Claire Stansfield
“Alti”
The Chakram Newsletter: Issue 06
SD: Your first audition for Renaissance was for Hercules. How did that come about?
Claire: They were looking for a strong female to play a new main character called Morrigan. When I went there and saw all the 5'6" redheaded Irish girls, I wasn't sure I should stay, but they’ll bring in from one extreme to another to see what they want. In the scene I did, Morrigan pulls a sword and gets very angry. I felt good about the audition, but particularly about that sequence. But I knew I wasn't right for that part and let it go. Even if you don't think you're right, you should just go for it. It's good to leave a trail of good impressions cause you never know what might come of it later.
Later I got a call that said Rob thought I would be great for a part in Xena. They said it was a two-parter and could go on. I was told there was no one else they were meeting for it, but they would like me to come in and play with the material. I went in having recently seen Miranda Richardson in Merlin and loved what she did with the Queen. She had the black eyes and hoarse voice although hers was more whispery. I talked about that at the audition and Rob’s eyes lit up. It’s always nerve-wracking even though they say you're the only one. Being an actress just sucks in that respect. But I left knowing I had frightened some people in the room.
SD: Did you know you were up for the role of Alti?
Claire: When they sent the script over before the audition, I thought. “Of course, I'm Queen of the Amazons!” Then I checked the scene they wanted me to do and it described a “frail old hag”! I said to my agent, “I know I’m getting old, but I still go out for the babely parts sometimes!” They told me Rob thought I was perfect for this part.
SD: Here you were a 32-year-old, 6'1", healthy, vibrant woman. He must have thought you would be a hell of a good actress. (laughing)
Claire: I met Vicky Pratt at the audition. When I saw her I thought, “Ah-ha - Amazon.” I'm more Amazonian in a sense, but she's very strong, blonde and stunning. But little. I always think Amazon, big, tall!
SD: How tall is Vicky?
Claire: Maybe 5'7".
SD: Come to think of it, I'm not sure they have any tall Amazons in the Xenaverse. Danielle Cormack, who plays Ephiny, is also of average height. And their Queen, Renee O'Connor, is five foot and a smidgin. What was this audition like?
Claire: There's a long table they're all sitting around. When I walked in. I was already starting to be Alti. Not with the voice, but the attitude. By the end, I practically went across the table into one woman who was cringing back as I was declaring “And drag them to their death!” I think she actually said, “Okay, I'm scared.” Rob was like a little kid prompting, “Yes! Bigger, louder! Yes!”
Once you do what you should do, memorize your lines, know your stuff, and prepare, what else are you gonna do? It says, “frail old hag.” What could I do? I couldn't be a frail old hag.
SD: But you could be Alti.
Claire (confidently): Yes. I could be Alti.
SD: So you got the job and a plane ticket to New Zealand?
Claire: I arrived about six in the morning and was picked up from the hotel to go to the set for wardrobe fittings. Someone had taken my measurements in Los Angeles and faxed them to New Zealand and they had already started making the costume. I met my makeup lady, Linda, and bonded with her immediately. I told her I had some ideas for the character and she loved the idea of the black eyes.
I had some pictures with me from fashion magazines that I love to tear out and save for characters. T.J. Scott, the director, does the same thing. He told me he had pulled a picture of me from Details magazine from about four years ago.
That night T.J. had myself, Vicky, Sheeri Rappaport (Otere) and Lucy over for dinner to get acquainted. The next day we had the read-through with some of the New Zealand actors.
SD: How was the first day of shooting?
Claire: I was completely nervous and uncomfortable. I think because the character was so far from me. It's easy to play Claire. There's nothing about Alti that's like me.
SD (laughing): You don't know any soul-stealing shamanesses you could base the role on?
Claire: After watching the episode, my stepmother said, “You played evil so well. It kind of scares me.” I was thinking, “What? Like I have some evil lurking that you don’t know about? It's acting!” (laughing)
SD: Lucy talked about the fact that recently the emotions of the show were staying with her longer and she was taking it home. Something she hadn't done before.
Claire: When I have to be sad or upset, then I take it home. To be around me when I’m preparing is not nice. Cause I really need to be selfish and focus.
SD: That was an intriguing introduction of your character with your apprentice/gift Anokin.
Claire: She was a sweet little Kiwi girl. I said. “I’m just gonna stroke your hair, push you forward, get a little rough with you.” And she went with it. I didn't notice it at the time because I was a bit behind her, but when I saw the show, she was really doing the whole thing! Alti knew how to get to Xena. (laughing)
SD: What was Alti doing with Anokin and Xena?
Claire: Anokin was to lure Xena. My whole thing in “Sin Trade” was to get Xena. I need her on my side and how am I going to do that?
SD: Why does Alti want Xena?
Claire: Because Xena’s so powerful and I just feed on power. She and I are the same and I recognize some evil in there. I want her to be on my team because then I will be unstoppable.
SD: Does Alti want to be the power behind the throne?
Claire: No, she wants to be in front. She probably would have tried to knock Xena off after she got her power. She doesn't care about anybody. I wish she did. Sometimes I try to give my characters a little more heart. But, you know what, it doesn't make sense in Alti's case. Especially in “Between The Lines.” She's just ruthless. She’s a power junkie. She's an animal. How better to get Xena on her side than to kill her with kindness first. Then, gotcha!
SD: R.J. said the reason Xena went for Anokin is because she's looking for a female buddy.
Claire: Yeah, she doesn't have time for some little boy. What does Xena want? Does she want a big strong man? She has one, right there underneath the bearskin. And Alti knows that. I absolutely played it on that level. It just seemed so appropriate.
SD: I would guess the fact that we could see everyone's breath during most of this show is a pretty good indication it was cold down there?
Claire: It was freezing! That sequence where Xena says, “I hate the dead,” we were dying it was so cold. I was wearing three layers of long johns and heating packs in my boots. After every take, they dive on you with parkas. The crew was so bundled up with scarves, goggles, pullover hats with little mouth holes, you couldn't tell who was who!
SD: Watching the show, I couldn't decide if all that flying and spinning through the trees would be fun or terrifying.
Claire: The spinning part was no fun at all. They said to me, “Okay, we got a rig here. We're gonna put you in a harness straight up spinning. A couple of the stunties got sick, but you'll be okay if you spot.” Spot!! (laughing)
They rigged up two cranes outside with landings on them and a wire connecting them. We were harnessed to the wire, jumped off, and someone caught us on the other side as we swung across. Lucy's screaming and loving it and saying, “Let's go again!” And I’m like, “Oh my God!” (laughing)
There was one camera with a weighted end that they put Lucy and I on the end with the weights and when the camera would go up, we would go down and then it would swing the other way. They built a little hobby horse so we had something to straddle to keep us from falling off.
It was raining a little that day. Lucy and I were up in the trees with a huge umbrella just looking at the ocean. We felt like Mary Poppins! (laughing) That’s where we got to be friends - up there for hours with the umbrella waiting for the director to call action and set us at each other's throat.
SD: When it was done and there was talk you might reprise the character, did you want to come back?
Claire: Oh yeah! I like working for Pacific Renaissance. I like the crew a lot. I wouldn't have gone back just for the paycheck and to do another episode of Xena. It would have been because I love that country and that type of work and the whole experience. Don't have to put on high heels! (laughing) There are not a lot of good female parts out there for strong women. Sigourney Weaver's got that wrapped up. And I don't want to be on Melrose Place. But I believe that whatever I'm doing, I'll be doing it when I'm doing it.
SD: What can we say about “Between The Lines”?
Claire: There are three episodes that take place in India and they deal with the whole karmic cycle. And all three characters - Xena. Gabrielle and Alti - are all very different.
Alti gets a bit of a makeover. We snuck off a bit of the black around the eyes, but the voice is Alti's trademark so I kept that. I tried to be evil in a straight voice, but it just wasn’t scary.
SD: I almost forgot to ask you about Alti biting that messenger. Did the actor know you were going to do that?
Claire: I said to T.J., “I'm going to give him a swat and he's going to do a backflip, so why don't I give him a kiss and then bite him? That would be so evil.” They kept the kiss and you just barely saw the bite, but they cut the backflip.
I always ask if I'm going to do something physical. I grabbed Lucy's neck all the time and I pulled on Anokin's hair. I think it's good to clear it with them and say, “Is that too hard? Should I do it harder?” The guy doing the backflip was doing it even in rehearsal - double backflips landing on his back. They are amazingly strong Maori guys and so great.
SD: Was grabbing Xena's neck part of the script?
Claire: Yeah. When I make her see her future, that’s the grip that Alti has. She can grab you like that and make you see your past or your future. Touching a certain place on your neck makes your brain send you visions. Alti has “The Touch.”
SD: Is she showing you the real future or the future she wants you to see?
Claire: The real future - (dramatic pause) - in her mind. (laughing) And Alti didn't realize how important Gabrielle is to Xena or she wouldn't have shown her that. Alti thinks Gabrielle's as disposable as everyone else. She doesn’t realize there's this strong bond of love that she'd better stay away from.
The "Sin Trade" Alti doesn't realize that we have other lifetimes that the new Alti in “Between The Lines” learns about. “Not only can I show you the pain of your lifetime, I can show you the pain of all of your lifetimes. And you’re really gonna want me to stop.”