Summer Glau

In person, Summer Glau looks petite and delicate. Indeed, she looks petite and delicate onscreen – until her cyborg character begins kicking major butt in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Garret Dillahunt, who plays the cyborg known as Cromartie, tasked with terminating John Connor, is a bit taller and broader, but still doesn’t appear capable of the havoc wreaked by his character. Both actors are happy to talk about Terminator’s second season, which has just begun airing on Fox. Words: Abbie Bernstein

Would you have felt bad if the end of season one had been the end of the show, with Cameron apparently blowing up?

Summer Glau: I would have been devastated. I love this show and I desperately want to see what’s next.

When did you know you were coming back?

Summer Glau: They always drag it out. We didn’t know until about a month before we went back into production. It was horrible - no one wanted to hire me because they were convinced the show would come back. I read for a lot of roles. Then they’d say, “You’re great – come back when your show gets cancelled.” So then I waited for months to have a job and I was obviously hoping we’d come back, because we’re not done with it.

Were either of you worried that your character might shapeshift into another actor, as Terminators sometimes do?

Garret Dillahunt: [laughs] I guess I’m not really worried – I’m prepared. Obviously, no one is safe. We’re doing a lot of fun stuff this year that flashes back to the actor’s face he stole, stuff like that, which is going to be a lot of fun and I think we’re going to try to cross-pollinate with webisodes.

Summer, on Firefly your character River’s relationships with people around her changed through the course of the series. It seems it’s a little more difficult for the cyborg Cameron to have relationships that change. Or do you think there are changes that are just more subtle?

Summer Glau: I can tell you, relationships do change in the second season. I can’t say how, but everything is changing. She’s growing quite a bit, it’s very surprising. There have been hints of what’s going to happen to her - nothing is going to be the same. I think it was a triangle the first season. It’s a power struggle between Sarah [Lena Headey] and I in trying to influence John. I think that it’s always a triangle, and now that Riley [Leven Rambin as John’s potential love interest] has come on the scene, Cameron is definitely [displeased].

Is it difficult or fun playing somebody who doesn’t experience human emotions?

Garret Dillahunt: It is fun, and it’s a little challenging. I was saying to someone else, I kind of like these guys. I wish I could steal some of the qualities of these Terminators, because if you take away the murderous intent, they’re committed, they’re focused, they don’t hesitate, they don’t apologise – they have a lot of qualities that I would like to have in my own life.

Are Terminators like consummate actors?

Garret Dillahunt: I don’t know, because I think people think there’s something weird about them. But what’s good about them is they don’t care what you think.

Do you enjoy doing all the physical action Terminator requires?

Summer Glau: It’s a lot of fun, I will say that. What makes me confident is being on a TV series that really puts women in the driver’s seat.

Are you getting offered more varied parts now than you used to?

Summer Glau: It’s getting better and better every year. I work very hard. This industry tends to always want to put you in a category, and it’s very hard – everybody’s in a category and as an actor, I really want to do something different.

Have you been approached to be in the new Terminator movie?

Summer Glau: I wish they’d put me in the background. I just want to be in it, be there.

Were you a fan of the Terminator franchise before you became involved in the show?

Summer Glau: I’d never seen [the films] before I was cast, but I respected them more than I could ever have imagined. After I saw them, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s why people love them.’ They’re really special.

Have you spoken to any women’s groups about playing strong female characters - either Cameron or River or both?

Summer Glau: No, but I’d love to. I don’t think there are enough roles like that. It’s fantastic to be part of something that makes you feel really empowered.

Where would you like to see the storyline go?

Summer Glau: I could never imagine better storylines than what we see. I can tell you, the storyline that I’m working on right now, episode four, is my favourite episode. It’s my biggest episode and in my wildest dreams, I could not have put myself in this scenario…

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is currently airing on Fox.