Exclusive Interview: ZULEIKHA ROBINSON KEEPS IT SEXY AND REAL ON 'NEW AMSTERDAM'
The actress known for shows like the short-lived X-FILES spin-off THE LONE GUNMEN and HBO's ROME finally gets a normal role
By SEAN ELLIOTT, Senior Editor
Published 3/24/2008
If you were an X-FILES die-hard fan, there is a chance that you had a crush on Zuleikha Robinson when she was the soul female Yves Adele Harlow on THE LONE GUNMEN spin-off series.
althouRobinson’s next television stint was as the conniving prostitute Gaia on HBO’s ROME, and the actress admits more than a fondness for offbeat characters. When iF MAGAZINE spoke to the strikingly beautiful actress about her hit new series about an immmortal cop in New York (she plays his unaware parnter) in NEW AMSTERDAM, we also found out more about how this actress has managed to have such a varied career over the last few years.
iF MAGAZINE: This is a pretty normal role for you compared to say your roles in THE LONE GUNMEN or ROME. Do you like playing more normal characters?
ZULEIKHA ROBINSON: Yeah it is normal, and it kind of scares me. I think she’s going to have commitment issues further down the line which should add some levels to make her more interesting.
iF: I was wonder if there was any chance that you think your character might be related to your partner?
ROBINSON: Wow that would be a twist and a half. [Laughs]
iF: When you approached this character, what sort of research did you have to do?
ROBINSON: I went to New York and hung out with some female detectives to get the vibe. For me the layers happen slowly and it’s a matter of meeting people who I am supposed to be like.
iF: You’ve had a really diverse acting career, how do you pick your projects?
ROBINSON: I definitely like to play characters that don’t fit any kind of mold; that are slightly offbeat, because it’s more fun to play. I read a script and I fall in love with a character. I can read hundreds of scripts and nothing comes to me; all of a sudden I read one and I start firing up and I know I have to play the role. It happened with this show it happened with my character on ROME, it’s happened with pretty much everything that I’ve done.
iF: Is there going to be abit of a MOONLIGHTING vibe the further we go on NEW AMSTERDAM?
ROBINSON: I don’t know, you’ll have to watch and see as the characters figure things out. I’m not going to say it couldn’t happen, but we’ll all just have to see.
iF: Since NEW AMSTERDAM is such a unique show, where would you like your character to go?
ROBINSON: It’s a very unique show and it’s a challenging show for network television to take on because it is so unique and I love that about it. Like I said earlier, I gravitate towards things that are offbeat. I really want to make her real, because I have played so many interesting and crazy characters in the past. I want to be able to show her flaws and her vulnerabilities and all of the rest of her traits.
iF: This is off the beaten track, but Ray Stevenson your leading man in ROME is the new PUNISHER, did you know that?
ROBINSON: Ooo, Ray. He deserves that, he’s a fantastic man and a brilliant actor. So congratulations to him!
iF: When you signed on for ROME did you know that it was just going to be two seasons?
ROBINSON: No we found out while we were shooting that they were going to wrap it up. There were rumors flying around, but officially we hadn’t heard anything. It was quite depressing because it was a lot of fun and that was a great character.
iF: So based on that experience would you go back and do more BBC television?
ROBINSON: Yeah, HBO first and foremost, because they take so many risks and as an actor it’s really great place to work creatively. I would work for the BBC, but I’ve never done work for them directly in the UK.
Reader Comments
Ben Abba from Nevada sez.... I watched the first 3 episodes of New Amsterdam and enjoyed them. However, they did not create as much excitement for me as the "Highlander" or "The Man From Earth" movies. Still I expect that the story is still being developed and could become quite fascinating as the series plays out; if it is allowed to continue past this season.
Now, a story about a real immortal would create more excitement.
If you are serious about this subject of immortality, then you will be quite interested in my research and findings on this very topic.
I have summarized what I have found on my main blog:
www.Ben-Abba.com .
3/22/2008 5:24:14 PM
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Zuleikha Robinson in NEW AMSTERDAM - Season 1
