Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Fonseca has moved between TV and film since kicking of her acting career ten years ago - but she can currently be seen playing Alex in hit show Nikita.
I caught up with her to talk about series one of the show, working with Maggie Q and what lies ahead.
- Nikita is heading to DVD here in the UK so can you tell me a little bit about the show for anyone who has missed it?
My goodness, it’s an action packed show with a lot of really great characters that are intertwined in very complicated ways. So if you like fast paced dramas then you really will enjoy the show.
- You take on the role of Alex in the series so what was it about the script and the character that drew you to the project?
I think it was the fact that I had read so many scripts for young women for pilots and there were so many recurring boring women.
It’s very rare to read something that you get impacted by and Alex in Nikita was definitely one of those scripts that kind of made stop and think for a second ‘wow this would be a really great challenge’. It definitely stood apart from all of the other characters.
- The role is a very physical one so what sort of training did you do before you started working in the series?
Maggie and I trained for about a month before we went shoot the first season and we worked on conditioning and stunt training - just to make sure that we were safe and that we were going to be strong enough. But I just really followed her lead.
- Yeah she really is a very physical actress so how did you find working with her?
Very interesting actually. She is a very strong woman to work with and she definitely makes me feel at when it comes to the action sequences.
It is a new genre to me and she has been doing it for so long that it definitely feels more comfortable when I get to do stunts with her as opposed other people because I know that she is reliable. I just feel very at ease with her.
- Well you have touched on my next question really how heavily are you involved in the stunt work? How much do you enjoy that aspect of the show?
Oh my gosh I just love that aspect of the show! We work such long hours that if it weren’t for the physical aspect of it I think that we would all get run down - it’s kind of like not working out for ten months straight it just makes you feel really shitty.
We don’t have time to work out so doing those kind of things as part of the job just makes it that much more fun. And it’s also reminds me of dance, I use to dance, and it is just one of my favourite parts of the show.
- UK audiences haven't seen the second half of season 1, which is coming in the next few weeks; the second half of the season sees Alex become an agent how are we going to see her develop.
The second half of the season things are crazy and it just gets so great. Alex goes from a recruit to a full blown agent to completely running away - you will see as the season goes just how much things change.
- Obviously now she is an agent we see her taking on missions as well as living in the outside world so how does this affect her relationships with both Nikita and Michael?
At first it is a very new and exciting experience for her because she has her own apartment and money and it’s very exciting for her - she is living in her own place for the first time; so there is definitely s transition period.
And then the story really focuses on the history of Nikita and Alex and it goes a bit more in depth with that.
- Taking on the role of an agent we sees Alex meet Nathan - so how much are we going to seen her struggle with her duties to Division and trying to lead a normal life?
It’s a really sad struggle because she wants so much to be normal - but she doesn’t really understand what normal is because she was never a normal child, even in Russia because she came for a wealthy family.
But she definitely struggles to find that and have a really healthy relationship but I think that is why she really connects with Nathan because he is so grounded and such a normal person who lives a simple life and she is drawn to that. It gets messy, as you expect (laughs) and it’s just really really sad.
- Are we set to learn more about Alex's past?
Oh a lot (laughs). You will discover how the murder of her family happened and you will see a lot more of her family life through flashbacks.
- In recent years you have mixed and match your TV and movie roles so how do the two medium compare/differ? Do you have a favourite?
I don’t have a favourite I think that it depends on the people that you work with and the role that you are doing. I really love both.
You just have more time on film you can take you time to create and discover things but on television we basically rehearse on camera because it is so quick.
We have such a big show to shoot with the stunts and the locations so there is a lot to do and just nine days to shoot an episode. So it is hard and the pace is hard but we have a really great cast and crew that gets is done.
- And how much do you enjoy the pressure that comes with TV and the strict time limits that you have - is it something that you thrive under?
Yeah. I guess. I always feel the best when I am working and I am stressed out, which is strange (laughs). But I definitely do appreciate the little vacations that I do get.
- Last year we saw you in Kick Ass this time last year so how did that role come around? How did you find working with filmmaker Matthew Vaughn?
I t was great. It was my first time in London - it was so many years ago; we shot that almost two years before it came out.
So by the time it came out I had almost forgotten everything that we had done on set. But the relationships that I made and the friendships that I made will be with me for a lifetime it really was a great experience.
- Finally what's next for you?
I am doing a television movie called Project 5 when I get home next week and then we star season 2 of Nikita later this year.
- And can you give us any hints about season two?
It’s just going to be even more awesome (laughs).
Nikita Season One is out on Blu-ray and DVD 19 September, courtesy of Warner Home Video
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Lyndsy Fonseca has moved between TV and film since kicking of her acting career ten years ago - but she can currently be seen playing Alex in hit show Nikita.
I caught up with her to talk about series one of the show, working with Maggie Q and what lies ahead.
- Nikita is heading to DVD here in the UK so can you tell me a little bit about the show for anyone who has missed it?
My goodness, it’s an action packed show with a lot of really great characters that are intertwined in very complicated ways. So if you like fast paced dramas then you really will enjoy the show.
- You take on the role of Alex in the series so what was it about the script and the character that drew you to the project?
I think it was the fact that I had read so many scripts for young women for pilots and there were so many recurring boring women.
It’s very rare to read something that you get impacted by and Alex in Nikita was definitely one of those scripts that kind of made stop and think for a second ‘wow this would be a really great challenge’. It definitely stood apart from all of the other characters.
- The role is a very physical one so what sort of training did you do before you started working in the series?
Maggie and I trained for about a month before we went shoot the first season and we worked on conditioning and stunt training - just to make sure that we were safe and that we were going to be strong enough. But I just really followed her lead.
- Yeah she really is a very physical actress so how did you find working with her?
Very interesting actually. She is a very strong woman to work with and she definitely makes me feel at when it comes to the action sequences.
It is a new genre to me and she has been doing it for so long that it definitely feels more comfortable when I get to do stunts with her as opposed other people because I know that she is reliable. I just feel very at ease with her.
- Well you have touched on my next question really how heavily are you involved in the stunt work? How much do you enjoy that aspect of the show?
Oh my gosh I just love that aspect of the show! We work such long hours that if it weren’t for the physical aspect of it I think that we would all get run down - it’s kind of like not working out for ten months straight it just makes you feel really shitty.
We don’t have time to work out so doing those kind of things as part of the job just makes it that much more fun. And it’s also reminds me of dance, I use to dance, and it is just one of my favourite parts of the show.
- UK audiences haven't seen the second half of season 1, which is coming in the next few weeks; the second half of the season sees Alex become an agent how are we going to see her develop.
The second half of the season things are crazy and it just gets so great. Alex goes from a recruit to a full blown agent to completely running away - you will see as the season goes just how much things change.
- Obviously now she is an agent we see her taking on missions as well as living in the outside world so how does this affect her relationships with both Nikita and Michael?
At first it is a very new and exciting experience for her because she has her own apartment and money and it’s very exciting for her - she is living in her own place for the first time; so there is definitely s transition period.
And then the story really focuses on the history of Nikita and Alex and it goes a bit more in depth with that.
- Taking on the role of an agent we sees Alex meet Nathan - so how much are we going to seen her struggle with her duties to Division and trying to lead a normal life?
It’s a really sad struggle because she wants so much to be normal - but she doesn’t really understand what normal is because she was never a normal child, even in Russia because she came for a wealthy family.
But she definitely struggles to find that and have a really healthy relationship but I think that is why she really connects with Nathan because he is so grounded and such a normal person who lives a simple life and she is drawn to that. It gets messy, as you expect (laughs) and it’s just really really sad.
- Are we set to learn more about Alex's past?
Oh a lot (laughs). You will discover how the murder of her family happened and you will see a lot more of her family life through flashbacks.