Best known for her character Alexandra ‘Alex’ Udinov in the action series Nikita, actress Lyndsy Fonseca was at MCM London Comic Con to talk about her role on the aforementioned show, as well as the series How I Met Your Mother and the film Kick-Ass. Questions during the panel also saw Lyndsy mention her upcoming films, her passion for theatre and her taste in clothes.
Of Alex in Nikita she described the role as “very difficult”, but really appreciated the challenge of playing such a character. With Alex’s background as a sex slave who becomes a drug addict, when the pilot for the show was picked up Lyndsy decided to do some research, saying, “I went to a bookstore and I asked the man that worked there if he had any books on child sex trafficking, drug addiction… he looked at me like I wasn’t from Earth.”
When asked as to what kind of tactical training she had when working on Nikita, she said, “I’ve never had any martial arts training and I had never shot a gun before, so I had a lot to learn. It was actually more on the go than people think. It was like, ‘Okay, I have to do that, let’s go.’” She revealed how her background in dance made it easier to learn the choreography.
Of her role on How I Met Your Mother as the future daughter of Ted Mosby, she said that it wasn’t that hard to keep a secret. “When you’re sworn to secrecy you sign a contract with the lawyers standing over you,” she said. “Then you know that it’s serious. I didn’t even tell my family!” Of the show’s controversial finale she said, “I loved it,” describing it as a good twist. “I know some people are upset about it, but nothing can please everyone and I thought they did a really good job.”
One of the attendees asked if she had read the Kick-Ass comics before working on the film. “I had never read the comics before I did the film,” she said. “I was actually surprised about how much I liked reading comics, but yeah, now I read them.” Unfortunately her character Katie appeared in just one scene in the sequel. “I was actually at the same time shooting Nikita,” said Lyndsy on why this was the case. “Actually I have to thank the producers of Nikita, because technically they were not allowed to let me leave Toronto to go shoot here in London, but they were kind enough to let me do one scene.”
A question from the audience had Lyndsy being asked how she chooses her projects. She mentioned that when she left Nikita she wanted to do something that was more “back to basics”, so chose to work on an independent film called Moments of Clarity. The film is a comedy/drama where she plays the daughter of a hardened pastor. “It was just a very different set experience,” said Lyndsy. “Whatever I did before, I want to do the opposite right after. I just want to continue being challenged.” She later elaborated on this, citing how actors are often typecast yet she has been making an effort to play characters that are worlds apart. “Hot Tub Time Machine – crazy chick from the eighties is nothing compared to Alex on Nikita. You just have to change peoples ideas of who you are.”
Asked if she would ever do theatre she said, “I’d love to do theatre. A friend of mine is doing Othello. I’ve just been introduced to Shakespeare for the first time.” She was then questioned what she would go for if given the choice of a low paid theatre role or a high paid part on a TV show. “Definitely theatre,” she said. “As soon as Nikita ended I had been offered TV shows that were beautifully priced, but it just wasn’t my journey. I think I needed to go into independent film. People do plays because of the passion of live theatre. It’s such an infectious feeling, so I would choose the play.”
When asked what she would be proud of when looking back on her life in ten years time, she didn’t have a definitive answer, only that she hopes to say that she had fun. “It’s a really stressful job, it’s not all glamour. I feel very fortunate, I’m not complaining. I feel like I want to have a good experience in every job.”
One member of the audience complimented Lyndsy on her style and asked her where she buys her clothes. “I just like to mix things up,” she said. “A little bit of vintage with a little bit of new is always good. I like buttoned-up collars and dresses. I think people expect me to be a little bit more sexy, or a little bit more of a badass like on TV.”
Lyndsy left off telling people that the next film she is working on is The Escort, in which she plays an escort. “The clothing in that movie would be nothing I would wear in real life,” she said. “However there were things I really wanted to feel in that character so it was really important that I did have a say.”
Originally published on MCM Buzz on 26 May 2014.
