Exclusive Interview with Stitchers’ Emma Ishta and Kyle Harris

Sometimes I forget that Emma Ishta and Kyle Harris are not household names, because, they should be. Over the past nine months, the whole cast and crew of this amazing show have integrated themselves into my home and everyday life. It’s stranger not to hear me talking about Stitchers at this point. A captivating program that has grown from a small fanbase to a bustling community.

Emma, the Australian actress, and model began her career as a teen, successfully landing the role of Kirsten Clark in 2014. Kyle, a stage actor from California stars as Cameron Goodkin on Freeform’s hit Sci-Fi procedural. Both of them took some time to sit down for an interview leading up to the season premiere of Stitchers. Premiering next Tuesday on Freeform. 10/9c.

What are you most excited for the fans to see in season 2?

Kyle: “I think the overall look and growth that we made from the first season. I think the fans will definitely recognize the same characters but I just think through a different lens. I think everything has just kind of upped the ante across the board. As far as the relationships, the cases, the look of the show, the feel of the show. I think you’re going to feel a lot cooler and sexier watching it. Because we have that much more fun shooting it. So, I think that will come across.”

Emma: “I agree, yeah.”

Yeah, so it’s kind of matured a bit?

Kyle: “Yeah, completely”

Emma: “100 percent. Both with the characters and with the aesthetic with the show. Also, with the cases. The cases are more intense and more complicated.”

 Emma: How did you prepare to play a character without any emotions? Was it difficult to get in to Kirsten’s mindset at all?

Emma: “Yeah, it is! Because it’s not something that comes naturally for most of us. We all feel things constantly on an everyday basis. So I definitely did my research. I looked in to what the different communities of people who might struggle with the same challenges. I just spent a lot of time thinking about how she would react to any given situation. I really didn’t want to play her last season in a sarcastic or a heavy-handed way because I felt that that would mean if you’re going to be angry or you’re going to be sarcastic then you’re having emotions, right? So, I think that’s why I tried to play her as very flat, you know? If you don’t have feelings then there’s not very much there that can come off. But what’s exciting about this season is that she no longer has Temporal Dysplasia so I’m given much more of an opportunity, to really play with her emotional range. And that’s fun.”

So that ‘flatness’ is gone then?

Emma: “Uh yeah, I mean, you’ll see moments here and there of who she was last season. She’s not an entirely different person but she has changed quite a bit.”

Kyle: When you discovered what Cameron was going to do in the season 1 finale, because it was quite the shocker, how did you react? Knowing the risks, do you feel like what he did was justified?

Kyle: “Yeah, I think throughout the season it was a slow burn for Cameron. To kind of like figure out his role in the program now that Kirsten is part of it. And I think with each episode we started to see him take on a little bit more responsibility, but also deal with a little more heartache because he doesn’t know where Kirsten stands, you know? Or where he stands in her life, and so, with taking that ultimate sacrifice, saying ‘okay well this is how I’m going to prove to you that you can trust me.’ It is a bit absurd and it is a bit of a leap of faith. And I think reading that was such a page turner for me last season that I thought it definitely is going to hit home with the fans and it’s definitely going to leave us on a strong season one finale. I hope I just get to come back and have a job next year to continue this character (laughs), and so luckily we all found out that he does get to come back and I think it’s a great starting point for Cameron as far as setting the tone for the rest of the season, because the episode is called “2.0” and for him especially; he really just has that second chance at life. To be like, okay, ‘I’ve done this and there’s nothing I can’t not do now.’ Whether it be for his team or on the field doing fieldwork or in the lab doing a stitch. Everything is one hundred percent ‘we can do this, you know nothing is going to stop me’ and sometimes it gets him in trouble, but for the most part, you see him grow as a true leader amongst his peers now this season and he is able to see Kirsten eye to eye in and out of the lab.”

So no more ‘Cautious Cameron’ then?

Kyle: “No more Cautious Cameron.”

Emma: “Throws caution to the wind. (laughs).”

Kyle: “Exactly, one hundred percent.”

Going into Season 2 then, knowing all these changes, how involved did you get to be when developing your characters story lines?

Emma: “The writers and the writers room are the ones who really develop the story lines. We don’t really have much of a say in where the characters go. But in terms of what we do with the words that we’re given and the way that we choose to play the scenes with one another; there’s always choices that can be made. With how you say a line, how you deliver a line, what your body language is, how you interact with the other characters, whether you’re making eye contact or not; so there’s always things as an actor that you can shape in a scene and within an episode within the season. But in terms of what actually happens, it’s not really our view.”

Kyle: “Yeah, I think going off of Emma, we are trying to mature the show along with our audience, and so every choice and decision that is made is, ‘okay I might’ve done it this way last season, but this season I’m not going to make that joke here because the stakes are higher, the situations are a lot more life and death…'”

Emma: “Well you’ll play it differently, you’ll play it more seriously. Those are the changes that we can make for shaping our characters.”

Kyle: “But all the while, still keeping the fun that Stitchers brings to the table.”

What’s your favorite thing about playing your characters, then?

Kyle: “I think my favorite thing about playing Cameron is that he just knows how to separate work from fun but can also bring fun in to work sometimes, you know? I think at the end of the day I just want to be the best guy that I can be for my friends and for my work, and to my work. And I think that’s kind of how I approach things. I just want to be the best version of myself at all times, for everyone and for myself and in every aspect of my life. And that’s one thing that I can really respect about playing Cameron.”

Emma: “And I really enjoyed being able to play Kirsten as these two different people each season. And explore her as she goes through all of these different changes, develop her character as she goes through all of these different changes and kind of grow with her as she experiences new things.”

 

If you’re excited to see Kirsten’s growth without her Temporal Dysplasia or Cameron as he throws caution to the wind, tune in March 22nd at 10/9c on Freeform! In the mean time, catch up season one on the Freeform app or at Freeform.com. Also, stay in the loop by following #Stitchers on Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook!