TV Jots

Leading Lady Q&A

Who doesn’t love lovely, slightly insane Fiona Glenanne on the USA Network hit Burn Notice? Nobody that I know of, that’s for sure.

The petite powerhouse with loads of deadly skills is played by actress Gabrielle Anwar, who has also appeared on television series like Showtime’s The Tudors and NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the last few years.

Recently, the talented United Kingdom native and mother of three shared a few of her opinions about the popular woman she plays on one of television’s current must-see series. Read on to get the goods and possibly learn a thing or two that might surprise you.

Burn Notice features some pretty strong female roles. Now that Carla (Tricia Helfer) is in the fold, how does that change Fiona for you?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: I think that Fiona is as threatened as Fiona can get. I don’t think it’s about necessarily how attractive physically a woman is. I think it’s how much of a monopoly she might have on Michael Westen’s (Jeffrey Donovan) mind and livelihood and thinking. So, I think she is perhaps threatened by Carla more so than anybody else she would be threatened by.

We have learned lots about Michael’s life and his past and quite a bit about Sam’s (Bruce Campbell) life and Sam’s past. We know very little about Fiona’s past. Does Fiona have girlfriends. Does she go for lunch, shopping? What’s her apartment like? Does she have a life outside guns?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: Very funny. I don’t think Fiona’s the type of gal who takes lunches with her BFF. I don’t even think she gets her nails done. I think that any attempt at being aesthetically feminine goes to the wayside when handling all these black market weapons. I think that perhaps she doesn’t really settle anywhere. So, as far as an apartment is concerned, I’m not sure she has many trinkets other than her snowglobes. She’s not your average woman, let’s face it.

Are we going to learn more about Fiona’s background beyond the fact that she’s a former IRA agent. Well, maybe not even former?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: I don’t know. I’d like to because of her narcissistic connection, but it’s really not up to me. I have my own secret fantasies of who she is and where she came from and where she’s going. But, unfortunately, that life hasn’t connected to mine.

What about your role continues to challenge you?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: That I still have to speak the American dialect. I think it’s a bit nerve-wracking now that we’re heading into Season Three that I’m still going to be in a bikini. I think I’ll probably have to have a hip replacement if we get to Season Eight. I’m not sure if the bikini’s going to work then.

You say that your American accent is actually one of your challenges, but you seem to carry it off flawlessly. Why is it that English actors and actresses like yourself have such an easy time playing Americans?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: Thanks. I have to disagree with you. I hear terrible versions of American dialects when I hear my fellow British thespians attempting it I confess. But I think that a lot of the American audiences are oblivious to the sounds that are not quite right. And when you’re struggling to be like them, and most of the audience for Burn Notice are indeed American, so I feel like I have the worst critics watching and listening to my every move.

So, I think I struggle with it because I like to not be thinking about what I sound like, what I look like, what I smell like for that matter. But it’s difficult to do that when you’re trying to sound like somebody other than yourself; at least it is for me. But I appreciate your vote of confidence.

With regard to Fiona and Michael, when we talk to a lot of actors and actresses they sometimes are fearful of couples getting together or not getting together, thinking about what ramifications it might have on the length or the life of the series. Do you want to see them get together? Do you want to see them stay apart? How do you want to see this relationship play out?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: I have to agree. I think there’s a certain amount of tension that is inevitable when a relationship isn’t really predictable. Obviously, Michael and Fiona have consummated their affection for one another. I think that the likelihood of their hooking up in a conventional manner — with an engagement or a marriage or something — it’s just not in their cards. I don’t think it would appeal to either of them actually. They’re out of the box.

So, I don’t think that would be an issue as far as, just, not have any kind of predictability. I find that much more intriguing. When you start taking someone for granted in real life or in make-believe it loses a sense of passion, particularly in my eyes. I can’t see Gabrielle for those both.

What are the challenges of having to be in a bikini and work with all of these guns and bombs? And what are some of the things that you like about the challenges that the role offers you?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: I’m very glad that we have a wonderful weapons master who knows what he’s doing with a weapon because I’m clueless. Without the crew, I would look absolutely ridiculous, which is basically the way I look when the camera’s not rolling. I’m really enjoying the fantasy of it because, obviously, it’s not really a role that I’ve been offered in the past. So, I’m really relishing the fact that I think I’m tough. It’s challenging to really make it look like I know what I’m doing.

Jeffrey’s actually pretty good with self-defense, and he’s quite technically minded. He’s very logically minded mostly because he’s male and I am sort of a mishmash between being super feminine and being super feminist. I’m enjoying that aspect of my character in both Fiona and in myself.

You mentioned that it’s the guns and the weapons and things that are harder to deal with, but are you finding it more comfortable as the season goes on?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: Perhaps. I’m still covered in bruises from the first day of shooting to the last. I can be a little clumsy. I’m quite petite, and a lot of these weapons are designed for big burly military men. They’re actually cumbersome and rather heavy. And when you drop them on your bare toes in a pair of stiletto heals it’s no fun. I could use a pair of combat boots every now and then I think.

How much input do you get in terms of the costumes that you wear?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: Rather a lot actually. I’m fortunate to have a wonderful costume designer and costume department who are very patient with me. As I mentioned, I’m quite small, so I have a hard time shopping for myself; so, I can imagine anybody who isn’t me would too.

So, I tend to sort of storm the big department stores and do a big old shopping spree and sign everything up to Burn Notice Production, which is quite possibly one of the most fun things to do in the world. So, yes in answer to your question, I have plenty of freedom.

What has been your most memorable moment you’ve had since filming the show?

GABRIELLE ANWAR: I don’t know if I have just one moment. Every day that I’m working on that show I really feel incredibly blessed to be there. And I’m really not kidding you. I know that’s an awful cliché to hear, but I really mean it.

I just have a series of memorable moments that are strung together which makes me very happy, because otherwise I’d just be hoping to relive the lost memorable moment. But I’m actually looking forward to going back to work. It’s something I haven’t often said.