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Exclusive Interview: SHANNYN SOSSAMON SHARPENS HER FANGS FOR 'MOONLIGHT'- PART 1 - iFMagazine.com Send to a friend
© (c) 2007 CBS MOONLIGHT- Shannyn Sossamon

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Exclusive Interview: SHANNYN SOSSAMON SHARPENS HER FANGS FOR 'MOONLIGHT'- PART 1

The third part of the Mick, Beth, Coraline love triangle on the CBS hit drama speaks her peace

By SEAN ELLIOTT, Senior Editor
Published 11/28/2007



MOONLIGHT might be on a slight break for right now, before returning on Dec.14, but here at iF MAGAZINE, we feel you need some kind of fix to get you trough the next couple of weeks. That’s why we’re chatting up the cast of MOONLIGHT and getting these fresh, new interviews out where all Mick St. John fans can get at them. This week we had the unique opportunity to talk to the ‘other woman’ in the love triangle on the hit CBS series, actress Shannyn Sossamon who plays Mick’s sire Coraline. The interview ended up being more of a conversation so read a long and see just how nice the woman behind the beautiful, devious, and twisted Mrs. Mick St. John actually is in real life.
 
(c) 2007 CBS
Shannyn Sossamon is the third part of a love triangle as Coraline in MOONLIGHT. 
iF MAGAZINE: What specifically drew you to this character?
 
SHANNYN SOSSAMON: It was natural, when I first heard the word vampire. I’ve always wanted to play a vampire. From what pop culture views vampires as, I mean people can always make up their own rules, but the common view of vampires is seeing them as passionate, profound, there’s so much depth to them, and they’re sexy. All of those things about vampires get me going. Of course, all of the things with Coraline, to be perfectly honest I didn’t know which direction it was going to go. When we first started filming the show it was unclear; the only thing that was clear was Mick St John’s character and his relationship with Beth was pretty clear. Coraline and her role was sort of unclear, but they knew they needed a character that would trouble with that relationship. Also, to make him a vampire in that way made it interesting and sexy. To say that I was attracted to anything specific with the character would be hard, but I knew she was going to be different than anything I had played before. She is a sexy character and a bad girl and that’s different from what I’ve done in other roles.
 
iF: Since MOONLIGHT is developing such a great fan following are you ready to be an actor and be under the public’s eye all of the time?
 
SOSSAMON: To be an actor you have to be so ridiculously sensitive to do your job and at the same time you have to be so tough on the outside. It really is a hard job. I watch people that I admire and what they go through and there are so many people that can’t do it. They lose it a little bit. This profession requires so much mental strength, and some people can’t handle it and they turn to drugs or alcohol. You understand why people are self-medicating, because this line of work is hard and you can’t be expected to be that sensitive and then to be that tough. Then of course, the level of toughness you have to have is well above the average head of a corporation has to be.

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iF: Well, there is such a great group of fans out there for MOONLIGHT, that you need to be ready for the phenomenon that is almost sure to follow. Think about how popular other vampire shows have been in the past and that’s what I’m expecting for MOONLIGHT.
 
SOSSAMON: Well, I have a question for you. You’ve seen the show. What was your take on the Coraline / Morgan character and all of the things that we’ve done with her?
 
(c) 2007 CBS
Coraline is the one who sired Mick, the main character of MOONLIGHT.
iF: The bottom line with her is that she is an ancient vampire, even if she turned herself human in the present, she doesn’t have the same concepts of right and wrong that our society has today. She has different boundaries and she’s not really evil; she does what she thinks is right and almost everything she does is out of love for Mick, even if it is not a healthy kind of relationship.
 
SOSSAMON: That was really helpful. I have to tell you it’s nice to hear from a person that watches the show how they are interpreting what is going on with your character. It’s tough when your filming the show and everything is up and down behind the scenes, by that I mean how stories and things have changed; it’s nice to hear your take on this. At the end of the day, all that really matters is what the audience is getting on that television screen. It’s really helpful based on what you’ve seen so far, and that’s the only reason I asked you.
 
iF: No problem. I like the show a lot. So getting back to your character, and you kind of already answered this, but when you were cast, you knew about the flashbacks with Coraline. Then from that point things changed and did you know how they were going to bring her into the present?
 
SOSSAMON: The possibility that she was going to come into the present was always there. Did I know that they were going to the story with Morgan? No. I never knew how evil they might write her. I never knew how much she was going to try to mess up Mick’s life; it truly was as up in the air as any character could be. The only thing that was certain was that my character had made Mick a vampire on our wedding night, and then in the 1980’s she was left in a burning hotel room to die because she had kidnapped a little girl to turn her into a vampire for the ‘family’. Then of course that girl was a young Beth. So they needed all of that to secure the story for Mick and Beth for that central relationship. That was all that anyone knew about Coraline, so everything since then has been per discussions with all of us. Alex [O’Loughlin] has been really involved in the vampire elements so that it’s not just a procedural show. They all want it to have the depth of the vampire world and where they come from and all of the history. That stuff makes it yummy to watch, because procedural gets boring after awhile and there are so many of them on TV.
 
(c) 2007 CBS
There are fans a'plenty in MOONLIGHT but none so hot as on Coraline.
iF: I know from talking to Alex, that in future episodes we’ll get to see more of Coraline and Josef’s past and see the even older vamps. How much of that are you actors told before hand and how much do you just discover when you get the scripts?
 
SOSSAMON: It’s about fifty-fifty, because there have been times where I’ve had discussions with the show runners and then I get a script and it’s in there. I’m always surprised that they stuck with what was discussed. I know Alex is really involved, incredibly involved, in where it’s going and he wants answers and wants to know where it’s going. So, no one is really just waiting for the scripts. I get in there a lot, because I was never fond of the uncertainty at the beginning of what exactly I was getting into. I was constantly asking questions about what was happening now and if I was playing in a certain episode I asked questions about how everything connect so that it all made sense. I wanted to create a performance that if it were a feature film it would make sense; otherwise it’s just confusing. The Morgan storyline threw me for a loop a little bit, but it was fun.
 
iF: It has to be tough for you as well, when you’re filming present day scenes and flashbacks for the same character that is obviously in different places in her life?
 
SOSSAMON: I tell friends that this role is making me a better actor. I’m really going to acting school on this show. The TV conditions are so much different from film. In film you have time to play and work on your performance, and in TV you just have to be good no matter what. It makes you a better actor, and I think I’ve heard that before that TV makes you a better actor.
 CHECK BACK RIGHT HERE SOON FOR PART 2 OF THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
 

Reader Comments

Amy from DC sez....
Shannyn is cool! Love her as Coraline. WHERE IS PART 2????
11/30/2007 10:31:09 AM

jan from ny sez....
Thanks for the interview, I love reading anything about my favorite show Moonlight. I think Shannyn is great as Coraline. I love Mick and Beth together, but she sure puts an interesting spin on things
11/29/2007 7:48:54 PM

Kenzie from Canada sez....
I have you bookmarked!!! Sean, another fantastic interview... thank you for feeding us 'rabid' Moonlight fans. I'm sooo looking forward to the Sophia and Jason interviews!!
11/29/2007 4:43:22 PM

Heather from MD sez....
Thanks for the interview. I love Shannyn ever since The Rules Of Attraction, and I find her Coraline character one of the more interesting on the show. I cannot wait for PART 2 of the interview
11/29/2007 4:39:50 PM

Rosewood from New York sez....
Thanks for the Moonlight series of interviews - they are so nice to fill in the void until we see some new episodes. And the Coraline character seems like she won't be just a cookie cutter 'bad girl' once we learn more of her backstory. Looking forward to the Jason Dorhing interview!
11/29/2007 4:05:20 PM

Talisker from Saint Paul, MN sez....
Thanks for this great interview! Coraline is the bad girl vamp we love to hate, and she brings great depth and tension to this remarkable drama. Can't wait to hear from Sophia Myles and Jason Dohring. Keep up the great work!
11/29/2007 12:24:33 PM

Mouse from Seattle,WA sez....
Sean, thanks for composing a great interview, it's really nice to have the interviewer actually a fan of the show. I hope you'll get a chance to interview Sophia Myles.
11/29/2007 8:05:56 AM

Kandyegirl from Oklahoma City sez....
Hey Sean ~ Excellent interview, as usual :) It is wonderful to hear what Shannyn thinks of portraying Coraline and the behind the scenes decisions that go into making the character. Great job! Peace ~ Kandye Please, remember to vote daily for Moonlight as Favorite TV Drama www.pcavote.com My Moonlight Blog moonlightfan.blogspot.com
11/28/2007 11:08:32 PM

Lisa from New York sez....
Texas, stop attacking Shannyn because her character on a tv is coming in between your fairytale called "Mick/Beth." Sheesh! Shannyn is a more seasoned actor than the entire cast of Moonlighy, and is very beautiful. Coraline and Mick are sizzling together.
11/28/2007 7:58:19 PM

Kay from CA sez....
Thank you so much for the Moonlight cast member interviews! They are just wonderful! It's nice to have a chance to get to know them this way. Moonlight . . . may it never end!! :)
11/28/2007 7:20:17 PM

Sandy from Georgia sez....
What a fantastic interview. I love, and happen to agree with, your assessment of Coraline's character. Can't wait to see part II
11/28/2007 4:25:27 PM

tx-fan from Texas sez....
Thanks for doing the Moonlight articles series! Hope you get Sophia and Jason soon as well. It seems like Ms. Sossamon is flat in her interviews as well as on the show. I do not feel she meshes well with the other cast in terms of chemistry and acting quality. She seems to always be a step behind and her comments in this articl seem to reflect a lack of confidence and direction herself and the character as well.
11/28/2007 3:19:53 PM

Alyeska from Alaska sez....
That was a great interview. I love the fact that there is that love triangle now and it makes all so much more fun & interesting. I am glad they picked Sossamon for the role of Coraline, and glad she excepted because she is doing such a wonderful job! :-)
11/28/2007 11:34:47 AM

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