In the sunlit corner of my apartment, Nadine Bhabha enters our Zoom call with a confident yet mildly intimidating energy that feels exciting. Her aura emanates a quiet confidence that makes you pay attention, I wouldn’t expect anything less from a three-time Canadian Screen nominee. Best known for her performance in Letterkenny and her work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Bhabha is adding her comedic touch to Devon in her latest project, Settle Down. As Devon, Mason’s second in command at the office, she brings depth to the character that feels both lived-in, electric, and sort of terrifying. Devon is secure, she has boundaries, she is beautiful and fashionable. She doesn’t let anyone play in her face, even if she is frequently taking them to her bed. Her love interest, Georgia, is head over heels for this woman, and as an audience member, you can understand why. Devon is THAT girl.

When asked if she sees parts of herself in her character, she gives me an obvious smile.“Devon is a woman who needs to get everything finished and do it her way, and that is me to a T. As busy as she always seems in the show is how I always feel, even when I’m doing nothing.” Stepping into the role felt almost instinctive for Bhabha. Understanding her character on such an intimate level made the work feel less like labour and more like a natural extension of herself.“I think her inner clock is at the same speed as mine, and she does everything 100%.” That ease allowed her to fully sink into Devon and show off the signature comedic timing she is known for. It also meant there was room for real joy behind the camera, playing with improv and building that chemistry viewers felt buzzing through the screen.“It’s always a joy when you get to a set and everyone’s cool, ya never know, especially because on these indie sets you’re not making a million dollars an episode, so all you have is truly having fun.” She explains.“It’s really nice when the fun part is fostered, it felt good coming to work where everyone had the same goal.”

Most of her time was spent working with Tymika Tafari, who played her love interest, Georgia. Their intense relationship felt like fire meeting rock, an all-searing intensity with chaos forming. But beneath the magnetic pull between the two lovers, Georgia’s avoidant attachment style constantly threatens their success. For Devon, love demands a sense of confidence and honesty that Georgia isn’t willing to give. The result is a one-sided dance between desire and fear, because Devon ain’t about to lose sleep on someone who isn’t straight with them; she’s got a business to run.“Devon is cool, secure and confident, she reminds me of Ari Gold from Entourage.”

But even being the aspirational woman she is, excellence has its pitfalls. Her boundaries isolate her from her co-workers after hours. At times, she is too hard on Devon, and viewers have yet to see her have a chill moment. Around every corner, it feels like a breakdown could take her out.“It would be great if a little bit of Georgia rubbed off on Devon, a bit more play between them would be nice because she gives her a hard time. I want them to have a sweet moment.” As for that likely breakdown, Bhabha has some advice for her on-screen counterpart. “Stop drinking before 10 AM.” She laughs. Although Bhabha agrees that on-screen, Georgia and Devon are in a lovers’ spat, she assures me off-screen it was nothing but fun and more fun working with Tafari. “Tymika is a big music gal, and before scenes, she would be playing her music and dancing around, which I think was infectious. At 5 AM, I am a conserve energy to explode on camera type actor, whereas she balances energy throughout the day. I don’t know how she does it!” She smiles. “I think absorbing her energy the whole time sort of released Devon.”

Settle Down is a series that abandons the old LBTQ+ blueprint that for years have oscillated between narratives that overemphasize identity politics, rigid labelling or trauma porn. Devon stands out as a character because, although we know she’s into Georgia, that is all we know. She is defined by her confidence and professionalism, not her sexual orientation, something Bhabha appreciates and thinks we need more of. “Her sexuality is not named, and I think that is so nice; she’s not beholden to any box. You can’t stereotype her, and you can’t get mad at any part of her because she hasn’t said what she is.” She says proudly. “How are you going to get mad at her? How are you going to say that she’s not represented properly? Labels are great, they help us clue into different parts of ourselves. But I also think as we move through society, that it would be nice for it to feel more fluid, and I think Devon is a great representation of that fluidity.”

As proud and inspired by her character as she is, Bhabha is equally overjoyed by the impact Devon has had on audiences. Hearing the feedback from friends and family has been incredibly rewarding for the actress, and she deeply relates to Devon’s choice to define herself on her own terms. “I think people feel seen by how unboxed she and these characters feel, something I am constantly searching for both in my acting work and my writing. I also want to ensure my characters aren’t struggling first and funny second. Instead, you are there with them, you love them. Their race, sexuality or any of their problems are not the purpose of the character.”

“How are you going to get mad at her? How are you going to say that she’s not represented properly? Labels are great, they help us clue into different parts of ourselves. But I also think as we move through society, that it would be nice for it to feel more fluid, and I think Devon is a great representation of that fluidity.”

Bhabha is arguably one of the hardest-working actresses in the Toronto film industry right now, and she has no plans of slowing down. With writing for the best comedy shows on Canadian TV right now, earning herself a Canadian Screen Award and starring on Crave’s most successful original series, the only logical step in her career is directing, but is she up for the task? “Acting is one of the greatest joys of my life.” She declares.“When I am an actor, I work really hard because it’s someone else’s writing and a lot of other people, and I’m truly able to just bring a dish to the potluck. I hope everyone will enjoy it, but it’s not necessarily gonna break the meal. When I’m a writer, I have this god complex, I am like, inventing people. And it’s one of the most creatively satisfying things I can do.  There is nothing more fun than having a story problem and then looking to someone else, maybe an actor or another writer and cracking that nut. As a director, I’m like, ohhh! That’s combining like a whole bunch of things and having this birds-eye view, and yes, you are supported by your DP, your entire camera team and your lighting team-” A sense of doubt creeps in. “But, it just feels like it’s at the top of the mountain for me, that and stand-up.” 

At this point, I can’t help but let out an innocent laugh. Here is a person who has achieved more than the average person could dream of, inviting me into the deepest parts of their creative fears. In that moment, I felt a twinge of disbelief. Could someone this impressive really believe they’re not ready to ascend? “But I’ll probably do it at some point.” She states, back in that cool, self-assured, it’s-only-a-matter-of-time energy she naturally possesses. 
If you ever wondered what the key to success is, take your cues from Nadine Bhabha. It’s about being honest with your fears and doing it anyway. Although season two has not officially been confirmed, it made me wonder if Devon, like Bhabha, secretly has her own mountains she’s afraid to climb. Though she doesn’t know what is next for her on-screen counterpart, she also hopes to learn more about her personal life. “When I used to watch Entourage, I loved watching Ari in the car or driving to his house. I would love to see a stripped-down version of Devon. I want to go home with her more.”

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