stories like this. I’d love to be able to speak on the parts of me that I’ve sort of kept close to the chest for all these years. And I think you’re going to start to see that,” he said.
Watch the full interview below. Here’s more about Boot Camp, which is in select theaters and on-demand now.
Ready to challenge herself before her sister’s wedding, bookworm Whitney (Rachel Boudwin) signs up for an intense six-week boot camp and quickly finds herself at odds with her personal trainer, Axel (Drew Ray Tanner), after they get off on the wrong foot. But as Axel puts her through grueling physical and mental challenges, Whitney discovers a strength she didn’t know she had and surprises Axel with her growing confidence. Similarly, Whitney realizes there’s more to him than meets the eye. Underneath his tough facade is a guarded yet sensitive soul who shares Whitney’s passion for reading. And as Axel opens up to Whitney their connection blossoms, teetering towards forbidden romance. Trainers aren’t allowed to date campers after all.
