via New York Post:
Morena Baccarin had no problem landing the key role on “V,” the gorgeous, creepily charismatic High Commander of the Visitors on ABC’s remade sci-fi drama. When she auditioned, producers knew they had found their star. “She was so different, she popped,” says Scott Rosenbaum, executive producer.
But what about her hair? Cut in a stylish Peter Pan, Baccarin’s do went against everything the network stands for — cascades of hair, the whole “Charlie’s Angels” look, as executive producer Scott Rosenbaum calls it.
So they tried some wigs. They didn’t help. And the network of big hair and hot rollers let Morena Baccarin be herself.
“They realized, ‘This is cool, this works,’” Rosenbaum says.
If Baccarin, 30, seemed like she was from outer space, it may be because she radiates an exoticism rarely found among the Ellen Pompeos of the prime-time landscape. That quality made her perfect for the part. Rosenbaum compares her arrival to that of Michael Chiklis on “The Shield.”
“When the right person walks in the room. . .” he says.
“V,” which debuted in November of last year, returns for the rest of the season with 8 episodes that reveal Anna to have more in common with Chiklis’ vicious cop Vic Mackey than one might have suspected.
“She will show her true colors in the first episode,” Rosenbaum says. “Anna is an animal and she’s trying to protect the perpetuity of her species. If something gets in her way, it has to be removed.”
That something might be “Lost” veteran Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays FBI Agent Erica Evans, the good girl vs. Anna’s bad girl.
In the first “V” episode, space ships dispatched a race of people known as the Visitors who promote peace and healing. The Visitors are really reptiles disguised as humans who want to takeover the Earth. Unfortunately for Evans, one of their prime targets is her son, Tyler, who has fallen for Anna’s equally gorgeous daughter, Lisa.
As this group of 8 episodes reach its climax, Rosenbaum hints that Anna will be pitted against Erica. “The final confrontation will be between mothers fighting to protect the ones they love,” he says.
“I think it’s delicious for people to be drawn to Anna, but feel a little guilty about it,” says Baccarin.
The Juilliard-trained actress was born in Brazil, but grew up in New York City. She received her exotic name from a Brazilian newspaper headline. When her mother, well-known Brazilian actress Vera Setta, gave birth to Morena, a photo of the newborn, who left the hospital unnamed, and her parents ran in the local paper.
“My mother didn’t know what to call me,” Baccarin says. “The article said, ‘Little Baby Morena doesn’t have a name.’ In Portuguese, Morena means dark-haired or brunette. So my mother saw the newspaper and said, ‘There, that’s the name.’”
The actress lives in New York and Los Angeles, and commutes to Vancouver, British Columbia, to film “V.” Her boyfriend is filmmaker Austin Chick and they spend their time on East and West coasts.
Although trained for the theater, Baccarin has worked mainly in television, on the failed series “Firefly,” and appearances on “Stargate-SG1” and “The O.C.”
“I thought I’d be doing Shakespeare right about now,” she says. “I’ve done some plays, but I love what I’m doing right now.”
How could she not — with those fabulously tailored outfits? If you’re going to play a lizard, you might as well have great clothes.
“I call it Dolce Gabbana power suit meets alien queen,” Baccarin says with a laugh.
As “V” reaches the end of its first season, producers are hoping that the show will get picked up and inherit the passionate followers of “Lost,” which will end this spring.
“In my heart of hearts, I hope so,” says Rosenbaum. “To live up to what that show is achieving is something every TV writer dreams of. It’s a different show, but we’re going to do everything we can to get people to watch ‘V.’”