In a recent interview with AdWeek, Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany talked gender, fandom, and feminism and was generally awesome in every way. Classic Maslany.
When prompted by the interviewer, Maslany addressed the misconception that “strong female characters” can’t also be fallible and human:
The characters [in Orphan Black] all have a complexity to them, an unapologetic individuality. They’re not physically superhuman and emotionless and without flaws. Having a strong female character doesn’t mean she’s beyond suffering and fragility. There’s a fearlessness. That to me is strong writing for women. It defies gender.
After being asked if she sees the show as a “feminist piece,” the actress elaborated
[…] I think so, though I don’t think that was the motive from the start. It was intended to be this exploration of nature/nurture, and a lead role like that may not normally go to a woman. Women aren’t often the default in movies, TV, media—there’s often very limited space for them. But it’s exciting to mine these stories and see a show that puts women at the center of it.
That focus won’t be altered by Season 3’s emphasis on male clones, either: “The show is definitely done from a woman’s perspective, and that’s something we defend. That will continue.”
And Maslany couldn’t be more grateful for her Clone Club fans:
We’re lucky to have this kind of contact with the fans because it really lessens the gap between the show and the viewers. It’s exciting and fulfilling to hear stories from young women coming out, young men coming out as trans. The other day on set, an awesome girl came to visit with her beautiful fan art of the show. She’d done these gorgeous pictures of the characters. That’s always really exciting to know that the work we do inspires other people’s imagination and art.
What a BAMF.
(via AdWeek)
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