American actress says she’s loving life ‘North of North’

Actress and comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub says Iqaluit was not a place she knew very much about for most of her life.

A hotel room in the Nunavut capital has been her home for the past few months while she films scenes for North of North, the upcoming CBC/Netflix/APTN sitcom co-created by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Stacey Aglok MacDonald.

She will play the director of the community centre of Ice Cove, the fictional community created for the show.

“I did not know, before I left, where I was coming or what to expect; I was just told how to dress and that there’s no street names and all cabs cost $9,” said Rajskub, who is usually based in Los Angeles, in an interview with Nunatsiaq News.

The Michigan-born actor is best-known to audiences for her roles as Chloe O’Brian on the hit drama 24, and as Gail the Snail, a popular recurring character on the long-running comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Rajskub has also appeared on several other popular TV shows, including Arrested Development and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Filming in Iqaluit, though, is much different than working on a studio lot in L.A.

For example, shooting for North of North has occurred in city’s curling rink and on the streets of Iqaluit, rather than a film studio.

Also, filming in a place significantly smaller and more remote than Los Angelos County means the cast spends a lot of time together outside of work, hanging out at different spots around town or taking in activities such as dogsledding and bonfires.

“It certainly has been amazing for me to learn about the town and learn about the culture, and yeah, the cast is really bonded together,” Rajskub said.

“It’s been really refreshing for me personally just in how my life is back home, like, I would have never had the time to meet at a bar, play Scrabble, play some rounds of cards, go to karaoke.”

She added, “It sounds silly, but things like that to me have been really meaningful to just be able to do that.”

Rajskub said some people have recognized her around the community, calling her by her Always Sunny character’s name.

The comedian has something special planned for this weekend: a charity comedy show to raise money for the Qimaavik women’s shelter.

Doors open at the Aqsarniit hotel Saturday at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

The night will include performances by a mix of locals and North of North cast members, including Terrie Kusugak, Zorga Qaunaq, Bibi Bilodeau, Nicole Eititiq, Bailey Poching and Steve Sullivan.

Rajskub said she’s excited to bring laughs to Iqaluit this weekend, and hopes the TV show she’s filming is a success.

Once production wraps up, she said she hopes her family can visit Iqaluit and experience the warm welcome she has received.

“I’m just genuinely excited for the show, because I think it’s very unique,” Rajskub said, speaking about the sitcom being set in a fictionalized Nunavut community.

“I’m just happy that I got to be here.”