Think
being a superhero would be an easy life? It would bring out the neurotic
in actress Yancy Butler.
In
the made-for-cable movie "Witchblade," airing at 7 p.m. Sunday on TNT,
Butler plays a woman who nobly commands a bracelet so powerful that she
can stomp out Earth's darkest forces.
If
that happened to her in real life? Forget about it.
"I'd
freak out," Butler says, laughing at the prospect. "Then, I'd start asking
myself: What is this thing? I don't need it. Why did this happen to me?
Why me?
"Then,
being a Type A personality, I'd definitely start figuring out ways to use
it to my advantage."
So
much for truth, justice and the American way.
Fortunately,
she only plays a superhero on TV. As New York detective Sara Pezzini, Butler
gets to freak out a little, too. Not only does this ancient and powerful
Witchblade weapon find its way onto her arm during a shoot-out, but it
also opens up a can of worms about who Sara really is.
Even
more startling is when the bracelet starts to morph all on its own into
a large metallic glove that deflects bullets--a handy little trick that
saves her more than once from the local mob boss trying to plug her.
The
Witchblade also gives her visions to solve the murders of her father, partner
and confidant. Yes, she sees dead people. The glove makes her strong, fast
and agile, allowing her to kick backside with "Matrix"-like special effects.
"This
had the potential to be extremely cheesy," Butler says about the tele-film
based on the hit comic book from Top Cow. "But it actually works very well.
"I
wanted to play this character because of her duplicity. She is very, very
strong but very, very vulnerable because of some losses in her life.
"I
liked that [the filmmakers] brought this realistic thread to her through
this. That makes her human."
Sara
dives into an identity crisis while struggling to understand why the Witchblade
has become part of her life. Her road to self-discovery is one of the richer
elements found in the "Witchblade" comic book that the movie tries to emulate,
Butler says.
"One
of the biggest challenges this character has to deal with is learning to
forgive herself. Then, she has to deal with the technical aspects of her
life: How can she control this thing that's on her arm?"
The
husky-voiced Butler is no stranger to series television or sci-fi roles.
She gained a cult following through a short-lived 1992 series called "Mann
and Machine" in which she played a robot posing as the world's perfect
woman. "Witchblade's" Sara is not so mechanical and a little bit more like
Butler in real life.
"I
think I can be incredibly strong when I need to be, but I am also very
vulnerable at the same time," she says, sitting backstage in a darkened
area after an autograph signing at the Wizard World 2000 comics convention,
held in Chicago earlier this month. "I think today is a perfect example.
"You
have to be a little crazy to do this kind of schedule, where you are running
around constantly meeting people and signing autographs and things like
that. It makes me vulnerable to the whims of other people, but you deal
with it.
"I'm
used to it, and I dig it."
However,
Butler, hoping "Witchblade" will be picked up as a series, says she tries
not to let "what if" scenarios plague her in real life.
It's
not easy, though--especially working in an unstable profession such as
acting.
"I
try to not regret much because I think we are here to learn. I try not
to expect much, unlike Sara, simply because I don't want to be disappointed.
I want to go through life being pleasantly surprised," she says. "You have
to grow into that kind of mindset. I daily work on it.
"It's
a daily struggle to be at peace with yourself and the rest of the world,
especially when the world gets to be a little too crazy, and people are
pushing you here and there.
"Should've,
could've, would've. I try not to do that unless I need to learn something
for the 47th time.
"As
a human being, we go through a lot of `should've' in our lives. Hopefully,
you'll get the chance to do whatever again, and you can learn."
