‘Lost Girl’ Actress Anna Silk Bids Adieu To The Supernatural Series
Five seasons, 69 episodes and countless monsters-of-the-week later, and Lost Girl star Anna Silk is preparing to say goodbye to the Canadian TV show that became an Internet sensation.
The supernatural series, which airs on Showcase, Syfy and Netflix, will come to a close in fall 2015 with the premiere of the last eight episodes of the show’s final 16-episode arc. Silk, the actress who plays the show’s lead — a succubus named “Bo,” short for “Isabeau” — spoke to GALO about the ultimate season and what it’s like to leave the Fae world.
“It was my favorite season to shoot — just overall, as a story,” Silk told GALO during a phone call from Los Angeles, where she spends her time when she’s not in Toronto. “I love all of the seasons for different reasons, but I had so much fun in the last season — and I feel like Bo kind of came into her own and was so smart, strong, funny, and all the things she is. I got to do that in spades in the last season. So, I had a blast.”
Picking up where the epic journey left off, season five immediately jumps into the action as Silk’s character travels to the underworld to find her human best friend Kenzi (played by Ksenia Solo), who sacrificed herself to close a portal to the underworld and to keep Bo’s father from rising. As usual, hijinks ensue and Bo is pitted against a new crew of ancient Fae who the writers ripped from the pages of Greek mythology.
And if fans were hoping for the leading lady to finally settle down with one of her many suitors, they’ll be sorely disappointed. After all, Bo is a succubus. Still, Silk is pleased with the way her character’s relationships with both men and women have been portrayed — without any labels.
“So many people gravitated to the relationships on the show,” Silk said. “I’m really proud of that aspect of the show and that, if people saw themselves on screen in some way, we were able to facilitate that and present it in an honest way.”
While season five, like the two seasons before, departs from the show’s genesis as a supernatural procedural and delves more into Bo’s quest to discover her true origins, the final chapter still has its fair share of weekly mysteries that see the heroine putting her sleuthing skills to good use. Surrounded by her team of supernaturally inclined friends (and a few special humans), Silk’s character navigates the fantastical world that’s marked by a division between the “dark” and “light” Fae clans.
Here’s what Silk had to say about the action-packed final season — that follows Bo as she finally learns who her father is — and what it’s been like to play such an empowering protagonist.
GALO: You’ve spent six years now in this role and have followed Bo through all her ups and downs — from finding out what it means to be a succubus to signing up with the Dark Fae. Looking back at that time, what has been the best part about playing Bo?
Anna Silk: Oh my gosh. There have been so many great things about playing Bo — I don’t know. Bo’s such a great character to play because from the very beginning of the series, she only had room to grow. She was new to the Fae world. She was kind of just born into it in a way that even though she was a woman, she was brand new in terms of finding out who she was as Fae and in realizing what her powers meant. So, really, from the word “go,” she had a place to go.
I kind of learned along with her, which was kind of nice. She learned her place in the Fae world and learned the dangers, and then, ultimately, learned how powerful she really is. So the trajectory for the character was really pretty spectacular. It was definitively a gift to play that role.
GALO: How was the experience on set? It looks like you have a lot of fun, especially with some of the goofier storylines — like, recently, in “It’s Your Lucky Fae” when Bo nearly turns into a cat.
AS: That episode, funnily enough, came from a dinner I had with our showrunner for season five, [Michael Grassi]. It was his first time running the show — he did a fantastic job — and we had dinner and he said, “You know, what is some of the stuff you might want to do this season?” And I sort of said, “Hey, I’d love to play a cat” — not really thinking he’d actually do it. But he did. There are a couple of other things I had mentioned at dinner that do happen as well — they haven’t happened yet on the show, so I can’t spoil that. But I’ll let you know down the road.
GALO: What has been your favorite scene to shoot from this season?
AS: I did have a lot of fun doing cat stuff. It’s so hard to say what is my favorite scene, and I do get asked that question quite often. I love scenes that all the characters are in because we all get to work together. I love scenes with each individual cast member because it brings out a different side of Bo. I know it sounds like a really blanket statement but it really is true. I love working with Zoie [Palmer], who plays Lauren. I love working with Kris [Holden-Ried], who plays Dyson. I mean, I could just go on about each person and why I love working with them. So, in terms of favorite scenes, I love scenes where we’re just being goofy and have a lot of fun. But I also love — I mean, I think when I connect with Bo the most is when she’s at her most vulnerable and has to make some sort of strong choice or stand, which happens to her a lot. I feel like I connect with her the best in those moments, and learn the best from her in those moments.
GALO: Speaking of one scene in particular that was really emotional — in “Here Comes the Night,” we finally learn who’s in Bo’s heart, and it was a bit of a letdown for some of the Valkubus fans. Do you think Bo and Tamsin are better off being friends? Are you happy with that outcome?
AS: One of the great things about Tamsin and that character of Tamsin coming onto the show is that she’s a real equal to Bo. It’s the first time we see Bo with another strong female who kind of just is kickass — you know — who just is capable. So, in terms of the power and that kind of thing, Kenzi and Lauren are obviously kickass as well, but it’s a different kind of match for Bo. Bo is a succubus. Bo has sexual chemistry and sexual energy. I like that we got to see Tamsin being so vulnerable, considering she is so tough. I do feel like they’re a good match in a lot of ways. Romantically? I don’t know. I don’t know if that would work.
GALO: So what was it like filming that scene with Rachel Skarsten?
AS: It was a hard scene to film. Whenever there’s a more sensitive scene to shoot — we have such an amazing crew in that everyone gets very quiet and very respectful. The crew gets very respectful. We shoot it with, honestly, just how it was to watch it, I would imagine. It was very sensitive. Rachel is such a great actress — so open and so heartbroken that for me to play Bo in that moment, it’s really just about trying to be kind, but honest. The vibe that was on set — I think that was a Friday night, really late, the last scene of the day. So everyone’s tired, everyone’s ready for the weekend, but also ready to give the scene the attention that it needs. We didn’t shoot it many times. And we had a wonderful director, one of my favorites — Paolo Barzman — doing that episode. He’s very respectful and sensitive. So it was a really good experience.