Katherine Barrell – Wynonna Earp

By starrymag | May 6, 2016

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

Q) How much longer until we get to see you again on “Wynonna Earp?”

A) One more week! After that, she’s good to go.

Q) Did your character evolve at all since the audition?

A) Not really. She was pretty fleshed out for the audition. I auditioned and then a week later I was shooting the first scene where I was introduced. So, there wasn’t really a lot of time for the character to change. I think of all the characters Nicole definitely felt like the character the writers were trying to figure out as we went along. They had a really good sense of Doc (Tim Rozon), Dolls (Shamier Anderson), Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) and Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley), but I think Nicole was a bit of a wildcard. How much are we going to use this character? What is she going to be like? So, from the audition to the first couple of scenes she stayed pretty much how they predicted her. I really think they didn’t know what they were going to do the rest of the season and were kind of winging it a little as they went along, which is a good thing!

Q) Was there anything you added to Haught that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I think as an actor you have to trust that the writers have the series in their mind. They have the arc of the series all figured out and every little piece is really important. So, you can change things here and there, but a massive restructuring is not really something you can do unless it is a conversation you had months and months ago with the writing team.

Q) What drew you to want to be a part of the series?

A) It was Emily’s resume. She writes really, really well for women and I would say that Emily [Andras] has some of the best writing for female characters that I have come across. I also do directing and producing my own small stuff on the side so it was also wanting to one day be able to direct for TV and be able to be a part of creating a show. It’s on my radar and what I’m working on right now. It’s being a part of something she [Emily] is working on and strong female leads are rare. It’s a cast with a female lead and as an actress, you can’t help but want to be a part of it.

Q) How do you feel being a part of a show that is filled with so many wonderful women that look out for each other and can take care of themselves?

A) It really feels awesome! I can’t wait to see where we are in a month’s time and it’s really just getting going now. Constance Clootie was just introduced and she’s an amazing female villain. It feels amazing! I feel beyond blessed. There is no other show shooting in Canada right now that I would rather be a part of.  I’m very lucky and I’m very aware of how lucky I am. I’m very grateful for the fan appreciation and how much people have supported and taken a liking to Nicole. I’m very grateful and happy about it.

Q) There are many WayHaught shippers. What kind of feedback have you gotten and how will their relationship develop?

A) I can’t really talk about that stuff right now because Syfy is really serious about spoilers. I think it’s incredible since Nicole hasn’t been on for maybe more than ten minutes. I’m not exaggerating. I think she’s just been in two episodes with maybe ten minutes of screen time. So, it’s hard to really comment too much on what is coming because I obviously don’t want to give anything away and I think it is important to translate this into a world where anything can happen. Nicole is a cop, which is a very dangerous job. Nobody in Purgatory is safe from getting hurt, killed or heartbroken. I think it is very real in that way because Nicole is not shielded from any of that because she’s on the front lines of danger as she is a police officer.

Q) What can you tease is in store for the season and Haught?

A) The passion the fans show is amazing! I think the fans are going to be really happy when Nicole comes back and she has a lot of cool things to do this season. I think they are going to be happy and will enjoy the storyline of Season One. It’s amazing how passionate people are and I try very hard to get back to all the comments and give feedback. Sometimes I miss stuff and I feel horrible because I’ll go back weeks later and say, “Oh my gosh! I missed this!” I do my best to catchup as much as I can and make sure everyone knows how much I appreciate them taking their time to support the show and my character. It means a lot when someone tells you that they are getting joy from what you do. It’s pretty special.

Q) Was there instant chemistry when everyone began working together?

A) We’re very lucky because our whole cast are genuinely friends and that doesn’t happen all the time. We’re very lucky that it worked out and that we are. We all get along and choose to hang out with each other is pretty special. It’s so great to be able to hang out with the people you work with and enjoy on an everyday, normal level.

Q) Is there someone on the series you wish you could work with more?

A) I had scenes with Tim, but our storylines haven’t crossed that much. I hope they will in the future. I would have loved to have more scenes with him, but we’re in such separate storylines on the show. He doesn’t work at Black Badge and he’s not part of the Earp family. So, the characters don’t cross paths. We do have scenes eventually and I think it would be fun to work with him.

Q) Now that you are a producer and director, has that effected how you approach roles at all?

A) So much! I think overall for my acting career being a producer or director on the other side of the table (especially when you are casting) you just realize how it is not personal and it’s not about you being a good or bad actor. It’s about you being right for the role. That took a lot of pressure off me because it wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about whether I was good or not. It was about me being right for the role. I wasn’t upset about it anymore. It just freaked me out that I didn’t care as much. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about what I was doing, but it wasn’t as much pressure about the outcome. So, that was huge. I think from an acting standpoint I’m more of an economical actor because sometimes I have this sixth sense that I know what they are trying to get. I think I have more of a bird’s eye view of the project. I am able to look at a scene and rather than look at what my character might need from a scene (which of course I also do) and look at it from further back to figure out what the director needs from this scene and what the audience needs from the scene. What is the story of the scene and how am I as this character contributing to that? I think it helps me not be so in my head and an actor who can deliver quicker. Days are packed and they want to get the scenes and move on. Having the experience as a director looking at the project as a whole and not being in my head as an actor has helped me deliver faster. As a result, my acting gets better because I’m not so consumed with my thoughts.

Q) For the WayHaught shippers, talk about what it is like to work with Dominque.

A) I love Dominique. She’s actually a really good friend of mine. She’s an awesome human being and we’re actually really similar as human beings. We have a lot of the same personality traits so I think we connected on that level because we are really similar in who we are in our everyday lives. She’s become a very close friend. It’s awesome working with Dominique. I always feel comfortable around her. I never felt like there was something I couldn’t ask her about. I never felt like I couldn’t ask her any questions about a scene and she’s really sweet. I really love her. She’s a great person.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the fan feedback you receive?

A) It’s so awesome! One thing I didn’t realize about Twitter becuase I didn’t use it as much is that you really have to use #WynonnaEarp for it to trend and if trends more there is a greater chance of a Season 2 renewal. So, make sure you tag your tweets so that it trends! Social media is so important to entertainment industry. Being able to reach fans is marketing through word of mouth is. It is very important for them to see that fans are engaging on social media about the show. It’s huge! People are watching it and engaging about it is big. Fans are asking, “How do we make sure there are more episodes of ‘Wynonna Earp?’” Just keep engaging on social media with #WynonnaEarp.

Q) Will you be sharing any behind the scenes pics or fun things?

A) Definitely! I didn’t take as many photos as I should have, but I do have some on my phone from later episodes. So, as soon as they air I will definitely be willing to share.

Q) What have you taken away from working on the show?

A) Probably just confidence. Being on a show like this that is doing so well and being a part of something so special has given me the confidence to keep going. It pushes me to make content and pushes to keep going. It’s not easy this business and things can get slow for a while. It gets really hard. Being on “Wynonna Earp” makes me feel like I am in a good place and I’m doing a good job. I can play with the big girls. It’s pretty nice to feel that I’m at this place in my career finally because it took a long time. I’m finally at a place in my career where I’m a little more polished. That’s not to say I have a set path in front of me. I don’t. I’m just as vulnerable as every other actor out there to lose their job, but I definitely accomplished and at a level in my career now being on a show of this caliber, which is really nice. So, I’d say confidence for sure.

Q) What makes Syfy such a great platform for the series?

A) The thing about Wynonna that makes it so special is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. I think that the thing is that it is able to laugh at jokes and poke fun of itself. There is humor in it and I think if it wasn’t at Syfy that we would lose the ability and the freedom to do that. We’re able to take chances on this show. Not that Wynonna isn’t a serious show and that there is serious danger, but it is fun and it doesn’t forget that it is supposed to fun. I think being on a genre network specifically allows you to have the freedom within your genre. I think Syfy gave us the ability to experiment a little more because that is what they do and those are the kind of shows that they support.

Q) What do you think of the fan art for the show?

A) It’s amazing! I save all of them. I screen cap them and have them in a folder I look at all the time. I can’t believe someone has taken time out of their day to make something like that. It’s beautiful! I love it. It’s so nice that they are passionate and want to do it. It’s just so nice!

Q) Is there anything else you would like to share with fans?

A) Keep engaging on social media and use #WynonnaEarp. Spread the word because it’s all about the fans wanting to see the show. We’re working so hard to try and reach out to the fans and make sure they are loving the show. We want to keep working on this awesome story. This show really hears the fans and we are all super engaged on social media. We see everything and read everything. It really makes a difference. I want them to know that every tweet they write, review they write and the artwork they are doing makes a difference if the show is going to continue. It absolutely makes a difference!