Exclusive Q&A with Anna Torv from Fox’s ’Fringe’
Anna Torv has a lot to be excited about. She went from being an Australian actress unknown in the US to the star of the new show from J.J. Abrams. Now that the season premiere is under her belt, Torv sat down to give us the skinny on her adventures so far on the set of Fringe.
The Channel: It seems like one minute you were in Australia and the next you were in New York shooting Fringe and now you’re on billboards all over the place – how did that happen?
Anna: It happened so quickly. I tested in Australia and thanks to technology today people in LA were able to see the test within hours of me doing it. It opens the world up for Australian actors, English actors and even Americans too. I auditioned and then had lots of talks on the telephone. I went to LA and met with J.J. and the other Bad Robot guys. Then I flew the next morning to Toronto and we started filming within a couple of days. It was pretty fast and furious but really exciting too.
The Channel: Can you tell us a little bit about the blurry line between science and fiction in the show? Because some of the technology in the show is nothing we’ve seen, but it could almost be in a parallel universe or just a little bit further in the future.
Anna: The show starts out with a happening or event that seems kind of paranormal but by the end you realize that it is scientifically possible or plausible. And I think that that’s the leap of faith. That’s the title of the show too, that it’s on the fringe. It’s stuff that’s not quite in our realm but it’s not too far removed, like monsters coming out of the sky. And I like that because science and technology does move at such a fast rate that it really is a matter of it catching up to our imaginations.
The Channel: J.J. Abrams is known for creating genre-bending series with super intricate plots involving lots of complex characters – will Fringe deliver even more of that than his previous shows?
Anna: I know that J.J.’s been really adamant about the fact that Fringe is episodic, and you’re not going to lose your way if you’re just tuning in. So each week there will be a self-contained story, but there is the over-arching mythology that sets J.J.’s shows apart. There’s a hook and you want to know who’s intertwined, so it will work on both levels.
The Channel: What’s the craziest thing you’ve had to do on the show so far? Anna: Honestly it doesn’t sound that crazy but standing outside in minus forty-five degrees – snow storms – with no hat on and nothing to protect my face. I thought I was insane. And the scene got cut anyway.
The Channel: J.J.’s also known for creating strong and of course sexy female lead roles. Does it excite you as an actress to follow Jennifer Garner and Evangeline Lily’s footsteps?
Anna: I was so excited when I went into the audition because J.J. is known for writing really great female parts. That’s exciting because you’re given a role where you’re playing a complex woman who can have responsibilities and is not just a ditzy love interest. Totally multi-dimensional and interesting. I’m finding Olivia really fun to play.
The Channel: What’s your favorite thing about Olivia’s character so far?
Anna: I’m still kind of getting to the bottom of her. The great thing about doing television is that each week you find out a little more so you put a little picture together and then you get a new piece of information or a little bit of back story and that changes your impression. Television is really fluid. I love her determination. I love her focus..
The Channel: What’s your favorite thing to do with what little down time you have in New York?
Anna: I feel like I haven’t done anything I want to do. I can’t wait to have a big picnic with a bunch of friends in Central Park. I want to go to the Met, which I haven’t done. I want to hire a bike and ride along the water. Apparently you can do this trapeze course at this big gym I really want to do. But we work really late Friday night generally and finish up at about seven o’clock-eight o’clock Saturday morning. I kind of sleep and then I get up and sort of stagger about. I might sit down and read the paper and have a coffee. Unwind.
The Channel: What do you think is the greatest strength Fringe has as a show to grow an even wider audience?
Anna: I think that the fact that it really isn’t genre-specific. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. There’s sci-fi elements to it, there’s little bits of horror, there’s humor and some really funny bits. There’s really dramatic, tense moments, there’s crime-solving and action. I do think that it has bits of everything and yet it never feels like a mish-mash. It feels complete within itself. That’s one of the big draws for me going into work every day is that I slide between all these worlds. That’s the part I’m most proud of.