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With Motherland: Fort Salem and The Kissing Booth as part of her resume, Jessica Sutton’s acting career is definitely flourishing. Now she stars with Megan Fox in the new film Rogue, and this South African actress also has designs on producing. Check out our Q&A with Sutton, as she elaborates on why Rogue director M.J. Bassett is the real deal.

Rogue centers on Samantha (Megan Fox), a leader of a group of mercenaries who are tasked of rescuing Asilia (Jessica Sutton), the daughter of a prominent and powerful man. Their mission immediately goes sideways after they battle with an intimidating number of rebels in Africa. Philip Winchester (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) co-stars as one of the hired guns who are in over their head.
During the chat, Sutton talked about why she loved collaborating with Rogue director M.J. Barrett. She also has kind things to say about interacting with the Motherland: Fort Salem fans in a virtual (yet still evocative) manner.

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Obvious question, but can you confirm or deny that Megan Fox is a total badass?
One hundred percent confirmed. And I’m trying to rack my brain – I’ve seen so much of her stuff, I’m such a fan. When wasn’t she a badass?

This is a visually expressive movie that features its share of intricately crafted action scenes. Shooting out in all the heat with no comfy hotel in sight! The cast and crew were right out in the elements with this movie.
We were. 100%. But that’s what I came for. M.J. Bassett, our brilliant director, I had worked with her twice. And she pitched to me while she was shooting one of my episodes for Motherland: Fort Salem – she pitched to me this passion project that her and her daughter (Isabel Bassett) had co-written.
And basically she said to me, “It’s mayhem with a message.” I just know, having worked with her twice, that I was in for the most incredible, grueling, awesome, action packed experience. She (said) “When you wrap up with your show, I would need you back in South Africa.”
I’m like, “We’re shooting in South Africa? Okay yes. One hundred percent yes.” Even before I read the script I immediately said “yes” to working with her. She’s so formidable. What a force. What a filmmaker.
There’s not been one M.J. Bassett set that I’ve walked on where it hasn’t felt like the safest environment. She’s famous for saying this but I’ll quote her: She never will ask anything from her actors that she hasn’t done herself.
With the river scene, I remember that day clearly. We were all pretty apprehensive but trusting. What just one us over was her literally strapping her Go Pro to herself and throwing herself down this river and going “All clear, who’s ready?” And we were like, “Yes!”
That’s your leader. That’s your director and you’re just kind of built around this camaraderie. You do have to be a certain kind of artist – I don’t speak for all actors but for me I’m just drawn to working with people like M.J. Bassett because she just gets her hands dirty and she loves what she does. She loves her crew and her cast. And keeping everyone safe, but doing insane things. And it’s explosiions – there was so much.
Every day was pretty surreal because I can’t top it in my mind. Standing opposite Megan Fox, with the greatest cast and crew around me, in the middle of Africa, in the middle of nowhere, wearing a school uniform, covered in fake blood, holding a lion cub. You kind of just go, “Hmm, this is life, how amazing!”
