Little did Miku Martineau know that all those years spent lacing up hockey skates, practicing her volleyball serve, and enduring the rigorous demands of youth athletics would ultimately pave the way for her breakthrough as a leading lady on a global streaming platform.
The 22-year-old Canadian actress currently anchors the new Netflix series “Crew Girl,” which premiered to audiences worldwide in early September and has already been officially greenlit for a highly anticipated second season. The contemporary drama follows Teagan Tao, a dedicated and fiercely competitive young rower whose entire world is suddenly turned upside down. When she and her mother are forced to relocate cross-country to her mother’s unfamiliar hometown, Teagan discovers that her new local school lacks a girls’ rowing team. Unwilling to give up the sport she loves, she boldly decides to audition for a spot on the boy’s crew team, ultimately setting her sights on the demanding and crucial role of the coxswain—the strategic voice and tactical brain of the boat.
Martineau’s own journey to the screen stands in stark contrast to the glitz and glamour typically associated with Hollywood success stories. She grew up far away from the traditional industry hubs, spending her formative years in the tight-knit, scenic Toronto neighborhood of The Beaches. Her parents operate a beloved local family-style restaurant called The Beacher, an establishment widely recognized throughout the community for its popular and bustling weekend brunch menu. Growing up in a household centered around hospitality rather than entertainment gave the young actress a grounded perspective that she continues to carry with her as her career rapidly expands on an international scale.
Reflecting on her unconventional entry into the entertainment industry, Martineau shares her perspective from her backyard in Toronto during a remote interview over Zoom. “My parents know nothing about the industry. I think they’ve learnt along the way, same as me,” she says, offering a candid glimpse into the supportive yet hands-off environment that shaped her upbringing.
Long before she ever stepped onto a professional television set, Martineau’s childhood was heavily defined by competitive sports. She initially trained as a figure skater before naturally transitioning into hockey. However, a major setback occurred when she broke her leg, forcing her to sit out the crucial tryout season. Undeterred by the injury, once she was fully healed, she quickly pivoted to volleyball. Gymnastics also remained a constant fixture in her athletic repertoire throughout her youth, building a physical and mental foundation that would unexpectedly prove invaluable when she finally stepped into the world of competitive rowing.
“Sports are great. There’s so much emotion involved in them, and it really teaches you resilience and a lot of mind over matter, which is a huge concept involved in rowing,” Martineau reflects, noting how the discipline required for athletics directly mirrors the intense mental fortitude demanded by her latest television role.
The path to securing the lead role in “Crew Girl” began like many modern casting stories: with an audition notification landing directly in her digital inbox. When Martineau opened the submission details, she instantly recognized several of the creator names from “Bet,” another acclaimed series in which she also stars. Spotting those familiar, trusted creative forces immediately felt like a positive omen, filling her with a renewed sense of confidence as she prepared her audition tapes.
Once she officially landed the coveted role of Teagan Tao, the real physical and logistical preparation began in earnest. Martineau’s training regimen started in Ithaca, New York, where she was concurrently filming an independent feature film. Afterward, she traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, to participate in an intensive, two-week athletic bootcamp alongside the rest of the show’s ensemble cast. The immersive training environment allowed the actors to build authentic chemistry while mastering the complex terminology, physical posture, and technical precision required of competitive rowers.
“I was still practicing in my single skull, but also I was learning how to become a coxswain. And throughout Teagan’s journey, she’s also learning how to become a coxswain,” Martineau explains, describing the seamless parallel between her own real-life training process and her character’s narrative arc. “So I was kind of learning with her, which was a really fun experience.”
Despite her growing resume and undeniable screen presence, Martineau admits she experienced a typical wave of pre-set anxiety before arriving on location to meet the young actors who would portray her teammates on the boy’s crew squad. Stepping into a high-profile production where actors are expected to form an instantly convincing, tight-knit athletic unit can be a daunting prospect for any young performer.
“When I’m working, I want it to be a great environment. You’re there for months on end working long, long days with these people every single day, so I just want to become friends. And I was like, ‘I hope they want to be friends,’” she recalls candidly. Fortunately, those initial worries quickly dissipated. “And they were all so sweet. We really bonded during the beginning rowing bootcamp sessions. We had the most fun together, and those boys are so sweet and funny. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder on any other set.”
“Crew Girl” marks Martineau’s very first foray into the vibrant, high-stakes young adult genre, and the actress expresses genuine enthusiasm about being included in the current wave of successful teen drama streaming hits that are capturing global audiences. For Martineau, the widespread appeal of the genre lies in its authentic exploration of an undeniably turbulent and formative stage of human life.
“It’s just a juicy, fun teenage story about the messiness of adolescence, but in the best way possible,” she notes, diving deeper into the thematic resonance of the series. “I think in our teen years, we’re navigating friendships and crushes and new romances, but also family dynamics as we become our own people. We grow into who we are, and it’s all about making mistakes and learning and trying new things and finding our place in whatever world that we’re in. And that was really appealing to me because I think it’s something that all teenagers go through on very different levels.”
