Interviews & Articles

All Things Aeryn

Copied from scifi.ign.com:All Things Aeryn

February 23, 2000

Farscape's Claudia Black talks with IGN Sci-Fi about Pitch Black, the return of Scorpius, and racy new space babe outfits.

Claudia in full space babe mode.

Women in sci-fi have come a long way, baby. Just ask Farscape's Claudia Black, who plays one of the genre's most admired, toughest, unshakable characters. Sure, she's got plenty to say about Farscape's upcoming season. More important, though, are those must-haves in every space babe's closet. That's right, we're talking about clothes, specifically Aeryn's new wardrobe.

"It is leather. It is black. It is saucy," Black says, relishing every turn of phrase. What will undoubtedly be the highlight of next season's sartorial innovation, the costume is a particularly sexy number that Black helped design. "It's a sleeker, more stylized look. It develops over the first five or six episodes, and the look takes on different permutations." Suddenly, a behind-the-scenes interview about a hot sci-fi show turns into a late-night gabfest between girlfriends. Aeryn likes to shop, just like the rest of us! "Sometimes we beg for something new to wear because a girl's gotta have something to play around in in space! Aeryn needs to have a new outfit occasionally, like every other girl," she says.

Black on Black

Having an opportunity to catch Black up on the big screen is something no 'Scaper should miss. She plays geologist and crash survivor Shazza, a different role from the take-no-prisoners Aeryn. "It was a really tough role to play, actually," she says. "I specifically chose it because it gave me a backseat opportunity to be in a film with a half-decent budget. And I wanted to earn my stripes."

Pitch Black filmed in forbidding winter conditions in the isolated Australian town of Coober Pedy. "You start to feel quite fragile even though you're playing these cyberbabes. You just call on whatever strength you can to portray that sort of role," she says. Especially when conditions were far from movie-star glamour. "The crew comes over and says 'I'm really sorry, but I have to spray you with water now to make it look like you're sweating,' and they quickly spritz you and run for the hills because they're afraid you're going to murder their families!" Black says, chuckling. "It's character-building. I had a whole street of characters!"

Talk about the area's beauty naturally leads to a discussion of Farscape's alien landscapes. "It's quite an interesting phenomenon shooting on location where you can't have signs of human life prior to the characters discovering the environment. We've just been experiencing that in Farscape recently. Aeryn's going out trekking in the sand dunes."

However, Black reveals that next season there will be fewer locations and is "quite a bit more shipbound," with more guest sets. "But we've just done such a spectacular double-episode that I think it's worth saving our pennies for that one," she says.

The Future of Farscape

We hate each other. Really.

"It's quite the political episode about certain parts of the universe. It ties together, historically, some of the background information for the audience about the world they've already seen," Claudia reveals. "We learn some of Scorpius' background, and some interracial politics, which is really quite interestingly done. I was surprised by the epic scale of it," she says. Black was so happy that she rang up Kemper on the phone to thank him as soon as she read the script. "We're all so excited about it. He's delivered an opportunity for the characters to perform comedically, and in terms of the relationships that have developed between the Moya crew, there are some nice payoffs for the audience. And," she adds mysteriously, "it's a very romantic episode."

When asked if she shares the sentiment of 'shippers everywhere, Black asks, "And the 'shippers are who?" After a quick explanation -- fans who'd like to see the characters get together -- Black says, "How many of the characters? 'At the orgy we would like it in the following order…'" she says, laughing out loud.

Well, how about John and Aeryn, Chiana and John, Aeryn and D'Argo…? "It's not exactly beyond possibility, because the way a long term series is written, you need from season to season to implant in the audience's mind the possibility of change. To threaten what has already been invested in and to keep the arc interesting and dramatic. We're dependent on those twists and turns to keep the interest and the drama alive."

Black has revealed that season two will reveal more of Aeryn's personal history. One story to watch for will be episode seven, an "Aeryn episode," Black says. It features "phenomenal" directing flourishes from Tony Tilse, who developed some new visual elements, including a different way of using the negative, that Black says other directors were quick to pick up on. But mostly Black enjoyed the chance to be the center of the story. "It's a great story for Aeryn, and as an actor I thrive more on the challenge of a lead story. Whereas in season one I may have buckled under the pressure, this season I'm really relishing the opportunities."

Claudia and the Farscape crew.

The long hours and hard work have really begun to pay off for Black. "The experience of season two has been uplifting, where I've been able to make sure I'm enjoying it more," she says.

In fact, Black says she's learned to "exhale," especially playing a character who makes such physical demands on the actor. "A lot of that has to do with Aeryn, because she's a much more physical character than I've ever had to portray before." Black confesses she's taken on a training regimen that makes her physically believable as the strong and lean Aeryn, while not looking outrageously buff. "I wanted to bulk up and look bigger on screen, I wanted my arms to look like I could life a car," she says. "I wanted to look like the vision of vigor and strength without going over the top." Making time to train is made more difficult this year with the production's move two hours further from where the first season was filmed.

Plus, there's all that chick-with-gun stunt work to sink her teeth into. "We just did the most exciting stunt sequence. I can't believe I psyched myself into doing it. Because it's so raw and fresh in my mind -- and in terms of what the producers will allow me to divulge -- I can't really discuss it in detail," she explains. Part of the upcoming two-parter, the stunt was so electrifying that Black and guest star Aaron Cash couldn't believe what they'd accomplished. "I thought, 'It's absolute madness.' I was concerned that my adrenaline would be going through the roof and my heart rate would be detected profoundly through my body mike, which is just slightly to the side of my heart."

The show's breakneck pace leaves little time for rehearsal or stunt training. Black dragged her co-star to a quick one hour lesson. "It involved rock climbing and being up on a huge cliff. I think it's implanted in human beings to have a healthy, natural fear of heights. I was very surprised at our ability to suppress that instinctive urge to be afraid." But the actors finished the scene, even if the entire shoot seemed to be plagued by Murphy's Law, but ultimately in a good way. "The disasters that happened while we were shooting certainly informed the piece. There might be an absurdity to the storytelling. It's amazing how environment can affect what the performers and the crew are creating."

Black believes that outer struggle is reflected in Aeryn's character. "It's a tug of war with Aeryn, between love and hate. There's very little gray area and in season two I've started to add layers to her. What I've tried to do is map out a female character who is akin to someone in the '90s that has a lot of emotional issues to deal with. When I describe Aeryn in a few words, I say she's damaged goods."

Aeryn Analysis and the "Battle Ponytail"

Aeryn plays it wary.

"Aeryn has a long way to go before she can really be a heroine. I say that in the Greek tragic sense, because she has a real hubris. She's certainly flawed, I don't know if fatally, but she's certainly flawed." So far the only ones enjoying watching Aeryn overcome her flaws are viewers in the U.S. Black says it's something like working in a vacuum. "As part of the Farscape experience, everyone in our lives, our families and friends, must think we're suffering from a mass delusion of employment. It's like Death of a Salesman, leaving the house in the morning, saying 'bye, honey,' and going to the park to feed the pigeons until five or six."

Finally, no discussion of Farscape fashion is complete without a comment or two about Aeryn's long flowing locks. As for intergalactic hairstyling, I had to mention my absolute admiration of the patented Aeryn "Battle Ponytail," Aeryn's look of choice when she's ready to kick ass.

"Yeah, that's when I'm ready for action. I'm glad you like it," Black says. "Some people were nervous and thought I looked too much like a Barbie doll. But within this genre, as part of the esteemed women who are space babes, I think we can take liberties, ***damnit!" Black says, with true Peacekeeper grit. We wouldn't expect it any other way.

-- Diana Estigarribia never goes off-world without her black leather gear.