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From a young age, Amirah J knew that her heart belonged to acting. This early passion blossomed into a dedicated pursuit of acting, a craft she has embraced wholeheartedly. “I was only eight or nine when I told my parents I wanted to move to LA and pursue acting, but I was dead set on it. I told everyone we were moving before I let my parents know. I was like, ‘We’re moving, I’m going to LA, I’m being an actress,’” she shares. Her breakout role as Xan Galvez in Shameless saw her working alongside Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jeremy Allen White, and she’s since starred in How Not to Be a Junkie and All That. Over nearly a decade, her unwavering resilience and vibrant confidence have illuminated her performances and captivated audiences.
She’s now juggling her senior year in high school with her latest role in High Potential – a crime drama created by Drew Goddard and based on the French show HPI. The American television series follows Morgan (played by Kaitlin Olson), a single mother of three with an exceptional mind, as she consults on major crime cases for the LAPD. Taking on the role of Ava, Morgan’s moody – and often rebellious – teenage daughter navigating growing up without her father, Amirah had to tap into raw emotions that she couldn’t relate to herself, saying, “I try to picture myself in certain situations, take a few moments to myself before we film, and think, ‘How would I feel during this?’ and, ‘How can I make it seem as real as possible?’”
In conversation with Schön!, Amirah chats all things High Potential, harnessing her emotions, and her goals for the future.
You’re currently starring as Ava in High Potential. What was the most exciting part about getting this role?
Working with the cast that we have… Everyone is so incredible. Especially working with Kaitlin and her being my mom in the show. She’s such an incredible actress to work with, and the entire cast is all so talented, which makes it such a fun environment.
What is it about Ava’s character that initially made you want to play her?
She’s very different from me. She has grown up a lot differently than I’ve grown up and I like tapping into a different character from myself, being that she doesn’t know where her dad is and she’s never really met him except for when she was younger. She also has these two younger siblings and she’s dealing with her family dynamic and trying to navigate that. I thought it was very interesting.
As you’ve mentioned, she’s a very complex character with a lot going on in her life. How did you want to portray that in a way that allows audiences to connect with her?
I just tried to put myself in her shoes and really think about all that she has going on. I also took some of my friends’ experiences that they’ve had with similar situations and how they felt and tried to use them to play Ava as best as I could.
That’s a very beautiful way to see it, to find somebody else that you can talk to in a similar situation. I think that’s always a great way to be able to connect to a character that you don’t necessarily have a lot in common with. So, with that being said, were there any other ways you found to connect to her?
The writers and showrunner have been very open with me, talking about Ava, where we want her to go, and which direction to take her in. That’s been super helpful. With each director for each episode, we always have a conversation about what’s going on in the episode, why certain things are happening, and how to play it and that’s definitely been a very important factor in how I’ve played Ava.
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The chemistry with your co-star Kaitlin Olson is so palpable. What was it like portraying that mother-daughter relationship onscreen?
Honestly, since day one, I feel like Kaitlin and I have had the chemistry, even when we filmed the pilot. It’s very easy to work off of her. Being that she’s a mother in real life, she’s very nurturing and guiding naturally. As the episodes have progressed, and as we’ve filmed more and more, it’s been easier to act opposite her and I felt like I was actually her daughter on set.
That’s lovely. It’s definitely something that can be rare in these environments. Watching her work, what did you learn from her?
I’ve learned so much from her, but her comedic timing is incredible. The show’s not necessarily a comedy, but her timing and her quick wit make it funny. Taking that and watching her on and off screen, too, she puts a lot into the show with production. Watching her really make the show come to life, I’ve learned so many incredible things from her.
Fans are anxiously awaiting episode seven, and waiting to hear more about Ava’s dad. What can you share – without spoiling anything – about the next episode and how your character will continue to develop?
The upcoming episode is going to be a big one, for sure. It’s a very intense episode and I feel it’s very different from the rest of the episodes. It’s darker, I’d say, but it will definitely be a good one. And then, throughout the rest of the season, we learn a bit more about Ava’s dad and that gets brought up a lot more, so I think everyone will be very excited to see that journey and where it takes off to.
When you’re approaching those deeper, more meaningful scenes and that possibility of discovering what’s happened to Ava’s dad, how do you tap into those emotions?
I remember a scene in episode seven. It was a very emotional scene between me and Kaitlin, and before we filmed it, she just grabbed my hands, stood with me for a second, and took deep breaths with me. That really helped me tap into the emotion of what was happening in that scene. I also think dramatic imagination helps. I try to picture myself in certain situations, take a few moments to myself before we film, and think, ‘How would I feel during this?’ and, ‘How can I make it seem as real as possible?’
From what we’ve seen so far, it definitely comes across that way. Being on set, is there a moment that sticks out to you where you were either watching someone act or acting alongside someone where you noticed something they’d done that you would want to bring into your own practice?
Kaitlin does this really incredible thing where she almost knows where scenes are going to be cut and how they’re going to be edited, so if she messes up a line, she knows exactly where to take it back from and how far back to go. I’ve noticed it on many different occasions and it’s something that I have definitely taken and I’m going to apply to this project, as well as other projects. It’s very incredible what she does.
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Switching gears here… You’re still in high school and you’ve just attended Homecoming. What’s it like juggling your acting career with school?
I’m not going to lie, it’s been very challenging. I’m a senior in high school and there’s a bunch of incredible, fun things happening this year with senior homecoming and senior night. I’m also a cheerleader, so balancing everything has been super tough. But, everyone has been very cooperative with me. The whole production team on the show has been very helpful and accommodating, and so have all my teachers, which I’m super grateful for.
You mentioned cheerleading, and obviously, you’ve got a lot going on. What does cheerleading mean to you and how does it shape you as a person?
It separates my acting life and lets me tap into a completely different thing. I’ve been acting for almost ten years now, so having a life outside of that has always meant a lot to me. That’s why I wanted to go to a regular school – and not do homeschooling – and get into cheerleading. I wanted to build my life outside of acting and I’m thankful that I’ve been able to do that; and that it’s all working out in my favour.
Looking back on your childhood, was there a defining moment that made you want to pursue acting?
I remember my childhood best friend and I – I used to live in Texas and she and I were neighbours – would write little scripts for our parents. We cut out this cardboard box in the shape of a TV and would sit inside of it and put on a performance essentially as if we were on TV. I was always doing stuff like that. We’d put on talent shows for Halloween and it was always something that I was interested in.
Making that move to LA when you were so young is such a defining moment in your career and your life. When you look back at that, are you surprised by how you were so sure of what you wanted to do?
I mean, honestly, yes. I was only eight or nine when I told my parents I wanted to move to LA and pursue acting, but I was dead set on it. I told everyone that we were moving before I let my parents know. I was like, ‘We’re moving, I’m going to LA, I’m being an actress.’ My parents having faith in me and believing in me made it much easier, too, because they were going to support me no matter what. That was also really helpful for that transition.
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When you look back at your work on Shameless and the way you approached it, how do you feel your acting has developed?
Getting older and learning more, my acting has progressed. Being on Shameless and working with Jeremy Allen White – I was always in scenes with him – was so amazing to do at such a young age because he’s such an incredible actor. Then it’s just the people that I’ve worked with over the years that have taught me more and more and have made me a better actress.
When you look to the future, what are you most excited about within your career?
I’m excited for – hopefully – more seasons of High Potential. That would be so incredible, I would love to continue Ava’s story and that journey. Also, starring in movies would be incredible.
As you grow, how do you feel you’ll be able to continue juggling your career with your personal life? Does it seem to feel like a smooth transition?
It’s been a smooth transition now that we’ve finished season one of the show, so I’ve gotten to relax a little bit. Not juggling a filming schedule, I get to just go to school and do that kind of thing, which has been a nice break… It was definitely much needed. I think that when things do start to pick up again, whether it’s with the show or another project, it will be very easy to transition back into it. I’ve gotten used to it now.
Do you see yourself entering any other roles within the film industry, whether that be directing or producing?
Yes, I think that getting more into behind-the-scenes work and behind-the-camera would be incredible. I loved watching everyone work and do their jobs, and there’s so much that goes into making a show happen. It would be very cool to get behind the scenes at some point. Hopefully writing, producing, directing, whatever it may be. I’m definitely interested in taking that route as well.
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‘High Potential’ is now streaming on Hulu with episode 7 premiering tonight on ABC.
photographer. Alex G. Harper
fashion. Enrique Melendez
talent. Amirah J
hair. Amber Maher
make up. Brandy Allen
interview. Amber Louise
