With Falling Skies in full swing at Comic Con, actress Seychelle Gabriel shared her thoughts on the second season of the TNT sci-fi series.
In Falling Skies, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Noah Wyle, actress Seychelle Gabriel plays young medical trainee, Lourdes, who went from an eager young assistant of the resistance in the first season to a more confident woman who steps into her own in season two.
When aliens invaded in the first season of Falling Skies, Lourdes was a pre-medical student at the time of the attack. Leaving medical school, Lourdes joined the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment to help the wounded through her education as an assistant to 2nd Mass doctor, Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood).
With Falling Skies nearing the mid-point of the season, and just renewed for a third, The Deadbolt recently went one-on-one with Seychelle Gabriel to learn more about the second Falling Skies season, how Lourdes has grown, working with Terry O’Quinn of Lost fame, and what she thinks of Comic Con in San Diego.
THE DEADBOLT: In what ways have you connected to Lourdes’ vulnerability this season?
SEYCHELLE GABRIEL I’m really close with my family, as was she. I think holding your family highly, it means a lot to me. So the thought of having it gone is an intense thought for me because I’m on the phone with my mother all of the time. It’s the same with my dad and my friends, so that’s definitely a big part.
THE DEADBOLT: How have you connected to the character through her Mexican heritage?
GABRIEL: In different ways. This season, she spoke Spanish a little bit, which is really cool. I called my grandma, who is Mexican, and she helped me a lot. It’s just kind of recalling those little traditions that have been around.
My family is mixed, we’re Italian, French and Mexican, but we’re very much American as well. There are little customs that come with the Mexican heritage, like dancing and my grandma’s food, so it’s nice to connect with those things.
THE DEADBOLT: How does her role with Anne evolve this season?
GABRIEL: They get closer but they also have a little rough patch that hits them and they have to work through it together. They get mad at each other but ultimately it solidifies the fact that they’re pretty much family now.
THE DEADBOLT: What type of medical issues do you run up against?
GABRIEL: A lot of otherworldly stuff that includes new aliens. It’s kind of a trip for those two. They’re all evolved from these new aliens, at least new peak senses the way the Skitters work. We delve into the whole Harness process a little more, which has an effect on one of the characters medically. We had to deal with the unexpected in a clever way.
THE DEADBOLT: With Jamil coming into her life, how does he open Lourdes up in new ways as a character?
GABRIEL: He’s just really someone for her to talk to. So we see her open up in ways that she hasn’t before aside from Anne. That’s kind of a girl thing. When you have that special significant other, you can just really break down if you need to. She’s got that there, so that just opens her up and lets her grow. He gives her a hope and good works to keep truckin’.
THE DEADBOLT: In what ways has her spirituality rubbed off on you?
GABRIEL: You know, I never really read the Bible so much. Last year when she was pretty religious, I started to read it more. It’s just such a trip because there’s so much that it effects around us. I went to a museum afterwards and there are so many stories that are painted.
Had I not read certain stories, I never would have connected with them. They would have been just other religious paintings that I didn’t get. It’s just kind of opened up what it means to certain people and just respecting that a lot more.
THE DEADBOLT: What was Steven Spielberg’s mandate for the changes this season as compared to last?
GABRIEL: That’s a lot more of the behind-the-scenes than what I’m involved with. But I think it was his idea to bring on this new species of aliens that gets introduced near the half-point of the season. I know that was his idea, how they looked and acted.
THE DEADBOLT: Have you worked with Terry O’Quinn yet?
GABRIEL: Yeah. That was really cool. I mean, I’m a huge Lost fan, so I was pretty stoked about that. It was cool. He’s very quiet and to himself on-set. But it’s cool because once he gets into his character, it’s very powerful. His character is pretty powerful and he just got a really great presence on-set that resonantes with you.
THE DEADBOLT: So, have you done Comic Con before?
GABRIEL: No. I did my first expo in London that was like a Comic Con and I had a ball. So I’ve been looking forward to this one.
THE DEADBOLT: Does it make you nervous?
GABRIEL: Panels just make me nervous in general. But I’m glad that I did the first one on a smaller scale so I could be ready. I love people dressing up. Halloween, that’s my thing. So I think people in costumes are the coolest thing ever.