Ben Cope

It’s safe to say 2023 is Kiana Madeira‘s year. The actress has a slew of projects set to be released, including Perfect Addiction, in which she stars opposite Matthew Noszka and Ross Butler. The movie, which is based on the popular YA book of the same name, debuts on March 27 and focuses on Sienna, an MMA trainer who loves to be around her boyfriend, Jax (Noszka) — until she learns he’s cheating on her with her sister. As a result, Sienna trains one man who is capable of displacing him.

“In the beginning, Sienna is in a relationship with Jax but then something terrible happens. She’s set on this revenge mission and decides to start training his arch nemesis, played by Ross. Within that, there’s a whole love triangle and a lot of drama,” the 30-year-old exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “There’s a lot of passion, but it’s a roller coaster of a story. I’m excited for it to come out. It was fun to film and work with Matthew and Ross, especially when they both played my love interest. It was a best case scenario! They’re both kind and gentle people, so it was a really positive experience — and a lot of fun.”

In order to prep for the role, the Canada native trained in New York City before she traveled to Poland to film. “I was learning to fight and also working out with my trainer, so it felt like a very authentic experience,” she expresses. “I would train six times a week, one hour each day of fight training and then go into lifting weights. I grew up playing sports and I am pretty athletic, so it was a pleasant challenge. When I got to Poland, we continued our fight training for two weeks. We were training six hours a day with our stunt doubles and our stunt coordinator. At that point, I was like, ‘Let’s film because we’re ready!'”

“I love taking on roles that challenge me in a new way,” she admits. “The physical aspect of this was really enticing. I also got to lead a film where a woman is at the center and she’s strong, tough and capable, but at the same time, I could tell Sienna is vulnerable and shows a lot of her heart. She’s very dynamic, which was the big draw in me wanting to play her.”

Ben Cope

The brunette beauty is looking forward to people getting to know and understand Sienna on another level. “I’m excited for people to see these different sides to my performance that they haven’t been able to see in other roles I’ve done,” she shares. “I feel like I’m really different as Kiana compared to Sienna because naturally I’m a forgiving person and I feel like Sienna has a lot of walls built up and a lot of different ways of protecting herself physically and emotionally. That was challenging for me, especially because Sienna has a sister in the story — and I have a sister in real life. I’ve never gotten into a fight with my sister in real life and a lot of the Perfect Addiction plot is centered around this anger Sienna has for her sister.”

Nonetheless, she says, “I am excited for people to be on the ride! It’s an entertaining and beautiful film.”

Madeira has gotten to play a ton of characters — from drama to rom-coms, she’s done it all, but this role was especially meaningful to her since she got to play such an empowering woman. “I’ve been given the opportunity to play a lot of characters who are strong women and very determined and tough, but this was the cherry on top. Sienna took it to a whole different level because not only is she emotionally strong, but she’s physically strong. It’s important for young women to see someone like Sienna on screen. She’s imperfect and flawed but still fights through all of those things. I hope people watching can look at her and know they can accomplish anything and everything.”

Additionally, Madeira has a supporting lead in the drama Brother, directed by the legendary Clement Virgo. The film, which debuted at Toronto International Film Festival, will also release in theaters and on Amazon Prime this month. “I play Aisha, and the movie is centered around two brothers in Scarborough, which is an area in Toronto. There’s a tragedy that happens within the community, and it’s a story of how people do or don’t come back from that tragedy. My character really provides perspective, and she’s very lighthearted,” she explains. “I’m happy this and Perfect Addiction are coming out at the same time because they are so different.”

Ben Cope

In Brother, the Trinkets star gets to switch between playing her character in 1991 and in 2001. “That was very fun but also had its own challenges,” she notes. “I wanted to think of little nuanced ways that I could show her maturity and that life experience she gained within those 10 years. The film showcases the city of Toronto and the talent that we have to offer, so this was a passion project for so many of us. I’m excited for people to see the culture that Toronto has to offer.”

As an actress, Madeira has been able to dabble in so many different parts — something she’s forever grateful for. “I never want to be put in a box — and I don’t think anyone should ever be,” she declares. “It’s been such a joy getting to experience different mediums. I’ve done series for only two seasons to just being a day player on a show. I’ve been given the opportunity to do so much. Every project I do, I’ve learned so much from the people I’m working with. Whether or not I am the lead on a call sheet, I always want to come in with a positive attitude and work with everyone and learn from everyone.”

From the young age of five, Madeira knew she wanted to act, especially after watching the movie Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. “I wanted to meet him and marry him,” she quips. “He was my first love as a kid. That was the first time I remember really wanting to be in movies, and it never went away. My parents were always very supportive and signed me up with an agency in Toronto when I was 10, and that’s how it all started. I haven’t looked back since.”

Ben Cope

Clearly, Madeira is hitting the ground running, and she’s already reading “some interesting scripts” and “meeting with some great filmmakers.”

“I’d love to work with Florence Pugh and do a romantic comedy. I love that rom-coms are coming back, but at the same time, Perfect Addiction showed me that I love action movies. So, maybe even do an action comedy with Ryan Reynolds,” she says. “I really want to do everything. I just want to be open to anything and everything.”