Interview: Agam Darshi

She hitched a ride into an all-new world where abnormal beings and their human counterparts struggle to co-exist, but as Agam Darshi prepares to embark on her second year on a cable series that is beginning its third season, the Indo-Canadian actress can only think about how much she differs from Kate Freelander.

Yet, as Darshi begins to find her niche as a budding screen actress currently hailing from the western Canadian outpost of Vancouver, the South Asian thespian has definitely found her “sanctuary” on Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel).

In playing a savvy con-artist who is hunted by the Cabal and reluctantly teams up with the protagonists in the Syfy original series Sanctuary, Darshi said her real-life personality has virtually nothing in common with her character, Kate Freelander, but that is okay with her, as the Indo-Canadian actress believes any good thespian needs to be able to demonstrate range and expand beyond his or her real-life persona.

“I like to call Kate my personal alter-ego. She’s pretty vulnerable under her rough exterior,” Darshi told Buzzine in an exclusive interview. “We are very different on a superficial level. I’ve always been creative, and Kate’s really physical. I think Agam is a lot more loyal than Kate is.”

Despite the personality differences, Darshi foresees Kate growing up and taking on a greater role as Sanctuary enters its third season later next week.

“They will probably make her more human in the third season.  It will be interesting to see how she matures,” the actress candidly told Buzzine.

Indeed, Kate Freelander is probably maturing at a similar rate as Sanctuary, which initially launched as a web series before being picked up by Syfy in 2008. The cable series is about a group of people who protect abnormals for capture to study and keep out of harm of humans. Kate was once a con-artist with deep connections to the Cabal before she was forced into a situation where she had to team up with Sanctuary.

Introduced to the series in season two, Kate struggles to be a villain and a protagonist at the same time – a deep struggle Darshi does not really face in real life.

Instead, her biggest challenges include dealing with green-screen while also transitioning from stage acting to film production.

As she is learning her bearings with television series such as Sanctuary and The L-Word, and big-screen films as well in 2012, Watchmen and Snakes on a Plane, Darshi told Buzzine there are elements of film production that remind her of theater, where she was originally trained.

Specifically, Darshi said her experience in Sanctuary exposed her to green-screen for the first time.

“It’s a challenge, mostly because it is so new,” she humbly explained. “You have to use your imagination and decide where it is where you are place, but it is definitely an ideal situation to be on set, yet feels like it is theater.”

Oddly enough, Darshi never thought of herself as a thespian that would be in front of the camera. As she was formally trained in theater during her college days in Calgary, the actress originally had ambitions to star in stage productions, and she has not ruled out making the transition from film and television back to theater.

Still, Darshi does have an appreciation of acting in front of a camera and is in no rush to jump back to theater anytime in the immediate future.

“I did not feel like I would be doing (screen) acting full-time until I came to Vancouver,” the well-traveled actress who was born in England and lived in Montreal, Calgary and San Jose, among other cities, told Buzzine. “(Theater is) so much about being present. You can’t really miss a beat. With TV and film acting, it is challenging, but it’s very technical. There is something very beautiful and magical.”

What is equally beautiful and magical is how tight-knit the acting community in Vancouver is, which has recently been dubbed “Hollywood North.”

“I have been here for six-and-a-half years. There is small community of actors, and it feels like there is constantly work because so many people come up from L.A., so it’s the best of both worlds,” Darshi candidly said. “I see myself staying here because I am based here.”

She added that working north of the border has helped her build her resume because the system in Canada promotes actors honing in on their respective trades instead of constantly seeking fame.

It is that humility and nobility Darshi believes separates Canadian actors from their American counterparts.

“Canada is pretty supportive with their artists. There is no celebrity system,” she carefully told Buzzine, her voice expressing gravity and sensibility. “It’s really a labor of love. No one becomes an actor here so they can become a celebrity.”

Of course, she is not ruling out heading south of the border and into the United States in an attempt to establish herself in Hollywood proper.

“There are so many great filmmakers in the States,” Darshi excitedly stated. “There are a lot of films opening up for South Asians. It feels like a movement that is happening right now.”

To that end, Darshi really believes she is helping her fellow South Asian thespians by playing roles that are both specific to her ethnic identity and also universal to all audiences – like the Indian “Aparna” in 2012 or the western “Kate” in Sanctuary.

“I’ve been really lucky in that I’ve been able to straddle the line,” Darshi said of her unique ability to play both ethnic-specific and universal roles. “I hope that happens more often. I feel kind of like that is what I am fighting for as actor.”

With about 25 television series and a dozen films already to her credit, Darshi’s “fight” will definitely take her acting career pretty far, whether or not it is in front of the camera or on stage.

To see how far she has come, be sure to tune in to Syfy on Friday evenings to watch her play Kate Freelander in Sanctuary.