Sanctuary - SciFi TV and Talk's Blog: Robert Lawrenson Interview

At SciFi TV and Talk's Blog:

(Please follow the link for the complete interview.)

Sanctuary’s Robert Lawrenson – Soldiering On



Robert Lawrenson (Declan), Ryan Robbins (Henry Foss) and Amanda Tapping (Dr. Helen Magnus)

When Dr. Gregory Magnus originally founded the Sanctuary network, he did so with the intent of surrounding himself with like-minded individuals who were just as dedicated as he was to the survival, preservation and protection of Abnormals. Magnus’ daughter and fellow scientist, Helen, did the same when she took over the reins from her father. Among her most trusted allies is Declan MacRae, who became head of the UK Sanctuary after the death of John Watson. The handsome Brit is smart, techno-savvy and knows how to handle himself in a tight spot. Sharing his character’s UK heritage was a big help to Sanctuary actor Robert Lawrenson when initially stepping into Declan’s shoes.

“I was very fortunate in some respects that Declan was a Brit,” notes Lawrenson. “I believe it was Michael Caine who said, ‘you only have to play the differences,’ and I take that to every role that I do. I start with me and compare myself to my character. I work out what the differences are in our personalities, then focus on those and think about where I need to extend my own personality in order to create the character.

“With Declan, it’s nice because there are similarities between the two of us, with him being an authority figure and me being kind of a quiet, authoritative type in my general sort of persona. So that’s an extension of myself. However, I don’t have an ex-military/SAS background, so that’s a huge difference right there, and that brings with it [acting] challenges, too, because Declan is a very tough ex-Special Forces guy. He’s totally comfortable with, for instance, handling weaponry and storming into a situation where there are enemy targets, but those types of things are totally foreign to me..."

Stargate Atlantis - Stargate Planet - Torri Higginson Interview and Photos

At Stargate Planet:

German

English

A brief excerpt:

Interview with Torri Higginson

on her involvement in "Much Ado About Nothing"

Source: Stargate-Planet 03-10
Autor: S.Schwager
Photos: Craig Schwartz
Translation: S. Schwager



We know Torri Higginson starred as "Dr. Weir" on "Stargate-Atlantis" for 60 episodes. One of her upcoming gigs is playing "Beatrice" in Shakepeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" in Glendale, California – presented by A Noise Within, one of the United States' leading classical repertory theatre companies. The production, opening Saturday, March 6 and closing Friday, May 21, 2010 (previews begin Saturday, February 27), is directed by Michael Murray.

We're grateful that Torri Higginson took the time to answer a few questions about this theatre appearance for our German website visitors.

S-P.de: Ms. Higginson, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions regarding "Much Ado about Nothing". In the past you have done Shakespeare plays like "The Taming of the Shrew" (Bianca) at the World Stage Festival and "Macbeth" (Lady Macbeth) at the Hungarian Arts Festival. What's more rewarding or challenging for you – a comedy or a tragedy by Shakespeare and what do you like about your character "Beatrice"?

TH: I think one of the many beautiful things about Shakespeare is his 'wholeness.' I don't think he has a tragedy which does not at times make you laugh, and it seems in all his comedies there is also always a bit of tragedy to spice things up. A teacher once said to me: "Shakespeare is just real life... with all the boring bits cut out." What does make the comedies a bit more challenging for me is that until there is a real audience it is hard to discover what is working and what isn't. We can all be tragic alone, but I think comedy requires a witness.

I think Beatrice is very topical... nowadays we can find a lot of women who have chosen not to marry or have children in order to follow their career… to have their own freedom. It is hard to have it all, and with each choice we must sacrifice another. I love her 'no regret' celebration of life. She chooses not to compromise in love, then, when she discovers how she is perceived she doesn't bemoan that hurt, she just looks at it, makes a decision and tries to adjust. She is very strong, amazingly smart and unapologetic, the third being a trait rarely found in women (especially at that time). She is a joy to play with, and I am loving every minute... she is much smarter stronger and wittier than I am though, so I am grateful I have till May to try to catch her up.

Sanctuary - Buzzine: Agam Darshi Interview

At Buzzine:

(Please follow the link for the complete interview.)

Finding Her Sanctuary

Agam Darshi is Con-Artist Kate Freelander

by Parimal M. Rohit



She hitched a ride into an all-new world where abnormal beings and their human counterparts struggle to co-exist, but as Agam Darshi prepares to embark on her second year on a cable series that is beginning its third season, the Indo-Canadian actress can only think about how much she differs from Kate Freelander.

Yet, as Darshi begins to find her niche as a budding screen actress currently hailing from the western Canadian outpost of Vancouver, the South Asian thespian has definitely found her "sanctuary" on Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel).

In playing a savvy con-artist who is hunted by the Cabal and reluctantly teams up with the protagonists in the Syfy original series Sanctuary, Darshi said her real-life personality has virtually nothing in common with her character, Kate Freelander, but that is okay with her, as the Indo-Canadian actress believes any good thespian needs to be able to demonstrate range and expand beyond his or her real-life persona.

"I like to call Kate my personal alter-ego. She's pretty vulnerable under her rough exterior," Darshi told Buzzine in an exclusive interview. "We are very different on a superficial level. I've always been creative, and Kate's really physical. I think Agam is a lot more loyal than Kate is..."