Grimm Star Sasha Roiz Talks the Black Claw Uprising and His Pet Project the Grimmster Endowment

It’s time for fans to get their Grimm on when the cast of the hit NBC series about the monster inside us puts their efforts into raising funds for the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, where the series films.

“Ever since we got to town, we have wanted to become part of the community here and one of the things that interested me was the children’s hospital,” Sasha Roiz, who plays Captain Renard, tells Parade.com. “I heard a lot of good things about the care and the fact that it has a prominent reputation nationally. My castmates would come up with me. In the course of that, I got to know the staff and the doctors; I got to know what they do. I got to know the families first hand and their struggles.”

One of the big struggles for families is the cost of putting their lives and jobs on hold, and the consequences that arise as a result. So Roiz got the idea to create the Grimmster Endowment, which is specifically designated to pay for everything beyond actual medical costs. The funds from the endownment cover accommodations, travel costs, and other incidentals for families with children in the hospital.

In what has become an annual event, The Grimm Gala, being held this year on Feb. 13., is a fundraiser for the Grimmster Endowment, but it is also a chance for fans of the show to get some time with the cast at the exclusive dinner and auction at the Exchange Ballroom in Northeast Portland.

In addition to the monies raised by ticket sales, there is also an auction, during which Grimm memorabilia and props, special Nike shoes autographed by Michael Jordan, special box tickets to a Trailblazer game with members of the cast, and more are put up for grabs by the highest bidder.

But the coolest thing for Grimm fans is an online raffle designed by Omaze, the winner of which gets the opportunity to fly to Portland, spend time on the set with the cast and crew, and be transformed into a Wesen by the show’s makeup and hair staff.

Last year’s gala raised $300,000. Roiz says they are hoping to beat that amount this year, and Grimm fans can help even if they can’t attend by donating online.

Now for some Grimm scoop. Check out what Roiz told us about Black Claw and the uprising, the women in the captain’s life, and more!

We’ve moved away from the royals storyline. Is there something about that that you miss?

I do. I do wish there was some way for me to have a confrontation with my father. That kind of Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader moment, but, sadly, that’s not going to happen because he’s very much dead.

I do miss the web of that royal family. Every time you would turn around, there was a new member trying to outdo me. It was a fun chess match. I enjoyed the process of meeting these characters. All of a sudden, I had a mom, I had a cousin. It kept me on my toes and it was a lot of fun to discover them and to create a backstory for each of these people.

But, I think, they are moving in a more political direction. Don’t be fooled by how mild and copacetic the whole thing is looking right now. I think it is going to get very exciting very quickly and you’re not going to anticipate what’s happening. It does tie in to the seasonal story arc of Black Claw and the Wesen uprising. It’s going to be a really exciting journey.

The captain is a Wesen and he appeared to be clueless about Black Claw. How do you think sides are being drawn for this big battle?

With the captain, you never know what he knows. He only reveals as much as he likes to. Does he not know? Is he not telling? That’s the thing with this character, even I sometimes don’t know what I know. That stuff will always come around and surprise you.

I think Black Claw is a whole different movement. I really enjoy specifically when our writers tell stories that reflect what’s happening in our world.  With this whole Black Claw uprising, there are elements of it in our world: there’s danger, there’s uprising, there’s insurgency and a lot of religious, political and social unrest. I think we are paralleling that and reflecting that. I think it makes for some of the most vivid and engrossing episodes.

In last Friday’s episode, Black Claw is compared to Nazi Germany, or are they saying Hitler was a Wesen?

We did establish that in Season 1. Nick [David Giuntoli] found old reels, and he’s playing this black-and-white footage of Hitler giving this speech, and all of a sudden, Nick sees him turn into a Blutbaden. That was the first time I got real chills watching. I said, “Oh, my God. The line is now blurred between the world we’ve created and our real world.” I love that because we are answering the question of monsters that live within us, and people’s motivations, and where do evil people come from? Grimm is our interpretation of that, but I love when it ties into our actual world.

Why do I think that the captain’s supporting a political candidate is going to come back to bite him in the butt?

Everything comes back to bite him the butt. He’s a punching bag. There is going to be a big consequence. Look, there is no decision or choice on this show that doesn’t have huge fallout, so it is not going to be any different. It is going to take a very interesting and very fast turn when it does. That is only a few episodes from now, so I think you will enjoy that.

In previous season’s the captain hooked up with Adalind [Claire Coffee] and he was friends with Juliette [Bitsie Tulloch], is there a woman coming into his life?

Very quickly. Someone who may have already been introduced. A certain little redhead. Yes, the captain has trouble with some of the women in his life. He makes interesting choices, questionable choices, and this will be no different. But it will be exciting, sexy, and steamy.

Grimm airs Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.