'Emergence' actor Alexa Swinton was the last to audition for Piper's role: 'I just sat there and drew in my notebook to relax'
Undeniably, ABC's 'Emergence' is one of the best mystery-thrillers television series, thanks to its genius creators and more importantly, the brilliant ensemble cast it features.
Throughout the series, we have explored several interesting characters, but nothing could overshine the little AI Piper, whose role has been pivotal in revitalizing the series and setting it apart from its counterparts.
However, she has a funny backstory about her auditions for 'Emergence', which Alexa shared in an exclusive interview with MEA Worldwide (MEAWW).
The young actress revealed that she ended up auditioning for the pilot season when she and her mother forgot to attend film festivals in Park City Utah at Sundae and Slam Dance, owing to their busy schedule!
"We had been so busy with traveling we forgot to make plans to go. Lucky for us, because we ended up with extra time that we put into the 'Emergence' audition," Alexa shared.
Alexa was well-prepared for Piper's role and the mere thought of visiting the ABC Casting office in New York had gotten her excited, but she tried to forget about it as soon as she left the room following her audition.
"My mom says as long as you're prepared, it is all good. And I was prepared, so it's like 'Over, Next'. That’s a phrase made famous by Norman Lear – I heard him speak about his secret for surviving in Hollywood for so long. It's those two words,” Alexa told MEAWW.
She received an invitation for a callback a week later. And, an hour before the callback, through her manager, she learned that it was canceled and she was going directly going to Los Angeles for a screen test! "It all happened pretty quickly after that," she said.
The actress revealed that she was the first of the Pipers to reach the ABC office for the screen test and the last to go in. Wasting no time, Alexa with the help of her actress mother and the acting mentors, used the waiting period to prepare for Piper's role in their hotel room.
Playing a pivotal role in a television series sure comes across as intimidating. But Alexa wasn't as stressed before her final audition.
Recollecting those few moments before her role as Piper was finalized, she shared, "At the audition itself, my mom kept on asking me if I wanted to run the scenes again, and I was like – no – I'm ready! I just sat there and drew in my notebook to relax."
Well, her journey through 'Emergence' has been as interesting as her auditions for the AI's role and we can’t wait to watch her back on-screen once the series returns in 2020.
