She’s plays bisexual firefighter Maya on ABC’s Station 19.
And Danielle Savre opened up about why she’s proud to represent the LGBTQ community on screen in a new interview for Retreat Magazine’s Fall 2018 issue.
In a Q&A accompanied by a stunning photoshoot, the California blonde, 30, explained how ‘honored’ she was to help ‘break stereotypes’ with her role.
Danielle’s star power is clear in the chic photospread shot by Filbert Kung at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, with glamour courtesy of Daniele Piersons and video by Smooth Cut Productions.
From the start of the show, which is a spin-off of the Shonda Rhymes favorite Grey’s Anatoy, Danielle was excited to play character Maya Bishop, who first opens up about her sexuality early on in the series.
‘I was told in the first meeting we had for the show and was honored to play a bisexual character! I have a lot of friends that are part of the LGBTQ community and I have always taken pride in representing them in roles I have taken throughout the years.’
The Summerland actress, who identifies as straight, continued explaining: ‘I am very passionate about breaking certain stereotypes surrounding LGBTQ characters and advocating ways to diversify the stories that are being told.
But Danielle made clear that Maya is more that her orientation, telling the magazine: ‘I applaud [creator] Stacy McKee for not making Maya’s sexuality an event and just simply making it another facet of who she is.’
Danielle’s connection with her character runs deep, with the actress explaining how ‘Stacy brilliantly layers the aspects of Maya, shining a light on her flaws, attributes and traits.
‘Maya is the believer, the optimistic realist, loyal friend, feminist, determined to a fault and her own worst critic. She has so many facets to play off of between her brother being a recovering addict to her winning a gold medal at the London Olympics before hanging up her shoes and deciding to become a firefighter.
‘Usually you start a show with a character that you have to build from the ground up with no backstory. Maya was handed over to me with so many interesting and exciting elements that made stepping into her shoes effortless. I’m excited to continually bring her to life and to watch how she continues to evolve.’
Though the show has only had one season, Danielle’s fans already created a strong bond with the character.
‘I’ve been blessed with having the most amazing and loyal fans,’ the Deep Blue Sea 2 actress explained, ‘No matter the role or project they have always supported my work and me…’
‘As for Maya, I have experienced an enormous flood of love and acceptance for her. I believe her excitement and passion for life and firefighting is infectious and exciting not just for fans to watch but for me to play.’
For Savre, breaking down barriers also means being a staunch advocate for body acceptance and positivity, no matter her size.
‘I stay true to myself and am accepting of how my body looks at anytime,’ she said.
‘Sometimes it’s not what I would like it to look like and that’s okay. Sometimes I want to eat a basket of fries or just indulge a little and that’s okay. I believe we have to remember to enjoy living. It’s more about being healthy and treating our bodies with love and care
‘We only have one right?’ she added.
The Fall Issue of Retreat Magazine is on newsstands Friday and season two of Station 19 will premiere Thursday October 3 at 9pm on ABC.
