Stitchers Chat with Emma Ishta
Emma Ishta is an Australian model and actress. She transitioned into acting with her guest roles on the shows Power, Black Box, and Manhattan Love Story. Emma also portrayed Katrina Blackman in the film I Smile Back. Now, Emma stars in the lead role on ABC Family’s first original procedural, Stitchers. Check out our interview with her below.
How do you feel about the positive fan response?
“It’s lovely. It’s always so lovely to feel people enjoy what you put so much hard work and love into. To see there be such a positive fan reaction is really heart warming.”
Episode nine premiered this week and episode ten premieres next week. The preview for the finale was really polarizing. How do you feel when you get the script and you know what’s about to happen?
“It’s my favorite script of the season. I think we all really like the way it came together. You’ll find out…so many questions are answered. But then there are a lot of other questions posed. That we’ll explore in season two. It’s a high intensity episode. It was a lot of fun to shoot and I can’t wait for people to see it. I think it’s a great finale for the season.”
Your cast has a strong connection on-screen. Is that connection the same off-screen?
“Yeah, absolutely. We all have a lot of fun. There’s a lot of laughing, a lot of jokes. You know, working in film and TV, everybody works very long hours. You want to keep the energy fun for everyone and you want people to enjoy being at work. It’s a stressful, high intensity job, particularly for the crew, so we all to try to make work a positive and good place to be. We enjoy each other a lot, and we’re good friends.”
Who’s the funniest on set?
“You know, I get asked this question a lot. I haven’t answered it yet, mostly because I don’t have an answer. Everyone is funny in his or her own way. I think everyone’s humor is different. I think that Allison and Ritesh and Kyle, in terms of work, they all have an amazing talent for comedy. For picking those scenes and those moments, they’re really, really funny on set. But we all make each other laugh, so I can’t just pick anyone.”
You’re originally from Australia, but I don’t hear an accent when you talk?
“Not really. I sort of lost it naturally over time, after being here for a few years. I’m married to an American; I have an American stepdaughter, so I think that has something to do with it. There are occasions and words that you’ll hear when my Australian accent comes through. I’m trying to bring it back, because I would love that, well not in the show, but in my real life. I can get a little of my roots back. I occasionally hear it on set, but for the most part, it just went away.”
Have you experienced any culture shock since moving from Australia?
“I think that Australia and America are very similar. You’d be surprised. In terms of the city…New York is a city unto itself. It’s not like anywhere else in the world. A regular city in America is like a regular city in Australia. I think there are different attitudes, I think, between the two countries. I wouldn’t say it was a culture shock, but it has differences. I love that in America, everyone is encouraged to have an opinion. You’re allowed to be passionate about something. In Australia there’s this real sense of…it’s a safe place. It’s hard to describe until you go there.”
We got a lot of fan questions in when we announced that we were going to do this interview. And more than anything, people wanted to know your thoughts on whether or not Camsten has a chance?
“I think they have been developing a friendship, possibly more, over the season. I think some of those questions will be answered in the finale. It’s important to watch for those Camsten moments. I just think that the way…the things that they pull out of each other. The way that they challenge each other through the season is lovely. I’m interested to see where their relationship goes from here.”
What would you like to see happen to your character?
“I’d like to see her really come into her own. I’d like to see her find out more about her past. I want to see her grow as more of a human being and become a more whole person. I want her to develop close relationships around her. She’s been slowly developing over the course of this season, but she hasn’t really had friendships or people in her life before this. I’d like for her to grow and become confident in her new emotional state, and do some more badass stuff.”
Are there any similarities between you and Kirsten?
“I would say that on the whole, we are fairly dissimilar people; particularly from where she [Kirsten] was at the beginning of the season. But, I think there are some things that we do have in common. We’re both pretty driven, ambitious women. I’d like to think I’m fairly intelligent, although not as technologically intelligent as Kirsten is. She’s sort of growing into someone who is similar to what I am.”
*Featured image photo credit: Claire Curran Corbett