By Jamie Ruby

Allison Scagliotti, who was previously probably best known for her work on the television series, Drake & Josh, plays the character of Claudia Donovan in Syfy's most successful series, Warehouse 13. The series, which was recently renewed for a fourth season, follows government agents who work at a top-secret storage facility, tracking down strange artifacts so they can be brought back safely to the warehouse.

Episode six of the season, "Don't Hate the Player," which aired on Monday, was another crossover episode from the Syfy series Eureka. Character Douglas Fargo, played by Neil Grayston, appears on Warehouse 13 for the second time, as his friend calls Claudia for help after Fargo is stuck in a coma while testing a Warehouse 13-inspired massive multi-player on-line video game.

Warehouse team members, consisting of Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly), and Claudia, must join the game in hopes of bringing Fargo back.

In the episode, Scagliotti gets to play both an elf warrior (complete with magic purple goo) and the princess they are sent to rescue in the game.

Scagliotti also gets to show off her musical talent by singing and playing the guitar during the episode.

Scagliotti sat down with the digital media to talk about the episode and what's next for .

Syfy Conference Call
Warehouse 13
Allison Scagliotti

August 11, 2011

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I'd like to start by saying good morning. Raise your hand if you haven't had your coffee.

...

QUESTION: What's it been like to work with work with Neil again on Warehouse 13, and what can you tell us about the episode? I hear it's set in a video game?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: So it's always a pleasure to work with Neil. I've said in the past, Neil is one of my best friends, and so having the opportunity to work with him on set is just a joy. It's like summer camp but we're getting paid to run around in crazy costumes.

He's an incredibly professional, hilarious comedic as well as dramatic actor and is never afraid to have fun. I think I speak for the entire cast and crew of Warehouse when I say that being able to bring Neil Grayson onto the show is nothing but fun.

And, in terms of this episode, this is probably our biggest concept episode that we've ever done. There was a lot of green screen, a lot of special effects. It's airing sixth in our season but we shot it third in terms of shooting order because there were so many elements to capture and it took a lot of prep and we were directed by the incredibly gifted Chris Fisher, who's also our supervising producer. And I can honestly say it's my favorite episode this season so far anyway.

QUESTION: I've noticed that Claudia is getting out a lot more in the field, and you do enough work with the new character, Steve Jinks, Aaron Ashmore. Do you think Claudia is going to be going out in the field a lot more than that "second string team" on the show?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, I think so. You'll see in plenty of episodes that the episode between Claudia and Steve becomes very pivotal emotionally as well as professionally, you know, in terms of the Warehouse teams.

Claudia's at this point in her life where she wants to prove herself as an adult and she's sort of like all 20 year olds, figuring out who she is and what she wants to be. And that's been really, really great for me to be able to bring that sort of part of my life and me discovering who I am to the character.

So in terms of Claudia's destiny, I know last season we sort of touched on her becoming and (ex-friend) with Frederick, and what happens to her at the end of this season is really emotional and intense. I think the world is sort of Claudia's oyster. We can see her go in a couple different directions, so I'm really excited to explore that going forward.

QUESTION: Can you talk about some of the things we'll see inside the Warehouse 13 video game?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, it's really - it's a very tongue-in-cheek sort of lampooning of video games in general and their depiction of women as well as what the warehouse could look like to an outside viewer or from an outside perspective.

It's - the theme of the Warehouse video game, it's called Fortress 13, and it's the sort of castle medieval futilistic aesthetic. And so all the women have cartoonishly large breasts and the theme inside is very - it's actually a little bit conflicting because there're gladiators as well as knights and wenches and - what you'll get to see is your sort of staple warehouse characters but as Fortress 13 avatars, so cartoonish representations of our normal characters.

It's really fun. Fargo sort of plays with the mythology of purple goo and artifacts. And I don't want to give too much away but given that Fargo had seen the inside of the warehouse, you know, don't be surprised when you see the disco ball from Studio 54 make an appearance (unintelligible). And is there a dragon? Maybe. I'm not saying there isn't.

QUESTION: So you guys will actually be pixilated then, not as live action people?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Well, what's interesting is we shot it in live action and then in post, the image was given a treatment so that we do look - we look stylized. We look animated in some way. But it wasn't motion capture and it wasn't animation. It's just that the digital - I don't even know what you call it - but the digital image was altered in post so that we look at least a little bit more like a video game.

QUESTION: With the recent news about Eureka, has there been any talk about getting Neil on Warehouse 13 as a regular?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I honestly have no idea. I really - I don't know a lot about the news about Eureka. I mean, it would certainly be great to have Neil on but I think it's really early to say that kind of thing, and more than anything I hope that Eureka fans just tune into this episode of Warehouse because I think they'll really like it. Neil gets a lot of screen time.

SCIFI VISION: Now obviously you're done filming for the season. What are you doing now in your free time, and what's next for you?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I'm doing what every other actor does. I'm back in LA and I'm reconvening with my representation to look for more work. I've got a couple things I'm waiting to hear back on. I'm continuing to play music, taking lessons as often as possible and giving press calls like this to promote the rest of the season.

SCIFI VISION: Can you talk about working on the Warehouse 13 web series?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh yes, the web series. So that was really interesting. Part of it was live action and then the rest of it was, emotion comic, as you probably saw. We had one day where we had to shoot but the rest of it we were just in the studio in Toronto where we record ADR when we're out there, and just sat in a circle and it was like a table read.

And we were directed by (Andy Sepra) and it was just a really fun sort of extra thing to throw at the fans a little bit before the season started. Very different from our typical shooting schedule. I think - we actually had to film on a weekend in order to get it done because our episodes follow such a sort of strict schedule involving prep and locations and everything it takes to make a TV show, that this sort of had to be squeezed in between the real work that we had to do.

But I think it was really fun. It came out well and I haven't really heard a lot of feedback from the fans about it but I think they enjoyed it. So it'll be up to Syfy whether we do it again next year.

SCIFI VISION: Who is someone who inspires you?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Good question. I want to think about that before I - this is going to sound really strange for a sci-fi actor to say but people aren't just one thing. I'm a big fan of Jessica Valenti. And if you haven't heard of her, she is an author and an editor and a feminist.

She's actually written a couple feminist books for young women to sort of reclaim their self-esteem and learn about women's issues. And any time I read anything by her, I feel so bolstered and empowered and I think she's spectacular and I love the work that she does and I would love to meet her. So, yes, she's the one who inspires me.

QUESTION: I loved the episode by the way, this gaming episode. As someone who games way too much, I think it was spot on.

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Awesome. Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. It's my favorite too and I'm not even a gamer.

QUESTION: Yes...but if you were to play a game, are you more of an MMO type, are you more of a first person shooter? What would you play?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I have no idea. Let me start by saying that growing up, I never had a gaming console. All my friends had Nintendo or Play Station or those little cartridges you had to blow into because they got dusty.

And that was never a part of my childhood. I mean, I was in every sense the theater kid who would just play dress up all day and then sit down at the piano and play for a couple of hours. So gaming is a whole culture that I have sort of no way to relate to.

But if I did play, I'd probably play some adorable little Indy game or if not, then the Legend of Zelda because that's as close to this episode of Warehouse as I can imagine.

QUESTION: I know you also had to kind of share the screen with Eddie's pecs for most of that episode. What was that like for you?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Well, you had to be careful not to bump into him because you'll bruise. And I was worried that his pecs were going to be scene stealers but in terms of augmented body parts, I had pointy elf ears for much of the episode so I felt like I could contend to a certain degree.

QUESTION: I know that you're pretty close with Neil and working with him again; I'm sure is a great thrill. What were your thoughts when you learned about the fate of Neil's show?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: To be honest, he and I haven't had a conversation about it yet. I will say that this is sort of the natural order of the way television works. They've had a long run. I know they have a great fan base. And I hope that their fan base tunes into this episode of Warehouse next week because it's a great episode for Neil and for all of us.

QUESTION: [On] Warehouse 13 they have seen some of the crazy artifacts, stuff that I've never heard of...What are some of your favorite ones so far? And is there one that you wanted to do that they haven't done yet?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: My favorite one this year has definitely been Jimmy Hendrix's guitar because it was the first opportunity they gave me to sort of play guitar on the show, which is actually something I want to add.

For those of you who've seen the episode, you're expecting this. But for the people reading this article who haven't seen it yet, the writers and the network has been really supportive of my wish to play guitar and sing on the show. And this episode that's about to air is the first time I do get to do that.

So at the end of the episode, Claudia goes to an open mike and gets out on a limb and covers one of Claudia's - I mean, Allison's favorite songs. So that's - but in terms of episodes - or rather, artifacts that I would like to see, I would love - I think I pitched the red shoes this year, based on the ballet.

I mean, before that, the short story of the girl who dances herself to death or a pair of red shoes. I think that would be really interesting if some shoes sort of wound up on Claudia and she had to find a way to get out of them and they have some sort of emotional resonance.

But yes, the great thing about this show is that it's kind of past the limit. I think we can almost do anything in terms of artifacts, and even this year, we explore so many different themes that I don't think any two episodes are alike.

We've got this video game sort of Tran-esque episode and then two episodes later we've got a sort of Die Hard type story line going on. So we're keeping it fresh.

QUESTION: On Syfy we're seeing that Haven is doing a big episode story arc with Twitter. Would you like to see that type of integration with Warehouse 13?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I actually would not. And the reason is that Warehouse 13 is, you know, the mythology that we have established is that it's a top secret government facility, where sort of a sect that's removed from the FBI. The Secret Service doesn't really know about it. And so I think that - and to integrate something as public and difficult to control as Twitter into a mythology like the top secret mystery has an address, I think it would just sort of devalue the (unintelligible), the secrecy of what we strive for on the show.

However, I'm sure it'll be great on Haven. I actually didn't know they were doing that but, you know, the great thing about this episode is that we take something as obscure as the video game and somehow integrate it into what we do at the warehouse and that's because Fargo inadvertently came into contact with an artifact and integrated it into his video game software.

So it's been pretty cool to watch this episode- I thankfully was able to watch it before I got on this call with you guys. I love this episode. I think it's hilarious and scary and all the things that make a warehouse episode great.

QUESTION: With [Neil] coming from Eureka and then Eureka getting cancelled, do you think there're more chapters for Eureka characters to appear on Warehouse 13, and then are there any more scheduled?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Well, we don't have anything scheduled because we haven't our official pick up for Season 4 yet.

In terms of the possibility, sure. I really don't know. You know, that's for the network to say. That's for the folks at Syfy and probably the folks over at Eureka since they created those characters and I think they had a license to. So whether or not they're comfortable with them going other places, but I say never say never.

QUESTION: There're a lot of Star Trek references on Warehouse 13. Have you been a Star Trek fan and have you been to the conventions and met any of the Star Trek legends or actors?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I am sorry to say that I've only ever seen one episode of Star Trek my entire life. And that is the most torrid episode of the Next Generation because that's the one that sells, and it's a great episode and (Blaire) is in it and I know that he and (Blair) became friends after that.

But the only time I ever go to conventions is to promote Warehouse. I don't think I have ever - no, I honestly have never gone to a convention of my own accord for anything other than Warehouse related promotions.

However, I do geek out about things. I mean, you're going to see the actor Steven Yeun from Walking Dead in this episode. Steven and I were friends long before Warehouse 13 or Walking Dead ever happened.

But Walking Dead is one of my favorite shows on TV. I watched every episode religiously last year and I geeked out a little bit when we were both sort of backstage at Comic-Con this year. And Miguel was there and a couple of the other actors and standing there with my friend, honestly, kind of squealing over the cast members. So that's where I geek out a little bit.

MEDIABLVD: When I first started watching Warehouse 13, it was a good show but when your character was introduced on it, I think it just added so much.

Artie needed someone, a foil - someone to work off of. And he was always sending the agents out and it was like we never knew too much about Artie. So with you there, I really think Artie's character developed as well as your character too, but the interplay just was so nice in the show that it made it much more unique.

You're sort of like an apprentice to be and you're out in the field now and that, I think, is because of your relationship with Artie. So you really added a lot to the show, so that's the first comment I wanted to make. And it seems like you get along with everyone on the show, right?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, yes. Everyone - we're lucky, you know, I don't think that every show can say that the cast and crew form such a close knit family, but we definitely do. We, you know...

I mean, if anybody here watched the Comic-Con panel on (unintelligible), we basically spent an hour just talking about how much we love each other which might seem a little distrusting and gets old after a while. But it's true and we're lucky for that.

MEDIABLVD: Now that you're out in the field with Jinxy and forming a relationship there, it seems like the focus has shifted a little bit from the Artie/Claudia dimension.

We saw it a little bit again this week when Jinxy was not in the episode. But I did want to know, because you mentioned something about the finale. And it's going to be sort of a pivotal one for you. Is it also going involve the dynamic of you and Artie?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, it does. It absolutely does. It - well I think the relationships between all of us are really hanging in the balance with what happens at the end of this season. The great thing about this season has been that we've been able to explore how our characters past and their histories effect them in the present and effects what they do.

And so we - the Claudio and Reid dynamic is still very important and it's still very much in play. But in order to just stick with Claudia's role, the relationship between Claudia and Steve Jinx has been given a bit of a spotlight, which I really enjoy.

MEDIABLVD: Working with Lindsay Wagner, it must've been quite an experience for you, the times that she's been on the show. What was it like?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: She's wonderful. I love it when we get to have Lindsay on the show because she has such a fantastic energy about her. She's very calm, she's very sweet and naturally funny and always a professional. I love watching her. I love being in a scene with her. It's an honor. She's a lot of fun to work with and I think that it was really fun to see Artie in love.

And I think that those two have a good chemistry as well. So I hope that we get to bring her back and explore that dynamic more in the future.

QUESTION: there a story behind you getting the part in this show? Were there hoops to jump through? Or was it a relatively easy process for you?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I think every actor will tell you that timing had a lot to do with a role that they love. I was in the middle of a full load at college. I was taking 16 units, and I had worked with our show runner, Jack Kenny, years and years ago on the last pilot I did. And I worked with two of our writers, Ben Raab and Deric Hughes, the year before on our web series with (Adaria Dawson).

And I sort of heard about this role being out in the ether and I knew that they were looking in Canada. I think the role was originally written to be Asian. It was an Asian character and they didn't quite find what they were looking for.

And so Jack called me. We had a conversation and he first wanted me to watch the pilot before I auditioned just to make sure it was something that I was interested in, and I did, and I fell in love with it.

I watched the pilot maybe three times before I auditioned and took this role that I just fell in love with. I thought it was really perfect for me and I was really nervous when I auditioned but I did and that was that. And so within the span I think of a week and a half, I was sort of negotiating with my professors to let me take my work on the road and from then on it was spending months in Toronto with this weird family but they made me feel really welcome immediately.

And Saul and I - we met and were working together within the same couple of hours and it just felt natural, it felt like we'd been working together for years and years.

QUESTION: I've talked to him before too and he's a self-starter, so I think he talked for me for five minutes before I asked him the first question in an interview with me.

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes.

QUESTION: What do you think Claudia's clothes and her physical appearance say about her on the show?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I think - what I hope that say is that she's her own person and she doesn't concern herself with societal standards and what other people expect of her to - expect her to look like or expect her to behave like.

You called Saul a self-starter. I think Claudia's a self-starter. I think in addition to being insecure and figuring out who she is as an adult, she knows what she likes and the thing that I've been really flattered by in playing her is a number of, like, moms and young girls who reach out to me and tell me what a role model she is for young women, just sort of learning to love themselves.

So I hope that what people get out of the way that Claudia presents herself is there's nothing more beautiful or fun or comfortable then just doing what you like.

QUESTION: The character of Claudia is such an authentic character and she's an empowering and it's so refreshing to see that instead of this cookie cutter image. I want to take a moment to say thank you for that.

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh thank you. I appreciate that. That is good.

QUESTION: The artifacts are absolutely amazing. Have you ever come up with any artifact ideas? And if you haven't, if you had a chance to today, what would it be?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I actually have pitched a couple different artifact ideas to them. This year I was taking a lot of ballet classes in Toronto. I actually danced for about eight years before I became an actress. And I pitched the Red Shoes, and I thought it would be interesting if Claudia sort of fell into the Red Shoes and had to dance herself to the brink of death before she could get out of them.

But before our benevolent writers and producers were supportive of me playing and singing on the show, I pitched the stage door of (CBGB). And in order to somehow facilitate Claudia fronting an all girl punk band on the show, I believe the feedback was that makes too much sense, like what's the parallel there. Claudia belongs in an all girl punk band. Yes, that's it.

QUESTION: What part of Claudia is more like Allison?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Definitely her wit. I think that the thing that I bring the most of - about myself to this character is my sense of humor and my sarcasm. I've been told since I was a kid that the way I can sort of snarl out a one-liner is pretty unique. I feel like I sound like I'm tooting my own horn or something but it's definitely my humor that I bring to Claudia.

QUESTION: What are you looking forward to the most about working with Kate Mulgrew?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh my goodness. Kate - well we finished shooting our season so I've already worked with her. And she was such a force to be reckoned with and a spectacular actress. It was an honor to watch her work, to be in scenes with her.

We have a really intense scene together in the finale that I can't tell you anything about because there were a lot of spoilers. But I hope she comes back on the show. She's such an important character and a fantastic energy on our set.

We've been really lucky with the guest stars that we've had like Neil, (Greg Sand) and like Lindsay Wagner and Kate Mulgrew, that they just seem to get our show and they get the way we work. And they're fast and they understand our dynamic and they fit right in.

So she's fantastic. She's a great addition to the cast and I hope to see her come back because I just adore her.

QUESTION: What's the most invigorating part of working on Warehouse 13?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Being able to get up every day and say that I'm going to work to do what I love is the most invigorating part of it. I think any job can get tiring especially if you work with the same group of people all day, 16 hours a day for six months.

But at the end of it, I think we come away proud of the work that we do and proud of each other and the reason we're able to be so positive in these interviews is because we're not making it up. We are just generally - genuinely proud of each other and proud of what we do and I'm just incredibly lucky to be able to say that at 20 years old I'm living my dream.

...

QUESTION: Can you tell us what has changed since episode one? What do you think has been the biggest change in the show? Obviously, you've got the new character of Jinx, but aside from that, what do you think [has changed] with your characters and with the stories, and that type of thing?

...

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh my gosh. I think first of all, no two episodes of Warehouse 13 I think one can say are alike. I think the major theme of our show is that we keep it diverse. The only procedural aspect of what we do is that we track down artifacts and we have to neutralize them before bad things happen.

But the scenes that we deal with are all so different and we explore different dynamics and there are disagreements between characters and there are things that make us bond and deepen our relationship. I think we've all just grown. I think that's the chief difference, is growth and increased trust and just, you know, what happens when you spend a couple years with working with people and also, you know, becoming family.

Yes, I don't think there's any one singular event that's changed then - I think it's time and human nature.

QUESTION: It's been nice to see the growth in all of the characters, but especially I think in Claudia, your character is just really coming into her own - especially this season - which is really good to see.

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I know. And it's just been (truth) to be able to play myself at 20 sort of discovering myself and figuring out who I am and what I want out of life and being able to just bring that to Claudia because it's exactly what she's going through to.

QUESTION: You mentioned dance and how you've been a dancer for years. Do you ever watch, So You Think You Can Dance?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Believe it or not, I don't. I watch very little TV. I fixate on a couple shows, like I'm obsessed with (World Fair) right now.

It's great, fantastic show. And Walking Dead and Madmen, The Killing, Game of Thrones, I'm catching up on. I have two more episodes left before I finish the season, hitting the (fan). But no, I've not seen any - I just generally don't really watch reality shows.

QUESTION: Are there any other Syfy series that you would like to guest star on or that you actually watch and like?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, Walking Dead is probably my number one, but in terms of what's on the Syfy Channel, I'd love to go do an episode of Alphas. Actually I haven't seen the show yet but there shooting schedule overlapped with ours, and we also shoot them in Toronto. So I became friends with Ryan Cartwright who I think is fantastic. I'd love to work with him at some point. Yes, those are my big two.

QUESTION: If you could have a super power...what super power would you want to have?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: You know, I think in the past I said that I'm jealous of Laura Mennell's power, which is the ability to bend someone's will [to] whatever she says. I think that would be really useful, especially in the entertainment industry.

But I think that right now, just for my own happiness, I would love the ability to pick up any instrument and be able to play it perfectly.

QUESTION: How did you get started in acting? Is it something you had wanted to do since you were little?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: It is. Yes, I was kind of a natural born performer. When I was a toddler, my mom used to read A.A. Milne poems to me and I have this insane memory and sort of memorized it as she would read to me and at one point, I think at a family gathering, I sat down all my elderly relatives and recited Puppy and I to them which, I guess, 500 word poems for a two year old is an odd achievement.

So yes, so maybe - most of it by the way. I'm not sure. Anyway, I got into the talent and drama program at my school when I was five years old and it was the only thing that I really loved at school. I was living in a place that I didn't want to be and I was bored and then I wasn't connecting with my classmates.

So being in the drama department really fulfilled me and gave me an outlet to blossom, I think. And it was something that I planned on long, long before I ever came to Los Angeles for the first time.

I met an acting coach by chance who makes it his business to sort of travel the country and look for talent in young children. And I guess he saw something in me that he believed in and he spoke to my parents and recommended that I give it a shot in Los Angeles, and so we did our homework. And I did, and I was very fortunate to work almost immediately.

And I haven't looked back. I think maybe everyone sort of examines what it would be like if they made a different choice since my original sort of plan of attack was to go to performing arts high school and then move to New York, because theater was my first love, but I'm really happy where I am right now and I know that I'm doing what I wanted to do from the time I was a little girl, which is really fulfilling.

QUESTION: What was it about Claudia that made you want to play her? I think she's an amazing character and you do a fabulous job. But from your perspective, reading her, what was it that intrigued you?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I love how smart Claudia was. And I love that the writers didn't apologize for her intelligence ever. In Claudia's first episode, this is a girl who had lived on her own for a decade, had been through some really dark times in a mental institution, was searching desperately for her brother to save him from that inter dimensional space he was caught in and was doing it all on her own without any help.

And so here was - here's this really independent, really intelligent, really funny dark sarcastic, and also deeply insecure, scared, vulnerable character. And I rejoiced in a role so real because - I've mentioned this on panels before, I mentioned this in other interviews, it's so rare for a role for a young actress to come around that isn't too dimensional.

I've lost parts based on bra size. I've gotten feedback that I wasn't pretty enough for the role that was being cast. But that's the nature of this industry. It's a superficial business. And I just - I love the character that was so full and so real and so much like myself and not just a pair of legs and lips and a giggle and a hair flip.

QUESTION: If you could pick anything that Claudia could do in the next couple years, is there some sort of progression that you would like to see happen to her? Or do you just sort of leave that up to the writers?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: You know, it's always up to the writers. I think I'd really love to see Claudia go dark willow. I think it's maybe been earned for her to go to the dark side a little bit. But it's - only to come back, you know, not be evil ever going down the line but to be...

((Crosstalk))

QUESTION: ...that a little bit.

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, to lose herself a little bit in the darkness that lives insider her, because she does have that and we acknowledged several times this season, I think we've already done it in episode two that Claudia was in an institution and it effects her to this day. You're going to see that in the next episode, in episode six.

It's a really kind of violent scene that it addresses where Claudia's deepest fear is and it's really cool to explore.

QUESTION: With Warehouse 13 in its third season, what do you think it is that keeps you hooked? Is it the mystery of what's in the warehouse or the skill of the agents? What do you think is the key factor?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I think it's the relationships between the characters. I think it's the fact that we are a sort of misfit family unit that people can somehow relate to. We get feedback all the time from families who watch the show together or from young people, older people alike, and I think we have a really diverse audience and it's because it's relatable in some way.

We're not being chased by aliens in space and while that's fun to watch, I think that's more of a fantastical escapist sort of entertainment then our show. I mean, our show is a lot of fantasy and it's a great way to sort of escape from the perils of what our country and our times have become that what I think is so relatable about the show is our characters and the sort of brotherly love and tension between Pete and Myka and the father/daughter master apprentice relationship between Artie and Claudia and then the whole family together.

In addition to the artifacts and the action, I'll admit of the show being exciting and fun to watch. I think the reason people come back is to view this family that they've grown to love.

QUESTION: As such a young actress who has had such a versatile career already, in terms of doing films and starring in television roles, what do you see in the future of your career? Is there type of genre or area that you'd like to focus in acting?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I can honestly say that I want to do everything. I want to do films. I want to do more TV. I want to do trans media. I just never want to stop. It is true I'm living out my dream but I think that I don't - I will never be satisfied with just the next project. I'm constantly thinking of what else I'd like to do.

I was talking to a friend yesterday and he said, well you know, "What is success to you, Allison, and what do you want?" And I said, "I honestly - I want - I don't just want the roles to come to me, I want to pick the roles that I want. I want to create them and I want to, you know, if I hear about a movie that's happening, I want to be a contender. I want to put myself in the running for it and succeed," which I think a lot of - a lot - of actors can say. But I'm hungry. I'm ready for it.

QUESTION: Is it more fun being a pointy eared elf or an enhanced princess?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh my god. I don't want to spoil that for the fans. The elf - the thing with playing an elf is that - so pointy ears was really good, right? I had to be - that putting on those ears was an hour and a half process and that was before the hair and makeup.

So I had - there were a lot of mornings filming that episode where I had to be in at, like, 4:00 a.m. which meant getting up at 3:00 and going to bed early and oh god.

But it was really fun. The hardest part was running around in those fancy gold heels while they pumped dry ice through the stage. A lot of us fell. A lot of us got hurt. A lot of us got bruised up during the filming, but I think all of that madcap energy really shows.

QUESTION: Yes, it's a great screen episode, but when you saw the script, did you turn to Ian and say, "Okay, what's the deal? What are you thinking?"

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: No, not at all. I love what Ian writes and I love the way he writes my character actually. I think that Ian being our youngest writer in the room really kind of just gets my voice and so I'm always excited to see what he writes next for me.

But he apologized to me over and over about the ears and how that cut into my sleep. But I really couldn't fault him for it because they looked great and it was a lot of fun, so.

QUESTION: Were you surprised by the whole idea that he came up with you guys existing in the game? Or did you just think, well that makes sense that he would write that?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: I - no, it made sense coming from Ian. I mean, given that our writer Ian Stokes also wrote the first crossover last season with (Renee Abujenwa) and the computer system sort of taking over the warehouse. So I'd say this is definitely in his wheel house.

QUESTION: So you get to sing and play [guitar] in the episode. Are we going to see an album any time?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: No, no. I mean, listen, never say never. But at the moment I just play a lot of covers. I just bought my first bass I'm really excited about. And I've been playing it non-stop. I think I'm kind of a natural at it.

But, one day when I'm ready, I'll be writing and we'll see where that takes me. I - right now I don't know. I'm just doing it for fun.

QUESTION: Are you self-taught or were you taking lessons for the guitar?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Both. I taught myself - I started teaching myself five years ago and I just started taking lessons regularly about a year ago. So I'm back into it now that I'm back in LA.

QUESTION: Does this mean that you'll probably be asking or offering up more ideas and seeing if you get to do all your little fantasy things you want to do on the show?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh, you know it. I never stop.

QUESTION: When I heard that you said you're obsessed with Wilfred, I thought I knew I loved this girl, and now it's even more. It's a great show.

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh great because that show is so foul and just hilarious.

QUESTION: Yes, it is. Do you ever look at dogs now and wonder what's going on in his head?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Oh, I always wonder a lot about my dog. I think that - first of all, my dog thinks she's an actress. And maybe she is. She definitely knows how to use her cuteness to get what she wants. So maybe I could take a lesson from her.

QUESTION: Claudia's sort of more willing then ever now to talk about her past. And in this episode she has to face up to her fears. Do you think doing those kinds of cathartic scenes helps you work things out in your personal life too?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Always. I think that's ultimately why being an actor works for me, is as a kid, it was a way for me to express what I was going through with a troubled home life or with depression about where I was living and my school. And it was a way to express myself safely behind the mask of a character.

So playing those cathartic Claudia scenes is the same. It's telling the Allison truth within the context of a character, as Saul would ultimately say, because I think the best performances are ones that come from a place of truth and vulnerability, so I try to bring that to Claudia as much as I can. It's rewarding. It's fun to play these cathartic heavy scenes.

QUESTION: We talked a lot about don't hate the player and the fantasy aspect. In the B part of the story, Artie and Jinxy encounter the dirty FBI agent...that we've seen earlier. Will Claudia encounter her at some point? And is there anything you can tease about that?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: You know, as a matter of fact, Claudia and (Sally Pecalski) never meet at any point in this season. However, what you will come to realize in upcoming episodes is that (Pecalski) does not remain the villain. She's definitely working for someone as we probably already established that at this point.

And it goes even deeper then what we're sort of letting on now. And Claudia does become involved in the villain storyline in this episode. It deeply effects here at the end of the season. But she doesn't actually meet the main puppet master ever.

QUESTION: Even though she doesn't meet either the agent or the fellow in the back of the car, they play a large part in big pivotal moments in her life in the final episode of the season?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, absolutely. The action was - (unintelligible) the way that they enjoy the warehouse and everyone in it. It effects all of us.

SCIFI VISION: Is there a kind of character that you'd like to play that you haven't yet?

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI: Yes, I'd like to do a period piece. I'd like to do something totally different from anything I've ever done. I - and let me qualify that by saying period, like another century, because I've done 1980's period stuff twice now which is fun but it's not as challenging. All I have to do is sort of leave my cell phone at home and bring my music sensibility to the set and I'm good to go.

But I'd love to do like a sort of game of thrones style period or even like early 1900s, not going as far back as (unintelligible). I kind of just want to do it all. I want to stretch my boundaries, I guess as an actor.