“The
challenge is playing a touch character without turning it into a G.I. Jane,
male hating character,” Yancy Butler notes, referring to her role as Sara
Pezzini on Witchblade. “It’s a fine line playing somebody sexy, vulnerable
and very, very, strong.”
Sexy,
Butler is, and ever since she burst on to the TV screen as robot law enforcement
officer Sergeant Eve Edison on Mann & Machine she’s had a loyal fan
following.
Butler’s
other credits include cop shows South Beach and Brooklyn South, and roles
on the big screen in John Woo’s Hard Target. She also had a taste of the
challenges of acting in sci-fi fx oriented material when she auditioned
for Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park.
“I
remember that he wouldn’t give you the script because it was all top secret,”
Butler recalls. “He just said ‘imagine there’s a dinosaur bearing down
on you.’ It’s very hard to imagine on blue screen what’s coming at you.
You have to really take a leap of faith!”
Butler
seems to have a knack for things sci-fi and this time she’s bringing to
life a popular comic book character. Still, there is always pressure.
“It’s
a little scary being the one to give the character a voice,” Butler says.
“You’ve got to please not only the people who are new to the series, but
also those who love the comic.”
Is
she surprised that Witchblade has been picked up as a series after debuting
as a TV movie on TNT?
“Not
a bit,” she grins. “Still, if it had not been picked up I’d have been proud
of the work I’d done in the pilot.”
Butler’s
co-star on Witchblade is David Chokachi, who has his own fan following
from his days as lifeguard Cody Madison on Baywatch. What was the first
thing that Butler noticed about Chokachi?
“The
hair, definitely the hair,” Butler laughs. “I often tease him, saying ‘your
hair is blocking my light!’ Then, I put my hand on my head like a rooster!”
Butler
is delightfully playful considering her starring role means grueling 15-hour
days. How is being the star?
“I
wear the star on my wrist!” she says with a laugh, referring to the metal
gauntlet that is the centerpiece of Witchblade’s ancient weapon battles
evil theme.
Witchblade
is shot in Toronto, taking Butler far from her native New York. Does she
have time to sightsee?
“Not
a chance, I’ve dedicated every spare moment to the show. If I had any spare
time, I’d probably sleep!
Speaking
of being dedicated to the series, does she have any input?
“I
was personally upset when Will Yun Lee’s character died in the pilot and
talked to the powers that be about bringing him back in some sort of Quantum
Leap way,” Butler says. “They’ve given me a lot of confidence, they’ve
got me thinking what more can I do?”
One
of the things that excites Butler about Witchblade is the producer’s desire
to build an ongoing story line which allows for richer character development.
“It’s
a very complex show,” she notes. “The stories are very connected, so, as
it develops I get to show not only Sara’s strengths, but also her vulnerabilities.”
©
2001 PREVUE Magazine
