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₪ Starry Mag interviews Melinda Clark
Q. What are some of the recent projects that you've been working on?
A. 2010 has seemed to have flown by extremely fast and I feel like I have been home maybe a week a month since January. I just recently did a four episode arc on "The Vampire Diaries." I also spent three weeks in Toronto for a new pilot for the CW called "Nikita." It's an updated television version of "La Femme Nakita" which is very exciting. I'm not a groovy alcoholic mom or cougar, my character is actually a very sophisticated operative who is in the division that is one of the higher ups as a mentor, teacher, and controller of the young people that are being trained as assassins.
Q. As you mentioned you recently appeared on "The Vampire Diaries" as Kelly Donovan, what made you want to be a part of it and how were you approached to be on it?
A. I have to be honest, a part came up that I had been submitted for and I spoke with Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec on the phone actually, and they decided that that part was too small and they wanted to save me for a different role. They discussed with me at length how they thought the character could go, and of course I was concerned about it being too similar to Julie Cooper, another mother stirring up trouble. Of course we could find similarities, but at the same time, to me they are very different. Ultimately after the end of the arc on "The Vampire Diaries" we still have only scratched the surface of Kelly Donovan, there wasn't a lot of back story, we don't know why she's been gone or where she's been. It's been a little bit of a taste, a little bit of a tickle, for the audience probably to have this character blast through town and cause trouble for poor Matt. Hopefully there is room for the character to come back and only be Matt's mom. We started just at one point but hopefully in other seasons we'll figure out what really makes this woman tick and what her views are.
Q. Is there anything about the role that you found challenging?
A. Characters that are flawed, you definitely want to make them feel likable, sympathetic, and human. There were a few times I was curious why and how, I mean I still don't know what possesses this woman to actually make out with her son's friend. At one point when I was working with the actor who plays Tyler (Michael Trevino), and I thought to myself, "What grade are you supposed to be in?" Of course Michael is in his twenties, but he's supposed to of course be in high school. At that moment I think we both had to laugh because I thought, "What would possess a woman to do such a thing?" There was nothing particularly challenging, in fact it was a lot of fun. I liked that the characters had room to play, and be bigger than life, and Kelly definitely was that. It was really nice working with Ian Somerhalder, we have very similar personalities, so we were able to just feel free to explore these characters in the very short amount of time that my character was on screen. The honest truth is that the part wasn't a huge part, it's really a tickle, a taste for the audience. I had to make up my own back story on why this woman does what she does. Usually people who have alcohol issues or substance abuse issues and are escaping from something. Like I said, I think she's definitely escaping from something that I have to learn about, if the writers write about it then the audience has to learn about it eventually.
Q. Is it hard coming in for such a short stint when working on a show?
A. No, it's a wonderful group, the only thing that's difficult for me is that I have a child at home in Los Angeles. The only other difficult thing is that Atlanta was having the coldest winter that they've had in years and it was cold! I wasn't prepared for six degree weather, and twenty degree weather, and snow. Other than that, it's a wonderful cast and a wonderful group of people and they made me feel very welcomed and very comfortable, which is really important. Flying back and forth can be a bit taxing on anybody, but other than that, it was a wonderful experience and I'd be back in a second.
Q. Might we get to see Kelly return in the second season?
A. Sure, there definitely is. We left with the idea that Kelly could come back at any given moment, we don't really know where she is at the moment. I don't really know what the next scripts are or if they've said anything about Kelly. I am assuming that she packed her bags and left because ultimately she makes a sacrifice. She's making her son's life miserable, and she knows that, so she has to leave town. At this point I am not dead so that means I could come back any second and at any time.
Q. Do you prefer doing guest star roles or series regulars?
A. I'm a series regular fanatic! Guest star roles are always fun because you get to meet new people and bounce around to the different families around town. For me a really perfect job is part of an ensemble, which "Nikita" is. Because I am a mother, I am very happy to go to work a few days a week as opposed to every single day, and that way I can have time with my daughter. Doing that for years at a time is something that is very comfortable to me.
Q. Do you have a latest obsession? Are you into any particular book, sport, or activity?
A. It's not even at the moment, it's a life long thing, I'm a foodie. I have every "Iron Chef America," all of the Food Network shows, and all of the Anthony Bourdain episodes on my DVR. I have like thirty episodes on my DVR that I need to catch up on, like "Top Chef" and "Top Chef Masters." I literally was watching some last night and I got inspired to make a special truffle oil pasta. I went out to Whole Foods and bought everything and made it late at night. My hobby is absolutely food, and going out to restaurants, which I have to actually be very careful about because I have a daughter who needs to go to college eventually. I have always had a passion for food, and for restaurants, and the whole social aspect of just sitting down and enjoying great cuisine and having a great conversation with friends and family. Also the past two years I've gotten into river rafting of all things. I was able to do the Grand Canyon a few years ago for fourteen days. I hiked down into the canyon for eight miles and met up with some friends. They did it for twenty-five days, and I did it for fourteen, which was a huge physical and mental challenge.
Q. What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?
A. I am humbled by their support, and the fans love for the characters, because I really do love the characters that I play. Hopefully they don't resemble me too much and people understand that they are characters. It's a wonderful feeling to know that you can bring entertainment to people, especially in the last few years nwith things being so difficult. Television is such an incredible release and I know that there are more people watching television now as a form of entertainment than there probably used to be. I would say keep watching, and thank you, and hopefully I'll be able to be on the CW with another show. I know that "The Vampire Diaries" is a huge hit, and that won't go away for a while, so hopefully Kelly Donovan can pop in there and create some havoc.
source: starrymag
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