(Photo Courtesy of Holland Roden)
Back to Beacon Hills we go with Paramount Plus’ new “Teen Wolf: The Movie,” and Nerd Alert News has your up-close interview with Lydia herself, Holland Roden.
This very talented actress is also known for her roles in “Lost,” “Weeds,” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” It is her lead role as Lydia Martin in “Teen Wolf” that fans adore. Out of Dallas, Texas, she was a science lover and started out studying molecular biology at UCLA. Until she found a passion for theater. While focused on her acting career, she remained dedicated to school and earned a degree in Women’s Studies. She is wicked smart and loves playing such an intelligent character as Lydia.
Check out the trailer and catch up with Holland Roden.
Nerd Alert News: What are your feelings about coming back to this role after 5 years?
Holland Roden: It felt very surreal. Four to five years is a lot of time, but it didn’t feel like a full reunion amount of time. It was just long enough to be a really gracious thing to enter my life. But, at the same time, it was a short enough time that we picked up right where we left off. It just feels surreal to be talking about it.
NaN: Everyone has grown up. How is that reflected in their characters’ lives?
HR: I think some of the characters on Teen Wolf have had quite a big arc because of their 15-year time gap on screen. That is quite funny that I was 31 years old playing a high schooler and, at 34-35, I’m playing my real age, you know, four years later, so that was quite trippy. Some of the other characters did have a big arc. Lydia, in particular, she was mentally ahead of her chronological age on “Teen Wolf” in a later season, so she’s just all the more settled into herself kind of what we saw in the last season of “Teen Wolf.”
She is not at Beacon Hill. She does go back to Beacon Hill. Some characters have not left Beacon Hill, but in her case, she did and was just living a normal adult life. In a particular industry, that is a bit ironic. Jeff wrote something for her adult career that–I don’t want to give too much away–it’s really fitting for Lydia. As far as the transition to adulthood, it’s a bit of a calmer Lydia, but it’s still Lydia nonetheless.
NaN: Has the chemistry changed between you and your fellow characters/castmates, or did it feel like jumping right back in?
HR: I think what was fun about shooting the movie was A, our budget was bigger. Hopefully, you’ll feel that because we sure felt that as actors on screen as well as what was happening off-screen. There was a very reunion-esque feeling. We felt the really warm, friendly loving energy of my character being back up with Scott McCall. That’s something that was really nice that Tyler and I acknowledge that people watching the show, that love the show, can watch the movie and feel that same reunion feeling. It feels very familiar and can feel the energy on screen. We all hope the fans can feel that too because it was quite nice that art imitates life, so to speak.
NaN: This is a really popular show and people are going to be excited.
RH: We were happy to do it and it was a fond memory. I essentially grew up on this show. I was a senior in college when I booked it, and then I was like 31 when I got off of it. It was quite the ride, so whenever we get to do anything Teen Wolf-related, it isn’t like a normal set. It’s like coming home to your family and your siblings. We all remain quite close off-screen, so it was really a blessing to be able to go back to work—it doesn’t feel like work—with these people. But it technically is, so it’s a win-win. It’s like you’ve left the nest and you’re coming back home for a holiday dinner.
NaN: What do you enjoy most about playing Lydia?
RH: I like her intelligence. I like her sassiness. Initially, I think they wanted someone aesthetically like a model, as it was described in the breakdown. When they called me back I that that was pretty funny, but sure enough I was sitting in a room with a bunch of Amazonian women. I was like how can I make this girl my own? How do I see it, and Tracy Flick was one of my favorite characters and I thought, well let’s try that. Jeff seemed to like it and so did the executives of the show. I just appreciated that they hired this quirky intelligent redhead to play this character made Lydia a genius, so to speak. I would say probably my favorite part is hiring the archetypical popular girl. I don’t know if Lydia was popular by traditional standards, but she has leadership qualities because of that commanding presence that she at least attempted to have.
NaN: Do you have any fun stories you can share?
RH: We all stayed at the same hotel and a shout-out to good coffee because we would go to the same coffee shop every day (Brash Coffee). I’ve since worked another job in Atlanta and I always go back to that same coffee shop. “Teen Wolf” had a designated coffee shop that we were all grateful for. That was probably the most fun thing about the set. Everything else was pretty standard.
NaN: What’s your go-to coffee?
RH: A Fortado. I’m a Fortado girl through and through.
NaN: If you could be any supernatural creature other than a banshee what would you be?
RH: I always liked a Nickelodeon show growing up in the 90s called “Alex Mack.” Their parents were scientists and they brought home the wrong experiment and accidentally turned their daughter into this ability to turn into liquid and move around. She could slide under doors and hear conversations and kind of had this invisible quality. I always thought that was so interesting. I would be Alex Mack.
NaN: One last question: Do you have any other projects in the works that you’re allowed to tell us about?
RH: I’m trying to get more into producing as we speak. Hopefully, I will be behind the camera in the near future in a couple years. That’s my main goal.
Written by Hayley Samulski and Colleen Bement
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