Date of publishing: 4th
July 2008
Tricia Helfer was born in Donalda, Alberta, Canada
where she was raised on the family grain farm. She
fell into modeling in high school when an agent discovered
her in the line up of the local movie theatre and
sent her to New York. While modeling, Helfer also
worked as a correspondent reporter for Canada’s
“Ooh La La” Fashion Television where she
realized a passion for acting during an on-camera
class. This prompted her move to Los Angeles in 2002
where she quickly landed the role of ‘Sarah,’
in the two-hour premiere of the Showtime series, “Jeremiah.”
Helfer memorably guest starred as a model who tries
to cut off her own face on the hit series “C.S.I.:
Crime Scene Investigation,” and the lead role
of ‘Eva’ in the independent feature “White
Rush.”
Helfer started 2003 off by starring in the Scifi
miniseries “Battlestar Galactica” where
she played the humanoid Cylon ‘Number Six’
and also filmed the lead role of ‘Farrah Fawcett’
in the “Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized
Story of Charlie’s Angels” on NBC. In
2004, Helfer reprised her role of ‘Number Six’
in the first season of “Battlestar Galactica”.
The show is now on its 4th and last season. Tricia
just got a role in the second season of "Burn
Notice". Here is a full transcript of a press
conference call with her. The main topic of this
interview is about Burn Notice but she speaks also
about Battlestar Galactica.
Question:
Can you start off telling
us what is Carla’s back story and how many of
the episodes are you going to be in in season two?
Tricia Helfer: I’m going to
be in, I think, seven episodes of the 16 being done.
I’m in the first two, and I think the season
finale, and then will be in 2009’s episodes
as well. To be completely honest, I really don’t
know much of Carla’s back story. Just as she’s
mysterious to Michael, she’s also mysterious
to the audience, and I think we’ll learn more
about her as Michael does and the audience does. At
this point, I’ve only filmed the first two episodes,
so I have yet to discover a lot about Carla myself.
I do know that she was a spy, and that she is now
the public face of the organization that burns Michael.
So she is definitely in a leadership position, and,
at this point, pretty much ordering Michael around.
Question: Is
it difficult coming into a show that’s already
become an established hit? I know with Battlestar,
I think you were the face of Battlestar Galactica
for several months before the series, but here with
Burn Notice it’s already had a season and is
very well known.
Tricia Helfer: It’s always
daunting going into a show as a guest in a guest role,
but with Burn Notice, I honestly can’t say how
wonderful they were and how welcoming they were to
me. When I first signed on, Jeffrey e-mailed me and
welcomed me on, and it’s just nice knowing you’re
going down to an open, warm environment, and that
people are looking forward to working with you and
that type of thing. I sat down with Matt Nix before
I went down, and we had a good chat. He gave me a
bit of a story arc at that point before they had started
filming. Things are still being written, so I could
get a broad overview, but no specifics really. It’s
definitely easier starting in the beginning with the
whole cast and crew, but stepping into a show that
you can see and you can see the tone of the show,
it’s easier to try and fit in, knowing how they’re
going and what they’re looking for. There are
pros and cons to both, but they were absolutely welcoming
to me.
Question: When
you’re coming off a hit show like Battlestar
Galactica, which is so tied into, how difficult is
it to find new projects and what do you look for?
Tricia Helfer: I think one of the
biggest things for me was coming off of a show that
is a very specific genre show that tends to be more
what you get offered and the direction people think
of you. So, for me, it was really important to try
and go against that and broaden my range, or people’s
perception of what I can do, so Burn Notice was perfect
for that, because it has nothing to do with outer
space, but I find it on par with the level of writing
and the level of acting that’s involved. Battlestar,
I’ve been very lucky, it’s an exceptionally
well written show, as well as Burn Notice. That’s
one of the first things I noticed about it. I really
liked the script and then sitting down and watching
the episodes, I thought it was a really well done
show. Like Battlestar, how I feel it has kind of a
unique take on the sci-fi genre, much more of a drama
and grittier, getting away from the soap opera kind
of norm for science fiction. I feel Burn Notice has
that with the spy espionage genre. It has a different
elite take and I find it fresh, fun, and exciting
and you have absolutely no qualms that Michael can
do what he does and you would completely trust yourself
in Michael’s hands, but, at the same time, there’s
a humor and a tone to the show that is just really
fun and fresh. You’ll see this spy tripping
going up the stairs. That kind of thing I think is
just really fun, so for me it was important to try
and find a project that broadens my range and people’s
perception of me.
Question:
What is it vibe like on the
set of Burn Notice versus Battlestar Galactica?
Tricia Helfer: The biggest thing
I actually noticed was the pace. Things move a lot
quicker on Burn Notice. At first, I was trying to
put my finger on it. I’m like wow, one or two
takes and we’re moving on, or the amount of
stuff you get done in a day, but then I figured it
out that there’s a lot less cast, just in the
size of cast and set, it’s a lot smaller. On
Battlestar there’s about ten lead casts compared
to four on Burn Notice, and just the amount of cast
you have and the amount of extras and the size of
the set. Our stages on Battlestar are huge and when
you’re in the CIC, or you’re in the hangar
deck, or things like that, it’s just the scope
is so big that things move a little slower. Tone-wise,
I’ve been incredibly lucky. Both shows are just
really fun shows to be on and the crew gets along
great and the cast gets along great, and there’s
a mutual respect. Everybody has respect for one another,
so it’s not a bickering show. I’ve heard
some horror stories of some sets where it’s
just not very fun to go to work, and that hasn’t
been the case with either Burn Notice or Battlestar.
They’ve been really fun sets to go to.
Question: How
different is it working in Miami compared to Vancouver?
It’s quite a difference with the weather.
Tricia Helfer: Yes, there’s
a huge difference with the weather. Vancouver has
been incredibly rainy this spring, so I think we had
our first nice hot day on Friday when I was on set,
but the umbrella takes on a whole different meaning.
In Vancouver, you’re being shielded from the
rain, and in Miami, you’re being shielded from
the sun, so it’s definitely your body takes
a little bit of getting used to going back and forth
and adjusting and the humidity really gets to you
in Miami. They’re both ocean-side towns, and
they both have this vibe of fun and outdoorsy. In
that respect, they’re similar, but obviously,
drastically different temperatures and climates.
Question: Have
you seen season one of Burn Notice yet, and, if so,
did you watch it before you got the part or after?
Tricia Helfer: I have seen the whole
episode, yes, or all the episodes, the whole season.
I hadn’t seen it prior. It was one of those
that was on my list of DVD box sets to buy. I had
been definitely intrigued by commercials I had seen,
but I’m definitely a DVD box set kind of watcher,
because of so much of the traveling that I do, it’s
hard to commit to a show when it airs. When I was
offered the part, they sent me the DVDs and I was
immediately hooked from the first episode. There was
one scene in the episode, I think it was the first
episode, where Michael is playing an art dealer. You
can go in and find this information, and he sits down
in the chair and his arm slides off, and it’s
just something that’s so subtle and simple,
but I laughed so hard. I was watching it with my sister
up in Vancouver, and we had to rewind it five times,
because we kept laughing. We were trying to debate
if he had done that on purpose, or if it was a mistake
that they kept in. So I told Jeffrey when I got down
there, as odd as it sounds, that was one of the things
that really hooked me, because it was in the first
episode and you’re expecting this spy show to
be very serious and very whatever, and the humor that
came out, or just the tone that shows that Michael’s
a normal person, even though he’s this incredibly
experienced spy, I just found it really fun to watch.
I was hooked from then on, and I watched all the episodes
and just immediately called my manager and said I
want to be part of this show.
Question:
How did you become involved
in the project (Burn Notice). Did they have you in
mind with this role, or did you have to audition,
or how did that work?
Tricia Helfer: It was one of the
very rare circumstances where I actually got offered
the part and I didn’t have to audition. Yes,
that’s definitely a wonderful thing when you’re
an actor. I’m not quite sure exactly how it
came about, but someone in the writing room, when
they were discussing. I think that Matt said that
one of his writers came in and they had seen a press
release in Hollywood Reporter that I had just signed
a holding deal with FOX Network, and they said this
is who we should get. They approached me and it was
a little bit of working on everybody’s part,
because I had a holding deal at FOX and I was currently
shooting Battlestar Galactica, so there was a lot
of roadblocks to get over, but it was one of those
circumstances that everything seemed to work out.
I had just finished a really heavy episode for my
character on Battlestar where I was in every single
day, and then the next episode, I was quite light
in. I only had one scene, so they shot me out in the
beginning and FOX let me out to do Burn Notice and
Burn Notice was great by consolidating all of the
stuff from my first episodes into two days and I literally
flew down, shot out two episodes, and then flew back
up to Battlestar, so it was conveniently worked out
and I picked back up on Burn Notice mid-July, a few
days after we wrap on Battlestar. Then it turns out
the FOX show that I had signed onto called Inseparable
is going to shoot right in the two week period I’m
off between Burn Notice episodes, so I couldn’t
have asked for a more convenient and lucky situation.
Question: How
you and Fiona’s character are going to handle
one another. Are we going to get see any other action
with that?
Tricia Helfer: At this point, I don’t
know. I hope so. I hope to work with Gabrielle. I’ve
met her briefly on set. She popped by my trailer and
said hello, but I would love to work with her, and
I would imagine it would definitely be some good interaction.
I can’t imagine Fiona taking too kindly to Carla,
even though Michael’s not really a fan of Carla
at this point either, I’m sure Fiona doesn’t
really want another woman coming into Michael’s
life, however it may be. But I haven’t read
the future episodes. I’m expecting actually
to get my next episode any day, and then I’m
definitely looking forward to reading it.
Question: What
is the difference between playing Carla and playing
Number Six for you?
Tricia Helfer: Actually, they’re
more similar than you would imagine with one of the
characters being a robot. I hadn’t actually
thought about it, but somebody pointed it out to me
that both characters, I’m kind of going in with
blinders on, so to speak, sort of touching on the
first question as well about Carla’s back story.
I don’t really know much about her at all really,
and that was sort of the same with my Number Six character.
When we started Battlestar, she was kind of a known
Cylon, but when we picked up the first season, Ron
Moore had written a series Bible of back stories for
all the lead characters and the style of shooting
and everything, just the style of the show that he
wanted, and all the lead characters had two or three
page back stories, really in-depth and something that
any actor just wants to gobble up and go oh, my God,
yes, thank you. My character said the machine as woman,
and that was it. I asked Ron about it and he said
I haven’t decided everything about the Cylons
yet, so, because you are the known Cylon at this point,
I can’t give you a back story. So I had to go
into it just really obviously putting my own two cents
in and putting things in my own mind about the character,
but also, just really going in, trusting the writers
and their vision of the character, and then obviously
me bringing it to life. What is similar with Carla
is I’m going in not knowing much about her.
She’s mysterious and illusive and I just have
to think of her as she’s just as equipped as
Michael is. She’s incredibly intelligent, incredibly
strong, but I think, in one way, the fixed characters
are a little bit more vulnerable at this point. I
see Carla at the top of her game and she’s also
one of the higher-ups in the organization, so a lot
of people to get through to get to her. So I feel
she probably feels she’s pretty invincible at
this point. I don’t know, but possibly part
of her storyline is some of that maybe shaking up.
Question:
You mentioned earlier that
you watch a lot of shows on DVD box sets. What kind
of shows do you sit down and actually watch and love?
Tricia Helfer: I actually am one
of those that don’t watch much, but I was a
huge Arrested Development fan, a South Park fan. I
have some 24. I got into some 24, although I have
not seen all the seasons. I have Dexter, although
I haven’t watched all of it yet. I got into
Six Feet Under when it was on, definitely Burn Notice,
now that’s on my shelf as well, although now
I’m a little biased. I like shows that are a
little quirky, a little off. I would like to get into
Madmen and Weeds. I haven’t had the opportunity
yet, but that’s the kind of show I go for.
Question: You
had mentioned that you haven’t worked with Fiona
yet. In your first few episodes are you only working
with Michael then?
Tricia Helfer: Pretty much. I have
one scene with Michael and with Sam.
Question:. The
character of Carla is a bit of a balancing act. She,
externally at least, seems very charming and friendly,
and yet, there’s definitely a sense of menace
from her. As an actress, how fun is it to play a duplicitous
character like that?
Tricia Helfer: It’s a lot of
fun. It’s also challenging, because you want
to make sure you find the right tone and that was
definitely one thing that I was concerned about going
down, and that’s one place that Jeffrey really
was great, because after our first take in the first
scene, he’s like you have the tone. You nailed
the tone. That’s exactly our show, now let’s
play. I keep thinking of what Matt said is she’s
serious, threatening, but with a smile, and I just
try to keep thinking in that. Again, that sort of
comes back to where I feel like she feels she’s
sort of invincible at this point. She’s so sure
of herself that she can be relaxed and a little playful,
because she’s just so sure of herself. If you’re
not as confident, that’s when you’re a
little more wary, and if you’re super-confident
about what you’re doing, or your mission, or
whatever it is, you can allow yourself to relax a
little bit.
Question: You’ve
said that you haven’t seen some of the things
that you’re going to be doing later on in the
season, but just as an actress, what are some things
that you would like to do with the character?
Tricia Helfer: I would definitely
like to get into showing some of her skills. So far,
it’s basically been the public face and the
connection of the organization to Michael, but I would
certainly enjoy getting into a little bit of showing
her skills and showing that she’s on par with
Michael and just as experienced, or just as dangerous
as he is. That would be a lot of fun. I’m a
bit of a tomboy, so I like the stunts idea, although
I know Jeffrey now says that he’s not allowed
to do his own stunts, so I doubt they’d probably
let me do mine, but I do all my own stunts on Battlestar
and I get a kick out of it. So hopefully, I get to
do a few.
Question:
You said earlier that you
only filmed two episodes so far. At the end of that
second episode, Carla kind of slips and reveals a
foreign accent of hers. Is that something that comes
back to haunt her? Does she realize her mistake quickly?
Tricia Helfer: I don’t know
yet, because that literally is the last thing I’ve
seen, episode wise. I haven’t even seen what
they have shot since, although I did voice a couple
of phone calls. My opinion is she probably doesn’t
kind of realize maybe that she messed up. He certainly
does use that to his advantage, and I think Sam manages
to dig up a little bit of information on me, not near
what they need to actually find out who I am at this
point, but its baby steps.
Question: You
don’t think they’re ever going to steer
this towards any kind of sexual tension sparks thing
between Carla and Michael, do you?
Tricia Helfer: You know, I don’t
know. I certainly wouldn’t rule it out, but
I don’t think Carla is really on Michael’s
wish list or action list at this point, although we
know with Fiona, he’s definitely attracted to
a challenge and somebody that challenges him, so that
could be down the road, but I would imagine it would
be quite far down the road, because, at this point,
she annoys him pretty much.
Question: Could
you just clear up something about Inseparable. The
main character, the forensic pathologist who has the
dual identity type of thing, he’s partially
paralyzed in his main persona, but then what? In his
alter ego, he’s not paralyzed anymore?
Tricia Helfer: Right. Yes, he’s
a cop and my character is the cop psychologist that
evaluates him and has evaluated him prior to his injury.
He was shot and it is definitely he’s injured.
He’s in a wheelchair. One side of his body he
doesn’t really have control over. He can walk
on crutches, but barely, and his alter ego is completely
healed. What’s exciting about that is it’s
a psychological injury.
Question: Yes,
so all the while she’s working with him and
studying him and I would imagine that, sooner or later,
she’ll start raising an eyebrow.
Tricia Helfer: Yes. My character,
Mason, is quite light in the pilot episode because
there’s a lot to set up with Lambro, with the
cop and his alter ego, Clyde. So there’s definitely
a huge discovery in that and everything, but Mason
will be the closest thing to him and she’ll
know immediately pretty much.
Question: I
was just wondering if there was any aspect of your
character (Carla) thus far that you identify with,
or that you particularly like or dislike.
Tricia Helfer: I like her sense of
mischievousness and fun and the fact that she’s
so together and so experienced that she can have that
fun, and I like that she, in one way, doesn’t
take herself too seriously, even though she’s
taken herself extremely seriously. Without really
knowing too much about her yet, it’s kind of
hard to go more in-depth with her, but I’m attracted
to her intensity and her smarts to be honest.
Question:
What’s been your favorite
thing so far during the filming of these two episodes?
Tricia Helfer: I think just really
enjoying the tone of the show and coming off of a
show that is very serious all the time. Not that there
isn’t some jokes and laughter on the Battlestar
episodes. It’s really heavy subject matter and
you’re talking about world subject matter and
humanity subject matter, not just the subject matter
of individual characters. When you’re talking
about the annihilation of the human race, or suicide
bombings, or that kind of thing, it can be really
heavy on set. So I’m enjoying the lightness
and the levity of Burn Notice and just having a lot
of fun with that.
Question: As
the contracts expire, how is that affecting you as
an actor? Are you following that closely?
Tricia Helfer: I haven’t been
following it pretty much at all, near as closely as
I should be since it affects me, but being up in Canada,
I’m actually in Los Angeles right now, but flying
up tonight. I’ve been in Canada mostly because
we’re doing the final episodes of Battlestar,
so have been removed from it. I haven’t been
down here in any of the meetings or anything like
that, or following too closely. It’s a touchy
situation and we talk about it on set a bit and certainly,
even within the Battlestar set, there’s vastly
varying views of what people think and what they don’t.
I’m hoping things are resolved and I certainly
want to keep working and not have things pushed, so
we’ll see. We’ll keep our fingers crossed
that everything works out.
Question: Back
to Burn Notice, how do you go about preparing for
a role like this?
Tricia Helfer: My first two episodes
were really quite straightforward in terms of there
wasn’t a lot of preparation in terms of physicality
or anything like that. I’m hoping to really
dig my heels in a little bit more coming up, but the
first two episodes were really just I was much more
focused on finding the tone of the show and really
not knowing much about the characters. It’s
just really sitting in and revealing that she’s
somebody Michael has to take very seriously and she’s
not going to be an easy one for him to deal with,
and that to make sure that she had the upper hand
over Michael. That was really where my focus was in
the first two episodes, more so than preparing in
a physical way with stunts or things like that, but
really trying to make sure that the audience understood
that she had the upper hand and was somebody to be
reckoned with.
Question: How
busy are you going to be at COMIC CON in a couple
of weeks?
Tricia Helfer: I’m sure I’m
going to be pretty busy. I think Battlestar is sending
down some Cylon human couples, so I know I’ll
be there with Baltar and Starbuck will be there with
Anders, so it should be a lot of fun, and I’m
looking forward to it.
Question: Are
you going to do anything with Burn Notice at COMIC
CON?
Tricia Helfer: I don’t know
yet actually. I will certainly be willing. I just
haven’t heard yet.
Question:
Has frack become a common
term that you use in your daily life now?
Tricia Helfer: To be completely honest,
I tend to use the real counterpart bit too much, and
have used it all my life, unfortunately, so it’s
kind of a hard habit to break. I should start using
it more instead of the other, but not as much. I think
the people that actually say it on set more, because
Number Six has never really said it that much. I tried
to get it in there once and they didn’t use
it. I think the characters that say it more, it’s
become more part of their vocabulary and certainly
the crew uses it quite a bit, but I don’t really
use it that often, no.
Question: Here’s
a question which is more related to the finale we
just saw of Battlestar. Is there hope at all for the
humans and the Cylons moving forward now that they’ve
made it to a devastated earth?
Tricia Helfer: There’s certainly,
I think, so me hope. It’s certainly the idea
of the show is that you have to keep pushing forward
and you can’t let things, even though that massive,
knock you down for too long. So they’re going
to keep pushing and keep trying. I can’t tell
you if they make it or they don’t, but I think
the humans and Cylons are going to try, at least the
one faction of the Cylons are going to try and work
together, but it hasn’t really worked very well
in the past. Unfortunately, you’re going to
have to wait until 2009 to find out. Even though we’re
on the last episode, I could be fired if I give any
more information out.
Question: You
may have answered this before when you said that you’ve
done a couple of phone calls, you’ve taped a
couple of phone calls. Does Carla go out of the picture
for a while, or is she just there, an omniscient presence
in the background, giving him orders via the phone?
Do you know, in those episodes that you’re not
in, obviously?
Tricia Helfer: Yes, I think the episodes
that I’m not in, there are a couple of phone
calls in there, and I think the idea to get across
is that Carla is always watching. They’ll be
talking about her even if she’s not actually
even a voice on the phone, because they’re trying
to find out who she is in order to find out why they
burned him, so it may be that they’re trying
to find out more information, or maybe they’ll
find a picture, or whatever it may be. They’re
trying to find that information, so she will have
a presence throughout, even if she’s not physically
on-screen.
Question: In
the first couple of scenes where we see Carla interacting
with Michael, the tasks they’re giving Michael
don’t seem like that difficult, and I guess
I’m just asking your take on this, whether you
think that they’re just testing him right now,
or just getting his feet wet, or if it’s just
because they don’t want to get their hands dirty
so they’re making Michael do the hard work.
Tricia Helfer: I think it might be
a mixture of both. I think they’re certainly
testing him and I think maybe if they give him too
big of a task, or too important of a task right in
the beginning, it may open them up to be found out
easier, because there may have to be more interaction,
or more fingers may point in their direction. So I
think it is a bit of a sousing out period, so to speak.
Question: Carla
is described as evil and sexy, or, as Bruce Campbell
likes to call you, “evexy.”
Tricia Helfer: Yes, I read that.
Question: How
would you describe her to somebody that doesn’t
know?
Tricia Helfer: Well, I don’t
necessarily see her as evil, but then you can’t
really see the character you’re playing as evil,
or you fall into the I’m playing an evil character
kind of cliché. Carla thinks what she’s
doing is right, so I don’t see her as evil.
I see her as just incredibly powerful and focused.
So I think that’s what I would want to try to
get across is that she’s somebody that you have
to take very seriously, and you wouldn’t sleep
too well if you’re on her bad side.
Question:
What’s it going to
feel like when you guys finally wrap this thing (Galactica)
and you just leave?
Tricia Helfer: It’s going to
feel odd. It’s funny, because this was my first
series, so I haven’t ever had a series ending
before, so it’s all new for me compared to some
of the cast members who have been on other series
before. I was talking to Mary McDonald about it the
other day. She says the last episodes are always,
because we’re incredibly busy right now, and
the days are incredibly long and the crew’s
exhausted. It’s funny because I’m like
wow, I thought the last episode everybody would be
laughing and chilling out. Instead, everybody was
walking zombies, because we’re so tired, and
she says yes, it’s always that way with series
endings, because the last script, you try to fit so
much in there that there’s so much to do, but
yet, you’re really still trying to fit it into
a normal script schedule shooting time. So while we’re
in it, we’re just so encapsulated with it that
I think it will be really walking off the lot the
last time.
Question: Then
it’ll sink in.
Tricia Helfer: Then it will really
sink in, or flying home to L.A. after the wrap. It’s
like oh, okay, I’m really done, and that, I
think, will hit me more, but right now, we’re
so in the throes of it that it’s like okay,
I need some sleep.
Question: With
everything that you have going on with Burn Notice
and Inseparable, we’ve heard the announcement
that there’s going to be three movies featuring
Battlestar after the series ends. Are you retained
to be a part of those yet?
Tricia Helfer: None of the actors
really know yet. We obviously know about them, but
we haven’t been in discussions or anything yet.
I think they’re waiting for them to be written
and what the story lines are going to be. We’ve
heard rumblings around set and so forth, and I imagine
most of us can be part of it, or at least one of them,
or something. But, at this point, I’m not signed
on to anything, no.
Question: With
Inseparable, is that going to be a pilot for mid-season,
or are we talking about 15 months from now in the
next TV season?
Tricia Helfer: I think it’s
geared towards mid-season. You never really know until
you’ve shot it and things are signed and slotted
in, but, at this point, the pilot would probably be
considered for mid-season.
Question: We’ve
been hearing some rumblings about "Them",
about it possibly being re-cut. There’s a pilot
being re-cut for a TV movie. Have you heard anything
about that, or can you tell us if you know anything
about that?
Tricia Helfer: I haven’t heard.
I was sitting on a plane with David Icke the other
day and he did tell me he was talking to Jonathan
Mostow the other day. That could be what they were
talking about. I might have to give David a call myself
and find out, but he didn’t share, no.
Question:
How do you think the modeling
world has changed? I know you’re still involved,
or were involved with Canada’s Next Top Model
since you started?
Tricia Helfer: I haven’t really
been involved at all for six years. I quit modeling
in 2002 when I started acting, but I did foray into
it with Canada’s Next Top Model, but, to be
completely honest, model reality shows are not like
modeling in real. They’re certainly not like
the modeling business. It’s about making a good
TV show. To be honest, that’s why I’m
not doing further seasons of it is because I’m
not a fan of reality shows. I’m glad I did the
first season and experienced it and was in the producing
end of it, but it wasn’t where I wanted to put
my focus and my time. It was taking pretty much my
whole hiatus between the Battlestar seasons. I couldn’t
do film or whatever. Instead, the next hiatus I did
the film Walk All Over Me that went to Toronto Film
Festival and the Weinstein Company bought. So that’s
where my focus was, and I realized it while I was
filming it too. This isn’t where my focus is
and I’m not really enjoying it, so I shouldn’t
be doing it. I think the modeling business, when I
was in it, it’s cyclical, just like anything,
and it goes through cycles. When I started modeling
it was the big super model era of Naomi and Christie
and Cindy and Linda and all that. Then they went to
this period where it was all nameless, faceless models
walking the runway, and then it got back to the super
models where you knew them by their first names, Giselles
and everything. I think now its back in a nameless,
faceless, multiple girls, but again, I could be wrong,
because I haven’t picked up a fashion magazine
for about six years, so I could be completely wrong.
I had a great time doing it and I traveled the world
and I met a lot of really wonderful people, so I certainly
don’t degrade modeling.
Question: Do
you miss it?
Tricia Helfer: No, I don’t.
Ten years was enough. I traveled the world and had
some great experiences, but I needed more of a challenge
and I needed more to do with my mind.
Question: You
wanted to talk.
Tricia Helfer: I wanted to talk,
exactly.
Question: Speaking
of more to do, let’s just say that you had mentioned
that you were going to be on Burn Notice this season
and next. If Inseparable takes off and the Galactica
movie come to be, are you going to have any time to
sleep at all?
Tricia Helfer: I’m going to
be a very busy camper, yes. There are so many times
in this kind of career that you go through that you’ll
have slow periods that when you do have a really busy
period, you have to try to stay focused on staying
healthy. But I just feel so lucky to have the opportunity
to have the opportunities that I have right now. Granted,
I could use a little bit more sleep, but I certainly
wouldn’t want to give up one to do it. Like
I said earlier, I’ve been pretty lucky so far
with the scheduling. Things seem to have just slotted
in perfectly, and I kind of expect that to continue
with the three shows. Hopefully, Inseparable ends
up getting picked up. I would enjoy being on three
shows at the same time, let me tell you.
Question: Definitely.
Also speaking about opportunities, for so many years,
television actors basically had three networks to
get a job with. Your two shows that you’ve done
so far have been cable shows. How do you think that
cable television series have opened up the opportunities
for actors?
Tricia Helfer: There’s a lot
of opportunity there and I certainly don’t know
as much. There’s a lot more opportunity, and
again, I’ve only been in the business for six
years, so I don’t really have a lot to compare
it to, because my first show was a cable show. I haven’t
been in the business for a long time and have seen
the changes in it, but cable has been able to go to
places where network hasn’t, and it’s
been able to be a little bit more cutting edge. So
certainly, for actors, it’s been fun and an
opportunity, and I think you see a lot more actors
today in television and on shows that would never
touch television before, movie actors. I think it’s
becoming a lot more attractive to actors across the
board.
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