12 Monkeys INTERVIEW: Amanda Schull Talks Her Character, Season Two and More

On the Syfy series 12 Monkeys (based on the feature film of the same name), actress Amanda Schull stars as Dr. Cassandra “Cassie” Railly, a brilliant virologist who, through an unexpected set of circumstances, met James Cole, a time traveler from the year 2043 who came to the present day to stop the release of a deadly virus by the enigmatic organization called “The Army of the 12 Monkeys”; a virus that would eventually annihilate 93.6% of the world’s population. Attempting to stop this potential apocalypse from happening is no small feat to undertaken, of course, especially when no one in present day, including Cassie herself, believed it could (or would) happen.

Over the course of the first season, Cole was able to convince Cassie of the ramifications of the actions of The Army of the 12 Monkeys; and they worked diligently to complete his mission with losses and gains on both sides.

Throughout the second season of the show, which premiered back on April 18, there have been many changes throughout time with Cassie becoming so much more than a virologist; but the goal has remained the same: stop the Army of the 12 Monkeys.

Movie fans will recognize Amanda from her role in the cult classic film Center Stage and TV viewers will remember her for her roles in One Tree Hill, Pretty Little Liars, Murder in the First and Suits. But it has been her lead role in 12 Monkeys that has garnered her attention.

Here is our exclusive interview with Amanda Schull where she talks about her character Cassie Railly, what to expect for the rest of the second season of 12 Monkeys and so much more:

Question: What is the one attribute about Cassie that you admire most?

Amanda: I admire so much about Cassie. I think her bravery is very impressive. She is willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the betterment of humanity, which I think is incredibly admirable.

Question: Did you have to do any training with weapons for season two? If so, can you share what that was like?

Amanda: Yes, I did do some weapons training before the start of the season. I haven’t worked with guns much in my career, so I really needed and appreciated the lessons. I worked with a gun handler who taught me specifically about the guns I would be using for the season. He taught me to take apart semi-automatic weapons, put them back together, load my own ammunition, and of course to shoot.

Question: In the same vein, did you do any training in martial arts for the fight scenes you have done in season two?

Amanda: I did have some fight training, yes. It’s strange, because I tend to play a lot of antagonists, but I haven’t actually done a lot of physical fighting for work (or life). I worked with our fight coordinator, who is very well versed at martial arts. Throughout the season we continued to do light training whenever I had the time, and especially when I had fight scenes to learn. I came to really appreciate the exercise, and understand the sport of it all a lot more than I ever did.

Question: What’s it like to develop the character dynamic between Cole and Cassie? How has that changed from season one to season two?

Amanda: The biggest change in character dynamic happens between the first and second season during the time that Cole and Cassie were apart from one another.

In season one, Cole just sort of popped in and out of Cassie’s life for these very fateful encounters. By the end of season one the two of them had developed an inexplicable and totally unique relationship. When they first see each other at the start of season 2, I think that Cassie still really feels that bond, that connection, but is completely thrown when Cole is willing to turn a gun on her to protect Jennifer Goines. From that point forward the dynamic has been strained, which is very apparent in the dialogue, but I think if one really examines the body language and what isn’t said between the two of them, there is still a strong connection.

Working with the history of the two people, their unspoken bond, is really interesting as an actor because it needs to be buried under the surface of what Cassie says, and often under the surface of what she does.

Question: Do you have a preferred time zone that you like working in better – the past (with the cool costumes), present (trying to stop/help Jennifer) or future (fighting for survival)?

Amanda: I haven’t done a lot of time period work in my acting career, so that was really fun. The costume designer, Joyce Schure, is brilliant at finding vintage pieces and recreating clothes from past eras. I had a great time coming up with some of Cassie’s looks this season. We have already seen some of the fun stuff from the 1940’s, we will see more looks from past decades in upcoming episodes.

Question: What has been the most challenging scene to film so far this season?

Amanda: This might sound like a cop-out answer, but literally every script is filled with challenging scenes. My character walks a fine line of being tough, strong, and determined, but she is also very sensitive and caring. Cassie wouldn’t have given up her own life as she knows it to save the world if she weren’t a sympathetic person. The writers create scenarios in every episode that play with that inner dichotomy. It’s thrilling, and daunting, and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Question: Can you tease anything from upcoming episodes?

Amanda: Well, what I can say is that the season is only going to get more epic. I mean that in the sense that the storylines get bigger, the scope of the visuals are going to get more impressive, and the stakes are going to be higher than we have seen before on the show. Not everyone will be happy with some of the alliances that are forged or what some of the main characters are willing to do in pursuit of their own personal missions.

Question: Can you share any funny behind-the-scenes stories when the cast is filming?

Amanda: We have had so many breakdown hysterical fits of laughter on set. For a group of people who spend crazy amounts of hours together in dark, fairly uncomfortable surroundings, we get along amazingly well. I can’t think of any specific story to share. All I can say is that the majority of my time off-camera in the apocalypse is pretty darn fun.

Question: Have there been any storylines or specific scenes that you filmed that were not included in an episode that has aired so far?

Amanda: There haven’t been any whole scenes that haven’t made the cut. There have been several lines that don’t make it to air. Usually the cuts are because of time constraints.

Question: What would you like to see happen between Cole and Cassie? Work their way back to being friends? Become romantic? Or, maybe be completely at odds with each other?

Amanda: I definitely don’t want to see the two of them at odds. I think that they work best together. From a personal standpoint, I love working with Aaron, no matter the scene or the current energy between Cassie and Cole.

The quandary with Cassie and Cole living in harmony, whether it is romantic or otherwise, is that they believe if they were to accomplish the mission of stopping the plague and The Messengers, then the two of them won’t live in the same time, and possibly will never have even known each other. That being said, I don’t think that Cassie could ever allow herself the time to be happy if she hasn’t fulfilled her mission. She is a martyr in that sense, with a laser focus on what she needs to do.

The next new episode of 12 Monkeys will air tonight, June 6 on Syfy at 9/8c.