1883magazine – Katherine McNamara fell into the acting world backward. Performing professionally wasn’t even on the radar for her. The plan was always to be an economist, finding beauty in trends, patterns, mathematics, and how they inform our worldview. But the best-laid plans tend to be the ones that can (occasionally) go astray in the best way. So, when she stepped onto the stage as a ballerina for a community theatre production, suffice it to say: she was addicted. The energy, the storytelling, the collaboration, the feeling of coming together and creating art was something she couldn’t let go of. It was pure magic.

Always looking for the next step in her evolution, McNamara continued to find the next big thing. And then the next big thing, and then the next. Constantly on the go, continuously wanting to learn and improve her craft, she absorbs all she can from those around her. From fellow actors to directors, to the crew, and all the people in between, everyone has something to offer. Every gig is a new opportunity for growth.

A self-proclaimed nerd, her enthusiasm and adoration of all things nerdy is infectious. Genuinely a fan of fandom and fans themselves, McNamara has seen firsthand the positivity and power of her fellow nerds. The sense of community, lifelong friendships, and the unadulterated love for the stories that shape us. From Shadowhunters, Arrow, and Walker Independence, McNamara has walked in so many shoes, leaving a bit of herself with every role and taking a little something away, too. As her creative journey continues in front of and behind the camera, one thing is clear: she has a very long and fruitful career ahead.

In conversation with 1883 Magazine’s Dana Reboe, Katherine McNamara chats about her love of storytelling, the positivity of fandom, and more.

Let’s start with an easy one — how did you first get into acting?
I always say I fell into this world backward. I grew up wanting to be an economist. I love math. I learned that numbers, equations, and puzzles can be used to explain world-changing trends in society — the way we live, and how lives interact with each other. It blew my mind. My life plan was going into developmental economics. I also did ballet as a hobby and I ran into a family friend who was directing a community theatre production. She needed a dancer and I was the kid who would try anything [laughter]. I remember so clearly being on stage opening night of that show. It was one of those rare moments of just certainty and clarity that one has in one’s life. I knew at that moment I was going to tell stories and that I never wanted to do anything else for the rest of my life.

So, that was your ‘lightbulb’ moment?
It was as though it hit me like a brick wall [laughs]. I stopped in my tracks and I remember feeling this magic. This collaboration of all these different artists with all these different creative influences talents and skills coming together to create this world to tell this story out of nothing, you know? It was something special to bring a story to life out of the darkness and into the light. We all connect through stories and there was something about that that I never wanted to let go of.

Across your filmography, do you have a favourite scene that you’ve filmed and why?
There are several that come to mind. I love a challenge and I love putting my all and every single ounce of my being into my work. There are moments that I live for. This is something that Dom Sherwood and I did on Shadowhunters together for years. We talked about this a lot when we do conventions and people ask us this question. It was the season finale of season two, there’s this big moment that happens that we’ve been building and building and building toward. It’s the climax in the third book. It was my favourite sequence, and I wanted to get it right. I give all the credit to our crew as well because they gave us the space to get it right. It was the middle of the night. We’d been fighting all day. They just set up the cameras and just kind of let us go. Dom’s character was dying, and I was trying to save them. I was crying for ten hours. It was a lot. We found every colour and facet and every way that we could to do that scene justice. Everyone felt so satisfied creatively. There’s nothing else I could have done, there’s nothing more I could have given. It was great.