Felicia Day

Don’t have full time to add the whole blog post I want to about my role on Dollhouse right now, but wanted to put up a post where everyone can comment. If you have any questions I can answer, add them in the comments and I’ll update the post with answers over the weekend! :)

SPOILERS BELOW SO BE WARNED!

Q: What technique was used for the shots to the legs?

A: Yay, love this question! I was “squibbed”, big movie-set term I’ve never experience first hand before, and which was a HUGE thrill. Honestly, I feel like I can retire now, haha. What they do is they strap special remote controlled packs to the inside of your clothing that will burst outward with blood and explosion. It was like wearing REALLY thick knee pads on my shins. Then there’s a SFX guy ready with the remote to explode on cue remotely while the cameras are rolling. At the same time the squibs are exploded, a FX guy is shooting air blanks all around to make it look like shots are surrounding me. We only did one take of that because I was paranoid about having to put on another pair of squibbed pants, and to be honest, the shots and the explosion freaked me out in real life, so I think the acting was pretty real and good, haha. Quite a thrill to be able to do something that “cool” with a character. :)

Q: Did you make any friends on the set?

A: Fortunately I have been friendly with everyone on Dollhouse before shooting this episode, so it was very comfortable, being on set. Working with Zone again was very easy, because between Epitaph One and Two (cute fact) we’ve played D&D together every weekend! He randomly knows my DM, so when I walked in one day, he was sitting at the table ready to play. Totally threw me off, seeing him out of context like that, hah! The coolest thing was actually ACTING with the main cast, something we didn’t do on Epitaph One. Eliza is always lovely, and I’ve been to conventions with Dichen, so we knew each other well, and I’ve seen the rest of the cast tons of times at get-togethers, so it really was so easy and fun to work with them.

Q: What scene did you enjoy acting out the most?

A: I enjoyed the table scene because it was a MONSTER scene with about 10 people talking, but working with wonderful actors makes saying dialogue feel like speaking in real life. Tahmoh in particular sat right across from me in the scene, and brought a gravity to everything that was a joy to bounce off of.

Q: I was wondering what you take away from the strong writing in the series?

A: For me, the series always had the most impact when the stakes were high and there was something big emotionally between the characters. I realize watching the progress of the show, that the events don’t even have to be that elaborate, but a having character arc like Topher’s, where he goes from being totally obnoxious to heart-breakingly fragile and sacrificing, that’s what is riveting. It’s about the characters and their connection together that keep ME personally interested and inspired me about this show.

Q: Which characters from the ‘main timeline’ cast of Dollhouse do you think Mag would’ve got on with the best and worst?

A: I actually think that Mag would have gotten along with Topher pretty well, like an annoying little brother. And I think she would have appreciated the depth of Priya (or maybe that’s me just gushing over Dichen as a persona, as usual haha)

Q: Was the last show originally intended to be 2 hours long, and had to be severely cut down to one?

A: The script I personally got was very close to what we shot. I think that an ideal situation WOULD have been a 2 hour special, to fit everything they needed in, but that’s not really an option in TV :) No huge sections were cut out, it was beautiful editing that made it fit within the time limit.

The short bit at the beginning involving ‘mini-Caroline’ was from the episode “Epitaph One”. It was filmed as part of the first season, but never aired.

True, the way they tried to “Recap” Epitaph One for viewers who HADN’T seen it might have been a bit confusing for people who didn’t check out the episode. You can indeed download it on iTunes or Amazon VOD to see the whole episode. Another tidbit: The whole part with me and Zone and Caroline in the car, up until we pull into the garage, was shot as part of #201. We shot that with Joss MONTHS ago, but I guess someone decided that bringing the future back wasn’t the direction they wanted to go for Season 2, and it got cut. Thankfully it got recycled thought! I had to wear some fake hair because I got a haircut between then and when we did EP Two to match :)

Q: My question for you is how do you think Mag got involved in all this is in the first place, if you had to give your two cents? She’s a student at Berkley, and suddenly she’s one of the only actuals left. Any thoughts?

A: I think Mag is a just regular girl. When we’re faced with something traumatic we go into survival mode. I think she used her wits (obviously NOT brawn) and was able to attach herself to capable people like Gryph and Zone to survive what was happening in the world. There’s nothing particularly skill-wise she has that set her apart and enabled her to survive, but I think that’s the irony of the whole situation: It’s damned luck in a crisis most of the time. And I always felt she knew that every step of the way. She felt to me like an idealist who had lost her faith in a way.

Q: Who was is who initially came up with the idea for the Mag/Kilo thing?

A: I believe that was Joss on a rewrite of the script. I personally had a backstory that I had been in love with Gryph in Epitaph One, so it was an adjustment, but not that hard a one. Maurissa is pretty hot as Kilo :D

Q: When next you find yourself in some fantastic Joss-like production, would you perhaps like to leave the “girl next door” outfit in the closet and instead put on the superhero kickass boots? You got to do that in the final episode of Buffy, and I thought you wore it well. Or how about something more villainous?

A: I don’t think anyone but Joss would ever cast me in a role that kicks ass, it’s kind of just the way it is. Someone asked me my dream job in a podcast interview, and I said I’d love to be in a BBC-like sci-fi series (Torchwood, Dr Who etc), because their sense of humor and casting seem like it fits me more than American sci-fi shows. That said, I think playing the villain would be REALLY fun. I’ve never been offered anything like that, but maybe I’ll have to write it, haha.

Q: How do you feel about Joss getting violent with the characters you portray?

A: I am very flattered. When you beat someone up, that means you think the audience cares if you get beaten up or not. I guess it means he thinks I’m a sympathetic person on film? Nothing wrong with that!

Q: And…honestly..what’s your opinion of the slang used in future Dollhouse world?

A: It was kinda hard for me to learn at first, but given the environment I thought it was REALLY imaginative. I just wish there had been more room to establish the world and make the language more organic, heard in more contexts. I think the whole concept of a “Sci-Fi Zombie” world, which IS what 2019 is in a way, is BRILLIANT and as a fan would have loved to explore it more, even if I personally hadn’t been acting in it.

Thanks so much for commenting all! <3