From the Slipstream
By Michelle Erica Green
Posted at July 22, 2002
Laura Bertram started out playing a sweet, innocent little charmer on Andromeda, then abruptly found herself playing the same character as an evolved tough woman who'd seen her world destroyed. Nonetheless, during the course of the show's tumultuous second season, the popular actress found the time to have fun with her cast mates and work on her degree in history. Here she talks to Slipstream Web about the transformation, her hopes for the third season and her affection for the cerebral storylines of Star Trek and The X-Files.
Slipstream Web: Is new Trance fun to play? You get to do a lot more physical stuff and to yell at people.
Laura Bertram: That is cool! Purple Trance was kind of indirectly influencing things, not really by her actions but by her supposed mistakes. Now she's like, 'Move over, I'm going to take out my sword and show you how it's done!' It's kind of a neat way to do it. The physicality is a little bit more defining of her, and I'm not sure really how the personality is evolving.
Slipstream Web: You've gone from being a purple pixie to a gold butt-kicker with dreadlocks.
Bertram: Totally different, huh? It was a little bit of a shock. I heard stirrings of it before it happened, but it was a gradual process when we were doing makeup tests. The final product was kind of a compilation of things we did over a week of tests. In the tests we did probably eight hours a day for four days! But it wasn't straight eight hours, and there wasn't also the pressure of having to film it -- we were testing out the airbrushing with two or three of the makeup artists. It ended up being a cool process because we all put our ideas together, then we approached the producers, who would say, 'We like it, but we would like a little bit more of this,' and we would go back and make changes.
Slipstream Web: What was the this? Did they say, 'Make it more exotic, make it more sexy...'?
Bertram: Both. We started with a little bit more airbrushing, kind of like patterns on the skin like nebula clouds up and down the arms. They said that it kind of looked like a disease. They said more exotic, more sexy, and the look that we came up with incorporated those wishes as well as more power, more an arresting look. Something you look at and you don't look somewhere else -- you say, 'That's different!' That's why it was chosen. I agree with the choice in that sense. There was an obvious desire for a change, and I'm kind of happy with it now. At first it was a shock, obviously -- when you're used to something totally different, a lot more docile, it was like, 'Whoa! What's this?'
But I've definitely grown to enjoy it and I'm trying to get the character down, now that the physical change has happened. That was a more difficult transition, the change in the character. I was trying to incorporate elements of old Trance into the new one, but the transition is pretty shocking, and it was kind of a step from one personality into the other. I think next season we're aiming for a nice medium where I can incorporate the hopefulness of Trance but obviously it can't be starry-eyed.
Slipstream Web: Did the changes in Trance start at the writing level as part of her arc, or did someone at Tribune announce they wanted something different?
Bertram: I think it's the latter. From my understanding, there was a hope to give a little oomph to the storyline. They were hoping to give some changes to Trance anyway, because she was shying away from the power that she could exude. And there was expression that maybe the best way to do that was to change her appearance from the docile pixie to something a little bit more demanding and assertive.
Slipstream Web: Did you think of her as a docile pixie when you were playing her?
Bertram: I didn't think she was docile because we really demonstrated otherwise in a couple of episodes, like 'Pitiless as the Sun.' But in terms of the visual appearance of her, maybe that's a better way of describing it. You can go back to the argument that the sweetest-looking thing can have the worst bite. I think when it came down to dollars and cents and it also came down to publicity, they thought this was the right move.
Slipstream Web: Were you sad about losing the tail?
Bertram: I said, 'All right, oh well.' I was inclined to like it, but it wasn't used enough. Sometimes it would just hang there and it was kind of inert. I can see why the tail was lost, but by the time that episode aired, we had already started with the changes, and I heard that everyone was saying, 'Bring back the tail! We hate her without the tail!', I thought, they are going to eat me alive when I show them what I look like now! All in all, although it was kind of an ordered collaboration, I think we did pretty well in addressing a lot of people's concerns and desires. Although by the end of season two the character is not entirely hashed out, we have a lot of the opportunity to create something really interesting.
Slipstream Web: She changed, and then she was possessed by zombies!
Bertram: That was fun! And interesting, because it's kind of what we thought she would be like, but then she was possessed. New Trance, although she is more aggressive, still stands by Dylan and his needs, maybe because it suits her own but also because she feels that it is a step in the right direction.
Slipstream Web: Now, do you know her backstory?
Bertram: I did. But I don't know if that's the way it's going to continue. I'm kind of hoping it still exists. I guess I can't really reveal to you what she was in case they decide to pull out that card again. It was totally cool, the whole idea that Robert [Hewitt Wolfe] had set up. She was kind of a higher level of being.
Slipstream Web: She was worshipped as a goddess?
Bertram: That, I don't really know why, but I know they were alluding to that in the one with the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
Slipstream Web: I'm so bad at the titles.
Bertram: I am too, and I work on the show! I'm going to ask my mom, do you know the one where they get Harper's larvae out? 'Into the Labyrinth!' That's the one. They did allude to that and I don't know whether that was really part of the original scheme, because that was before Robert left, but that could have been a red herring because he was so good at that, throwing out red herrings and trying to throw people off.
The through-line with Trance was that she was a higher species that came in and tried to underhandedly manipulate the decisions that Dylan was making, but not necessarily contrary to his own motives. His own desires were still being addressed, but she was trying to guide them in a way that would benefit her species, or her as an individual. I'm not sure if they're going to stick with either one. And she screwed up, and she had to come back in another form and change her decisions, because obviously she was off the track and decisions she made as little Trance were leading to undesirable ends. The new Trance said, 'We have to pull up our socks and get going, we have to pick up the pace and get things going a lot faster,' because of the end she saw, with only Beka and Trance surviving.
Slipstream Web: Do you like the gold cleavage?
Bertram: Hah! Obviously I needed a little help in that department so I got it. It's not jelly boobs, it's just a nice high-tension bra and some really good makeup! Obviously the costume was designed to enhance, um...!
Slipstream Web: I was just happy they realized they could take advantage of your, um, assets -- when I started to hear that they were unhappy with Purple Trance, I had flashbacks to when they kicked Jennifer Lien off Voyager and started promoting Jeri Ryan as the new sexy babe. It has to be nice for you that they had every intention of keeping you as an actress even though they wanted a completely different character with more cleavage.
Bertram: When they first talked about the changes, I thought, if this happens to fall flat, I am out of here. It wasn't what they were thinking, thank goodness, but it was a little bit crazy. With the character changes, they wanted to address different elements of appeal for the audience -- having a visually more pleasing character, if we can say this in a most diplomatic way.
Slipstream Web: Tribune was not very diplomatic: they said they wanted the show to be sexier and more Dylan-centric so it would appeal to young male viewers.
Bertram: There you go. I think it is Kevin's show, and I knew that when I signed on. I'm quite happy supporting Kevin, he's the hero. But I think to advertise that it's Dylan's show is kind of undercutting their own project. Do you think that's a fair assessment?
Slipstream Web: Dylan has always been the action hero. But I think that having Rommie and Beka both crying over Dylan is a monumental mistake.
Bertram: Trance is staying out of that whole triangle and that's okay by me! She really admires him and wants to support him, and I really hope they carry that through-line. I'm pretty sure they will, if what they're saying on the record is that it's going to be a Dylan show.
Slipstream Web: Robert Hewitt Wolfe was pretty public with his comments about the changes he'd been asked to make. But I think 'Ouroboros' turned out to be a good episode.
Bertram: Oh, for sure! I was so pleased with it. Losing Rev Bem was really upsetting, and I know a lot of people were dissatisfied with the way they dealt with Rev. Brent [Stait] went through a lot of difficulty with that makeup -- it wasn't him, it was the fact that any human being put in that predicament would have cracked probably a lot earlier. It's exciting and wonderful to do but when it becomes a multiple-year thing, it's not worth it.
Slipstream Web: I think that when you tell fans, we're losing a major character and transforming another one, the people who love the show the most are going to be screaming the loudest.
Bertram: And they did, and rightly so. If you feel that those characters are important, it's shocking, and it was shocking to us as well. Lexa once called the show Andramada. But I hope those fans don't give up on the show, because even though season two ended on a rocky note, it wasn't that the story itself was rocky -- we were just really sorting out the loose ends. The episode with the Engine was originally written for Purple Trance.
Slipstream Web: Were you happy with the episodes after the writing staff shifts -- do you think they knew your character?
Bertram: I don't know if I was happy, but it was more to do with the fact that once Robert left, it was kind of chaotic and those poor writers were left with the monumental challenge of trying to address the concerns not just of the story but everyone else's demands, cast as well as producers. People were on the phone every day, and those poor writers were dealing with multiple faces yelling at them, trying to create a story that was still interesting for their fans. It's a huge challenge.
Slipstream Web: It sounds like on this show at least they're very receptive, because I know for actors on other shows, there really is nobody you can call and say, 'I think my character would not do this.'
Bertram: They are very receptive. I have to say that the actors on this show really do follow storylines well, and if there's a hiccup, they're the first ones on the phone. It may not be necessarily an actor's place to jump and say, 'I don't think this is right,' because we're not the writers. That's not why we're hired; we're hired to perform. Obviously if there's structural integrity at stake, then obviously you want the benefit of the show. Generally speaking, I tried not to jump in, because I knew that would add fuel to the fire and these guys were already in the hot seat. They were dealing with strict timelines and lots of mandates.
Visually, I don't have a television so I haven't been able to watch the show when it first airs, but my parents would call and say, 'It looks so good!' So if by the end of that craziness, we have a finished product that is still appealing to the viewers who might be disappointed with some of the changes, we're in the right direction.
I really hope that in addition to making the show sexy for that target part of the audience, I would like to see that they keep good storylines, because I think that you've got to appeal to the fact that the viewers are intelligent people who don't just want eye candy. They would also like to be able to think and maybe to figure things out for themselves. I think we've got to give our viewers credit. There was a comment made at some point that we had to dumb down the show, the scripts were too intellectual, but I think we've got to give our viewers credit. They watched them. Maybe by making a smart storyline, you can also incorporate the sexiness and appeal to various levels of audience because there isn't just one. The male 18-25 are a small percentage of the people who watch our show.
Slipstream Web: They're also not nearly as dumb as network executives seem to think. These are the traditional science fiction fans who watch Star Trek and X-Files.
Bertram: Exactly. Even if a little bit of cleavage makes them happy, having a coherent storyline would make them equally as happy, so why not incorporate both?
Slipstream Web: Will you get to sit down with the writers at some point and talk out your arc over the course of the next season, or does it go script by script?
Bertram: Before, when I was working with Robert, he made himself readily available to me, especially because he knew there was a lot in store for Trance in his through-line. The new writer, Bob Engels, seems really receptive too. He sounds like he has a good direction in mind, and he knows the responsibility that's involved with being the new head writer. I have a good feeling that I will be able to go in there and talk about through-lines and hopefully make suggestions, although I'll be honest with you -- because the changes have been so significant, I don't know which way it's going to go with my character. And that's not a bad thing, because actors in general don't know what's going to happen in upcoming seasons. It's an excitement for us to find out, and through finding it out, we can incorporate some communal ideas.
Slipstream Web: What would you like to see, if it were up to you?
Bertram: The direction we're going seems to be that we're going to get some more order in a chaotic society, which I like. I like the idea that you actually see the fruits of your labors for the crew. I also want to see the relationships between the characters developed more. I would like to see a rapport, I don't mean sexual relationships necessarily, but I would like to see the rapport between the characters.
In the second season, we saw a lot of weekly characters coming in and having a relationship with one or two of the crewmembers, and that works, but it would be nice to see through-lines with how Rommie and Harper's relationship with him always coming on to her as well as the fact that she's the ship. I would like to see relationships between the girls happening more, and the relationship between Trance and Tyr, how there's that funny tension, but we'll get along because we have to. I think that would be interesting because once you know more about the people we see every week, you can appreciate more how they interact with each other and newcomers.
Slipstream Web: Do you like playing Trance, Warrior Princess? Did you know any of the stuff we found out before you told it to William B. Davis, if it's true?
Bertram: I loved 'Pitiless as the Sun.' I didn't know. I like the fact that she can mentally manipulate, and that's the card that I would like to use. We know now that she's powerful physically, so why don't we continue with that idea that we used in Pitiless as the Sun? I like the mental challenge. That was a cool episode not only because of William B. Davis -- though that is pretty cool -- when I was at home, we'd watch X-Files all the time. But that was also a talking episode, it was a little more cerebral, and I'd like to see episodes that are more cerebral, going hand in hand with my idea that we have the action so let's make sure we have the content.
Slipstream Web: Well, you have three very strong women. Even when Trance was docile, you could tell she was a manipulative little...didn't they notice?!
Bertram: I agree. But not outwardly so! As an actress, it's to your benefit to be different, so maybe by incorporating, now that we visually have three strong women, I don't feel that I have to wear my strength on my sleeve. Let's see that she's smart, and that she can handle intense situations and come out a winner, although the guns may be blazing, in the mental department.
Slipstream Web: She seems to be the default doctor on the ship, the one who takes care of people when they're injured. Even New Trance took care of Beka.
Bertram: I'm not sure what they're doing with that. Maybe she'll be a little bit more of a nurturer. That's also kind of nice -- I guess Beka's already the strong woman and Rommie's in charge of the whole thing because she's the ship, so it would be nice to play a different type of woman or it will get boring.
Slipstream Web: I thought Rev Bem was the nurturing character, which was interesting because not only is he male, and alien...
Bertram: He's the one you'd be terrified of! I thought he was a cool character too. I don't know if they're going to introduce a new character, but I think we need a new nurturing character or at least to fill that gap. It's been a lot of action, we need to have the other side.
Slipstream Web: Who is it most fun for you to do scenes with in terms of how your characters come together?
Bertram: It's different with each person and eventually you start reacting to them kind of like their characters. Kevin is the ringleader, and we know that. He's also the cheerleader and the one who does a lot of motivating people, and sometimes, after a long day, you really need that. He's doing a good job.
I have to say everyone is pretty fun to work with, and we'll end up laughing part of our day away because we'll be silly and playing practical jokes. Gordon and I are silly, which is more like Harper and little Trance, in real life. I think he's one of the greatest characters. He's like the bona fide hero because he rises above his station. He could be like McGyver in space. Lisa and I also do a lot of joking around. I think it's because I have had a lot of scenes with Harper and with Beka, and the relationship have evolved because of that. I haven't worked as much with Keith and Lexa, and you tend to forge more relationships with the people you work with more closely. I really enjoy going to work.
Slipstream Web: Are you working on anything else over hiatus or does this end up being your life for a few years?
Bertram: I was hoping to, but there's a narrow margin of time. I've been working on finishing my degree, a perpetual effort for me, so I've been concentrating on schoolwork. I'm actually studying history, early modern history, 16th century; I wrote my thesis on Huguenot culture in France, and I'm in the last three courses of my honors, so I'm doing that instead of auditioning.
I really love history. It's been a passion of mine since high school. And it's a saving grace, because sometimes you come home with the brain drain of doing film work where you do certain things because the camera says it looks good, and you want to have something that stimulates you mentally. For me it's such an escape. It will be good to have other things -- it would be good to have other shows under my belt, but I guess now is not the time.
Slipstream Web: Do you have ambitions to write or direct?
Bertram: I would love to write but I don't believe I have the ability to screenwrite. That's a whole other ball game. I might have ideas but I wouldn't know how to put them down. I would love to work on the other side, though, I don't know whether producing is the way to go. I couldn't be a director, I don't know that I have the vision, so maybe writing is the way to go, I just have to take some classes.
I had no training when I started acting; I really wanted to sing and dance, but it didn't work out that way because there were better singers and dancers out there. My agent sent me for a couple of commercial auditions, and I ended up going to an audition for a pilot for a five-year series. They took me on with no experience, and learned everything on the fly.
I would love to do theater, but I don't think the transition from TV to theater is as easy. I think you can have the theater background and go into film and TV, but I don't know if I could do the transition the other way. Despite what Trance is, I prefer the more subtle, more intimate performances, and I think that's something you can only really achieve on film or TV.
Slipstream Web: I gather you're an X-Files fan; did you know a lot about genre TV?
Bertram: I had no idea of the technical demands of green screen and special effects. During 'Ouroboros' I did a scene with my double dressed as Little Trance and me in my new makeup. But I grew up with The Next Generation, watching with my mom. So I kind of got into sci-fi through my mom. I was away at university when I got the audition for Andromeda. I called my mom and said, 'I'm trying out for a Gene Roddenberry show,' and she said, 'Oh my god! Can you imagine if you got it?' and I said it was just an audition, not a part. And when I got it, it was unbelievable!
Slipstream Web: Has she met Majel?
Bertram: No, but she would love to! My parents can't really get out to see me during the school year because they're both teachers. I remembered her as Deanna Troi's mom. I remember listening to Captain Picard's voice over the opening.
Slipstream Web: When I read that they wanted to make Dylan more like Captain Kirk, my first reaction was, 'Yay!' And my second reaction was, 'Oh...they mean he's going to sleep with every woman on the show!'
Bertram: He's kind of leaning that way, huh? As soon as he gets the 'Okay, move on,' it's, 'Right on! Bring me all the crazy alien chicks you can!' That's why they call it fantasy, right?
Slipstream Web: Did you get to work much with Michael Hurst, Kevin's old buddy on Hercules?
Bertram: I didn't really get to work with him but I met him several times. Kevin talked about it for weeks, 'You know my buddy's coming?' Everyone really liked him so I have to catch up on that episode. I'm the worst employee ever -- I haven't seen half of season two! This season ends with a lot of people in limbo. But you know there's a season three, so you know we're not all dead!
By Michelle Erica Green
Posted at July 22, 2002
Laura Bertram started out playing a sweet, innocent little charmer on Andromeda, then abruptly found herself playing the same character as an evolved tough woman who'd seen her world destroyed. Nonetheless, during the course of the show's tumultuous second season, the popular actress found the time to have fun with her cast mates and work on her degree in history. Here she talks to Slipstream Web about the transformation, her hopes for the third season and her affection for the cerebral storylines of Star Trek and The X-Files.
Slipstream Web: Is new Trance fun to play? You get to do a lot more physical stuff and to yell at people.
Laura Bertram: That is cool! Purple Trance was kind of indirectly influencing things, not really by her actions but by her supposed mistakes. Now she's like, 'Move over, I'm going to take out my sword and show you how it's done!' It's kind of a neat way to do it. The physicality is a little bit more defining of her, and I'm not sure really how the personality is evolving.
Slipstream Web: You've gone from being a purple pixie to a gold butt-kicker with dreadlocks.
Bertram: Totally different, huh? It was a little bit of a shock. I heard stirrings of it before it happened, but it was a gradual process when we were doing makeup tests. The final product was kind of a compilation of things we did over a week of tests. In the tests we did probably eight hours a day for four days! But it wasn't straight eight hours, and there wasn't also the pressure of having to film it -- we were testing out the airbrushing with two or three of the makeup artists. It ended up being a cool process because we all put our ideas together, then we approached the producers, who would say, 'We like it, but we would like a little bit more of this,' and we would go back and make changes.
Slipstream Web: What was the this? Did they say, 'Make it more exotic, make it more sexy...'?
Bertram: Both. We started with a little bit more airbrushing, kind of like patterns on the skin like nebula clouds up and down the arms. They said that it kind of looked like a disease. They said more exotic, more sexy, and the look that we came up with incorporated those wishes as well as more power, more an arresting look. Something you look at and you don't look somewhere else -- you say, 'That's different!' That's why it was chosen. I agree with the choice in that sense. There was an obvious desire for a change, and I'm kind of happy with it now. At first it was a shock, obviously -- when you're used to something totally different, a lot more docile, it was like, 'Whoa! What's this?'
But I've definitely grown to enjoy it and I'm trying to get the character down, now that the physical change has happened. That was a more difficult transition, the change in the character. I was trying to incorporate elements of old Trance into the new one, but the transition is pretty shocking, and it was kind of a step from one personality into the other. I think next season we're aiming for a nice medium where I can incorporate the hopefulness of Trance but obviously it can't be starry-eyed.
Slipstream Web: Did the changes in Trance start at the writing level as part of her arc, or did someone at Tribune announce they wanted something different?
Bertram: I think it's the latter. From my understanding, there was a hope to give a little oomph to the storyline. They were hoping to give some changes to Trance anyway, because she was shying away from the power that she could exude. And there was expression that maybe the best way to do that was to change her appearance from the docile pixie to something a little bit more demanding and assertive.
Slipstream Web: Did you think of her as a docile pixie when you were playing her?
Bertram: I didn't think she was docile because we really demonstrated otherwise in a couple of episodes, like 'Pitiless as the Sun.' But in terms of the visual appearance of her, maybe that's a better way of describing it. You can go back to the argument that the sweetest-looking thing can have the worst bite. I think when it came down to dollars and cents and it also came down to publicity, they thought this was the right move.
Slipstream Web: Were you sad about losing the tail?
Bertram: I said, 'All right, oh well.' I was inclined to like it, but it wasn't used enough. Sometimes it would just hang there and it was kind of inert. I can see why the tail was lost, but by the time that episode aired, we had already started with the changes, and I heard that everyone was saying, 'Bring back the tail! We hate her without the tail!', I thought, they are going to eat me alive when I show them what I look like now! All in all, although it was kind of an ordered collaboration, I think we did pretty well in addressing a lot of people's concerns and desires. Although by the end of season two the character is not entirely hashed out, we have a lot of the opportunity to create something really interesting.
Slipstream Web: She changed, and then she was possessed by zombies!
Bertram: That was fun! And interesting, because it's kind of what we thought she would be like, but then she was possessed. New Trance, although she is more aggressive, still stands by Dylan and his needs, maybe because it suits her own but also because she feels that it is a step in the right direction.
Slipstream Web: Now, do you know her backstory?
Bertram: I did. But I don't know if that's the way it's going to continue. I'm kind of hoping it still exists. I guess I can't really reveal to you what she was in case they decide to pull out that card again. It was totally cool, the whole idea that Robert [Hewitt Wolfe] had set up. She was kind of a higher level of being.
Slipstream Web: She was worshipped as a goddess?
Bertram: That, I don't really know why, but I know they were alluding to that in the one with the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
Slipstream Web: I'm so bad at the titles.
Bertram: I am too, and I work on the show! I'm going to ask my mom, do you know the one where they get Harper's larvae out? 'Into the Labyrinth!' That's the one. They did allude to that and I don't know whether that was really part of the original scheme, because that was before Robert left, but that could have been a red herring because he was so good at that, throwing out red herrings and trying to throw people off.
The through-line with Trance was that she was a higher species that came in and tried to underhandedly manipulate the decisions that Dylan was making, but not necessarily contrary to his own motives. His own desires were still being addressed, but she was trying to guide them in a way that would benefit her species, or her as an individual. I'm not sure if they're going to stick with either one. And she screwed up, and she had to come back in another form and change her decisions, because obviously she was off the track and decisions she made as little Trance were leading to undesirable ends. The new Trance said, 'We have to pull up our socks and get going, we have to pick up the pace and get things going a lot faster,' because of the end she saw, with only Beka and Trance surviving.
Slipstream Web: Do you like the gold cleavage?
Bertram: Hah! Obviously I needed a little help in that department so I got it. It's not jelly boobs, it's just a nice high-tension bra and some really good makeup! Obviously the costume was designed to enhance, um...!
Slipstream Web: I was just happy they realized they could take advantage of your, um, assets -- when I started to hear that they were unhappy with Purple Trance, I had flashbacks to when they kicked Jennifer Lien off Voyager and started promoting Jeri Ryan as the new sexy babe. It has to be nice for you that they had every intention of keeping you as an actress even though they wanted a completely different character with more cleavage.
Bertram: When they first talked about the changes, I thought, if this happens to fall flat, I am out of here. It wasn't what they were thinking, thank goodness, but it was a little bit crazy. With the character changes, they wanted to address different elements of appeal for the audience -- having a visually more pleasing character, if we can say this in a most diplomatic way.
Slipstream Web: Tribune was not very diplomatic: they said they wanted the show to be sexier and more Dylan-centric so it would appeal to young male viewers.
Bertram: There you go. I think it is Kevin's show, and I knew that when I signed on. I'm quite happy supporting Kevin, he's the hero. But I think to advertise that it's Dylan's show is kind of undercutting their own project. Do you think that's a fair assessment?
Slipstream Web: Dylan has always been the action hero. But I think that having Rommie and Beka both crying over Dylan is a monumental mistake.
Bertram: Trance is staying out of that whole triangle and that's okay by me! She really admires him and wants to support him, and I really hope they carry that through-line. I'm pretty sure they will, if what they're saying on the record is that it's going to be a Dylan show.
Slipstream Web: Robert Hewitt Wolfe was pretty public with his comments about the changes he'd been asked to make. But I think 'Ouroboros' turned out to be a good episode.
Bertram: Oh, for sure! I was so pleased with it. Losing Rev Bem was really upsetting, and I know a lot of people were dissatisfied with the way they dealt with Rev. Brent [Stait] went through a lot of difficulty with that makeup -- it wasn't him, it was the fact that any human being put in that predicament would have cracked probably a lot earlier. It's exciting and wonderful to do but when it becomes a multiple-year thing, it's not worth it.
Slipstream Web: I think that when you tell fans, we're losing a major character and transforming another one, the people who love the show the most are going to be screaming the loudest.
Bertram: And they did, and rightly so. If you feel that those characters are important, it's shocking, and it was shocking to us as well. Lexa once called the show Andramada. But I hope those fans don't give up on the show, because even though season two ended on a rocky note, it wasn't that the story itself was rocky -- we were just really sorting out the loose ends. The episode with the Engine was originally written for Purple Trance.
Slipstream Web: Were you happy with the episodes after the writing staff shifts -- do you think they knew your character?
Bertram: I don't know if I was happy, but it was more to do with the fact that once Robert left, it was kind of chaotic and those poor writers were left with the monumental challenge of trying to address the concerns not just of the story but everyone else's demands, cast as well as producers. People were on the phone every day, and those poor writers were dealing with multiple faces yelling at them, trying to create a story that was still interesting for their fans. It's a huge challenge.
Slipstream Web: It sounds like on this show at least they're very receptive, because I know for actors on other shows, there really is nobody you can call and say, 'I think my character would not do this.'
Bertram: They are very receptive. I have to say that the actors on this show really do follow storylines well, and if there's a hiccup, they're the first ones on the phone. It may not be necessarily an actor's place to jump and say, 'I don't think this is right,' because we're not the writers. That's not why we're hired; we're hired to perform. Obviously if there's structural integrity at stake, then obviously you want the benefit of the show. Generally speaking, I tried not to jump in, because I knew that would add fuel to the fire and these guys were already in the hot seat. They were dealing with strict timelines and lots of mandates.
Visually, I don't have a television so I haven't been able to watch the show when it first airs, but my parents would call and say, 'It looks so good!' So if by the end of that craziness, we have a finished product that is still appealing to the viewers who might be disappointed with some of the changes, we're in the right direction.
I really hope that in addition to making the show sexy for that target part of the audience, I would like to see that they keep good storylines, because I think that you've got to appeal to the fact that the viewers are intelligent people who don't just want eye candy. They would also like to be able to think and maybe to figure things out for themselves. I think we've got to give our viewers credit. There was a comment made at some point that we had to dumb down the show, the scripts were too intellectual, but I think we've got to give our viewers credit. They watched them. Maybe by making a smart storyline, you can also incorporate the sexiness and appeal to various levels of audience because there isn't just one. The male 18-25 are a small percentage of the people who watch our show.
Slipstream Web: They're also not nearly as dumb as network executives seem to think. These are the traditional science fiction fans who watch Star Trek and X-Files.
Bertram: Exactly. Even if a little bit of cleavage makes them happy, having a coherent storyline would make them equally as happy, so why not incorporate both?
Slipstream Web: Will you get to sit down with the writers at some point and talk out your arc over the course of the next season, or does it go script by script?
Bertram: Before, when I was working with Robert, he made himself readily available to me, especially because he knew there was a lot in store for Trance in his through-line. The new writer, Bob Engels, seems really receptive too. He sounds like he has a good direction in mind, and he knows the responsibility that's involved with being the new head writer. I have a good feeling that I will be able to go in there and talk about through-lines and hopefully make suggestions, although I'll be honest with you -- because the changes have been so significant, I don't know which way it's going to go with my character. And that's not a bad thing, because actors in general don't know what's going to happen in upcoming seasons. It's an excitement for us to find out, and through finding it out, we can incorporate some communal ideas.
Slipstream Web: What would you like to see, if it were up to you?
Bertram: The direction we're going seems to be that we're going to get some more order in a chaotic society, which I like. I like the idea that you actually see the fruits of your labors for the crew. I also want to see the relationships between the characters developed more. I would like to see a rapport, I don't mean sexual relationships necessarily, but I would like to see the rapport between the characters.
In the second season, we saw a lot of weekly characters coming in and having a relationship with one or two of the crewmembers, and that works, but it would be nice to see through-lines with how Rommie and Harper's relationship with him always coming on to her as well as the fact that she's the ship. I would like to see relationships between the girls happening more, and the relationship between Trance and Tyr, how there's that funny tension, but we'll get along because we have to. I think that would be interesting because once you know more about the people we see every week, you can appreciate more how they interact with each other and newcomers.
Slipstream Web: Do you like playing Trance, Warrior Princess? Did you know any of the stuff we found out before you told it to William B. Davis, if it's true?
Bertram: I loved 'Pitiless as the Sun.' I didn't know. I like the fact that she can mentally manipulate, and that's the card that I would like to use. We know now that she's powerful physically, so why don't we continue with that idea that we used in Pitiless as the Sun? I like the mental challenge. That was a cool episode not only because of William B. Davis -- though that is pretty cool -- when I was at home, we'd watch X-Files all the time. But that was also a talking episode, it was a little more cerebral, and I'd like to see episodes that are more cerebral, going hand in hand with my idea that we have the action so let's make sure we have the content.
Slipstream Web: Well, you have three very strong women. Even when Trance was docile, you could tell she was a manipulative little...didn't they notice?!
Bertram: I agree. But not outwardly so! As an actress, it's to your benefit to be different, so maybe by incorporating, now that we visually have three strong women, I don't feel that I have to wear my strength on my sleeve. Let's see that she's smart, and that she can handle intense situations and come out a winner, although the guns may be blazing, in the mental department.
Slipstream Web: She seems to be the default doctor on the ship, the one who takes care of people when they're injured. Even New Trance took care of Beka.
Bertram: I'm not sure what they're doing with that. Maybe she'll be a little bit more of a nurturer. That's also kind of nice -- I guess Beka's already the strong woman and Rommie's in charge of the whole thing because she's the ship, so it would be nice to play a different type of woman or it will get boring.
Slipstream Web: I thought Rev Bem was the nurturing character, which was interesting because not only is he male, and alien...
Bertram: He's the one you'd be terrified of! I thought he was a cool character too. I don't know if they're going to introduce a new character, but I think we need a new nurturing character or at least to fill that gap. It's been a lot of action, we need to have the other side.
Slipstream Web: Who is it most fun for you to do scenes with in terms of how your characters come together?
Bertram: It's different with each person and eventually you start reacting to them kind of like their characters. Kevin is the ringleader, and we know that. He's also the cheerleader and the one who does a lot of motivating people, and sometimes, after a long day, you really need that. He's doing a good job.
I have to say everyone is pretty fun to work with, and we'll end up laughing part of our day away because we'll be silly and playing practical jokes. Gordon and I are silly, which is more like Harper and little Trance, in real life. I think he's one of the greatest characters. He's like the bona fide hero because he rises above his station. He could be like McGyver in space. Lisa and I also do a lot of joking around. I think it's because I have had a lot of scenes with Harper and with Beka, and the relationship have evolved because of that. I haven't worked as much with Keith and Lexa, and you tend to forge more relationships with the people you work with more closely. I really enjoy going to work.
Slipstream Web: Are you working on anything else over hiatus or does this end up being your life for a few years?
Bertram: I was hoping to, but there's a narrow margin of time. I've been working on finishing my degree, a perpetual effort for me, so I've been concentrating on schoolwork. I'm actually studying history, early modern history, 16th century; I wrote my thesis on Huguenot culture in France, and I'm in the last three courses of my honors, so I'm doing that instead of auditioning.
I really love history. It's been a passion of mine since high school. And it's a saving grace, because sometimes you come home with the brain drain of doing film work where you do certain things because the camera says it looks good, and you want to have something that stimulates you mentally. For me it's such an escape. It will be good to have other things -- it would be good to have other shows under my belt, but I guess now is not the time.
Slipstream Web: Do you have ambitions to write or direct?
Bertram: I would love to write but I don't believe I have the ability to screenwrite. That's a whole other ball game. I might have ideas but I wouldn't know how to put them down. I would love to work on the other side, though, I don't know whether producing is the way to go. I couldn't be a director, I don't know that I have the vision, so maybe writing is the way to go, I just have to take some classes.
I had no training when I started acting; I really wanted to sing and dance, but it didn't work out that way because there were better singers and dancers out there. My agent sent me for a couple of commercial auditions, and I ended up going to an audition for a pilot for a five-year series. They took me on with no experience, and learned everything on the fly.
I would love to do theater, but I don't think the transition from TV to theater is as easy. I think you can have the theater background and go into film and TV, but I don't know if I could do the transition the other way. Despite what Trance is, I prefer the more subtle, more intimate performances, and I think that's something you can only really achieve on film or TV.
Slipstream Web: I gather you're an X-Files fan; did you know a lot about genre TV?
Bertram: I had no idea of the technical demands of green screen and special effects. During 'Ouroboros' I did a scene with my double dressed as Little Trance and me in my new makeup. But I grew up with The Next Generation, watching with my mom. So I kind of got into sci-fi through my mom. I was away at university when I got the audition for Andromeda. I called my mom and said, 'I'm trying out for a Gene Roddenberry show,' and she said, 'Oh my god! Can you imagine if you got it?' and I said it was just an audition, not a part. And when I got it, it was unbelievable!
Slipstream Web: Has she met Majel?
Bertram: No, but she would love to! My parents can't really get out to see me during the school year because they're both teachers. I remembered her as Deanna Troi's mom. I remember listening to Captain Picard's voice over the opening.
Slipstream Web: When I read that they wanted to make Dylan more like Captain Kirk, my first reaction was, 'Yay!' And my second reaction was, 'Oh...they mean he's going to sleep with every woman on the show!'
Bertram: He's kind of leaning that way, huh? As soon as he gets the 'Okay, move on,' it's, 'Right on! Bring me all the crazy alien chicks you can!' That's why they call it fantasy, right?
Slipstream Web: Did you get to work much with Michael Hurst, Kevin's old buddy on Hercules?
Bertram: I didn't really get to work with him but I met him several times. Kevin talked about it for weeks, 'You know my buddy's coming?' Everyone really liked him so I have to catch up on that episode. I'm the worst employee ever -- I haven't seen half of season two! This season ends with a lot of people in limbo. But you know there's a season three, so you know we're not all dead!
