Q. What are some of the recent projects that you've been working on? 

A. In the past year or so I’ve worked on some great features, including Get Low with Robert Duvall and My Own Love Song with Renee Zellweger.  Both were at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, and Get Low will premiere in theatres in late August.  I’ve also been doing quite a few small films, which I really love.  In/Significant Others did very well at festivals and is starting its release (a much edgier-than-usual role for me, and a lot of fun), and Hero is finishing up right now in North Carolina—it also stars Justin Miles, who plays Marcus Jordan on “The Gates”.

Q. You're currently seen on the show "The Gates," what can you tell us about your character Karen? 

A. Karen Crezski is the single mom to troubled teen werewolf Brett.  Appearances are important to her, and she has a great sense of style. On the surface, she seems perfect…and as we all know, those are the ones to watch out for.  Really at her core Karen’s just a mom trying to do her best with an out-of-control son, trying to make ends meet so she can keep him safe and put food on the table, and trying to get along with her neighbors.  But like other residents of The Gates, Karen has secrets, and she’s certainly got a little edge to her that we’ll see more of in upcoming episodes.   

Q. Where do you draw from for your portrayal? 

A.  I genuinely love Karen and try to focus on what she’s going through from a very human perspective.  I feel for her desire to keep so many things together all the time.  We learned in episode three that her husband and son were killed, so that makes her especially protective of Brett.  But due to other obligations she’s not as present in his life as she could be, so she probably feels some guilt and responsibility for his actions.  Then you throw into the mix her being “different,” and things get even more complicated.  As an actor you take all of those realities and just try to play her as honestly as you can.  Of course, Karen has some really great externals that help, too…perfect hair and makeup, tightly tailored dresses, fabulous shoes.  Just the posture required to do all that justice definitely contributes to Karen’s “air.”   

Q. Is there anything about your role that you find challenging? 

A. I think the biggest challenge with Karen is to give her that “perfection” without being off-putting.  She can be hard to warm up to at first since she has a hard time letting anyone in to who she truly is.  But I hope that the more people get to know her (and audiences will get to know her much better over the next few weeks), the more sympathetic and likeable she becomes.  She also has some nice funny stuff coming up in episodes six and seven (including the much-talked-about pool party scene) that I’m really looking forward to.   

Q. The cast has such great chemistry together, did it come naturally or did it take some time to develop? 

A. It came naturally.  Colton (Haynes), who plays Brett, and I got along great from the moment we met, and Rhona (Mitra), who plays Claire, and I have bonded over—among other things—our love for our dogs and Carolina peaches.  It is really such a pleasure to go to work with these amazingly talented and truly kind people, and I’ll miss them when filming is over.

Q. Do you have a really memorable moment from filming the show? 

A. Absolutely.  It takes place in the episode I’m currently filming (episode twelve)…and of course I can’t talk about it.  Wink.

Q. What is it about the show that you think has drawn in so many viewers?  

A. There’s definitely an ongoing interest in supernatural creatures these days, especially vampires.  I think that our show’s focus on other creatures as well—witches, werewolves, a succubus—and how their situation in The Gates contributes to their personal dramas makes us different in a really good way.  Audiences really care about the characters and follow their stories week to week, and from what we hear our fans are absolutely devoted.  Each episode opens up a new can of worms, and it’s fun to see what will happen next.

Q. Is there a place online where those interested can go to learn more about you and keep up with your projects? 

A. I have a website that I don’t update often enough at  www.andreapowell.com – ironic, since I’m also a web designer.  As usual, the cobbler has no shoes.  Probably the best way is to follow my Twitter (@andipowell) and “Like” my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/andpow).

Q. You're a part of the social networking site Twitter, why is it important for you to connect with fans that way? 

A.  Sites like Twitter and Facebook allow me not only to keep people informed about what’s going on with the show and what I’m up to, but it also allows them to communicate back, ask questions, and forward information to other people who might be interested.  It’s a great reminder that we’re all just people, and while I try to keep my personal life out of my it as much as possible, I think it does let fans see that I’m not any better or worse than they are, I just happen to have this crazy job.  A job that I love, which is all any of us can hope for no matter what we do for a living.   

Q. What would you like to say to your fans and supporters? 

A. Thank you so much for your interest and amazing support, and keep watching!