EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Jasika Nicole of 'Fringe'

October 8, 10:16 AMDallas Pop Media ExaminerSean Easley

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Sean Interviews Jasika Nicole of 'Fringe'

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jasika Nicole from the cast of "Fringe" about her role on the show.  Ms. Nicole plays the role of Astrid Farmsworth, the lab assistant to the mad scientist Walter (played by John Noble), a regular role that has been growing this season (finally).  Ms. Nicole is a talented actress, and it has been wonderful to see her get more screentime this season.

In this interview, Ms. Nicole talks about what it is like working with the other actors on the set,

Sean: I am extremely happy to be interviewing you as you're filming season 2 of Fringe.  You've added much to the show over the past season, and now it looks like you are getting an even bigger part in Fringe.  These past few episodes have given you much more time to interact with John Noble's character (Walter), and to develop your own wry charm on the screen.   

How do you feel about growing the Agent Farmsworth character to take a more important role in the show?  
 

 Jasika Nicole: I think its overdue, but I also think its wonderful that the character had a chance to garner some followers. The fact that Astrid's background is unknown and you don't get to see her interact with very many people makes it that much more satisfying to start learning more about her.  
 

Sean: Do you think that you will join Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson outside the lab sometime in the future?   
 

Jasika Nicole: Astrid has already gotten out of the lab in season 2, the audience just hasn't seen it yet (we are filming episode 10 right now). 
 

Sean: In the first episode of this season, I believe that Walter (John Noble) makes a comment about your new haircut.  Was your new haircut something you did on your own, or was it something that was asked for by the producers?   
 

Jasika Nicole: Actually, Walter doesn't make that comment, Peter does. I don't think that Walter is particularly interested enough in things like ladies' haircuts to notice them or have much of an opinion on them. My haircut was accidental- I was supposed to get a trim and they cut off almost 2 inches, so we had to throw a line in the script to acknowledge the new style since it was so different than the way it was in the final episode of season 2. My hair didn't take long to grow back at all, so by the time the first episode aired, I looked completely different on screen than I did in real life. 
 

Sean: One of the major mainstays in the lab where you spend most of your time is a cow that Walter ascribes some human-like qualities.  After all of your time on the set and reading through the scripts, do you think that Walter talks about the cow like that because Walter is just crazy, or because there is something special about Walter's cow? 
 

Jasika Nicole: No to both questions; I don't think he is any crazier than a pet enthusiast, someone who loves their dog or their cat and is sensitive to how that animal feels. I think his is actually a pretty normal response to spending lots of time with another living creature, be it  human or otherwise. Walter would seem crazy to me if he ignored the cow or forgot that it was there or had no sense of connection with her at all. And I don't think there is anything special in the "fringe" sense about our cow either- she is essentially the equivalent of a lab rat that we have become way too attached to. What is striking about her presence in the show is that she isn't a cute and cuddly little kitten that runs around the lab and purrs and and begs to be petted, or a rat kept in a cage that Walter can do tests on- Gene is bigger than a human, louder than most house pets, and she needs a lot more special attention than a smaller animal ever could. So the strangeness isn't the fact that Walter treats her like the family pet, the strangeness is the fact that no one has ever seen a family pet quite like Gene.
 

Sean: John Noble always seems to play moody, dark, and somewhat crazy characters (thinking of Walter the mad scientist and his role in Lord do the RIngs), but we don't get to see what John is like in real life.  What is it like working with John Noble?  
 

Jasika Nicole: In my opinion, John's role in "Fringe" is very different from his role in Lord of the Rings. He certainly can be dark and creepy when he is Walter Bishop, but we get to see him be really silly and lighthearted and quirky just as much of the time. Working with John Noble is separate from working with Walter Bishop in many ways, but John has a great sense of humor like Walter does, and although he loves his craft and pays close attention to the nuances that make our work believable, John doesn't  seem to take himself too seriously- he loves to laugh, and he loves to make me and Josh laugh. 
 

Sean: When you work on a project like this, it's easy to have certain episodes that you remember more fondly than others.  Which episode of "Fringe" has been your favorite so far, and why?

Jasika Nicole: My favorite episodes so far have been shot in season 2, so I can't really say much about them at all...  
 

Sean: You are also an artist, correct?  How actively do you pursue your art while the show is not in production?  (also tell us anything else you would like to tell us about your art)  

Jasika Nicole: We shoot for 10 months out of the year so there is not a substantial amount of time to pursue much of anything else except rest and relaxation. Fortunately, being an illustrator isn't a job that has the same limitations as other lines of work- I can draw anywhere at anytime, so in a sense, I am never NOT pursuing ways to expand my work.  
 

Sean: Your previous work has been mostly on television series, but you recently became a part of the upcoming March movie She's Out of My League.  What was it like moving from the small screen to the big screen, and what can you tell us about the movie?   

Jasika Nicole: No, the first major project that I ever did was a film called Take the Lead, so I made a move the other way around, from big screen to small screen. And I can't say that I have noticed significant differences in the way things work from the film world to the tv world. The most dramatic moves I have made as an actor have been from stage to screen, and from sitcom to drama. We filmed She's Out of My League two years ago, and I think its coming to theaters in February of 2010. My part in that film was very very small, I played the "cute best friend" of the lead female character- not much of a stretch.
 

Sean: The mysteries of Fringe are what drives the show forward.  Observers, multiple dimensions, and terrorists using Fringe science against the world are just a part of the mystique of the show.  What mystery of Fringe are you most looking forward to seeing resolved? 
 

Jasika Nicole: I want to get a better glimpse into the alternate universe, so that we can see the differences in all the Fringe team members and the world in which they live.   

You can see more of Jasika Nicole on Fringe Thursday nights on FOX.

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