Salli Richardson-Whitfield Talks Directorial Debut and Eureka

From the very beginning when Colin and I first did our first scene together you never know if you’re going to have chemistry with someone, and ours just – it’s just naturally there. I feel really corny when I say this, but there’s something that clicks, because obviously off camera we’re very brother/sister, jokey-jokey, “Oh, God, we’ve got to kiss.” As soon as that camera rolls and I look into Colin’s eyes, there’s something that clicks and I always find an instant connection that makes all of my feelings just sort of come right up to the forefront, and I feel everything I’m saying with him. It’s very lucky for us and for me, I just naturally have a wonderful connection with him when we’re working. I love it and we know how to work with each other on and off camera. I know what he needs to do to get what he needs, and he knows what I need, and we make allowances for each other and we try not to step on each other’s toes. _Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Eureka.

Eureka, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, who plays Allison Blake. Season 4.5 of Eureka premiers Monday, July 11 at 8:00 pm, kicking off Syfy’s new Monday night lineup of scripted originals.

In what ways would you say that you are most like and least like your character of Allison?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Our characters have become even more alike as the seasons have gone on. I think that I’m not quite as hard and as tough as I seem. In this, the last season or so, you get to see a much softer side of Allison and with her being a mom, but still having to juggle work. So, I think that our characters actually have come much closer and she’s very much like me now.

What’s it like when you pick up a script and find little surprises like playing a character you have never played before?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: What is so fun about doing the show is that we’re not stuck in a goofy comedy all the time, you’re not stuck just doing straight drama or straight little get ups. You really get to do different things all the time and I think that’s what keeps it fresh for us, and why we continue to get better because you get to stretch and you get to do different things and I think that’s why the fans like the show. You’re not bored by the same thing every time.

You and Colin have great chemistry, can you talk about what it’s like working together?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: From the very beginning when Colin and I first did our first scene together you never know if you’re going to have chemistry with someone, and ours just – it’s just naturally there. I feel really corny when I say this, but there’s something that clicks, because obviously off camera we’re very brother/sister, jokey-jokey, “Oh, God, we’ve got to kiss.” As soon as that camera rolls and I look into Colin’s eyes, there’s something that clicks and I always find an instant connection that makes all of my feelings just sort of come right up to the forefront, and I feel everything I’m saying with him. It’s very lucky for us and for me, I just naturally have a wonderful connection with him when we’re working. I love it and we know how to work with each other on and off camera. I know what he needs to do to get what he needs, and he knows what I need, and we make allowances for each other and we try not to step on each other’s toes.

Prior to joining the show, were you interested in science?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I stumble through all my tech talk. Great to the guys they love that joke. We know when we’re doing a read through when they’re giving me this tech talk and we’re just reading the script for the first time and I’m like, “Oh, you guys are killing me.” I hate messing up on stuff, so I’m like, “Stop it. Stop it. I can barely remember this as it is.” So for me it’s very hard, but Colin is the person who doesn’t really have to do it, probably is the one who would be the best at it.

Are you surprised with the longevity of the show?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I think you’re always surprised when your show gets picked up the first time. Now I think the show is so good, like I said, especially the ones we’re shooting now in these last few seasons, that I would be more surprised when we’re not picked up because it’s such a good show now and it’s just gotten so much better.

What have you done with the big cutout of Allison that you took from Café last year?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: It’s so funny. It is sitting in my children’s playroom and I think it’s so Mommy can be there when I’m stuck in Vancouver. I did steal my cutout and it is literally sitting in the corner of their playroom.

You have also taken on the role as a director for one of the episode. How does it feel to be in charge?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I did one last season, I guess you guys will be seeing that coming up this season. I just finished the one that I’m shooting this season. I just love it. It’s such a different thing from acting and you really have to micromanage – my micromanaging in real life works very well for directing, and it’s sort of something that I would like to be the next step in my career. Luckily I have wonderful actors, you don’t really have to direct that much more than say, “Can you tweak this one line?”And I just found that I think that it’s something that comes naturally to me and you don’t know it until you get in there and do it. And I’m hoping to do more and more of it. And really, directing on Eureka has to be one of the best training grounds that any director could have because you get to do these wonderful dramatic story lines, but at the same time you get to learn about visual effects and green screen and you have stunts, you have comedy. I’m learning such great skills to go to any other show that, and particularly not very many women know how to do, let alone Black women in this industry. So action and visual effect stuff is usually the job that they hire men to do, so I feel very blessed to learn these skills that I can take on and do – hopefully do a lot more things.

What has been your moments so far?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: In our first season we got stuck together on this fence, but I also like when I was pregnant and the baby was kicking. We were shooting this wonderful scene in my office when I was enormous at the time, and it was just a very sweet scene where he’s touching my stomach. But literally, when we were shooting every time Colin would touch my belly the baby, because I was really pregnant, the baby would kick right on his hand, like with every single take, Little Dre would go crazy in my stomach, so it was kind of funny.

Why does the show appeals to a broad audience?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: These last few years we’ve been doing it, I think it’s just really the mixture. We were talking earlier that we have comedy, we have love, we have drama, we have the big explosions, and I really think that there’s something for everyone. And it’s also kept clean enough that you can have your ten-year old watching the show and you’re not having to usher them in the other room, but it’s not done in a corny way where adults can still enjoy the show. They really found a happy medium where anyone really can watch and enjoy it.

Your role on the show also appeals to a lot of women and you have become somewhat of a role model. Can you talk about that?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: My daughter, who is six, loves watching the show, and for me, I was still like, “Why a nurse?” Wasn’t I upset about that? I was like, “Absolutely not.” And now I’m mad because I have to do it but at the time I felt that why wouldn’t this really intelligent woman, why wouldn’t she have gone all the way and gotten her medical degree. But I think it’s wonderful for my daughter who usually only sees a lot of my friends who are in the acting business, because she loves the show. We get to talk about that there are other avenues for women and other jobs to think about, and that you know our show shows that being smart is kind of cool and kind of fun, and she gets that and she likes that about the show.

How have your life changed since you started this show?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I feel like I have grown so much as an actress and have learned that I’m better than I knew I was. I’ve just learned to really trust myself and I mean we’ve been there a lot of years now and even though I didn’t come in there as a 20-year old girl, I’ve definitely grown up on this show and I feel like there’s nothing that you could throw at me. As an actress leaving here that I couldn’t do, and I’ve learned that from being on the show.

What would you consider to be your definitive episode of Eureka?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I think when we find the ones that really have that middle ground of the comedy that sort of banter back and forth comedy that we have, and then they throw in some of the Syfy that that is a real Eureka episode for me. There’s one’s you just read and you just go, “Okay, that is so Eureka,” with the comedy and a little bit of the danger. But, I can never remember exact ones.

Is there a role that you have not played but you have interest in or what is your dream role?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Just recently I was able to do this performance honoring Halle Berry for the Genesee Foundation and I performed as Lena Horne. And that’s something I’m working on trying to make happen and would be my ultimate dream, because I loved her as an icon and I loved to sing and I always loved her musicals, so that’s also why I’ve been pushing our show. I don’t know how Colin feels about this, but I would love to do a musical Eureka. People are like, “When are you going to do a musical?” I would love to do that. Well, we’ll sound really good in the studio. That’s all that counts.

Is there something about you that would surprise your fans?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I play golf. On my time off I play golf every day. I’m a big golfer. That always seems to surprise people. They’re like, “Really, you don’t look like a golfer.”