Taylor Hickson shines as Raelle Collar in Motherland: Fort Salem, a show about witches training to serve in the military. Raelle is a strong-willed witch who can heal others, even though it hurts her. She carries the pain of losing her mother, a witch who died serving the U.S. government. Despite this loss, Raelle chooses to join the military when she comes of age.
At boot camp, Raelle struggles to fit in with her fellow trainees: the ambitious Abigail Bellweather and the romantic Tally Craven. Instead, she bonds with Scylla, a mysterious and cunning witch. Their connection soon turns romantic and they begin planning ways to fight the strict military system at Fort Salem. Meanwhile, a dangerous group called The Spree threatens the witches with violence.
Though the show is only in its second episode, it already features diverse women who lead their own stories. Taylor Hickson, 22, says this strong female focus is what drew her to the role.
“As a female in the film industry, we often fight to play roles beyond just a girlfriend or sister,” Taylor told Teen Vogue. “Here, the women drive the whole story. That’s very powerful.”
This role marks Taylor’s biggest to date. She previously acted in Marvel’s Deadpool and the Syfy series Deadly Class. Raised in Kelowna, British Columbia, in a musical family, Taylor originally wanted to be a singer-songwriter. Her father encouraged her, and they performed together. But her career path changed after an aunt suggested she meet a talent agent.
At 16, Taylor hesitated, saying, “I don’t act. I live four hours from the city.” But after meeting the agent, she started going to auditions — often driving on dangerous highways in winter without a full license. She used money earned from retail jobs to cover travel costs.
Her hard work paid off with small roles, eventually landing a speaking part in Deadpool. Her father, once hesitant, then fully supported her acting.
But her career also faced challenges. In 2016, while filming Incident in a Ghostland, Taylor was seriously injured. A scene required her to pound on a glass door, which unexpectedly shattered. She fell through and needed 70 stitches on her face, leaving permanent scars. Taylor later sued the production company, which pleaded guilty to workplace safety violations and was fined.
This accident shook her trust in producers and directors. “I felt I had to look out for myself because no one cared about my safety,” she said.
Her outlook changed while filming Deadly Class. Executive producer Adam Kane promised to stop production if she ever felt unsafe. “That showed me people do care,” Taylor said. “You just need to find the right people.”
She found that environment again on Motherland: Fort Salem. Taylor was drawn to the show’s unique take on gender roles. In this world, women are respected military leaders. Children see them as heroes. The U.S. President is a Black woman who negotiates power with Fort Salem’s General Adler. Men rarely appear in the story, and Raelle’s romantic interests are women.
Taylor explained, “The show flips toxic masculinity. Men are objectified, and women struggle to stay cold and strong.” Yet the women on the show are not perfect. They make mistakes and have power struggles. Fort Salem is a flawed world, much like reality.
The show also opened Taylor’s eyes to social issues she had not noticed before. She said, “I didn’t have close connections with women growing up because everyone looked out for themselves. That’s from media and history — men run everything, and women must fight to lead.”
As the season moves forward, Taylor believes viewers will see changing loyalties. Raelle herself grows conflicted about who is right and wrong.
“At first, there’s a clear villain,” Taylor said. “But the characters become conflicted. Raelle is curious about The Spree because she blames the army for her mother’s death. Things aren’t always black and white.”
Taylor Hickson’s portrayal of Raelle Collar offers a fresh look at strength, pain, and rebellion in a world where women lead and fight for their place.
