(Photo credit to Corinne Louie)
Get to know Sway Bhatia. Out of New York, this 15-year-old powerhouse is an actress, singer, dancer, model, drummer, and comedian. She is ridiculously talented! Lately, she has been skating on our TV screens as Sofi on “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” and as Jeremy Strong’s daughter in HBO’s Emmy Award-winning series “Succession.” She’s been spotted on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and plays Aziz Ansari’s daughter in Netflix’s “Master of None.” No stranger to the stage either, she has performed in critically acclaimed performances on the New York City stage in “The Children’s Hour,” “The Perfect Fit,” “Madeline’s Christmas,” and stints at The Broadway Comedy Club and 54 Below
Hear stories from the set and find out how Sway is empowering young girls in our up-close interview with Sway Bhatia.
Colleen Bement: Let me start out by telling you that you are just so talented! Congrats on your role in “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.” I saw the original. I’m a fan and I love hockey, so I’d love to chat about it. What was the experience like on the set?
Sway Bhatia: I loved working on “The Mighty Ducks.” I got to work with Lauren Graham from “Gilmore Girls” who is so awesome. I watched every single episode of all seven seasons, along with “A Year in the Life.” And I also Josh Duhamel was a dream to work with. He has such young, fun energy and I’m so honored to work with him. Including the amazing crew that I get to work with, and such a diverse crew, honestly. I got to work with Jay Chandrasekhar who was the director on episodes eight and nine. I think everyone has been so supportive. My experience on set has been fun.
CB: My next question is, tell me about your character, Sofi and why are you called “The Ringer?”
SB: Sofi is an incredible hockey player and we saw her growth in season one, moving from the Mighty Ducks to the Don’t Bothers. The reason she was called “The Ringer,” The Ringer actually means the best player on the team. A fairly large advantage compared to the other players. That’s what she was with the Don’t Bothers, coming from the Mighty Ducks, she had a lot of experience and an intense game. She was a really strong player and sort of held up the Don’t Bothers.
I don’t know if I would still consider her nickname The Ringer a good nickname for her in season two, but she has a great arc in season two where she really finds herself where she now fits in this new team she’s a part of. I think for her mainly finding that balance friendships and all these relationships and still her love for hockey, but also where that love for hockey fits in the pace, where she really wants to do it professionally or whether it’s just a hobby for her. I think that’s where season two takes her.
CB: What’s it like being a female on a man’s hockey team?
SB: Yeah, I think that’s what so awesome about her character that makes her so unique. Not only is she a female but I’m a brown female hockey player, and that’s not something you see very often. So, I feel like more than just being empowering for me, it’s empowering for fans watching. I think it can be empowering for young girls—especially young girls of color because when they’re watching they can be empowered to do it if they have a passion for hockey. They feel like it’s maybe a male-dominated sport, I think it sort of allows them to be lifted up, and to do what they want. I think that’s something me and Taegen represent on the team, because as you mentioned, it’s pretty much a male-dominated sport.
CB: That definitely is empowering. What was your audition like? Did you already know how to ice skate?
SB: I had been a figure skater since around the age of four ‘til like around seven. I grew up figure skating when I was living in Dubai, and when I really wanted to take on acting seriously, I stopped figure skating as much and I had no idea that it would ever come into play in my acting job. I think that was a cool full-circle moment. I remember when I got the audition, I was like oh my gosh, my figure skating skills are going to come in handy. As much as figure skating and hockey are very different—the skate is different, so that was one big aspect. It got it pretty quickly. We had so many great coaches from season one to season two, so that was amazing.
The audition process was awesome as well. I had my first audition at the ABC Studios in New York, and then after a few more rounds, I went to LA. I did a chemistry read with Brady Noon who plays Evan Morrow on the show. Through all those rounds I ended up booking the role of Sofi and it’s been a great journey.
CB: You’re such an amazing dancer, I’ll but you just slid right into that role. Next, I want to talk about “Succession.” What is it like playing Jeremy Strong’s daughter, Sophie and HOLD UP, you’re playing two characters named Sophie?
SB: I know it, and now that I have that I basically consider Sophie my lucky name. I actually don’t think I have but if I get another audition under Sophie, let’s hope I book it because I’d love to have a third one. I thought that was really cool.
Playing Jeremy’s daughter is just insane. I’ve been on the since around the age of eight, and I just turned 15, so it’s been a long time. I think that what’s so awesome about “Succession” is that we’ve created a family. We’ve created a family on the show, and we’ve created an off-set family. Everyone is just so supportive from the cast to the crew. There are so many moments to remember, and Jeremy Strong being the Emmy Award-Winning actor that he is, just watching him do his work is incredible. He’s a method actor, so when I’m with him on set, he’s very much Kendall, but to see him off set there’s an insane contrast because he’s such a nice person in real life.
Jeremy Strong is a nice person! Then you look at Kendall and it’s like insanely opposite. I think watching him become Kendall is just so empowering to watch, and I learn so much from his acting. And not just Jeremy, Sarah, Nicholas, Kieran, everyone on this show is insanely talented, and I still have to pinch myself that I’m part of the show and how far the show has come.
CB: Would you happen to have a story from the set?
SB: There was a time when I just came back from filming season one of the “Ducks.” They actually held off a scene that I was in, and as soon as I got back from Vancouver, they went back to the previous episode to film this one scene.
CB: I can’t even imagine you sitting still. Do you have any other projects in the works that you’re allowed to tell us about?
SB: Right now, I’m focusing on something that I’ve been doing not so publicly is writing music. I’m sort of taking time to focus on that. Who knows, there might be music coming out in the future. It’s something that I love doing. I’m trying to focus on that more, and not only music, but I’ve always had a passion for the other side of the camera. In fact, when I was filming season two of “The Mighty Ducks” I got to shadow one of our directors Jay Chandrasekhar. I’m really found my love for that, and I’m getting into behind all the behind-the-scenes moments, learning the insides and outsides of directing, and writing, and producing, and bringing out all these other passions that I have.
That’s what’s happening and being a sophomore. I’m going to my public high school in my town in Jersey, sort of focusing on school as well. That’s what I see myself doing on the horizon, but you never know what happens.
CB: My mind is blown by everything that you do. I’m so excited to watch your career. One last question. Instagram is my favorite social media platform, and I love yours. Where did you find a passion for fashion?
SB: I think I’ve always had a passion for fashion since I was really, really young. I would go through my old photos and see how fashionable I was as a two-year-old. I think that comes from my mom, as well. We sort of share a closet, and you’ll see on a lot of my posts that it’s my mom’s clothes. But honestly for me fashion is, in a way, an outlet to be able to express myself with what I wear. I’ve always felt confident in my clothes wearing what I like to wear. I think that is where the main part of my passion comes from is I’m never forced to wear anything, and I’m comfortable in what I wear. It sort of comes naturally, and that’s thanks to my mom. She has an incredible fashion sense.
Nerd Alert News congrats Sway on her amazing career and looks forward to more endeavors!
Get your Ducks hockey fix. Watch the trailer here.
Written by Colleen Bement
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