It’s been quite a journey for actress Jodi Balfour. Since moving to Canada to perform on shows such as Sanctuary and Supernatural, the South African landed a role in the popular Canadian drama series Bomb Girls. Taking on the part of Gladys Witham, Balfour plays the only daughter of a wealthy family who chooses to defy convention to work in a munitions factory building bombs during World War II. Chatting over the phone with Samantha Lui, the actress revealed what it’s like to play a headstrong 1940’s woman and how she feels empowered in her own life.

Here are five things about Jodi Balfour that make her AWESOME!

She met a real Bomb Girl and listened to her experiences: To prepare for her role as a munitions factory worker, Balfour met up with a family friend’s mother who used to build bombs in England before settling in Canada after the war. Having read that working in the 1940s gave women a feeling of liberation, a sense of purpose and camaraderie among one another, Balfour says she was interested to hear firsthand about the unglamorous and difficult aspects of being a Bomb Girl. “For her, it was kind of arduous and quite challenging for her body and her mind. She doesn’t necessarily look back on the time as her glory years by any stretch,” Balfour says. “She said when (the war) was over, she was quite happy to have a rest because it was quite taxing and grueling physical work!”

She relates a lot to her character, Gladys Witham: Balfour was drawn to Gladys for her sense of strength and her forward-thinking attitude. “I wouldn’t say that I’m nearly as brave or daring as Gladys is in my life but she definitely lives up the dream version of something we’d all like to have the guts to do. In that respect, I think I’m pretty stubborn and strong-willed. I like to get my own way and that’s definitely something I share with the character.” Read more…