Samantha Richelle Talks Almost Paradise, Playing Kai and Representing the Philippines

Freevee's Almost Paradise holds the unique distinction of being the first-ever American television series shot entirely in the Philippines, and it also happens to be our favorite crime drama currently on the air.

The second season dropped earlier this summer, seeing the return of ex-DEA agent Alex Walker as he attempts to make the most of his retirement on the resort island of Cebu in the Philippines. Meanwhile, he (sometimes reluctantly, sometimes enthusiastically) aids the local police using his very distinctive skillset. In the show, newcomer Samantha Richelle plays local Detective Kai Mendoza, who somewhat begrudgingly becomes one of Alex's closest allies and finally friends. We had the pleasure of hopping on a Zoom call with Samantha in L.A. to learn more about her history as an actress, her love of fashion, what might be next for Kai and so much more. Read the full interview below.

Sweety High: We were really surprised to look at your IMDb and see that Almost Paradise is your first listed acting credit. Can you talk about the path that led to you acting now?

Samantha Richelle: I've been interested in acting ever since I was kid, to be honest. I'd always taken my mom's camcorder and had my sisters or my friends at home help me make movies—they were normally horror films. I've always known that about myself, but when I grew up, I didn't see it as a career path for me—I think because I was scared to put myself out there. I was also interested in it because my mom had a production company. She was producing films, and I got to be behind the scenes and see how things work. I really loved that process.

Mind you, I was doing this while I was in design school. I was studying fine art and fashion design at the time, and after school, I would go to set. My mom encouraged me to try different things, but I was like, "Nah, I don't want to." Even though I really wanted to! It was just fear.

Looking back, the timing was perfect. While we were producing one of my mom's films about 15 years ago, one of the actors in the movie, Dante Basco (who's actually in Almost Paradise—funny how that all worked out), asked me to be part of the play he was writing. I was like, "Sure! It can't hurt."

I ended up doing the play, and the director also wound up being one of the producers on Almost Paradise. After the play, he sat me down and asked me, "Is this something you'd want to do? I'd love to work with you." I brushed it off at the time. I was like, no, I'm into fashion design. This is my career path.

Then cut to three years ago, when he had the project Almost Paradise in his hands. He knew I was living in the Philippines at the time when he approached me about this TV series. He was like, "I'm working with Dean Devlin on an American TV series and it's going to be shot solely in the Philippines in Cebu. This is going to be the first-ever American show shot entirely in the Philippines."

I really wanted to be a part of that, but I didn't think that I was going to get anywhere with it. I decided, sure. What can I lose? So I did the auditions and met Dean Devlin at the second audition after he flew in from the Philippines. I was just starstruck because I've seen his movies and I'm such a fan of his work. There was one more audition after that, and Dean Devlin called me on the phone and told me I had the part.

I was like, "Are you sure?" I just didn't have the experience. The other actresses auditioning for the role have probably been doing it for 20 years—or at least a lot longer than I have. I had zero experience, and I was scared and excited—all of the emotions you can think of. But at the end of the day, I was thrilled and super honored to be part of the show.

That's really how I ended up doing Almost Paradise and finding my love for the art of acting, and I would love to keep doing it.

(Photo credit: Sthanlee)

 

SH: For any readers who aren't yet familiar with Almost Paradise, can you speak a bit about the show and your character, Kai?

SR: Almost Paradise follows Alex Walker, who's played by Christian Kane. He's an American ex-DEA agent who retires from the force because of hypertension and a number of health problems. He remembers Cebu in the Philippines from one of his missions and decides it's where he'd like to retire. So he goes to Cebu, wanting to live a peaceful life, open up a gift shop and relax.

But then he meets my character, Detective Kai Mendoza. She's a cop who works very closely with her partner Ernesto. Alex Walker gets completely sucked into our world. Obviously, he came there to relax, but he finds himself in our mess—catching bad guys and dealing with all the drama we get into—and realizes that it's fulfilling him in a way. It's helping him.

My character, Kai, is definitely a strong woman who is trying to get into her career, and she doesn't want anybody to get in her way. She knows exactly who she is as a detective, and having some outsider come in and tell her how to do her job—she doesn't like that.

It's fun to see the dynamic in Season 1. Our interactions aren't always very pleasant, but as the show goes on, you realize that we do need each other. And we get the job done.

 

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SH: How much of yourself do you see in Kai?

SR: I would love to be more like Kai, because her strength and her persistence are just otherworldly. She can literally do anything and kick butt. I relate to the persistence, and wanting to be a better person and be amazing in your career. I look up to Kai in that sense. She's someone I want to be, honestly. She's very career-driven and she knows exactly who she is. That's where I am in life right now.

 

SH: Kai's role is very physical and active. What was the training like to prepare for the role?

SR: For the first season, the first thing when I landed in Cebu, they put us through training. We went to the firing range and learned how to hold the gun right and actually fire the gun. I went to do martial arts training and did some MMA and even some grappling work. I did it all, just to make sure I was getting the form right, and I loved every minute of it. It's good to be able to do the work and not need to have a stunt person come in every time. We also have such brilliant stunt doubles on the show, but I am well in it. I really want to be able to learn every single fight that we do and I'm thankful that it comes off on screen really well. And I have some new skills to take home, too!

 

SH: What's been your favorite moment from the show so far?

SR:  I got injured a lot doing fight scenes! There's this fight scene in Season 2 where my character, Ernesto and Alex Walker are in this lab, tied up with our backs to each other, and it was so much fun just because it was the first time all three of us actually got to fight together at the same time, in the same shot. I loved it because we were all cheering each other on after each take and we were really pumped. Even though the chair kind of broke on my hand, I came out of it with all good memories.

When it comes to off-set, the memories are definitely from our weekends. None of us are from Cebu, and when we first went, we all just had each other. We would either explore the city together and do karaoke or have nights out just bonding. We became a family after that.

 

SH: What does it mean to you to be a part of this show representing the Philippines in a series that's being viewed by a wider American audience?

SR:  It means a lot to me because my mom is Filipino. We have such a big family, and every single time we get together it's always about sharing food and making sure nobody goes hungry. We always make sure it's a huge party. And the culture is something that's never really been touched in Hollywood. I want the audience to be able to see the beautiful side of the Philippines, rather than the poverty side, which appears in a lot of media these days. I'm really glad that Almost Paradise shows it's also a luxurious holiday destination and that Filipinos are full of life and vibrancy. We just love to get together and eat!

 

SH: If the show gets renewed for a third season, what aspects of Kai's character would you love to see explored further?

SR: I love how in Season 2 you got to see more of her personality and the layers of who she is outside of being a detective. I would love for the audience to see even more of that in Season 3—that she isn't just a hard cop with a hard shell. You'll see more of what makes her happy and what makes her who she is and what drives her. It would also be nice to see more of her background and what led her to where she is today. I'd also love for the audience to see more of the vulnerable side of her.

(Photo credit: Neil Fernandez)

 

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SH: You've also done some writing and directing. Is that something you'd like to return to?

SR: Yes, definitely. I would love to tell my own stories one day and be able to produce—just when the timing is right.

 

SH: What's one thing that you're the most proud of right now?

SR: Honestly, my son. He just turned 13 and he's turning into an amazing human being. He's like my buddy, and I'm very proud that he's turned out to be as sweet as he is and as driven as he is. He's an artist, too. He draws really well and he finds so much passion in the arts. He's also writing his own music, too, which I love.

 

SH: Can you tell us a little bit about your fashion brand?

SR: I launched my brand in about 2017 when I was living in Manila. I've always been interested in fashion design, and I went to FIDM in Los Angeles. After I graduated there, I moved to the Philippines to open up my own brand and to get my styles out there. I honestly didn't know what I was doing when I started it, and I didn't realize how much I loved it at the time. We did that up until the pandemic hit, and I would love to go back and do it again.

 

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SH: Have you had any say in Kai's costuming at all?

SR: Yes! In the beginning, they had me in more button-down tops and blazers—very more formal and corporate. But after doing the first couple of episodes, fighting people in the heat in the Philippines, I was like, "Listen, I don't know if I can keep being active and kicking bad guys left and right in this outfit." I don't think anybody understands how difficult that is!

So I opted for regular T-shirts and my hair tied up, just because that made sense. I started wearing flat boots so I could actually run in them. They tried to put little heeled booties on me in the beginning, and I was like, no, I cannot run in these. You need to see me sprint to catch these bad guys. I need to be physically comfortable.

I was able to work with the costume team. They gave me ideas as to how we should change her look, just because she needs to more free and be able to move her body. They gave me options with more T-shirts and jeans and boots. That's really who Kai is.

(Photo credit: Jasmin Kuhn)

 

SH: Was there anything else you wanted to add?

SR: I'm hoping that viewers love the show. Whether you've been to the Philippines or not, I hope that this show will make you make a trip out to see the beautiful beaches we have out there.

 

For more interviews with the actors who inspire us, click HERE to hear from Five Nights at Freddy's Kat Conner Sterling.