I’ve got a treat in store for you today – Lucy Hale, who plays Becca Sommers in Bionic Woman, has given Bionic-Blog an exclusive interview! My untimely laryngitis meant that it couldn’t be an audio interview, but it’s still great for an actress on the show to connect with the Bionic Community in this way:

Roco: I’ve enjoyed your performance in Bionic Woman, especially your interactions with your sister on the show, Jaime (played by Michelle Ryan). What was it about Bionic Woman that initially attracted you to the role?

Lucy Hale: First of all, thank you and sorry about your laryngitis! I remember first reading the script and thinking that it tied in different elements really nicely. By this I mean the sci-fi part of the show and family part, which is where I come in. Becca is a little edgier and more angry than any other character I had ever played before and that really drew me in.

Roco: Many fans of Bionic Woman will know you as an actress, but you’re also a very talented singer – which do you prefer, singing or acting? 

Lucy Hale: That is one question I will never answer simply because I love and adore them both! They each let me fulfil my creative side in different ways. With acting I get to be someone else and live in someone else’s mind for a bit and with singing, obviously I am myself.

Roco:  Bionic Woman is a very sci-fi orientated show, but it is also given a lot of humanity through the relationship your character, Becca, has with her sister, Jaime, and the ups and downs that they share. How have you approached this aspect of ‘sisterhood’ and do you draw any inspirations from real life?

Lucy Hale: My real childhood is very different from what Becca’s may have been like. I grew up with very supportive parents that were active in my life. Becca’s mom died and her father was completely out of the picture. I do have an older sister though and I drew from that to add to the character. I had to do some research and daydreaming.

Roco: You have a new film coming out in the summer – The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 – would you be able to tell me a bit about that – what are your hopes for the film and what attracted you to the role? 

Lucy Hale: I was thrilled to be a part of this project since I was a HUGE fan of the first and of all the cast that was involved. In the film I play Effie, Lena’s little sister who is played by Alexis Bledel. My character is basically the complete opposite of Lena. She was a really fun character to play. I’d describe Effie as young minded and carefree. The movie should be out in theatres this summer and I’m counting down the days!

Roco: Many fans are eager to know whether Bionic Woman will return after the writers strike, what do you think the chances are of this happening?

Lucy Hale: We honestly don’t know what will happen. It will probably depend when the strike ends on whether or not we do more episodes this year.

Roco: You have recently launched your official website – LucyHale.com – I think it’s a great site and a very good way for your fans to get exclusive Lucy Hale content. Could you tell me a little bit about the site and what fans can expect to find there?

Lucy Hale: I really am excited about my site because I put some input in creating it. You can find information about the shows and movies I have appeared in and will appear in. You can also find out information about my dog =) Silly, I know, but it is just so fans can get to know me better. They can also post questions in the Message Center and I answer them myself.

Roco: I interpret Bionic Woman as being about a young woman trying to find her role in a modern society and having to deal with the internal and external expectations placed on her. As a young woman, how do you see Bionic Woman, and do you think that it provides any important messages to young people in today’s society? 

Lucy Hale: It provides a message of finding yourself and dealing from the pressures of everyday life. Of course no one is bionic, but it can be applied to the average person. Many people have trouble accepting who they are and I believe this show gives a positive view on how to go about living your life. It also has a strong message that family is what should come first. Family is your rock. They are the ones who are there for you no matter what the situation.

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My thoughts:

I thought that Lucy answered the questions very well and it’s great to see her perspective on the show. It’s interesting that the ‘edgy’ side to Becca’s nature appealed to her, because whilst watching to first 8 episodes I got the impression that she enjoyed that aspect. Becca is such a snarky and witty character and she’s fun to watch because of those characteristics.

It’s also interesting to see how Lucy distinguishes between her love for acting and her passion for singing – she’s clearly passionate about both, and as she said, both acting and singing allow her to explore her creative side. I think that being able to act AND sing is always a bonus in Hollywood, although I do hope that she is able to explore ‘both’ without one impinging on the other. I certainly think she can dovetail both, if given the right opportunities.

It’s interesting to consider the amount of research that Lucy must have to do whilst playing the role of Becca. I guess it goes without saying, but sometimes it’s easy forget the level of research and creative exploration that the actors must go through in order to visualise the character and make that character ‘believable’. I think Lucy’s done an excellent job in making Becca ‘believeable’ – In my view, she’s one of the most consistently believable characters on the show, and we shouldn’t forget that there are a lot of top notch actors in Bionic Woman, so credit to her!

OK, so I had to ask whether she knew anything about the future of Bionic Woman – you would’ve done the same right? ;) Although Lucy didn’t give much away, it certainly does seem that the future of the show depends on the writers strike and when (if!) it ends. This is what myself and many of you have predicted for sometime now, and whilst we shouldn’t think it’s a given that it is going to return, it’s a good sign that NBC haven’t cancelled the show yet! Of course I’m only reading between the lines here – I don’t think Lucy knows whether or not it will return.

As I’ve said before, I really like Lucy’s official website. It looks great and has some superb content! Her message center is already buzzing with fan interaction – you can check it out by clicking here!

I think that Lucy saved the best for last – her answer to the final question was quite inspirational for one so young. I think she’s right – Although Bionic Woman is a show filled with fantasy, it actually relates on many real levels. In a world were everyone is trying to fit in, isn’t it fantastic to celebrate the things that make us different and unique? There’s a moment in Bionic Woman, where for the first time since ‘being bionic’, Jaime seems to relish being ‘different’. Although there is some irony in the fact that this was forced upon her, it’s still valuable to consider that it’s Jaime’s unique DNA which ‘allowed’ her body to accept the bionic implants in the first place. So yeah, go Lucy for reminding me that this show has a lot of depth and relevance for today’s society. She’s also right about family – another reason why the show has so much potential depth; the chemistry between Lucy and Michelle Ryan is very good in my view. Wouldn’t you agree NBC!? :)

I’d like to thank Lucy Hale for taking the time out to answer my questions, and hopefully we’ll be seeing alot more of her in The Sisterhood in the Travelling Pants 2, Bionic Woman(!) and whatever else the future holds for her! She’s still young and is clearly talented, I think she’ll go far.

So what did you think of Lucy’s answers – were there any questions that you think I should have asked? If so, what would you have liked to have asked Lucy? let me know. Also, as mentioned above, you can ask Lucy questions directly by using the Messaging Centre on her new site.

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I’d also like to give special thanks to Ripple Portal Official Websites for making this interview possible.