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Exclusive: An interview with Anna Silk about “Lost Girl” Season 5

Life’s hard when you don’t know who you are. Fortunately for Anna Silk, she knows exactly who Bo Dennis is after playing the unaligned succubus for four seasons on Lost Girl. As the supernatural series heads into its new season this fall, its star spoke with AfterEllen.com again about what it means to play the bisexual succubus, how her character has evolved and, yes, about that very special necklace given to her by one Dr. Lauren Lewis.

The cast and crew, under the helm of new showrunner Michael Grassi, began shooting Season 5 in April. As production is on episode 10 of the 13-episode season, the show is a well-established part of the Showcase lineup (it rebroadcasts on Syfy in the U.S.) Last season Bo took on new love interests (the still somewhat inexplicable Wanderer) and faced the deaths of not one, but two of her closest friends (Hale and Kenzi — though don’t count the latter out just yet). Silk said fans can expect a more “clear-headed” Bo this season as she fights for her family and to live the life she chooses.

AfterEllen.com: First, thanks for taking the time to chat with me again. AE readers have loved you and the show since the start. Anna Silk: Yes, I know, thank you.

AE: This new season you have a new showrunner. Emily Andras, who ran seasons 3 and 4, is still involved but Michael Grassi is now in charge. What does that mean for the story and what does he bring at the helm? AS: I think that speaking from the perspective as Bo, Emily brought so many great elements to the show. Michael is just picking up where Emily left off. What he has done specifically with Bo that I really love is we have a much more clear-headed Bo this season. She is on a mission and knows how to get what she wants. She is a lot less discombobulated—That’s a terrible word. (laughs) I can’t think of another word — by the Fae world around her.

She is just more clear-headed, more intelligent, stronger, because that’s where the story has now come. So that is where Michael is taking her. I think where we left off last season, so much happened last season to Bo in the Fae world she was feeling out of her element and out of control. Michael has picked that story up and really gone far with that in terms of Bo’s capabilities this season.

AE: You mentioned in Season 4 that Bo was a little discombobulated and bewildered by some of what happened, what then are the big themes for Season 5? AS: Family is another theme for Season 5 for sure. That comes in many forms in our show. There is Bo’s Fae family that she has made. Her friends have become her family. Then there’s Bo’s actual bloodlines within the Fae world. So we definitely see more of that in Season 5. We have a lot of new, interesting players on the block. I would say that’s a big theme.

Bo’s love life is always an underlying element of the show as well. It’s hard to not have that as a big theme when you’re a succubus. That certainly gets played out in different ways. I’m curious to see what viewers think when they see it. But I think that people will be really, really happy.

AE: You’ve been playing Bo for five seasons now. As a well established character, how much of you has bled into Bo and vice versa over the years? AS: I think there’s always been a little bit of overlap. What has been nice is that, people ask me are you tired of playing her. But the thing is she had evolved so much from the beginning that every year, every season there are new sides of her to play because she has grown. She has gotten stronger, she has gotten smarter, she has gotten more capable, she has gotten more powerful. So, you know, I think that Bo’s vulnerabilities were certainly something I identified with in the very beginning. And it has been nice to make those stronger as the seasons have gone by. There is definitely overlap.

AE: You mentioned her love life. Last season the triangle morphed into like a trapezoid or quadrangle. I’m not entirely sure the shape, I guess I don’t remember geometry class well enough. Bo had relationships with Rainer, and also saw a change in her relationship with Tamsin. How did you feel about both the emergence of those relationships last season? AS: I think it’s always good to shake things up a little bit. The original love triangle has been such a central part of the show in terms of Bo’s relationships and her lovers on the show. So it’s nice to introduce different elements to that. It just keeps it more interesting.

AE: Speaking of the central triangle — where in your mind does Bo’s relationship stand with both Lauren and Dyson? AS: Well, you know, I think that for Bo her relationship with Dyson — he was one of the first being she met in the first episode. They had this instant draw to each other, this instant trust. He is very powerful, and so that is something that has drawn Bo to him. For Lauren, it’s the same thing. We met in Episode 1 as well. There was an instant chemistry that was palpable. The chemistry worked really well.

I always seem to be sitting on the fence when I answer these questions because I obviously don’t want to give away too much. But I feel like both are really important to her and that’s the truth. And for different reasons in a way. With Dyson they are equals in terms of their Fae ability and where they fit in the Fae world. With Lauren, what is interesting is she is human so Bo takes on a naturally protective role with her. What’s great about Lauren is she is so unbelievably smart and so capable within the science of the Fae world that they are equally matched as well. They are really interesting relationships. It’s hard to brush over them and say this one is like this or this one is like that. They’re all really connected. And I like that Dyson and Lauren have developed a relationship and connection over the years. You know it was a bit of a rivalry in the beginning, now it’s not really a rivalry. It’s like, they get their predicament of falling for Bo.

AE: Right, they can commiserate together. So Lauren giving Bo the necklace last season, and Bo wearing it, seemed like a real sign of some sort of commitment. Will we see that play out more next season? AS: We will, we will. Yes (pauses and laughs) it’s a very special necklace. Gosh, what can I say about that? All I can say is we will. I can’t go further with that one.

AE: Moving on to Kenzi, obviously she made that huge sacrifice in the finale, clearly that will play a role in the coming season. Since the beginning Bo’s friendship with Kenzi has been arguably her most important emotional support. What do you think being without Kenzi will mean to Bo in the fifth season? AS: Well, um, gosh it’s hard to not give away too much in terms of who is back and who is not. At the end of Season 4, pretty much her heart was broken to see Kenzi do that, which was a really noble thing for her to do. To see the consequences of the Fae world be played out that way, and have Kenzi be victim of that, that is something that just breaks her heart. And that is something that fuels her very much in Season 5. And Season 5 picks up not too long after Season 4 ends. So you can imagine after that loss the determination and drive that Bo has.

So that is the energy we have coming into Season 5, which I love. The determination and drive that Bo has, the energy and drive Bo has comes from that. One of the things I loved about Season 4 was that we had big consequences in the Fae world. You know none of this, we almost died, this almost happened, but we always get away with it and things are fine. But it wasn’t fine. Hale died. Kenzi died. It was a big deal. I think it’s important to have those consequences be realized and it really does fuel Bo for Season 5.

AE: Do you think without Kenzi Bo will explore even more of her dark side? Do you feel like Bo’s primary motivation now is it still what it was from the beginning — to be unaligned and live the life she chooses? AS: I think that what is interesting about her stating that she would be unaligned from the very beginning is that Bo has started to really see the power of being unaligned. So I think she needs that. She needs that element to be as powerful in the Fae world. I still think that she wants to be unaligned and sees the value in that.

AE: The show has been popular and very popular with fans. Last March you were with Zoie Palmer when she took home the Fan Choice Award at the Canadian Screen Awards. At the same time when she did that she thanked her partner and their son in her acceptance speech. What do you think that acknowledgement meant to the show and fans who watch the show? AS: I can’t speak for what that would mean to people. But I know there was a big response as a result of it, so my guess is it did mean a lot. You know, Zoie and I went to awards and we didn’t know that she would win that award and Lost Girl actually won Fan Choice for best series. We didn’t know any of that was happening. So it was really thrilling and really surprising. I think she felt it was important to her to have a moment to have a little speech. So she really wanted to speak.

AE: When it began, Lost Girl was the only show on TV with a singular lead bisexual female character. There were, and since have been more, other shows with lesbian and bisexual characters but they are largely either part of an ensemble or secondary characters. Have you felt a responsibility to portray this character being so unique as a lead character and has that changed over time playing Bo? AS: I think that all the people who created Bo and put this show together in the beginning — Jay Firestone, Michelle Lovretta, Vanessa Piazza, we had so many people involved in creating her — made a bold choice for them to put a lead character on TV that was bisexual. That was not something we had really seen before. Another element of that bold choice was the fact that it was not going to be the primary theme of who she was. She is also Fae, she is also living in this Fae world. She is a succubus and she is bisexual and that’s a really big deal and really awesome and really important; I’m glad that we don’t deal with it in way that is dishonest.

And that’s where I felt the responsibility to play her — to play the honesty of Bo’s relationships. And those evolved really naturally. I have great chemistry with Kris (Holden-Ried) in real life, I have great chemistry with Zoie in real life. On the page they really brought to life something that has meaning. And it has meaning to us now, too. So, yes, I definitely feel the responsibility. But it’s not a terrible burden. (laughs) It’s not a pressure. It’s a responsibility to be honest. That’s really what it is about.

AE: I think what’s interesting is perhaps because it’s a genre (sci-fi) show, you were able skip some of the other stuff that a lesbian or gay character might ordinarily have to deal with on a straight dramatic series. The questioning of sexuality, the coming out. You were just able to say, this is what she is: She’s Fae, she’s bisexual. Do you think being a genre show helped you bypass those questions. AS: What I think is special about it is a relationship is a relationship. Whether between a man and woman, two men, two women, it all has meaning and is important for the people involved in the relationship. That’s what I think is interesting about the fact that we don’t highlight it in that way. We just honor the fact that it is there. I see what you are asking, in terms of we are in a supernatural world, sci-fi and all that kind of stuff. So I guess in some ways in a broader sense makes it more accessible.

AE: Heading into the fifth season, the cast chemistry always seems so tight on the show. Has that been something you had from the start, were you a tight cast from the start and have you just grown tighter? AS: We really were. When I think of the key player on this show and I think of all the scenes I’ve had with them. Some people put montages on YouTube and put them up on Twitter — you know, Lauren and Bo, Dyson and Bo. (laughs). I sometimes watch them at night and I’m like, “Wow. We’ve done so much together.” I want someone to do a Trick/Bo montage one though. Those are some of my favorite scenes. I love working with Rick Howland, I think he brings so much to Trick and I love that he is my grandfather. We all had an interesting chemistry and it’s a great working relationship to have and we all respect each other’s working process. It has been a total gift.

AE: I’ll get the fans to get you that Trick/Bo one. We’ll work on that. Hear that, fans? AS: Yeah, there’s got to be a Trick/Bo one, that’d be great.

AE: Speaking of fans, what have you learned about being on a show like this that has a strong cult following, perhaps lesbian fans in particular? Have you learned anything about fans like this. I would imagine fans of a show like this are perhaps different than fans of a show like, I don’t know, The Good Wife or something? Is there a different tenor to fans of sci-fi or genre shows? AS: I was pretty blown away to see how dedicated fans are, specifically of genre shows. It is almost like fans of our shows have really taken ownership of the characters. And they care about every detail and have comments about every detail, and I think they should. If you are going to take that kind of ownership, and proudly call yourself a fan of Lost Girl, it’s good to care about the details. And that is what I have noticed about our fans. That they do care about those details and those details matter to us. So I’m glad when someone says, “Hey, I didn’t like that.” You know, of course I like it better when they say, “Hey, I love that.” (laughs) But I welcome either opinion, frankly, and I feel people of this particular fanbase have very strong opinions — which is great.

AE: Speaking of that, those strong opinions, because I hear it a lot, too, just writing about the show — some fans have raised questions about cuts that have been made from the Syfy version versus the original Showcase version. I know you’re not involved or have control of this at all as an actor, but do you think those cuts have changed the tenor or impact of the storyline at all? AS: I would hope that they don’t. Of course, I see the finished episode, but then I don’t necessarily see the one that aired elsewhere and see where the cut was. I don’t watch the show in that way when I am making the show. I definitely watch episodes. I do know that there was a lot said about it and I know there was one particular thing that was said about a moment where either Lauren touched my hand or I touched Lauren’s hand that was cut.

Of course, I don’t think that was cut for any reason. I do know the only reason that I know of that in the U.S. they have more advertising time during a one-hour show. So we have to cut more out, so they have to make other cuts. But I would hate if they were making relationship cuts. Those are really important. But I don’t think that was ever the intention. But, see, that’s what I mean about a caring fanbase.

AE: Yes, they notice everything. So, when you have time, are there other shows you are watching now that you’re really into and if there was a show Bo had to crossover into any other series what would you like it to be? AS: Well, I am a really big fan of The Good Wife, actually. So I’m watching that right now whenever I can. It’s hard for me to watch when working because I do work a lot when I’m shooting. The first season of Orange Is the New Black, I have yet to see the second season.

AE: Oh, get on it, it’s good. AS: I know, I’ve heard. Everyone’s been talking about it and I won’t let them tell me too much. I’ve always been drawn to female-driven shows. There are a ton of great shows out there, but there is something about those. I loved The Closer when that was on with Kyra Sedgwick, I thought she was great. So those are the kinds of things I watch. You now, I still have to see Game of Thrones. I’ve never seen it and everyone tells me I am crazy for not seeing it. So it will be on my watch list.

AE: Finally, as always, I have to send out a big thank you to the whole costume department which continues to put you and the cast in a varying assortment of tight leather. Are the outfits an extension of the character? AS: (laughs) They are, they definitely are. It would be hard to play Bo wearing a muumuu. I feel like our costume department has been incredible. You need to step into those clothes to feel like the character. Last season was particularly revealing for me because I was also nursing my son. (laughs) So, you know, when I watch a scene sometimes I’m like, “Wow, that was obviously before I went to nurse my son.” So it became a whole other set of jokes for us on set.

But also, you know, there is some cleavage and there is a sexiness to it with tight clothing. But she is also, like, ready for battle. Not maybe to battle in every one of her outfits, but it can be a utilitarian, functional look as well. Which happens to be sexy, which I love.

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