The Way of the Wolf: An Interview with Actor and Adventurer Josh Blacker
In an idealized life, I would always be out in the bush, living wild, rambling over mountains and paddling remote rivers. That is “The Way of the Wolf,” after all. But I’ll admit it—I like to binge when I’m at home. And I’m not talking chips and ice cream… I mean binging on the latest streaming series on Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
Breaking Bad, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Goliath, Shetland, Game of Thrones… I’ve wasted a fine bit of time on these shows, and I don’t regret it. After a month or two on a hard trip, vegging out is somehow justified… and there’s no better way to get re-motivated than by sitting on your butt staring at a glowing light for hours on end. These periods of fallow are prime fuel to light the fire for another wilderness mission.
I had the opportunity recently to interview Josh Blacker, a Canadian who straddles the worlds of adventuring and professional acting. He not only gets out there on epic journeys but is a bona fide Hollywood star, playing one of the lead roles in the new and binge-worthy drama SEE. On the adventure side of things, among other jaunts, Josh took a three-month hiatus from acting to go backpacking through all the National Parks in the States.
In SEE, Blacker plays the Witchfinder Warrior alongside acting luminaries like Jason Momoa in Apple’s first series in their foray into the streaming wars. Shot largely in BC, this survivalist drama is “set in a far dystopian future, where the human race has lost the sense of sight, and society has had to find new ways to interact, build, hunt, and to survive. All of that is challenged when a set of twins is born with sight.”
I chatted with Josh about how he balances life as an actor with his passion for adventure.
You grew up in Calgary. What came first for you: adventure or acting?
I spent the first 16 years of my life in South Africa where both revealed themselves at the same time. We lived close to a river and I would go exploring by myself or with friends and we would pretend that we were famous explorers discovering new lands. We would make bows and arrows and roam the wilderness for hours as if we were modern day explorers. Those adventures definitely ignited both the love for the outdoors and for performing.
Tell us about your role in SEE. What attracted you to it?
The level of talent at every single level was impossible to turn down. From our director, Francis Lawrence, to the writer, Stephen Knight, and all of the incredible cast including Jason Momoa, Sylvia Hoeks, Alfre Woodard and Christian Camargo. After seeing all those people were involved, I immediately knew I had to be involved and asked my agent to get me an audition.
What is your favourite wilderness experience and why?
Whichever one is next! If I’ve been working for a long time on a show or am away from the outdoors for any extended period of time, the knowledge that I’ll be going on another adventure soon is what gets me excited. There’s something magical about leaving the world behind and forging a new path in the wilderness for a few days or weeks. That being said, I really enjoy the deserts and canyons around the four corners area; Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado could fill a lifetime of wilderness adventures.
How do you balance the demands of a busy television series with getting outdoors?
Life really is about balance. I love my job and love the shows I’ve had the pleasure to work on. But it can be emotionally and physically draining. Every time I get on a new show that’s going to shoot for a longer period of time, I immediately start planning the new trip. When the show wraps, I’ll take a few days to get everything together and then head out on that new adventure. The moment I throw on my backpack and hit the trail, everything else fades away and my batteries start to recharge. I find the isolation of the outdoors invigorating.
You spent long hours per day on set, working tightly with a group of people to create and complete the series SEE. Are the bonds forged with others on the set relatable to those formed on a wilderness mission?
Oh absolutely! Every day on set there are certain goals the director, producer, cast and crew all need to accomplish. Maybe we have to get through a particularly emotional scene, or we have to catch up on a scene that we couldn’t shoot the day before. Having those goals and needing to have everyone on board is very similar to heading out into the wild with my friends. I think of filming as just a more urban adventure. You spend so much time together that you can’t help but form tight bonds. As with any wilderness mission, there are highs and lows, but at the end of the day it’s the experience of doing something with people you love that forges the tightest bonds.
Do your outdoor experiences influence how you approach the craft of acting?
I think it’s more that my outdoor experiences free me up emotionally to be truly available and committed to the work I do as an actor. The outdoors makes me feel lighter, more connected to the earth and to myself. Those quiet moments when you wake up to watch the sunset, or when you arrive at camp and set up for the night and then watch the sun set fill me with so much serenity and purpose. So, when I get back to the city, my heart is full and I’m able to throw myself heart first into my work.
Do you feel a lot of pressure with your featured role in Apple’s first foray into streaming? How do you deal with it?
No, not really. Any job comes with its own pressures. You can’t really focus on what happens after you’ve done shooting. In the case of SEE, I knew that we had such an incredible team and that Apple had given us all the resources we needed to help the show succeed. Knowing that, all you really need to do is show up, do the work and hope that people enjoy it.
What’s your most disastrous outdoor experience? What lesson did you learn from it?
I was doing a multi-day hike in Bryce Canyon in early November and the temperature on the first day was just beautiful. When I got back to my campsite after a long day of hiking, the sun started to set and the temperature started to fall way faster and way harder than I had anticipated. It went from 19 degrees Celsius during the day to -12 degrees overnight. I hadn’t prepared for that kind of temperature. My sleeping pad and sleeping bag weren’t the proper rating for those conditions. It was a long, very cold night with very little sleep. Not a true disaster, really, but just very poor planning and quite unpleasant. I learned that the gear I need after the hike for sleeping, cooking etc., is just as important as the gear you use during the day. I’ll never not check overnight average temperatures for wherever I’m going now!
What’s next for you as an actor?
I have a couple of things in the works, but due to non-disclosure agreements I can’t really say much. My production company does have our next feature film in the works, and I’m hard at work finishing up our script and getting ready to shoot. It’s a psychological horror/thriller and I think people will really enjoy it.
What’s your next big adventure?
I have a multi-day adventure in the Sonoran Desert and surrounding area scheduled with a very good friend of mine who comes up with the most insane trips, so this should be a fun one!
P.S. Looking for more outdoor adventure gear at a fraction of retail price?
Join our “Live the Adventure’ Club!
In our quarterly subscription gear box, we include four to six pieces of new gear, the latest issue of explore and inspirational challenges to get you outside and using your new gear. That’s $150+ in retail value for just $97 per quarter… plus the priceless value of the motivational challenges you won’t find anywhere else.
