Exclusive: Being Human's Meaghan Rath on Sally's Loneliness, Second Chances, Finding Love and Much More
AMANDA DYAR: Sally is easily one of the most interesting characters from the entire cast of Being Human, as she gets to connect to a whole other world the other characters can't fully comprehend. What is your favorite aspect of playing Sally on the show, and what would you change about the character if given the chance?
MEAGHAN RATH: Really what I love most is the fact that Sally's story line is limitless. The mythology of the spirit world hasn't really been explored on television or in movies in the same way that vampires and werewolves have been. Our writers can really push the world of this character in a way that's creative and imaginative, and love how mystical these situations turn out to be. The one thing I would change about Sally is actually something that is changing this season. Sally needed to become a woman. She needed to take responsibility for her actions, to make a change. She died as a victim, and three seasons later, she isn't one anymore. This season, we are start to notice that she's grown up quite a bit. And yes, she makes mistakes, but she absolutely learns from them now. I admire that. She is brave, she takes enormous risks, and pushes forward. She is more self aware, conscious of how her actions affect other people. It's huge growth from season 1.
AMANDA: In the beginning of Season 3, Sally makes her way out of Limbo and back to the world of the living as a human once more (or so it appears). How does this change your approach to the way you play the character now, and what do you think the future holds for Sally on Being Human?
MEAGHAN: My approach has been similar. What we try to accomplish on the show is playing against type. We are not playing the archetypes of a vampire, a ghost, a werewolf. We are playing them as real people, with real problems. So who Sally is as a re-animated corpse, really is the same person as she's always been. Except she's a lot happier, obviously. Sure her situation changes, she evolves, she is different as a result of the experiences she's had over the last 3 seasons, but if anything her personality needs to be closer to what it was when she was truly alive than that of the walking dead.
The future is full of possibilities for Sally. Where she is at the end of the season is shocking, to say the least, and I can only imagine what could possibly become of her.
AMANDA: After the catastrophe that ended Sally and Danny's relationship, is there any chance of Sally getting romantically involved with anyone else now that she has become human once again? Also, how will Sally react as time goes on to being given a whole new chance at life in the new season?
MEAGHAN: There is absolutely a chance for Sally to find love. A primary affliction she was dealing with as a ghost was loneliness. For so long she longed for a companion, for touch, for connection. The idea of a whole new life, a life completely separate from the one she had the first time around, seems overwhelming and scary at first. Stressful. Especially because she runs the risk of running into someone from her past (and consequentially killing them). But Sally starts the realize that she is incredibly lucky. NO ONE is ever given another chance at life, and she really begins to take advantage of that, trying to live it as full as she can. She is grateful. Her arc is beautifully written.
AMANDA: Obviously, being human has its limitations, and after being a member of the spirit world for so long, Sally may long to recapture some of her former power. In what ways will we see Sally pursue her former undead life and her connection with the world of the supernatural?
MEAGHAN: Well Sally still retains a connection with the supernatural. She can see ghosts (because technically she is still supernatural herself- she is not really human, she is a re-animated corpse..) She also lives with Aidan and Nora who are still supernatural. In her mind, the advantages of being alive far outweigh the powers she had as a ghost. She does not pursue her 'after life'. The only thing I will hint at is the fact that she will soon realize she isn't invincible- physically or emotionally.
Look for more from the cast of "Being Human" soon, and be sure to tune in next Monday, February 4th for Episode 3.04, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Die." All images courtesy of NBC Universal, Inc. For more visit "Being Human" on Syfy.com , join the Syfy Google+ circle, "like" "Being Human" on Facebook, and follow "Being Human" on Twitter.