BUILD Series

Entertainment Spotlight: Stana Katic

We got the chance to sit down with Stana Katic ( @katicstanaofficial) backstage at @build last week and chat about her starring role on Absentia as Special Agent Emily Byrne, rubber ducks, and Star Trek. 

If you could have a conversation with FBI Agent Emily Byrne, what would you ask?

Um, dude, the hairdo, where do you go to get it done?

Is there a subject that you know way too much about?

No, I’m just not that person. I never feel like I know about stuff. I love exploring, and learning about other cultures and other parts of the world, and history and space and things like that.

Is there something that you’re a super fan of?

Yeah, a ton of things. When you speak about super fans, I usually feel like that speaks directly to this one part, which is I’m a big advocate for watching Star Trek. I’m a big advocate of on day hopefully playing someone with pointy ears.  I’m a big advocate for hopefully being on the good guys side with those pointy ears. 

How would you describe Absentia to a five year old?

“Babe, you know how that one time when you were in the pool and the rubber ducky didn’t have any air in it anymore, and you remember it kind of like wiggled all the way down to the bottom of the pool, and we almost lost it, and your uncle Mike swam down and got it for you? Do you remember how you felt? You were so sad about the rubber ducky?” 

And the five year old would hopefully say, “Yeah.”

“It’s kind of a story about the rubber ducky, and his life right after that moment that he emerges from the water again.”

What’s the most memorable thing that’s ever happened to you on set?

We have a director on Absentia who directed our entire first season, his name is Oded Ruskin, and he then directed the first chunk of the second season. He used to [say], “Cut! Cut! Okay! Great! Awesome! Thank you!” and, you know, this was going on. We all developed a kind of shorthand with each other, and we’d tease each other in between takes. He’d be like, “Act!” and we’d be like, “Direct!” And after a cut he’d be like, “Okay! Thank you! That was great!”… and he’d set up another shot, and eventually I got to the point of saying, “I take my thank you’s in Manolo Blahniks.” And at the end of the first season, I couldn’t believe it, I was kind of just taking the piss right, and at the end of the first season I got this box, this beautiful box of amazing blue suede Manolo Blahniks. I was impressed, and thankful, and shocked. 

If a theme song played whenever you entered a room, what song would it be?

It’s gotta be the Bond theme, man. Hello!

Do you pull inspiration from anyone in your performance?

It depends on the character. Sometimes it’s a historical character, sometimes it’s an animal, sometimes it’s a cartoon character. So it depends on the character. Like, [Special Agent Emily Byrne] to me is kind of a mix to me of Edward Scissorhands meets Harry Potter. 

If you were nominated for an award for something other than your career, what would it be in?

I’d like to win the Nobel Peace Prize. [LAUGHS] For real though.

Entertainment Spotlight: Stana Katic

We got the chance to sit down with Stana Katic ( @katicstanaofficial) backstage at @build last week and chat about her starring role on Absentia as Special Agent Emily Byrne, rubber ducks, and Star Trek. 

If you could have a conversation with FBI Agent Emily Byrne, what would you ask?

Um, dude, the hairdo, where do you go to get it done?

Is there a subject that you know way too much about?

No, I’m just not that person. I never feel like I know about stuff. I love exploring, and learning about other cultures and other parts of the world, and history and space and things like that.

Is there something that you’re a super fan of?

Yeah, a ton of things. When you speak about super fans, I usually feel like that speaks directly to this one part, which is I’m a big advocate for watching Star Trek. I’m a big advocate of on day hopefully playing someone with pointy ears.  I’m a big advocate for hopefully being on the good guys side with those pointy ears. 

How would you describe Absentia to a five year old?

“Babe, you know how that one time when you were in the pool and the rubber ducky didn’t have any air in it anymore, and you remember it kind of like wiggled all the way down to the bottom of the pool, and we almost lost it, and your uncle Mike swam down and got it for you? Do you remember how you felt? You were so sad about the rubber ducky?” 

And the five year old would hopefully say, “Yeah.”

“It’s kind of a story about the rubber ducky, and his life right after that moment that he emerges from the water again.”

What’s the most memorable thing that’s ever happened to you on set?

We have a director on Absentia who directed our entire first season, his name is Oded Ruskin, and he then directed the first chunk of the second season. He used to [say], “Cut! Cut! Okay! Great! Awesome! Thank you!” and, you know, this was going on. We all developed a kind of shorthand with each other, and we’d tease each other in between takes. He’d be like, “Act!” and we’d be like, “Direct!” And after a cut he’d be like, “Okay! Thank you! That was great!”… and he’d set up another shot, and eventually I got to the point of saying, “I take my thank you’s in Manolo Blahniks.” And at the end of the first season, I couldn’t believe it, I was kind of just taking the piss right, and at the end of the first season I got this box, this beautiful box of amazing blue suede Manolo Blahniks. I was impressed, and thankful, and shocked. 

If a theme song played whenever you entered a room, what song would it be?

It’s gotta be the Bond theme, man. Hello!

Do you pull inspiration from anyone in your performance?

It depends on the character. Sometimes it’s a historical character, sometimes it’s an animal, sometimes it’s a cartoon character. So it depends on the character. Like, [Special Agent Emily Byrne] to me is kind of a mix to me of Edward Scissorhands meets Harry Potter. 

If you were nominated for an award for something other than your career, what would it be in?

I’d like to win the Nobel Peace Prize. [LAUGHS] For real though.