I'm incredibly close to my family. I have two younger brothers, they're both artists and actors; and their work and the way they see the world inspires me. We've been making films together since we were kids, in our backyard.
I'm always interested in are stories that challenge people.
I think the improv also helps with the imagination of dealing this person across from me who's not physically there. When you do an improv scene, you're usually working on a blank stage and creating the props and creating the environment.
I've learned a lot about the limits of what I can do, as an artist, or what I'm willing to do. It's a lot of responsibility to carry a show and to speak to people on different levels.
Young women are now looking at me for cues. That's definitely been a responsibility. But I feel like I was ready to take on something like this because I wanted to be challenged and I wanted to be afraid, and that's definitely what it's done for me.
There's something really unique about Orphan Black is that it has a lot of female leads, so it's about a lot of women's stories, but it's not women’s stories in terms of trying to find a guy or keep a guy; it's about entirely other things.
We're living in a world where the response is really instantaneous, even though it's delayed by a few months. It comes at you pretty fast.
I've worked on shows where the lead actor doesn't know their lines, doesn't care, and it affects everybody - the crew, the director, the other actors. It's definitely a responsibility.
My mom's a translator, my dad's a woodworker; that's the world I grew up in, that's the world I'm most comfortable in. The whole idea of Hollywood or any of that other stuff that unfortunately goes along with film, that wasn't part of my upbringing, thankfully.
I love people, watching people interact. It's a lot of psychology. We learn about ourselves by watching other people's lives on the screen.
As an actor, you're listening to the other person and always trying to be present and take everything they're giving you, but when they're not there you have to produce that yourself.
The way people love sci-fi is how I love cartoons.
'Orphan Black' allows for people to have debates and theories and allegiances to different characters; to trust characters and hate other characters, but it doesn't tell you who is good or bad or right or wrong. That's the most exciting storytelling in my book.
Going back is a nice way to give definition to each of the characters because they are so vastly different. I would never want them to get blended together.
I think in the inception and creation of the characters, improv was the most important part for me, because I wanted to feel at home in those characters. I wanted to feel like I could commit to them. And so much of improv is saying yes and committing, so I think that's where the improv came in. Even if I'm saying yes to the X across the room from me, or the tennis ball on a stick, I have to stay alive.
Going to set, every day, and working with the incredible actors I get to work with is fulfilling. I've been doing this since I was nine years old, so it's always been something that I've been passionate about. It's always fed me.
I'm running on adrenalin when we're shooting. It's non-stop. As soon as I have time to sit down, then I fall asleep.
Dance has always been a really important thing for me, so being able to physically express the characters through music and dance is like another layer to things.
I'll never, never understand why people think it's their business to comment on other people's bodies. I go to a spa in LA sometimes, a Korean day spa, and all the women there are nude. And I've never felt so in love with the human form as when I'm walking around and seeing all those bodies, thinking, Oh my god, we're all just built so differently. And every single body is beautiful. I will never understand that shame, and the reinforcement of that shame. It's crazy.
Just to be on set with Amy Poehler, who's one of my heroes, was a total dream come true.
I'm excited to work on something where I have a bit more time with it, to explore one personality. That's definitely exciting to me.
I would love to work with Gena Rowlands. I just don't know in what capacity. I'd play her daughter or granddaughter, or whatever. I would just love to work with her, in whatever capacity.
I see a lot of things I'm so excited and hopeful about film and TV in Canada. There's just a huge movement, I think, in seeking an identity as Canadians, and really forging it and really embracing all the parts of us as Canadians that come from such varied experiences and such varied cultures. And I think there are strong voices that come out.
I think that's why it's difficult for women when they watch TV and we see one version of a woman who is attached at the hip to a guy, and that's kind of her whole thing. You kind of go, 'I don't relate to this, I don't feel this.' You know? Maybe somebody does, but not everyone. That's the other thing about storytelling, is you can't represent everybody. You know, you can't seek to do that. You have to tell stories that you're interested in talking about and characters that intrigue you.
I'm super sad to have it finish because it's been such a dream job, but it's nice to know there's a conclusion.
