BY IRVIN RIVERA

NBC LA BREA’S ZYRA GORECKI, the first single amputee to star in a major TV series, spoke to us about playing her character Izzy, Amputee Blade Runners, vulnerability, acting alongside co-star Eoin Macken, and the power of visibility and representation in the mainstream media.  

Zyra’s Izzy drew her strength from her vulnerability. That inner strength was effectively portrayed in her character who struggles with her inner conflicts and her relationship with her dad.

Newcomer Zyra’s energy is undeniably electric. She’s a dynamic firecracker with the innate ability to connect and create with people- someone who is wise for her age, but also fresh and open at the same time. It’s always exciting to work with someone who is curious and open to creating.

How would you describe the show to those who haven't seen it yet or to those who are curious about it?

I think La Brea has everything, really. It has the family connection you'll enjoy, if you enjoy watching people. It also has the crazy action and Sci-fi elements to it that I think a lot of people would love. And there’s that element of escapism that I think a lot of people need at this time in the world right now.

I mean, literally, that suspenseful, sci-fi element would literally help you escape to another world. That's really great. What do you think would people find unique about the show?

I think what's so unique about the show is how fast paced it is. Right? Like, I think even my attention span for TV shows is very short. You have to wait for four episodes to get into the show. It's exhausting. La Brea isn't like that. In the first five minutes,  a lot of things happened and it just kept going from there. And it just keeps ramping up. I think that's really fun. I think that's really different.

When you first heard that you booked the show, what was your first reaction like? How do you remember that moment?

So we had the original pilot that we were going to film at the very start of 2020. I don't remember what my reaction was, then. All I knew was that I was really excited. But I kind of thought things weren't really going to happen after the pandemic hit. And then I got a call when I was in Florida on vacation in December. And they were like, you're going to Australia. And we're going to film this for six months. And I just kind of stopped there. Because we were going out to dinner, we went to crack a real one and I just kind of sat there in the car after they told me that. And I went, no, that's not real. No... and then it was! And then it was actually real.

Was it surreal that now you're Izzy from La Brea and that you're everywhere? You're on Billboards all over LA!

Oh yes. No, I've actually talked to people about this. And it didn't hit me that we're going to Australia until I legitimately walked off the plane and also that we're going to be filming a TV show. It did not hit me until the first week of production started and we were going in for costume fittings, we were going in for hair and makeup and everything. And then it started to hit me for that. Because you know, projects will come to you and then they'll fall through because of whatever reason. It's one of those don't get your hopes up kind of jobs, you know.

And hey, here you are. Congratulations again. 

Here we are.

Okay, so if you can time travel or go to another dimension, when or where will you go?

See, the thing is, I like the present, I like living in the present. I like what's happening now. And I don't know what's going to happen in the future. The past... No, thank you. No, I like the present. I mean, if we could progress a little further, that'd be fantastic but I like now. Is that a horrible thing to say, is that boring?

No. You're living in the now. And it's important to live, you know to be present. You're being present. So that's great. And how was Izzy's evolution throughout the whole season of the show? How's her evolution like?

I think she really learned to trust herself- to trust her instincts. She learned to trust her bond with her dad. She allowed herself to become who she was meant to be. That sounds so cliché and everything, I know. But I really think she evolved... She's a 16 year old girl, right? That's a really stressful time in your life. You're really trying to figure out who you are- who you want to be, and what you're going to do. And I think, because this moment in her life is so insane, it forces her to realize a lot of things.

And what drew you to her character?

Her vulnerability. I am terrible at vulnerability, right? Like, it's not my thing. I'm not great at it. I'm working on it. I'm learning. It's still really difficult, though. Vulnerability is scary. And she does it so well. She has this lovely thing going on. She's really sassy. She has her sassy moments, she has her moments where she's going to stick up and she's not going to take anyone's shit. But then she has these lovely little tender moments and they almost always happen with her dad, because her dad is who she trusts. That's who she can let all of her guards down with and talk. And it's refreshing to see that, I guess.

How we're you able to channel that vulnerability? 

Eoin [Macken] actually...

Really?

Yes. He is. Every single thing that he does, every single scene that he's in is chef's kiss. I learned so much from him. I learned how to show on your face what you're feeling. And when you're in a scene with him, he's giving you everything that you need in that scene. He gives it his all every single time. It's crazy. Even after a 12 hour day, he's still there. He's still giving it to you. But really, just following his lead and, you know... How do I say this? You know how when you're in a conversation with someone, right? You're reacting off their face? 

Yes. 

All I had to do was react to his face.

Wow. So you were just bouncing off each other's energy. 

Oh, yes. 

That's great. I worked with him this same week that I saw you and Jack. So it was kind of crazy. But he, yes, you just feel something just by looking at his face. That's one of his talents.

He has something special about him. I can't put my finger on it. He has this special aura about him. 

Oh, Absolutely. What are the challenges and the highs that you've experienced during filming?

Not going to my first emotion- with a lot of things, I think. In real life, you go to the first emotion that you feel. I think, for most people, when something happens, they feel anger because it's a secondary emotion. You have to backtrack and figure out what emotion caused the anger and learn how to do that in a scene. And go, okay, why would she be angry? What is the emotion first? Starting with that emotion, and then going into anger. I think that was the hardest part for me because I'm very instinctual. 

To be able to go through scenes and bounce things off Eoin and the energy you need off everybody. And I'd be like, Why do you think she would do this? Why would she do that? this doesn't make sense to my brain? Can we talk this out? And then they would be like, Absolutely! Everybody out there was really, really good about me being a newbie, and I never felt like I didn't get along or anything. Everybody was amazing. Eoin, really, he was an on-set dad. 

That's great. Because like what you're saying, you really have to ask the “why” and ask about your character’s motivations and that's important. 

Oh, yes. 

And it showed. It showed in your delivery of Izzy. 

Thanks so much. 

How was it to be the first single amputee to star in a major NBC series?

I didn't realize it was such a big deal until people kept messaging me and saying things about that. I knew that amputees weren't big in the media. There’s pretty much nobody or there’s no representation for amputees- it’s horrendous, right? That’s for any disability really, but I didn't realize to what extent. And doing La Brea made me realize that and it is really, really cool. It is a true honor to be somebody that a little kid can look up to and look on screen and be like, I look like that, I can do that then. I can do whatever the heck I want to do. It's really cool. 

It is cool! Because you're contributing to this whole narrative of empowering and representing the disabled community. And it's really important, especially nowadays.

Of course.

Let’s talk about acting, how did it start for you? Was it something that you've always wanted from a young age?

No, no, I got my legs cut off. Before that, I wanted to be a mortician. I had a lot of people die in my life at a very young age. And to me, morticians were the ones that kind of led the way through that grief and really, really helped to bridge the different worlds.That was really cool to me. I didn't ever want people to feel the way that I felt. 

When I had my leg cut off and I was like, ah, I want to do something to inspire people. So I chose my goal, which was to be a model. And I went out, I got an agent. I was 13 when I signed with Bravo Talent Management. And she kept sending me... Deborah, my agent kept sending me on acting things. And to begin with, I hated it. I was terrified every single time I walked into a casting room. Right before it, I would be in the bathroom either terribly sick or vomiting from nerves and I hated it. And I didn't want to go in every single casting where when you walk in and they'd be like, wow, you're really tall! You have blue hair! I'm like, yes, it's on my card. I’m 6ft tall, right on my card. But anyway, so I kept doing it, and kept doing it. And eventually the nerves started to ease up. And then I booked my first gig, which was kind of hard. All I had to do was have my legs snap back and scream. All I have to do is scream. But it was a really, really fun first gig. Because I didn't have any pressure on me. All I had to do was scream. It was fantastic! And then I got bitten by the bug, I suppose people say. And I decided then that this is what I wanted to do. And so I just kept at it. I kept auditioning and then here we are.

It evolved and you're here. That's what happened and you're on this amazing journey. And now you have a platform, you have a bigger platform to inspire people.

I hope so.

You have. People are looking at you right now, probably saying, I want to be like her. 

Tell us more about Amputee Blade Runners and your involvement with them. How did they change the way you approach life?

I love this part. Okay, so Amputee Blade Runners is a non-profit organization out of Tennessee. It’s in Nashville, Tennessee, right. And my little backstory for this is that blades cost 60 to $70,000. Insurance doesn't cover them because they are considered recreational. However, running on a regular foot is about like running in clogs. I don't know if you've tried this, but it's really painful. It doesn't work very well. But Amputee Blade Runners between volunteers, donations, and working with different brands, they can get the cost of the blade down to $3,500 for a kid to get their life back. 

Huge difference.

Oh huge. Absolutely massive. And it does really make a world of difference. I even consider myself relatively athletic, right? Like I've never let anything hold me back. I do whatever the heck I want to do physically. And I stopped running for a while after I had my leg amputated, because they hurt so incredibly bad. And I went down there. I did the whole application thing. I think we raised $5,000 from my little town, and we went down there, and I got there on a Monday night, I think. And it was nine o'clock at night when we texted someone there. We were like, alright, we're here. And they said, alright, come into the office. They fit me for a leg right then and there. It took four days. Usually for a leg it takes about a month to get a test socket. And that's like the first part and then you have to get a real leg after that. And that takes longer. So probably like a three month period before you get a leg, not four days, you know. And the people there are absolutely fantastic. They are the most giving, kind, phenomenal, truly passionate people I've ever met. I've never met people who are so passionate about their cause that they give everything. Truly.

That's amazing. Because when you meet people like that, that's how you know that they really care about what they do, about the people that they work with. So that's incredible.

Oh, I always tell them. I try to bring up Amputee Blade Runners in any interview that I can because I truly love these people. And they said, no, you don't have to do that. You don't have to do that. That's not why we are giving you legs. We just want you to be able to run again. And I said that's exactly why I do it. Because you weren't trying to take advantage of people, you weren't trying to screw people out of their money or get them to do something, you just wanted to help.

That's so beautiful. It's a heartwarming story. And it's such a good thing that they're promoting them on your platform too. So good job to you. 

Thank you.

What's your dream project?

So I was talking to somebody about this because I didn't know before. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I just wanted to do it. But I think it would be really fun to do either an animated movie or TV show or whatever. Because I really liked being in the booth. I love it, it's so much fun to me because I can perfect it. I can perfect my voice exactly how I want to. I love it. But also, I think being a villain in a movie would be so much fun, because the morals are so different. And I feel like to me, to my brain, the stories always tend to be a little bit better on the villain. I don't know. I think it'd be so cool to play a villain and have that psychology. Oh my goodness. 

There's a lot of layers to it if you become a villain. That's why I love villains that have rich storylines and backstories because you're not just an evil villain, there's deep layers to it. 

Yes. Well, I feel like people can understand them. You know, because we all have had struggles in our life.

Which is the most memorable moment for you throughout the whole process?

Okay, so Eion went with me to get my tattoo in Australia, my one foot in the grave tattoo on my foot. And then on the very final day of filming, I gave him the foot off of my prosthetic that I'd worn the entire season. And I wrote one foot in the grave on the side of it. And then I wrote Zyra too. But I wrote one foot in the grave and I gave it to him, and a lighter.

A lighter?

Yes, we did these interview questions earlier on and they were like, what would you take with you if you ended up in a primeval world? And I said a lighter, because you can do so much with the light, you need fire, right? And he said a Jet pack and we had a whole argument about this in the makeup trailer one morning. That's why I had to give him a lighter to be like, listen, you're wrong.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why? 

My first thought was Dumpster Fire with a Pretty Little Bow. I don't know why?

The thing is, who I am is very different from the books I read. My favorite books are Silence of the Lambs or Harry Potter. But I like to read darker books. Yes, that's not really who I am as a human being, I would say. So let's go with Dumpster Fire with a Pretty Little Bow.

Why? 

Okay. I'm kind of a hot mess, if we're being honest here. Kind of a hot mess sometimes, and it's okay. But it's all wrapped in a pretty little bow.

That's beautiful. You wrapped it up beautifully.

Yes, wrapped it beautifully. 

LA BREA IS NOW STREAMING ON NBC.COM AND PEACOCK