Elizabeth Mitchell is an actress possibly best known for her breakout role on the television show Lost. She followed that with the series V and, now, Revolution on NBC. Many of our community may remember her from the HBO film Gia, where she played Angelina Jolie's lover and makeup artist.
From J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and Supernatural's Eric Kripke, Revolution tells the story of a family dealing with a technology blackout. Mitchell plays Rachel Matheson, a survivor who is a mother and scientist.
Windy City Times talked with her as the second half of the season begins.
Windy City Times: Hi, Elizabeth. What drew you to this type of show?
Elizabeth Mitchell: I have to say I'm a huge fan of adventures. I love to read them. I love to watch them. They go on in my head. So I think anything kind of epic and adventure wise is always a huge draw for me. It's what I like to watch and to get to actually do it, to be in something that's Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or any of those things it's just what my passion is, kind of where I go to escape. So that's what draws me to it.
WCT: Are you doing more action sequences in this half of the show?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Yes I am, and my father will be thrilled because that's really the stuff he likes to watch the most. I think that Linda Hamilton's his favorite actress. I do get to do some more actiony type stuff and I have a wonderful time. I love that stuff.
WCT: Do you have a favorite scene coming up?
Elizabeth Mitchell: I have a scene in the moonlight next to water with Miles that is probably one of my favorite scenes as much for the silence as for the words. I enjoyed playing it, I enjoyed reading it and I just kind of got a chance to do ADR for it and I normally can't watch myself but I liked it. So I think that's probably one of my favorites. It was simple and lovely and exactly the kind of thing that I like to play, so just a simple little scene. I don't know if anyone will feel the same way but that was one that I truly enjoyed and I thought that Billy was terrific and great fun to watch.
WCT: What was it like working with the Lost guys again, and why haven't they thrown you a bone to be in a Star Trek or Star Wars movie?
Elizabeth Mitchell: You know, I'm campaigning hard to be a Jedi. My friends like to tell me that I feel like I'm one in life so, yes, that would be really awesome.
I love working with them again. I love complicated, good characters set in extraordinary situations so to be with the same people who kind of made that happen for me before is an absolute joy and I'm always honored.
It's always nice to come back. It's better than people being like, "Let's just not work with her again." So I'm honored and it's fun. Selfishly it's just I love the complication of the characters I get to play. I just love the work so to be able to be with the people who make good work. Is that proper English? So yes I'd love to be in Star Wars, just putting it out there.
WCT: What's the trick for keeping a big cast happy on this show?
Elizabeth Mitchell: I love ensembles—I think mainly because I started in theater and I love that idea. What keeps people happy and engaged is good work. Lost was the same way. We were all very supportive but everybody came ready to play and I think if you have that attitude and there's no ego, which is also the case on Revolution, then it's fun.
WCT: What's the most challenging part of Revolution?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Well, I like challenges. I'm weird that way. I'm the one who ran stadium stairs as a kid. I always find shooting outdoors to be challenging. It's loud, it's dynamic and you can either raise your game accordingly or you can get incredibly frustrated so I suppose that I enjoy that particular challenge of making all of that work and shooting a show with no electricity in a very powerful world, so there's no cars, there's no planes and there's no cell phones. That's definitely a challenge.
WCT: Going back to your Gia days, did you know Angelina Jolie would be so famous?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Well, I did know she was going to famous because she kind of already was. I mean, the minute she walked on the set I remember that even her stand-in was like, "I can't stop looking at her." I said, "You know what? She's very cute."
WCT: When was the last time you talked to her?
Elizabeth Mitchell: I don't know; it's probably years ago. I think we get word through friends every once in awhile. She's deeply lovely, deeply wonderful so I know that she's there and I think she knows that I'm here. She's a pretty great lady.
WCT: I have really enjoyed watching you on TV over the years.
Elizabeth Mitchell: Thank you. I really appreciate that.
Revolution airs on Mondays on NBC.
