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Entity reports on Quantico' Actress, Tracy Ifeachor, on Being a Physical Badass.Tracy Ifeachor in "Crossbones"

Thanks to her impressive performances on hit ABC series “Quantico” as CIA trainer Lydia Bates and previous physical roles on shows like  “The Originals” and “Crossbones,” Tracy Ifeachor is a fast rising star in the acting world.

But Tracy had other career options as a promising athlete in a range of sports and could also have pursued a career as a dancer.

In this exclusive ENTITY interview she explains how any young woman with options can choose the best path to the future.

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ENTITY: Why did you move into acting as opposed to, say, competitive sports in which you also excelled?

TRACY IFEACHOR: I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in sports from a young age and it helped give me a good work ethic. I was a gymnast and competed all over England, which is where I grew up. Next I started moving into water sports. Once I got over my fear of heights, I trained as a high board diver. That 10 meter board for those who have never stood at its precipice is actually pretty terrifying the first time you leap off its platform.  I was also a hurdler, high jumper, long jumper, trampolinist, relay runner as well as competing in short, middle and long distance races. I was selected to compete for my county at 13. It’s a bit like running for your State. I loved dancing too and still do. Tap, jazz, modern which I loved and ballet, which I wasn’t so keen on. So painful. I did homework during lunch and at weekends and between speech, drama and poetry competition festivals and became the senior verse speaking champion of my region, twice. Acting and poetry was something that I always just loved. I don’t think, especially in the early years whilst at school, that it ever felt like a chore. I could spend hours involved with acting, it felt effortless I enjoyed it that much. The decision was made for me really. I feel like we’re all given a passion for a purpose.

ENTITY: What was your fork in the road moment when you had to make a choice between one way or the other?

TI: I thought ‘Well, no one on earth can do it all so I’m going to have to make a decision’. I thought about what it was that gave me pleasure, what has been a constant? What have I always enjoyed? ….And there it was. That was when I was coming up to my GCSE’s (a series of 10 exams taken by all British students after which at 16 you can make the choice to leave school or continue on to A levels, the GED equivalent).

Entity reports on Quantico' Actress, Tracy Ifeachor, on Being a Physical Badass.

Scene from “The Originals”

ENTITY: What advice can you give ENTITY readers that would help them make the right decision on career choice?

TI: Gather all the information you can. Facts are your friends. Be practical and write things down. This will ensure that any decision, any choice made is not based on emotion. Though they are a part of any decision made, they are not the whole picture. Go out and do something fun, take a couple of days where you don’t even talk about it, much less even think about the choice. The choice will emerge in this time of relaxation. Once you have all the practical information, ask yourself, what gives me joy? Money, the journey etc. may be a factor but at the end of the day, YOU are the one that is going to have to live with the outcome of that choice. Keep in mind that the sensible choice, the one that makes the most sense, may not be the one you choose and that’s okay. The option that makes the least sense may be the one your heart wants more than any of the other options, and that too is okay. It can also be the most rewarding!

ENTITY: Hurdling, high jump and sprinting, all of which you did, require tremendous discipline. How did that discipline stay with you in your acting career?

TI: Discipline and repetition are my back bone. Head down, keep going. The same things that can help you in sport. I love the focus that physical exertion and team sports cultivate in a person. I love the stillness of it. In acting, that focus and that stillness is what can create great pieces of work. With athletics, you had a task, a starting point and an end point and how much you put in would affect the outcome. The end result.

ENTITY: What are the things you’ve had to give up for the sake of your career that other women have the luxury of engaging in?

TI: The list is long. Like many actors and artists, I cannot tell you the amount of weddings (and I love a good wedding) I have not been able to go to, gatherings of good friends and leaving parties I’ve never been able to attend. I’m very close to my family and being away from them is hard but they are SO supportive and encouraging. I am so grateful and fortunate to have them and wouldn’t be who or where I am without them. They make any sacrifices made worth it. I feel very fortunate.

ENTITY: What workouts do you do now to stay fit and how do they help you?

TI: I love inventing new workouts with unlikely pieces of equipment. I get bored on the machines! I love skipping challenges on the rope, circuits and finding new ways to physically challenge oneself. It’s also more fun.

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ENTITY: How do you enjoy roles that allow you to use your physical fitness abilities as well as your acting skills? What’s it like to be a badass?

TI: I love the roles that allow me to use physical fitness and ability. They are more interesting to me, more appealing. The way a person moves or fights can be so different to what we would expect and show a different side to a character. I keep hearing this term ‘Badass’, lol, I don’t know, I’ve never been cool. I was a bit of a nerd at school and I own it!

Entity reports on Quantico' Actress, Tracy Ifeachor, on Being a Physical Badass.

Scene from “Crossbones”

ENTITY: One such job was “Crossbones,” what was it like to wield a sword or punch a guy out on screen?

TI: Anything that is beyond you, is always slightly terrifying. But it is always the most rewarding. When playing Nenna for NBC on ‘Crossbones,’ I felt the idea by Neil Cross (creator of Idris Elba’s show ‘Luther’) of this character was a stroke of genius. I love seeing strong independent women depicted through powerful/engaging stories on screen and I feel fortunate to have been a part of this show.

ENTITY: Who are/were your greatest influences when it comes to making a decision?

TI: My father. He has always encouraged me and instilled a belief that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. ‘Dream big,’ he would say. “Reach for the moon and if you fail you will land among the stars.’ He would always tell me this growing up and I love him for it. A great influence on my acting came when I was 10 and went with the family to see a play at The Drum Theatre Royal Plymouth called “Things Fall Apart.” There was sand on the entire floor, the lighting felt like the hot Nigerian sun on my skin, though I’d never been at that point and in that moment for those 90 minutes, I was, transported to colonialist Nigeria. My heart raced, I had been transported to another world, another place and time. That I could feel different emotions and have this connection with people I had never met or seen before. This production opened a whole new world for me and I couldn’t wait to be able to do the same.

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ENTITY: Is there anything else you’d like to mention to ENTITY readers?

TI: Above all, I would say to others, know that you’re amazing, that you are beautiful, that you do have value and a purpose and it’s okay to not immediately know exactly where you’re going. Take time to wait and believe that waiting time is only wasted if you don’t do anything or learn new things whilst you’re waiting. Walk in your power, remain true to yourself and what you believe in and above all know you ARE worth it. So value yourself. Know, you are special, unique and try to avoid comparing yourself to others because there is no one like you on earth.

Tracy can be seen in “Quantico” on Sunday nights on ABC.

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