Alyssa Sutherland
Posted: June 16, 2017
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Lilja: Can you tell me a bit about how you got involved with The Mist? Did you audition for the part or where you offered it?
Alyssa Sutherland: I read the pilot and loved it, then made a tape for casting in New York. A couple of weeks later they had me fly to New York to meet Christian and Adam Bernstein (the director of the pilot).
Lilja: Had you read King’s story or seen Frank Darabont’s film version when you got the part?
Alyssa Sutherland: I hadn't! I'm a total wimp when it comes to horror. I saw snippets of IT when I was young and it terrified me. I have a lot of admiration for Stephen King and his knowledge of the human psyche. When I got the role of Eve, I decided to stay away from the source material and be 100% informed by the scripts.
Lilja: Is it hard to play a character that doesn’t exist in the source material that still must fit into the world of the source material? Or is that easier?
Alyssa Sutherland: I think it's easier as I've gone in with no preconceived ideas. Christian and I can create Eve from scratch, which has given us more freedom. No expectations to fulfill for fans!
Lilja: Tell me a little about your character. Who is Eve Copeland and what can we expect from her when things are starting to go south?
Alyssa Sutherland: Eve is a stubborn, strong-headed woman; she's not afraid of conflict if she thinks she's right. She acts first then thinks later, which serves her well once the mist arrives and she's trapped in the mall. She's an incredibly loving mother - perhaps more protective than some, but she has her reasons. Alex (her daughter) is of utmost importance to her and she will do anything (and I mean ANYTHING) to keep her safe.
Lilja: I don’t try to scare you but Stephen King fans can sometime be very hard in their judgement of an adaptation of his work. With The Mist you’re doing a version of his story. Are you worried how the fans are going to react to it?
Alyssa Sutherland: Yes! Of course I am. When there's an existing fan base it's much more nerve wracking. But I think the series Christian has written is intelligent, gripping and thought-provoking, and I'm proud to be a part of it.
Lilja: So, I guess there were some acting where you had to act against monsters that wasn’t there. How hard is that to do? Do you have some help such as people dressed in green tight clothes or marks where you should look?
Alyssa Sutherland: It's pretty difficult! But it's not that different from auditioning - which is normally done in a small room that looks nothing like the environment of the scene you're reading. If you don't have a healthy imagination as an actor, you're dead in the water. We had green men and marks to look at and directors clapping loudly for things we had to jump at. It's all part of it!
Lilja: What are the chances that we’d get a second season and (if Eve is still alive at the end of season 1) how long do you think the series could go on?
Alyssa Sutherland: I have no idea whether we'll get a second season, but I think the series can live for multiple seasons. The characters and relationships between them are front and center in The Mist, and I think so long as that's the case, there's always a story to tell.
Lilja: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me!
