Terra Nova

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Terra Nova has been wowing viewers on both sides of the Atlantic with its breathtaking visuals and exciting action scenes, but there's a family dynamic at the show's heart - the Shannon clan, led by father Jim (Jason O'Mara) and mother Elisabeth (Shelley Conn), take center stage.

Digital Spy caught up with Shelley Conn to discuss her role as the Shannon matriarch - in our interview, the charming actress hints at the twists and turns to come on Terra Nova and reveals that she almost played a different character entirely! Read on to find out more...

How did it feel moving from UK TV to such a huge US production as Terra Nova?
"In some ways, you kind of think, 'Wow - I'm stepping into Mummy's shoes here'! You sort of feel like you're in this new pond. But at the same time, as soon as you get to work, and you're on set with actors, talking to a director, working on a script, you realize that essentially you're doing the same job and that you mustn't feel intimidated by the big sets and how much money's been spent.

"That was comforting to realize - that the profession is kind of the same. There are cultural differences I suppose, but a lot of that came from the fact that we were shooting in Australia, rather than the States. But more than anything it's just exciting!"

The Shannon family is so central to the show - what was the dynamic like between you and those actors on-set?
"Luckily [it was] pretty incredible. My final screen test was a chemistry read with Jason O'Mara, and it definitely felt like something clicked, something worked. I'd done a fair amount of auditions - I really had to prove myself [and] rightly so, but it was the final seal of approval meeting Jason and feeling that we could definitely work together.

"We had actor friends in common from London, so I knew I was going to get on well with him as a friend, but also as an actor. And with the children, I read with Naomi Scott at her audition for Maddy. Likewise, as soon as I walked into the room, she threw her arms around me and went, 'Oh my God, you're my Mom!'

"That really helped me, because I've only ever played a mother of very tiny kids before. I was 34 when I was auditioning and I thought, 'Wow - they want me to play a mother of three teenagers - I don't know if I can pull this off'. But it made me feel good to realize that she looked to me for some support, and I knew I could give it to her - so that set up an instant dynamic.

"When I got to Australia and met Landon [Liboiron] (Josh Shannon) and Alana [Mansour] (Zoe Shannon), I realized that what I needed to do was connect with those actors as people, and find a shared history with them on a real basis, and then that would feed through into the scenes.

"I think that's really started to work. It now feels like when we do a Shannon family scene, we all know what that dynamic should be. We just block it and let it run, and it's really great to be part of something that's starting to feel slick."

Are you pleased that the show focuses on character as well as visual spectacle?
"Oh definitely. Reading the scripts, you couldn't help but think, 'Wow, how are they going to do this with all the effects? It's a huge concept and it's ambitious'. But that's not for me to worry about, what I need to worry about is the character - that's what I do for a living and that's what I'm interested in.

"So I think I would struggle with any job if it was purely about effects. Even as a viewer, those aren't the kind of things that interest me. I think ultimately you have to be connected to characters and their relationships. Otherwise, it's not drama to me."

How have you found it working with CGI?
"Most people are surprised, but a lot of the CGI is there to enhance what already exists. We are on a real set, in the real landscape, which is fantastically prehistoric in itself. The outback of Queensland, Australia is as you imagine the world would be in the Cretaceous period. They enhance it perhaps with [things like] more waterfalls, or they make the stars more twinkly!

"Then obviously there's the dinosaurs, but we all knew what we were up against with that. That hasn't been a problem for us as actors, because you feel like you're using your imagination like you do in the theatre. You have to imagine that something's there, and then it's brought to life by this incredible special effects team, who really don't let us down. Basically they make you look very good!"

Malcolm (Rod Hallett) seems to hold a torch for Elisabeth. Where is that relationship heading?
"Malcolm establishes himself as a brilliantly interesting character in his own right, and I think one of the by-products of this history with Elisabeth has been the odd-couple relationship's that's begun with him and Jim. I've really enjoyed the humor that's been able to come from that. But from my point of view, I have to play that I'm slightly oblivious to [Malcolm's affections] because I think it would be wrong for Elisabeth to engage too much into that.

"I've played characters who have dabbled in that morally ambiguous way before, but I really don't see Elisabeth as that! I think Jim is not only the audience's hero, but he's definitely Elisabeth's hero [too]. So as an actress, I remove myself from noticing too much of that going on.

"I think, storyline-wise, they're keeping it fairly open-ended at the moment, because Malcolm's serving the story so well in other areas. So I don't think they can reach too much of a conclusion to [his relationship with Elisabeth] yet, because they don't want to close any doors. I think that might be an ongoing thing."

You're an English actress using her own accent in a US show. Was there ever talk of you performing with an American twang?
"Yeah. When I auditioned, I did both English and American. I was auditioning for Mira [eventually played by Christine Adams] as well - I had to find what my place in the show as going to be, but I was determined to be in it in some way! For me, I always felt that Mira was English and Elisabeth was American, so when they cast me as Elisabeth, I said, 'Oh please let me do it in American!'

"But after some discussion, they said we needed to stick with the English accent. I think the director [of the pilot] Alex Graves just loved the sound of it, which was baffling to me, but flattering at the same time! But now I feel that it's absolutely right. To start with, even in takes, I would start sentences off and kept playing it in American! I'd have to stop myself and start again! But now, I definitely feel that she's English.

"And I think it does help [because] I'm already taking a big leap in my imagination, just to convince everybody that I'm this high-flying, amazingly intelligent doctor! If I had to do that in an accent, perhaps I'd find it more difficult! It's really useful for me not to have to take myself that one step further, so I don't mind now. There'll be other opportunities for me to play in an American accent!"

The show has been a big hit. Have you been pleased with the reaction?
"Oh, immensely pleased. It was bizarre, because we were still shooting when it launched in the States, and I was still in Australia when it launched in England as well, so I came home and heard some lovely responses. It's always overwhelming when you get a nice response to something, because you really invest in these projects and you can't help but really care what other people think.

"Essentially, we're not doing it for ourselves. You're working on something very intensely and you feel like it's your project, but it's not, it's for an audience. So to have people enjoy it is a privilege really, because it could easily just be panned and canned! It's nice to feel that work you've done has come to fruition in a good way."

What can you reveal about upcoming episodes of Terra Nova?
"There is a cliffhanger - but there's also quite a lot of things that are resolved quite nicely. Obviously, we're all waiting to see what happens with the Sixers, and that plot thickens and twists in a way that is quite unexpected.

"It's much more complex than the SIxers being 'baddies' - though they make great baddies in so many ways. They're intriguing and every time I see them, I feel like it's a gang I would actually quite like to be in! But they have their own story so all of that starts to play out, and it has a big effect on the Shannon family. But I can't really tell you more than that without giving too much away!"

And have you got your hopes up for a second season?
"I definitely have. You probably never should, but you can't help it. Like I say, we're so invested that it would break my heart if we didn't get another chance at this. I just think everybody's worked so hard and we've created something that deserves to be continued.

"So I really, really hope that we get a second season. We haven't heard yet - it looks positive, but you never really know what that means and you mustn't speculate. You just sort of hope."

I watch it. Mostly because I'm amazed at the amount of money they must be spending on such an implausible story line. Love/Hate I also paid money to see Face-Off.

Terra Nova = Survivor + Stargate + Avatar + Lost