Last week, I was lucky enough to catch up with Legend of the Seeker star Bridget Regan between takes on set in New Zealand. She plays the confident and lovely Kahlan Amnell, and she’s just as cool in person and you’d like to think.

And because New Zealand’s today is usually already our tomorrow – well, I was just glad we found a time to chat.

Allie Townsend: How did you create your own version of Kahlan and still remain true to the books?

Bridget Regan: I read the books before there was even a script for our show and I really gravitated toward Kahlan. That was the reason I decided to move to New Zealand and do this job without having seen a script, and I wanted to do it right because I felt there was a massive following of fans and I was joining the group as one of the fans of the series.

There were things in the books that I was thinking, “Oh gosh, how are we going to replicated?” For example, in the books her eyes are green and mine are blue and I thought I was going to be wearing contacts every day. There were things that we did change. My hair was really red and we decided to make it brown because that was more true to the book. It’s like I needed to come to a certain point to find my Kahlan without losing my sense of who I am. For me, it was more about finding the characteristics that are so strong in her within myself, finding this badass warrior within myself, and also this noble, powerful woman as well – things I didn’t always tap into in my normal, everyday life. Then it kind of became a squishing together of Bridget and Kahlan, that’s my Kahlan. And I just kind of kept my fingers crossed that fans would enjoy her.

It’s so personal when you read a book because you hear their inner dialogue, but what’s crazy now is that some fans will write in and say that they picture me when they read the books now.

Read the full article here: http://techland.com/2010/03/11/qa-legend-of-the-seekers-bridget-regan-on-corsets-true-love-being-a-badass/

Exclusive Interview: Bridget Regan Answers Fan Questions (Legend of the Seeker), Part I
By Ian Spelling March 8, 2010

You had lots and lots (and lots) of questions for Bridget Regan and, as promised, the lovely leading lady of Legend of the Seeker has taken the time to reply to 20-plus of them.  We at TVStar.com think you’ll agree that her answers are by turns fun, serious and informative — and this is only part one of our exclusive interview.

By the way, congratulations to TVStar.com reader Balaamsdonkey, whose very funny and observant question was chosen by Bridget as one of the two best submitted and who wins the first of our autographed photos of Bridget.  So here goes part one of the interview and be on the lookout for both part two and our second winner of a Bridget Regan-signed picture.

The first-ever scene in Legend of the Seeker shows you riding a horse through a beautiful countryside, chased by ugly D’Harans.  I think it drew a lot of people into the show.  When you shot it, did you know that scene was, in a sense, going to introduce the show and could possibly make or break it?  How much pressure did you feel shooting that scene? (darkbahamut88)

Maybe it was a bit daunting.  I knew that it was the first time the audience would meet Kahlan…meet MY Kahlan.  The script said, “a fierce warrior of stunning  and great courage.”  Needless to say, I had fallen in love with her, and I wanted to do her right.  Do her justice.  But in the last moment, I had to let that go.  (I had to) concentrate on getting to the boundary and finding (Richard) and putting the book in his hands…and cantering in a corset for the first time and not falling on my bum.

The rest of the interview can be found here: http://news.tvstar.com/Article/382

I know that those of you who have emailed Tribune are getting back letters saying that the show has been canceled, but that isn’t correct. What they should be saying is that they have decided not to purchase a third season. Nothing says we can’t try and change their mind.

What all of this means for us is that we should keep writing (and sending persimmons) to Tribune, ABC, and our local Seeker showing stations. As always, actual physical letters are better then email. I know we’re all passionate about the show but please be nice and courteous in your letters. Let them know that you love the show and you’d hate to see it go. Also, buying the show on on DVD and iTunes is a WONDERFUL way to show your support as those numbers are closely watched.

At this point, ABC isn’t shopping Legend of the Seeker around to other networks so writing to SyFy or other stations isn’t really going to do us any good. If that changes we’ll let you know but there’s no point in wasting our resources on something that won’t help us.

As of this writing, Legend of the Seeker is (according to recent interviews) shooting episode 20. The first season had 21 episodes. We have absolutely no idea if Bridget intends to remain in New Zealand during the show’s hiatus. To be safe, I’d only use the New Zealand address for the next few weeks then revert to using the Encinitas PO Box.

Here’s the address:
Bridget Regan
Henderson Valley Studios
12 Hickory Rd.
P.O. Box 21124
Henderson, New Zealand

The interview starts around 32 minutes in and… they also cover the Best and the Brightest!

Listen to the previous 2 interviews here:
http://herblueeyes.com/2009/04/14/bridget-on-slice-of-scifi/

http://herblueeyes.com/2009/11/14/bridgets-2nd-slice-of-scifi-interview/

Found here: http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2010/02/13/slice-of-scifi-252-an-interview-with-bridget-regan-of-legend-of-the-seeker/

OK, so we hear this weekend’s episode is a big one for Kahlan—tell us what’s she in for.

The episode is called “Torn” and Kahlan is summoned to Aydindril, which is her home normally, and where the Mother Confessor would preside and live. She goes, and something really horrible happens, and Kahlan gets literally split into two. So, I have the absolute pleasure of playing nearly two different roles. And one side or the other can completely go out of control, especially when one side has this magical power that can really take over when it’s not balanced with emotion and compassion and so forth.

So one side has the Confessor’s power and the other side has the Confessor’s grace and wisdom?
The way I like to think of it is that one woman is all just duty and responsibility, and the other woman is all love, heart and emotion.

Do Richard, Cara and Zedd know what’s happened to Kahlan, or does it take them a while to catch on?
That answer to that question plays out throughout the episode, they obviously get to the bottom of it. Somebody has to figure it out, right, so we can save the world again? Because that’s what we do! Kahlan is slowly figuring it out herself, but these two separate women are like a yin and yang sort of thing, and they are both quite happy to stay the way they are.

Can’t wait to see it. This whole season has been great because Richard and Kahlan have been able to see much more affectionate.
I fight for that so much, and not just because Craig’s dreamy. I think, like, how could you go that long, you know? You’d have to break sometimes! They have to stay human. Every time we’re around a campfire, I’m ask, “Should we be spooning? Can we spooning please? Or like wake up holding hands?” And everybody’s like, c’mon, you’d be dead. It’s true, and in front of Zedd and Cara, you really do have to keep that [façade] up.

And Craig’s character Richard Cypher turns out to be so important! He’s the Seeker, he’s Lord Rahl, he’s a wizard—he’s got everything.
Sometimes I’ll look at Craig and I’m like, you’re pretty important, right? They diverged from the books so much in the first season that I didn’t know if they were going to stay true to that and have him become this wizard, and that was such a really cool journey. Plus then there’s the prophecy that, “As long the Mother Confessor’s pure heart beats, the keeper will fail,” which has been really cool, because it’s given Kahlan this duty to stay alive. She’s always been like, “Hey, I’ll lie down in traffic for you, Richard, I’m here for you.” The prophecy has tipped the scale the other way, and now she has to stay alive, because Kahlan believes in prophecies, she always has. But that’s been challenged as well because of the [Shota] prophecy about Richard failing, but Kahlan believes Richard.

What’s it been like to have Tabrett Bethell’s character Cara join the cast?
Tab was the missing piece of the puzzle. I think that’s what made this season take off. She just came in and challenged all of us and our characters challenged her. Kahlan, at first, if she had a chance, she would kill her or confess Cara, and to have it change so that Cara is someone she actually has this affection for and trust and believes in? Really cool. And also just having a woman on the set…oh my god, it was such a boy’s club last year. Tab and I are a bit of a little team because our fighting styles are also quite similar, so we work together on that. And we’re both in the make-up chair pretty damn early. I have someone I can say to, “Oh my god, it’s not even light out yet!” We’re in it together, which is great.

Speaking of makeup and Kahlan’s look, let’s talk her new costume. Where did that come from?
I wanted it to be more warrior-like. Kahlan needs to stay alive, she needs to fight, and I think it’s a more fighting-friendly costume. She always had the long skirt, and I think maybe she just slit it up the front so she can kick and run quicker and all that. We like to think she ripped out the lining of her coat and cut it off and made it all herself. It’s fun to do that stuff. I love it. Everyone wanted Kahlan to change a bit. And I like the idea that Cara’s influence has affected her. Don’t worry, the white dress is still in her backpack, rolled up. It comes back out now and again. When she needs to be a Confessor, she put thats on—I like to think that it means something. It says something like, I’m a person of the highest authority in the Midlands, so when I put this on, ya’ll better listen. I like that it’s a choice to put it on. And that’s really similar to the books.

Found here: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b166810_bridget_regan_tears_it_up_on_legend_of.html