Photography by Torquille de Jonge
We had the wonderful opportunity to interview actress Tammy Gillis. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Tammy! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role as Deputy Marissa Staub in Freeform’s most successful series to date, “Siren”, premiering on January 24th. What should the audience expect to see this season?
Thanks so much for the invite! Expect to see more mermaids because more are coming! More mermaids, more mystery, more drama.
Tell us about Marissa. Who is she? What is her personality like?
Marissa is pretty by-the-book. She likes to follow the rules and is a bit of a loner. She grew up in this town with these people and understands how small towns work – everyone knows everything but there are always secrets. This season is interesting because we start to see more of her relationships with people in the town and the pull between doing her job and being their friend.
Was it a challenge to play Marissa?
One of the hard things that I needed to keep track of was what Marissa knows and doesn’t know. In my mind at times, I was like “How can she not know this?” and then review my notes and realize that she didn’t see a specific thing or hear a specific thing so it makes sense. Also, it can definitely be intimidating standing up to the Sheriff (played by Gil Birmingham who is an absolute powerhouse of an actor) and or course, Ryn (played by Eline Powell who is incredible but also very unpredictable).
[su_pullquote]”I love getting to try on new and different characters.”[/su_pullquote]What do you enjoy most about playing Marissa?
I hadn’t played a police officer or deputy before so it was interesting trying to find out how that would feel or be. I love getting to try on new and different characters. I absolutely love working on the show, we have an incredible group of producers, directors, writers, cast, and crew. I am very grateful for it.
How did you get the role?
I was called in to audition. It was originally written for a man but they cast me so I got lucky! I love that they changed the role to be a woman. I think it adds an interesting dynamic to the Sheriff Department.
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The subject matter of the series is exciting. How does the production bring something fresh to the second season?
They touch on a variety of new topics that you will see as the series airs. They are really into using events that are happening currently in society and bringing it into the world of “Siren”. For example, this season they are showcasing why the mermaids are coming to land, which is because of environmental issues. That is such an important issue in our world today. They touch on seeing the new mer-people as refugees and how they and the community reacts and adapts.
What is going to surprise people about Marissa?
You will have to tune in to see!
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite part of this season?
I really loved the third episode of the new season – it gave me an opportunity to create more of a backstory for the relationships with the other characters and I think we really got to see how much Marissa cares about the Sheriff. She keeps trying to help him!! The response from the fans has been amazing – some are for it, some are against it. It was also fun to have to step up and fill the role of being in charge.
Do you have any on-set stories you can share?
I wish they did a blooper reel. There are some funny takes where one of us might mess up and then we all just lose it laughing. I think that comes from a comfortability and camaraderie with everyone. The scene when I go to Ben’s cabin and find him there with a bunch of “strangers’ was a fun scene mainly because Alex was trying to make me laugh for most of it and I’m trying my hardest to be “Serious Marissa”.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the series?
Keep watching cause it just gets better and better!! Also please come live-tweet with the MerFamily when it airs. We love our fans and their reactions to the episodes are amazing.
You can find me on all social media – Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @realtammygillis.
Featured Image Credit: Torquille de Jonge.
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