Exclusive: We speak with ‘Nightwing Prodigal’ star Jess Racz

Hi DC Fans,

Over the last few months we have had exclusive access to the stars of hit fan series, ‘Nightwing Prodigal’. We have recently caught up with Jess Racz for a Q/A and she was kind enough to give us an insight into her career, her role in the series, and much more. Enjoy.

DCN: Hello Jess, thanks for the making the time to talk to DC Comics News. Can you give us a short bio on yourself for our fans?

JR: Sure! I’m from New Zealand – I was born in Wellington but grew up in Auckland, where I attended a performing arts school and really fell in love with the stage. I was always a performer, but that was where I started to do it every day and realize it was what I wanted to do. After years of singing, dancing and acting in the theatre, when I finished school I decided to focus mainly on acting. I moved to Sydney, Australia, and began to study film and television. After studying and a lot of traveling, I moved to Vancouver, BC, where acting has become my true love.

DCN: You play a unique and original role in Nightwing Prodigal as Nightwing’s love interest, can you share with us how you explored and gained the opportunity to play the role?

JR: I was on set for a music video when my makeup artist told me about Nightwing, she was a friend of Brady’s and she thought I would be perfect for the show. She contacted Brady for me that night and we met the next day, I auditioned and Brady and Kyle loved me as Theresa!

DCN: How did you connect with Brady Roberts/the Nightwing crew, and what was it about the role that interested you?

JR: It all happened very quickly then from there we started to create the character of Theresa Thompkins. I was interested in the role as soon as I read the script because there is a lot more to Theresa than a typical female love interest, and she is a very powerful woman who is wise beyond her years. She has a lot going on in her life and it was really fun to create her as I read the story, and work on her episode by episode. Also, how often do you get the opportunity to play a new character in the Gotham-verse?!

DCN: How important is the relationship between your character and Nightwing in the context of the broader story?

JR: I can’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil the storyline, but I will say Theresa and Dick’s relationship is a significant one! She comes back into his life very suddenly and stirs up a lot of feelings and memories for him, which really affects his thoughts and decisions. Theresa coming back into his life puts a spanner in the works for Dick and Oracle, who have a complicated relationship that she gets in the middle of. Theresa and Dick also have a history of their own, and the three get in a bit of a love triangle.

DCN: Growing up have you ever been a fan of the comic book universe? If so, what’s your favourite character? 

JR: Yes I have always been a huge fan of the comic book universe! I’ve followed all the movies and shows that have come out of original comics, it’s hard to choose just one character… but even though she’s a super villain, I really love Mystic from X-Men. First of all, her powers are awesome. Even though she doesn’t always use them for good, I would love to have them. She has always been a tough female character, strong enough to look after and to fight for herself. I like in X-Men first class how the world sees a young Mystic, her origins are brought to life in film and we understand her more as a character.

DCN:  What preparation and research did you do for your role?

JR: I mainly researched into the character of her Mother Leslie Thompkins. I knew who she was when I first got the script, but I had a look through all of her storylines to see what the woman who raised Theresa was like. What friends and enemies she had, how important her job was to her, everything to see the kind of lessons she would have taught Theresa growing up. Then I created Theresa as she would be at this age, someone who has grown up in Gotham, is around the same age as Dick Grayson, and has endured everything the city has gone through.

DCN: If you had the opportunity to play any other role in the comic book universe who would you play and why?

JR: It would have to be Wonder Woman! She has always been my number one favourite female superhero. She is so strong and can hold her own against anyone. She is a great role model for young girls who are in a world of male superheroes. I love how she has been portrayed in the comics and in television over the years, her outfit is iconic and she is always strong and beautiful. She fights for sexual equality, and shows how being strong and loving are both respectable qualities in a woman.

DCN: What other projects do you have upcoming?

JR: I’m in season one of The 100, episode 8 which just went up on Netflix here in Canada, and I have a few things in store.

DCN: For the fans how do they keep in contact and follow you over social media?

JR: You can follow me on

• Instagram: @jessracz
• Twitter: @JessicaRacz
• My Personal Site

DC Comics News would like to thank Jessica Racz for donating her personal time to make this exclusive possible for our fans. We wish her all the best in her career and look forward to tracking her progress. DC Fans, make sure you follow her on social media.

Be sure to watch & follow Nightwing Prodigal. Follow them on Facebook here.