THE MAGICIANS: Brittany Curran on Fen and Fillory

Season 3 of The Magicians premieres on January 10th, with the gang on a quest to “bring magic back” to Fillory. Brittany Curran plays Fen, Eliot’s Fillorian wife; her character was recently promoted from recurring to season regular.  Curran is best known for her recurring roles on the shows Chicago Fire and Twisted and was a series regular on Men of a Certain Age.  She got her start on the sketch comedy show MAD tv before eventually working her way to Fillory.

Our sister site, The Fairy Tale Site caught up with Brittany by email and got some scoop on season 3:

What first drew you to The Magicians and the role of Fen?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been drawn to magic, fantasy, and other-worldly adventures. Getting the opportunity to portray such a dynamic young woman who has grown up immersed in a magical world was so thrilling. When the magicians first meet her, she doesn’t even know that Earth exists, so there’s a bit of a culture shock that Fen starts experiencing more and more as the story progresses. I also loved her personal growth, she starts as a humble farm girl, the daughter of a knife maker, and becomes a king’s wife. And then this season, there’s going to be so much more.

Did you read the books on which the show was based?
Yes! The day after I got the offer, I ran to Bookstar on Ventura Blvd in Studio City and bought the trilogy. I pretty much got obsessed with the books right away.

How much fun was it to sing in last season’s musical episode?
Singing Les Mis last season was one of my favorite parts of the whole show. It made me fall in love with singing on a whole new level because I had never sung professionally before. John McNamara’s love of musicals is intoxicating. I basically sung non-stop for the weeks leading up to the episode and found an incredible vocal coach, Laura Dickinson, who brought out elements of my voice that I didn’t even know existed.

What one attribute about Fen do you most admire?
I most admire Fen’s ever-endless ability to push forward through every tragedy and horror that life keeps relentlessly throwing at her. There are so many times she could take the easy path and just crumble. But she doesn’t ever give up. She finds a way to move on and even elevate herself. Always. Another element of this attribute is her incredible ability to forgive. It takes a lot of strength to forgive and she does it elegantly.

What one thing would you like to see happen to Fen and Eliot in Season 3?
Well, at this point I already know what happens between Fen and Eliot in Season 3. But I can say that Fen finally gets the strength to make decisions for herself and stops being “just a wife.”

Can you give us a tidbit about what to expect in Season 3?
Let’s just say the first moment the audience gets with Fen in Season 3, she is rocking a swaddled log.

What is one thing your fans would be surprised to learn about you?
I may look like I’m in my 20’s, but I’m actually about 85 years old. At least that’s what my friends say. I just recently hosted a 1950’s Bing Crosby themed Christmas Brunch for the cast, I learn Edith Piaf songs in my spare time, and if a party starts after 10 pm you can pretty much guarantee I won’t show up.

Do you have a favorite charity that you support?
I just recently got involved with OneLegacy Foundation, whose mission is to advance organ transplantation through research, education, and donation. They have a 5K run/walk on April 28th, 2018 and I just created my own team and have a fundraising goal of $5,000.00. If anyone would like to contribute, they can go here.

**Photos by Annie Shak**

Don’t miss season 3 of The Magicians, premiering January 10th, at 9/8c on SYFY.