Mayko Nguyen likes one of her Hudson & Rex co-stars more than the others.
That alone isn鈥檛 so unusual. Actors are human beings; not all human beings get along with each other in the same way. But what is unusual is admitting that you prefer one of your co-stars to a journalist during an interview.
And the 麻豆传媒映画actress is clear, and adamantly so: Diesel vom Burgimwald is her favourite co-worker, full stop.
This becomes less of a scandalous scoop and more of an adorable anecdote when you learn that vom Burgimwald is a two-year-old German shepherd who plays the titular Rex in Hudson & Rex, Citytv鈥檚 canine cop procedural that premieres on March 25.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a very special dog,鈥� says Nguyen of vom Burgimwald. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got this beautiful temperament. He鈥檚 a puppy, but he鈥檚 so 鈥� I want to say professional. It鈥檚 funny to apply that word to a dog, but he does have this professional air to him. Sometimes I forget that he鈥檚 a dog because he鈥檚 just one of us.鈥�
It鈥檚 mid-February and Nguyen is calling in from St. John鈥檚, Nfld., where she鈥檚 been filming Hudson & Rex鈥檚 16-episode first season since October.
Hudson & Rexstars sometimes-Vancouverite John Reardon (Arctic Air) as Charlie Hudson, a St. John鈥檚 detective who partners with Rex when the dog鈥檚 original partner is killed. Hudson recognizes that Rex has a very particular set of skills 鈥� namely, he can sniff out details that are usually overlooked by human detectives 鈥� and together they solve all manner of crimes, with help from colleagues like Nguyen鈥檚 character, Dr. Sarah Truong.
Dr. Truong is head of forensics. 鈥淚鈥檓 a doctor, but what is really great on this show is I鈥檓 not stuck in a lab,鈥� says Nguyen. 鈥淚鈥檓 on the scene a lot. I take an active role.鈥�
Dr. Truong and Nguyen have a fair bit in common. Until recently, they鈥檝e both been based in Toronto, and they鈥檙e both experiencing something of a culture shock in St. John鈥檚. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so cold here, and also really wet,鈥� she laughs. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no getting away from it. The wind is out of control. But it鈥檚 also majestic out here and quite beautiful.鈥� She鈥檚 full of love for the people of Newfoundland, who she describes as 鈥渟torytellers, with a sharp, caustic wit.鈥�
Nguyen was born and raised in 麻豆传媒映画and attended Eric Hamber secondary school. She was in Grade 11 when she caught the acting bug during a production of A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think prior to that I wanted to be an actor, but definitely that experience got me and I couldn鈥檛 imagine doing anything else,鈥� says Nguyen.
Alas, when Nguyen told her father that she was intent on being an actor, he wasn鈥檛 too impressed.
鈥淚 come from a Vietnamese family and my dad, back then at least, would have preferred if I had been a doctor or a lawyer,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e was not into it at all. I think it just got to be that thing where he didn鈥檛 really have a choice. I clearly was not going to go to law school, but I鈥檝e played a lawyer and I鈥檝e played a doctor, so there you go, Dad!鈥�
Nguyen鈥檚 lengthy list of credits includes fan favourite roles on Rookie Blue, But I鈥檓 Chris Jericho!, Cracked, ReGenesis and SyFy鈥檚 Killjoys. On Killjoys, Nguyen plays ruthless politician Delle Seyah Kendry, and she describes her as 鈥渘ot a character that I typically play. She鈥檚 not something that I think of myself as being close to in terms of character, and so there is something now where I鈥檓 like, 鈥極h, I think I need to investigate those kinds of roles a bit more because there was something there that caught me off guard.鈥欌��
Hudson & Rex represents a couple of firsts for Nguyen: her first time working with a dog and her first time relocating for work. 鈥淲e had a shoot on a boat and I threw up when we were done,鈥� she says. 聽鈥淚鈥檇 never experienced the North Atlantic in that way and so much of the show is about being in St. John鈥檚, and I think you鈥檒l get that from the show. I鈥檝e not met this landscape before. It鈥檚 a beautiful place and so unique in Canada.鈥�
Hudson & Rex premieres March 25 at 8 p.m. on Citytv.
