Source: AMC TV’s Clayton Neuman
Legend of the Seeker actress Bridget Regan discusses her character Kahlan — a woman with the power to make men confess their sins — and becoming a fantasy convert.
Q: Did you ever doubt Legend would be renewed for a second season?
A: I guess I thought it would be either really successful, or just totally flop. But that was mostly because I was quite naïve to the genre: I’d never read any of those sorts of books; I hadn’t seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies or anything. Now I can’t get enough of them.
Q: Was it intimidating to enter the fantasy genre?
A: In the beginning it was a bit, because I was like, “How are we going to make everyone believe in all this magic and mythology?” But then I realized there’s so much freedom in it, you can say anything is possible because of magic. And anything can happen, which I think is really terrific for a series. We can go anywhere.
Q: The show is a lot darker than its predecessors, like Hercules and Xena. Do you ever have a chance to introduce humor to it?
A: Right before the show premiered, I got to sit down with all the writers and I told them the first episodes were so serious, so when’s Kahlan gonna have a laugh? The episodes have started to branch out. We actually just shot an episode that was borderline slapstick comedy: Two thieves get this amulet that makes them able to look exactly like Richard and Kahlan. So Craig [Horner] and I had to play these thieves who were really crass and rude, smacking each other, insulting each other, but were also really hot for each other. It was so refreshing and fun. The show keeps finding different tones, each episode strays from the last.
Q: Each episode of Legend is fairly standalone. How do you like that?
A: I actually found that quite frustrating in the beginning because there is a beautiful story arc in the book, where we’re on this long journey that is going to ultimately end with us getting face-to-face with the villain, Darken Rahl. At first, I wanted it to mirror the book, but now it’s really cool because it’s like we keep getting interrupted on our way, and things keep popping up that we have to take care of. The writers have been quite clever about that.
Q: Do you see an overarching story?
A: I know where we’re going to end up at the end of 22 episodes. Certain things came up way before I thought they would. In an upcoming episode called “Conversion,” Kahlan and Richard actually meet Rahl, and I didn’t think we would until the very end. I was thrilled, mostly because I’ve been a really big fan of Craig Parker’s work and he’s always on another unit — we never get to see him. He’s actually a really popular New Zealand actor, so it was like a celebrity sighting.
Q: What’s the hardest part about playing Kahlan?
A: Sometimes I struggle to find parallels in my life. “When’s the last time I encountered a 6’10” monster trying to kill me?” That’s what I’m doing at work on Monday — I have to hop on this monster’s back and try and kill him. I sometimes struggle relating that to my own life, so I’ve had to throw that out the window certain days and just go, “You’re not Bridget. You’re Kahlan,” and just believe in it like a little kid playing in the back yard — you run around and you scream like hell.
Q: In the book, Kahlan is the last Confessor of her kind — in the show she is not.
A: Every time there was a change from the book I was quite defensive and protective of the character I fell in love with. So I didn’t like [the change] at first — I worried whether it would make the stakes seem not as high — but then it provided all these cool opportunities, like having my sister come back.
Q: If you had the power of a Confessor, who would you use it on?
A: It would have to be somebody really bad. A few months ago I would have said George Bush, but who cares now?
To bad this interview was so short. “Seeker” has grown on me and I’ve really started to enjoy it. Any chance she could be a podcast interview sometime?
I’ve found watching the show is a really good companion to the books, which can get really heavy at times. LotS is really fun and exciting.
I love the story The Sword of Truth series. I enjoy the show legend of the seeker but, it is not fair to say the show is based off the book. The only thing they have in common are the names. The stories are almost completely different. If you want a better show the show needs to go back to the original story line of the book. you do that i think that the series will be a even greater hit.
This show would have maga sucked if they didn’t have such a good cast. She does a real good job using the daggers. And having old Herc/Xena hands working has certainly worked out for them.
The series is light hearted fun that brings to life parts of the characters and magic with some entertaining and fun to watch cinematography. Plus the books are far from perfect. I mean come on, when reading the books I could only get through them because I took it easy and gave Terry the benefit of the doubt. Goodkind is full of deus x machina. Why don’t we just give Richard all the advantages in the whole wide world! What did you say? You need a sword! Here take the most magical and powerful sword you can imagine. What, that is not enough? Well how about a woman that can convert people to your will. Not yet? How about an agiel, stick that hurts like a mother. Want a pet? How about one of those midland monsters, you know Gratch. What, you want an ace in the whole!? Fine you can be a wizard of the first order. Don’t like the limitations of only doing additive magic? Fine you can do the subtractive magic too. Still find life too hard? Ok, you are a war wizard with all these intuitive magic so you don’t have to train and become a real wizard. Oh you meant you wanted to be royal and rich? How about you discover you are Darken Rahl’s son and the new Master Rahl. Ok I am going to stop now but you know there is soo much I left out. It just never freakin ends with Richard. I wish I were 1/100th as lucky as him.
It is fantasy but does it have to be so unplanned and just shoddily put together. Tolkein never gave his hero any magic powers! He gave him a wizard but for a huge part of it he killed him off and made him play a supporting role from afar. Sure there was a sword and somebody discovered they were the true king but neither helped them truly win against their adversary. It took a simple plain old hobbit with a good heart.
Well said Amit. The books were entertaining but deeply flawed. Actually the last two books that complete the series are almost unreadable. Towards the end the author spends hundreds of pages doing nothing but preaching the rather empty philosophy of the master atheist Ayn Rand. That is one reason why he makes Richard super powerful, because he believes in the perfection, even deification of ordinary humans. Last time I checked such ideas lead to lots of bloodshed and misery.
Nevertheless when Goodkind stops preaching he can write a good story. I actually like the TV series quite a bit and I’m glad it deviates from the book, provided that it gets decent writing. Or maybe it’s because Tabrett Bethell and Bridget Regan are ridiculously beautiful, who can say….
The books were fantastic, it primarily explained principles and morality that you can’t really get from anywhere else – sure perhaps religious books but honestly, not many can stand the psychofantic drivel and damnation that accompanies them. Compared to ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘The Sword of Truth’ is an amazing story, yes the protagonist has great powers and what not, but so do the people he goe’s up against, and in Tolkeins master piece, the ‘great wizzard’ does relatively nothing… come on he was a wizard of legendary power and all he does is talk to animals, break some stone, block a flame sword and through around another wizard… oh and then get broken by the Witch King… great stuff wizzard…
I hope they keep goin with the series becuz the books were very very good
And I love them. I hope kahlan and richard can be together like they want to
To me, the film is flawless and captivating. The first time i watched the movie, i watched throughout the night. Good job
I love the show!!! I wait every sunday night to watch it! I love the seeker and Kahlan together. Every time they are getting serious the Wizard interfers. I want to see more romance between the 2 of them
Why is legend of the seeker not going for a third season
i love kahlan nd i will like 2 meet her if she wount mind.
No doubt this film is fantastic… With the action and a bit of romance, it is simply the best
Never read the book, but fall in love with the TV series. Would that be a chance to make these series into a movie?
Never read the books..
But the show was fantastic, except for the last episode of season 1 – that time-travel idea. But that is nothing compared to what the show has been all in all. Fantastic, and I really wish they would change their minds about discontinuing the show! 🙂
Watched all 44 episodes and have read Wizards first rule. I think off the top of my head right now only a couple deviations between the book and the tv show really bothers me; The lack of Richard discovering and using the white glow of the sword of truth in LotS and that it took the end of the second season (stone of tears) for Richard to give himself completely to Kahlan and realize that his honest total love and devotion to her, prevent her touch and loss of control from taking him over. This happens in the book Wizards First Rule and I wish had happened in the first season of LotS, would love to see Richard and Kahlan be able to love fully. Then again maybe something happens in the books later on that still prevents them from being together but I think that that would be a deviation I would be happy to see. If only I were a wizard to wish and have my way 😉