The always charming and fun-loving
Jasika Nicole, who plays too-cute lab assistant
Astrid on
Fringe, recently took the time to answer some of your very own submitted questions in an exclusive interview with FringeTelevision.com. Here's part one!
Adam MorganLots of fans want Astrid to get more screen-time, to be developed more as a character, like
Charlie was in
Unleashed. Will we get to see more of Astrid in future episodes?
Jasika Nicole
I can't really say, 'cause I have no idea what the plans are for any of the characters beyond what we have shot in season 1. Astrid doesnt go through any life-changing transformations before the season ends, but she does get out of the lab again, which was exciting for both me and Astrid...I bet she gets lonely cooped up in that lab all the time, and even though she is learning a lot and certainly excited to be under
Walter's wing (or have him under hers, depending on how you look at it), she probably has days where she just wants to be in the sunshine.
Adam Morgan
Tell us one thing about Astrid that we don't know.
Jasika Nicole
She and Walter perform improv musical numbers for each other when Peter isn't around.
Adam Morgan
You've stated in other interviews that you believe Astrid could be a double-agent of some kind. What gave you that idea, and do you still believe it?
Jasika Nicole
Anything is possible with this show; just 'cause it hasn't happened in this season doesn't mean it isn't something that won't happen in the future. That's the great part about working on a television show where you don't know what the end is supposed to look like--so many things can happen (have to happen) in the middle, and as an actor you just have to be ready for everything. Sure, Astrid could still end up being someone working on the "other" side of
the Pattern at some point. Either that, or she will have to bust through like a superhero when the main team's options have all been exhausted and save everyone's life. I think she has access to way too much information for her to not be integral in a life-or-death situation at some point. The question is, is she going to be rooting for the life or the death part? Can you tell you I'm putting feelers out for a spin-off already? Something like
Farnsworth: The Fringe Chronicles.
Adam Morgan
What's been your favorite scene to shoot so far? How about your favorite episode?
Jasika Nicole
My favorite scene is the episode with the animal rights activists [
Unleashed], when the worms bust out of a cadaver's chest after he has been impregnated by the monster. During the first take, my instinct was to catch myself mid-hurl, but on the next take I wasn't sure if it read for the camera so I didnt do it anymore. Then when I saw the episode weeks later, I was super excited to find that they had kept my hurl! Ha! It was a small victory for me; I usually play Astrid very safe, 'cause she is always so calm, collected and cool. But she has to have a breaking point, you know? Worms oozing out of a dead guy's chest? That seems as good a breaking point as any, and when the director was editing, I guess he agreed.
My favorite episode is the finale, which has not aired yet, but the script was so good and I am dying to see what its going to look like after the VFX.
Adam Morgan
What's the funniest thing that happened on set this season?
Jasika Nicole
No way I could come up with one funniest thing. We have a good time on set every single day without fail, so it's easier to pinpoint the
least funny thing that happened on set. And that would be when our AD,
Gary Rake, slipped on some ice during an outside shoot, passed out and broke his ankle in several places.
Adam Morgan
Jasika Nicole
Who told you that? I can't say I have ever seen him "giggle", but he is a beautiful man with a warm, comfortable kind of energy, so he's always smiling. Several weeks ago Lance and I were at the premiere party for the
Gen Art Festival and they had the most amazing DJ there, and before long we were both out on the dance floor dancing to Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. He's got some
nice moves, very graceful and lovely to watch. I wish I had more scenes with him so that I could challenge him to a dance fight on set. [
Click here to watch Jasika and Lance dancing!]
Adam Morgan
We know
Olivia was recruited by
Broyles for specific reasons. Do you think Astrid has similarly unique qualifications for her position?
Jasika Nicole
She definitely brings something special to the team, because not only is Astrid qualified in regards to her skills, but she is also a very fast learner, and because these horrific things that are happening all the time are usually ticking time-bombs, quick thinking is certainly an asset. But I started thinking this week after I saw this last episode...what if Broyles knew about Olivia's special
Cortexiphan powers even before she did, and thats why she is involved with the
Fringe team in the first place? If that ends up being true, I dont think Astrid's connection is as similar as I initially thought. But at the same time, there must be a reason that Astrid has been entrusted with this powerful information by this powerful man. I wonder when I (we!) will figure that out?
Adam Morgan
Describe a typical day of shooting in the lab set for us. It sounds like you guys have a lot of fun!
Jasika Nicole
Animal trainers, buttons to push, knobs to pull, lots of fried food,
John Noble dancing a jig, and brand new script pages.
Adam Morgan
What's the biggest difference between you and Astrid?
Jasika Nicole
Astrid is smart in exactly all the ways I am not. And I would imagine that I am smart in all the ways she isn't; together we would make one completely awesome curly-headed person. She is my doppleganger who didn't doodle in science class and made it through calculus with flying colors. But she's got nothing on my Show Choir awards and AP English skills.
Adam Morgan
How do you feel about the move to Vancouver?
Jasika Nicole
I'm not a native New Yorker, I moved here six years ago from Birmingham, Alabama. I don't want to leave because New York is where I am comfortable and where I've grown a lot, but I'm also very excited for the adventure of living in a new place and experiencing new things. I'm hoping Vancouver will turn me into an outdoorsy person. I'm also hoping that living there and not being concerened with the social obligations one has when they are in their favorite place with their favorite people, will give me much more time to write and draw.
Adam Morgan
How's
Gene doing? Will you miss New York Gene when he's invariably replaced by a Vancouver Gene? And what's your favorite Gene memory?
Jasika Nicole
Gene, I'm sure, is fine, on a farm somewhere and enjoying her life like she does every other day...she only comes to set once in a while, so while her presence seems heavy in certain episodes, she only takes a day to film her work. We had one cow in Toronto, a different cow in New York, and now we will have a different one in Vancouver. The cows are all sweet, but so far they haven't really had any distinguishing characteristics for me, maybe cause I don't work with them all as closely as
John does.
For each episode of Fringe, Popular Mechanics asks experts to analyzes the science of Fringe, and separate the science fact from the science fiction.
You may have noticed recently that the FringeTelevision.com galley epicly failed, so we have started using a new gallery of Fringe high-definition screenshots at FringeFiles.com. The new gallery currently only has the last four episodes (but that includes last night's episode "Midnight"), but it should have all the back episodes and other Fringe photos soon.
Here is the music from last night's Fringe Episode "Midnight":
, YouTube)
Can tonight's episode live up to Bad Dreams' greatness? Midnight is definitely more of a standalone, as you can probably tell from the previews. Here are a few bread crumbs to get you hungry (no spoilers). Or maybe "thirsty" is more appropriate...
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