Interview: Orphan Black star Ari Millen on Season 3, “the pace does not slow down”

Orphan Black star Ari Millen

It’s enough to make an actor lose his mind.
Actors once stretched to play two characters in a movie, but that was decades before cloning was in the realm of possibility. On the BBC America hit Orphan Black, returning for its third season April 18 at 9pmET, Tatiana Maslany has portrayed seven characters. This season, Orphan Black star Ari Millen is playing several.

Orphan Black star Ari Millen in Season 3 While shooting the sixth episode of the 10-episode new season, Millen says he still isn’t sure just how many people he will be playing. Last season, Orphan Black revealed two more characters for Millen.

“There’s Rudy with the Mohawk and the scar and Miller the military guy, and Mark we know from Season 2,” he says. “During pre-production a lot of work is being done to create the back stories and relationships; how they feel about themselves.”

Working on a show that shrouds itself in secrecy, Millen is careful about what he says. He often sounds as if he’s speaking in riddles.“The world keeps getting bigger and bigger but the pace does not slow down,” Millen says.

Orphan Black star Ari Millen“They are answering some questions but creating more questions,” Millen says. “Project Castor will bring a real shot of craziness. I think it’s going to turn everything on its head. If anyone should be afraid, it is them, but they are not.”

He has an easy rapport with his costar and buddy, Jordan Gavaris. The two sit together and Gavaris teases him about the rigors of playing multiple characters.

Orphan Black Jordan Gavaris“At this point, you are going to have PTSD and need some Xanax,” Gavaris says.

To relax from the intensity of the show, Millen binge watches old shows. He had just finished The X Files and was making his way through Twin Peaks.

Before he started acting regularly enough to make rent, Millen worked as a cater waiter “because then I didn’t have to work for tips.” He was doing this recently enough that customers recognized him from this hit show. Millen looks chagrined as he admits lying to those eagle-eyed fans.

During a press conference, Millen shared that he and Maslany had crossed paths before, in high school at the National Improv Games in Canada. She’s from Regina, Saskatchewan and he’s from Kingston, Ontario.

“I remember you were quite a leader on your team, I think, Ari,” Maslany says. “It was like you and one other guy who had kind of like — I don’t remember what his name was. But I remember you being a leader and also wearing a hockey jersey.”

“And you did, was it a theme game or something?” Millen responds, “where you did something — you got picked up as like Simba or whatever.”

“I always got picked up because I was like this big,” she adds, gesturing to a mini person.

“As small as Tat is now, she was half the size in high school, I think,” Millen says.

As they teased each other, it became clear that Maslany’s team vanquished. When asked which team won, she says, “It’s not important.”

1 Comment

  1. I have a 2 yr subscription and my channel guide rarely arrives by the end of each month. Good product but very poor on time delivery.

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