Mia Maestro – The Strain – Comic Con 2014

Interview By: Lynsey Tamborello

Q) This is your second time playing a vampire. What draws you to these roles?

A) I’ve been asked this question many times while doing press and to me they are such different projects that I don’t think there is a connection between them. Guillermo del Toro’s monsters are brutal and quite unique. It’s actually it’s own beast and I think it is going against the eighteenth or nineteenth idea of romantic vampires, which is what Twilight is. To me, they have no connection whatsoever.

Q) What was the first Guillermo del Toro film you saw and what attracted you to this project?

A) It was Pans Labyrinth and of course there is this connection of incredible creatures that he animates. There is nothing like you have ever seen and we have that with our Master as well.

Q) What was it about the character of Nora that spoke to you?

A) Her humanity and also how she has a sixth sense of things. She perceives things differently from all the men around her and how she is extremely, but at the same time is able to keep her femininity.

Q) She’s the one that pushes Ephraim to go and talk to Abraham.

A) It’s not logical. Nothing makes sense, whatsoever. It’s this crazy older man with a sword, but there is something about him that keeps on calming her. And she goes for it! She’s also an investigator. Both Ephraim and Nora are virus hunters and you need to have the detective kind of mind to be able to trace viruses. She knows that tracking them may have a lead for them.

Q) What is in store for Nora the rest of the season?

A) We see that in episode three and they have no idea what is going on. They are perplexed and there is a lot of confusion and we’ll see that in episode three, four, five and six. And then the reality sets in and she’ll have to make a decision on the path she wants to take.

Q) What is Nora’s reaction to those infected with the strain?

A) Her first reaction is to treat  them. She is a doctor for the CDC. She’s a biochemist and the government hired her in order to save humanity and contain viruses, whatever is threatening our society. That’s what she has to do first and then little by little she’ll change her mind because this is nothing that they have ever faced. This is a new order in the world.

Q) Do you enjoy watching scary movies?

A) I don’t watch scary movies because I don’t do well with them at all. It’s even hard for me to watch certain episodes. I try to watch them during the episodes and do something really funny between the episode and going to bed.

Q) What is it like filming the show and then seeing it on the television screen?

A) It’s very different when we film it. We don’t have an of the special effects. So, it is a surprise for us when we see the final product. Most of the monsters is post-production work. And how amazing are the post-production guys doing such incredible effects for television. I think that is what distances our show from others on television.

Q) What is it like working with such a huge cast?

A) There are so many other characters. For example, Gus (Miguel Gomez). I’m normally filming with Corey [Stoll] and Sean. [Astin] And then a little bit with Kevin because we end up having scenes towards the end of the season and then there is the beautiful David Bradley. Miguel is doing his own movie so we will have our day off and Miguel is working. It’s a nice surprise. First, he is fantastic and just to see what that part of the story is and how it is developing. We do follow the book, but it is quite different from the book. You just never know how actors are going to embody the characters. So, I always look forward to Gus’ scenes.