NBC’s Grimm had it’s season 3 finale last Friday and stars Sasha Roiz (Captain Renard) and Claire Coffee (Adalind) took some time out of their schedules to chat about the season and what might be next for the hit show.
The two also talked about their characters, how they got involved in the show and more.
Grimm airs Fridays at 9pm on NBC
How far in advance do you guys know kind of what’s coming for your character?
Claire Coffee: Not very far.
Sasha Roiz: No.
Claire Coffee: Shockingly close to when it actually happens. And you know the – I think Jim and David are really good at keeping all of this from us. Because you know, things change and I think if we knew too far in advance it just subconsciously starts changing the way you’re playing the character I think so.
Sasha Roiz: We probably get scripts at most two weeks before we shoot it.
Claire, more than any other character this season, your character seems to have gone through an incredible range of emotions. How was that to play? Because you got to touch on pretty much everything.
Claire Coffee: Yes, I was telling Jim and David just how grateful – it’s kind of like going back to theater school where you get – it’s like just a massive exercise in exploring the range of human emotions. Yes, I think over those three episodes I got to play every single one of them. So that – I just consider myself lucky, and you know, hope that I didn’t drop the ball.
Well is it easier for you to play the ones where she is, you know scared, or you know upset, or the ones where she’s in a rage and is ready to act out?
Claire Coffee: I don’t know that any one is easier or harder. I mean I think you know, that anything that requires a lot of emotion, be it rage or pain, is exhausting, you know, after a while just – it’s because energy level, it’s just taking a lot out of you. So it was – yes, it was definitely an exhausting two weeks.
Claire, you were on General Hospital before you were on Grimm and I was reading through your character’s description online and to remind myself about it, and it struck me that with all the, you know, her getting pregnant and by two different people and not knowing who the father – it reminded me a bit of a soap opera. Would you agree that there are some parallels?
Claire Coffee: You know, it’s definitely a wild ride. A lot of drama going on. I think it’s – it was a lot I guess, I’ll put it at that.
Claire, you mentioned that your character’s relationship was, “Sickeningly codependent,” which has kind of made it extra fun to watch this season. What was your favorite part about working together and sort of creating kind of odd but exciting chemistry between you both? So the question’s for both of you actually.
Claire Coffee: Well, I don’t think we set out to create odd and exciting chemistry, but that is – that’s a fabulous result, and a fabulously unexpected result.
I think you know, we do have a lot of fun working together. And Sasha’s – he’s just such a generous actor to work with. And I’m not saying that just because he’s on the other end of the line. But you know, we do like – he makes a point to kind of like, we’ll meet up before and kind of suss out what the situation is because we do find ourselves in some kind of outlandishly emotional places.
But I think the most fun, I mean obviously when he is without clothing, that was a pretty fun day on set.
Sasha Roiz: That was pretty funny. That was pretty funny.
Claire Coffee: Yes I would say, “More funny than fun…” for both of us because we’re both wearing various weird, you know, flesh colored underthings. But yes, it’s good that we are such good friends, (I think).
Sasha Roiz: Not the most flattering outfits.
Claire Coffee: Yes, it’s about the least flattering. If they could show behind the scenes, I would say that we – it’s the most unflattering that we’ve looked. But they…
Sasha Roiz: Yes, it’s…
Claire Coffee: …the movie magic makes it look so good.
Sasha Roiz: It’s funny how the sexiest scenes, behind the scenes are the least sexy things you’ve ever witnessed.
Yes, Claire and I have a lovely friendship, you know, on set and I love working with her. And I think she’s done a tremendous job this season. You know, she’s – like you mentioned earlier, like her character arc has been enormous and she’s really stepped up. And so it’s been fun to watch.
And also, their relationship is just so absolutely crazy that it’s really fun to, you know, to always be challenged with that. Because just when you think it can’t get any crazier, they manage to write something new in. So it always remains a little, you know challenging, every single time we face off.
What is the challenge, a likable actress, in making this character so that we put her, sort of in the right perspective. Where we’re not rooting for her because we are rooting for you as an actress?
Claire Coffee: Well thank you for that, first of all. I think, you know, I try not to judge what she’s doing, I just try to figure out why she’s doing it. And I think it’s really important not to – when you’re playing the villain don’t – and actually just in real life, if you try to be liked and if you try to make people like you, like that’s the surest way to get people to hate you.
So I think, you know, I just try to do my think and kind of be true to the character as best as I can. And just – yes, hope that nobody starts throwing rocks.
Claire, and find out if you could perhaps tell us a little bit of how you first became involved in Grimm, and perhaps about the audition process for your role, if you don’t mind.
Claire Coffee: Yes. I actually just went on tape, it was a recurring character, you know, during pilot season. And I went on tape with Donna Rosenstein, who’s the Casting Director.
They – and then I got a call a few days – I got a call that I was – what they say, “You’re in the mix,” which is always really frustrating, because it means, you know, you’re – it’s down to like three or four people and you usually never get it, but you get your hopes up and then, you know, dashed.
But then I got a call at like 8 o’clock on a Friday night — or maybe it was 9 o’clock, that would have been cool — and I was out at a bar with friends and I got the call just saying, you know, “You got it, you’re going to Portland.”
But I had no idea the scope of what the role was. I mean it was – they say, “Guest star, possibly recurring.” So you have no idea; a, if the show’s going to get picked up; or b, if they’re not – if they’re going to keep on with you.
