Iyari Limon

Okay, we get it, you miss your weekly fix of watching Buffy and Angel. DOLLY had a quick chat with Buffy’s Iyari Limon, who played the fiesty Kennedy on the show. If you want to meet Iyari yourself, she’ll be appearing at Slayercon, the Buffy and Angel convention being held on July 2 and 3 in Adelaide. For more info and details on how to buy tix, check out www.scoobygangpromotions.com.

How did you get the role of Kennedy? Well, I had auditioned for Joss [Whedon, the show’s creator] before, more than once, but never seemed to be quite right for the roles. The audition for Kennedy quickly followed and before the day was over I had been cast for a one time "guest spot" as Kennedy ... or so I thought.

What attracted you to the part? Her boldness and honesty and wry sense of humor. You’re like, "Check this girl out, she has no reservations!" The audition scene was basically her trying to figure Willow out by pushing a her buttons and that was wicked fun.

Do you still get a lot of people recognising you on the street? Yes I do! After I got out of the show it was really bad, everyone would recognise me because we were on TV every week. People would be like, ’Oh my gosh, she was on TV the other night’. Now it has kinda died down, but people still recognise me and say, "Hey how are you going".

What was the best thing about playing Kennedy? Getting to play such a young character who was as confident and brave in battle as she was in her sexuality.

Was all of the fighting difficult to learn how to do? Not at all. Fortunately I got to do most of my stunts, although I never trained nor have I ever take any form of martial arts. It left me itching for more and with my good share of bumps and bruises.

How did you feel about playing a lesbian character?

The timing for that couldn’t have been better. It was heaps of fun and I learned a lot.

You spent the most time onscreen with "Willow", Alyson Hannigan. How did you two get along? Was it awkward?

Not at all. Aly was very sweet and professional. We were both there to do our job and that we did.

Who was the funniest Buffy cast member?

Nick [Brendon - Xander Harris]. He lit up the room and made everyone laugh.

The most serious?

Probably James Marsters [Spike]. Only because he takes his work so seriously that when he’s in a zone, that’s where he’s at. Although you could go up to him at any point and he would no doubt be very warm and welcoming.

The best one to go to for advice?

Sarah [Michelle Gellar - Buffy]. She knows what’s up and is very observant; I’m sure she has seen everything that could’ve possibly happened on that set since the get go. She is very sweet and willing to make sure people feel comfortable.

How did you feel about the way Buffy ended - with Kennedy and all of the other potential slayers becoming slayers?

Awesome, I’m still waiting for the spinoff, LOL!

Did you feel you missed out because you never got to be a vamp for an episode? What kind of demon/vampire would you liked to have been for one show?

Some kind of evil seductress, like maybe some kind of snake.

So, what’s next for you?

The universe hasn’t revealed it to me.

For more celeb goss and interviews, check out the entertainment section in this month’s DOLLY magazine.