Canadian actress, Agam Darshi can currently be seen on the hit Syfy series Sanctuary, as con artist Kate Freelander and she took some time recently to fill in Hollywood the Write Way about what to expect in Season 3 and more.
Photo Credit: Kevin Clark
What can we expect for the 3rd season of Sanctuary?
The third season of Sanctuary is going to be a surprise for all of us. I know they’re working on scripts right now, and I also know they have some new writers on staff which means fresh ideas! The exciting thing about Kate is that she has a lot of room to grow, and talking to Damian last year he really wanted to take her into an interesting direction where she was truly a solid part of the team…I have heard rumblings about a possible love connection for Kate…but nothing is confirmed!
Kate was introduced as a negative person from the beginning, do you think she will change her ways and become more positive and do things to right her wrongs?
I think Kate already has changed her ways. She’s a different person at the end of Season 2, then at the beginning of it, and we see that with her interaction to the other Sanctuary members. She is starting to belong to the team and she is starting to feel like she has a family. However, being tough, rough, and outspoken is her personality. That is simply who she is, and I don’t think that will change. I think that’s what makes her a great fit for the Sanctuary team is that she has those qualities. It adds a great dynamic when she interacts with the rest of Sanctuary. But underneath she does care, and she is vulnerable.
As Kate, what are your thoughts on Ashley’s death?
I think Kate was so new when all this happened. She knows that Ashley meant a lot to the team so she respects that. But Ashley and Kate never had any time together so I don’t think there is any emotional connection between them.
What relationships would you like to see more developed with Kate?
Every relationship Kate has is very specific. I’d love to see the dynamic between Kate and Magnus grow. Magnus has a lot to teach Kate and it will be interesting to see how that develops. I also love the relationship Kate has with Henry vs her relationship to Will. I think with Henry, she knows she can get what she wants. Whereas Will challenges her in a different way. It’ll be fun to see where that goes.
What was the most challenging scene to shoot in Season 2?
Oh my gosh! There was so many!! In Hero, I had to be really physical and by the end of it I was a mess! I had goo all over me, I had french fries in my hair, it was crazy! But a lot of fun. I also remember this one scene is End of Nights where I was being shot at and I had to jump a wall and I kept hitting my shin against the brick – by the end of it I had a huge bump on my right leg, that took a good 6 months to go away … Oh and since we’re on the topic that last scene of Haunted when Bigfoot and I are swinging from the ceiling, we were both wearing a wire to hold us up. It was the most uncomfortable thing ever!
What would you like to see happen for your character in the new season?
I want to see Kate a bit more vulnerable. I’d like to learn more about her back story. I’d like to see her really accept her strength. I think Kate has a tendency to put on a persona to feel stronger and more in control. But I think as she works with the Sanctuary group, she will find more inner strength and confidence.
Who would you like to see guest star on the show?
Callum Keith Rennie. He’s on…everything. But he was on Battlestar for a while, 24… He’s a great actor.
Do you think we can expect you to make an appearance at this year’s San Diego Comic Con?
I’d love to! Haven’t heard anything yet.
You have written and produced three short films and are currently writing a feature film, so can you tell us what your feature film is about and if we can expect anymore Bollywood shorts from you?
No more Bollywood shorts. I think that was something I just needed to get our of my system. It turned out great, and I’m happy I did it. But I have a better understanding for Hollywood and mainstream films then I do for Bollywood, since I grew up in England and Canada my whole life. So I would like to focus more on that.
My feature…can’t tell you much. Let me finish it and then I can let you know!
Are you interested in writing an episode of Sanctuary?
Wow. writing for TV. I would totally love the challenge. It’s so different from writing for film. There’s a bit more of a formula but it’s really high pressure because there are so many opinions and deadlines. I would definitely do it, if I was presented with the opportunity.
Congrats on recently being cast in the upcoming CTV comedy “Dan for Mayor.” How will this affect shooting with Sanctuary or do you get to film an entire season of Sanctuary and then go film a season of Dan for Mayor?
Thank you! I shot Dan for Mayor last Fall in Toronto when we were finished with Sanctuary. At this point there is no word about Dan for Mayor coming back, as it still has to air.
Can you tell us about filming the movie, 2012?
2012 was great. It was a huge epic film with tons of extras and sets. The cast and crew were great. I did the scene where we see the tidal wave in a studio. They had built a giant mountain in front of a huge green screen and we had hundreds of extras. Who knew that experience was preparing me for Sanctuary!
You have done so much sci-fi work, what attracts you to sci-fi and do you intend to choose the sci-fi roles or it just played out that way?
I love the scope of Sci-fi. It doesn’t get old. Characters are always challenged by the stories, and they keep learning about themselves, and pushing themselves. There are so many directions that it makes it exciting. I find sometimes dramatic shows are really exciting for the first few years and then it gets boring because it is the same old stories. But that doesn’t happen in Sci-fi. Sky’s the limit.
You also have theatre experience, are you interested in getting back into theatre anytime soon?
Definitely. I was about to do a play earlier this year but it didn’t work with my schedule, so I’m hoping to do it by the end of the year. I miss it, for sure and I feel really alive when I am on stage. I’d like to have a career where I can do TV and film work and then jump into theatre every few years.
Sanctuary Season 3 premieres this fall on Syfy. Dan for Mayor premieres March 1, 2010 8:30pm on CTV.
Never connected with this character and will not tune into season 3 since Kate will be given a bigger role for season 3
No offense to Ms. Darshi, but I quit watching Sanctuary because of Kate.
I loved season one, but was not a big fan of season 2, and to be honest I am still on the fence for season 3.
That being said, while I truly appreciate and respect Ms. Darshi's dedication and enthusiasm and I realize that she has no control with how the character is written. I truly hope that the writer's will finish with what they intended to do in season 2 and that was to make the character loved by the whole audience.
I know that there are Kate fans out there, but for me, DK keeps saying that Kate has a heart-of-gold underneath her tough exterior, but in season 2, while they may have implied it, they never truly showed it.
In season 3, before a Kate romance, they really need to have Kate do something to show that she really does have a heart of gold and do something that shows she really cares about the team and has earned her spot on the team.
As I said, I am wavering on season 3 and Kate is a part of that reason. This is no disrespect to the actress, I think she is doing a great job with the character they have given her.
But if season 3 just jumps right into a Kate romance and we don't see her do something to show that Helen was right about her and show that she really is one of the team, they are doing a disservice to BOTH the actress and the character.
don't listen to these others, there are lots of people who enjoy the show, and Kate's character.
For some reason, the haters have gotten louder and more shrill over time.
I have liked Agam in some of her other roles, 2012 was great.
However, and nothing against Ms. Darshi, but I also do not care for Kate.
Would I watch Ms. Darshi in something else, yes, but just not as Kate. I understand the writer's want her this way, but sorry, I just don't care for Kate.
Personally I really like the character of Kate. I agree she started out as a brittle pain in the butt, but she has already developed into someone who cares about the Sanctuary and those involved with it.
She's a fun character, and I can see her becoming a vital member of the team. I look forward to her further development, and maybe a bit more back story, in season 3.
I mean no disrespect to the actress, she has done fine with the material that was given. But Kate is the reason I stopped watching Sanctuary.
2012 was great, but I just never iked the character of Kate. It was too much tough girl and no heart of gold.
Same here, liked 2010, but stopped watching because of Kate.
WOw are these people on the same planet I am, watching the same program I am!! HUH!!! The reality is I started watching Sanctuary because of Amanda Tapping who plays lead Dr.Helen Magnus but the reason I have stayed with Sanctuary is solely due to Kate "AGAM DARSHI". She is mysterious and EXTREMELY SEXY!!!
The actress seems really sweet in this interview. But I don't care for Kate.
I understand it is not the actress, it is the way the character is written, but while the actress seems very nice in this interview, I am also not a Kate fan and actually no longer a Sanctuary fan either because of season 2.
Loved 2012; but do not like Kate at all. She is the reason I stopped watching the show as well.
I appreciate the actress' enthusiasm for her character and the author's website is incredibly well done.
But with all due respect, Amanda Tapping, AKA the first lady of Scifi is the STAR of Sanctuary, the show is about the life of Helen Magnus.
I can appreciate the actress' enthusiasm as well, however, the immoral things the writers had the character do when introduced, went too far for a character who is supposedly one of the "good guys" on the Sanctuary team.
This character is the reason our family stopped viewing Sanctuary.
Our family stopped watching the show because of Kate as well.
I wish the actress luck on her next project. But this family is no longer viewing Sanctuary.
Thanks everyone for all of the heartfelt and passionate comments about your feelings on Agam and her Sanctuary character, Kate. It's very interesting to read what yall are writing, so definitely keep the feedback coming!
I seriously can't believe most of the comments on this article. How can anyone ditch a brilliant show because they have a problem with one of the characters? Is that all that matters? "I don't like Kate because she's pushy and rude and not Ashley so I'm not going to watch this ever again!" I have to wonder what you all do in real life situations. What do you do when you have to work with someone you hate in an otherwise nice place? I'm sure you don't just get up and leave and I hope you don't base your opinions of others on first appearances.
I will admit that I did not like Kate Freelander in Revelations/End of Nights. However, her character was constructed to be the bad guy – she was a Cabal agent after all – we weren't meant to like her! Kate's brashness was purposely irritating in the first few episodes as her allegiances were still unknown and the writers needed to create a sense of tension within the audience: "Is she still a Cabal spy?" "Will she double cross the Sanctuary team?"
The other regular characters also showed animosity towards her as she was the enemy. Kate's character did, however, begin to change throughout the course of season 2. She gradually proved herself to be a trustworthy person, despite her past, and revealed a deeper, less secure and more emotional side to her personality. She became a strong, confident, sometimes opinionated, character who provides an excellent contrast to Will's (seemingly) cookie-cutter outlook on life and Henry's easy-going attitude.
I also think the hatred that has been thrown at Agam Darshi's character by some "fans" is a by-product of Ashley's disappearance from the show. Kate is the new character and, though she did have a part to play in Ashley's capture, people should not hate her because of this. They should, in fact, have a stronger appreciation of the development her character undergoes as the writers begin to remove the protective "shell" she previously had to hide behind to survive the time she spent working in the criminal underworld. She isn't just "Ashley's replacement" and she didn't have some grand evil plan to kill of Ashley, either directly or indirectly, so she could "steal" her place on the team. Characters come and go in every TV show on air – even on reality TV shows, though those people do come and go far too often – do you stop watching a show everytime a character leaves? How can you still watch anything?
Furthermore, if you had continued to watch Sanctuary, you would have found out about the other reasons behind her reluctance to trust anyone and her need to cut herself off from the people who seem to care about her as she has learned, from experience, that they are also the people who can hurt her in the long-run.
I am very glad that I did not stop watching Sanctuary when Kate was introduced as I would have missed out on so much more. The true essence of this show is not the brilliant Helen Magnus or her network of shelters for the world's abnormals; it is about the way the characters interact with each other and develop through the course of the episodes. I can't wait for Season 3 and I know there are many other Sanctuary fans who share my opinion.