Jenna-Louise Coleman as Clara in Doctor Who: The Snowmen. Photo copyright of the BBC.
Having made a surprise appearance this past September in the season seven Doctor Who opener Asylum of the Daleks, fans have already met The Doctor's new companion….or have they? In the third of five BBC America press interviews, actress Jenna-Louise Coleman gives a little bit of insight in to the character she plays in the show's festive episode and what we can expect from Clara. Doctor Who: The Snowmen airs Tuesday, December 25th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America.
"She is from the Victorian era and a mysterious one," reveals Coleman. "Clara is very down to earth, but feisty and curious too with numerous jobs."
Set in Victorian England we first catch a glimpse of Clara as a barmaid in the ‘Rose and Crown’ pub, but after meeting the intriguing Doctor (Matt Smith) she soon sets about following him, because as Coleman explains, "He has the answers to her questions." With his self-imposed solitude the Doctor appears uninterested, but eventually gets drawn in as an army of evil snowmen cover London and it becomes apparent that Christmas and the world are at risk.
With Matt Smith revealing that, "She is a very different to Amy Pond [Karen Gillan]," how does the actress explain the dynamic of the relationship between the Doctor and Clara, following the loss of Amy and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) in the epic mid-season finale The Angels Take Manhattan? "My character isn’t intimidated by the Doctor," says Coleman, "but, instead, she finds him amazing and ridiculous. Clara is, however, on her own mission and lives by her own means She is also very resourceful."
As well as a barmaid, Clara adopts the role of governess to two children in Darkover House where something sinister is lurking in their garden and whose last governess hasn’t yet left the premises…
After being selected for the coveted role of companion, Colemanstarted filming in BBC Cymru Wales’ Roath Lock studios earlier this year and made her first appearance in season seven opener Asylum of the Daleks. So how has she found the job so far? "Every day is really surprising," says the actress. "For the last two years I have mainly been doing period dramas, so to be thrown into this world with loads of CGI (computer-generated image) is very different. Whole new sets are built in the space of a couple of weeks. For this episode we had snow machines and it does make you feel like a big kid!" she enthuses.
Stepping in to Karen Gillan’s shoes, who played Amy Pond, did the actress receive any advice? "Karen has been great," says Coleman. "She has texted me advice on Cardiff like where to eat. And Matt always has an ear out for me."
Unlike the Doctor in this festive episode, Coleman isn’t a Christmas grump. "I love Christmas and will probably be sitting down with the family to watch this adventure on Christmas Day," she says. "It is one of the shows that can do Christmas properly and this is a proper Christmas treat."
As noted above, photo copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
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