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Created by executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Ryan J. Condal (Hercules), USA Network continues with their new sci-fi drama, Colony. In an exclusive interview with MStars News, actress Thora Birch talks about her premiere in the episode, Zero Day, starring Josh Holloway (Will Bowman) and Sarah Wayne Callies (Katie Bowman).
As we previously mentioned, Colony is set in the near future of Los Angeles, after the invasion has taken over. There are those who collaborate and those who resist their new world order. Before a rebel terrorist attack ruined his plans, Will (Holloway) was trying to cross the wall, in order to find his missing son. Because Will was an FBI agent, Proxy Snyder (Peter Jacobson) offers Katie (Callies) and her husband a chance to find the leader of the resistance, in return for their missing child. Unbeknownst to her husband, as he collaborates, Katie has actually been working for the resistance the entire time.
Before Thursday, March 10 episode, Zero Day, premieres on USA Network, the Colony actress discusses her role as Morgan. Behind the wall, Morgan happens to be a laid back software engineer. But is her conscience a better use for the Resistance or the Collaborators?
MStars News: Tell me how the role came about.
TB: So the script just appeared in my inbox one day! It was "Hey, take a look at this part. Take a look at the show." And I saw that Carlton [Cuse] and Ryan [Condal] were involved and I was like completely, immediately interested. And getting into the script, it's one of those things where it seems really simple. It seems really simple when you first look at it. Like oh, it's an invasion. Los Angeles is completely cornered off.
And the further you get into it, the more elaborate it gets. But at the end of the day, it's still a family drama and I love that! I love that it's still about an emotional, real house of people. So it has this huge, high concept but it's still all about people.
MS: Tell me what interests you about Morgan.
TB: So, I don't have a lot of experience in the whole tech world, but I responded to my character's determination to have an impact and to make her presence known in one way or another. And so she's got - she's kind of the complete package. She's got the know-how and she's got the balls to pull off some amazing stuff.
MS: In what ways are you similar and different to your character?
TB: So Morgan is a little bit more Type A. You know, she's got this whole knowledge in a world that I personally don't share. I don't share here set of skills. But, she does have a determination. And she's very passionate, which is something that I can completely relate to.
MS: Because Carlton Cuse worked on Lost, which had many plot twists, loyalties shifted, and secrets hidden from the others. Did that have a an influence on your character?
TB: Okay, so I'm not 100% completely clued in as my character's trajectory, either. But she is working on the resistance side of things. She is not a collaborator. She's definitely a resister. And her journey is only just starting. Like these two episodes that you're going to see this coming week and next week, it's only the beginning.
It is recurring. I have no idea how it's all going to wind up. But it is a recurring role. But she's playing a part in a major operation that kind of wraps up the season really nicely and kind of leaves the audience, you know, really wanting more.
MS: With Colony nearing its season finale, tell me about jumping onto the show in its last two episodes?
TB: There's two major benefits. One is everyone, by the time I've got on set, everyone had a really good feel for what they were doing and where they were going.
The other thing is, as I come in at a story point which is, it's the tail end of one era in the show and it's the beginning of another. So I really get to come in, in that transitionary section where things are really shifting and really changing. And I don't know that much about where my character is going, but I can't wait to find out.
MS: You've done films such as American Beauty and Ghost Wold. Tell me about jumping into the television landscape.
TB: Well, I think when somebody is considering TV they always have a few reservations because number one, there's a time commitment that is always an issue. But at the same time, the premise of Colony was so interesting to me because it's right in - it walks that very fine line of being completely sci-fi, but at the heart of it is a family drama.And so marrying the two worlds of the interpersonal relationship with the big, high concept was something that I was really interested in.
In our recent recap, willing to betray Broussard (Tory Kittles) and the other rebels, Quayle (Paul Guilfoyle) worked out a deal with Snyder and Will. Knowing Quayle could name his wife as the leak, Will played a dangerous game to keep Katie hidden. Unfortunately, the sting operation failed as Broussard escaped and the rebels were shot down by he military police. At the safe house, after confirming his suspicions about his wife, Will shot Quayle point-blank and covered up the murder.
Will Morgan be a thorn on Will's side as resistance or a useful collaborator for Katie?
Colony continues for 2 more Thursdays at 10pm on USA Network.
