Two weeks ago, I was able to speak with Actress, Jody Thompson who appears in the recently released film, Alien Trespass.

You may also know Jody from The 4400. Yes, I asked her a bit about this show as well. It was a pleasure speaking with Jody and be sure to see Alien Trespass in limited release now. Enjoy!

What did you like and dislike about going back to 1957 for your film, Alien Trespass?
I don’t think that there was anything in particular that I disliked…I will say the undergarments were a bit uncomfortable (laughs). Jenni (Baird) actually found real bullet bras! The dresses and shoes were authentic but altered to fit us and the wardrobe was great. It was an incredible experience. You do not get to do period pieces that often, especially in Vancouver, since there is fairly contemporary stuff offered out here.

Did you listen to any 50s music and dive into the 50s off screen to help prepare for the role?
Yes. Bob Goodwin gave me B movies from that era over and over again. It is an interesting acting style that we went for in that we were completely earnest, in kind of a heightened Scarlett O’Hara, hands on the forehead, “Oh no!” type of acting, you know what I’m saying? It was a bit of a departure from anything I’ve done so far, which was really exciting.

Do you have a certain approach to figuring out how to play a character?
I only had 2 callbacks and in the second one, Bob and James Swift, who had very good ideas about they wanted, went over it many times with me. When they were happy, it was right.

What did you learn from working with director and producer, Bob Goodwin? I can only imagine how it must have been like on set!
Yeah! The guy is a legend. He has so much experience under his belt and is so knowledgeable about the genre. It was really freeing actually because he would let me try things so many different ways.

Do you have a favorite scene that you shot?
I was most proud of the scene in the kitchen. There were 2 cameras running. Although it is edited, it was about 7 pages long. There is crazy blocking…go to the table, go to the fridge, come back, intercept Eric (McCormack), go back to the table, and remember all of the dialogue. Remembering the order and getting everything right was a bit of a challenge and it turned out really well, so I am pretty proud of that.

So how long after you got the role did you start shooting
Hmm… I don’t remember. It was long enough for me to worry about if I got the part, but short enough to still be on top of the callbacks. I had to cut my hair off, so I found out earlier than others that I was on the short list when my agent asked me if I would chop off my waist length hair to a bob.

How did you feel about cutting off your hair?
It’s just hair. Natalie Portman shaved her head and she looked fantastic so I figured if she can rock it, I figured I could handle having a glamorous short haircut.

So how long did it take to shoot the film?
It took about 15 days to shoot it. We were doing 8 pages per day or something crazy like that. It was incredible.

Were there a lot of re writes?
Actually, no. Given the time period, I would have expected more dialogue changes but no. It was pretty remarkable. Compared to doing television, definitely not.

Of all of your roles, if you could live in any of the characters’ homes or had any of the jobs different characters had from any of the films/shows you have appeared in, what would it be?
Basically none but if I was the character themselves…Devon on The 4400 was very happy where she was. To be content and satisfied with your environment…she had a great home life and all of that stuff. Although that was because she was messed up in the head. So I do not want to live in that circumstance. Hmmm. that is a very interesting question. I will probably be thinking about that all night now.

Can we expect to see you as producer for future documentaries and writing/directing more shorts?
Yes! I have a project that has been green lit that I will write and direct and my company will produce. It is about the general understanding of how cancer affects those in the family and not just the cancer patient. When one person in the family unit is suffering, we show how it affects the whole family unit. It will be a series of webisodes and we are in pre-production now.

If your life was made into a film, which actress would you want to play you?
I love Natalie Portman’s work. If I could get someone like her to play me, that would be awesome.

What do you like to watch on television?
My guilty pleasure is Gossip Girl. Their wardrobe is fantastic. I loved Boston Legal and my ultimate favorite, 30 Rock. I love 30 Rock. It’s funny even when you turn the sound off. That is hard to do. If I could only watch one show, it would be 30 Rock. I love Tina Fey. Oh she can play me! I would have never gone there if you hadn’t asked me that question. (laughs)

Yeah! That would be cool! So my last questions is, what are your upcoming projects?
I have very exciting acting opportunities that I do not want to talk about just yet because nothing is set in stone but I am so excited!