Tube Talk

I just got off the phone with Sophia Myles, or as you know her, Beth, the vampire-friendly reporter on the CBS hit drama Moonlight.

She was delightful and downright giddy at the success of the show, as she chatted with a few reporters during the conference call.

I tried several times to get Myles to spill some details about this Friday’s episode, that shows Coraline in the promos (yay!) but Myles was as tight lipped as a vampire sucking blood. She didn’t want to spoil us.

Myles has a lengthy resume that includes film and television roles in Tristan and Isolde, Underworld, Extras, Doctor Who and many more.

For those of you who don’t know, Myles is from across the pond and has a lovely British accent. In short, she sounds very different from the Beth we’ve come to know. Here’s a rundown of what Myles had to say. (Just picture her answers with a British accent and it’s all the more entertaining.)

Jennifer: What can you tell us about this Friday’s episode?
Sophia: The last two are so powerful. Talk about leaving you hanging. I don’t want to spoil it. We need to do more. (Editor’s note: Friday’s episode is the last new one to air due to the writers’ strike.)

Jennifer: The last time Beth saw Coraline things did not end well. Will we get to see any resolution from the stabbing scene?
Sophia: It’s complicated. But it’s great that it’s so complicated. I love Shannyn Sossamon dearly. I want to see her at work. That’s all I’m going to say.

Jennifer: I think many of the fans of the show are shocked that you have a British accent; you do the American one so well. Do you work with a vocal coach?
Sophia: When I first landed here I worked with someone. I’d played American before so (I had some experience with the American accent.) I’m living here, and I’m hearing it all the time, so it’s got easier. I was very jet lagged in the first episode so I can hear it (in it.)

Jennifer: Where would you like the series to go?
Sophia: I feel like I’m on the roller coaster that I didn’t really look at before I got on it. I don’t want it to stop just yet. Who knows? It could go any which way.

Q: Will we ever your English accent coming out of Beth’s mouth on the show?
Sophia: I don’t know unless they make me into an evil version of myself or something. I prefer playing the bad guy. I loved playing the bad vampire when I did Underworld.

Q: Discuss the chemistry between you and Alex.
Sophia: It’s absolutely luck. It’s like the gift you wish for. If there was a formula you could produce, then every show would be a hit show. I’ve had a lot of costars and leading men, but it’s like normal life. Some people you click with, and some you don’t. We make the other one better. It’s like playing a really good game of tennis everyday. Out of character, Alex and Sophia, our relationship is based on humor, and we laugh our asses off. If you filmed us off screen it would make an even better show than Moonlight. It’s hilarious.

Q: Do you prefer movie roles over TV roles?
Sophia: I never really picked a job based (on that.) It’s about the script or the story. Episodic TV (in America) is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. You guys work hard.

Q: What are your favorite American TV dramas?
Sophia: I’ve been so busy working on the show that I haven’t watched much and now that the writers are on strike there’s nothing on. I do need to get caught up on DVD.

Q: Did Beth really want Mick to turn Josh into a vampire after he died?
Sophia: There was so much unfinished business because she’s been having an emotional affair with Mick. I just think she didn’t want him to die in that moment. I think if she thought about it, turning him would have been a mistake, but she just didn’t want him to go in that moment. Getting involved with a vampire. You’re taking on a lot! (laughter)

Q: Did you research vampires for the part?
Sophia: I’ve been learning as I go along. I’m not the world’s biggest vampire fan; I can take them or leave them. I’ve learned about the mythology, as I’ve been doing the show. I play Beth as somebody who doesn’t know anything about it because she doesn’t really know much about them. Can they have sex? I think I ask all the normal questions that people ask. (laughter)

Q: Is there a master plan for where the show is going or do you know (where the character is going?)
Sophia: That’s what’s fascinating about this show. It’s been an organic process. It’s literally evolved day in and day out. It’s quite scary doing it that way. Week to week, no one knows what the hell is going on. But it works.

Q: What are you doing in the interim (during the downtime due to the writer’s strike.)
Sophia: I spent Christmas here (in L.A.) A puppy (Jackson) was given to me by someone and there’s a six-month law before he can travel (overseas.) Southern California is beautiful in the winter. I just stayed here with Jackson. I went to the beach on Christmas Day. It was wonderful.

Q: Did you have any prior interest in the occult (before Moonlight?)
Sophia: No. To me, with Moonlight, I’m more interested in the immortality theme.

Q: Do you have a favorite cuisine you’ve discovered here?
Sophia: You can’t get good Mexican food anywhere in London. I love that about LA. Great Mexican food. And the SKOR chocolate bars are lovely. We cannot get them in London. The food is great.

Q: Will they get to see the show in the UK?
Sophia: Yes, it’s going to the UK on February 18. I’m excited for England that they’re going to see us. There’s something about Moonlight. People just love it. It’s such great escapism.

Here are some other random quotes. (I couldn’t type quite quickly enough to catch the questions.)

Sophia: I love being part of the show. It’s such an adventure. I’m getting really frustrated; I want this writers strike to finish.

Sophia: For me, being part of this show has been incredible. I never knew what I was getting involved in. It’s evolved. They offered me this job. I had 24 hours. I left London and came here. It just started to evolve. Alex and I have such a rapport together. The “McBeth” thing, as the fans like to call it, just developed, as we’ve gone along.

(On her character)
Sophia: I feel like I really get her now. I love it when they write humor into it for the two of us because Alex and I love comedy. I don’t like it when they give me a gun. It makes me very uncomfortable.