ESCLUSIVA - Morena Baccarin di "Gotham" (Premium Action) intervistata in esclusiva da Telefilm Cult: "Leslie e Gordon sono la luce in mezzo alle tenebre della città!"

What is the tone of the relationship between Leslie Thompkins and James Gordon after everything they went through?

I think Leslie’s been left a little rattled after her last experience with Barbara Kean [played by Erin Richards]. But she’s a very a strong person and they are both survivors. They are trying to deal with the hand they were dealt. He’s in a bit of a dark spot, so I think there’s going to be a little bit of a push/pull into that world of darkness this season as they see if they can come out and survive. He’s going to be going through quite a lot, so we’ll see if they’re able to survive it – and where his priorities lie. I would guess that it’s going to be very complicated.

Are you the light pulling Gordon away from the darkness?

I don’t know if light is the right word. She’s supportive, but she’s also got her own things that she’s grappling with. The Gotham world is a difficult world!

Would you agree that there’s a darker tone to the show this year?

Essentially, I think every character is going to be tested a lot this season. There’s a lot more darkness everywhere. I think a lot of the characters are going to be deciding which side they’re on.

Does this mean there will be lots of internal battles as well as physical battles?

There’s a great film noir saying: ‘Looking into darkness and darkness looking into you.’ I think that’s what everybody’s going to be dealing with this season. Who is able to flirt with that and extricate themselves and not get sucked into the evilness of it? I think that every character is going to have that a little bit this year.

Leslie Thompkins is one of the strongest female characters in the GCPD. What is that like to play?

It’s fantastic. It’s really great. I love how smart the show is written. I like that it pushes the boundaries and that it goes into the dark places. 

How would you describe Leslie’s role in the show?

Well, the season one storyline for my character was very simple – I was brought into the show to be a love interest for Gordon, so they planted that seed very early. It developed into quite an interesting relationship where they were supportive of each other, and he had a little bit of light in a very dark world. She brought a little bit of humour to him and a bit of lightness, and then they became very good partners and very good comrades. She then started working at the Gotham City Police Department, which melded their worlds together a little bit more, so we’ll see where that goes from here.

In the comic, Leslie creates her own medical clinic. Will we see any of that in Gotham?

Eventually, I think so. I’m not really sure what their plan is with the whole arc for this character, but she does form other relationships apart from just the Jim and Leslie relationship.

How much do you enjoy the action scenes?

I like them. I think they’re fun. I don’t like to get hurt, but it can be fun.

Are you yourself a comic fan? As well as this role, you voiced Gideon in The Flash…

I am a fan in the sense that I grew up with a brother who read a lot of the comics, so they were always around the house. I do love the genre, but I haven’t read the Batman comics, so if you asked me about rare characters, I wouldn’t know them.

How much do you enjoy filming in New York?

It’s great, especially in the summer months. When it gets into the winter, it’s not so great. The writers forget about the cold of New York because they live in LA. They write all these exterior night scenes where we’re out there all night long, freezing our butts off. The look of New York is very Gotham – and they do such a great job of using all the really great buildings and gritty locations for the show. It’s great.