American actor Genneya Walton has continued to dazzle audiences in a range of different projects for more than a decade. You may recognise her from her early work on Project Mc², as well as roles including Netflix’s blackAF. Ultimately, her star has been elevated to new heights thanks to her recurring role as BB Urich in Disney+’s big hit, Daredevil: Born Again.
As the niece of murdered investigative journalist Ben Urich, she stepped into his journalistic legacy in a city coming more and more under the control of Wilson Fisk. In season two, that position becomes far more complicated, as BB finds herself operating closer to power while still trying to hold onto the principles that brought her there in the first place.
In conversation with 1883 Magazine’s Nick Barr, Genneya Walton discusses the excitement of stepping into the MCU, manifesting her way into the role, BB’s relationship with Daniel, and whether she’s truly aware of the danger they are both in.
Spoiler alert: This interview contains mild spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again season two, episode seven.
You started out as a dancer. When did you realise acting was the career you wanted to pursue?
It was when I was about 14. My best friend actually got me my first acting job. It was for one of the American Girl Doll films – they were casting a dance movie with ballerinas and hadn’t found the right person, so the choreographer asked if she knew anyone. She gave them my name, and my mum said, “You’ve got an acting audition,” – I was like, what?
I ended up booking it, and that was the moment everything shifted. I realised this was a completely different creative space and a new way to express myself, and I just caught the bug and kept going from there.
And after that first job at 14, were you actively chasing acting, or did opportunities just start appearing?
Quite honestly, the flow that followed was pretty abnormal. Dance was still my first love, so I was continuing with that, but acting jobs just started coming in and gradually pulling me away from it.
It all happened quite naturally at first. And then I remember thinking, wait… I can actually do this. I can really make this a thing. This is awesome. Because up until then my mindset had been very fixed – I was going to be a professional dancer, that was the plan.
Then acting came along and completely changed the trajectory of everything.
Did you do formal acting training after that, or has it mostly been learning on the job?
Quite honestly, most of what I’ve learned has been on set. I’ve been really lucky to work with people who were willing to teach me the ropes as I was going, because I was very visibly new when I first started.
In the last few years, I’ve started classes, and I actually took my first one earlier this year, which has been really fun. But learning on set feels like a whole different ballgame. Getting to watch people like Vincent D’Onofrio, Charlie Cox, Angela Bassett… I’ve been able to learn from some of the best and see it all working in motion. I definitely picked up a lot that way.
Those are some incredible people to learn from. Even just Vincent D’Onofrio alone has such a huge range, and his character Wilson Fisk can shift so dramatically within a single scene. What did you take from watching him work up close?
The presence he brings to set and the focus he has in each scene is incredible. One of my first days was our introduction scene in his office, and I remember just thinking, oh my goodness.
He’s so commanding. Even in his stillness, you’re completely enthralled, wondering what he’s going to do next. Watching him really showed me how much power there is in silence.
You were still very young when you landed Project Mc². What was that experience like?
I was 15 when I started, so very early on. It was a whirlwind, but a lot of fun. Working with people your own age gives everything a different energy – it honestly felt like summer camp.
We shot a lot of it in a toy warehouse because of the collaboration with MGA, so we were surrounded by all these dolls and things they were making. We didn’t really know what it was going to become at the time – we were just having a blast.
Bryden was such a confident character. What did you enjoy about playing her at that stage?
She was so much fun. What I loved was how sure of herself she was. When you’re a teenager, you’re often still figuring things out, so it was really inspiring to play someone so confident, kind, and comfortable in who she was. She had that individuality but was also a strong team player, and I learned a lot from that.
Do you remember your reaction when you found out you’d been cast in Daredevil: Born Again?
It was about two in the morning. My manager called and said, “We need to bring the team on.” I’d only sent one tape in for this and assumed there’d be more of a process, so I wasn’t even thinking about it. Then they said, “How do you feel about moving to New York?” I was completely confused. And then: “You booked it.”
I was in total shock. My friends just heard me crying and thought something terrible had happened. I called my parents and sister sobbing. It was one of those moments where, overnight, everything changed. I stayed up for hours that night, there was no going back to sleep after that.
Were you able to talk about it with anyone straight away?
Not really. But Michael Gandolfini, who plays Daniel, reached out saying he thought we might be working together and asked to get coffee. We met up and were both like, ‘what is happening?’ It was nice going through that whole experience together, knowing we were about to be on a wild ride.
You’ve talked before about manifesting a Marvel role. What was that story?
It might sound a little woo-woo, but I do think there’s power in saying what you want. Back in 2017, I wrote in my phone notes: “I will book a role in the Marvel Universe.” Like most notes, I forgot about it.
Years later, it actually happened. In the meantime, I’d been doing stunt training because I thought, if that’s the goal, I should prepare for it. So when it came around, everything kind of lined up. I found that note again and realised I’d actually done it.
When the audition came up, did it feel like something you’d been aiming towards? Did you even know it was Marvel?
There was definitely an NDA, but I didn’t know what it was for. The sides were mock scenes, so I was pretty much in the dark. I just knew it was a big deal.
I try not to put too much weight on auditions. I do the work and move on, otherwise I’ll go insane. I’d even been out for Halloween the night before taping it, so I just went in thinking, let’s have fun with it and see what happens. Not knowing it was Marvel actually helped.
Were you familiar with the Urich name before you came into the project?
I wasn’t. All of my research came after I’d booked it and found out what it actually was. I ended up watching the original series, even though they initially encouraged me not to, because they wanted me to build BB with fresh eyes. But I was curious, and I’m really glad I did.
Ben Urich is such an incredible character, and understanding his story helped me shape who BB is and why she continues down that path. I had to create my own version of their history, but seeing what he stood for gave me a strong foundation. I’d love to see their dynamic explored one day, even in a flashback.
What was your relationship with Marvel before this? Were you a fan of the MCU?
When I was a kid, my dad and I watched the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films a lot. The Green Goblin terrified me. That’s burned into my brain from childhood.
Then when Black Panther came out, that was another big moment. My dad was so excited, so we went together as a family and made a whole thing of it. It was such a great experience.
They’ve built this huge universe, and it’s hard not to get pulled into it. Even if you’re just curious at first, there’s so much there. So yeah, I was definitely a Marvel fan before.
I asked an MCU Facebook group if they had any questions, and Andrew Babb from the group asked whether the audition process felt different from others you’ve had?
Yeah, mainly because it was one and done. Usually there are multiple callbacks, chemistry reads, director sessions. This was the shortest audition process I’ve ever had for a series regular.
Just the one self-tape?
One tape.
Wow. So impressive!
One of the first relationships we really see – and arguably the most important for BB – is with Daniel. By the end of the season, that relationship has real consequences for both of them. Do you think she genuinely cares about him, or is he mainly a valuable source?
Initially, she seeks him out because he’s useful. She knows who he is and plans to use him. But as she says in her conversation with Karen in season 2 episode 1, he grows on you. I think when she tells Karen she doesn’t like him ‘like that’, she’s being dishonest – that’s my interpretation. She does start to care about him, maybe even a little more than care.
What I like about them is that they’re on opposite sides, but because they care, they’re constantly trying to pull each other across. He was meant to be a pawn, but that growing connection makes things more complicated which she hadn’t expected.
There’s a moment in a later episode where she has information from him and is about to use it, and she stops herself. It’s the first time she chooses not to screw him over. Up until that point, everything is part of the plan, but that’s where it really begins to shift, and she starts to care about him more than she expected.
With the City Without Fear broadcasts, she’s potentially putting Daniel in a dangerous position. Do you think she really considers that it might be more risky for him than for her?
She’s very aware of how dangerous Fisk and his circle are, but she’s also extremely confident in her plan. That confidence means she doesn’t always fully weigh the risk to him. She believes she’s several steps ahead and can control the outcome, so in practice she probably underestimates just how exposed he is.
She doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt – that’s the whole reason she’s doing this in the first place, after seeking justice for Ben – but because she’s so focused on the bigger picture, she doesn’t always stop to consider what it might end up costing Daniel.
Right from the early episodes, people have been making comparisons between the AVTF in the show and real-world immigration enforcement and authoritarian policing. Was that something you were aware of while filming?
We filmed this before all of the current things happening began. It’s interesting how art can line up with reality like that. A lot of the influence comes from the comics, and these are worldly issues, unfortunately. It ended up being very timely… and very unfortunate, really. Terrifying. I mean that in the sense that those things are actually happening in reality.
Showrunner Dario Scardapane made a similar point in The New York Times, that the series draws on recurring historical patterns rather than aiming to be directly topical, even if it now feels that way:
“You look at Nero, you look at Pinochet, you look at Franco… they all follow a similar pattern: you form a militia, you identify an enemy, you bully and bribe the elite to get funding, you manipulate and silence the media. So there’s this autocrat playbook… and here it is now, occurring outside of our window… the desire was not to make it as topical as it turned out to be. I take no joy in that, to be honest”
BB is carrying on the legacy of an iconic journalist in her uncle, but she’s also a young Black woman stepping into that space. What did that mean to you personally, from a representation and legacy point of view?
It felt major. I already felt the pressure of stepping into Ben Urich’s legacy, because those are big shoes to fill. But I’m so grateful I get to play her. She’s incredibly brave, very sure of herself, and so willing to put herself in difficult positions to be the voice of the people. I really feel like that’s her purpose in this world.
In a universe full of villains, vigilantes, and heroes, we don’t always hear from regular people. She represents that perspective, and that’s really inspiring. Speaking truth to power, like her uncle always said, feels especially important now. Getting to play someone so strong, vocal, and sure of themselves is just wonderful.
Have you had much interaction with fans, particularly younger viewers who might see themselves reflected in BB? What’s that reaction been like?
Marvel fans are incredible. We actually experienced that firsthand while we were filming. People would come and watch on location, and everyone was so supportive and kind. It was really encouraging to see how much people cared about what we were creating.
It’s great seeing reactions online, but having those conversations in person, with people who are excited about the character and the story, is unlike anything else.
Jojo Mathias from the MCU Facebook group asked what the most challenging part of portraying BB was, and what your favourite aspect of her character is.
The most challenging part was the mask for the City Without Fear scenes. That was my first time in a full suit, and I don’t know how Charlie and the others who wear masks all the time do it. It gets incredibly hot and claustrophobic, and you can barely see out of it. But that is me in those scenes, which I was really excited about. It was much more physically and mentally demanding than I expected.
As for what I love about BB, I admire her bravery. She’s willing to put herself in difficult positions to speak truth to power, and she’s very sure of herself. That confidence and sense of purpose really define her.
I was thinking earlier, when you were talking about BB’s courage and putting herself in these positions, do you think she’s really aware of the danger she’s in, especially this season?
Yes. I think she’s always had an awareness, especially because of what happened to her uncle. In my own story-building, I imagined she’d spent time around him while he was investigating Fisk, watching the news with him and understanding what he was doing. When he died, that became the thing she felt she had to continue. So she knows the danger – she’s always known it – and she still chooses to put herself in that position. You could call it brave, you could even call it reckless, but she’s determined to stop the corruption. She’s fully aware of the risk and willing to take it.
And the way you talk about it, it sounds more like a noble motivation rather than revenge. Is that how you see it? Not just vengeance, but that he has to be stopped for everyone?
Exactly. I don’t think she’s driven by anger. Of course, that’s part of it, but it’s not the main fuel. Ben wasn’t motivated by revenge either, and she’s inherited that. Her goals are bigger than just avenging him – she wants to make a real change.
Jorge Martinez from the Facebook group asked how BB is creating those parody Kingpin videos. Is there an in-world explanation for the voice? Because it doesn’t sound like something you’d naturally be doing.
That’s just a voice modulator. There are even apps for it. When I was practising, I actually downloaded one on my phone and read the lines into it to get a sense of how my voice might sound.
Did you try to get close to it yourself, or did they handle that later?
I did play around with it, but when we filmed it I was just in the mask performing the lines. I didn’t know what they were going to end up with. I recorded versions, but the final voice you hear is someone else, which is funny, because it really does sound like him.
And it’s so cool that you’re actually in the costume for those videos.
It is. We played around with all the movements and how weird or exaggerated it should be. That was really fun to figure out.
Rick Chester asks: what’s one lesson from Ben Urich that BB hasn’t quite learned yet, but may need to?
I think she hasn’t quite learned when to stop, or how far is too far. BB’s very much in that mindset of, “I’ve got this, it’s fine,” and she keeps pushing forward. She doesn’t yet have the discernment to know when to slow down, when to pull back, or when she might be poking the bear too much. She’s determined, and that’s part of her strength, but it also means she’s willing to keep going without always recognising the danger.
Paul Noel Dequito from the Facebook group asks: what was it like being in the room with this cast? And what’s been your favourite part of working on a project at this scale?
Everyone’s incredible, and everyone’s really funny, which helps a lot because the material can be quite heavy. The in-between moments were much lighter because of that. Michael in particular is so funny. Any time we had shooting days where it was just us together, those were some of my favourite days.
And in terms of working at this scale, just the sheer scope of it all. The number of things we get to do and experience is kind of wild. Watching the stunt team alone is incredible. Being able to see all of that up close, and the level of detail that goes into it, is unlike anything I’ve worked on before. The scale of the storytelling, and what they’re able to pull off, is just really impressive.
And finally, what do you hope audiences take away from watching BB by the end of the season? And what do you think she ultimately represents within this version of the Marvel world?
I hope people take away the importance of using your voice, and whatever power you have within your own community, to uplift others and speak up for people who might not have the same opportunities. She’s the voice of the everyday person in this world of chaos.
I also hope people don’t underestimate the power they have within themselves. It doesn’t have to be on the same scale as what she’s doing. There are so many ways in everyday life that we can uplift each other, help each other, and make things a little easier for someone else. That’s something I think we can all apply in our own lives.
Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again season two is streaming weekly on Disney+.
Interview Nick Barr
Photography Tatiana Katkova
MUA Rose Grace
Styling Marissa Pelly
Thanks to Align PR
