Once upon a time, there was an ambitious actress who set out to be the best performer she could be, only to be surprised when a single role didn’t just showcase her range, it showed her who she truly was....

When Tymika Tafari went in for the audition as Georgia, she could not have predicted the gift of playing the bright-eyed character would give her. When the Toronto-based actress read the script, she was energetically connected to the voice on the pages.“My initial reaction was, oh my gosh, it’s actually so good. This sounds like a person that I know!”  

Although fans may recognize Tafari from her popular projects, The Marijuana Conspiracy and Meet Me Next Christmas — yes, she did get to act alongside our millennial queen, Christina Milian, and yes, she did seize the opportunity to sing one of her bangers to her.“Oh my god! She is actually so nice in person. I did sing to her and told her thank you for carrying the girls on her back, call me, beep me any time. She’s actually amazing.” On a Zoom call one Thursday afternoon, this is the wonderful person I was introduced to. Tafari carries an effortless kind of joy, exciting, unfiltered and utterly contagious. The moment we started talking, we were laughing. She spoke with refreshing candour anchored by a striking self-awareness. It was easy to see why Tafari was drawn to Georgia, both possess a sense of innocence and willingness to jump feet first into whatever challenge or opportunity comes their way.“I remember being at my audition and being like, ok, bet, I’m gonna do one audition the way it is written on the page and then I am gonna do one like a Toronto man, just to see what it felt like. I realized this is actually the best, I didn’t know I needed to play a character like this!”

Playing Georgia became more than just a role, it challenged Tafari to confront her own questions about her identity. Stepping into the shoes of a character so confident, masculine-leaning and fluid, unearthed a self-reflection she hadn’t expected.“I got to figure out how we are different; Georgia is more masculine, she’s closer to ‘they’ and that comes with so much that is on their mind that I don’t think about. In my research, I learned that a non-binary person experiences the world in such a different way than I do, especially when seeking their community. So I became aware of my ‘she’ privilege and really learned what that is.” 

In Settle Down, Georgia is hilariously brought into Mason’s crew through her unreliable gossip. Mason becomes suspicious that his husband Jarod is having an affair because Georgia told him so. She is a barista at his local cafe and mistook his friendly business meetings as a sign of romantic indecency. It is quickly revealed that their intel was way off and sort of gets them kicked out of the crew, but not really, because they don’t stop coming around and then become Mason’s office assistant. The whole ordeal is pure comedy. Self-awareness? Georgia doesn’t know her. Reading the room? Georgia also doesn’t know her, and that is what makes them such a treat to watch on-screen. Georgia as a black, non-binary, queer character possesses a freedom most black female and non-binary characters rarely have in TV or film. They are not tasked with being perfect; they exist in a reality where they can fail upwards and get as many chances as they need to get it right. It is refreshing to see.

That sense of freedom wasn’t just written into the character; it was deeply felt by Tafari as she stepped into Georgia’s shoes. For her, their messiness and unfiltered charm were endearing. Through her, she discovered how liberating it feels to let go of the need to fit any version of queer identity and finally come to terms with her own. ‘The intention in this role was to allow myself to dabble in my own queerness with no expectations and throw everything out there. Even if I didn’t like it.” She explains with determination.“Working with attachment styles can be a little scary; I wouldn’t say Georgia and I have similar styles, but they are not far off. And playing them felt scary because I felt there were parts of their queerness I didn’t know because I have not experienced it. I thought, let me tap into my own experience; I know that I am queer but on the ‘she’ side not the ‘they’ side, everyone’s always told me that I am ‘she’ but I have felt so many things. So I said, Georgia is my opportunity where no one can tell me shit!” She smiles.“I’m just going to dive in and see where I land and I definitely came out of this as a sweet queer baby. I went in with she/they pronouns and came out with she/her because that is what felt the most true.”

That kind of self-reckoning was a satisfying contrast to when Tafari first booked the role. She admits she wasn’t totally convinced she could do it, falling into her shadow self, the part of her that felt like an imposter in the queer community.“When I booked Settle Down, I was really nervous. I felt I don’t want to lie, but I also want to discover myself. I was in a big bubble of self-doubt and felt wrong for the role. It wasn’t until we started shooting that I had an out-of-body experience where I let Georgia take over. I completely relinquished, and that felt really good.”

“If Georgia wants Devon, they will have to boss up in a real way and show Devon they are about her. And then Georgia becomes this really strong, they/them who takes what they want! I see ya, I want ya! That’s it.” 

While Tafari’s personal revelations added depth to her on-screen performance, behind the scenes, she was having fun with her co-star Nadine Bhabha, who plays Devon, her love interest and boss. She is a whiteboard for Georgia’s romantic reservations; they want her bad, but they also can’t handle the intimacy. They try to dominate Devon with their Toronto man’s tactics, but she doesn’t give in, instead, she puts Georgia in the sub-role. In one spicy scene, Devon brings Georgia to her knees, specifically on all fours. Tafari describes the scene as shocking for her in the moment, as it was for audiences to watch.“That scene was an authentic moment!” She laughs. “I didn’t know how to do the scene, I was going to ad-lib things, but Nadine came in and she was so still.” She tells this story with an air of admiration for her co-star.“I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew Devon and Georgia were about to have sex, so I went in thinking everything’s gonna be so sick, but it was so quiet. I was like, what is happening? And then Nadine came down the stairs and said the line, and I was like, yes, okay, this is what we are doing.” 

In a way, Georgia creates their own personal hell with Devon; the suffering she experiences with her indifference makes her more obsessive and less focused on the job she is already mid at. As a viewer, you can’t help but want to throw a slipper at them and ask them why they are making themself suffer, a sentiment Tafari shares.“Just be straight with Devon, and she will be straight with you.” She declares.“She’s got a Scarbronian heart.” She pauses with a comical reflection.“I’m from Jane and Finch, though, let’s make that a Jane and Finchian heart.” And with that heart, Tafari isn’t too optimistic about their romantic future.“I know that Devon is secure and Georgia isn’t, so it’s either they won’t last or?” Another pause, could there be some optimism creeping up? “Well, Georgia needs to do the work, and I don’t know if they have it in them. I feel like they might sabotage it and do some shit and then have to come around in a really big way.” Much like her co-stars, she is equally immersed in her character’s problems.“If Georgia wants Devon, they will have to boss up in a real way and show Devon they are about her. And then Georgia becomes this really strong, they/them who takes what they want! I see ya, I want ya! That’s it.” 

Since the show’s release, Tafari’s portrayal of Georgia has struck a nerve in the best way. Audiences didn’t just like them, they have championed their messy, hilarious, complicated self. And for her, the response has been more than career-affirming; it has given her the sense of relief she needed.“Georgia was my coming out. I felt, with my friends watching, vulnerable and kind of exposed because they had never seen that side of me. When I am in a vulnerable, romantic state, I don’t really show that, but I allowed myself to fully go there with Devon. That was the first time my friends had seen me kiss a woman on-screen, and they were all so warm and welcoming.”

And so, as this tale of self-love and acceptance came to an end, I couldn’t let Tafari leave without knowing what was next for this north star. She tells me did some work as a writer and producer that boosted her confidence to carve a path for even bigger achievements.“That experience showed me I can be quite a leader in the acting world, so I said, let’s do that! I am working on two projects now, the first one is my baby, called Daddy Daycare. It’s about my career journey and the Jamaican queer journey and how people don’t really give you the opportunity to explore that. Because there is so much shame around it. I watch a lot of anime so I want it to be fantastical, kind of like a Shoujo, but instead a black girls queer experience but in real life doing very anime things. I think it will be nerdy, but really fun. The second project is about periods, specifically girls’ free bleeding. I want to give it a modern-day touch, to see what would happen.”

The End.

You can watch Season 1 of Settle Down now on OutTV on Prime Video