Showing posts with label Interviews. Show all posts

Eliza Taylor: "I f*cking adore Alycia and Lexa and Clexa" (SDCC 2016 "The 100" Interviews)


Eliza Taylor has amassed herself a large, loyal following for her starring role as Clarke Griffin on CW's "The 100". Over the course of the first three seasons, it has become a target for heated discussions regarding representation. Clarke became wildly popular to many not only for her strength as a leader of a group of teens that fight to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, but for being canonically bisexual. With bisexuality so frequently misunderstood and ignored in media content, Clarke's loving relationship with Grounder-Commander Lexa (portrayed by Alycia Debnam-Carey, who now has a starring role on AMC's "Fear The Walking Dead") quickly became beloved. But the controversial death of Lexa left many outraged. In preparing for the fourth season, Eliza has nothing but positive things to say about the love story between Clarke and Lexa, and about Clarke's bisexuality.

"I've said in the past when we were shooting season 3 and when Lexa died, I was like, 'She probably will never love again' but that's not true for anyone. We can go through the most ridiculous heartbreak and years later find love again and I want that for her. As much as I fucking adore Alycia and Lexa and Clexa, I do want that for her, she deserves that. So whether it be this season or the next, I don't know, men or women, it shouldn't be an issue, it shouldn't be a thing. That's what I love about our show. 'Is she gonna have sex with a guy or a girl, or is she gonna fall in love with a guy or a girl?' It doesn't matter and it's not even brought up. That's the beauty of 'The 100' is, you've got Brian and Miller, and no one goes 'Ooh, they're gay', you know? It's just natural and normal and that's the way it should be. That's what I absolutely adore about this and I hope that's our future, without the nuclear apocalypse."

Watch our full interview with Eliza Taylor here on the MuseLed YouTube channel:



See our other interviews with the cast/crew of "The 100" here:

CREATOR/SHOW-RUNNER JASON GOTHENBURG:



LINDSEY MORGAN (Raven Reyes)



CHRISTOPHER LARKIN (Monty Green)



RICHARD HARMON (John Murphy)



HENRY IAN CUSICK (Marcus Kane)




Dinah Nah Talks Melodifestivalen, Dance Pop, and the Swedish Music Industry | MuseLed Interview


As far as Swedish pop goes (or "Swed-pop" for those familiar), it doesn't get much bigger than Melodifestivalen, Sweden's annual national selection contest for their Eurovision entry. Many non-Swedish fans of the Eurovision Song Contest tune in to Melodifestivalen, as it has developed a reputation for being ripe with new talent to discover. Indeed the contest is one of the greatest opportunities for Swedish talent to gain exposure to an international audience. Such was the case for Dinah Nah, who gave this year's contest it's only true pop banger, "Make Me (La La La)."

Long-time followers of Swed-pop will remember Dinah for being a part of the pop group Caramell, which had a successful run from 1998-2002. Between then and Dinah's return as a solo artist, she kept busy both in and out of her work in the music industry. Not only was she a back-up singer for the likes of Haddaway and Dr. Alban, she also became a licensed skin therapist and nurse, and gave birth to two children with her sambo (the Swedish word for a non-married long-term romantic partner).

We met up with Dinah at her record label in the southern neighbourhood of Stockholm and were able to sit down and discuss her experience in Melodifestivalen, her artistry, and the path she is paving for herself.

At first glance, Dinah Nah appears every bit the glamorous popstar, with bright pink hair and large gold hoop earrings to accentuate a stylish outfit. Her music videos that accompany her singles are often glossy and polished; a visual treat to enhance the overall effect of the dance-pop tracks that have quickly become her signature. Her artistry is expressed by more than just the sound that she has developed.

"I want to give the audience not only good music, but something nice to look at."

In an industry that has often perpetuated the stigma against women as they age, 35-year-old Dinah Nah is groundbreaking in many ways. She releases the type of singles likely to be heard at 2am in the hottest Euro-clubs, and remains disinclined to let the music industry's "age fascism" deter her from pursuing her career on her own terms.

"Age has nothing to do with talent. If you're good at what you're doing, what does it matter if you're five years old or eighty-five?"

While fans were shocked by Dinah Nah's last-place (in the finals) placement in Melodifestivalen 2015, Dinah looks back on the experience as a positive one, noting how it kick-started her solo career and allowed her greater opportunities to tour across Sweden and perform at larger shows including Allsång på Skansen.

"This year, I've actually grown not only as an artist but also as a person. I know more and more each day what I want with this, my career."

Melodifestivalen can be seen as an exemplification of Sweden's propensity for egalitarianism. As of 2015, its rules stipulated that at least 50% of the selected entries were to be written/co-written by female composers/lyricists. When asked about the atmosphere for women in the music industry, Dinah has nothing but the utmost praise to offer about Melodifestivalen's updated policy.

"It's a good thing that they did that because I think that women [have] to be recognised more in the music industry, not only as artists but as producers, as musicians playing instruments, because men are overrepresented in that area. They are, and that's not right. That has nothing to do with that there's more men that [have] talent. That's not the issue. The issue is that more women need to get into the industry and be able to show what they can do because there's a lot of talented women out there."

In addition to the original version of "Make Me (La La La)," Dinah released an acoustic version of the song, complete with a more stripped down music video of it.

"I wanted to catch a bigger audience. I wanted to show that I can also do a wider genre of music, because I love dance music and that's the kind of music that I want to do but I love all types of styles."

Though she currently has no plans to release a full album or an EP, this choice is a deliberate one. Dinah shares how she sees herself as more a 'singles' artist and thus will continue to work on putting out quality singles for the public to enjoy. Her follow-up single to "Make Me (La La La)" was another dance-pop number, entitled "Taste Your Love." Upon its release, some were quick to unleash salacious jokes about the title and meaning of the lyrics, but Dinah offers up an honest explanation of the song's message.

"I think that everybody has been at one point in their life, been in a relationship where you have a sort of 'love and hate' feeling towards that person that you're with. You love them so much but you argue and you fight a lot so you can't be together, and you break up and then you go back again, and it's like a back-and-forth thing. The song is really about that; about not being able to be together because you're maybe so different but you can't stay away from each other because the passion is so big. So 'Taste Your Love' is just that you want to feel the love, just right then and there. But maybe tomorrow you can back off again. [laughs]"

Dinah also drew inspiration from her love for U.S. TV series, "The Walking Dead" in choosing a darker, outdoor setting for the "Taste Your Love" music video. She decided against embracing the scarier imagery that the show is well known for due to the children that follow her music career.

Many Swedish pop-stars have shied away from collaborating with the other artists in the Swed-pop industry. It's not entirely clear why. But when the idea is posed to Dinah about a potential collaboration with fellow Swed-pop-banger-hitmaker Ace Wilder, she is fully receptive to it.

"I would definitely do a collaboration with Ace, definitely."

So what is next for Dinah Nah? The first thing on her hopeful to-do list is another go at Melodifestivalen. However, fans will have to wait another few months before the participating acts are announced. Though Dinah has currently only toured in Sweden, she is eager to get out into other countries to perform for international fans. She has nothing but kind words to send out to them.

"I would just love to say that I am so happy that you find me on Instagram and on Facebook and everything, and all of the comments that you write. I am so so happy. There is so much love. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, so much."

Watch the video of our full interview with Dinah Nah here:


Dinah Nah can be found on Facebook here, Twitter here, and Instagram here, as well as her official website here.

"iZombie" SDCC 2015 MuseLed Interviews


Following a successful first season that pleased both fans and critics alike, iZombie was renewed for a second season and promptly descended upon San Diego Comic Con to promote all that's to come in the upcoming season which was just on the verge of beginning shooting.

In the show's press room, we sat down with cast and crew members to reflect on all the highs of season one that made it such a success, as well as got some scoops on what's to come in season 2.

Executive Producer Diane Ruggiero is still gunning for Tatiana Maslany to do a guest spot, and admits that one of her biggest fangirl loves is Wonder Woman. She teased what's to come for our favourite leading lady, Liv Moore, Ravi, and even the cheeky baddie, Blaine DeBeers.


Rose McIver was all smiles and friendliness as she recognised some familiar faces amongst the table of reporters, some of whom had been present to speak with her jut a few months prior at WonderCon. She spoke about her giddiness for Liv to play a yet-to-be disclosed prank on Ravi, how she will move forward given all the newfound drama with Major, and expressed emotionality over the Lowell arc, which proved to be tremendously impactful to viewers as well as those who worked on the show to bring that story to life.


David Anders has made a highly successful career out of playing baddies but there's something entirely refreshing and fun about his take on Blaine DeBeers. There's more of a comedic element to the dialogue and overall material, which Anders has had great fun playing. Anders ponders about the temptations Blaine may have regarding whether to enjoy being human again or to get bit/scratched again so as to reclaim the powers one harbours when endowed with Zombie abilities. 


Executive producer and show runner Rob Thomas may constantly be asked about the similarities between Liv Moore and Veronica Mars but he actually draws more inspiration from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in creating "iZombie." Thomas expresses great satisfaction at recently learning of Joss Whedon's being a fan of the show, discusses his partnership with Diane Ruggiero, and gives us a glimpse as to what lies ahead in season 2.


Rahul Kohli assures us that there were never any serious plans to make Ravi a zombie, and that he is truly happy with the character as he is. Though he doesn't rule out Ravi ever making the switch from human to zombie, he likes being able to wisecrack and be humorous in the character. He also gives us the scoop on that most memorable line, "I don't even need to be this good-looking; it's just icing."


Malcolm Goodwin may not have been able to explore much of Clive Babineaux's Creole roots but it doesn't mean he isn't as hungry for it than ever. He also jokes about Clive's first taste of brains, says it's only a matter of time before Clive learns of Liv's secret, and was appreciative for our "juicy steak" of an idea for a possible arc for Clive in the upcoming season(s).


Season 2 of iZombie will premiere on the CW on Tuesday, October 6 at 9PM.

Ari Millen Interview on Orphan Black Season 3


One of the highly anticipated plot developments for season 3 of Orphan Black is that of the revelation of the male clones of Project Castor. Actor Ari Millen was introduced in season 2 as Mark but in the season finale, it was revealed that Mark was but one of many! Ari joined us for a conference call interview and teased about his core group of four clones and discussed the challenges of taking on this array of characters.

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Being that the Castor clones were raised self-aware, how does that change who they are to each other and their brotherhood when compared to the Leda clones?

Ari Millen: The fact they're self-aware, meaning that they grew up together, they have a very close-knit, wolf-pack of a military upbringing. Just like any set of brothers, there's a real closeness, they like taking the piss out of each other, they can be vicious, but there's also a lot of love there compared to Project Leda who are just learning who they are. As the season progresses, Project Castor is definitely going to hit the ground running as far as making it very difficult for Project Leda because they have something that 'we' want and because we know who we are, we have a certain better understanding and are almost more cohesive, whereas Project Leda is not only figuring out who they are but who they can and can't trust. The Castor clones are a very strong foe right off the bat.

Who is Paul to the Castor clones? What can you tease about what we'll see of him and the male clones and do they trust him?

Ari Millen: Oh man. Without giving away spoilers, I think at the end of the season, we now know that Paul knows more than he was letting on and I think that he might have been playing both sides. As the season progresses, we'll find out more of what Paul knows and more of his motives and who he is to Project Castor.

With the Leda clones, there's a spectrum of sexuality. There's Cosima, who's a lesbian, and we have Tony, the trans clone. What would you say is the spectrum of sexuality for the Castor clones?

Ari Millen: They're ultra-hetero. [Laughs]. Oh man, this is a good question. I think part of how they wanted to position Castor this year was as this sort of testosterone-menace and I think that aspect plays itself out through their ultra-sexuality. It's a sort of frat-boy mentality, but that is just one part of them. But on the complete opposite side of that, you have Mark who is almost virginal and almost innocent. There's some interesting dichotomies with them but the sexuality will play a big part for this season, that's for sure.

Since you were a part of season 2, you've had a chance to see Tatiana in action. What was the biggest challenge for you since you've been having to do so much more than you did last season?

Ari Millen: I think the biggest challenge was, since Castor is self-aware and they grew up together, finding the differences within the similarities. Finding the little nuanced things that make Rudy Rudy, that make Mark Mark, that make Seth Seth. On a multiple Clone day when I was playing more than one of those Castor guys, just making that switch. Because they're so similar, trying to drop one and pick up the other, depending on how much sleep I got the night before might've been more challenging. It was a really fun process of trying to find these guys within their brotherhood.

Which of the Castor Clones would you say is the most dangerous that you wouldn't want to encounter in a dark alley?

Ari Millen: I think the obvious answer is probably Rudy but, I think Rudy to a certain extent wears his heart on his sleeve. I think Mark is the more dangerous one. He's very good at hiding what he's doing and you don't want to cross him. You don't want to threaten what he's going for because he will make you pay.

What is going on with Mark and Gracie? Will we see more of them?

Ari Millen: Yes, Mark and Gracie have just eloped at the end of this last season and they're trying to make their escape. They're trying to hide from the Proletheans and now with this new revelation of Project Castor, we find out that they're also looking for Mark as well.

What kind of advice did you get from Tatiana about playing multiple characters?

Ari Millen: The first thing that happened was, she knew probably a day or two before I did that it was gonna be me, so the first thing that happened after I found out, and it was still a secret to the rest of the cast and crew because we hadn't gotten the season finale script yet, she just sort of came up to me and gave me a little rub on the back and winked at me and said, "Congratulations." That's how it's been for us this season too. Acting is such a private and personal process that it's never something that you impose on anybody else. For the most part, she's present and there when you're in the scene together, but if I ever had a question about, "How do you act with those tennis balls so well?" she would be there to answer it. But I find for me that the best lessons that I can learn are just from watching people who are good at what they do, do it. So that's what I would do. When I was on set and she was on set, I would just watch her do her stuff and see the little things that she was doing and say, "Oh hey, that's brilliant. What a great idea." Then I would go on my turn and try that little trick out and if it worked for me, I would keep it and if it didn't, I wouldn't. For the most part, it's a visual process. She's very supportive.

So did you find any tricks that you used to get into the headspace of each of the clones? She has certain playlists for hers so did you have anything that you did to inhabit those guys?

Ari Millen: At the end of the last season, it was more of a reveal but no one knew who they were at that point other than John and Graeme who knew what they wanted. We got these wicked visuals, like of Rudy with the scar and the mohawk, and Willard the military guy. That's what I had to sit with during our time off so when it came to creating the guys, it was a visual 'in' for me. I would put on my wardrobe for the day, I would go to hair and makeup and they would put that on me for that day and I would look in the mirror and drop into the decisions that I had made. "Okay this guy is like this and this is what he does." It was a very visual process for me and if ever I found I was coming out of it, I would go find a mirror and settle, take a breath, and just look and drop back in. It was a very different process for me than normal but it still worked. It's interesting, I had an acting teacher once say that whatever works is good. There is no right answer. If it works, it's good.

There's some major differences between season 2 and season 3 for you. In season 2, you're acting with other people and you've got people to play off of. In season 3, you're getting to do scenes with potentially just yourself. What's been the most difficult or perhaps most fun element of filming things like that?

Ari Millen: Well I'll start with the fun. Being on a show like Orphan Black, you get put in a lot of really crazy and exciting scenarios. The fact that my screen time got multiplied this season only meant that I was gonna get to do more fun and exciting stuff. With that came the challenge of acting with myself. The challenge was learning how to plan out the scene for both characters at once. You shoot the first half of the scene as one character and then you switch over and do the scene again as the other character. The trouble could be, if not handled properly, if I only pay attention to the first character I was playing and forgot about the other guy then the decisions I made, I would've been stuck with when we flipped the camera. The big challenge this year, especially working with my clone double Nick Abraham and the director, we would just talk it out and plan it and make sure that if it was a scene with Rudy and Seth and I'm playing Rudy that we make sure that Seth does 'this' at this point because this is the moment that I want to create for Seth. There was a technical side of trade planning that wasn't organic to me so it was a very interesting learning curve to do this season.

Were you able to put any input into the characters? Did you put any of your own spin or nuance into their personalities or looks?

Ari Millen: What's great about this show is that there is a real fluidity to the script writing. There's a lot of frustration with only learning the next episode part-way through the episode that they're shooting but that also lends itself to being organic and switching on the fly. Certainly Graeme and John and the rest of the writers always were happy and interested and inviting for our input. What I found really cool too was a lot of the time, I would come to them with this instinct that I had about it and then they said, "Don't worry, we already got you covered in the next episode," so it was like we were on the same wavelength with a lot of stuff. I think one of the greatest things about this set is that it's a collaboration. There's not one dictator at the top, it's a collaborative process.

In the season 2 finale, that moment where Mark and Gracie are getting married is huge. Once you knew what Mark really was, did that make you modulate how you played that scene? Was there more menace to it or was it more protective? How did you want us as an audience to look at Mark in that moment?

Ari Millen: One of the things I found most exciting and I enjoyed the most about this season was the rediscovery of Mark because I didn't know what we all know now, last season. Specifically in that scene, I was still in the mindset of who Mark was from the point of view of last season. I think often it's dangerous to play the end in that. I think it was more important just to see him getting what he had always dreamed of. That was the most important thing. That's what he always wanted. He always wanted that sort of fairy tale, of disappearing out of wherever he came from and going forward with the white picket fence, the wife, and hopefully soon, children. So in that moment, it's just pure happiness for him. I don't think he was thinking about anything else other than, "This is the woman I want to marry." Castor doesn't even factor in at that point.

For that really wonderful reveal at the end of the season, what was the conversation with Graeme and John on which visage to show to Sarah in that really intense moment?

Ari Millen: The little that they knew about Rudy at that point was that they knew they wanted him to be a little bit unhinged. I think that was really concrete direction and then we just played. We probably did ten different takes in ten different ways of that reveal and that's the one they chose. They were all similar but different.

Will we see conflict within the Castor clones?

Ari Millen: Yeah, they're brothers, they fight. That's kind of a generalised way to say it. Certainly Mark has his own ideas of who he wants to be and where he sees himself going. His brothers in Project Castor are gunning for him. They're not going to let him go without a fight. There's gonna be some conflict there, there's gonna be some butting of heads, and fights. Within the other guys, they're reaching a certain point in their life, and I'm gonna try to be as vague as possible so I'm not giving spoilers, but they're reaching a certain point where something is becoming very very important so there is a certain amount of stress that they're all under. The bickering will start but for the most part, they're a cohesive group and they're all working towards a common goal and even though there's fights, there's ultimately love and family and that's the most important thing.

Which clone did you find the most intense to play?

Ari Millen: I guess the answer is Rudy. What's really fun about Rudy is that it's often a game to him to try to push people's buttons and knock people out of their comfort zone. We'll see with Sarah and then we'll see with some other people where he's just trying to get under people's skin. That antagonistic approach is kind of fun to play around with and along with that comes some pretty intense scenarios. So the answer is Rudy.

Orphan Black has always been jam-packed full of action. What sort of physical preparations or training did you do to prepare for that challenge?

Ari Millen: I had to look like a military man! [Laughs]. It was good motivation to get off the couch, that's for sure. But other than that, I guess the diet. It's amazing what kind of willpower you can have when you're motivated that way. Unfortunately, it doesn't last but I was in the best shape of my life for the first little bit. [Laughs].

In addition to enjoying your work on Orphan Black, we have a memorable impression of you from Darknet. You seem to do really well with infusing this troublesome darkness into your work. What is it about this energy dynamic that you're drawn to playing?

Ari Millen: I don't know, I think bad guys are a lot more fun to play. But I don't know, I think I'm a nice guy! [Laughs]. They keep casting me this way but I'll take it!

What was your approach to playing all of these clones? Tatiana raved about your portrayal but she said your approach was different than hers.

Ari Millen: Certainly. Going back to the fact that they were self-aware, I guess the best way to describe it is, if you've ever met twins or triplets or, I don't know, I've never met quadruplets but if you don't know them that well, you could very easily confuse them until you get to know them and then you get to know their individual personalities. One of the set PAs on our show, he's one of triplets and I had also worked with his brother Anthony and mistaken his brother for him on a different show that I had done earlier in the year. It was a really good lesson. 'So, how do you find the differences within the similarities? What makes this guy uniquely himself?' That was the biggest challenge, because they were so similar. 'Mark's like this, so what motivates Seth to do something like this where in this scenario, Seth would do this but what would Rudy do or what would Miller do?' It was just comparing them against each other and finding those little things. Whereas with Project Leda, they grew up in different parts of the world so they can be as drastically different as possible and Tat can have free reign and explore and have fun with these huge differences. I would say that's the biggest difference between Castor and Leda, their upbringing.

Each season, Tatiana has played a core group of four to five clones and a few miscellaneous others. How many would you say are going to be in your core group that we'll see this season?

Ari Millen: [Laughs]. I feel like that might be a spoiler. We know of four, so I'll talk about four. Um, yeah, I'll say four.

Of the four, how many times did you have all four of them in the same scene or, what is the challenge of when there's four or even three in the same place? What's the toughest part when they all have to interact?

Ari Millen: Having two in a scene was hard enough so thankfully we didn't have much more than that. The difficult part of having multiples in a scene is just making sure that you're planning. All the acting training that I've ever had and most people would have is, you plan the scene as your character but if you have to play both sides of the scene, you've got to know both sets of motivations and plan out how they're going to execute. It's all about that first performance and the first half of shooting that one scene is to make sure that it's open enough for the other side of it to make sense. Don't set it in stone in the first couple ones otherwise you're stuck with it.

If you can tell us without it being too much of a spoilers, which one of your clones encountering Tatiana's clones is your favourite pairing?

Ari Millen: Well, coming into Orphan Black, first off my favourite clone was Helena. Mark got to meet her pretty quickly and it was mostly playing off of Sarah and Helena the whole second season and those two are my favourites. But in going into season 3, if I talked about anyone that would be a spoiler but I've already gotten to work with my favourites so I'm lucky.

Can you talk a bit about the audition process? What did you show them that convinced them that you could do this and take on this massive task?

Ari Millen: Oh man, if I knew that I would be pulling that all the time. That's probably better answered by John and Graeme but all I can say is I'm very thankful that they gave me the opportunity. I've had the best time of my life this season. I guess it made sense because of story, why Mark being a clone would be a good idea. But I wouldn't want to put words in their mouth. [Laughs]. I'm just happy they did.

What was it like stepping into this established world? Was everybody very welcoming to you?

Ari Millen: Yes, it's a dream set to be on. From craft to the writers room to all the actors that we work with, everyone is… and this is unique. This is not something I throw around lightly. Not every set that you go on is this cohesive and this motivated and supportive. It's a very wonderful group of people to be a part of and it makes it easier to take risks and be a clone. [Laughs]. That's no easy thing to tackle.

The show is nothing short of a phenomenon. What do you think it is that viewers connect so much with?

Ari Millen: The fact that there are clones, in one show or in one or I guess now two actors' performances, people can relate to different clones and different characters so it appeals to a broader audience. That's one aspect but it's also really smart writing. That's what attracted me initially. When I was watching, I really enjoyed the plot line. I just found it really clever. It's not too over-the-top that it lives in the world of your classic science-fiction. It's really rooted in reality with science that may very well exist at this point and we're just saying it does and this is the possibility of what could happen. It's giving strong voices to lots of talented actors and I think that's why it appeals to so many people.

What's not to love about it, right?

Ari Millen: Yes, exactly!

We've got a lot of American and Canadian accents going on. Any chance of getting more interesting accents going on?

Ari Millen: I don't know about that yet but I certainly tried my hardest this year. Thankfully, we have a dialect coach on set most of the time but I definitely tried to drop my Canadian-isms. These guys are supposed to be American so there are certain words that would come across as Canadian. They kept telling me, "Ari. Drop it. Drop the Canadian."

I know Tatiana has done this already but if you were given the chance, what would you think about playing a transgender Castor clone?

Ari Millen: You know, that's a very deep and serious question as far as the subject matter. I think what Tat and what the writers room did with Tony was no short of pretty incredible but that is something that is, it's not mainstream so much yet and if you're going to do it, you have to do it right. You have to do it proper justice. If that were ever something they would want to tackle with Castor, I would really hope that we would do it as best as possible and I would do as much research as possible. That is not something to throw around as a gimmick, that's real stuff. I think they did a beautiful job with Tony.

And are you hoping you get your own Clone dance party?

Ari Millen: [Laughs]. That would be cool!

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Orphan Black season 3 premieres on Saturday, April 18, at 9PM on BBC America.

Tatiana Maslany Interview on Orphan Black Season 3 | MuseLed


Though unable to attend Wondercon with the rest of her cast and crew, Tatiana Maslany took time out of filming from a "very remote" location in Canada where she she is filming a movie, in order to do a conference call interview to talk about all the exciting developments to come in season 3 of Tatiana Maslany: Orphan Black!

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After last season, how is Sarah's relationship with Mrs. S and Paul? Can things ever go back to how they were after they betrayed her?

Tatiana Maslany: I think what Mrs. S and Paul did to Helena has definitely changed the game in terms of who Sarah can trust. I think Paul was always somebody that Sarah was weary of and at this point, he's really kind of sealed the deal on how she feels about him. But Mrs. S is definitely a more complicated thing because Sarah has started to take on this idea of Mrs. S being her mother, being part of her family, and being somebody she can trust and this betrayal is so enormous that it sort of forces Sarah into some of the most difficult decisions she has to make so far on this series.

Now that Donnie knows about the clones, how will this effect Alison and Donnie's relationship?

Tatiana Maslany: We've definitely seen Alison and Donnie come together by the end of season 2. There's a sense of understanding of why these two get each other and why they work. We've only ever seen them in conflict so it's nice to get to see them explore their romantic feelings for each other and their sense of being a team. We definitely get to see them a lot more in season 3.

Since Delphine is becoming a bit like Rachel in regards to performing her duties, what does this mean for Delphine and Cosima's relationship?

Tatiana Maslany: Delphine and Cosima have always sort of been on opposite sides of the equation in terms of Delphine being her monitor and having to pull the wool over Cosima's eyes a little bit. Cosima continually trusts Delphine and continues to love her and sort of romanticises what they can be. I think the two of them really would love to just be able to be together but unfortunately, Delphine has to cover herself and Cosima has to protect her sisters so they again end up being on opposite sides of the equation. It's an interesting season for the two of them. I won't say too much about what happens but it's definitely a lot of conflict.

Any chance we might see Tony again and what would you like to see him get involved in if he does come back?

Tatiana Maslany: I won't spoil too much but Tony was an awesome addition to our exploration of identity in season 2. I would just like to see him and Felix, and continue to explore what that relationship could be, and to get more back story on who Tony is. I think there's a lot there and we've barely scratched the surface.

Did you have any advice for Ari Millen on playing multiple characters this season?

Tatiana Maslany: We definitely talked about the challenge of it. Ari is an amazing actor and definitely has his own take and process as to what it was for him. But I think when you're facing something like this, it's always nice to have somebody as an ally and we definitely had an open discussion going any time there was something that came up. When I first saw a rough cut of his first clone scene, it was unbelievable. His understanding of the technical side of it while still being able to be present and relaxed and not just make it about the technical, I was amazed by it. He was kind of a natural at it. It's very cool to watch somebody else go through the same process that I did.

Did it take any pressure off of you?

Tatiana Maslany: There definitely was a shift towards the Castor clones where we get to explore them a little bit more and they did take a bit of the brunt off of my shoulders but there's also a lot of cool guest stars and supporting cast that we've seen throughout the seasons taking on a bigger role this season. We get to see Paul, Mrs. S, and Donnie expanded so there's a divvying up of the responsibility of carrying the storyline.

You get to go to these comic book conventions and comic cons. Is it gratifying to see how inspirational your characters have been for so many young women and so many people who cosplay and things like that?

Tatiana Maslany: Those kind of events are the most exciting part of the job. It feels amazing to go and meet the fans and interact with them in a personal way, and for them to get to tell us how the show has impacted them is unbelievable. I didn't expect that kind of response. We've always been really humbled and inspired by our fans and by their dedication to and knowledge of the show, and their breaking-down analysis of the show and also just how it changes their own lives and personal journeys. It's incredible. You don't expect that when you're doing a TV series, to have that kind of impact. We're lucky to be in a world where we're able to interact and discuss important things with our fans. It's totally gratifying.

A lot of show-runners keep things pretty close to the chest but with how many characters you play, do you get a head's up or do you still learn everything just from reading the script?

Tatiana Maslany: There's a lot that I learn when I read the script which is nice for me because I can't keep too much plot in my head. [Laughs]. So it's nice to kind of be in the dark a little bit but John and Graeme, the creators of the show, have always kept an open-door policy in terms of what's going on and where we're headed. They've asked for my input, and asked for my ideas about the characters and about new characters. It's a really collaborative thing and I don't think every TV show can say that. It's a really unique position to be in as the lead actress to have that kind of say. I really appreciate it.

It gets really complex with you playing multiple clones, trying to film a scene with more than one clone in it but now that Ari's in the mix with multiple clones as well, has it increased the complexity and the time of filming some of these scenes?

Tatiana Maslany: Yeah, I think what we tend to do on this show is that as soon as we get comfortable with one way of doing something, we sort of try and screw ourselves up a little bit. [Laughs]. We like to push the boundaries of what we're able to do and the limits of those clone scenes. You'll definitely see more complex clone work this season and that's just because we're getting more comfortable with the technology and we're excited by getting to further complicate things. John Fawcett, the show runner, he's crazy about adding new challenges to those scenes and making them more difficult. It's really fun, we get used to what we've done in them already but then we add things like pouring wine or five clones in a scene. We always want to make it more interesting for ourselves and for the audience.

Do you think there would ever a chance of a, going along the lines of the dance scene, some sort of a fight scene between the Leda and Castor Clones? That would probably be insane to film but it would be fun to watch.

Tatiana Maslany: [laughs]. Yeah, that would be super fun! I won't spoil anything but I'll just say there's some very cool clone scenes coming up. Definitely.

Rachel had such an important season finale with getting to meet her father. What about any of those scenes was your favourite?

Tatiana Maslany: It's always cool to take a character that has been seen in one way and get to expand them in a different direction. Rachel had always been sort of buttoned-up and difficult to access emotionally so it was fun to get to push her in a new direction and let her seams unravel, and that austere facade crumble a bit. I think a lot of these clones are dealing with identity so any time we get a glimpse into the back story of any of them or learn something we didn't know about them, it's always exciting. The season was shaken up by it. Especially somebody like Rachel who is so buttoned-up and seemingly together and untouched by any kind of pain; she airs her insecurity.

Do you have a favourite quiet scene? Like the one between Cosima and Sarah in the bed or the dance party, something that you were happiest with?

Tatiana Maslany: There were so many, it's hard to pick one. Helena's slow dance with Jesse in the bar was really nice, a totally different thing for Helena to get to do. Alison in season 1 getting to rip up everybody who's been judging her in her community and have her big blow-up was really fun. Like you said, that scene between Sarah and Cosima in season 2 in the finale, it was a really fun scene for Katherine and I to do together. She's my clone double and she's so incredible. To not have to act with a tennis ball and get to act with this brilliant actress who gives me so much, she and I have a real sisterhood between the two of us so to get to just say those lines together and explore those characters together in this kind of intimate quiet moment that Sarah never gets and that Cosima gives her was really beautiful and fun for us to do.

At Wondercon over the weekend, Jordan talked about how Felix gets to develop a friendship with Cosima in the upcoming season. Can you talk a bit about approaching their friendship from that clone and how that develops?

Tatiana Maslany: The two of them have been a little bit at odds for some reason and not because of any overt thing but I know Jordan was just like, "I don't think Felix trusts Cosima," and I'm like, "Alright, that's interesting." [Laughs]. We got to explore more of a slow burn sort of relationship between the two of them and they have so much in common with their shared experiences and being lonely, and there's a heartache in the two of them. We really get to see that a little bit this season. Cosima's sort of been thrust on Felix this season because she's living at his place and he can't get rid of her so it's another unlikely coming together of two people. Felix seems to have those kind of unlikely friendships with the clones. Alison and him came together; they despised each other but they're two sides of the same coin in that relationship.

The stakes keep rising each season, often even with each episode. Besides Dyad and Castor, will there be any other threats this season or will that keep their hands pretty full?

Tatiana Maslany: There's loads of threats. There's so many threats that I don't even remember all the threats. [Laughs]. There's a lot, it's a huge season, it's an absolutely enormous season. The mysteries continue to unravel and like in seasons past, as soon as you get a little bit of a clue into what's happening, the rug gets pulled out from under you and a thousand more questions. It's going to continue to be a mystery.

What was your reaction when you learned that there were the male clones of Project Castor coming into the mix and how did they effect the whole mythology of the show and the universe?

Tatiana Maslany: I was really excited about the prospect of it because I think Ari's such a strong actor. I think what they offer us is another exploration of nature vs. nurture, a different perspective, a different kind of experiment. The Leda clones were raised in different circumstances, separate from each other. For them to discover each other is their journey and to come to terms with the fact that they're clones. The Castor clones were raised self-aware and in a unit so there's a very different experience that they bring to the question.

There have been so many great moments of humour over the last few seasons. Will there be more of that coming?

Tatiana Maslany: Oh for sure. Any time you have Felix in a scene, you're going to get some amazing one-liners and Donnie too. Kristian is such an amazing improviser and has created this hilarious character and gives me so much to work opposite when it's Alison and Donnie. There's definitely high-jinx afoot.

Kira has always been hinted at being special and gifted and it seems like she's being set up to have a bigger role in this season. Can you comment on that in any way?

Tatiana Maslany: Kira has been such a driving force in Sarah's world. The stakes of her relationship with Sarah continues to be a big driving force. Sarah unfortunately has to make some really difficult decisions this season and those will effect Kira. We'll see this family unit be compromised. I won't say too much about it but that's sort of a little spoiler.

There's a lot of guest actors coming on this season, such as James Frain and Justin Chatwin. Can you tell us what it was like having them on the show and about their characters?

Tatiana Maslany: It was totally awesome. I won't say too much about the characters because I don't know what I can or can't say but there's definitely awesome characters. James was such a blast to work with. He's such a compelling actor and has this darkness to him that's so fun to play opposite. Justin too, he's hilarious and offers a great comedy to the series. We're really lucky and honoured that these people want to come and do the show with us and take time out of their schedules to come and play.

Is it fun when you get a script and see you're playing a character playing a character?

Tatiana Maslany: I don't do a lot of 'figuring out.' I love those scenes so much and they're such a confusing, disorienting sort of experience but I love them. They're so much fun to play. I feel a little bit out to sea as well. There's a lot of room for mistakes, a lot of freedom to play, and a lot of room to experiment with the size of things and how bad somebody's impersonation of someone else is or how great it is or who's a great actor and who's not. It's really fun, and to play with how the clones see each other, what Alison's version of Sarah is versus what Sarah's version of Alison is or Rachel is, it's really fun.

The rest of the cast has experienced being fixed points while you transform from character to character. How was it for you as an actor to experience that with Ari Millen?

Tatiana Maslany: It's great! It's awesome to watch the process from the outside. Ari has a totally different way of going out about it than I do and that's exciting to see because it's such a unique challenge. It's such a cool, uncharted territory. It's not really a common thing to get to play so many characters on a series. I'm just really happy that we got him and that he was willing to take on the challenge.

The show runners have expressed interest in doing a flashback into Beth's life. What aspect of Beth would you be most interested in exploring or playing?

Tatiana Maslany: There's a lot to her that is unknown and has been hinted at. I think she was going through a lot of turmoil and pain and I'd love to get to the root of that and what that is. Her relationship with Paul, her relationship with Art, I mean there's so many things there to mine and to go into. I would love to do that. I think that's so cool that they said that.

Did you discover any new acting challenges with your respective roles this season and how do you feel you further grew and developed as an actress overall this season on the show?

Tatiana Maslany: I'm so lucky to get to have this challenge of playing multiple characters and revisiting them every season and growing them. The writers are amazing, they constantly expand the characters and give me more to play with and more to explore. I feel really challenged every season. You can't help but change as an actor as you grow and learn more and as you get to work opposite awesome people like James Frain. Every day is like a learning experience for me. It's hard to pinpoint what it is that I learned exactly but I know that I've learned so much in terms of what it takes to lead a series and the kind of stamina it requires to play this many characters.

Is there anything you can speak about with the characters interacting with Art this season?

Tatiana Maslany: Art has always been this kind of moral centre of the show and has fought for the sisters for some reason, we've never really understood why, and we get a lot more insight into him this season. I was so happy for that because Kevin has been an actor that I've watched for years before I got to work with him on the series. I was a huge fan of his work in theatre and he is such an amazing, amazing actor. I watched him play Martin Luther King this last year because he played him in two separate performances of this play. He's just so incredible and we're really lucky to have him and it's great to get to mine his talent and expand that beautiful character that is Art.

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Season 3 of Orphan Black premieres on Saturday, April 18, at 9PM on BBC America.
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