How did you land the role of Daphne?
When the writers for Heroes were coming up with the role of Daphne, they kept saying they wanted someone kind of like the girl who played Jean on Friday Night Lights. Eventually, from what I've been told, someone said, "Why don't we bring in the girl who played Jean on Friday Night Lights?" That was me! I had no idea that was the story until I was all the way through the audition process. If only I had known, I would have been far more confident.
Was it difficult to join such an established show with such complex storylines?
I was a fan of the show before I even auditioned for it so I was aware of all the storylines. Before I started shooting, I rewatched the first and second season to make sure I knew any detail that my storyline might refer to. I wanted to be very prepared just in case something crazy was thrown at me - like if I was Ando's secret lover or something.
Any cool on-set stories?
My first day on set was like an actor's dream and nightmare. I was standing there rehearsing for about 50 people - producers, press, actors. It was so scary! At the same time, Masi Oka was incredibly nice and showed me the ropes (even the mundane things like where the coffee was). So, I really had nothing to fear.
Where do you see Daphne's character going this season?
She's fast so she can really go anywhere! Daphne has to deal her own morality this season. When you first meet her, she's a villain and a loner. At some point, she starts to realize the consequences of what she's doing and has to choose sides. You also get to see why she starts as such a baddie (which I think it a brilliant part of the story). Her life may not be as carefree as everyone thinks.
What's the most fun part of working on the show?
The people I get to work with. I work with the most amazing actors, writers, crew and directors. They are incredibly nice. Either Greg Grunberg is cracking everyone up with a dumb joke or Greg Beeman (director) is telling us funny stories. It's like a big family - it kind of has to be because we work so many hours!
If you could have the power of another Heroes character, whose would you take?
Claire's power to heal would be awesome. I am an extremely clumsy person so it would save me a lot of heartache and skinned knees if I could just heal immediately. It's kind of amazing I haven't run right into a wall considering how much time I spend running on Heroes.
By Carla Thorpe
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