Dollhouse

Dichen Lachman on Dollhouse

Dollhouse focuses on Echo, so most of the engagements require Eliza Dushku to spring into action. Dichen Lachman sometimes takes a back seat, showing how actives like Sierra work for the dollhouse. Lachman said big things are still coming for her character.

“She’s also becoming more aware,” Lachman said. “I mean, Eliza’s character is leagues ahead of the rest, but she’s starting to retain things, absolutely. I think essentially, we can’t really play what we know of the future which makes sense, but I think just to remember and just keep that core default character, like for Sierra I think she has a deep, genuine poetic sadness. Like she’s sad but in a beautiful way and no matter who she plays, I try and incorporate that in some way, shape or form.”

The second season’s focus on the continuing story means that supporting characters have room to develop week to week. “I think you should be very excited. I think you’ll notice it’ll be more focused on the dollhouse and less on the specifics of the engagement but more on the inner workings, the intricacies of how it’s structured politically, the hierarchy and how far it really stretches out. It’s going to be more epic, it’s going to go wider, broader and you’ll get to learn more about the characters. You’ll see more of Victor and Sierra’s relationship, not flourish. That’s a really big term to use for what they have but you’ll just see them get closer and you’ll get to see them become more aware, like Echo. You’ll get to see Tahmoh in the dollhouse, trying to work in an environment which he initially had very contrary feelings to. It’s exciting, it’s different. I’ve been very excited about every episode.”

The very first episode of season two shows Sierra returning from an engagement as a racist Brit. “I thought that was really cool. I love it, I love it. I also kept crossing out the lines because she says, ‘Tie me down and spank me’ but for some reason, I kept saying, ‘Bend me over and spank me.’ Joss had to come over and say, ‘It’s not bend me over. It’s tie me down. I don’t know why you’re saying bend me over.’ I think he just likes to stick to the script he wrote and I messed it up.”

What else is coming up for Sierra, you just wait and see. “She gets to do some cool stuff. I think you get to learn a little bit more about her and where she’s from. Not a lot.”

Dollhouse airs Fridays on Fox.