Credit: @lindsey_mp
And here's my very rough translation of a recent interview with Sasha, posted on Sensacine:
Note: None of Sasha's answers are direct quotes; they are loosely paraphrased translations.Absolutely Angie: A fan site with news, photos, and commentary related to "Rizzoli & Isles" star Angie Harmon.
Sasha Alexander (born in Los Angeles, 1973) is one of those actresses who isn’t on TV much, and you don’t understand why. In Spain, we saw for the first time thanks to her role as Gretchen Witter on "Dawson's Creek,” and since then we have seen her have far too small parts in “Friends,” interviewing Joey in “The One with Joey's Interview,” “CSI” and “House.” Married to director Edoardo Ponti (and therefore the daughter-in-law of Sophia Loren), she is best known for her role as Caitlin Todd in “NCIS.” She now shares the spotlight with Angie Harmon (“Law & Order”) in “Rizzoli & Isles,” a TNT crime drama. Its first season consists of ten episodes and will premier on Calle 13 on Wednesday, May 11 at 10:25 p.m.
Based on books by author Tess Gerritsen , “Rizzoli & Isles” has been renewed for a second season, which hits the U.S. on July 11. In it, Alexander brings the medical examiner Maura Isles to life - a very feminine, pretty nerdy shopaholic who solves crimes in Boston with the help of the macho Detective Jane Rizzoli (Harmon). In this interview, she talks about the chemistry with her co-star, the chaos resulting from having to learn medical terminology, and even her relationship with the couches. “Rizzoli & Isles” promises to keep viewers riveted with stories of mass murderers, marathons, and much, much humor.
First, congratulations on your baby.
Thank you very much. He was born five months ago, and his name is Leonardo.
Tell us about your character in “Rizzoli & Isles.”
Maura Isles works in Boston as a medical examiner. She is very strong, very intelligent and quite eccentric. She comes from a wealthy family with lots of money, had a great education and has traveled the world. She speaks several languages and is kind of the ugly duckling of the group.
But there's nothing wrong with being the ugly duckling, right?
No, no. I love that because it is very funny. It’s not easy for an actress to find a character as strong and smart as her, and also have other sides to explore. For example, she has a lot of dates and always diagnoses the men she goes out with. I laugh with her, and I also find her challenging.
Is it hard to learn all the medical terms, and be surrounded by so much death?
The technicalities are always complicated. I have had to Google a lot of words, and ask the writers what some things mean. There were times when I said the same word three different ways. We recorded a scene and someone would say, "No Sasha, you have to say it like this.” About the bodies... They may be a little disgusting, but they’re not real. They are actors with makeup and special effects.
How is your chemistry with Angie Harmon, who plays Detective Rizzoli?
I’m lucky to have a co-star with whom I can have natural chemistry. There are times you have to build that relationship, and others – like this – when that isn’t necessary. Angie I have chemistry on and off the screen. And that's what's fun – we take that chemistry to create our characters. I first met her when we started the series, and we immediately connected. She is the kind of girl I would have passed notes to in school.
Do you try to make “Rizzoli & Isles” about women trying to balance their work and personal life?
That is one of the issues we address. There are not many women in their professions, and is always a challenge to face a world dominated by men. It's very interesting to see them go on dates, how they meet men and how they talk about them – sometimes in front of a corpse. That’s the fun of the series – hearing normal topics being discussed in atypical situations.
The best thing about the characters is that they are very different, but are still friends.
Yes, Jane Rizzoli is a policewoman who grew up in Boston and is a bit macho. Maura Isles doesn’t yet know exactly where she came from, but grew up in a rich, upper class family. She is feminine, refined and can be extravagant. It’s true, they’re very different, but are also friends and co-workers who solve many crimes in Boston.
And Maura is also very fashionable and impeccably dressed.
She has the best wardrobe in the series! I love the clothes I have to wear. Maura has exquisite taste. She’s very chic. Everything is perfect, and you can wear heels even when you have to analyze a body. Fashionable at all times, although we try to make it as natural as possible.
Did you have to do a lot of preparation for the role?
Luckily, I knew some forensic stuff already from “NCIS.” There was a character named Ducky (David McCallum) and I spent some time in his laboratory. What I wanted was to understand exactly why Maura chose her profession, and what was so exciting about being a coroner. She really wants to understand the lives and stories behind the people. She examines the bodies not only to discover what happened to them, but also to give them some peace even though they’re dead. We also have an expert on set who helps me hold the tools in a natural way, so that’s a great help.
Are there many strong female characters on TV?
There are. In “Rizzoli & Isles,” we are fortunate that the story is based on books by a female author (Tess Gerritsen) and adapted by a female writer (Janet Tamaro). We’re not typical pretty, bitchy female characters. My character is funny, weird and sexy one minute and the next, very controversial and angry. Television doesn’t always give you that opportunity, and we’re opening more doors.
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