The drama continues tonight on NBC’s monster series GRIMM as Nick and Adalind’s relationship continues adapting to the mayhem and madness that is life under threat from the Wesen. Recently, Claire Coffee addressed the press regarding her character’s development this season and what Adalind and Nick’s new baby might mean for their future.
No longer a Hexenbiest, fans have speculated whether Claire’s alter-ego is undergoing a permanent change in attitude or if this kinder, gentler version’s merely the result of post-birthing hormones? “I think she feels like her life is far better without being a Hexenbiest than it is being a Hexenbiest,” revealed Claire. “Her fear is that the suppressant that they used to suppress her powers could wear off. She’s really scared of that happening because of the relationship that is building with Nick and Kelly — she really wants to do it right this time. Adalind’s main concern is keeping Kelly safe. She’s also really trying to figure out a way that she can be a normal person. She wants to be a good person and try to figure out ways to do that and be a good mom. Her relationship with Nick is ever-changing for the first half of this season, so, safe to say it gets complicated.”
Being a new mother herself, Coffee shared how she’s found the experience of motherhood and how it’s affected her portrayal of Adalind. “It’s been so many things but, it’s been awesome. Cal is awesome. And luckily I’m able to bring him on set with me. He hangs out in the trailer with my incredible nanny. I get to pop in and out to feed him or hang out with him on breaks from set, so that’s been really good. He’s sort of like the set mascot. I feel so much better informed this season, playing the role of a mother now that I am one myself. I would have done my birthing scene of Diana very differently had I known then what it actually feels like. Motherhood makes your life very simple in one way because the only thing you’re really concerned with at the end of the day is making sure your baby is happy and safe. In that way Adalind and I, as mothers, are in lockstep.”
Considering that her first child was stolen from her, it would be understandable if Adalind worries this season that Kelly might be taken from her too. Does that fear influence her? “Yes. There’s a tremendous fear that this one will get taken away,” she confided. “And with the new threats that arrived on the scene in Portland, her fears are not assuaged in any way. Since she’s no longer a Hexenbiest she doesn’t have much ability to protect herself or the baby anymore.”
Might we see mother and daughter reunite anytime soon? “Well, we’ve shot up to Episode 11 and I still haven’t gotten her back yet. We do know she is aging rapidly, so we’re all sort of speculating as to how she will be if or when I finally see her again. At this point, whomever she’s with has spent a lot more time with her than Adalind has. Those motherly ties are very, very strong, but obviously any reunion would be difficult at first,” conceded Claire.
Questioned as to the extent to which she’s shaped Adalind’s evolution, Coffee divulged, “The only thing I had a hand in was developing how wesen woge. Silas Weir Mitchell and I were the first ones to do it so we got to experiment with that. The rest of her development has been all Jim [Kouf] and David [Greenwalt].”
Commenting on how her character’s relationship with Nick will evolve, Claire disclosed, “At the beginning of the season they find themselves at a bit of a crossroads — Nick having lost his mother and Juliette who was the love of his life. Adalind has no one. I think that they really bond over this child because the only feeling that matters to them at this point is keeping Kelly happy and healthy. They form a bond over that. I think it’s easy to let bygones be bygones when you have a baby that needs you 24 hours a day.”
Is there any chance that a romance might develop between them? “Nick and Adalind have had a very aggressive and contentious chemistry between them from the beginning, since she was the first wesen that he saw. She’s been a thorn in his side. I think they’re an expression of that saying that ‘there’s a thin line between love and hate.’ I’d say they are inextricably linked, so it’s not so farfetched. But there’s so many things complicating the situation at this point. And, especially this season, we have a brand new villainous entity and a wesen uprising afoot, so there’s a lot going on. The best thing I can say is that you’ll just have to wait and see. It’s a pretty twisty, turning season.”
Adalind’s relationship to every character changes this season, perhaps most surprisingly in the form of a burgeoning bond with Rosalee. Coffee clarified how Adalind will integrate into the mix, “So, with the baby, she’s definitely popping up more now with Nick and the gang. Nobody forgets how badly she screwed over Hank and tried to kill him and all of that, but it seems to be a little bit on the back burner as people are giving Adalind the benefit of the doubt. As for her relationship with Rosalee, she’s really trying to get Rosalee to trust her and they’re forming a friendship that will grow throughout the season. For the most part the team isn’t so excited to have her in the fold at first and nobody is trusting her completely. It’s a very slow process.”
Five seasons in, how would Claire describe Adalind’s overall arc so far? “I think rollercoaster defines it most accurately. When I originally signed up it was just for one episode with a potential to recur. I was a sort of henchman for Renard and that’s as far as I knew it would go. It’s been a very pleasant surprise to see how far it’s gone. As an actress all you really want is to be able to play extraordinary circumstances, and I feel like I’ve gotten to play three different characters in the same show so far. It’s been great fun for me.” Adding, “I really love getting to shoot with the rest of the cast more frequently now that Adalind is in Portland and hanging out with the gang. I didn’t get to do that as evil-Adalind.”
As a fan of David Greenwalt’s since his days on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, I was curious how Coffee found him as a collaborative partner on GRIMM? “David is a champion of the show and all of us. I get calls from him every so often just telling me, “oh, you’re doing such a great job. We’re so happy that you’re with us.” He’s just really proud of all the work — and that’s for everybody. Both Jim and David are fantastic. They really balance each other out so perfectly. The feeling on set that the both of them have created is that we’re all one big family and everyone is just really wanting everybody else to succeed. That’s rare and really wonderful. I am so lucky that they’ve put so much faith in me to carry out the insanity that is Adalind.”
Asked for her opinion on what’s kept GRIMM so popular season after season, Coffee declared, “It’s the characters. There’s a little bit of something for everyone with these characters and the arcs of the characters have been so complex. I think it’s really fun for fans to see how things change from season to season and even from episode to episode. And the monsters translate in any language; I think scary is scary. Our visual effects artists have done an incredible job of creating these very intricate, and sometimes disgusting, creatures. That’s reason to tune in alone, just to see what the next monster is going to look like.”
Having been there from the beginning, Claire was pleased to offer her viewpoint on the milestone of GRIMM filming its one hundredth episode this season. “It’s outstanding and unbelievable, truly. We’re all just so grateful and in disbelief and so proud of the show and so happy to be up in Portland. One hundred episodes, these days, is such an enormous accomplishment. We are hugely indebted to the fans of the show.”
Fans will not want to miss tonight’s action-packed episode of GRIMM on NBC at 9/8c. Follow along as the cast and crew live tweet throughout the episode and make sure to get the NBC app for full access to everything GRIMM.
