Emma Dumont & Skyler Samuels – The Gifted – Comic Con 2018

By: Heather Tollis

Q) I loved that your character became over the season, basically, Magneto. Was that something you enjoyed?

Emma: Are you kidding?! I enjoyed being mutant royalty. Heck yeah! She’s her father’s daughter a hundred percent, no matter how much she despises it. And she’s pregnant. She’s having a baby. She’s about to be a parent. Magneto kind of got around so he’s had a few kids. So, she’s kind of going to be in the same position he was many years ago. He had to weigh the opportunity to cost to saving the world or having a family and the resentment she has for her father may sort of go away when she realizes she’ll have to make a similar sacrifice.

Q) Talk about the research that you did into being bi-polar.

Emma: I did so much research. I read so many books. The first conversation I had with our showrunner, Matt Nix, he was like, “Because she has this thing it’s going to be double the work for you. You have to think about every day what she has gone through on that day and everything she is feeling at every single moment. A scene that may seem one way to every single other character or to the audience is something else to her in her head.” Something else I love about Polaris…Yeah, she has bi-polar disorder, but that’s not who she is. It’s just a fact about her. She has green eyes. She has green hair. She’s really pale. She’s tall. She’s got bi-polar disorder. Her favorite color is black. It’s just another fact about her. I hate when people ask, “How does it feel to be a superhero despite having a mental illness?” No. Not despite; maybe even because. It’s part of why she is a hero and why she saves lives and oh the research I did was endless. I’ve read every book and I’ve spoken to people who have bi-polar disorder. It’s the most eye-opening experience that I’ve ever had. I was so invested in this character and this part of her that I even got mad at Sean [Teale] so many times. There was a place in Season 1 where Marco asks Lorna, “Are you sure you’re not manic? Are you sure this isn’t an episode?” And I got so angry because how rude is that. Why would you say that?

Q) What can you tease is in store this season?

Skyler: This season we get to see the Frost triplet sisters. There are three of them so far but like in the comics there are Frosts all over the place. I like to say they are like cockroaches – stomp on one and more keep coming. [laughs]

Q) Is it hard doing different versions of them? They are all so alike, but still so different. Is it hard finding that balance?

Skyler: I have to remember they have different voices and they do begin this season to emotional and physically differentiate. Luckily, I have two amazing girls (Amber and Rebecca) who dress up with me and take turns with me reading lines. Sometimes it’s confusing. Sometimes I’m like, “Which sister is that? Who’s this? Who’s that?”

Emma: No! She’s lying. She’s such a pro. Seeing her is a highly choreographed art.

Skyler: It’s a bit of a dance. The triplet dance is a real thing, but it’s been a lot of fun. And who knows? I can’t want to tack on a few more sisters. [laughs]