Dilshad Vadsaria – Second Chance

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) You often play a lot of complex, layered characters. What do you like most about those roles?

A) I love that each of the characters has been so diverse and they all come from a very specific place in life. They are intelligent and caring. Rebecca (on “Greek”) was maybe misunderstood, but I love that they are layered and complex. There is so much to them that I really get to throw myself into and discover and bring to the table and expand on. It starts from a certain places, but then I get to so many other places with them – which I love!

Q) They are all intelligent and often have an emotional side that they hide, which leaks out when they may not want to.

A) All of the characters I have played are driven in some way and strong in some way, which I think is really, really cool to have that representation on screen for female characters.

Q) We are also getting to see more diversity in leading ladies and men. We have Prianka Chopra on “Quantico,” Jessica Sula on “Recovery Road” and you and Adhir [Kalyan] on “Second Chance.” How does that make you feel?

A) I agree that we are seeing more and more on screen, which is great. I would like to reach one day where we are just talking about the best actor for the job playing that character. I think we are moving in that direction and it makes me happy to see that. What I like is that the diversity that we are seeing – the reality is that as large as our world is it’s quite small now with the internet and us being able to connect with each other so quickly. I feel like the stories that we tell need to represent in a very smart and intelligent way the diversity of the world we live in, not just our city and country. We’re all so connected with each other that when something happens anywhere in the world it still effects us here. We see that happening on a daily basis. So, I feel like the stories need to reflect that kind of complexity, diversity and simplicity. If you think about it, how simple is it is to think, “We’re all connected.” I think our stories should reflect that every day and I’m glad to see we are moving in that direction. I would like to set the bar for that. I would like us, as storytellers, to set the bar for that instead of following from what the reality already is.

Q) Mary and Otto have this great bond. I also like (for now) that they are not pitted against each other. Will that dynamic in their relationship continue or will there be a twin twist?

A) I think up until the point, James Pritchard (Robert Kazinsky) has shown up in their lives because of us. Mary and Otto have been very much connected and had this life where they are so dependent on each other because they don’t have parents. That’s very lonely and very sad. I feel for them in that sense. I also feel for Mary because of Otto not being able to communicate with the world as you and I are (and not exist within the world). She has taken on the role of mother in a different manner – in a heightened manner because she is not just the sister taking care of her brother making sure he is okay because there is no one else to make sure they are going to be okay. On top of that, he has these barriers that he can’t move through. So, there is a tremendous responsibility that she took on from a very young age. There is no resentment to that, but they have lived in an extremely isolated world. Looking Glass is both of them. I don’t imagine that they have dinner parties or friends for that matter since her world revolves around Looking Glass and Otto. Now James Pritchard is in their world and staying in their home, when they don’t even invite people to hang out! So, it will definitely cause a change in dynamic. There is also a dynamic where Otto looks at James as this code. He is a means to an end. He is a way to save Mary’s life. That’s it. Otto can’t seem to get past that where as Mary is trying to say to Otto, “We brought back a human being and with that comes a lot of responsibility. He didn’t ask to be brought back. He had a family before he died. He had all of these problems.” Those things haven’t gone away. That’s going to be a really big pull for both of them and you’ll have to wait and see what happens. It’s like throwing a wrench in a circumstance and asking, “What is going to happen now?” It’s not going to be smooth sailing. I’ll say that much.

Q) Mary seems to possess an empathy towards the circumstances she has put James in, but at the same time she is worried about her health and brother.

A) There is a ripple effect that Otto is not focusing on because he is so focused on saving Mary’s life. He thinks James is there for that sole purpose only. So, that is going to be a difference in philosophy, for sure. Mary has a lot of empathy for James. I think that is her make. She comes from the heart. Though she is a powerful woman that runs a massive company, behind the scenes with what is happening in her personal life is something different. She works from the heart. Wherever Mary goes, she works from the heart. She is quite intelligent, but also works from her instincts and heart and that leads her in a certain direction when it comes to where their lives are going now.

Q) What can you tell us about the twin language that Otto has with Mary?

A) For the practicality from the show, it came from Rand Ravich. He is actually the one behind it. With every episode, we would get our twin speak and we would have to memorize it and deliver the lines. For Mary and Otto that comes from before their parents died, this was how Otto communicated to everyone through Mary. Mary was the only one who could connect with him and he only felt safe with Mary since the womb. Once their parents died in the car accident and everything like that, they continued with the twin speak. This is their private world. It’s a world that you really don’t always need to communicate verbally, but if there is a communication it goes back to this bond. They have this language and connection and it is really, really deep rooted for them. I think you can have those bonds, even if you are not a twin. You can have that bond with someone you love and their life is very much engrained in your life and vice versa where you need each other to breathe almost – to function. I think everyone can connect to it on that level.

Q) Mary seems to be blurring the lines between creator and crush at times. How will this affect the brother/sister bond, the transfusion and keeping James a secret?

A) This will very much effect the sibling bond. Mary doesn’t bring home friends, much less lovers. Now all of a sudden there is this guy who is supposed to save my life and having a responsibility for him, but there is something that is there. It’s complicated. Neither James or Mary are uncomplicated characters. So, there is no way that this relationship is not going to be complicated. They have both gone down paths in their lives where they have had to take care of other people and themselves, but are independent. They have walls up when it comes to certain situations. So, it’s not going to be all rosy and beautiful. But there is definitely a big connection that these two are starting to have that will only develop further. That is going to be a dynamic that is very new for Otto and I think he will have a very difficult time dealing with it – a very difficult time. Otto needs consistency. He needs them to be exactly the way they have been and Mary has always known that, which is why she has always protected him. But the question is, has she done more harm than good doing that? All of these questions arise. As brilliant as each of them are, that they didn’t anticipate or prepare for. It’s human. That’s life. It happens and you get something out of left field that wasn’t part of the plan and you wonder, “What do I do?” and you’re going to see that, for sure.

Q) Mary might not have friends, but she seems to have a close relationship with her assistant Alexa (played by Vanessa Lengies). Vanessa has shared that there may be a darkness coming from her. Will there be a gradual shift in their dynamics or will there be a drastic turn?

A) From Mary’s point of view, when you are in that position there are very few people that you can trust. There are very few people that you can let into your life. Most people want something from you when you are at that level and you become quite isolated. So, she deeply cares for Alexa. She is one of the most important people in her life (outside of Otto). Mary sees the good in people. She knows how to get things done because she didn’t get to where she is by being naive. She sees the good in people and there isn’t much bad to see in Alexa. But she is also very smart so there are going to be signs that she is going to see where you kind of go, “What is happening?” Then, you’ll see how things turn and when things do turn it becomes a pretty high octane situation! It doesn’t come from a place of just wanting to hurt Mary. There are stakes that are there and it is not what choice is the right choice or what one would want someone to do given the circumstance, but it is not without basis. It’s not without some sort of motivation. When the audience sees that, they’ll think, “What would I do in that circumstance?” That is what the show is about. It’s the choices that each character makes that brings them (along with everyone else) down a path and makes them travel on a road, but it’s not because anyone is innocent in those choices. Everyone has a stake in the path they have chosen and how that effects someone else – the ripple effects it has. That happens in real life. We decide on something and then it effects those around us and that is no different for these characters and the people in their lives.

Q) Will Mary be experiencing any side effects from the transfusion?

A) She gets cured of cancer. It does work. I am allowed to tell you that! At some point, she starts to get better. The numbers do start to get better, but that doesn’t mean that things start to get better. Things actually start to get worse, but her numbers do get better.

Q) It was announced that “Second Chance” was moving nights to Fridays. Do you think that switching nights will give people a second chance to find the show?

A) I hope so! I think being paired with “Sleepy Hollow” is a good thing for us. It’s that same world we are living in, the sci-fi world while still being based in reality. So, I think we might actually share the same audiences. I hope people start to set their DVR or watch the show on Friday because where we are going is pretty intense and it’s pretty exciting. I just think the audience will really, really enjoy the ride these characters will take. We’ll see where the storyline goes and how people will react to it. I think it is good to be paired with “Sleepy Hollow.”

Q) There are so many wonderful driven and intense scenes for Robert and he gets his moments where he has high energy. Also, there are some moments where you feel fearful of his character. What is one thing about Robert that you think fans should know?

A) I think it is cool (and not just for Rob, but everyone) that we all show up to play. We all tease each other, but when it comes down to the work we all show up to play, which is really cool. We all come to set prepared and ready to go. We want to do the best. I can say that for every single person. That’s why I have enjoyed the experience so much. To work with a group of people like that has bene amazing. I am so thankful for the experience. We all care about the work, we’re there to support each other and we’re all ready to goas soon as we step on set. That’s a good thing. That’s a pretty cool thing!

Q) What is a goal you have set for yourself to achieve in 2016?

A) I hate resolutions. I never keep them so I think, “Why?” But I think something that I just want to remind myself to do is to live in the moment, let go and to color outside the lines. It’s okay and just keep doing that. Not just for this year, but to keep doing that. It’s something that I really want to give myself as something to live by.