EXCLUSIVE | 'Manifest' star Leah Gibson says Jared and Tamara's relationship might be 'more than a fling'
'Manifest' has tons of dramatic twists running along its sci-fi plotline. This season, for example, a lot of couple dynamics have changed and totally turned the plot. However, one of the newest romantic pairs, that of Jared Vasquez (JR Ramirez) and bartender Tamara (Leah Gibson), seems to be grabbing most of the eyeballs.
In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), actress Leah Gibson sheds light on the future of the couple and reveals how the series plans to mold their camaraderie. Hinting at the future, she says, "Sometimes, you cannot differentiate between a minor fling and something that becomes more than that." Here are excerpts of the interview:
Tamara works at a place X'ers commonly attend. So does that mean she will get deeply involved with the callings and the 828 passengers?
Tamara has her heart in the right place. Her involvement unfolds with the best of her intentions. As things carry on, tension builds and the activity builds right around this romantic relationship between her and Jared and even around her family ties. In some ways, she is left to experience the repercussions and maneuver the consequences of being among the 828 passengers in the social community.
How serious will their relationship get, considering Jared is still getting over Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh) and he stumbled upon Tamara only when Michaela chose Zeke Landon (Matt Long) over him?
When it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes it is difficult to draw a line in the sand and stick to it. That has always been the case, with Zeke and Michaela so far, as well as Jared and Michaela. So, when matters of the heart are involved, there aren't many solid boundaries and you cannot differentiate between a minor fling and something that becomes more than that. Sometimes, it is a gradual shift in that journey.
I think that's something that the show explores really well — the difficulties of the love triangles, especially in the Stone family, between Ben (Josh Dallas) and Grace (Athena Karkanis). Holding on to loyalty and sentiments of the hearts and what happens when you find out that your love has moved on. In Season one, Grace had to deal with it when she believed that Ben had passed away. She made certain choices in that situation and it's an interesting exploration of the consequences of a character's perspective and intent. How sometimes a positive intent can be led astray with off-the-mark actions. I think that's an interesting element of this season.
How is the atmosphere on set? What's it like working with the rest of the cast?
It's so wonderful! It's one of the warmest sets I've been on. The cast is so welcoming, even though I have such an isolated storyline. But, I have known Melissa Roxburgh for years. We both grew up in our careers in Vancouver, Canada and we did a little indie film together years ago and we stayed in touch since then. Working with her on the same show is absolutely fun. She is an absolute joy, such a darling and a sweetheart.
And of course, JR Ramirez (who plays Jared) as well. He and I worked on 'Jessica Jones' a couple of years ago. So, it seems like being with an old family member. He is so much fun, kind and generous, relaxed and gracious on set. Josh Dallas (who plays Ben) is really sweet as well. And it's always such a pleasure to work in New York.
Since you already have experience working with JR, did it make it easier starring opposite him on 'Manifest' — especially as you share a romantic angle in the series?
Maybe. We went through such a big experience on 'Jessica Jones' in season two, even though he and I didn't have storylines together. When I got news that I am playing his love interest, it was so funny. This doesn't happen all the time. It's not always easy playing someone's love interest, as you have to pretend you know each other very quickly. With JR, it was just really easy, we were joking and had this warm energy. He definitely doesn't make it hard to want to smooch — I'll tell you that!
'Manifest' airs every Monday at 10 pm ET on NBC and as more episodes are telecasted, the series may show where Jared and Tamara's relationship goes.
