'The Magicians' star Jade Tailor says she's willing to finish the cancelled show on a different platform
It was announced on March 3 that SyFy has inexplicably decided to cancel fan-favorite series 'The Magicians', much to the dismay of the show's die-hard followers. Within hours, fans had already created a petition begging the network to reconsider their decision to end the show. Soon, the hashtag #SaveTheMagicians began flooding Twitter. The morning after the announcement, MEA Worldwide (MEAWW) reporter Alana Jordan sat down with actress Jade Tailor, who played one of the show's most beloved characters, Kady Orloff-Diaz, to get her reaction to SyFy's announcement.
Almost as surprising as the news was when and how Jade was alerted about the fate of the series — when it was publicly announced. While the actress gave the network the benefit of the doubt, stating, "technically one of the execs called me the day before, but I missed the call somehow, and so I would have known", she also revealed, "I knew when the fans knew. And I don’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s been just as emotional I think for me as it has for everyone else. But yeah, I found out yesterday morning first thing."
The news comes as a crushing blow to the cast and crew who have dedicated more than half a decade to the series. It is also heartbreaking for the fans, who have developed a deep emotional connection with the characters which is virtually unparalleled across most fandoms. The #SaveTheMagicians hashtag was to be expected, as many shows have seen similar fan reactions to their cancellations. However, what sets 'The Magicians' apart is the simultaneous generation of the hashtag #TheMagiciansSavedMe. Fans have posted stories of how the show has resonated with them, to the degree that they credit the series for literally saving their lives and deterring potential suicides. The fans have all praised the show for its ability to connect with audiences to a degree that few series have ever accomplished.
Jade clearly isn't taking her impact on the fans lightly. When #TheMagiciansSavedMe was mentioned to her, her immediate response was, "Every time you say that, I get chills."
She has been giving these same chills to fans, who have loved her troubled character since the beginning of the series and have continued to develop a deep connection with her as her story unfolded. Because her character has had to deal with traumatic loss and addiction, she has become a sort of icon for fans who have suffered similar turmoils. The actress also explained how the real issues the fictional show portrays have also been a reflection of those in her own life.
"I think I’m realizing more and more as the days go on as I'm reflecting over these five, almost six years because we shot the pilot six years ago, is that how much I relate to Kady in the sense that I went through a lot in my life and a lot of trauma and a lot of turmoil. And to be able to overcome that and learn to find my inner strength as Kady has, I hope that the fans take the same thing away from that. No matter what you go through, you can learn from it and you can become stronger from it. You know, they always say a broken bone grows back stronger. And so for me, that's really what I’m hoping is that people walk away feeling really inspired and empowered finding their own inner strengths because they see that it’s possible, and it’s not just this fantasy character, but I went through it, too came out the other side, and really hope they feel and find that inner strength."
Because so many fans have felt this deep connection to characters such as Kady, 'The Magicians' being cancelled has triggered a sense of loss. But, much like the characters of the show when faced with great loss, fans haven't lost hope. This hope of a possible continuation of the story, whether on SyFy or via a new network/platform may not be unwarranted.
When asked if she would be willing to reprise her role, she enthusiastically agreed. "Oh, a thousand percent. I would do anything that has to do with 'The Magicians', and anything that John (McNamara) and Sera (Gamble), Henry (Alonso Myers), our execs want to do. I love them, and I’m so grateful for the journey and the continued journey." She also said she wouldn't be opposed to finishing the story on a different platform, or as a film. "If Netflix wants to pick up a two-hour conclusion, happy about it!"
Considering the show has an extremely close bond with all the cast and crew, it seems that if the showrunners were given the opportunity to continue the series, the rest of the cast would likely agree with Jade and sign back on to reprise their roles. "We show up on set on days we weren’t working just to root each other on. There’s such a familiar environment that we created and cultivated and that’s because of our creators and writers and the whole crew," Jade explained.
She also was seemingly the instigator of a lot of the shenanigans that made the on-set experience so uniquely fun and uniting for both the cast and crew. In fact, the silver lining of the show's ending is that she can officially say she won the five-year-long prank war she had with the show’s key grip, Garry Brook.
"So, I'll tell you this — this is really fun — so first day of season five, the prank war was going on to the point where Garry had put my cast chair on ceilings, there was a lot of taping my water bottle or tying it to a ceiling or a wall. It just went on for a really long time. So I decided one day to coerce one of our PAs into getting his car keys because I know his car (he has a truck; he’s very proud of his truck) so I decided to fill it with packing peanuts. It was so good. So that was day one of season five, so the prank war just kept going. I definitely won."
Fans of the show also know how ridiculously talented Jade is not only at acting but also when it comes to singing. Kady makes an appearance in every musical number featured on the show in every season, seemingly just so the series could utilize Jade's incredible four-octave range. Luckily, even though the show will end (and thus, sadly, ceasing those incredibly catchy covers), fans will still have the opportunity to hear Jade's incredible singing voice in some new upcoming work. "I’m actually working on an album right now, which is really fun."
You can follow Jade Tailor on her Instagram for updates: @jade.tailor.