Last week I had a fairly epic conversation with the newest spy on Burn Notice, Agent Pearce herself, Lauren Stamile (who just happens to be a friend of mine). I've been endeavoring to transcribe it ever since. However, it's taking a while. But I do hope to have the whole interview up before her next appearance, next week. In the meantime, here's a brief taste sure to appeal to spy fans in particular!
00 Section: What can you tell me about Kim Pearce? [When Stamile was first announced for the role, the character's name was given as Kim Pearce.] Who is this character?
Lauren Stamile: You know what? First of all, I actually think her name is different. It's Pearce, and that's generally what people call her, is Pearce, but I believe it's Dani Pearce now. At least that's what it says on the call sheet. Nobody's ever called me by my first name; it's always Pearce. But I think it was originally Kim, and now it's been changed.
00: So Pearce is a CIA agent. How do you approach playing a spy?
LS: I've tried to approach my research for the show kind of from several different angles. You know, non-fiction research about spies and the CIA as well as graphic novels, more serious novels, more comedic novels.... It's very interesting to me because the mind of a spy is so wildly different from the mind of an actress! Spies don't like to call attention to themselves, and... [laughs] actors do!
00: I never thought of it that way!
LS: And I think also, just the, the kind of lonely existence is something that's kind of interesting to me. I don't think I'd be a very good spy, and so, what's been really important to me about getting into the head of a spy is, actually, I've had a lot of luck reading fiction, because a lot of the spy authors have former ties to, you know, the CIA.
00: Sure, some of my favorites do.
LS: Yeah, absolutely! Or, you know, the equivalent, in other countries. And so that has been really helpful to me.
00: Any particular books you recommend to get into that headspace?
LS: Yeah, the first one I read was that book you gave me, Thwarting Enemies at Home and Abroad. [Ed: William Johnson's great non-fiction guide to counterintelligence techniques that actually reads like one of Michael Westen's "how to" monologues.] That was the first one. And that was fantastic. After that, um, I started reading The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and, um, have also... I've really, really, really gotten into Greg Rucka. I've read A Gentleman's Game, and I have to tell you, I'm gonna geek out for a second, but I was really upset when I finished it because I didn't have it to look forward to reading any more! And I'm reading all the Queen and Country graphic novels. I'm almost done with the second volume, and I think there are four. And then after I finish that I'm going to go and get Private Wars. I'm reading A Handbook of Practical Spying [published by the International Spy Museum]; I'm almost done with that.
00: I've actually never read that one.
LS: I'm in the middle of Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy [by Lindsay Moran], which is interesting because it's kind of got a comedic side to it, which is great, but a completely different voice. So... let me see. I'm in the middle of about three right now.
00: That's certainly a great way to stay in... in the spy zone. Do you find yourself getting paranoid while you're in a spy headspace all the time?
LS: Well, it's interesting, I do find myself... yeah, I do! And I've questioned everything that people tell me! I just think it's funny. You know, if people tell me something, my first question is, are they lying?
00: Have you ever found yourself tailing someone on the street?
LS: [Laughs.] I have yet to do that.
Read the entire interview with Agent Pearce here.
Pearce is an EPIC addition to BN and barely gets a mention on the USA site!
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