First things first: Landing a role in one of Netflix’s most successful crime dramas,
The Killing
, on your first go as an actor isn’t a scenario you hear of every day. For
Bex Taylor-Klaus
, though, that was their fate. All it took was a talent search in Atlanta, sheer—you know—
talent
, and the universe to fortuitously nudge things into place. Since their poignant first role, Taylor-Klaus has nabbed credits in
Glee
,
House of Lies
,
Dumplin’
,
13 Reasons Why
, and most recently one for
Blackbird
alongside Kate Winslet and Susan Sarandon, which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. We got to know Taylor-Klaus a little bit better on a sunny afternoon in L.A. and talked friendship tattoos they share with Hollywood royalty, the wolf-dog cause that’s important to them, and how Kate Winslet played an important role in creating a safe, loving space on set of their film.
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Is there a genre you have yet to try that is on your to-do list?
“I want to try everything in front of and behind the camera before my time on this earth is done. I’ve always wanted to play a superhero, and I’ve always wanted to play a supervillain. I like the morally ambiguous characters, those are always fun to play.”
Who is on your dream list to work with?
“Ellen Page, Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins. I got to work with Jonathan Demme before he passed on the ninth episode of
The Killing
, and that was a dream come true for me. Alan Rickman and [Robin Williams], when they passed it broke my heart for a billion reasons. Michael Smith, Julie Andrews, I’ve always wanted to work with the royalty. I got to work with Kate Winslet, and that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
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That’s incredible! What are some causes important to you at the moment?
“Oddly enough, this is a complete disconnect from anything I’ve ever done. On my birthday, my dad took me to the Wolf Connection up in the desert. It’s this beautiful wolf-dog sanctuary, where they take in and rescue wolf-dog hybrids. Anywhere from low-content wolf to high-content wolf. They also work with those wolves and underprivileged kids, and so one of the things that their goal is to have a whole compound with agriculture and housing, so that they can take in foster kids who have aged out of the system. Once they go to college, a lot of times they don’t have anywhere to go. So they want to set up a place for these kids to go between semesters and between sessions. It’s beautiful, and the work that they do teaching kids healing through wolf-dogs and rescue wolves.”
Wow, that’s incredible, I’ve never heard of that:
“I hadn’t heard of it either. When I went, I completely fell in love. So when I come back from the series I’m about to do, I’m going to do the training and start volunteering there.”
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Everybody’s shit is their own shit. Ninety-five percent of the time, it’s got nothing to do with you. Not my circus, not my monkey.”
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