{"id":5779,"date":"2012-06-27T01:59:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-27T05:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/?p=5779"},"modified":"2012-06-27T01:59:00","modified_gmt":"2012-06-27T05:59:00","slug":"transmissions-interview-with-gabrielle-anwar-from-usa-networks-hit-show-burn-notice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/?p=5779","title":{"rendered":"Transmissions: Interview with Gabrielle Anwar from USA Network’s Hit Show Burn Notice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gabrielle Anwar plays the sexy and slightly psychotic Fiona Glenanne on the hit USA \"\"<\/a>Network<\/em> show Burn Notice<\/em>. The character of Fiona is a former IRA operative who is a trained marksman, explosives expert and precision driver. Fiona is also the love interest of Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan). When Westen was \u201cburned\u201d by The Agency, Fiona teamed up with him and his friend Sam Ax (Bruce Campbell) solving problems. The solutions usually involve bullets and an explosion or two.<\/p>\n

Last week Gabrielle took part in a conference call where she answered questions about her television persona. The following is the transcript of that conversation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alysia Sands: Hi, everyone. Thank you so much for joining the Burn Notice call with Gabrielle Anwar. Burn Notice airs Thursdays at nine, eight central on USA.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yay!<\/p>\n

Alysia Sands: I think we\u2019re ready to get started. Then, operator, hello? (Kesha)?<\/p>\n

Operator: Yes, I\u2019m here.<\/p>\n

Alysia Sands: Okay, we\u2019re ready to get started.<\/p>\n

Operator: Okay, you want me to queue for questions?<\/p>\n

Alysia Sands: Yes.<\/p>\n

Operator: At this time if you\u2019d like to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad. Your first question comes from Jamie Ruby from scifivision.com.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Hi, thanks so much for doing the call today.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: My pleasure.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: So I have to ask, I thought that the job you guys do on the show either has to be the funnest, but could also potentially be a lot harder. You play so many different, you know, personalities on the show when you\u2019re undercover. Can you talk about that, and is it more challenging?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Actually, it has its moments of being challenging, you know, particularly when there\u2019s different dialects involved, but I am very grateful to play these (unintelligible) because after six years of playing the same character, it really does breathe a breath of fresh air into each episode when we get to do something that\u2019s completely out of character. You know, Jeffrey Donovan, who plays Michael, gets to do it much more frequently than I, and I get a little bit sulky about that.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Got to tell them to give you more undercover work.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Exactly.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: So the other thing I was going to ask is have you had like weapons training for the show? I mean, because you\u2019re always shooting guns and blowing stuff up and all the fun stuff.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: You know, I haven\u2019t had any formal training in much of anything, actually. Now that I say that out loud – but I did go shoot some pretty heavy machinery a few years back, because not only are the weapons incredibly heavy, but you know, they\u2019re very disconcerting to be holding something that actually is a murder weapon, that is something that is – unless used properly, you know, could bring down an entire family, which kind of throws me for a loop.<\/p>\n

You know, I\u2019m an ardent pacifist in reality, so you know, I\u2019ve made it very clear to my children from the get-go that you know, there would be no guns in the house, and here\u2019s mummy going off to work you know, doing that very thing for a living. So I\u2019m a bit of a bloody hypocrite now that I think of it.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: All right, well thank you so much.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Our next question comes from (Tiffany Volk), TV Addict.<\/p>\n

(Tiffany Volk): Hi, Gabrielle.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Hello.<\/p>\n

(Tiffany Volk): So I was wondering, do you have a favorite episode or a scene for this season?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Gabrielle Anwar: You know, we did in fact just shoot – let me think, what was this – episode 6.09 – I think it was 6.09, could have been 6.08. They all kind of merge into one after six years. I get to play a Boston mobster, so that was tremendous fun for me. You know, me get to sort of mix it up a little bit and incorporate different characters and accents and costumes and hair and makeup. It\u2019s just fun. You know, it\u2019s like dress-up as a kid.<\/p>\n

(Tiffany Volk): Great. And after six seasons, what has been your biggest challenge on this show so far?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: The heels. Yes, my little toes are – they\u2019re done. They\u2019re completely – they\u2019ve left the building. They retired I think season two.<\/p>\n

(Tiffany Volk): Okay, well good to know. Thank you very much.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Our next question comes from (Christine Clark), popculturemag.com.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: (Unintelligible).<\/p>\n

Operator: I\u2019m sorry.<\/p>\n

(Christine Clark): Okay, hi, Gabrielle. Thank you so much for talking to us today.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Oh, it\u2019s my pleasure.<\/p>\n

(Christine Clark): So you know, we\u2019re seeing a lot more strong female roles on TV these days, and you know, how does it feel to continue to play such an awesome female character like Fiona? I mean, she certainly does her part at standing out when it comes to female roles.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, doesn\u2019t she? I\u2019m very grateful that she was even created. I think – I mean, I think there are more fabulous female roles coming our way lately, particularly in television, Homeland and The Good Wife. There\u2019s plenty of good women being represented as we are, which is incredibly exciting and refreshing, and let\u2019s hope that there\u2019s more to come. I think we – we\u2019re well deserving.<\/p>\n

(Christine Clark): Oh, absolutely. And is there a piece of advice – you know, six years into this series, is there a piece of advice that you would share with your character Fiona?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, that\u2019s a very good question. I think I would probably just tell her to relax. I think though having said that I think that Fiona is sort of chilling just a tad over the years. I think with the lowering of her skirt hemlines, I think that her angst has been somewhat calmed, quelled. Let\u2019s hope so.<\/p>\n

(Christine Clark): All right. Thank you so much.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Our next question comes from (Anne Bailey), The Two Cents.<\/p>\n

(Anne Bailey): Good morning, Gabrielle.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Good morning.<\/p>\n

(Anne Bailey): How much of a challenge is it to keep a straight face when you\u2019re working with Bruce Campbell and Jeffrey Donovan?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: It\u2019s a huge challenge, and one that I\u2019m not particularly good at, as the gag reels will attest to, particularly Bruce. I mean, he just has such as phenomenal sense of humor. His wit is unparalleled.<\/p>\n

(Anne Bailey): Yes, having seen his movies I agree.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, and even his tweets, I can\u2019t help but read his tweets, and I\u2019m around him all day long and I\u2019m reading his tweets on top of it.<\/p>\n

(Anne Bailey): Yes, yes, I follow him. I totally agree. And this is kind of a fantasy question. If it was up to Fiona, where would she and Michael be in ten years?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Oh. Well, they would definitely be together. There would be no CIA in sight, nor FBI, and they would be saving the world one hand grenade at a time.<\/p>\n

(Anne Bailey): There you go. I\u2019m a huge fan. Thank you so much for taking our questions.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Your next question comes from Sammi Toronto, TV Grapevine.<\/p>\n

Sammi Toronto: Good morning. How are you?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I\u2019m great, thank you. How are you?<\/p>\n

Sammi Toronto: I\u2019m good, thank you. My first question for you is how much research went into the prison scene? Did you visit any prisons, or did you do any research on it?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: No. Oh, God, what a dreadful actress I am! I did not. I didn\u2019t, and I have \"\"<\/a>no excuse. I figured that I would just feel what was going on in the moment. I mean, the set design and the over-props and all the extras and it – I mean, it was pretty realistic, I have to say. You know, it was – I actually had the most phenomenal shooting schedule while I was in jail, because you know, they carried on shooting all the other storylines, and so I would work maybe one day a week, which is unusual on this show.<\/p>\n

So when it came time to you know, to be talking about Fiona\u2019s release from jail, I was begging the writers to keep me in so that I could spend more time with my children, so I think I may be one of the few people on the planet who was begging to stay incarcerated.<\/p>\n

Sammi Toronto: Okay, and who are some guest stars you haven\u2019t yet worked with that you would like to work with?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Oh, let\u2019s see. God, I don\u2019t know. You know, it\u2019s funny because all the guest stars that we\u2019ve had for the last six seasons have been so good that I\u2019ve never spent an episode going God, I wish this was being played by you know, Harrison Ford or whomever. I\u2019ve been very impressed with all of the actors that have contributed to our storylines. It\u2019s been such a joy. And it – you know, when the guest actors come, it really does infuse the cast and the crew to bring in some fresh blood and something new to play with. You know, it\u2019s a wonderful thing.<\/p>\n

Sammi Toronto: Wonderful. Thank you so much.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Our next question comes from (Paulette Cohen), Experity TV.<\/p>\n

(Paulette Cohen): Good morning, Gabrielle.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Good morning.<\/p>\n

(Paulette Cohen): Can you talk a little bit about what it is about Michael and Fiona\u2019s relationship that would make her sacrifice her freedom and possibly her life for him?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Love? I think it\u2019s just plain old love. I mean, I like to think that when there is that sort of commitment and devotion to another person that you would in fact sacrifice your freedom for them. I mean, I certainly feel that way in real life about my children, so that kind of love does exist, and I like to think that that\u2019s what Fiona and Michael have between them – between each other.<\/p>\n

(Paulette Cohen): Okay. He was a little standoffish until last season, though.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Say that again.<\/p>\n

(Paulette Cohen): He was a little standoffish until last season, but she has been there for him since season one, so I\u2019m just curious what you thought. Fiona is such a strong woman, you know, making it in a man\u2019s world of guns and explosives, and I know you just said you\u2019re anti-guns, but is there anything about her you can relate to?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: To Fiona? Oh, God, yes. Yes, I mean I really appreciate her impatience, her intolerance, her disdain of men on many levels. And I love that she\u2019s just so erratic and uncontrollable. I love all the things – all those things about a person that are considered negatives are my favorite things about Fiona.<\/p>\n

(Paulette Cohen): Do you share any qualities with her?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Most of those.<\/p>\n

(Paulette Cohen): That\u2019s perfect. Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Next question comes from (Andi Dane), Boiler TV.<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): Hi. For five years, Fiona has primarily interacted with Michael and Sam and Madeline and Jesse, and now that Fiona\u2019s in prison, she has very little contact with them. What challenges or benefits came to you as an actress because of this change of pace?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, as I mentioned earlier, the – my shooting schedule was an enormous benefit for me, but I think, you know, there was I think a maturation of Fiona while she\u2019s in prison where she realizes the importance and significance of her relationships with those characters that you mentioned. You know, I think she had somewhat taken them for granted, and when she\u2019s in prison I think that there\u2019s the realization that they really are her family, even though she would hate to admit that she even likes them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>And then you know, she develops relationships with some of the female inmates, which is hard for Fiona to do, because you know, in the last six seasons, Fiona hasn\u2019t really had any, you know, BFFs. There\u2019s no girl action. She doesn\u2019t have a lot of female cohorts, which is very interesting, because you know, I think that there\u2019s an element of distrust between women and reliability and I love that it\u2019s being somewhat, even though it may be subtle, somewhat portrayed in the – in Burn Notice, in the show.<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): Cool. Also we\u2019ve had just snippets of Fiona\u2019s background, and quite frankly those have always been my favorite episodes.<\/p>\n

((Crosstalk))<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): Are we going to see anything like the Bruce Campbell movie where we got background on him, or are we going to get more of Fiona\u2019s background in the show?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I don\u2019t know. I mean, that would be a question for the (unintelligible) who created the Sam Ax movie and Fiona. You know, I have my own version of who Fiona is and where she came from, and I don\u2019t know if I have anything in common with (Matt Nix)\u2019s variation. I guess we could find out, but as far as I know there are no plans to delve any deeper as of yet.<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): Oh, that is a shame. Thank you.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes.<\/p>\n

Operator: The next question comes from (Tobi Jeffrey-Greer), thevoiceoftv.com.<\/p>\n

(Tobi Jeffrey-Greer): Good morning.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Good morning.<\/p>\n

(Tobi Jeffrey-Greer): I was wondering how many – you\u2019re going into season six now, and that\u2019s a pretty good run for a TV series. How many more seasons do you really think are sustainable for the show, and do you have any plans after that?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, I think as long as the writing team can continue to come up with stories, and there are so many spy stories. I mean, we\u2019ve all been watching spy thrillers for so many years, I mean, we – if we run out of our own we could certainly pinch some of those, but I don\u2019t know. I mean, I don\u2019t know how long Fiona can, you know, be running around in a bikini and high heels carrying a shotgun. I\u2019m not sure if the audience is going to want to see me doing that into my 50s. So I don\u2019t know. I mean, six years is a damn good run and I\u2019m incredibly grateful for the longevity thus far. So I mean, I\u2019m in for a little longer, maybe without the bikinis.<\/p>\n

(Tobi Jeffrey-Greer): And a couple of my readers did specifically ask how do you run in those heels? I can\u2019t even walk in them?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: You know, I don\u2019t know how it happens, but I am – I have a little window of the ability to run in my heels, and if we don\u2019t catch it in the first couple of takes, it\u2019s over. So you know, I think it\u2019s an incredible skill that I have developed, and I\u2019m going to put it on my resume.<\/p>\n

(Tobi Jeffrey-Greer): Can you dance (unintelligible)?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I don\u2019t know. I mean, possibly. I mean, the pain that one endures as a dancer certainly is comparable to the pain I\u2019m enduring when I\u2019m running around in those bloody heels, so perhaps it has paid off, all that dance training.<\/p>\n

(Tobi Jeffrey-Greer): Well, good. Thank you very much, and just as an aside, Alysia, I\u2019m going to need your email address at the end of the interview, please.<\/p>\n

Operator: Our next question comes from (David Martindale), First Newspapers.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): Thank you. Hi, Gabrielle.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Hello.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): We talked once before during the second season of the show, so hi again.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Hello, again.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): Yay. Fi is a clothes horse. She has probably a second house filled with clothes, kinky little outfits and all that. What do you think of prison clothes all of a sudden?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: You know, it\u2019s funny because I had kind of this idea that maybe I would sort of somehow temper the orange jumpsuit into something kind of hip and cool, and then once I got into jail I realized that it was something that Fiona wouldn\u2019t even think of.\"\"<\/a> She\u2019s so intent on finding her way out of the prison that her outfit had no relevance whatsoever. And I was kind of grateful that she wasn\u2019t as vain as I thought she was.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): Good answer, good answer. Bruce once told me that the reason he became an actor was because it was the only career he could think of where he could screw around all day.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, and he\u2019s still screwing around.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): What compelled you to become an actor?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I was training as a dancer, and I had an accident and was transferred to the drama department, and was so enthralled by the comparatively easy drama classes compared to the grueling ballet, so I said, ah, this is the job for me.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): Okay, a similar story in a different way.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, it\u2019s kind of – there\u2019s so many actor stories like this, aren\u2019t there? That they basically were just a bunch of lazy bums.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): There you go. And last thing, when you signed on with this show, what were your expectations? Does it boggle your mind that you\u2019re still playing the character and doing this show at this point?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: It does. I\u2019m a little bit in denial about the length of Fiona\u2019s role. You know, I didn\u2019t think that the pilot would even be picked up, because you know, I\u2019d heard so many horror stories about, you know, so many pilots that are shot and then never go to an actual show, so I had no expectations whatsoever.<\/p>\n

And you know, I got into so much trouble shooting in South Beach for the three weeks of the pilot that when they did say that this was going to be going into a – you know, a first season, I thought, God, I don\u2019t know if I can survive South Beach for a year – you know, a year or two or three, and here we are six years later, and I\u2019m still alive.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): That\u2019s intriguing. So what did you do? What do you mean?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, I – you know, it\u2019s – I liken Miami to Vegas, Vegas at the shore. And so there\u2019s an inordinate amount of partying that is just inherent in landing at Miami International Airport, and it seems to not cease until you get back on the plane to wherever you may go. And so I just indulged.<\/p>\n

(David Martindale): Yes, okay. Fair enough. Good deal, good deal. It\u2019s been a pleasure to visit with you again. Thanks. Bye.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thanks, you too.<\/p>\n

Operator: The next question comes from Jamie Ruby, scifivision.com.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Hi, again. So do you do a lot of stunts yourself on the show, or…?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I do. I do do a lot of stunts, hoping to do less now that I\u2019m you know, I\u2019m not quite as flexible as I used to be, but I – yes, I do do a lot of stunts. It\u2019s odd. I think it\u2019s easier somehow.<\/p>\n

You know, when we\u2019re coordinating the stunts, and you know, our schedule is so tight and we shoot so quickly that you know, it\u2019s almost easier to just say you know what, I\u2019ll just do the bloody thing, you know, so that there\u2019s not these cuts of the stunt girl doing some sort of you know, tai kwon do, and then me jumping in and pulling the expression on my face that I kicked someone.<\/p>\n

It just takes longer and I\u2019m rather impatient, so I just say, oh, bloody hell, just teach me the moves and I\u2019ll do it. And you know, obviously I\u2019m not as equipped as the stunt double, but I give it a damn good try.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Well it looks like you\u2019re doing well. So you talked kind of about how you have your own idea for your backstory for Fiona and everything, but is there something specific that you\u2019d like to see happen for her on the show, like if you could, you know, write your own episode or – I don\u2019t know, what would you want to do?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, that\u2019s a good question. I think I would like us to do an episode in Dublin, in Ireland, you know, maybe a parent is sick and she flies home and we get to see, \"\"<\/a>you know, who she is, just walking into the front door of her home would say so much. We know so much about Michael and you know, his family of origin and I would like – I mean, even though there\u2019s something to be said for the enigmatic idea of where she came from and who she is, I would love to go to Ireland and just, you know, just take a little slice of her life and reveal something.<\/p>\n

And I have a whole, you know, concept of who her family is and how she lived and you know, perhaps the idea that she came from a significant amount of you know, well to do upbringing, and so the fact that she\u2019s you know, running around with Michael and Sam and Jesse is not because she has to support herself financially by these means. It\u2019s because she wants to. I think that\u2019s an alluring idea.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Okay, well, great, thanks, and I love the show.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Again, to ask a question press star one. We do have a question from (Melissa Gerimonti), thetelevisionvixen.com.<\/p>\n

(Melissa Gerimonti): Hello, Gabrielle. It\u2019s a pleasure to speak with you today.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

(Melissa Gerimonti): I was wondering, of all of the undercover personas you\u2019ve played so far on the show, is there anyone in particular that you\u2019ve really, really enjoyed?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, I mean, I played a sort of gum-chewing kind of New Jersey girl a few seasons ago, which was so much fun. You know, I had some cleavage, which (unintelligible), and just prancing around with an attitude, and I just recently played a Boston girl, which is a very hard accent to do well. So I like to play these women that are sort of clich\u00e9s of – you know, sort of bimbo-esque gals who actually underneath it all have a whole other world of intelligence and skill, and that\u2019s always a bit of a fun role.<\/p>\n

(Melissa Gerimonti): Thank you so much. Best of luck with the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: We have a follow-up question from (Andi Dane), Spoiler TV.<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): Hey, does Fi end up having a CIA relationship post-prison?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Oh, can that be my response? Oh!<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): Well we are Spoiler TV, and these are questions for readers, so…<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Oh, you\u2019ve got some very keenly aware readers. You know, there is some CIA influence that takes place, much to her absolute chagrin.<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): All right. And also, what can fans expect this season? We know that you\u2019re going to be separated for several episodes. Does Fiona have her own – does she get to at least hear from Michael or any of the characters about what they\u2019re trying to do, or is she kind of in the dark?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well you know, it\u2019s interesting, having spent you know, a bunch of episodes in jail, so to speak, there is this whole underground (unintelligible) that goes on in prison where these prisoners, if they have a means to information, whether it be trading\"\"<\/a> cigarettes or other kind of favors, which we didn\u2019t really explore too much as this is USA, but I became very keenly aware that there\u2019s a lot more access to the outside world than you might think, even in a top security jail, because all the sort of you know, it\u2019s a whole other existence in there with a bunch of trading that takes place in order to get the information that one requires. So there is some connection that takes place between Fiona and the outside world.<\/p>\n

(Andi Dane): Great, thank you.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: You have a follow-up question from Jamie Ruby, scifivision.com.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Okay.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: So you have a lot of kind of tense, dramatic scenes obviously in the beginning of the season. Do you prefer more of the drama or more of the action type scenes?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, you know, like most sets, television also, it\u2019s a very male-dominated environment. There\u2019s a lot of men on the set, and there\u2019s a handful of girls, women, and so when we\u2019re doing action sequences on Burn Notice, the boys get really excited, and it\u2019s kind of overwhelming.<\/p>\n

You know, our stunts often take over – you know, explosions and all the pyrotechnic stuff take over the day, and the drama kind of falls a little bit to the wayside so that the boys can, you know, do their thing with their big toys and their weaponry and all the booms and pows and kapoos and kapows.<\/p>\n

And I get a little overwhelmed, to tell you the truth. You know, I just want to go sit with the girls, with you know, our script supervisor and our makeup and hair department and wardrobe department and just you know, talk about shoes and have a cup of tea. So the drama I think is what (unintelligible), and I think I blame the men because of it.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: All right. Oh, sorry, I lost what I was going to say. Oh. You talked about how a lot of times it\u2019s hard to be around the guys when they\u2019re, you know, being silly and all that.<\/p>\n

((Crosstalk))<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, I mean, it\u2019s kind of like being around a bunch of 10-year-old boys playing war in the back garden, and there\u2019s no room for a chick. It\u2019s kind of – I feel like I\u2019m back in school, and you know, there\u2019s a very, very poignant divide between the girls and the boys.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: All right, well thank you so much.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Again, to ask a question, press star one.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I think we\u2019re out of questions.<\/p>\n

Operator: You have a question from (Jim Garner), tvfanatics.com.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I was just about to press number one myself.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): Good morning, Gabrielle. Please forgive me. I\u2019m recovering from laryngitis, so I sound like I\u2019ve eaten a frog or something this morning.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Oh, you poor thing.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): Yes, it sounds a lot worse than it feels. I feel fine. I just sound like I\u2019ve been through the wringer.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, you do.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>(Jim Garner): So, one of the comments that I get on my reviews probably at least once a month during the Burn Notice season is a comment about how the intro had Fiona listed as \u201ctrigger-happy ex-girlfriend\u201d and this season in last week\u2019s premiere, they changed it to \u201ctrigger-happy girlfriend\u201d. What was your thoughts on that?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Oh, they did? I didn\u2019t even know that.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): Yes, there was – as the one they voted on initially said, \u201ctrigger-happy ex-girlfriend\u201d and there were comments about wow, it\u2019s a really great new intro except that you should really fix this, and they did a quick edit (unintelligible).<\/p>\n

So I was curious if you had seen that and what your thoughts on that was, just from the point of view of you know, Fiona and Michael have really been, you know, the last two – at least the last season and a half, two seasons, have really been, you know, back together as best I could tell. I mean, it\u2019s definitely a dynamic relationship, but I would never consider them as looking at anyone else. I mean, I know that Jesse and Fiona kind of got close, but I don\u2019t think there was any kind of romantic notions on Fiona\u2019s part.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Really.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): It looked like Jesse, when we was first burned, he was kind of flailing in the wind. It looked like he was kind of trying to find a rock to anchor to, and I think he – in my opinion, it looked like he was looking at Fiona for some of that, but Fiona only had eyes for Michael. I was just curious what your thoughts on, you know, on the reference of Fiona being an ex-girlfriend versus girlfriend, I mean…<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, you know, I – you just broke the news to me, so I – my initial reaction is a little – I have a little bit of temperature rise in my body, because I think that Fiona doesn\u2019t like to define things. You know what I mean? Like the relationship, or you know, the house with the white picket fence. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what she\u2019s about, and so hearing that it\u2019s official that the two of them are dating, it – I am having a visceral response to it.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s interesting. I think that she thrives on an unconventional definition of life, of who she is and who they are, so I\u2019m going to have to watch that intro. Right now my heart is racing. I may be getting hives. I\u2019m teasing.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): No, no, that\u2019s definitely – you know, and – you know, in the – when you boil it all down, it really is an awesome kind of romance story when you look at Michael will do anything for Fiona, and Fiona has literally gone to the wall and done – you know, has given up everything for Michael. It\u2019s really kind of a nice – if you boil it down to…<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I think it is. I think you know, we need more of this in our lives, you know, like – you know, we compromise only so far and we sacrifice only so much, and I think that true love is about, you know, making those choices, and you\u2019re not doing it for the other person. You\u2019re doing it because it\u2019s what you are compelled to do for yourself. That\u2019s the key.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): Yes, I saw it in the season finale. I thought all the way up to the last, until the credits rolled, that Michael was going to figure out a way to stop Fiona from turning herself in, and I just – I got done, I\u2019m like, wow. I\u2019m just like, that was amazing, because it – we always – you know, in every episode, it\u2019s like the episode where – you know, I can\u2019t think of the actor\u2019s name, where he had cancer and he died to stop the (unintelligible).<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): It\u2019s one of those things that the only way to solve the case was the very real death of the client, and we never…<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): …this client dying is an option. We always consider that, oh, they\u2019re going to rescue them somehow. And they just came up with some excellent, excellent writing, and I\u2019m really excited to see where things go this season with Fiona in prison for a few episodes and stuff, so…<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Well, good. Well thank you for being such an avid fan. I really am excited by that.<\/p>\n

(Jim Garner): So, all right, that\u2019s it. That\u2019s the end of my questions. Thank you again for taking time to be – sit down with us this morning.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: My pleasure.<\/p>\n

Operator: We have a follow-up question from Jamie Ruby, scifivision.com.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Hi, again. I remembered what I was going to ask. Are they very strict with the scripts? Like do you guys improvise sometimes, or is it more by what it says?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: I think it depends. If the dialogue is pertinent to the plot, they get pretty specific about you know, having to really be able to stay on point. You know, it\u2019s interesting, unlike film where it\u2019s usually just one writer for the entire script, so there\u2019s sort of a continuity in character and nuance and the pacing of the dialogue, we have, you know, different writers for each episode.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s interesting how some writers have a specific voice for Fiona or for Michael, and then other writers have their own ideas, so you know, after six years of speaking as Fiona, you know, sometimes I\u2019ll read the script and go I don\u2019t know if Fiona would say it that way, or I\"\"<\/a> don\u2019t know if she\u2019s you know, that sounds a little masculine, because most of our writers are male. You know, I don\u2019t know if a woman actually says \u201cdouchebag\u201d. You know what I mean? Like I think mostly that comes from men.<\/p>\n

You know, women don\u2019t usually sing about douchebags. It\u2019s just not what we do. So you know, then I\u2019ll sort of argue my point as a chick, and then they roll their eyes because I\u2019m you know, being a bloody feminist again, but – so it – you know, it depends whether it\u2019s of you know, value and significant to the plot rather than if it\u2019s a character choice.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Okay, great. And is there a specific scene that you\u2019re looking forward to fans seeing this season that you can talk about without you know, spoiling it too much?<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, there are some scenes that are emotionally charged, you know, romantic. I – because there\u2019s so much action and there\u2019s humor and you know, bikinis, I\u2019m always – I always gravitate towards those scenes of true emotional vulnerability and connection between characters, so there\u2019s some rather endearing scenes to look forward to in the near future.<\/p>\n

Jamie Ruby: Okay, great. Well thank you so much. It was a pleasure.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.<\/p>\n

Operator: Again, to ask a question, press star one.<\/p>\n

Alysia Sands: Well, if there are no more questions, I think we\u2019ll end it here. Thank you guys for joining.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Anwar: Okay.<\/p>\n

Operator: This concludes today\u2019s conference. You may disconnect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gabrielle Anwar plays the sexy and slightly psychotic Fiona Glenanne on the hit USA Network show Burn Notice. The character of Fiona is a former IRA operative who is a trained marksman, explosives expert and precision driver. Fiona is also … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1494,1876,1498,928,14,13,516,11],"class_list":["post-5779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-transmissions","tag-burn-notice","tag-fiona","tag-gabrielle-anwar","tag-interview","tag-james","tag-spy","tag-usa","tag-usa-network"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5779"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5796,"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5779\/revisions\/5796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geekstronomy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}