REVOLUTION: Tracy Spiridakos on the Show’s First Season and What’s to Come

NBC’s REVOLUTION has had quite the ride in its first year, but after taking several months off for a THE VOICE-related hiatus (and then sitting out last week due to coverage of the Boston Marathon Tragedy), the series is set to air seven straight episodes to finish off the show’s freshman season.

With filming complete on the first year of the series, I sat down with REVOLUTION star Tracy Spiridakos (Charlie) last week to talk about the process for her, expectations, what’s to come, and more…

Now that you’ve reached the end of the first season and can kind of reflect a bit on the year you’ve had, how much have things changed for you?
Tracy Spiridakos: It’s been amazing; an amazing experience. I’ve grown a lot as a person and as an actor, getting to work with such talented amazing people. It’s definitely sharpened up my skills — at least I hope it has! And just getting to interact with people that I truly respect and love. I’m the type of person who takes what’s in front of me, for the most part, so I’m looking forward…from here. I’m looking forward to what happens on this little break [between seasons], spending time with my family. But I definitely feel like I’ve grown up a lot. Always. I feel like everything that happens in your life gives you life experience, and you become a fuller person.

Even though Eric Kripke is the creator of the series, whenever J.J. Abrams is involved in a show, there tends to be a lot of expectations placed on the lead actress, thanks to his track record with people like Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner. Did you ever feel any of those pressures, either externally or internally?
TS: No pressure at all. I can’t find more wonderful things to say about the people who are behind this show. Nobody has ever — even our fans have never made me feel that pressure. Everybody’s been so supportive of all that I do, and I’m so grateful for that. They’re all, do what you do, and do what you love, and that’ll come through. I’m a big fan of “be you.” I’ve never been one who wants to be like anybody else, because I like me! And I think that everybody should. Everybody’s flawed, everybody’s got their quirkiness and this and that, but those are my favorite things about people. So if I can love and accept those quirky things and maybe flaws — if you will — about other people, I have to accept those things about myself. So that’s where I’m at.

You have had the chance to interact with the fans a lot in the past few months, whether it was at PaleyFest or WonderCon. What has most surprised you about the REVOLUTION fans?
TS: It’s amazing. Our fans are unbelievable and really stick by us. I get to meet some people who are like, “Damn you, Monroe!” [Laughs] They’re so angry about it! And I’m like, “I know, right?” I completely understand…I’m extremely grateful, and I love that everybody’s around and interested in what we’re doing and wants to hear more about it. That’s what we’re here for.

Looking at the show and these final episodes, how is Rachel’s absence impacting Charlie this time around?
TS: It just kind of goes with all of the things that are going on with her along the way. It’s going to make her grow up, it’s going to make her realize certain things happen in life; you’re going to have to pick your pieces up and choose your battles for things you’re going to fight for or dwell on or whatever, and you’re going to pick up the pieces and move forward in your life. And all of that is part of her life lessons along the way.

Do you think she’s reached a turning point? It feels like we saw a different side of Charlie in the last episode that was unlike anything we’ve seen in the past…
TS: Absolutely, that’s part of the whole growth process for her. And there’s going to be more of that going forward. Where she maybe loses that and then gets it back, as I think we all have in our own lives. I feel like I kind of lose my way and then I find it again and you come back to who you are.

But the death of Danny has definitely changed her focus a lot. Not only with the whole revenge thing, but she has to compute the fact that where she’s at now, she’s no longer fighting to get someone back; she has to get her footing and find who she is. It’s interesting.

Given we now know why the power went out, is there a specific episode coming up that also serves to answer a lot of mythology questions?
TS: Well, the last few are pretty epic; there’s a lot that comes out of the last few episodes. But even still in general, with our show, I feel like the answers are revealed so quickly, and there are answers in every episode, where we’re like, “Really, you’re going to tell [the audience] that already?” [Laughs] But that’s the way they want to reward the audience and they keep coming up with new questions and so forth. So I think you’ll see at the end [of the season] that things are coming out a lot more quickly than people might anticipate.

With the end of season 1, do you have an idea what might in store for season 2? Or did you finish that script and go, “I have no idea where we go from here”?
TS: The thing with Eric is he’s got this beautiful mind and this amazing creativity in this world that he’s created. I love the way he creates and this beautiful mind. So I don’t know! Anything could happen with us. Even in season 1 when we’ve been reading scripts and we’re like, “Oh, so we’re going to go down…OH, okay, we’re going that way.” He kind of switches it and goes wherever! So I don’t have a premeditated notion of the way that things are going to go. I’m just excited and looking forward to what they’ve got up their sleeves.

Do you have a favorite episodes of the ones remaining?
TS: I think the last couple are pretty rad.

Did you have to do any new training for any of the stunts you had to do in the final episodes?
TS: No, we don’t really have a lot of time off, so the stunt training, we had to fly by the seat of our pants. Which is really cool, really fun; it’s all new to her, so it’s not like she’s perfect. Our stunt coordinator has been great and I pick up choreography pretty well, so whenever I get to do those fight sequences, I get to play with it a little beforehand and then we go up and do it, so there’s not a lot of training beforehand.

Fair! There’s a tease that the family bond between Charlie and Miles will be growing, so what can you say about their evolution in these final few episodes of the season?
TS: It continues to evolve and is really great. They both go to places where they question their character, where their morals lie and what they’re capable of doing. And Miles knows what he’s capable of doing and Charlie does not. And they really rely on each other and need each other to pull back on the way that they’re going. They form a stronger bond than ever, and it’s really cool. I love that Charlie went from running at his heels to where they’re at now; it’s really great to see going forward.

Well, given the massively complicated relationship between Miles and Rachel — and as of now, viewers don’t really know how far back things go with them — are there any paternity questions for Charlie?
TS: Oh! I haven’t thought of that. Yeah, no, I hadn’t thought of that. Hm.

It could certainly complicate things if Miles was Charlie’s biological father versus her uncle.
TS: Yeah. I don’t know. I genuinely hadn’t even thought of it!

Well, at least viewers know that won’t be an issue in season 1. Is there anything you want to do in season 2 that you haven’t had the chance to do this year?
TS: I don’t know. I’ve done so much in season 1, it’s hard to think of what I haven’t dabbled in to. I’m up for the challenge and adventure that comes with [the show], though. I can’t wait.

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REVOLUTION airs Mondays at 10 PM on NBC.

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