One of the things I’m really enjoying this season is highlighting the amazing women of Supernatural – that means being over the moon excited about the Wayward Sisters episode and possible pilot coming up, and it just might mean another book project in the works. I also want to celebrate the many talented guest stars we’re privileged to have on the show, many of whom are kickass women in real life too.
I sat down with director Richard Speight Jr. last weekend to talk about the making of ‘War of the Worlds’ so look for his fascinating behind the scenes insights soon. I also wanted to chat with guest star Farrah Aviva, who played the witch Daniela. Even in the short amount of time we had with her, Farrah managed to make the character memorable. She was clearly a strong woman, with the smarts to ask the Winchesters for help and the courage to sit there cool as a cucumber to trap Ketch.
Lynn: How was the character described to you and did you create any additional ‘backstory’ for her to help with those scenes?
Farrah: The character was originally described to me as: ‘30s, please submit all ethnicities. This exotically attractive woman is a witch whose life in in grave danger. She nervously approaches Sam and Dean for help in her predicament…GUEST STAR.’
I was working on a movie in a different city when I was asked to audition for Daniela so I had to put it on tape which can sometimes be challenging because you don’t get the opportunity to ask casting or the director if you’ve interpreted it properly. I originally prepared her a bit more vulnerable. In a way that showed I was risking everything by approaching the Winchesters. To prep, I imagined it was the middle of a war and I had to ask the enemy for help. Almost as if Anne Frank escaped the attic one day to approach a couple of Nazi soldiers to ask for help. I know that can seem a bit dramatic but I love working off of ‘what if’s’. What if I had to risk everything in order to save others and myself? And that’s exactly what Daniela had to do. In order to save herself and the other witches she had to approach the boys and bring them to one of the witches’ safe houses. Not only did that put her in the middle of nowhere with the Winchesters, I also don’t think the other witches would have forgiven her for it.
Lynn: That makes sense, it really was a big risk for her. And witches don’t seem very forgiving.
