It is not every day that you are invited into the supernatural world where a succubus is the hero. Yet Syfy’s new series LOST GIRL introduces us to Bo, a Fae creature who has to feed off other people’s life force to survive. It sounds contradictory to cheer for such a creature, but when they are as stunning and as delightful as Anna Silk portrays Bo, you cannot help but be sucked right in along with everyone else. In a recent conference call with press, Anna Silk and Ksenia Solo shared some of their favorite things about LOST GIRL and their respective characters of Bo and Kenzi.
Perhaps you could talk a little bit about the relationship between your two characters, Bo and Kenzi, and its grown and developed.
ANNA: Well, the relationship is very new to American viewers, obviously. But even in the first two episodes that you guys have seen already, Bo has spent her life on the run, afraid of her power; and when she meets Kenzi, it’s the first time she’s sort of met someone who’s human who has seen what she can do and who doesn’t run away. Kenzi kind of says, “Okay. I can see what you can do. Fine. Whatever. Like tell me more about it.” So there’s a great scene that I love in the first episode. It was our first day of shooting actually where we sit in a diner and she asks me questions about myself and I’m sort of, revealing a little bit of information, but not too much. And I think that really set the tone for where this relationship was going to go. I mean, it was like sort of an instant sisterhood, and as the series progresses that sisterhood does grow stronger and there’s definitely a family bond between them. They would do anything for each other, which is really nice. As Ksenia said, it’s nice to see two women on TV who really support each other and really, really love and care about each other. So there’s lots of places that it does go, but it’s very fun, particularly in the first season.
KSENIA: And I feel like for myself, I can only dream — like everyone in this world can only dream of having a relationship like this where they would literally die for each other without a second thought. They are there for each other no matter what evil is right in front of them. They would do, like Anna said, they really would do anything for each other, and it’s such a beautiful, refreshing relationship. It grows and Anna and I are very lucky that we really hit it off from the very first moment. It would really be hard to play this relationship on TV if we really didn’t truly care about each other and get along as well as we do. So, in terms of that, with someone that you have to spend so many hours a day with somebody, it’s basically like Anna and I are in a marriage because we’re just together all the time. So, we’re lucky that shines through and that we have that chemistry in life and on screen. It really makes the Bo/Kenzi relationship shine that much brighter I think.
Can you talk about a favorite moment or just kind of your favorite part about working on the show?
ANNA: I think the favorite part for me about working on the show is just the incredible cast and crew that I get to work with. So that’s kind of a really general answer, but that’s the truth. I mean we have such a dedicated group of people that love the show and love taking an active role in making it better all the time. So that’s a really great thing to get to go to work every day. I’ve never woken up and thought, “Oh, I don’t want to go to work.” I’ve woken up and thought I wanted to sleep another hour, but I’ve never woken up and thought I don’t want to go. And that’s just really so rewarding.
KSENIA: I think for me, a huge kind of fun aspect of it is that Anna and I get to kick some serious butt and that we have so much girl-power on this show that makes me just proud as a woman can be a part of something like that. Because you really don’t see that on TV that often and in film, and really anywhere. So I think it’s that it’s definitely very exciting.
Is there something that the both of you would like to see happen to your characters that haven’t yet? Either maybe a story line or just something you’d like to know about them?
KSENIA: Sure. Heading into Season 3 — I got to say it’s fun being the human, but it would definitely be cool to – if Kenzi maybe some kind of power. Some sort of something. I’m a little jealous that everyone gets to you know wolf-out and succubus, and do all this fun stuff sometimes. I don’t know if that would ever happen, but it would definitely be something cool to see.
ANNA: And for me, for Bo, I think that I would love to see her start to have her power fully realized. I think she’s always known that she plays a key role in the Fae world and that she’s got a lot of power, but particularly in the first season, she’s really discovering what that is, and it’s sort you know misplaced and misguided power. So we’re going into Season 3 here in Canada — we’ll start shooting in the spring — and I just think that over the course of the series, her power has become more and more fully realized, and I’d love to see it go even further in Season 3. I’d love to see her really, really understand just how powerful she is.
Are audiences going to see more of the backstory of Bo and Kenzi, before they met up in that first episode, such as will we see flashbacks to what were they doing when they were on their own?
ANNA: As Bo and Kenzi get to know each other, a lot of that stuff comes out thorough just their dialog and through what they know about each other. There’s definitely as the series progresses, particularly into Season 2, we definitely see a little bit more about each character’s history. And there might be a little flashbacks, but it definitely comes out more through you know events that happen on the show and the way that we behave because of our history. We learn more about each other, which I think is really cool because there’s a lot that they still don’t know about each other. They’ve had a whole life before they met each other — and each was sort of slightly jaded and a little dangerous. And so there’s a lot of that that comes out over the course of the series.
Does Kenzi sort of get to go off on her own adventures and maybe have her own sub-plots or even her own romantic you know relationship, and is there the promise of that in the future?
KSENIA: Oh, baby, does she ever. Yes. Definitely. We delve into Kenzi and where she comes from and even some of her family members, and a love interest definitely comes along and sweeps her off her feet. And that’s pretty much all I can say without giving too much away. But, yes, definitely. . . .We see a little bit of Kenzi’s family and not too much in Season 1, but more in Season 2 that’s when we really begin to explore that.
It’s only been two weeks since the show premiered in the U.S., but how have things changed for both of you maybe professionally? Have you noticed any kind of effect since reaching out to this U.S. audience?
ANNA: Yes. I mean, I definitely have. I have a Twitter account and a Facebook page and all that stuff, and that’s definitely gotten a lot more activity since we premiered in the US. I know the whole cast and crew was excited to have the show introduced to a whole new audience, and a really big audience. And that’s why we are really pleased to be on Syfy, because we know that the audience tends to be really responsive, and they have been very responsive. They’ve really embraced the show so far. I know it’s only been two episodes, but really I’m excited because I know what they have in store. So it’s definitely a really nice feeling.
KSENIA: And I think in a way it hasn’t even sunk in yet because we literally just wrapped. We’ve been on set nonstop, so I think you know as soon as we now get a little chance to kind of breathe and take it all in, that’s when we’ll really see the effects of the Syfy premier.
In these first two episodes, the relationships are already beginning to form, and one of the more interesting relationships in the series is kind of the relationship that Bo and Kenzi have with Rick Howland’s character, Trick. Could maybe like talk a little bit about that and how that’s going to evolve over the seasons?
ANNA: Wow. Bo meets Trick pretty early on in the show. I can’t remember if it’s exactly the same time as Kenzi or not, but Trick certainly plays a key role in our show. Played by Rick Howland, he’s fantastic, and over the course of the first two seasons, and going into the third, he’s definitely a key player in the Fae world and in Bo and Kenzi’s world. I think that Trick and Bo have a special bond, and I think it’s pretty evident. I think we see it in Episode 2 actually, which just aired in the U.S. I really can’t give away anything about it. But it’s definitely a unique bond that continues to grow for Bo and Trick.
KSENIA: I think for Kenzi, as well, he really is a father-figure. I feel like as much he is to Bo, he is to Kenzi. He is wise beyond his years and kinder I think than anybody that Bo or Kenzi have ever met. They come from such different lives, but their lives were both dangerous and scary, and they’re kind of these women, who are alone in the world. And Trick is really that father-figure that neither of them has ever had. Like Anna said, Rick Howland is just such a phenomenal actor, and we’re lucky to have him play Trick, because I really can’t imagine anybody else in the world playing that role.
ANNA: I know. And he’s such a protector and such a care-giver to both of us, on set too.
How much of your own personality do you bring into the role of Kenzi? And do you have any input in some of the great comedic lines that you get to say?
KSENIA: Yes. We have this amazing woman, her name is Michelle Lovretta, who created these characters. Kenzi — just the role is the first thing that really attracted me to this project, and our writers are really fantastic. We collaborate and we talk about everything, and we really have a say in our characters and who we are and what happens. I’m not a brilliant writer. I wish I was. So I can’t take credit for these incredibly funny lines. But, of course, I am involved and the writers listen, and I think that’s incredibly important. And I have a lot of fun. Kenzi, I look up to her. I respect her. I learn from her all the time because she’s braver than anybody I’ve ever played. Her sense of humor is out of this world and I wish I was as cool as her sometimes. But I definitely have a ball with her because I get to come in to work and I really get to play, and it’s really not that often that you get to do that. You get to just kind of go as outside-the-box as you want — and with her I can really do that, so it’s a joy for me.
Anna, you often play straight man to Kenzi’s sort of wacky nature. Is there a chance in the future we’re going to see a little bit of that in your character?
ANNA: Definitely. I mean particularly towards the end of first season and going into second season. Bo is pretty new to this world. The fact that at the beginning of the series she finds out she’s not human. She’s a succubus. She’s part of a Fae underworld. That’s a lot to take in. So she’s pretty young in terms of her life experience, particularly in this world. She’s never really had a relationship before. There’s a lot of growth for Bo, and that’s one of the things that drew me to the role is that I knew that over the course of the series there would be so much room for growth, and that’s definitely something you see. You definitely start to see Bo’s own sense of humor develop. More so in second season, but definitely over the course of the first as well because she’s getting a little bit more comfortable in that world and starting to understand her place in it. So you definitely see her start to enjoy herself a little bit more as well.
KSENIA: And for all the people that don’t have the pleasure of knowing Anna Silk, I can say that she’s actually one of the funniest people I have ever met.
ANNA: Well, thank you Ksenia!
KSENIA: So that will definitely come through and people will definitely enjoy it.
Was there a point where you just kind of had to pinch yourself to realize that not only did you have such a great chemistry, but also had a show that was a popular hit?
ANNA: Yes, definitely. I mean we knew the show was special and unique, but you never know how it’s going to resonate with an audience. And when it started to air and we started to you know be seen globally really, because of the Internet and that kind of thing, the response was huge — and there’s definitely pinch yourself moments. I always say the story — I live in Los Angeles when I’m not in Toronto shooting — and I was in a café, there were celebrities there, and someone recognized me from LOST GIRL. So I thought, “Wow.” Like that’s pretty amazing you know. People are watching the show and that was really, really cool for me.
KSENIA: And I think we’re only now starting to enjoy it in a way, because we really have been working for so long and we’ve been working hard, and consistently. We just wrapped and we’ve been working non-stop for the last nine months. So I think only now, when we get this chance to just like relax and breathe are we really seeing the effects of LOST GIRL and feeling all the fan love. Now we can finally just pay a little more attention to it because we’re not you know on set working crazy hours every day.
So what has been the biggest surprise? The thing you just weren’t expecting that struck each of you as you’ve been working on this show for the last couple of years?
KSENIA: I would have to say the fan response. I think when we shot the pilot, like Anna said, we knew we had something special on our hands. But you never know. You really never know. So, I think our fans are really the best. They’re so dedicated to the characters and committed to watching the show every week and following Kenzi and Bo and everybody, and how we grow and the storylines — and we’re really lucky to have the fans that we have. They really love us and we love them in return, and it’s really great.
ANNA: Yes. And I think that the fan response would be what I would say too, and the more specific fan response. I mean people they love the world that’s been created on LOST GIRL, and the Fae mythology and all of the richness of that world. But they really respond to the relationships on the show. So when fans write to me or ask me things on Twitter or Facebook, or at fan events, they always have really specific things that they’ve geared towards and they’ve gravitated towards. They love the Bo/Kenzi relationship. They love the love triangle. In particular, the Lauren/Bo relationship, and they have really have embraced the show and have one specific thing that they love more than anything else, and I think that’s really, really cool. We have people lining up for Trick. We have people lining up for K.C. who plays Hale. Everyone’s got their sort of favorites. And that’s really, really nice for us.
From the very first episode, all the characters are very stylishly dressed. For Ksenia, Kenzi’s character especially seems informed by her edgy sense of dress. Do Kenzi’s clothing items end up in your own closet or some of your closet items end up on your character?
KSENIA: Anne Dixon is an amazingly talented woman. What’s so cool about our show is that all of the characters really have specially created pieces, which you don’t really see that a lot in television. And, we just have an amazing team. The wardrobe on the show is kind of its own character, and especially for Kenzi. This girl that’s a huge fashionista, but has grown up on the street, and she’s a thief. Most of the stuff that she has she’s stolen and she kind of makes everything her own. She can’t afford what she would dream of wearing, so she picks up everything she can and creates things. And she’s really you know a young designer in her own rite. Anne has definitely made this show look different than any other show, and I think that really speaks for itself.
ANNA: Yes. And I think with Bo and Kenzi too, they don’t exactly have a lot of money, and where they live is not exactly the biggest palace in the world. But its sort of that thing of you don’t need money to have style. They sort of their style evolves, particularly for Bo because she sort of came from one place and sort of finds her way. And Anne Dixon has been incredible with the costuming and making things. For Bo, there’s she’s a sexual creature and there’s some curve enhancing wardrobe, and things that she can move in and fight in, and Anne’s been really incredible with that.
Bo and Kenzi are both outsiders for radically different reasons, but definitely outsiders. How did they make this incredible connection where they tend to want to protect each other. Why do you think that relationship works the way it does?
ANNA: When Kenzi sees what Bo can do and doesn’t run the other way, that’s the first thing that sort of makes Bo say, “Why aren’t you running?” “Why are you still here and why are you asking me so many questions?” So that right away sort of is this instant connection, and it does grow into a sisterly relationship and a motherly relationship as well. I mean, they really, really love each other. I don’t think either of them had the kind of family that they could express that in necessarily, so it’s really nice to see these two women on TV that are able to do that. And Kenzi gets introduced to this whole Fae world as well kind of at the same time that Bo does, because Bo didn’t realize she was a part of it. So they get to really learn together and grow together.
KSENIA: I think life is really all about timing, and I really think that Bo and Kenzi find each other at a time when they need to, and that friendship stems from this crazy set of circumstances when they meet. Bo saves Kenzi’s life and Kenzi is forever indebted to Bo. And I feel like they’re both kind of these two warriors that come from two different worlds, that they come together and become this powerhouse. Like Kenzi says in the first episode, “Batman needs his Robin.”
ANNA: And they really complement each other too. Like in terms of what their abilities. Kenzi’s definitely more street-wise than Bo. Bo’s had to be her own brand of street-wise, but Kenzi sort of has a lot more of the know-how; whereas, Bo has a lot more of the muscle, so they really do complement each other.
KSENIA: Anna’s so right. Like they learn from each other. And areas where Kenzi, doesn’t know things, Bo comes in, in areas where Bo doesn’t know things, Kenzi comes in. So they’re always complementing each other and – I’m sorry for all the analogies — but they’re like two puzzle pieces that just fit perfectly together.
How would you say that you’re the most similar to your respective characters?
ANNA: Well, I mean I definitely was drawn to Bo because I think that Bo’s greatest strength and power really comes from her vulnerability, and that’s what I identify with. That feeling of like having to stand up and fight or fight for what you believe in, or do things that might scare you. Even though you’re scared, you do them, and that’s something that I identified with. Because I’m scared a lot of the time, but I move forward and that’s something that I saw in Bo and I definitely learned from Bo because she really does have to sort of push forward and fight for what she believes in. How else are we similar? I don’t know. Ksenia, how am I similar to Bo?
KSENIA: Well, you’re both really sexy, so there is that.
ANNA: Oh, well. Oh, yes. There’s that as well. [Laughter]
KSENIA: How could you forget?! [Laughter] I would say Kenzi and I are complete opposites, but as the universal law opposites attract, so I think that’s why it works so well. And like Anna learns from Bo, I learn from Kenzi all the time. Her bravery. Her strength. I look up to that and I always wish that I could be as brave as her. I think one thing that Kenzi and I definitely both agree on is fashion. I’m a huge, huge, huge fashionista and love fashion and so does Kenzi, so that’s definitely where we bond.
Are we going to see more of Kenzi getting into the action? Are we going to see more of her kind of getting into danger and jumping in?
KSENIA: Yes. When you tell Kenzi to stay and not come into the danger, she won’t listen. So Bo can tell her all she wants to stay back — obviously Bo’s just trying to protect her — but Kenzi will never listen and will always do everything in her power to fight by Bo’s side and face whatever evil comes their way. And even though Kenzi is petrified, the beauty about her is that she’s so brave that she will you know completely ignore her fear and just go full ahead and fight for Bo and with Bo. And so yes, Kenzi will definitely be a part of the action and will be getting into her own trouble very soon. 
To see more of the adventures of Bo and Kenzi as they explore the Fae world, be sure to tune in on Mondays at 10PM on Syfy (Sundays at 9PM on Showcase in Canada)
Tiffany Vogt is the Senior West Coast Editor, contributing as a columnist and entertainment reporter to TheTVaddict.com. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).