#81. A Conversation with Magda Apanowicz


Jason Anders: So is true that you first became interested in acting after your brother introduced you to Pulp Fiction?

Magda Apanowicz: Yeah, I was ten years old. I just remember watching it over and over again and being like, "I don't know what this is, but I wanna do that!" It was something about the performances- the depth, craziness, and something about it just made sense to me... even though I didn't know what it was. I didn't even know what acting was at the time. It's really strange. I feel like I grew up in a bubble- I just never knew that much about pop culture.

JA: It must be cool to be in a series with Eric Stoltz who was in Pulp Fiction.

MA: I know! I told Eric the story and that it's part of the reason I became an actor.

JA: Name three actors whose work you admire.

MA: I would have to say Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

JA: How much do you remember about the audition process for Caprica and being cast in your role?

MA: I was very hesitant about doing it because I get really nervous in auditions. I also had to get my wisdom teeth pulled in a couple of days. So I was dreading it but also thinking "I have to do this." So I went in and did the audition, and then a couple days later I had my wisdom teeth pulled. I got an infection and my whole face started to swell- for a month I couldn't talk or eat. They wanted to see me for a callback and I wasn't able to go. They had to trust the tape when they hired me, and I couldn't speak until about four days before we started filming the pilot.

JA: Take us through an average work day on the set of Caprica.

MA: Some days you'll come in and do one scene, other days you'll be there for an entire day. The crew works so hard because they are there every single day, and they work very long hours. I usually get there around 6:00AM, get into my trailer and have breakfast, then go and get my hair and makeup done, then get into wardrobe, get your mic, and do the blocking. To get ready for work, I always go to my trailer and put some kind of music on and dance spastically. It's just one of my morning rituals right before I have to do any kind of acting. It's a really boring process when you try to explain it, but it's fun! I love it.

JA: Were you a science fiction fan before you got involved in sci-fi television shows?

MA: Yeah- I don't think I realized it at the time, but every show I loved was sci-fi. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of my favorite shows, I've loved it since I was ten years old. Also Xena and Hercules. After watching these shows I would run around with a stick and pretend I was Buffy, or pretend I was Xena... I was such a lame kid.

I loved fantasy and sci-fi shows and movies. It's just such a fun way to escape. As humans, our imaginations are so great but our abilities are so limited, and I find that with these stories you can explore your imagination that much more.

JA: If you could star in any role on any television show in history, which role would you take on?

MA: The reason I would say Buffy the Vampire Slayer is because I admire all of the people who worked on that show. But I truly wouldn't want to play any of those characters because everyone did such an incredible job- I just wish I could have been part of it. I would never want to take the spot of the people who played on all these shows that I love.

JA: Do you remember your first real job?

MA: Yeah, it was called Jeremiah. I had just turned sixteen, and I remember that Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner were the stars and Jason Priestley was guest starring. It felt like it was a 90210 reunion. I was a big fan of that show when I was a pre-teen, so it was really cool for me to meet these guys.

I was really sweet and very naive, and just didn't know anything about the industry. Luke was so nice and taught me a bunch. It was a really scary thing to be there at sixteen and not know what to do. I remember my character had to pick up a machine gun and start killing people... that was really cool. I also got to do a stunt strapped into the back of a truck, and I'm leaning out shooting at these guys while I am harnessed in. It was pretty crazy.

JA: Do you have any phobias?

MA: Yes. I am terrified of heights, freaked out by bugs, and also scared of the dark.

JA: Do you collect anything?

MA: Well scrapbooking is my hobby, and I think of it as collecting.

JA: What are three adjectives you would use to best describe yourself?

MA: Crazy, fun, and vulnerable.

JA: Do you have any special skills or talents that no one else knows about?

MA: Just my scrapbooking- no one knows about that, but I love it so much. I'm also a decent snowboarder.

JA: Where do you enjoy snowboarding?

MA: I live in Vancouver, British Columbia so I am close to Whistler. I love to ski in Whistler. My brother actually lives there.

JA: Do you feel younger or older than your current age?

MA: It varies. Sometimes it feels like I am fourteen just based on the things that I like and am interested in, and then other times I feel like I am in my thirties. I will sometimes just want to stay home and read, or watch my favorite show, and I'm just not as crazy. So sometimes I feel older and sometimes I feel younger.

JA: What's the best Christmas gift you've ever received?

MA: I would have to say the Harry Potter books when I was a kid. It sent me on this amazing path of reading the books which I loved so much, and I still to this day love that world.

JA: Do you have any nicknames?

MA: Magdatron, Mags, Magdariffic, Magdarooni, Magster, Hot Liquid Magma...

JA: I think that is my favorite one.

MA: People are always trying to come up with crazy ways to say my name, it's pretty fun.

JA: What is your fondest memory so far in filming Caprica?

MA: I would have to say riding the motorcycle. I got my license for the show, and I fell in love with riding motorcycles because of them. I think the first time I got on the bike for practice, I crashed into the camera truck. That was great. It was a really crappy bike and didn't have proper brakes, and it was also way too big for me.

JA: Finally, if you had to sum up your life so far with just one word, which one would you pick?

MA: Lucky.