QQ. You'll soon be seen in the show "24." What are some of the other recent projects that you've been working on?
A. I have a movie coming out in March for Lionsgate, I star opposite Larry The Cable Guy. It's a movie called Delta Farce, completely opposite from "24." It's silly, slapstick comedy.
Q. What can you tell me about the premise for the film?
A. Larry The Cable Guy plays a volunteer National Guard type guys who volunteers on the weekend. By accident he gets mistaken as a soldier and what he thinks is sent to Iraq to liberate the village. Instead by accident he gets off in Mexico but he still thinks he is in Iraq. He liberates the Mexican village but he thinks it is an Iraqi village. I am the only female in the Mexican village.
Q. Going back to the show "24," what can you tell us about your character for the new season?
A. She's half Pakistani, half American. She was born in a Muslim country but raised in America. She speaks Arabic and is still a practicing Muslim but considers herself an American. She was raised here and has no accent, she is technically right under Bill Buchanan, played by James Morrison, who is the director of CTU.
Q. Did you have to do any research or training for your role?
A. Basically, I had to learn how to pronounce the words. It's not that much, fortunately, which was great. But, because that's apparently her second language, she can speak it fluently, so I had to pronounce it correctly. They have a guy who basically tells them how to pronounce all of the Arabic words. So, I had to get on the phone with him and drill it, and be like, "Tell me what you think. If it is not perfect can we fix it in post and editing?" That kind of think.
Q. Was he a language specialist or a dialect coach?
A. I think he just speaks Farsi so he can tell you how. It's interesting, there are so many different dialects as well. I'll hear from one person it's pronounced this way and another person it's pronounced that way. I guess it just depends on what region you are from. It does change depending on whose opinion they ask. So, I was like, I'm just going to do it this way because that's what the guy said.
Q. What about your role has been challenging for you?
A. Memorizing the technical lines. In CTU they deal a lot with computers, protocols and military type language. I am not a computer person, I have an Apple because it's easy. So, even just this last week, I was talking to people and asking what exactly is a proxy, protocol and subnet. All these things that these guys rattle off the top of their head because it's nothing since they deal with it everyday. Me being an actor, I had no clue what I'm saying. So, I had to look up a lot of things in the dictionary and understand what it was I was talking about.
Q. Did it remind you of when you were on "In Justice" and you had to learn legal terms?
A. Yeah but with legal terms I found it a little easier. I guess it's just easier because you hear it more often. But, with the technical thing it's just like, "What?" You have to try and clear it and you have to find a really simple dictionary. Otherwise, you'll get "a proxy is a protocol subnet router." You need to get a simple dictionary that explains it simply.
Q. A lot of people will stand in front of a mirror to practice that kind of terminology. Did you strictly just use the dictionary for help?
A. I was able to get enough from friends. Last weekend I had a friend who runs a computer company explaining it to me in a simpler terms. That's not all we do in CTU, if you're familiar with the show, we have our own plotline and storylines to develop as well. For a while I was going on the Internet and getting information on what a Cobra Black Helicopter M3 looks like. That's where Camp Pendleton is and after a while you get more used to it. Plus, cast mates help a lot! So, sometimes Mary Lynn Rajskub will explain to me what it is or she will be like, "I don't know."
Q. How was it getting to work with such a wonderful team of actors on the show?
A. Kind of like a dream, they are so good at what they do and so down to earth. Completely cool as hell to work with every single day. I really hit the jackpot with the cast, crew and writers. There are no divas on the set, no nothing, you're not dying to go home when they wrap you. It's like, "Cool, what are you guys doing this weekend?" A very cool experience.
Q. Do you have a really memorable moment from your time working on the show?
A. Yes, but I can't talk about it because it will give away the plot. I will have to just say wait and see. Although, I can say that probably Sunday when I watch the premiere will be extremely memorable. I haven't seen anything yet so I will be watching it for the first time with the rest of the fans. That'll be very cool, and I'm actually really excited, just as much if not more then everybody else.
Q. Will you be having a viewing party with your friends?
A. Yeah, I am going to someone else's house who is having a party for it, it's very cool.
Q. The show does have all of these dramatic elements to it. Will there be a heightened experience for your character as well?
A. Of course, completely, still can't give it away. But, I had a blast doing it.
Q. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
A. So many things, right now, going to movies. I want to see every single movie that is up for a Golden Globe. I was shooting so much and then over the vacation I was busy. I have next week off after the Golden Globes and I want to go see different movies that I haven't had the opportunity to see yet.
Q. What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?
A. Thanks for supporting me and I hope to keep entertaining you and keep doing roles where people say, "That's still her?" That kind of thing.
