Cassidy Freeman
Hey guys, what’s going on?
You tell us.
What can I say (she answers with shifty eyes).
What’s the next stage for Tess Mercer?
Well, um, I died a lot last season. I think she’s a bit humbled by that. I think she realizes that maybe she can’t do all of this alone, so she’s going to turn to Clark and Oliver for a little bit of help at the beginning of the season. Then mid-season she’s going to find out a secret about her past. Which, I’m not really completely sure what that is yet. I have an idea, I just can’t talk about it. But it’s definitely going to be a big twist for her and she’s going to have to keep it a secret to keep other people safe. And I think it will change her trajectory at the end of the year.
There’s so many secrets that Tess has kept in every season. How do you approach that as an actor?
It’s not easy. Sometimes I have to call and ask “Am I lying or am I telling the truth? Is this genuine, is it not?” As an actor it is difficult because you’re trying to make everything you’re doing super genuine. I heard someone on a panel yesterday say you can’t judge your character. Once an actor starts judging their character, you’re done for because you have to be this person and you can’t judge yourself that way. So, whenever she’s doing horrible things, I still have to go somewhere inside of me and say “What would make me do that? What would make me do something similar.” So it’s difficult but it also keeps me on my toes. But I think this year I’ll have a little bit more of a streamline than I did the last two seasons.
You’re going to be disfigured this season, or at least your face was.
(Clears throat). No, no, this is The CW my friend. They call it the beauty square. You cannot mess up the ground switch. No I’m healed. In the teaser they showed you actually see a thing on my face and it will be explained. I won’t just show up healed. They’ll be a transition.
In reading about the panel they made it sound you were Two Face or something.
I actually kind of wanted that. They I wouldn’t have to worry about if I had a pimple. No, I’ll look like me come the end of the first episode.
Even though you’re totally not sure about the secret yet, how much about of your arc for the season do you know?
I know a very general outline. It’s a very broad stroke. A lot’s going to change I think depending on who they can get as guest stars, the timing of things, who they can schedule. So very general. I learn more and more every week and they keep coming up with really good ideas.
How do you wish the series would end for Tess?
I think as a storyteller I want her to become good. I want her to be on the team. I want her to be like “Oh, all this bad stuff, screw it. I’m going to be a good guy”. Like I get walk in that line.” You know that shot of all of them like Aquaman and Cyborg and they’re all like “da, da, da, da, da.” I watch that I’m like “I want to be on the team.” (laughs). I think it’s so bad ass. But as an actor I want her to go really deep into the evil just because I think there needs to be a balance of that. Clark is going to go good someone has to go bad. So whether it’s me or someone else, I would take that responsibility respectfully.
(Can’t hear the question, but this is a great story about the opening credits)
I don’t know if you know but the beginning sequence is like circular, you know when we’re turning, it’s “Cassidy Freeman.” First time I saw it I was like “Ha, ha, ha! That’s hilarious.” The way that they do that is they put you on a green screen and you’re on this disk, this wooden disc, and there’s a guy who pushes the button and you’re like (mechanical sound). And then you turn and as you’re turning you look and then you’re body keeps turning and then you’re going back. So, we all have to do that and we got one of our executive producers to go up there and do a fake one. It’s really funny. One of our executive producers with wind blowing in his face. James Marshall. It was good.
Anything else you can tease about?
We started a little bit later this year. I think everyone knows where it’s going. I think that’s the idea, we all want him to become Superman, that’s the direction its heading. I think the interesting part is the characters we’re going to meet along the way. The scripts are really beautiful works this year. They have a beginning, middle, and end and they know where we’re going. So they can really put a lot of work and effort into each episode making it that much more beautiful and the story be that much more character driven. It’s exciting, without the fear of are we going another season.
How is it to be part of this mythos, this legacy?
It feels incredible. I’m super thankful. And I was like getting really emotional at the panel. I was like “ten years,” I mean I’ve been here for two. Ten years! (fake wipes a tear from her eye). I can’t imagine how they feel. But I’m very thankful.
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