BBC America’s cult hit Orphan Black, which followed the intertwined lives of genetically identical human clones, all played by actress Tatiana Maslany, ended its original run in 2017. The story, however, continued in 2019 when the first season of an all-new audio series, Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, was realeased, with Maslany not only voicing all the clones, but narrating the entire story.

Realm Media recently released the premiere episode of season two, this time with the actress being joined by fellow actors Kristian Bruun, Evelyn Brochu, and Jordan Gavaris who reprised their original roles. The performers, who met up for a Zoom panel last Thursday, however, each did their parts on their own.
 
Although it’s a bit different using just her voice to play the clones in the book series and she’s acting by herself, according to Maslany, who recently talked to Jamie Ruby of SciFi Vision in an exclusive video interview, it still just relies on your imagination. “[It’s] a very creative space to play in,” said the actress, “even though it isn't necessarily back and forth, you're sort of generating your own thing.”

Maslany said that the character of Alison was the easiest to access after so long and that Sarah is “always kind of there,” but she also enjoys getting to play new clones. “[I]t was really fun to get to explore these new characters like Blythe and Vivi…it's fun to play these new roles and see kind of what new characterizations I can bring to them, or mannerisms, even if it's just vocal.”

The actress said that the transformation into the characters does still feel physical to her, even though she’s only using her voice. “I mean, Sarah hurt my back, because I was so kind of bent over the microphone; she just really requires me to be slouchy. So yeah, there're definitely physical things that pop up, [like] postures.”

The personalities that Maslany created with her voice were all based on what she read, but the writers are open to collaboration. “They obviously had direction in terms of, ‘Oh, we're curious about this,’ or ‘[use] a southern accent for this,’ or ‘this might be this kind of vocal performance,’ but they're very much open to what I'm gonna throw at them. Then, it becomes like a dialogue, and we figure it out; we sort of hone in on who that person is.”

In the audio drama, the actress plays three different generations of clones, including a teenager, Charlotte. The difference in playing the ages to her deals with their life experience. “I feel like it's knowledge somehow, like in the way that Charlotte sort of hasn't experienced everything - not that they've all experienced everything, but she's at the beginning of a big experience, whereas the rest of them have gone through stuff together and sort of have a bit more grounding because of that…So, I think that's where it sits differently for the two different age groups.”

One of the big plot points in the book in season one is that the world became aware that clones exist. The actress wasn’t really surprised by the twist. “I mean, it felt like it had to happen…Similarly to when people discover that they're clones for the first time, their world sort of explodes. So, now that they're comfortable in knowing who they are, to have the world explode again make sense. It's sort of plays with the idea of privacy, and ownership over your body or your story or your identity, which is all stuff that we've always been kind of exploring.”

With clones becoming public, the character of Rachel has changed even more than she had at the end of the television series, and it’s allowed Maslany to make her more relatable. “Her character, I think, had the most to lose in so many ways, because she was holding the tightest to what she had and thought she was so separate from these women. And now to feel her longing to be part of them and having something to offer that is actually beneficial to them that isn't necessarily money, but something she knows…I think is a really interesting thing, this person who's totally fallen, to be able to contribute again.”

The actress enjoyed Rachel’s scenes with Cosima in the second episode, which was released from Realm today, and teased a bit of what’s to come. “Rachel and Cosima are doing this press tour thing, and they get put on the spot in terms of a question they're asked on TV, and the dynamic between them becomes very interesting.”

Although the fans are always hoping, Maslany said that there hasn’t really been discussion about bringing the series back in a different way than the book but admits she’s open. “We haven't really talked about that stuff. I mean, I'd be open to it. I'm also really happy with what has happened so far in terms of the story, and I do feel that it's always nice to leave things in a place where people still like it…It's nice to step away, and just let things be what they are. But I do think there's such fertile ground in terms of places that this could go, [like] cartoons or whatever. I know there're comic books; there're so many mediums where it would really soar, I think.”

During the interview the actress also talked about her process with creating voices, what it is like having Funko Pops based on her character, advice she would give to herself when she started working on the series, and more. For the rest of the interview, be sure to watch the video and read the transcript below. You can also listen to the all-new episode of Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, which is now available to stream.



SCIFI VISION:   I know you talked a little bit about this at the panel, but can you talk a little bit about how difficult it was getting back into these characters after so long? I know you said Cosima was the most difficult, maybe too, which was the easiest one to get back into?

TATIANA MASLANY:   Alison's weirdly the easiest one to get into. I'm not sure why [or] what that says about me as a person now. [laughs] But yeah, she was definitely easy to access. Sarah's always kind of there. But it was really fun to get to explore these new characters like Blythe and Vivi, even though we've worked with Vivi a little bit last year, but it's fun to play these new roles and see kind of what new characterizations I can bring to them, or mannerisms, even if it's just vocal.

Can you talk about how your process changes [with this]? Because I know you don't have props, but do you sort of still find yourself like, physically, I guess, inhabiting them? Or is it really just your voice?

No, it does feel physical. I mean, Sarah hurt my back, because I was so kind of bent over the microphone; she just really requires me to be slouchy. So yeah, there're definitely physical things that pop up, [like] postures…Yeah, it definitely does.

So, is it difficult, though, not having somebody to like act against? Because, I mean, you're not even watching yourself back, I guess, which before you would have done, and you don't have that, either?

Yeah, I mean, I think with audio, like with any audio books, or anything I've done, it really just relies on your imagination to take you. That's in itself is a very creative space to play in; even though it isn't necessarily back and forth, you're sort of generating your own thing. And I think knowing that Evelyn and Jordan and Christian were part of it…I know them really well. I know those characters really well, the dynamics. So, those connections are there already, even if we're not doing it in person.

Yeah, that's what I was going to [ask]. So, you four didn't interact at all? Like you didn't do some of it over, I don't know, Zoom, maybe?

Nothing. This is the first time I see them in years.

I guess I have to ask, has there been any discussion of doing anything video-wise or any kind reunion other than like the script reading [you did]? Has there been any other discussion? And would you be open to that?

We haven't really talked about that stuff. I mean, I'd be open to it. I'm also really happy with what has happened so far in terms of the story, and I do feel that it's always nice to leave things in a place where people still like it, and they're not just like, “All right another thing...” It's nice to step away, and just let things be what they are. But I do think there's such fertile ground in terms of places that this could go, cartoons or whatever. I know, there's comic books; there're so many mediums where it would really soar, I think.

Were you surprised to find out that they were going to kind of reveal the clones to everybody?

Yeah, I mean, it felt like it had to happen. It was another way of kind of similar to when people discover that they're clones for the first time; their world sort of explodes. So, now that they're comfortable in knowing who they are, to have the world explode again make sense. It's sort of plays with the idea of privacy, and again, like ownership over your body or your story or your identity, which is all stuff that we've always been kind of exploring.

Yeah, I found it really interesting - and I won't give it away, but the character who [said she] would have wanted to have found things out in a different way…I thought that that was really, really interesting.

So, can you talk about maybe the challenges in playing clones at different ages? I mean, you have Charlotte; you have Vivi, who's a bit little different [age], but kind of talk about that, and do you…consciously do something different to make them seem different in that respect?

Yeah, I feel like it's knowledge somehow, like in the way that Charlotte sort of hasn't experienced everything - not that they've all experienced everything, but she's at the beginning of a big experience, whereas the rest of them have gone through stuff together and sort of have a bit more grounding because of that, and [it’s] sort of like the feeling of when I first discovered that feminism was a thing when I was like, early 20s. I was like, “Wait, what?” and…suddenly, I felt so riled up but with no way of channeling it. So, it was like all of this feeling and all of this new information that felt so resonant with me, but I didn't quite know how to embody it yet. So, I think that's where it sits differently for the two different age groups.

Can you talk a little bit about Rachel's character development, and kind of what it's been like to humanize her a bit more, maybe make her a bit more sympathetic?

Well, I think Rachel has been like, dragged off of her pedestal as we saw during the series, but yeah, it's great. Her character, I think, had the most to lose in so many ways, because she was holding the tightest to what she had and thought she was so separate from these women. And now, to feel her longing to be part of them and having something to offer that is actually beneficial to them that isn't necessarily money, but something she knows, a power that she used to have, or that she has, I think is a really interesting thing, this person who's like totally fallen, to be able to contribute again. And to learn through that sharing is a cool thing for her character.

Can you talk about the process of creating the new personalities? Do they come to you and say, “Okay, we have this character, this character, and this character in the book?” Or do you kind of already have ideas of different voices in your head? Because, obviously, you have a lot of them.

No, it was totally based off of what I read. So, I would read it, and they obviously had direction in terms of, “Oh, we're curious about this,” or “[use] a southern accent for this,” or something. Or “this might be this kind of vocal performance,” but they're very much open to what I'm gonna throw at them. Then, it becomes like a dialogue, and we figure it out; we sort of hone in on who that person is.

…I know, as an actor, it’s kind of your job, but… what do you think of to do [specifically to make so many clones] different? And how do you keep them all straight, for that matter?

Yeah, I don't know. [laughs] It's just like getting specific about a couple things, like, getting really specific about where their mouth sets or whether their sound comes out of the nose or if there's a tightness to the throat or they're pitched lower. So, if I can hold on to that thing, and then play around with that, allow myself to just express but with that restriction, that’s sort of what it is. Or a freedom, you know, this person is so loud, vocally, loud, and says things in commands. So, that's where I play from, but then I allow them to - what's it like when that commanding person feels vulnerable? Do they push harder? Do they command harder, or do they actually pull back? There's just fun stuff to play with in there.

I just want to talk a second about…merchandise? I'm just curious, what was it like when you found out [there were for example] the Funko Pops? That's just got to be the weirdest [thing], maybe a little creepy, although they don't really per se look like you, but…

Yeah, my head is that big. Yeah, I loved it. I mean, I love action figures. I've always loved that. I've always like, I don't know, that I could say I hadn't dreamed of that. You know what I mean? Like, it's such a cool thing, and it's nuts that people want to buy them; it's just great. It's super fun to see a character that I was part of creating hold a place on somebody's shelf or whatever, a sticker, or whatever. It's cool. It's very cool.

Looking back, if you could give yourself like one piece of advice or something that you would tell yourself maybe that first day when you started…what would you want to know that maybe would have helped you through the difficult [parts] of it, I guess?

I feel like there's no right way to do this, and I think, as a young actor, I was very worried about like, being fired, or whatever, losing the job, not being good enough, or not getting praise or whatever. So, it I think makes you afraid and made my choices a little afraid. But I feel like the the lifelong struggle for me as an actor is just to continue to find freedom in a very high pressure, people watching you situation, so that I have full access to my creativity. And I'm not like, “This is good.” You know what I mean? Yeah, that's kind of what I would say.

Okay. Then, lastly, I just wanted to know, can you tease a little bit about what people are going to get for the second episode?

…Oh, here's a fun tease. I'm gonna tease this. I really enjoyed [when] Rachel and Cosima are doing this press tour thing, and they get put on the spot in terms of a question they're asked on TV, and the dynamic between them becomes very interesting.