North Of North’s Anna Lambe Puts An Arctic Spin On Feel-Good TV

In North of North, Anna Lambe plays a young mom who’s ready for a change. Against the backdrop of the small town of Ice Cove (a fictional enclave set in the territory of Nunavut, Canada), Siaja leaves her dissatisfying marriage, gets a job working for her community, and indulges her daydreams — like the recurring one she has about slow-mo running into her handsome crush’s arms.

“It was my first time doing something in the world of rom-com,” Lambe tells Bustle of the scene, where she dons a splendorous, hooded pastel dress as a Duomo strings cover of “Somewhere Only We Know” plays in the background. (She’s aptly described the look as “Inuk Bridgerton.”)

“Siaja is so awkward,” Lambe adds. “She wants to date, but she doesn’t know what to do.”

The 24-year-old Inuk actor says Indigenous relationships often appear “quite toxic” in film and TV, but North of North offers something different. Even Siaja’s ex-husband, Ting, is not a terrible guy — they’re loving coparents to an adorable 7-year-old daughter, Bun — but he doesn’t fit into the big, fulfilling life Siaja wants for herself.

Historically, the isolation and seasonal darkness of the northern latitudes have served as the backdrop to heavy — and often pretty scary — stories, Lambe notes. (She’d know — she recently starred in True Detective: Night Country.) “But there’s also brightness and warmth, despite it being cold,” she says. “I’m really glad that people are seeing the value in sharing that side of the north as well. That joy is just as exciting and just as intriguing as sorrow.”

The series is helmed by creators Aglok MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril, who worked together on 2018 film The Grizzlies — Lambe’s first project, which she booked following a high school acting workshop for young Indigenous performers.

The film earned Lambe a Canadian Screen Awards nomination, and made her realize that storytelling could stir conversation about real-life issues facing her community. This personal connection continues with North of North, which brought a first-of-its-kind production studio to Lambe’s hometown, Iqaluit. The new facility will “open up so many doors for film and television in the north,” Lambe says. (She admits that filming in front of her former classmates and neighbors was a unique experience: “I’m so quiet and reserved and keep to myself. So everyone seeing me burst over and over and over again, it’s strange,” she laughs.)

North of North premiered in Canada earlier this year. Now, following its Netflix debut on April 10, it seems destined to please fans of fellow CBC export Schitt’s Creek: a different show about a different place, to be sure, but one that similarly celebrates quirky, small-town personalities who lift each other up.

“You need to learn how to hold space for one another — even if somebody frustrates you — for the betterment of the community and the wellness of everyone,” Lambe says. “How to handle that, how to deal with that, and how to still have this really strong sense and big picture in mind is such a common theme of North of North. It’s a very real part of how we get by as communities.”

Learn more about Lambe in the Bustle Booth questionnaire below.

In The Bustle Booth

What’s your coffee order?

Americano with oat milk, every single time.

What are the saved weather locations on your phone?

Oh dear… I have Los Angeles, Madrid, Belfast, Cádiz, London, Ottawa, Iqaluit, Toronto, Montreal, Reykjavik, New York, Vancouver, and Queenstown. I always save locations and never delete them — it’s a fun little way of remembering travels.

What’s your sign?

Libra.

Favorite overused movie quote?

“Oh you dooo?” — Bridesmaids (2011).

What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

I was maybe more pre-teen, but Gravity Falls — and I very much still love it now.

What’s one movie or TV show you're currently obsessed with?

I’ve finally started watching Breaking Bad and can’t believe it’s taken me this long to start.

Who is your celeb idol?

Lily Gladstone and Devery Jacobs are two actors I look up to greatly. Emma Stone as well. I think they’re all examples of creatives who are committed not just to doing good work but also the larger story being told in whatever they do.

If you had to be on a reality TV show, what would it be?

The Great Canadian Baking Show, does that count?

Go-to karaoke song?

“Black Sheep,” the Brie Larson version or the Metric version, I’m not fussy.

What’s something that’s inspiring you lately?

I’ve been really inspired by my peers in Indigenous film, TV, media, arts. There has been a massive rise in Indigenous artists in the mainstream, and it makes me so excited for what comes next. We all rise together and make space for one another in industries that actively tried to exclude us and pretend we didn’t exist anymore, and that’s pretty dang inspiring.

What is something you would want people to say about you?

I would want them to say I’m cool — not in a “wow, she’s really cool and mysterious” kind of way, because I’m far from that, but in a “ah she’s cool, I like having her around” kind of way. I mostly just want to be kind and considerate and hope that comes across.