Question. I asked you last night if it had always been the plan for Willa to be in S3? And you said it was quite a tale and to ask you at a panel. So, I’m asking
Diana I didn’t even know that Willa would be in season 2. The character went well. Throughout season 2 the character kept building. I was told, ‘Don’t panic – you’re going to die. We have a plan’. Willa was incorporated into the plan. Got script changes. It was a performers dream. Great actors build together.
Amalia, I first met you at the first table read. You rode a bike and wore a helmet. It seemed strange and glamourous. It was nice to see some normalcy. You were a very grounded presence. It meant a lot to have scenes with you. This was before I knew we would have scenes together.
Diana, we spent a lot of time eating together.
Question. What was your snack crew?
Amalia, Smores. Layers of energy
Diana, French fries. Salty layer of the cracker.
Question. If you had to eat one specific food for a month, what would it be?
Diana, tortilla and [inaudible]
Amalia, tacos. Different ones on my plate. Haloumi.
Question. What has playing these characters taught you about yourself?
Amalia, I am capable of more than I knew
Diana, resilience. Stand on my own two feet. Not always the right decision, but heart in the right place. Perfectionism really present. Resilience, life is a series of mistakes, course correct. Trying to do a scene right? You can plan, but how it goes is based on a hundred things out of your control. Course correction, and letting go of the idea of perfection.
Amalia, does that help you to not give up?
Diana, when I give up acting? There doesn’t have to be an end, it is an evolution of what comes next.
Question. Scylla was introduced as a villain. Did you know there would be a redemption arc?
Amalia, I didn’t want it. In a black and white moral ground, it is cool to be a villain. Have to become good to be on the show. Eliot knew what he was doing. I would have stayed a villain longer. I resisted the change
Diana, words used like ‘terrorist’. Understand the justification
Amalia, it was finding reasons for the justification
Diana, the actor has to rationalise. She did terrible things. Finding rationalisation, that she wasn’t bad.
Amalia, both characters were romanticised. Where is the loss of love that leads you here? Injustice? Making a better world for your daughter. Imagine Willa’s stress about Raelle becoming 18.
Diana, I think Willa course corrected
Question. We come here to see you. What conventions or actors would you go to these lengths for?
Diana, I applaud your lengths. I think movies like Remains of the Day, a perfect film. Working with anybody like that. Sir Ian Mckellan, Waiting for Godot. He had been filming in Vancouver. Went to the stage door, he was signing
Amalia, had a star struck moment. The actors on Succession, would go to a con for them
Question from Diana to audience, what makes you all come back?
Answer, The Vibe
Diana, what is the vibe?
Answer, Community, German Porn…!
Question. What was the last time that you did something for the first time?
Diana, I got a dog – Zorro. Best thing ever. In the pandemic you could go outside with the dog, Doing kung fu outside with the dog – kung fu Zorro. He is a Yorkie. All black, he came to the kung fu classes. Living in Vancouver, he gets to go outside. Positive potato.
Amalia, Wednesday. [She had been on holiday in Croatia for a week just before coming to Witchbomb]. Jumped from a cliff into the water. Only about 4 – 5 metres. Never dared before, it was so high. Got a high five from Olof [her husband]. Big thing, went again
Question. If your life was a museum, what would you sell in the gift shop?
Amalia, nose flutes, in different colours, and tiramisu and old vintage jewellery
Diana, books, all types. Meaningful pieces of jewellery. Was born with a bad hip, couldn’t walk. Told would never walk ever. Had to use crutches till she was 5. Overcame it. Signed up for track. Ran everywhere. Told would need a hip replacement, did sport harder. It gave her resilience. Every baby photo to the age of 5 had a blanker over her legs so the rest of the family wouldn’t know about her legs. So crutches
Question. If not actors, what would you do?
Diana, be a weather person. Canada has lots of weather. Fascinated by it
Amalia, would you consider it?
Diana, I love weather
Amalia, I want to see that.
Diana, where I grew up, we had tornados and you had to go to the basement
Amalia, thrives on dopamine, probably work in an ambulance or something. Got a bachelor of political science, defence and crisis management. Currently running a political campaign for a politician. Usually have a staff, but they only have me. Lots of crisis analysis. Indulging. Giving my all. General election in September. Go into that
Question. Would you go into politics?
Amalia, not for a few years. Work behind the scenes, not representing myself. That is tricky in acting. It is fun to pitch my politician. Come up with ideas for her. Put my ideas out, not myself
Diana, you lit up like a Christmas tree
Amalia, I don’t want to ever stop acting. I thought my passion for politics was dead. There are dark spaces, need to spread light energy
Diana, How dark the world can be. There are other places as dark as the acting world, like the corporate world. Where can you include each other? There is safety in kindness and authenticity
Amalia, I have always felt that I want to be where you are needed most. Go to the dark, where your light is needed the most.
Question. Which of your roles would you like more people to see?
Amalia, Motherland. Few people have seen it in Nordic countries. It was Pride week in Stockholm last week, met some important people – high people, big shots – they knew her from Motherland
Diana, it can be hard to find
Amalia, on Netflix in Canada. Where is it? Regional contracts?
Diana, never know what happens. Was in Melbourne, when the Motherland audition came through. It was the monologue from the letter. Did a self tape on the phone. And we are here today. Never know. Safe space has a different feeling. If it is the last, we still connect together
Amalia, something else
Diana, The Collector. Filmed in Budapest. Time travel to World War 2. The set was imported from an Oscar winning movie, some of the survivors were involved. We had to go into a gas chamber and one of them had a heart attack. We collected souls
Question. Who is the person you look up to the most?
Amalia, different people, different things. Diana, your energy. Some people choose to bring the light. My husband came here with me [Diana is moved to tears by Amalia’s praise]
Diana, that is very humbling. The person I am married to – David – incredible kindness and grace. Raised by my grandmother and mother in another country. [She told us at Witchbomb 1 about coming from Hungary] I admire them. I may have a light, but I can be fiery.
[From the audience] the Collector is on Amazon Prime and Apple TV in the UK
Question. What experience makes the world a better place?
Diana, fall in love and meet other people
Amalia, to feel that love and receive it
Next time – Ashley, Taylor and KTY’s costume prank.
