Up-and-coming Australian actress, Jorja Cadence, is another performer who credits her growing success to getting her start in the horror genre.
You might remember the Toronto resident actress from her first major role in the 2017 indie film The Heretics produced by Canadian horror darlings, Black Fawn Films. As Joan, the film’s unsuspecting antagonist, Cadence had to dig deep into a complex character and immerse herself in the cult-centred story. She says working on The Heretics changed the game for her by drastically improving her craft, and credits the wave of success that followed to her experience in the horror genre.
On the set of The Heretics and other horror projects she was involved in, like Justin McConnell’s 2016 short Do You See What I See, Cadence learned how to really commit to a character. “In horror movies, actors must have a very good sense of the role they’re playing because it’s not just understanding the character but how the character would act in the most extreme situations. Your character needs to be clear, and almost second nature to you so that when a stunt person suddenly comes at you with an axe, you can still deliver a strong, captivating, and believable performance. If you don’t land that reaction just right, the entire film can fall flat. Horror fans are an extra impassioned and critical audience, so the stakes are extra high in these types of productions.”
Cadence also notes that the sets of horror movies, or lack thereof, can really test the limits of the actors. In the case of The Heretics, she says a huge portion of the shoot was done outdoors at night, often overnight, which allowed her and co-star Nina Kiri (The Handmaid’s Tale) to really immerse themselves into the horror genre. “There is really nothing that prepares you for shooting in the woods at night,” recalls Cadence, “You are basically thrown into your own personal horror movie, almost blurring the lines between the production and your reality.
Sometimes it felt like we weren’t even acting- it was just genuinely that horrifying.” Well, acting or not, critics agree that Cadence’s performance as Joan in The Heretics was both impressive and intriguing and launched her career onwards and upwards. Following her starring role in The Heretics, Cadence continued to expand her craft and explored other genres. However, she still recognises having experience in horror films early on in her career only further prepared her for the more mainstream roles she landed including Netflix’s Sex/Life and Hallmark’s Romance in Style. Even though no one was coming at her with an axe in these roles, she knew to be ready and in character for whatever directors, producers, and other actors threw her way.
Cadence’s biggest role to date is as Cara Spader in the new Paramount+ series Rabbit Hole, opposite 24 star Kiefer Sutherland and Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance. Cadence recalls the feeling of landing this major role and returning to the horror-adjacent thriller genre: “When the role of Cara showed up, I was immediately drawn to her, especially when I read that she was a spy. I was immediately transported back to my horror roots as Joan in The Heretics and how much I loved playing a multi-layered character who wasn’t as she seemed on the surface.”
In fact, she connected with the role of Cara so much that auditioned using her natural Australian accent, which isn’t something she usually does but felt right to her for the character, and was willing to risk it to really bring the role of Cara to life. And as it turned out, her risk paid off when she was cast for the show.
Looking back now, Cadence can’t imagine where her career would be now without her foundation in the horror genre. “As an actor, it’s always important to step out of your comfort zone, whether you’re reading for a role you wouldn’t normally go for, or literally chasing someone through the woods with a fake knife and having to stay in character through that. All of these experiences make you grow and become that much better for your next role, and there’s no better place to take the plunge than in horror projects. You learn all the lessons at once.” So whether you’re a fan of the horror genre or find the whole thing a little too terrifying, you might want to uncover your eyes long enough to check it out from time to time because chances are that’s where the next talent is getting their start.
If you want to check out Cadence in action, her shows can be found on most streaming services, including Paramount+ where you can see all episodes of her latest project Rabbit Hole, and Prime Video where you can see her horror debut in The Heretics.
What’s next for the Australian actress? Catch her in Priscilla, Sofia Coppola’s latest film with A24, coming this October. For a full list of current and upcoming projects on the actress’ radar, you can check out her IMDB page here.
