Marla Sokoloff avoided on-screen disasters during her run as receptionist Lucy Hatcher on “The Practice.” No such luck with her latest effort: In NBC’s big-budget miniseries “Meteor,” she runs headfirst into all kinds of pitfalls as Imogene, a brainy scientist trying to stop the titular object from destroying the planet.

The bubbly actress talked about her jump into the world of TV sci-fi.

Question: This seems like a different kind of project for you.

Answer: It was something I’ve never done before. I was on a law show for many years. I’ve done drama and comedy. I’ve never done an action film, and I wanted to try the physicality of it all. You know, kicking butt, being tough.

Q: Are you a disaster-movie fan?

A: I wouldn’t say that I was a fan or was not a fan. We’ve all watched the same end-of-the-world movies, but it’s not like I’ve been die-hard about seeking them out. (Giggling) I did like “Armageddon.”

Q: You face the end of the world in “Meteor.” What would you do in real life?

A: Oh, I would hide out. I would be wishing I had a panic room. I’d probably freak out. I wouldn’t go into how-do-we-fix-this mode like Imogene. I’d be terrified and hiding.

Q: Regarding Imogene, did you really understand her dialogue?

A: (Laughing) I understood it for the most part. The hardest thing for me was all the numbers. I was having a difficult time with that. I would have to recite these numbers that would just go on forever. As an actor, you learn things by memorizing, so I’d be memorizing a group of numbers that meant nothing to me.

Q: You have a lot of scenes with Christopher Lloyd. Is he as quirky as he seems?

A: A little bit. He has that side to him. He’s really kind of shy. You have to really engage him to pull the conversation out a little bit more. He does have an insane sweet tooth. He can eat an entire plate of Reese’s Pieces. He’s like a freak about the stuff.

Q: When you make a project like this, what do you talk about between scenes? Do you try to stay in character?

A: I’m one of those actors who just like to have fun. Basically, we just sat around and tried to keep cool. It was literally the hottest movie experience I’ve had in my life.

Q: When did you shoot it?

A: Last summer from June to August in areas that were like the armpits of California. It was a million times hotter than my house. The sun was blaring, there was no shade. Crew guys went down regularly because they weren’t drinking enough water.

Q: Was it a tough shoot for you physically?

A: There is a scene where I’m in a police station and I almost get raped, and I wind up killing a couple of guys. They were actual stuntmen! That was a little bit scary. It was a challenge.

Q: That road trip Imogene goes on is horrible. You ever had one that bad?

A: No, certainly nothing like hers, where everybody that gets into her car basically dies. (Laughing) Well, knock wood.

From AZ Central

Related posts:

1. Marla Sokoloff Prepares for Meteor

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