TV Choice Interview

Sci-fi series Fringe is back on the box and Anna Torv, who plays FBI Agent Olivia Dunham, took time out from filming the successful second series to chat about the show.

Fringe’s storylines are often very far-fetched. Is it a treat for you when you read a script for the first time?
Finding out what they’re going to do next? Yes! You read through it and you can see where they’re placing things. They always go so far beyond what I think they’re going to do. I’ve been reading scripts and thought, ‘Oh my gosh — how are they going to do that?’ And then you walk onto the set and the prosthetic guys have made such fantastic models. Most of it looks so real that it’s creepy. I’m always relieved because my character doesn’t really have to touch anything.

This week’s episode of Fringe, Jacksonville, sounds like a pivotal week. What else can you tell us about it?
When the team returns to Jacksonville, there is something that happens between Walter [John Noble] and Olivia. Things get shoved under the carpet, but she goes back there and says, ‘Walter, you did this!’ and it’s a great episode. But when you get to the end, there’s a real cliffhanger! For me, this is the episode that shows where we’re going to at the end of the series and what’s happening next.

Is it true that there’s set to be a showdown between Walter and William Bell (Leonard Nimoy)?
I’m not sure because we haven’t finished filming. I’m so excited about the end too because the show has things pointing in all these different directions. It really could go in any way. But it would be fun for a showdown.

Will Olivia get any romance this series? There’s a lot of electricity between her and Peter (Joshua Jackson)…
Yes I know and I’ve suggested it. But he dated Olivia’s sister. Maybe the writers don’t agree?

Olivia is seen running around with a gun quite a lot. Does that mean you get to do lots of stunts?
There’s a really cool fight scene coming up in a few episodes which was extremely fun to do, but I can’t reveal who it was with! The stuntwoman who doubles for me is great though. The first day I met her was the episode where Olivia comes flying through the car windshield from the parallel universe. They’d rigged this rocket ship up in the back of the car and Nell got in with no helmet on. They shot her out and she went flying through the windscreen onto the ground and then rolled over and stopped. Then she got up and I laid down.

You also met your husband, Mark Valley, on the show. He played Agent John Scott…
You’re right. Yes, I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again though. He’s starring in a new series called Human Target, which is airing at the moment. So he’s doing his thing and I’m doing mine. This is my first taste of an American job and we’ve now filmed in three cities. It’s like a world tour of Fringe.

You were born in Australia, as was your co-star John Noble. Aussies and Brits seem to be very popular in the States at the moment…
It goes in cycles, doesn’t it? I love watching the Aussies and Brits pop up in little things. John was also in The Lord Of The Rings. He has the best character to play in Fringe with the best lines. It’s an actor’s dream to play crazy but brilliant at the same time. There are endless possibilities and he relishes every moment, which is a joy to watch.

We adore Walter in our office. Every home should have one!
Everyone should have one? Can you have one that you can turn off sometimes?

You also appeared in Mistresses? Any plans to return to work in London?
I love London and I hope I get back to work there again at some point. It’s a city that really gets under your skin. You just fall in love with the place. It’s the last place I really lived before starting on Fringe.

You’re currently filming Fringe in Vancouver. Did you get a chance to go to any of the Winter Olympics events?
I got to watch the ice hockey men’s final between America and Canada. I wore neutral colours. Canada won, which was a relief. All you could hear were people’s screams and cars beeping their horns. It was really exciting.

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