Marina Squerciati – Chicago P.D.

By starrymag | October 7, 2015

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) You can’t really fit anything in, but this guy Patrick Webb who I met on “Chicago P.D.” and I are doing a bunch of skits with David Pasquesi (from “TJ & Dave”) will be directing it. We’ll be making a YouTube channel with him. We’ll be filming these comedic skits probably by the end of the year or starting in January. It’s eight days for an episode of “Chicago P.D.” so you can’t really fit anything else in besides eating, drinking and sleeping.

Q) What can you tease is in store this season on “Chicago P.D.” and with your character Kim?

A) I think we’re going to be doing (which is exciting) a little bit more ripped from the headlines storylines because it is kind of what “Law & Order” started doing and what made Dick [Wolf] successful. Also, people love that so we’re excited to be able to bring those stories while continuing to have personal relationships and personal problems, which I think makes “Chicago P.D.” different than a regular procedural and what the fans really respond to. All of the same and better is kind of what I would say to expect. That’s what is fun for the actors, the waiting each week to see what your character is going to do. We wait for each script to see if we are going to break up, stay together or if there is some dramatic shooting. All of those are so fun to be able to explore every week and the writers continue to surprise us. That’s exciting for us, too. If we’re surprised than the audience is going to be even more surprised.

Q) How was your character originally described to you?

A) She was a feisty former flight attendant. I think we’ve gone a little further from that. I think there is something that was definitely highlighted in the beginning, someone who handles people really well and personal conflict, which I think is something that flight attendants do really well. They have to deal with people on their worst days. Not a lot of people are great travelers So, she has sort of taken that to the streets. I think I’ve sort of added this kind of peppy energy and go-getter attitude to the character, which the writers seem to enjoy and keep putting in there as well. I kind of love her spirit and her joy.

Q) How do you prepare for the intense scenes?

A) When you have a big scene emotionally, everybody prepares differently. I try to look at it as soon as I get it and go about imagining it as I’m walking down the street or going about day-to-day life as if it is my own problem. I sort of am marinating it, mulling it over and come to it as a person and not as an actress preparing. I make it sort of my problem for that week and how I’m going to deal with it. A normal person goes over it, thinks about it and talks to yourself out loud. That’s exactly what I do with “Chicago P.D.”

Q) What do you have in common with Burgess?

A) I’m definitely as dorky as Kim. She has got an energy and a spunk that I have as well. I hope to be as lovely as Kim. I hope someone would describe me as that!

Q) Police work is often dominated by men. What is it like for you highlighting the female officers that are just as strong and capable?

A) I think that is just being a woman. If you are a police woman, you have to actually show a little bit more strength and a little more verve in order to compete to show men that you are equal to them. I think women are equal to men so I think if you just do your job and do it as well as your dad then you don’t have to do anything extra, but sometimes you have to show a little more force to show that you can compete. I think that is maybe true for women in general, unfortunately.

Q) What have been some moments that you read in the script and were excited for fans to get to see?

A) Last season I was shot. I was like, “Oh no! I hope I’m alive in the next episode!” It’s all of those things. I was surprised when I went to a door and there was this gun behind it. Every time we are surprised the audience is more surprised. I did not expect that my fiancée on the show would propose in the locker room. So, when I am reading it that I open the locker I didn’t expect a ring to be in there. That was kind of exciting and unexpected.

Q) What do you think it is about the Berzak relationship that makes fans root for them?

A) I think Patrick [Flueger] and I have so much fun together that is impossible not for it to translate onscreen and our sort of joy with one another. We just have a lot of fun doing our scenes and working on them with different ways to approach it. We recently had a tough scene to film together and we couldn’t figure out how to approach it. It was just us after every take going back to the drawing board to figure out what was wrong and what was right about the take. That kind of work ethic translates as well. But it is just a joy! We just have so much fun and I think we are a funny couple. I think people appreciate that. You have Linstead and they are such an amazing couple with the will they/won’t they angst of it. With Berzak it’s more like yeah they will, how will they get there, how funny will it be and what high-jinks will ensue.

Q) You have great chemistry with your costar Patrick. Was there an instant connection or did you spend some time together to grow your bond?

A) I don’t know that we had an instant connection. We just kind of became friends. We just happen to laugh a lot with each other and sometimes it is really hard to get through work because we’re both laughing so hard.

Q) Who have you not had many scenes with that you want to work with or maybe want more scenes with?

A) Sophia [Bush] and I really haven’t had a scene together other than just cursory scenes. I know that her and I are very close. We work out together and we’d love to kick butt together as well. I’ve seen a lot of the fans hoping, especially because it is Woman Crush Wednesday, that they were will a female power scene. I just hope we get a scene where we get to take someone down in true girl cop fashion.

Q) What do you think it is about “Chicago P.D.” that has made it such a quick fan favorite show?

A) Again, I think it is because we are a procedural and a tried and true formula. Also, these are nonstop characters. I think Alvin’s character (Elias Koeas) is one I’ve never seen on television so it is really exciting and people who live in sort of gray areas are exciting. No one is perfectly good or perfectly bad. I think that all those inter-personal relationships make this procedural something different. There is not a lot of tech involved. A lot of television is dominated by technical jargon. While that’s great, that’s not what we’re doing. We’re kind of back to the basics and back to the streets. It’s human to human contact.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I think it is a way to connect with my fans. Fan mail is great and I try to go through that and send back stuff when I can. But it is not really a direct contact with these people that are making this life possible and this show possible. We get feedback and love from our fans. It’s so fantastic.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure fans know about your character?

A) I think they believe we have all the answers. A lot of the questions I get now are, “When is Berzak getting married?” I have no idea. The writers tell us nothing probably so we can’t spoil it on Twitter because they know our loyalty is to our fans. But I literally have no clue. I don’t know anything other than the script ahead of what I am filming. We don’t keep any secrets because we don’t have any to keep.

Q) Who do you see as Kim’s Maid of Honor?

A) In terms of my Maid it would probably be Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) as my Man of Honor, but my fiancée has already taken him as a best man. So, unless he can run back and forth from either side of the aisle I don’t think we know who it will be quite yet.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I just get so happy when I see people supporting us on Twitter and Instagram. I’ve recently started doing contests because I really do want to give some of my favorite stuff to my fans. Besides contact, I want to be able to give them a cool thing that I love. I recently did a give away with my favorite Chicago necklace and there were thousands and thousands of comments to win. I’m so excited my fans got involved. It’s like giving a gift to your favorite person. It’s kind of cool!