Interview The TV Chick - Charisma

The Lying Game is back next week to bring us more mysteries, cliffhangers and crazy drama. Charisma Carpenter played one of my favorite characters on Buffy, so I was excited at the chance to speak to the person behind sassy Cordelia. Of course Rebecca, her character on The Lying Game, is very different. All we know is that Rebecca is the twins’ mom and has been working with Sutton. We have yet to find out how Sutton and Emma were taken away from her or any of her backstory, but Charisma promises that’s coming. She also talked about a big premiere bombshell, how the Sutton/Rebecca relationship is going to develop and Rebecca’s twisted marriage with Alec.

When we last left off, we saw that Sutton and Rebecca were working together. What can you share about where we pick up this season?
I think the season starts with Rebecca and Sutton’s relationship, how much she knows, how long she’s known. When they did unite, I think Rebecca’s motives are revealed and to plot and plan and how they’re going to execute reuniting the family.

You’ve played a wide variety of characters. Were you attracted to the dark, mysterious side of Rebecca?
(laughs) It’s only the most fun role to play? None better.

Of course. And how are we going to see Sutton and Rebecca’s relationship develop — there’s a nice moment in the premiere where Rebecca is sorry for missing Sutton growing up.
I think that’s a good question, and I understand the need to ask it. I think there’s some ups and downs in their relationship and I think it’s hard for Sutton because obviously when you’re separated from your mother, from a Freudian point of view, that’s very damaging. And you either can go really needy with it or become really closed off. And I think it’s hard for Sutton to feel for a mother that wants to be there for her, without being a little resentful that she wasn’t and not have some squeamish side to her, like don’t show me affection, don’t love me. And I think it’s a beautiful thing to experience in the scene, because then you feel sorry for both of them. Because obviously, she’s shut down and obviously Rebecca has this great need to fulfill these nurturing mother needs. And then she’s denied that. Not on a big level, but there’s little cuts that happen. And I think that carries out through the entire season.

Definitely. Do you think Rebecca is longing for that relationship with Emma as well?
Yeah. I think she wants her whole family. It just becomes evident. It’s a mantra. She says over and over and over again, I want my family back. And it was so unjustifiably taken away from her. And I think that because of that which we find out how and what I mean by that…what do you mean it was taken away from her? And we find out how. We find out all the different little hurts and reasons why things came to be, and there’s scenes with Sutton where she explains. This is why I do what I do, and I’m not going to let anything get in my way. And this person is in the way, and I want what I want. I want my family. And she’s entitled to have her family. And you can’t really hate somebody too much for ultimately wanting to preserve the family unit, right?

Right. Totally. So we’re going to learn the backstory…
Right. How did the girls become orphans. How did they become separated. And then how she planned to get them all together again.

And I assume that we will see a more vulnerable side of Rebecca.
Of course. And then you get to see her turn that right off in the next scene. (laughs)

And Rebecca and Alec’s relationship is quite interesting and maybe not the most genuine. How are we going to see that develop now?
You know what’s so funny, is that how that’s developing is that they still end up under the same roof. Then more people show up under that roof. How the heck are we going to make this work? So it’s awesome. It’s really interesting how Chuck was able to write that. It’s fun. It’s a whole big cat and mouse thing.

I know you can’t spoil a lot but what can you tease about the big premiere and why viewers should tune in?
I think viewers should tune in because I think it’s television for the teenager and the parent. I think when you watch 90210, when I was watching 90210, there wasn’t a lot going on with the parents. The parents’ storyline was boring and there really was no storyline. They were just sort of in the background. Whereas with this show, 9 times out of 10, the kids really dominate the television right before they go to bed, so you’re going to kind of acquiesce. There are TV shows that my kid insists on watching that I am totally pulling my hair out with frustration, wishing that I didn’t have to watch. So I feel like as a parent, I can sympathize. And I feel like our show genuinely has a storyline for the parents to watch, something that they can get into, be thrilled by. And then there’s an amazing storyline for the kids, which is great. So it’s sort of like the whole demographic, the range is 15-80.

Right, which is great.
I feel. I think it’s something for the whole family to watch, and watch together and have some dialogue about.

Did anything about this season and your arc surprise you?
(laughs) Yeah. I have a son!

I didn’t know if you were allowed to talk about that…
Well we do find out about the nature of their relationship specifically and we find out why he shows up. We find out if he has a mysterious past and we ultimately get to find out the nature of their relationship, how do they interact with one another.

It may complicate things if certain people are pining after him.
Oh yeah. It screws everybody up on every level. The kids, the grown ups, it’s just a big mess. His presence just screws everything up, so the adults and the kids. Loyalties are brought into question and friendships and love interests and naughty behavior and regrets.

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