Eye of the beholder
Did star Kristin Kreuk audition for the 2017 Disney film of the same name?
KRISTIN Kreuk is no stranger to portraying fairy tale characters, what with her playing the fairest in all the land in the 2001 TV film Snow White, and her current lead role on the crime procedural Beauty And The Beast ( BATB) which finds its roots in the classic fairy tale.
It wouldn’t be entirely out of the question, then, for the brunette beauty with soft round eyes, best known for her role as Lana Lang in Smallville, to try out for Belle in the 2017 live- action Disney film of the tale as old as time ( though the role has gone to Emma Watson).
“I didn’t know about it and probably wouldn’t have auditioned for it. They were probably looking for an A- list movie star. I love Emma Watson. I think she’s a fantastic person from what I’ve seen externally. I think it’s a great choice. I’d love to see what they do with the show,” says the 32- year- old actress during a phone interview with Star2 from New York City.
It’s just as well since she is busy working on BATB which will be returning tonight for a third season and has been renewed for a fourth season.
BATB is a crime procedural loosely based on the 1987 series of the same name which thrives on the romance between crime- solving duo New York Police Department Detective Catherine Chandler ( Kreuk) and doctorturned- supersoldier Vincent Keller ( Jay Ryan).
But it seems the universe is conspiring against the lovers. In the first season, we saw the two keeping their relationship under wraps for the most part, with the beastlike Vincent often going into hiding. Last season saw Vincent’s memory completely wiped out.
But in the Season Three opener, these star- crossed lovers are finally getting their happily ever after. Or so it seems ...
“This season, she’s in a strange position where Vincent and her are together, and are happy. But she’s feeling like perhaps there’s something more; they have a destiny that is beyond them being together and being in love. She’s in conflict with Vincent, who just wants to be a doctor and lead a normal life,” the Canadian shares.
The actress adds she can identify with what her character is feeling: “Catherine is career- oriented, strong and driven. But she struggles with balancing her personal life and career as a detective and a beast hunter. I can relate to that to a degree. I don’t feel like the traditional markers of growth necessarily – you know, like get married, have kids – apply to me.”
However, with the show’s primary antagonist out of the picture, what bigger purposes does Catherine hope to serve? Fans will remember that on last season’s finale, Vincent and Catherine learned there are still threats out there – people with superhuman abilities.
“The beginning of the season is about facing what turns out to be this superpower threat. They don’t seem to be beasts, but they seem to have power.
“So the bigger question is where are these people coming from and who is controlling them? Or are they independent entities?” she teases.
Catherine may be all excited to save the world, but it seems the couple’s differences in priorities will drive a wedge between them once more.
Then again, maybe not all is lost as Vincent and Catherine come across Homeland Security agents Bob ( Alan Van Sprang) and Carol ( Natasha Henstridge) and begin to look to them as their relationship mentors.
“They look a lot like them. They’re professionals who do a lot in the world and are still a couple,” she says.
“When they start working together, they discover a whole bunch of things about them that they didn’t know before which becomes a considerably important aspect of the third season.”
Ratings for BATB have been tepid, although the show seems to be doing well on other platforms and among international audiences.
Regardless, Kreuk says she is just focused on doing a good job: “As actors, if you get caught up with ratings, that’s problematic. I feel that’s more in the realm of the producers and writers looking at how they can make the show more appealing to a broader audience.”
Perhaps its new 13- episode format will help shake things up. The actress says she prefers the shorter season, allowing for a more thorough exploration of the characters.
“You don’t get caught in episodes where you’re like, ‘ what are we doing?’ Twenty- two is so many. It won’t change the structure too much, it just means the story will move more quickly,” she asserts.
It’s a good thing for Kreuk personally, too, as it gives her more time to pursue her other interests. Kreuk, who will be given a producer credit in the fourth season, hopes to shift gears and go into producing eventually. So far, she says she has been working on churning out ideas for TV shows and pitching them.
And when she’s not doing that, she enjoys painting, travelling, reading and enrolling in courses. Kreuk, who lives in Vancouver, says she seldom attends events. (“I’m very introverted. It’s hard for me to do that.”)
The actress has been in the industry for 15 years now and has been able to maintain a scandal- free image all the while.
She offers: “I think I’m boring. It’s not like I’m hiding something. I’m honestly me, but what I do and how I am really doesn’t lend to a lot of scandalous press. I prefer to watch documentaries and hang out at home. That’s just the way that I am.”