I figured it would. I want to push back against one of your points though about television actors. I feel that nowadays television is equal to, if not greater than, movies because you see a lot of movie stars transition between the two mediums, like Tom Hardy and Michael Shannon for example. So I don’t think it’s degrading to say that hiring TV actors is a cheap move by smaller production companies since the line is quite blurred now.
Not anymore, but when I first started it was unheard of. And it slowly started changing when people realized that The CW or The WB stars were transitioning into films. Sarah Michelle Gellar, for example, started doing movies, and those movies were just as successful as other movie stars’, and she was on a TV show and people went “oh shit, we can have both and we should do both.” And so, it’s been a 20 year process for film stars like Nicole Kidman to show up on a TV series. That wouldn’t have happened just a couple decades ago.
That’s true. It’s amazing how much the small screen has grown. Now, you said that there were days where you were filming 26 pages. Is doing an independent film more freeing in the sense that you all have more leeway from executive mandates, or does the rushed schedule counter that?
Well, the main reason why it’s more collaborative for actors in independent films is because there are a lot less cooks in the kitchen. In an indie film you don’t have a studio; you don’t have to ask them what your hair looks like today. It always amazes me on a TV show how many hours we spend establishing what my character should look like. Days, I’m literally talking days, of hair and make-up tests and sending videos off to the network and getting notes from the studio.
With an indie film, I just go to hair and make-up, decide what my character is going to look like, and they’ll show it to the director and come back and say “they love it, let’s go.” It’s different. So you have more of an opinion primarily because there are less people who feel the need to have an opinion because they need to justify their paycheck, right? [laughs]
Right. When you have more money being invested in a movie, it results in more people being put there for the sake of having representation.
Exactly, there’s more to lose.
So, one of the things I really admired about your performance was your portrayal of anxiety. As someone who suffers from it, I thought you were so accurate with the altered breathing, shifting eye contact, constant interaction with the stress ball, and so forth. I’m just wondering, how did you go about developing those physical ticks? Cause you perfectly embodied it.
The reason I became an actress was because I was infatuated and obsessed with what made people do the things that they did. I found the study of human nature and the decisions that people make to be fascinating, so I taught myself to act by watching other people and then going into my bathroom as a child and seeing if I could make my face do what they had done, and then follow that up by saying their lines.
Initially, I started memorizing monologues from movies, but then I would try to understand the words and read books about psychology and work to learn about human nature and why people make mistakes or the same mistake over and over. Whatever the reason.
And so I had done a lot of studying on anxiety, because it’s something that has touched my own life. To a lesser degree for sure, but anxiety is debilitating. And there are people who are victims of their anxieties every hour of every day. And so I had done a lot of research about what that looked like.
I’m glad that it made sense! I tried to make it subtle as well, and not too on the nose all the time.
No, it was definitely more natural and not an over-the-top expression. Again, you really nailed it.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that.
No, thank you. Now last question: science fiction has obviously been a huge part of your career, but you did take a break from it to do Longmire, which was a great show as well but not sci-fi. I’m wondering, is this a sign that you’re going to return to the genre with 2036: Origin Unknown?
It’s kind of funny. People ask me why I took a break from it, and I was just blessed with another long-running series that wasn’t of the genre. It was a conscious choice to step away from science fiction, but it wasn’t a conscious choice to stay away from it as long as I did. That was just because, thankfully, Longmire ran for 7 years.
But also, it was admittedly a difficult situation after Battlestar. When the thing you’re most known for is a hit out of the park the way Battlestar Galactica was, it is hard to then go back into the genre and not feel pressured that you’re not going to let everyone down. Because the sci-fi fan base is loyal, but they’re also really discerning and smart and they’ve seen it all. So it’s really challenging to want to go back into that world because you’re so scared that you’re going to let them down.
I definitely understand that fear of living up to expectations. And also typecasting is another issue that can affect a performer. But I’m very happy to hear that your career and love for the genre is remaining strong.
For sure, and my upcoming show is called Another Life and it is sci-fi! It’s a new Netflix show that’ll probably be on some time next summer.
Oh wow, I’ll be sure to check it out!
Yeah, it’s going to be awesome.
Netflix has been doing so much amazing work these days. But Ms. Sackhoff, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to speak with me. As I said, I’m a big fan of yours, and this really was an honor for me.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your time. Have a great rest of your day!
Flickering Myth would like to thank Ms. Sackhoff for chatting with us. 2036 Origin Unknown is available on Digital HD and was released on DVD and Blu-ray August 7th, 2018.
Red Stewart
