Azie Tesfai plays a pivotal part on-screen on Supergirl, but the star entered the writer’s room this season to co-write Supergirl Season 6 Episode 12, airing Tuesday at 9/8c on The CW.
The highly anticipated installment focuses on Kelly as she realizes that no one is helping the people of color harmed when the Ormfell building explodes.
With many in the community injured and resources scarce, Kelly sets out to even the odds and restore justice to the fallen community.
In her journey to the writers’ room, Tesfai was able to take some time away from filming.
“I did the writer’s room for a month, all day, every day, which was incredible,” Azie explained to TV Fanatic, dishing that she got to see first-hand how storylines are formed.
“Jay and I went off to write episode 12,” but the journey begun in the writers’ room, with the star saying that it became really personal for her.
“A lot of the things that Kelly says in the episode are things that I felt. And so it was an incredibly vulnerable and personal episode,” the star continued.
“And then really empowering because you get to co-write when your character becomes a superhero.”
Azie was very happy about getting to work on one of the most important episodes of the series.
“I don’t know how I’m going to go back to doing just the acting,” she shared.
“To be able to have your voice heard in, in art and, especially for something so positive and empowering for the character and for young girls, hopefully, to be able to watch and see, it feels very purposed.”
“It’s a dream come true.”
Tesfai shared that she was able to sit down and write out her feelings, and many of them made it into the episode via her character.
“It was really emotional and, at the same time, surprisingly cathartic to be able to get it out.”
Azie also touched on the evolution of Kelly over the years during our chat.
“She’s been through so much, and I love how healthy her love relationship is. I think she’s so inspiring. I find her very aspirational in my own life, the way that she is always there for people.”
“So kind and thoughtful and brilliant. Her time at Obsidian North, she’s so smart and capable. And then to watch her now step into real change on a huge level.”
Azie went on to commend Kelly for the way she’s helped so many people, such as becoming a social worker and ultimately suiting up as Guardian.
“Seeing her big heart and her fearlessness for change is front and center, and that is so inspiring to me. I just loved how she has evolved, and yet it’s still at the same time, kept such a strong moral center.”
Speaking of the costume, Azie had input on the design of the costume. How is that?
“We started the process a couple of years ago, and then we had a solid six months to develop it.”
Azie explained there was a dream list for what it had to include, including a “gold and half helmet, which is similar to the comics.”
The star got to see a mock-up of the drawing, and everything she wanted to be a part of the costume was able to be done.
She was ecstatic at the prospect of going in and doing the scans for the suit, revealing that it was a very exciting time for her.
“It was accurate to the original drawing of it. They did a really good job, and then our local Canadian wardrobe team did an amazing job making it functional.”
Azie shared that her fellow Supergirl cast members had been letting her know about the aches and pains of their super suits. You spend a lot of time filming in these suits, so you want them to be comfortable.
“I love my suit. It was very comfortable,” she said, revealing the input from her stars helped her pick the right options for a more comfortable suit.
As for where she would like Kelly to go next, Gotham City springs to mind. She would love to appear alongside Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder on Batwoman.
“Kelly being a black gay woman and going opposite of Batwoman. I love Javicia personally. That would be so epic that combo seeing those two together. Yeah. We’re putting that out into the world with that happening.”
Kelly on Batwoman sounds like a great idea, right?
Return to TV Fanatic for a full rundown of the episode after it airs, and be sure to return tomorrow for the rest of our interview with Azie.
I couldn’t share everything ahead of broadcast because we delve into spoiler territory, but the episode is genuinely one of the best of the entire series.
You’ll want to watch this one live, Supergirl fanatics!
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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