Few series have had such a ridiculously well-stocked cast as Buffy The Vampire Slayer. As well as the stellar lead roles, the series was renowned for the quality of its supporting characters from Giles’ nemesis Ethan to amiable demon Clem. However, the acknowledged queen of the Buffy b-cast must surely be Harmony. Her evolution across the series from Cordelia’s friend to reluctant vampire was both poignant and at times extremely funny, and her monumentally rubbish fight with Xander is a comedy highlight of a series rife with them. Harmony was also one of the characters to enjoy a second lease of (un)life on Angel, adding welcome depth and humour to the already impressive cast. We talked to Mercedes Mcnab about her time on both shows, what it was like to transition between them, and her plans for the future.
You’ve worked for several seasons on both Buffy and Angel, first as a bitchy High-School It-girl and then as a recurring villain/love interest. As an actor, was it difficult to make that transition from a minor supporting character to a major influence on one of the franchises fan-favourite villains- Spike?
I was honoured and excited to have my role expanded. The writing is so strong that it took the anxiety out of anything I had to do on the show. I was a little worried that the fans that had a crush on Spike might not like that he was my love interest, but once the episodes aired it became apparent that the fans thought it was hilarious.
As Buffy’s popularity grew and grew, the show metamorphosed from a simple teen-horror series with comic undertones into a much more serious, character based action series; with complex plots, dichotomous character development and occasionally post-modern episodes that further distanced it from other dramas aimed at the youth demographic. Were you aware at the time of how groundbreaking and potentially pivotal the show would be, or were you all just enjoying making a kick-ass show about Vampires?
I can’t speak for anyone else but I started the show when I was 16, so at first I think I thought it was just a “kick-ass show about Vampires.” As I got older, I started to look deeper into the writing and had a better understanding of all the metaphors.
Was joining the Angel cast like returning home, or was it an entirely different production than what you experienced working on Buffy?
Very much like returning home. I had worked with the whole cast in an episode 2 years back, so I was familiar with everyone. Having James there too helped me get settled. My first day, David immediately gave me a big hug and welcomed me to the cast. The transition was very smooth.
You’re currently starring in a new horror movie called Hatchet, where you play one of a group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour. What can you tell us about your involvement in the project? Does this mark the beginning of a new chapter in the career of Mercedes McNab?
I’m very excited about this movie. I can’t wait for the fans to see it. I think they will really enjoy themselves. I was happy to move onto a film directly after Angel. It was nice to switch mediums and characters. The nice thing about film is that you work with a character for a couple months then leave her behind. It’s nice to constantly challenge yourself with new characters, and in film that is easier. I do look forward to going back to television some time in the future.
Are you afraid of being typecast after playing the role of a bad girl who becomes badder for several seasons? When reading scripts sent to you, do you actively search for roles that will pull you away from those you’ve touched on previously, or are you attracted to a particular kind of role?
I look for challenges. Characters I haven’t played or am afraid to play. Just because of my physical appearance people always want to cast me in the obvious role. I look for characters people wouldn’t expect me to play.
What advice would you give to someone looking to become an actress/actor?
If it’s something you truly love and want to pursue then do exactly that.
It’s not an easy industry so you have to have a lot of passion for it to get through the tough times. The pay-off is worth the struggle though.
The Horror genre has made a massive comeback over the past few years, with films such as The Hills have Eyes, Descent and Slither bringing audiences to the edge of their seats time after time. Do you feel Horror has found it’s footing again, and ultimately can it sustain itself as a genre?
Horror is entertaining. A great horror film makes you laugh and then scares your pants off. The emotional rollercoaster is what draws the audiences. If horror films continue to be made well, there will always be a market for them.
Even more than Horror movies, adaptations of Comic Books have filled the cinema screens for many years now, and continue to do so with upcoming films like Ghost Rider, Spider-Man 3 and Fantastic Four 2. Is there a particular comic-book character you’d be dying to play in a Hollywood movie?
I think it would be tons of fun to make a movie out of the Archie comic. I would like to play Veronica, just to throw people off a little. I think fans would expect me to play Betty, but a little hair dye goes a long way.
What’s next on the horizon for Mercedes McNab?
Hatchet comes out this fall, and another movie I did called The Pink Conspiracy will be out late 2007. People will definitely be seeing a lot more of me in the future.
Adam is the Manager of the Travelling Man Comic Book and Hobby Games Store in Leeds, UK. He’s a self-confessed über-fanboy and loves nothing more than chatting about the obvious superiority of the old-skool JSA over “Those damn glory-hogging kids, the Justice League”. He’s also a massive fan of small press indie comics, and loves reading new and exciting books that haven’t had all of the soul sucked out of them by the mainstream (yet). He also over-uses parentheses and hyphens, but likes the attention it gets him.