Clara Pasieka – Inhuman Condition

By starrymag | September 7, 2016

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

Q) You have this magnetic chemistry with Thomas Olajide who plays Linc, did that come naturally for you two or did it take some time to develop?

 

A) Thomas Olajide and I both take the work incredibly seriously. We’re very focused. We don’t like to have conversations about unrelated things before doing a difficult scene. We like to find alcoves just off set to prepare and if our characters are supposed to not have seen each other for a while, we won’t be in the same room until right before we shoot. We had a different process related to the sexual chemistry of the series. Apart from that specific situation, we didn’t talk about any of this. It’s just how we worked. I guess we needed some of the same things in our process and the things we needed that were different we really tried to let each other have and not intrude upon. So, I think our processes worked really well together. I find when actors really respect each other, it shows in the work. Thank you for your kind words.

 

On a personal level, Thomas is lovely, humble and full of grace. He’s also often quiet…the opposite of me on that last one! We greeted each other really warmly every day all season and then almost never spoke about anything besides the work, all day every day…which we were both completely okay with. We have a lot of episodes together, but we really haven’t hung out that much. Perhaps we’ve done so much hanging out with our characters and we’ve loved and cared about them so much that maybe they had all they needed to build their own relationships…with each other. We supported them and tried to be what they needed us to be, that maybe, we were able to get out of their way.

 

Q) How do you see the relationship between Kessler and Clara – mother/daughter, a mix of patient/Doctor friendship, or are there blurred lines?

 

A) I feel like when a therapist and a patient have worked together for a long time, an ease of conversation can develop and a shorthand that seems like they have a closeness. But it is not quite mother-daughter that they have. Fans may recall Clara referring to Dr. Kessler (Torri Higginson) as her best friend, a sentiment which seems one-sided if not rare in patient-therapist relationships.

 

Q) How was your character Clara originally described to you and did that change or evolve as the series began filming? 

 

A) She was originally described to me as a fighter and an activist. It was important to the producers and creative that she wasn’t someone who had given up, that she was determined. That never went away, but who she was fighting for and the battles she fought along the way deepened, appeared and changed. I now think she’s fighting to be understood as much as she’s fighting to literally have a form signed. If she only has a signature, she’s not getting what she needs most. Her work with Kessler helps her understand that for herself.

 

Q) Which was the hardest scene for you to film and why?

 

A) I’ve done several interviews about the series now and my answer remains the same. The episode that recently aired with the big scene between Kessler, Linc and Clara was just exhausting and really important for me. I needed to do it justice because I felt like in particular in this episode, that it was larger than these characters. That episode was for everyone who has ever told someone they love that they have a terminal illness, for everyone who has ever said they were saying no to more treatment, for everyone who has felt the weight of loved ones as they made a decision with a clear ending that others may not be supportive of—it was for them.

 

Q) What I love about the writing is it has this deeply rooted darkness but then also at times it seems so soft and poignant light. What can you talk about working with the writers? What drew you to this role?

 

A) R.J. Lackie is lovely, deep and wise beyond his years. He’s good at writing humans…and inhumans when the need arises. He was great to talk to as I came to know Clara more deeply.

 

Q) What has been your favorite part of Clara’s character development?

 

A) That she is learning how to take care of herself and what she needs instead of mostly making sure other people are doing all right with a difficult thing. That was hard to learn how to do for her…for me.

 

Q) Clara is faced with incredibly hard decisions and choices and she does so with the weight of the world on her shoulders. How did you really get into her mindset of a woman who has such inner strength but also layered vulnerability?

 

A) I already knew how to do that, to be that. That’s already in me. The hard part of playing her was just living in the hardest, bravest, most gut-wrenching parts of…well…being human, every day, all season.

 

Q) You’re a part of social media, how has it been for you with the instant fan feedback? What kind of reaction have you received?

 

A) Very positive. I’d be happy to receive more from fans about what the show stirs in them or makes them think about any time. The most fulfilling for me to receive has been when people have said that it mattered to them that there were watching a show with people grappling with the same parts of their identity as the characters on screen. For instance, when people have written about anxiety, marginalization, sexual orientation. I’m as interested in people growing and feeling less alone as a result of what they gain from my co-stars/co-characters as me/Clara. I want fans to know that I do read everything that they directly send to me even if I don’t always reply. I appreciate you sharing your feels!

 

Q) As we get closer to the finale, is there anything that you can tease about Clara’s decision to die and her love for Linc? What about her relationship with Kessler?

 

A) Clara’s love for Linc is certain. She’ll keep needing Kessler to remind her of what already lies inside her…

 

Q) What have you taken away from her experiences being a part of this series?

 

A) I realized most of my favorite characters I’ve ever played haven’t been particularly pretty, but they’ve all been beautiful…raw, full, oh, dare I say it, human. Clara Walker is no exception.