EXCLUSIVE | 'Motherland: Fort Salem' star Lyne Renee says Alder 'scared' her as she took on the powerful role
In a different world, the Salem Witch Trials ended when Sarah Alder made a deal with the American government that would conscript all of America's young witches to the military. That one deal changed the world forever, and today, General Alder continues to hold sway over America's supernatural military forces.
In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Lyne Renee, who portrays Sarah Alder, talked about General Alder, how she prepared for the role and her approach to playing the character.
What can you tell us about General Alder?
General Alder is more than 400 years old and has been a longtime leader in the US military. In the present day, Alder is the head of the witches' training at Fort Salem, having made a deal with the American government in order to save her kind. She’s basically the Georgina Washington.
How did the role of General Alder come about? Can you take us through the research and preparation you put for the role?
When the audition for Alder came about, I felt challenged. As an actor, I love a challenge. Learning a new language. Fight training. Learning to handle a new weapon.
If anything, Alder scared me! The accent, portraying the long history that came with her. Her being an ancient witch. I’m a perfectionist. So my preparation has to be profound. I had worked with an American accent before (the latest one was in 'The Gentlemen' by Guy Ritchie) but tackling long military monologues and addressing recruits in an amphitheatre isn’t your every day set up. It takes many hours, much repetition to get that right. I did study hard for that audition. I believe the self-tape I sent took me three, five hours to film before sending it off to my reps. When you’re given two scenes, you better deliver something people will remember you by. I never thought I’d be hearing anything about it afterwards, given it was such a long shot for me as a Belgian actrice to portray an American General.
But three months later I was called by my reps and told I’d be on a plane to Vancouver a couple of days later. It was all quite surreal. Physically, I’m always prepared. As an actor we have to be able to endure long hours on set and thus your physical body needs to be able to hold you through those long days. For me, her posture is everything. She needed to exude authority and leadership. Confidence is in the way you carry thy self. I remember my body hurting after long days maintaining that posture.
Alder is really quite the opposite of me and what I loved most about playing her was morphing into this character and making her seem real. I remember the first day on set shooting the pilot. I had put the bar so high that when standing in front of all the recruits there was no space for the smallest mistake. Therefore, preparation is everything.
Since day one, it also helped to become her by getting into my costume. In the beginning, I wouldn’t mingle that much with the rest of the cast. I’d keep my distance. Three weeks into filming when I came on set, the cast and crew would salute me and say: "Good morning, General." That’s when I knew I had her.
What is it like to embody a powerful role such as General Sarah Adler?
I have to say it’s truly an amazing process. Alder scared me more than any other character I’ve played. You see, for me, the power of Alder lies in her backstory. The loss she's endured. The years of leadership and battles she was able to conquer. The deal she made with America in order to save her own kind. What a challenge to take all that and get to play this role. But also so much fun. Who doesn’t want to play a kick-ass female general and be a witch on top of that.
The accent. The confidence. The posture. The language. The costumes. I almost feel it’s the first time I got to be stripped from my own femininity and play someone in such power.
General Alder is older than America itself. What is your approach to portraying the weight of all those years?
When you have ruled for that long and saved your own kind by doing so it comes with a great sense of responsibility. Given the fact that America is younger than Alder herself creates those conflicts.
She comes from an ancient world with values that seem to stand opposite to the current leaders in the world. So a lot of conflict comes from that. She leads as a separate individual to her kind but since having made a deal with America and fighting their wars, conflicts in the hierarchy are almost inevitable.
Being a witch is still a threat to those who don’t carry the same power. One witnesses that when Alder and the president come together. Alder's challenges seem to grow bigger and bigger and the new leaders of the world are questioning her motives and if she’s still capable. Having to answer to her higher-ups, for example the president, can be difficult as they don’t fully understand the enemies they are dealing with don't hold the same powers that Alder has.
Alder has dealt with the Spree and many other witches and can lose her patience when the humankind tries to get their say on them. But Alder isn’t one to give up easy. She’s endured a huge amount of loss as a little girl. Having witnessed her sisters hanging is one of the main reasons why she still leads to this day. She may come off harsh and set in her ways but deep down she too is that girl carrying her scars as motivation never to step down.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our interview with Lyne Renee as she talks about the biddies, what makes 'Motherland: Fort Salem' so different from other shows on television, and the important questions raised by the show.
'Motherland: Fort Salem' airs Wednesdays on Freefom at 9pm/8c.