'Van Helsing' star Rukiya Bernard reveals her performance as vampire Doc was inspired by her pet Shih Tzu who had passed away
Rukiya Bernard's Doc has been a central character in Syfy's 'Van Helsing' since the very first episode. She started out as a vampire, regained her humanity, and right now it looks like she may be the one who saves all of humanity from the vampires, using her scientific knowledge not her fists.
Doc is one of the most complicated characters on the show and Bernard had her work cut out for her when it came to preparing for the role. According to the actor, the real challenge was doing the first three episodes of Season 1, which were a rollercoaster ride for her character. In an interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), Bernard revealed that one of her sources of inspiration was actually her pet Shih Tzu Uhuru, who is sadly no longer with her.
"Playing Doc is like wearing a well-worn glove now," she explained. "After four seasons the writers and I are in symbiosis and understand her voice. Initially, in season one the prep was much more in-depth - as with any new character an actor approaches. The challenge was that within the first three episodes I played both vampire and human and had to figure out what that looked and felt like for her. For vampire Doc, I drew a lot of inspiration from my dog, Uhuru, who had an underbite and when needed was the fiercest Shih Tzu I’ve ever known. That dog had my back when it came to dealing with ex-boyfriends years ago. Whenever I see old images from season one I think about her. She passed away the day after I returned from my first Comic-Con with the show. I miss her."
Now in Season 4, Doc has a very important role to play in the story as she is currently researching a way to stop the vampires once and for all. Looking back on her journey since Season 1, Bernard considers the introduction of Doc's love interest Jolene (Caroline Cave) as the moment that truly changed her character.
"Doc’s story arc from season 1 to now is epic," Bernard said. "It’s rare that you play a character that goes on such a character shift over the course of 4 seasons. From a self-proclaimed coward to a hero (though she might not see herself as that). She’s someone who was at first, all about her own survival and now is willing to die for her friends or a cause. I believe the introduction of Jolene (played by Caroline Cave) was her saving grace. She found love in the middle of the apocalypse and found herself."
Doc might have become more of a hero but that doesn't mean she's any less unpredictable. Even now, the only thing we're sure of about her character is that she loves Jolene with all her heart. Doc has always been a bit of a wild card in 'Van Helsing' and Bernard promises that that's going to continue in Season 4. "This season Doc’s elusiveness continues - but in a different way," she teased. "She just might be the key to the whole problem but she’s stuck on the wrong side of the fence."
Rukiya Bernard's next big project after 'Van Helsing' is something radically different from the vampire apocalypse. In fact, it's a holiday movie, 'Christmas in Evergreen', which will be airing on December 14 at 8 pm on the Hallmark Channel.
'Van Helsing' Season 4 Episode 6 'Miles and Miles' will arrive on Syfy on November 1.