After the premiere of Zero Chill, we are still obsessed with this show! It’s a family series that hooks you from the first second and just … helps you get through the bad times. We love it. We had the opportunity to speak with Dakota Benjamin Taylor, Grace Beedie and Jade Ma AKA our Mac, Kayla, and Sky about their experience in Zero Chill, what they learned from their characters, and what we might see in a possible season 2.
Here we go!
Mac, Sky, and Kayla are really complex characters, with quite a lot of emotional depth. It must not have been easy for Dakota, Jade and Grace to get in their shoes. So we wanted to know how they are alike and how they differ from their characters. We assure you that their responses are great, and so funny.
Dakota: I think Mac and I have a lot more in common than I originally expected. You know, I grew up playing hockey and I played hockey before I started acting. So, you know, I grew up with that mentality of getting up early in the morning and going to the rink and stuff like that is super easy to translate because that white is what we were doing for shooting. And so, you know, that that passion, that love for hockey, I think really helps in terms of bringing back to life, because if he’s on the ice and he’s excited, that’s not acting anymore, because I’m excited and I’m just having a great time doing it in terms of differences.
Well, I mean, you know, not to inflate my own ego, I like to think I’m not quite as self-centered as many, you know, believe me or not up to you. But, you know, I think it was a lot of fun to have me go through that evolution and become more of a team player, because I was never when I played hockey, I was never the captain. I was never the all star. And I liked playing defense and I liked being back and kind of surveying the action more than being in the center of it. And that, I think, was a very stark contrast between me and Mac, especially in the beginning of the season when he thinks the world revolves around him. And so as much as much fun as it is to play, I wasn’t quite as much like me.
Grace: Honestly, I felt the connection to the character as soon as I read the breakdown. And I think that I obviously relate just like Dakota. It’s like figure skating is one of my favorite things in the world. And so to get to tell that story is such a gift. And I think that the passion of skating is obviously something that I have in common with Kayla and her drive and determination and stubbornness, if you want to call it that. And what I’d say is different about us is that I actually wasn’t a pair of skaters and never was. I did ice dance for a few years as a way of just having more time on the ice. But I had never actually done pairs skating. So getting to learn that was a really cool experience.
Jade: Well, you know, I definitely related to skiing a couple different ways. Her journey in terms of she had to have like take a break from figure skating and was coming back to us like kind of mirrors how I was like I took quite a long break for different reasons, of course, but the kind of coming back to it and wanting to rediscover it and wanting to reignite that love for it is definitely something that I could easily very much relate to her on.
She’s also very strong willed and tenacious and she cares so much about the people around her and truly ends up being like a kindred spirit for Kayla. And she also just loves the challenge, which I very much, again, relate to, because I love when things are both physically and mentally challenging, which is why the show is so perfect. And this is such an incredible opportunity because I got to have the mental challenge of acting and learning through skating routines, and have the physical challenge of like. Skating because it’s like it’s a sport at the end of the day, it’s definitely not an easy, like, easy thing to accomplish or like to look good doing. So there was that physical challenge coming back to it after over quite a long time. So, yeah.
You know that we love to play, so we proposed to Jade, Dakota and Grace a game: describe Zero Chill season 1 in one word. And it was super fun and complicated, because they had so much to say that they couldn’t decide on just one word. We understood perfectly, so we were flexible and expanded the game to three words. Do you want to know what they said?
Jade and Grace: Well, I think one word is relatable.
Dakota: Well, here’s my three words with separation of dashes coming of age, crew, and pash, just because it’s very much about the twins passion for some very, very different things and a balance between that and navigating their relationships with the people around them at the same time. So, yeah.
Zero Chill has conquered us! So we’re on board for a season 2 if Netflix wants (we don’t really know what you’re waiting for, Netflix), so we wanted to ask Jade, Dakota and Grace if they saw any chances of a season 2 and if they would be in. And you have to read what they told us.
Grace: Well and the thing entertains us so…yeah, take me for more seasons!
Dakota: I also would love that. So I’m there.
Jade: Yeah. I’m sure all of us can absolutely agree. We would absolutely love it if there was a season two because it would give us an opportunity to get back on the ice again and revisit these characters and continue to explore and develop the relationships that they have with each other. So that would be that would be I feel like there’s so much more that we can do in terms of unfolding these stories.
Grace: And I think that I can speak for everyone in saying that we would all feel so grateful if we got to go for a second season. I think we’d all love to do that.
Jade: Definitely. Definitely.
So now you know, Netflix, what are you waiting for? The leaders are on board, we are on board, only you are missing.
However, while we wait for season 2 (because there is going to be a season 2, right, Netflix?), we were curious to know what the protagonists wanted for their characters if more was coming. And we love their answers.
Jade: I think personally…I would just really love to see the development of Sky relationship with Kayla mostly. I really enjoy the fact that they have such a healthy relationship. I think it’s a great kind of role model for relationships for young people, because they’re there. They’re able to be vulnerable with each other and they’re able to, like, share how they feel, which is so important. And it just demonstrates a really healthy relationship. So I think it would be really nice to develop and explore that a bit more. And obviously at the end of the series, Sky entered into a partnership. And I just super excited to see where that takes them. I would love so much for that to continue to develop. And honestly, I just like to skate with Grace because it’s so fun.
Grace: Exactly. I feel like exploring Sky in close partnership is such a unique part of the story and it hits right at the very end and obviously attentive and like that would survive.
Dakota: I think that that would be something that would be really, really fun to explore. And then on top of that, how that plays into Sky and Marc’s relationship as well as Kayla and Marc’s relationship, because I think that their partnership and Kayla and Sky Partnership is obviously like. It’s an interesting triangle, and I think that would be fun to play out.
Grace: Yeah, I would be really interested to see how, like the Bentley family unit continues to develop, because I think that we had a lot of really interesting scenes together, even if they weren’t all the time or even like the twin element of Kalanak. I would really like to see more scenes between the two of us because I feel like we had a lot in like the second half and I really enjoyed them. And I feel like telling the sibling story is also another unique aspect that I think that we could really feed into.
Dakota: Yeah, definitely.
Jade: I think I think the strong point of season one is the fact that all these characters end up meeting for the first time and the relationships are formed during that. So I think for season two, I’d love to see sort of a the has to tackle this. I want to see how everybody works together, even with figure skating and hockey. And those worlds definitely collide in season one. But I really want to see how they can mesh in season two. That would be I think that’d be a lot of fun. Everyone collectively has to deal with something and work through something together now that those relationships now exist.
Dakota: I have a lot of fun, actually. Sky and Mac relationship offers this opportunity for a bit more crossover in terms of hockey and figure. I feel like it’d be hilarious to see that kind of figure skate like more so than what we are.
Jade: I was going to say he can spin.
Dakota: It could be interesting to see something like that. Try to teach a guy like the basics of hockey, like just that little crossover, if you like, would be really sweet.
Grace: And also the fact that Sky and Kayla are an all female pair, I think that’s something that just adds another just another layer of like interest.
Jade: Also, the fact that they’re best friends and they have so much love for each other, the fact that they’re an all female pair as well is just very like.
Grace: Innovative forward thinking and like, yeah, it’s just exciting.
It all sounds so perfect that we’re taking too long to see it, right?
After that, we wanted to know what Jade, Grace and Dakota learned from their characters and what they hoped fans would learn from them. You have to read their responses… they are wonderful!
Dakota: That’s a really good question. I’d definitely say I learn the art of collaboration, because that’s definitely something that has to learn. Mac has to understand that the world doesn’t revolve around him. And he has to come to terms with, you know, there’s other people that, for lack of a better term matter. And so he learns to have to work together with everybody. I think that that’s a big asset to have. You know, obviously, this show couldn’t have been made by one person. Everybody in front and behind the camera is equally as responsible. And I think that’s a big take away because no matter what issue arises throughout the season. It’s pretty much all persevered through with the teamwork of whatever characters are in sad situations at that time. So I think that’s a big takeaway.
Jade: I think, from Sky…She is a very compassionate and empathetic character, and I feel like that’s something that can definitely be learned from her because she spends quite a lot of time trying to get through the Mac as an example when she’s going through some stuff with his Hawkie and she’s trying to get him to open up and be able to be vulnerable. And she’s kind of there as a very supportive person for both Mac and Kayla. And she’s really trying to be for Kayla as well, because so I think that’s definitely something to be learned from her. And I’d love people to take away just that. The depth of compassion and empathy.
Grace: Well, I would want people to feel inspired to be courageous by watching Kayla’s story, because I really think that. What I love about her a lot and I hope comes through for other people, is just having faith in the unknown. And even if things feel like everything’s turning against you to keep an optimistic outlook on possibility, I think that that’s a that for a character whose life is like uprooted and then the uncertainty of friendships and sport and not having a partner and all of that, I think she really maintains a sense of I don’t know how this is going to work out, but I know that it will at some point. And I think that that optimism is something that a lot of people really need right now.
After this great interaction, we decided to play another game and asked Dakota, Jade and Grace to tell us their favorite scene of the entire season. Just one. But… they couldn’t choose! And we understand it because neither do we. However, they gave us a very good response.
Dakota: The whole season doesn’t count as an answer? I can’t choose one. So yeah. OK, well, OK, man, I that’s a really tough one.
Grace: You’ve seen all. Can we have like a few. Yeah. I have so many top 20 or top 20.
Dakota: Oh yeah. Man, that’s super tough. I’d say I have a really, really heartfelt scene with Jeremiahs. It’s a bit later in the season. God, that man can act. Oh, it’s so good.
Grace: I’m going to say that as well. I have to say it was just so wonderful to act with them because again, it’s a very heartfelt scene. He has quite a few of the show. And it was just he was just really lovely to act with. And it was a great scene because it starts off as like a confrontation and we kind of sort of resolve it. And it’s just it’s very it’s very wholesome. And I loved it. It was something that there are so many more are that’s just like one that came to mind. Really.
Jade: One for me that comes to mind is in episode eight. Dakota and I have an argument, but it’s kind of like one of those. It’s not like we’re not yelling at each other, but it’s just it feels very final. And I think I can obviously feel free to jump into it. But that was one of my favorite scenes to shoot.
Dakota: Yeah, because I think it was a really true story.
Jade: That was really strange because that was the last scene we shot with in the Nick Bentley house.
Dakota: Yeah. Real strange note to end on because seen it and so like negatively final is how it feels and that are sort of leaving it in there. Yeah. That was a lot of fun. It’s between stuff like that. And for my own selfish reasoning, laser tag we have… laser tag, man. That was a lot of fun. Roll around in the mud on that one. That’s long days just. Oh yeah. Living the dream.
Jade: The other one that I absolutely loved was filming like the skating scenes, like the routine. I was going to say that said Winstar was so much fun to film, like just getting to do the routine like that many times and like full costume and makeup and little lights and everything. It was just really surreal. It kind of brought me back to my old competitive skating days when I was like eleven. And it was just it was special to kind of have them like, obviously share it with Grace and our doubles as well. So it was amazing that we had such a great time.
Grace: Yeah. I enjoyed that scene. I also enjoyed the scene of, like, where I’m alone and doing my short program. And then at the end I look up at you in the stands.
Jade: That was a really great, really cute. That’s a good one.
And here ends our interview with Dakota Benjamin Taylor, Grace Beedie and Jade Ma. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. They are absolutely amazing, funny, jovial, down to earth, humble, kind and young, with a special twinkle in their eyes and you can tell they are more than friends, they’re family and they love their job so much.
They get along great and I absolutely loved when they reminisce about all the moments they spent together in Zero Chill. The interview flowed so naturally … it was a conversation between friends and it’s all we could ask for.
We hope to see them again in a Zero Chill season 2 and have a chance to speak with them again. We love them!
Do you like the interview? What do you think about Zero Chill? Feel free to share with us in the comments below!
Zero Chill is available to stream on Netflix.
