Bullz-Eye: An obligatory question to start out: how did you find your way into “Banshee”?

Ivana Milicevic: [Places palms flat on table.] Will, let me tell you.

BE: Please do.

IM: I read the script – ‘cause I was reading millions of scripts, because it was pilot season – and I was, like, “Wha…?!?”It was so good. I loved it. And I was madly in love with Greg Yaitanes because I had done an episode of “House” with him. Like, a season-finale “House” episode that was really fun to do, and he was so fun and easy to work with. And I had been touch with him because of…he was getting me on Twitter in the early days. This was, like, five years ago. But I loved “Banshee.” I had to go in a lot of times. I had to fight for it. I met Antony, we had this instant chemistry that just…

BE: That’s what he said.

IM: He said that, too?

BE: Yeah. In fact, I think he even made the same hand gesture to indicate “instant chemistry.”

IM: [Laughs.] Did he really? That’s so funny. But we do! It’s kind of true. We get along, but we’re also like black and white. So that makes exactly what you’re looking for: a polarity. It just worked. And I think that’s how come I got the job. And then I was really happy, Will, because… [Drops voice down to a whisper.] I had to play it. I had to play this part.

BE: You don’t say.

IM: I did! Because I get to be a mother, so I get to love my family. And I love my real family, so I just love to play that. And I get to be in love…with two men! [Laughs.] And I get to kick ass. And I get to be sexy. Because if not now, Will, when? When?

BE: I hear you.

IM: Because I’m European, and I like that sexy stuff.

BE: Well, Americans are rather fond of it, too.

IM: Well, sure. Who isn’t? [Laughs.]

BE: When I talked to Antony, I told him it struck me as very much a guy show, since it has sex, violence, and action, but he was just as quick to argue that it was a romance.

IM: [Laughs.] But I think it is! Let me put it this way: I watch “Sons of Anarchy,” I watch “Homeland,” I watch “Game of Thrones,” so to think that maybe a girl isn’t going to tune in to this show…I mean, I don’t know for sure, but I think they will, because we watch all these other things now! You know, girls are just tougher and stronger. And the women in “Banshee” are not portrayed as weak little ladies in distress, tied to a railroad track, are they? So certainly a girlfriend is going to enjoy watching it with her boyfriend. One thousand percent that. And, y’know, we may get a couple of ladies up in there that are…I mean, look at Ant. What lady isn’t gonna watch Ant?

BE: Well, sure.

IM: I mean, he’s some hot stuff. He’s fricking liquid dynamite up and down that screen.

BE: Antony “TNT” Starr, that’s him.

IM: It is! [Laughs.] But, seriously, isn’t he? Wait ‘til you see. Wait ‘til you keep watching him, and you see all his vulnerabilities…

BE: Well, I’ve seen the first two episodes.

IM: [Excitedly.] Did you like it?

BE: I did.

IM: Okay, well, if you keep watching, you’ll see that he’s just such an interesting hero / anti-hero. A good guy, a bad guy…whatever he is, he’s so in love, so you love him. He’s so emotional. He’s not just, like, a macho man. He’s, like, a thinking man’s action hero. Or at least that’s what I think, anyway.

BE: Speaking of the action hero thing, Antony was surprised when I said that “Banshee” often reminds me of an ‘80s action movie brought into 2012.

IM: Oh! I see exactly why you would say that!

BE: Because, y’know, there aren’t really a ton of those tropes, per se, but you can still imagine the overly dramatic voiceover saying, “He’s an ex-con turned sheriff who loves his lady…”

IM: [Laughs.] Right! Yeah, you know, I can see what you mean, because it’s so lo-fi, a la “Road House” or something. But that’s one of things that I like about our show and what I think it makes it work: it’s so lo-fi, yet it’s still very much present-day.

BE: The term “hyper-reality” came up in our discussion.

IM: Oh, I’m just saying lo-fi in terms of…it’s not, like, iPhones or whatever. There’s no tech office somewhere. [Laughs.] I mean lo-fi in that way. But hyper-reality, absolutely. Because it’s not all the way Quentin Tarantino pulp. It didn’t cross that line all the way there. But it’s somewhere in between that and straight drama, y’know? I love it. It’s my favorite thing I’ve ever done. Because…well, I think you already talked to Greg (Yaitanes), and I’m sure he used the words, “It’s got balls.” Frankly, it’s got three balls.

BE: I don’t know if he actually used those words. He may have just danced around it.

IM: [Forcefully.] “Banshee” has balls. There. If he didn’t say it, then I’ll say it. [Laughs.]

BE: Thanks. I always enjoy a good pull quote.

IM: [Laughs.] You’re welcome.

BE: Okay, so I always enjoy dragging skeletons out of people’s closet, as far as discussing things from their back catalog, but before doing so, I really have to say that you’ve had an absolutely fascinating career as far as the things you’ve popped up in.

IM: [Laughs.] “Popped up” is so the right way to put it.

BE: I mean, you were on “Seinfeld,” for instance.

IM: Yes, I was. It was my first job!

BE: And you were on “Friends” as well.

IM: [Laughs.] Yep.

BE: Those are nice feathers to have in your cap.

IM: Well, as I say, “Seinfeld” was my first job, which is a really good first job to have, because…that was, I want to say, the second-to-last season of that show, and they were a tight-running ship. But they weren’t a tight-running ship like they were phoning it in. They were still, even at that point, constantly trying to keep the jokes fresh, even kicking them up a notch on the night you were shooting. They never got lazy. They never relaxed. Their work ethic was incredible, and it was really good to be a part of that, to see that. So all the shows I worked on after that, I was, like, “Oh, well, this show isn’t like ‘Seinfeld,’ so that’s why it isn’t as tight…or as good.’” [Laughs.]

The second runner up, though, would be “Friends.” They were also super-tight. Nothing like “Seinfeld,” but that’s because “Seinfeld” was its own crazy thing. So “Friends” was different, but it was still a really close second as far as how tight they were…and, y’know, look at the success of that show, too! You could be, “Ah, it’s comedy, it’s just a sitcom,” but you have no idea how hard people work on these things…and, believe me, I saw the difference between shows where they do work hard and shows where they don’t. So that was good. And, of course, it’s just amazing to have been on those iconic shows. I still make money from them…which is beautiful, because you know Mama needs a new pair of shoes.

BE: Of course she does. I have a wife who’s a mama, so I’m aware of this phenomenon.

IM: [Laughs.] And she needs some shoes, doesn’t she?

BE: Well, I’m not out here doing interviews for my health. Speaking of my wife, though, she was a big fan of one of your earlier series, albeit one that didn’t last terribly long: “Love Monkey.”

IM: Oh, she did like that? That’s so great!

BE: I’ve interviewed Tom Cavanagh at past press tours…

IM: Isn’t he lovely?

BE: He’s a mile-a-minute talker, but, yes, he’s wonderful.

IM: I know! I couldn’t do what he did on that show. Like, he could really talk fast. I don’t even know how he remembers all that stuff. I’m more into stares and pauses. [Laughs.] You’ll see. Keep watching “Banshee.” But I loved working on “Love Monkey.” That was in New York. The only downside was that it was New York in the wintertime. And there’s no reason for wintertime. Not after Christmas. After Christmas, it’s time for summer! But that was just such a great group of people. And I’m still really close friends with Judy Greer from that show, and I love that. And I love that your wife loved that show!

BE: And I’m a music geek, so as far as the guest stars, I was, like, “Ooooooo, Aimee Mann!”

IM: Omigod, right? And did your wife watch the rest of the episodes on VH-1?

BE: She did.

IM: Great! She found us! [Laughs.] I think we were on the wrong network. If we were on ABC, I bet we’d still be on the air. You know, think about it. It’s CBS. And there was nary a dead body in sight on “Love Monkey.”

BE: I can’t help but notice that there are actually some elements of “Love Monkey” in ABC’s “Nashville,” although “Love Monkey” was more focused on the inner workings of a label.

IM: Right, exactly. How’s “Nashville” doing? ‘Cause I saw that pilot, and I thought, “I think this is going to be a hit.” Is it?

BE: It’s doing okay. I don’t know if it officially qualifies as a hit or not. But it’s a show that my wife and I both watch, for what that’s worth.

IM: Oh, that’s awesome! Did your wife see “Banshee”?

BE: She didn’t. I didn’t get them in time for her to watch it.

IM: Oh, okay. I wonder if she’s going to like it with you…

BE: She may. She likes “Game of Thrones,” and that’s got plenty of sex and violence, too.

IM: [Laughs.] Exactly. That’s what I was wondering. ‘Cause our show certainly doesn’t pussyfoot. It’s not trying to appeal to everybody. Either you’ll love it or you’ll hate it. It’s definitely a dividing-line show.

BE: So you mentioned that you were reading a bunch of pilots when “Banshee” came into play, but you’ve also appeared in several decidedly high-profile movies as well, most notably “Casino Royale.” Do you prefer the regularity of doing a TV series, or do you like to mix it up?

IM: I prefer good stuff. [Laughs.] The cool thing about a movie, obviously, is that often you go to amazing locations, and, of course, you work with great people. But you can with series as well. Nothing’s a guarantee of anything, anyway. We’re hoping we get picked up for a second season. I think we will. I do not know that, however, and I’m hoping I don’t find out on my way back to North Carolina that we’re not! But it’s kind of nice to live somewhere for six months out of the year, and I really liked it down there.

BE: North Carolina’s nice. I live in Virginia, which, being next door, is not dissimilar.

IM: Do you have fireflies there, too?

BE: We sure do.

IM: We also have them in Michigan, and I just love them. I’m so delighted by fireflies. I thought, “God was real creative that day…” [Laughs.] They’re just the best. So, yeah, I love working in Charlotte, like I love everything about the show. We care about it so much. We all worked so hard on it. And it’s one of those special sets. You know how sometimes people are, like, “Oh, yeah, it’s great work,” but then you hear stories…? We have one of those sets where everyone is so happy to be there, everybody loves working together…it’s really good.

BE: Okay, so I’ve got to ask you about working on the unaired HBO series, “12 Miles of Bad Road.” I interviewed Lily Tomlin a few months back…

IM: Oh, you did? [Hesitates.] For something else, obviously. Obviously not for “12 Miles”!

BE: Yeah, I’d love to tell you that they’re releasing it on DVD, but…

IM: I know! God, she’s so good in that.

BE: She told me.

IM: I love her. Did she say that? [Laughs.] Was she, like, “I’m fabulous in that”?

BE: Well, you know, she said it was a really good show, but she couldn’t really explain…like, she knew why it didn’t make it on the air, but…

IM: Yeah, it was, like, political stuff, when (HBO President of Entertainment) Chris Albrecht got fired and everything. I wish they would release it, though. Leak it, whatever. That’s what so interesting to me. Because six episodes were done. And it was so good. What’s funny is that I didn’t know she was a part of it, and I didn’t really know what to do with the character on that, so I kept turning it down and turning it down. But then finally I said, “Okay, I’ll take a meeting.” And then when I was in the meeting, I suddenly had this idea what to do with it…and I made the character, like, Bosnian. Like, with an accent. I don’t know why, except that…it was a one-hour dramedy, basically, and I just couldn’t find a way into the character. So then all of sudden that happened, and they were dying laughing, and they offered it to me.

I remember playing kind of hard ball with the deal, but then I got it and was, like, “Cool!” And then my manager said, “Oh, Lily Tomlin’s in that!” And I was, like, “Thank god I didn’t know that before, because I would’ve taken 25 cents!” [Laughs.] I love Lily Tomlin so much, and she’s so lovely and divine. I loved working on that show. I was kind of the character that one nobody liked, so I didn’t get to have that many scenes with her where she wasn’t being mean to me all the time on camera, but I love her. She’s awesome. And she’s great in it. God, why don’t they release that? Dammit! It’s really good. It’s, like, “Dallas” meets “The Sopranos” meets comedy.

BE: I’ve literally seen, like, 45 seconds of it. I think that’s how long the one clip of the show I could find was.

IM: Seriously, they should just leak it. The owners of it should. Linda Bloodworth Thomason and Harry Thomason. [Hesitates.] I might text them and tell them they should do that. You see all these things turn up on YouTube. Why not split it into a few pieces and put it up? It could become an internet sensation!

BE: I wanted to ask you about the fact that you’re in two Cameron Crowe movies, “Jerry Maguire” and “Vanilla Sky,” although you don’t appear for very long in either of them.

IM: [Laughs.] I am. And you’re right, I’m not!

BE: I presume one led to the other…?

IM: Well, Cameron Crowe…I mean, yeah, kind of, because he remembers actors. He is the greatest person in the world to audition for. There’s not an actor that leaves the room that doesn’t feel like they just did the greatest job. And it’s funny, because a friend of mine dates him now and has for some time, and we’ve talked about it and she’s told me about it, but…he’s always felt that actors give so much that you can’t just be, like, “Okay, thanks.” It’s amazing how giving he is. And I’ve read for him more times than I’ve worked for him, but I love working for him.

BE: I met him a few TCA tours ago…

IM: Isn’t he lovely?

BE: He is. I was totally geeking out, saying, like, “You were totally my inspiration when I first started writing, and I just wanted to shake your hand.” And he said, “Thanks, man, I really appreciate it!” Totally made me feel like he hadn’t heard that a thousand times, even though I’m sure he has.

IM: This is exactly what he’s like. And he does mean it. He’s just a great human being. And the nicest guy in the world.

BE: Clearly. Because, y’know, I’m just the press. Lord knows he didn’t have to be nice to me.

IM: Right. [Laughs.] But, you know, I tend to forget that, too. I mean, I like people. And I’m enjoying this. But, of course, it’s easy, because I’m not trying to make up something about something I’m not proud of. I love this, and I’ll talk about it all day long. And everyone’s been nice, and so far everyone seems to at least not hate it. So it’s easy that we can just hang out and be people, y’know?

BE: Keepin’ it casual.

IM: Keepin’ it real caszh. [Laughs.]

BE: Do you have any favorite project you’ve worked on over the years…

IM: “Banshee”!

BE: …that didn’t get the love you thought it deserved and has actually had a chance to get love? Come on, at least let me finish the question.

IM: [Laughs.] Well, “Love Monkey” would certainly qualify. I also think that “Mind of the Married Man” qualifies. I feel like a lot of people really loved that show, but for whatever reason, critics did not like it. And the crazy thing is, when that show was on the air, there were two distinct groups of people that would always come up to me saying they loved it: African-American males, and then just boys in their early twenties in general. It’s almost like…it was marketed like a family drama, but that’s not who wanted it. Single guys were the ones who watched it. Which is interesting. So that one did not get love. And there’s also this movie I did called “Head Over Heels.” It was around the year 2000, and it was with Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Monica Potter. It’s just one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. It’s also one of the first movies I did, or one of the first that I had a lead part in. But it was another one of those amazing experiences where we had a wonderful summer in Vancouver, a bunch of girls who loved each other, and we couldn’t believe we were getting paid to do this. But I often can’t believe I get paid to do this. But it was just such a fun thing to do. I loved it.

BE: I’m not sure that anyone else can say that they were in both “Casino Royale” and “Witless Protection”…

IM: No, they can’t!

BE: I expect, however, that you’re going to be just like everyone else and tell me how incredibly nice Larry the Cable Guy is.

IM: Because he is. [Laughs.] He is! You know, his comedy’s not necessarily what I would go searching for on YouTube, per se, but he is awesome. I love him. It’s amazing, though, that…y’know, I have a lot of comedian friends, and they just can’t stand that he’s done so well, but, hey, I’m glad that somebody nice is doing well. If people love him, then let him be!

BE: Lastly, what are your recollections of working on your first film, “Children of the Corn III”?

IM: [Laughs.] I was…an acolyte, I think is what I’m credited as. That was part of some reshoots. A bunch of model friends and I – ‘cause I was, like, 18 when I did that – were friends with this director, Tony Hickox, and he was doing the extra scenes for his brother, James Hickox. And he called us, and he said, “We need more babes dying!” So a bunch of us came over, and…Charlize Theron is in that movie, too! She gets killed by some wild corn. I get killed by, I think, a scythe. But you know what? This is fun. What I do is fun. I take my job very seriously, and I take things seriously when I need to be serious. But when it’s done, I’m back to my goober self. So there you go. But I think maybe that doesn’t do well for my character. Maybe people won’t take me seriously if they find out I’m really a dork. Maybe they need me to be all, like… [Very clipped and precise.] “Yes, I’m very serious. And I’m also very rational.”

BE: And yet the sheer variety of work you’ve done over the years kind of speaks to there being something a little bit off about you. Although I mean that in the best possible way.

IM: [Laughs.] I wouldn’t take it any other way. So I’m a little different. What’s wrong with being a little bit different?

Bullz-Eye: There are times when I watching “Banshee” where I found myself thinking, “This really couldn’t be much more of a ‘guy’ show.”

Antony Starr: Oh, really? Why?

BE: Well, you know, it’s action-packed, there’s sex, there’s violence…you can’t go wrong with those things in the “guy” demo.

AS: Yeah. I mean, look, it’s definitely and obviously going to appeal to a sort of masculine demographic. But interestingly, though, I’ve talked to a lot of women who’ve seen it, and the fact that the show is basically a love story…you know, it’s anchored on a love story. It’s the only reason this guy would get straight out of prison and make a bee-line for his lover. And a lot of women I’ve talked to have really responded to that and are prepared to go through the violence and some of the more masculine elements because of that. So I think it’s…well, we’ll wait and see, but I think it’s got a good appeal to women as well.

BE: The obligatory question: how did you find your way into this part? Did they approach you directly, or was it a straight audition situation?

AS: I was in Sydney, and I put a tape down and emailed the tape I’d made in my lounge. They responded to it, flew me over, I had a screen test, and that was all she wrote. It was actually a very simple process. The auditioning and recalling can be a bit of a nightmare, but these guys were very specific about what they wanted, and once they knew what they wanted, it was a very streamlined process.

BE: You’ve obviously done series television before, but had you been actively looking for another one, or was this just a case where it was a good part that you really wanted to go after?

AS: Very much the latter. [Laughs.] This script popped up, and, one, it was great, it was really interesting, it was a unique idea that was going on and was uniquely written. How it’s translated is slightly different from what was on the page, so it’s been a really interesting process in that respect, but the people involved with it are phenomenal. There’s staggering talent involved. So to be anywhere near involved was someone like Ivana…well, I mean, there was no choice. Of course you go for that.

BE: In regards to the translation from the page to the stage, as it were, you’ve got a series that’s created by two novelists (Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler). Did you get the impression that there was a learning curve for them in working in television? Because my understanding is that they hadn’t really worked in the medium before this.

AS: No, they hadn’t worked in TV before, and I think that collaborative process was one that…well, you’d have to ask them how they felt around that, but with regards to the scripts, the scripts were pretty solid. They attuned themselves very quickly into that. And, of course, we had Alan Ball sitting atop their shoulders overseeing, and Greg Yaitanes knows his way around a script as well. So there was a great supportive network around those guys to really help them keep focused on creating good ideas and keep inventing, keep creating without getting bogged down in “this is right, this is wrong.” And all the directors that came over…geez, they were amazing. So they were in very good hands, even though it was their first time at making a TV show. The support was all there.

BE: As far as the character of Luke goes, it sounds like there was plenty there to work with from the get-go, but have you been able to bring anything to the character that wasn’t there when you arrived?

AS: Yeah, well, I mean, they give you a sense of back story, they give you the big brush strokes, then it’s up to me to sort of fill it up with who I am, what I am, and what I can research on the internet and in books. Also, I like to get as involved as possible when it comes to the script and the creation of the character, and I think that any actor would say the same thing. Well, I would’ve thought so, anyway. [Laughs.] But I certainly like to have a really hands-on approach to what I’m doing. I definitely have creative ideas that I’ll put forward, even if it’s just to identify something that I’ve thought of, or something they’d thought of that I don’t understand. Whatever it is, the relationship’s got to be two-way. I’m not into just being instructed on what to do. The exchange is part of the fun.

BE: Had you ever met Ivana Milicevic prior to this?

AS: Nope!

BE: You guys must’ve found your chemistry pretty quickly, then.

AS: Oh, yeah, she’s…well, I’m pretty intense, especially when it comes to work. She is as well. So, y’know, naturally nothing is not gonna happen. [Laughs.] Do you know what I mean? Something is gonna happen when you’ve got two people who are really invested in what they’re doing and they really care about the result and they care about the process, both their own and each other’s, what’s happening with the other person and how you can both make it as good as it can be. You can’t get nothing out of that. Something’s always gonna happen. And luckily, right off the bat, the cast and crew that have been assembled to make this project have just been so passionate about it and 100% committed. When you get that sort of commitment, you can’t avoid a certain level of chemistry. And she’s a great girl as well. So it’s easy.

BE: The show often feels like an ’80s action movie transported into present day. There are…I don’t want to call them “tropes,” because they’re not delivered in a cliched way, but there are certainly a lot of aspects to the series that you can imagine in a Schwarzenegger or Stallone or even a Chuck Norris film.

AS: Like what?

BE: Well, you know, ex-con tries to make good, that kind of thing.

AS: Yeah, okay. You’re actually the first person who’s said that. [Laughs.] But that’s interesting. It’s an interesting world that the show inhabits. I never look at it as an action show. I always look at it as a love story that has action on top of that. I guess that classic sort of starcrossed-lovers thing comes up for me as much as any sort of action film from the ’80s, per se. But there’s definitely elements in there. The show’s got a heightened reality as well, so we can get away with a lot more and have those ideas in there, those extremities, and we can do it in such a way that it’s not threatening to the audience. We can have really violent scenes where you don’t vomit or wince as an audience…well, hopefully not, anyway. [Laughs.]

BE: And I think that heightened reality might be why I liken it to an ’80s film. I don’t feel as intimidated when I watch those films, because I’m kind of caught up in the fun of it all.

AS: Yeah. And that’s exactly right. It’s not like you’re watching something that’s more documentary-like in style, where when someone gets hit or someone gets hurt you wince or shudder and really feel like you’re experiencing it. There are episodes that come up where the bad guy will get his comeuppance. So it becomes fun. You invest, but in a different kind of way, as an audience. And I think that’s a great way to take people into a world like this, where it’s pretty grim. There’s drug dealers, there’s all sorts of things that come up, like bad guys shooting each other and terrible things happening, but in a fun way. And there’s a sense of humor going through it as well. Jonathan and David, they’re both very funny guys, and they both have a sense of humor that shows up through the series.

BE: To talk about some of your past work, do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on over the years that didn’t get the love you thought it deserved?

AS: Um…there was a film that I did that didn’t get much…it got screened in New Zealand, but it was called “After the Waterfall,” about a park ranger who loses his daughter and goes through this pretty traumatic experience, which I think was probably more fun to do than it was to watch. [Laughs.] It was a pretty hard watch. And it was pretty chronically under-funded as well, which was really frustrating. We shot it in what seemed like a blink. So it had problems in the edit, and, yeah, there’s a lot wrong with it, but at its core it had a heart that was…I mean, I really responded to it. You know, you get attached to things. I get emotionally attached to things I’m in, that I had an intense experience in or whatever, so naturally those things that you love and you put so much into, you want them to do well. And when the baby’s delivered, you want someone to hold it…and in that case, with the distributors, we were pretty let down. Which was pretty frustrating. There was no one there to take care of our baby when it was born. [Laughs.] Which was tough to swallow.

But with that said, I got representation over here because of it, so to a certain extent I got something out of it. But it was still pretty frustrating to see that happen. But it’s inevitable, I suppose. It also came out right when the financial crunch really hit, in 2008 or maybe 2009, and people just didn’t want to go to the cinema and be reminded of how tough life is. They wanted escapism. They wanted to go and eat popcorn and see explosions. You can look at a lot of films coming out today, and the climate is not…there are a lot of films being made today that seem to me to be pure escapism. Which, y’know, there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, but it’s great when other things pop up as well.

BE: Okay, a geeky sidebar question.

AS: Cool!

BE: As someone from New Zealand, have you got any particular favorite New Zealand bands?

AS: [Instantly.] The Datsuns. They’re great. I love the Datsuns. And I’m obliged to say Crowded House. And Split Enz.

BE: Do you like the Chills at all?

AS: The Chills…? I…I don’t actually know them. Is that terrible?

BE: Maybe.

AS: [Laughs.] If it helps, there’s another young band I like that’s quite good. The Tuts.

BE: Are you familiar with Flying Nun Records?

AS: Yeah, yeah. Flying Nun, they do a lot of the slightly more non-commercial bands that come up, yeah? With really interesting voices. New Zealand, there’s been a big push since the late ’90s, probably, on the music side of things. The arts in general, but particularly music. And we’ve a had lot of really good exports.

BE: Can you even speak to how much Peter Jackson has helped out the film industry in New Zealand?

AS: Oh, well, obviously, you can’t escape “The Hobbit” as the moment. It’s pretty crazy! And he’s obviously a super-talent, and he’s done great things for the industry down there.

BE: Just a few more as we start wrapping up. What are your recollections of working on “Without A Paddle”?

AS: Um…it was fun. We shot it in Wellington, which is a nice town to be in. God, that was awhile ago. Yeah, I had a very small part on it. But it was fun. I came along, and…it was great.

BE: Did you get to interact with Anthony Hopkins very much on “The World’s Fastest Indian”?

AS: A little bit, yeah. I mean, he’s a pretty amazing human being, a pretty interesting guy. Everyone wants a piece of him, so I had to sort of take a back seat on that, because I wanted to give him his space a bit more because he was mobbed constantly. But he seemed lovely.

BE: You started out in soaps. Do you ever pat yourself on the back for having made it out of that niche? Because many people get trapped there.

AS: Yeah, well, I did one soap (“Shortland Street”) for seven weeks, so…

BE: Sometimes that’s enough.

AS: Sometimes that is enough. [Laughs.] But, look, in retrospect, I’d done nothing substantial prior to that, and it’s a good way to find your feet. That particular show in New Zealand is a great platform for people to sort of get in and cut their teeth a little bit, get on the set and learn. There’s nothing like diving in. And it’s a brutal environment. My hat’s off to anyone that can survive in that. I can’t function that quickly. I take much more time, and those guys…it’s mechanical what’s going on in those shows, and anyone who can keep up and do well in that environment, hey, I’m in awe.

BE: Okay, last one: is there any intrinsic difference between working on a series in the U.S. versus working on one in Australia or New Zealand?

AS: Look, the main difference is probably scale. Obviously, it’s bigger here. I’ve worked in both Australia and New Zealand, and it’s very similar in both countries. It’s really… [Sighs.] It’s just very small. And naturally, what comes with that is that you don’t have a lot of money to throw around on production and different things that get financial attention over here. So that would be the main thing. That said, you know, it’s basically still the same thing. It’s still ultimately taking someone else’s words, filling them with you, and trying to tell the truth to someone else. So basically all the raw elements are the same, I think. I think it’s easier to get caught up in that whole “the size of it is so much bigger” thing because it’s all bright and shiny over here. [Laughs.] But I feel very lucky to have come from a place like Australia and New Zealand, because New Zealand knows how to keep people real…and you can take that however you want!

I was in a show in New Zealand that went pretty well: “Outrageous Fortune.” It just went crazy in New Zealand, which was great. It was great to be a part of something that…well, in a lot of ways, it really broke ground, in terms of the fact that there’d never been a show that’d gone past three series. And New Zealand has a bit of a cultural cringe which I think “Outrageous Fortune” helped people get over and sort of get behind New Zealand content, because we are very hard on ourselves and domestic product down there. So being part of that was fantastic. And also you learn that you might’ve done six seasons of work on a TV show, but no one knows who you are in the rest of the world. [Laughs.] Only in New Zealand.

So, y’know, there’s not a lot of frills in New Zealand, but that also makes it a nice place to go back to and call home and sort of get away from the busyness and craziness that it is over here. It’s a different system. It’s an operation over here. Which is great, but…I feel very lucky to be able to dip into them both.

Bullz-Eye: To begin at the beginning, how did you find your way into “Hunted”? Was it an audition situation, or did they come looking for you specifically?

Melissa George: They were very strict about making people read. Some jobs, not so much, they know who they want. But “Hunted” is (being produced by) HBO and BBC together, and they were both having to choose and decide, so we had the English with the Americans, so that’s why the audition process was so long.

I was walking on the West Side Highway in New York, and my phone rang. It was my agent saying, “I’ve just read the most dynamic role for a woman, it’s as complex as what you played on ‘In Treatment,’ with a bit of action, which you’ve done before. It’s shooting in Europe, it’s really good, it’s written by Frank Spotnitz, it’s an English and American production…you’ve got to get it.” That’s kind of what he said. And I hate when they say that, ‘cause that means no sleep for me. Because, y’know, of course if it’s that great I want to play it. And I was then shooting a movie with Julia Stiles in Los Angeles (“Between Us”) and I was busy with that, and I had a video camera set up in the hotel room, and I put together a scene. They asked me to do three scenes, but I just did one. It was the one where she confronts her ex in the apartment. Very emotional. And I remember I was just so choked up…and I was recording myself, not speaking to anybody, because I didn’t have an actor reading with me. And I was, like, “Oh, my God, I really love this part…” And I cut, printed, and sent it. I couldn’t do any more scenes because I was really upset. I felt really strongly about this woman. And I waited. I didn’t care, because I was shooting a movie.

Then I got a call saying, “They want you to meet with Frank and read a scene.” I was, like, “Oh, my God…” There were so many freaking people in this room. [Laughs.] So many people! I thought it was just going to be me. Every actor thinks that when you’re asked to read, it’s just gonna be you. But it was a lot of people, and I was on my own. But I met Frank, and he said to me later on, once I’d gotten the role, that he knew from when I put myself on tape, and when I went in to read, he said, “I just feel really connected to her.” But that was it. I didn’t hear for awhile after that, so I was, like, “Ugh, this is gonna be one of those jobs…” And then S.J. (Clarkson), who’s directing, got onboard, and…the director has a big say, so Frank’s got his choice made, BBC and HBO made theirs, but now I have to wait for S.J. to make hers. So I had to meet her. They fly me from New York to L.A. to have lunch, and all we do is talk about film, and then…I was the only girl, but I had to read with lots of guys. And none of the guys I read with got it. [Laughs.] But I was the only girl they were using, and yet still hadn’t told me that I’d got it! And I was, like, “What’s going on here?”

But I was so convinced that I was onboard that I went around convincing everyone else around me that I was. I was, like, “Oh, yeah, I’m gonna be playing this role in a few months…” But I hadn’t heard anything, and I was going, “This is ridiculous! They’re going all over the world looking for this actress, every single country, and I’m, like, “Well, does she have to be from a particular place?” “No, they don’t care where she’s from, because she has to play so many nationalities, so many different languages and accents.” So I waited while they went around the globe, reading hundreds of girls, and they were losing me, because I was going, “Well, if they wait too long…” And then finally everyone was, like, “C’mon, S.J.!” So that’s the story. And it was so funny on set, because while we were filming in Morocco, S.J. would come up to me and speak French, then she’d say, “Oh, sorry, wrong actress.” Like she’d found a girl in France that she really liked. I was, like, “Shut up, I know you didn’t find anybody!” [Laughs.] It was one of those things where the joke went on forever. Like, the whole season of the show. “Sorry, what’s your name?” So I don’t quite know what happened that made it take so long to decide, but I know that when I seize on something, man, I’d better get the job. Because I was honestly delusional. I was, like, “Yes, I’m shooting London in a few months,” and everyone was, like, “But have they said ‘yes’?” “No. But I’m going to be shooting!”

BE: You obviously latched on to the part pretty quickly, but—if it’s not a spoiler—do you recall the particular moment in the script where you first realized, “Oh, I’ve got to do this”?

MG: You know, it was just… I had a very good childhood, so it’s not like I related to this woman losing her mother and being tortured as a child and traumatized to the point where she has to be a spy in order to get revenge on the world. None of that. But when a woman suffers, whether it’s the role I’m playing or not, I just feel like I want to hold them and hug them and be there for them and help them. And as an actress, I also want to show the audience that they’re somebody more than just what you might read. So I think it was just a combination of me feeling for her and then trying to sensitize that. And then all the action…that’s lovely to read when you’re sitting in Central Park and having a coffee. It’s, like, “Oh, this is like a great book!” But the reality of actually shooting the show…? That’s a whole different thing. [Laughs.]

BE: You mentioning Central Park actually ties into what I was just about to observe, which is that you must’ve really wanted the part, given that it necessitated a major move for you.

MG: Well, you know, it’s so strange, because you start fantasizing about this life as this spy and living in London and Morocco, but it’s like I was saying: when you’re sitting in a park, it’s, like, “Oh, that would be so fun,” but then suddenly it’s, “Oh, my God, it really came true!” And once it comes true, you don’t regret it, you’ve got to run with it. But, yes, it’s hard. I mean, I moved to London, and I had the best time and…I miss New York, but I’ve learned that, as an actor, I can’t live my life missing things, because you’re always going to be moving around doing things, the more you fight it, the more depressed you get. You’ve got to approach it, like, “This is great, living in a house I’ve never lived in before!” [Laughs.]