Season 3A of Freeform’s Shadowhunters sees its two-hour conclusion tonight (May 15) starting at 8PM ET/PT on Freeform… and with that midseason finale surely comes a confrontation with the show’s current “Big Bad,” Lilith, as played by Anna Hopkins (Arrow).
KSiteTV caught up with Hopkins on the phone last week to get the scoop on tonight’s big event.
KSITETV’s CRAIG BYRNE: How much fun is it to play the Big Bad?
ANNA HOPKINS: It’s the most fun. Now that I’ve got a taste of it, I definitely don’t want to be good ever again. Especially on a genre show like this, the boundaries are pretty limitless, so I have to say, it was one of the best characters I have gotten to play so far, for sure.
What kind of a reaction have you gotten from fans about this character?
I’ve gotten really, really positive stuff. I think especially when you’re approaching a villain role, your goal is for people to love to hate you. And so, that’s definitely happening, but I am finding the Shadowhunters fans… I keep saying they’ve got such amazing Twitter etiquette. They’ll be like “I want to kill Lilith, but I really like you, Anna!” They’ll always separate the two. So it’s been a funny reaction, but people seem to be happy with the villain this season, so that makes me happy.
But… do the “Clace” fans start coming after you because of Lilith getting in the way of Clary and Jace?
Yeah, I’ve definitely had some Clace fans coming at me, but again, people who love this show and love the books, they know that, deep down in their hearts, the “Clace” love is always going to be the strongest, so they’re enjoying the roller coaster, eventually knowing that they’re going to be together, or hoping that they will. So, there’s a little bit of Clace animosity, but hopefully they’ll get what they want.
Is there something poetic about Lilith controlling Jace, considering his connection to Jonathan?
Yeah. I mean, yes, she’s using Jace as a tool, but I think there’s something developed there, for sure, in terms of her affection towards Jace, in a sense. Even just for me as an actor, the only person I ever really worked with was Dom, and so, there’s something about Lilith only having Jace around for most of the season, and I think that that’s no coincidence. I think having a young man around is, in a sense, symoblic to her son, for sure. And the way she loves is pretty vicious anyways, so it seems all appropriate to Lilith.
How much are you able to say about the confrontation with Lilith in the midseason finale?
I think that we’ve seen her move pretty full force towards what she wants, and it’s only going to get more intense in the last two episodes. On the other hand of things, the Shadowhunters are also going full force. So this is going to be a clash of some strong minded people slash demons, and the consequence is going to be pretty epic. The landscape’s going to change quite a bit, I’d say, after these two episodes.
Is there a particular confrontation that Lilith should be afraid of?
I think definitely Simon is a big deal for her, because he kind of represents this loophole in her power, and she is really resourceful, obviously, but Simon is this one thorn in her side that is I think keeping her up at night, as one would say, if Lilith ever slept.
Is there any chance we might be seeing Asmodeus in the midseason finale?
I shall not say. It’s possible.
For those who are reading who haven’t seen the current season yet, can you talk a little bit about Lilith and how she fits into this story?
Lilith is the Queen of Hell and she has a son of sorts who was killed in the second season, and so she arrives in the third season to seek revenge and bring her son back. But because of the genre, which is a super awesome fantasy genre, the way she does it is pretty epic and awesome.
I was a huge Buffy fan, and I love the worlds of angels and demons, and I think Shadowhunters has a bit of that flavor, so I certainly got hooked.
In addition to acting you’re also a screenwriter. Can you talk about that?
I’ve always been interested in writing. I studied communications in university, and screenwriting, and so the past couple of years I’ve been writing some more. I just wrote and directed my first short film. It’s something that I think works quite well with acting; a lot of the same skills. Breaking down characters and writing interesting stories is something that’s come to me, so I will definitely be doing more of that.
Has any of your work been released where fans can find it?
The short that I just finished is going to released soon. We’ll be submitting to festivals. I’ll be sure to post about it; I’ll definitely want people to check that out. (You can find Anna on Twitter @AnnaBananaHops)
You previously worked for Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer on Defiance. Did that have any influence on your being cast as Lilith?
It’s funny. I auditioned for Shadowhunters, and originally, I think they were looking for something different for Lilith. They said “you did a great audition, but it’s not going your way.” But then I think it was initially Matt Hastings who wrote to Todd and Darren and was like “Hey. This girl’s tape is amazing. I think she’d be perfect for Lilith,” even though she’s not exactly what they were looking for. When Matt said that, they were like “yeah! We love her too. We worked with her on Defiance.” They’re amazing. I loved working with them on Defiance, and they’ve been so great on Shadowhunters. They are awesome showrunners.
Do you have any final words to say to the fans who are looking forward to this midseason finale?
Be sure you’re sitting down. Not that people watch TV when they’re standing. But maybe if you’re old enough, have a glass of wine on hand. It’s going to be really intense, and I think people are going to be really pleased with where it goes, although also, cliffhangers are in abundance, so it’s going to be a hard little hiatus, too.
Don’t miss the Shadowhunters midseason finale TONIGHT (May 15) at 8PM ET/PT on Freeform. Take a look at some preview images here!
