Fringe: Jasika Nicole Spills on the Finale, Abilities, Musicals and Gene the Cow
One of the enduring mysteries of Fringe is this: Why does Astrid have so little to do? We know she's smart -- she speaks five languages, is obsessed with cryptography, and has been taking apart computers since she was 6 -- and we know she's (mostly) unflappable in the face Walter's craziness and Pattern-inspired weirdness. So why doesn't she ever leave the lab? When is Astrid going to have the opportunity to kick ass in the field? Actress Jasika Nicole feels our pain. She's just as eager to see Astrid stretch her wings as the rest of us. And she's had plenty of time to ponder Astrid's role in the team -- and on the show.
"A few episodes ago, it seemed like maybe Broyles chose Agent Dunham to be on this Fringe team because he know about the Cortexiphan, he knew that she had a connection to the case. And if she was chosen for a reason, it's possible Astrid was chosen for a reason," Jasika says.
Olivia's abilities will be a big part of the season finale -- and she's not the only one with strange powers, Jasika teases. "We find out in the finale that other members of the team may have access to abilities that they don't know about." Like Astrid? "Maybe...There's got to be a reason they put her with all these brilliant people. They didn't just pick any new graduate to put on the team."
They didn't pick just any actress to play Astrid. Jasika is funny, bubbly, and speed-of-light fast, hurtling from topic to topic -- properties of cow pee, impressive obits, disgusting effects, Fringe kicklines, epic jazzhands and more -- at a breakneck pace that leaves you gasping for breath even as you're rolling with laughter. Does it frustrate her not to be able to show off that screwball wit on the show itself?
"It's not too bad [being the straight man]," she says. "We make our own jokes on set, and Josh (Jackson) and John (Noble) both have a really fun sense of humor. Their new name for me is Agent Funsworth, because I bring the fun to the set."
That includes conceptualizing and choreographing the Fringe musical. Jasika has appeared in several stage musicals, making her uniquely qualified to dream up scenarios. "There are ways it could work," she says. "There's a piano in the lab, which we saw Peter playing in the first episode. And we have a cow, which means we have a cowbell. We've got everything we need for a musical revue." Plus, after dancing with Lance Reddick at a benefit recently, she knows who will head up the kickline: "When we do the musical, Lance will be singing and he'll also be in the chorus."
Jasika has a long history with jazz hands -- she performed in her high school show choir, The Network, which was a far cry from the collection of misfits on the upcoming show Glee. "We had massive tryouts, and all the jocks and popular people wanted to be in it. We won awards. I had glitter on my costume and we ended ever show with [Total Eclipse of the Heart]." She's more than willing to put that experience to use in the new show -- "I'm just waiting for the phone call!"
Even if she doesn't end up on Glee, Jasika would love to incorporate some spirit fingers into Fringe: "I want Walter to walk in on Astrid when she's choreographing in the corner. I want him to look at her as if she's crazy for once!"
Jasika has high praise for all of her costars, but she singles out Gene, the cow, as a particularly memorable scene-stealer. "She peed right next to me, and it's nothing like what you'd expect!" Jasika says with a laugh. She's on a conrete floor, and it was like a bucket just got dropped from the ceiling. I was just hoping, oh please, let it not be splashing on me.
"But she's so soft and so warm -- and so big!" she continues. "They put me on an apple box when I'm with her, and one time she just started rubbing up against me, and I was thinking, 'If I die because I got crushed in a cow accident...'" she pauses. "That would actually be pretty cool!"
The rest of her costars are less likely to grant her an exciting obit, but they're all a pleasure to work with, she says. John Noble and Joshua Jackson -- "So loving and kind, everything you'd want in co-stars" -- are her most frequent partners on screen, but Jasika is finally getting some scenes with the other players. "I have my first scene with Nina (Blair Brown) in the finale. I can't believe it took until the finale, but I finally get to stand in a room with Broyles and Nina Sharp at the same time. And the sad part is I'm still in the lab! I never get out of the lab!"
"It's not too bad [being the straight man]," she says. "We make our own jokes on set, and Josh (Jackson) and John (Noble) both have a really fun sense of humor. Their new name for me is Agent Funsworth, because I bring the fun to the set."
That includes conceptualizing and choreographing the Fringe musical. Jasika has appeared in several stage musicals, making her uniquely qualified to dream up scenarios. "There are ways it could work," she says. "There's a piano in the lab, which we saw Peter playing in the first episode. And we have a cow, which means we have a cowbell. We've got everything we need for a musical revue." Plus, after dancing with Lance Reddick at a benefit recently, she knows who will head up the kickline: "When we do the musical, Lance will be singing and he'll also be in the chorus."
Jasika has a long history with jazz hands -- she performed in her high school show choir, The Network, which was a far cry from the collection of misfits on the upcoming show Glee. "We had massive tryouts, and all the jocks and popular people wanted to be in it. We won awards. I had glitter on my costume and we ended ever show with [Total Eclipse of the Heart]." She's more than willing to put that experience to use in the new show -- "I'm just waiting for the phone call!"
Even if she doesn't end up on Glee, Jasika would love to incorporate some spirit fingers into Fringe: "I want Walter to walk in on Astrid when she's choreographing in the corner. I want him to look at her as if she's crazy for once!"
Jasika has high praise for all of her costars, but she singles out Gene, the cow, as a particularly memorable scene-stealer. "She peed right next to me, and it's nothing like what you'd expect!" Jasika says with a laugh. She's on a conrete floor, and it was like a bucket just got dropped from the ceiling. I was just hoping, oh please, let it not be splashing on me.
"But she's so soft and so warm -- and so big!" she continues. "They put me on an apple box when I'm with her, and one time she just started rubbing up against me, and I was thinking, 'If I die because I got crushed in a cow accident...'" she pauses. "That would actually be pretty cool!"
The rest of her costars are less likely to grant her an exciting obit, but they're all a pleasure to work with, she says. John Noble and Joshua Jackson -- "So loving and kind, everything you'd want in co-stars" -- are her most frequent partners on screen, but Jasika is finally getting some scenes with the other players. "I have my first scene with Nina (Blair Brown) in the finale. I can't believe it took until the finale, but I finally get to stand in a room with Broyles and Nina Sharp at the same time. And the sad part is I'm still in the lab! I never get out of the lab!"