00:00I'm Oliver Trevina in studio with The Hollywood Reporter, joined by the lovely Sophia Purness.
00:09How are you? Good, how are you? Good, good. You were just saying how you've lost your voice.
00:12I kind of like this voice, actually. I want to keep it. Okay, I don't know if that's possible,
00:16but... Yeah, I don't know either, but I'd love to. Okay, I think you need your voice. You need
00:21your voice. This is what you do. You are an actress. You need your voice. I know, I know,
00:24I need it. Yeah, I'm glad you have it today. I'll just go for different roles, like phone
00:26sex operator. Okay, okay. You went there. Very early on as well. We were very early on
00:31in this interview. It's already gone there. That was Brave, and that's a good segue into
00:36the Brave. NBC's new hit show. It's doing very well. Exciting times. Hannah Rivera. Strong
00:45and sassy. A bit like you, what I'd say walked in that door. Yeah, I mean, I gotta say. No,
00:51I thank you for that, but she's awesome. I wish I was anything like her. She's unflappable.
00:58I am not unflappable. I am very easily... No, I'm kidding. But she's great, and people like
01:05her embodying this role reminds you of the men and women that do this type of stuff every
01:10time. And, you know, no fanfare, no Velpa City, no limelight, and they just do it for
01:14the greater good. Yeah, it's quite hardcore. You get a real inside look into that world,
01:17which I guess other kind of shows similar haven't given that, you know? But yeah, so going into
01:24Hannah Rivera, she was a former operative. CIA operative. A field agent, yeah. Just as you
01:31are. Let's not forget it's Hannah. It's not you. Yes. It is a part you're playing. And now
01:37she's an analyst though. Yes. So kind of like, you know, had that passed. Yeah, it's an interesting
01:41segue for her, and often, sometimes even uncomfortable, because she's in unfamiliar waters. She used
01:48to be in the thick of it, right? Always under pressure, and being able to be on the ground
01:54and make those decisions, and now she's staring at a computer screen with an earpiece, sometimes
01:58from a drone, very much helpless. And I think it's a feeling that she's not very fond of. Sitting
02:04on her hands. Sitting on her hands. She's ready to go. She's ready to go. She's ready to go.
02:07No, she keeps going back. Just let her go. There you go. The season finale's coming
02:11up. Yeah. So can we expect, maybe, that she's going to end up season two going into, back
02:18into the field? Well, it's funny you say that, because episode
02:2111, she was out in the field. Right. More permanently, though.
02:25Oh yeah, more permanently. Season two, I think because the creator, or writer Dean Gergeras,
02:32it was very well received by going out into the field. Okay.
02:35So I think she's set up now for season two for it to be more of a normal occurrence.
02:41And does that excite you more? Oh, 100%. On set? You like the action?
02:44Yes. I mean, the guy who plays Noah Morgenthau, Tate Ellington, him and I always make jokes
02:49about, you know, because Anne, she gets to go out into the field. Right, right, right.
02:52A few episodes, you'll see her out in the field stretching her legs. Tate and I, no.
02:57Just computer screen. That's it. We're married to our seats. Right.
02:59Just, you know, computer screen, typing away. I like to think I type it 103 words per minute.
03:06But yeah, we never really get to see the daylight. Right.
03:08We shoot in the studio. So it's really exciting, and either of us gets to go out.
03:12But you did train, correct? Yes.
03:14Before the show even started, you were trained in all the gun stuff and the...
03:17Which was so fun. It was wild.
03:19But you haven't really got to show off yet.
03:21So that's all in your back pocket. I know. I'm just, yeah.
03:24Yeah. I'm still keeping it there.
03:25Was that your first kind of training in that world? With the gun stuff?
03:29No. I did shoot a film in the Philippines where I had to be familiar with weaponry.
03:36But this one was much more intensive.
03:40Our weapons trainer, Mikel Vega, he made sure that we actually know what...
03:44We look like we know what we're doing up there.
03:46The ins and outs. Yeah, exactly.
03:47He didn't want any of us to kill each other. He was very much like everybody.
03:51He was great. He was very insistent about safety, safety, safety.
03:55That was his first thing.
03:56That's very important when you're using guns on set.
03:57Very important.
03:58Yeah. Always mags out, safety on, in the holster every single time.
04:03Look at that. You got it down.
04:04We got it down.
04:05You got it down.
04:06You're not carrying right now, are you?
04:07You don't understand. I'm not. I'm not hot.
04:08But you don't understand.
04:10If any one of those rules were disobeyed, he would make us pick up a sledgehammer and beat a tire over the area.
04:18Okay. That's hardcore training. Hardcore training.
04:20Yeah, yeah.
04:20So it's not easy in Hollywood.
04:21So it literally beat safety into our heads.
04:25And this show filmed in Morocco.
04:27Yes, the pilot.
04:28Which is where you're from.
04:28Which is where I'm from.
04:29Which is great.
04:29You got to go back home.
04:30Of all the countries and all the world, very much like Casablanca.
04:35Amazing.
04:35Yeah, it was truly a star's aligning moment for me.
04:40Because I saw the breakdown.
04:42Right.
04:42I saw the role.
04:43I saw the location.
04:45And I was going, this, I'm not going to get excited about this.
04:48I'm not going to get excited.
04:49Because it was like a role, a dream role, a dream location.
04:53And it was my hometown, you know.
04:55Well, technically, my hometown was two hours east.
04:58That's still pretty close.
04:58About my home country.
04:59That's still pretty close.
05:00Were you showing everyone around?
05:01Were they asking you questions?
05:02Yeah, I mean, I was negotiating for everybody.
05:04Brilliant.
05:05A lot of people, a lot of them bought rugs.
05:08So I was the go-to person for negotiations.
05:11So you were the rug negotiator?
05:12I was the rug, I was the rug woman.
05:13There's a backup job there.
05:14There's a backup job there.
05:15Yeah.
05:15Should it not go season two?
05:17Or should it not carry on?
05:17I'm going to use this voice.
05:18Yeah.
05:19Very commanding.
05:20And you can find Sofia in Morocco as a rug negotiator.
05:24So let's take it back a bit.
05:26So Morocco, you were born.
05:28And I read somewhere, I don't know if this is true, that you wanted to be a reporter.
05:31Yes.
05:31That is true.
05:32Well, an investigative reporter.
05:34Okay.
05:34So that's quite a different path.
05:36Quite a different path.
05:37Yeah, yeah.
05:38Yeah, it wasn't for me.
05:40I admire the profession so much, but my dad was the one strong-arming me to go into there.
05:47I was very much into acting when I was a little kid.
05:50Okay, got it.
05:50But my dad just felt that it was so less prestigious than investigative reporting.
05:56So, yeah.
05:57You've done well.
05:58You keep working, which is good.
05:59Yeah, thank you.
06:00My dad now is like, yeah, I had it in my head all along.
06:03Yeah, I knew.
06:03I knew.
06:04Yeah, he was going to tell you eventually.
06:05He was going to be like, go into acting.
06:07You'll do very well.
06:08So going back a bit, Young and the Restless, and then you've recurred on like Jane the Virgin,
06:12shows like that.
06:13If you could guest star on any show right now of your choice, what show would it be?
06:18Game of Thrones.
06:20Game of Thrones.
06:21Game of Thrones.
06:21Easy.
06:21She's a Game of Thrones fan.
06:22Easy peasy.
06:23Easy peasy.
06:23There you go.
06:24Lemons queasy.
06:24What would you see your role being on Game of Thrones?
06:27I'd be something like a derivative of, you know, Khal Drogo.
06:32Okay.
06:32I could see that.
06:33I could see that.
06:35I could actually see that.
06:36The female version.
06:36Yeah.
06:37A very watered-down derivative of Khal Drogo.
06:39I don't think watered-down.
06:40I think you've got that.
06:41Especially with the voice now.
06:42Yes.
06:42Keep the voice.
06:43Keep the voice.
06:43Keep the voice.
06:44Keep the voice.
06:45You definitely need the voice.
06:46You definitely need the voice.
06:46Yeah.
06:47But people are changing the way they view TV shows, obviously.
06:50You know, you mentioned Game of Thrones, things like that.
06:52What was the last show that you binge-watched?
06:55Ooh, that's a good question.
06:57Do you binge-watch a lot?
06:58I binge-watched.
06:59I just binge-watched all Harry Potter, the whole Harry Potter series.
07:02Oh, movies.
07:02Got you.
07:03Now you can go to Harry Potter Land.
07:04Oh, I've went twice.
07:05Oh, you've been.
07:06You're already ahead of me.
07:07I've not been to Harry Potter Land.
07:09In England, right?
07:09It's in England.
07:10No.
07:11Oh, there's another Harry Potter Land?
07:13There's one in Orlando.
07:15Oh, you're talking about the Disney one.
07:16Yeah, yeah, Harry Potter Land.
07:18Oh, no, I'm talking about the actual, there's a Harry Potter experience in London.
07:22We're going way off topic right now, but Harry Potter fans, this is great.
07:25No, binge-watched.
07:25You said binge-watched.
07:26Yeah.
07:26I binge-watched Harry Potter, and I binge-watched another show that for the life of me, I cannot remember.
07:31Okay.
07:32So that just tells you.
07:33Okay.
07:33It was great.
07:33It was great.
07:34Let's not mention it, then.
07:36And it's award season.
07:38Yes.
07:38So lots of things going on.
07:40Any film or TV show that really stuck out to you?
07:43Big Little Lies.
07:44Big Little Lies.
07:45Yeah.
07:45Alexander Skarsgård.
07:46What performance?
07:46Oh, my goodness.
07:47All of them, really.
07:48What performance?
07:48Oh, my goodness.
07:49But, yeah, I'm with you on that.
07:50I pulled one of those moments.
07:51I saw him at the Golden Globe, one of the Golden Globe after parties, and he was next to me at the red carpet.
07:55And I had a total moment where I was like, oh, my God, he's next to me at the red carpet.
07:58And I was like, congratulations.
08:00Oh, God.
08:01I'm sure Alex loved that.
08:02I'm sure Alex loved that.
08:03I'm sure he doesn't remember a single moment.
08:04He probably does.
08:05I mean, how can you not?
08:06How can you not?
08:07Especially, did you have that voice at the time?
08:08He likes husky voices.
08:09I did.
08:10He likes husky voices.
08:10It was even deeper because I had just lost it.
08:12So he probably didn't even understand a word that came out of my mouth.
08:14Okay.
08:15Perfect.
08:15Yeah.
08:16Okay.
08:16Okay, cool.
08:16We're going to play a little, not game, but answer five questions.
08:21It's called The Hollywood Reporter's Top Five.
08:23Oh.
08:24Favorite actor growing up?
08:26Betty Davis.
08:27That's a good one.
08:28Favorite career moment so far?
08:31Ooh.
08:33Episode 11, Hannah Rivera.
08:35Okay.
08:35Yeah.
08:36Look at that.
08:37Because you got in the field, see?
08:38Yeah, I got to have a lot of boss woman moments.
08:41You can't put this one at a desk.
08:43Simple as that.
08:43Simple as that.
08:44Movie you loved as a kid that you wish you were in?
08:48All About Eve.
08:49I've not seen that.
08:50No.
08:50No.
08:51Anne Baxter was incredible.
08:53I'll watch that.
08:54Something you bought that you never thought you could afford?
08:58That I never thought.
08:59Kristen Louboutin shoes.
09:00Okay.
09:01I'm glad you were going to go back to a Moroccan rug.
09:05And Hollywood Crush.
09:07Oh, goodness gracious.
09:10Hollywood Crush.
09:12Ooh.
09:13That's tough.
09:13I have many.
09:14I have many.
09:15Too many's a pick.
09:16Too many's a pick.
09:17Cate Blanchett.
09:18That's a good one.
09:19Yeah.
09:19That's a good one.
09:20And also, just to wrap this up, you play golf?
09:23I do.
09:23Is that right?
09:23You actually play golf?
09:24I do.
09:24Play tennis?
09:25Yeah.
09:26And you play the piano?
09:26Yes.
09:27If you gave up acting tomorrow and you had to take a career in one of those, which one
09:31would you pick?
09:31If you could take any one of them?
09:33Tennis.
09:33Tennis?
09:34Yeah.
09:34You'd be a tennis player?
09:35Mm-hmm.
09:35Okay.
09:36That's good.
09:36Yeah, I admire the sport.
09:37I love, love the sport.
09:39Like that?
09:40See, it's good to have backups in Hollywood.
09:42The rug negotiator.
09:43Yeah, carpet woman, tennis, piano.
09:46It's got a lot going on.
09:47I could go, you know, different avenues.
09:49Irrelevant to what happens to the brave, you will be seeing more of this lady.
09:53There you go.
09:54doors, doors, doors, door, door, door, door, door, door, door, door, door, door, door, door,
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