“The Magicians’ actress Summer Bishil chats about the creative process into making her character what she is today, and why it is important to be genuine when playing her character of Margo. This witty and inciteful actress loves cardio, swimming, and finding isolated getaways to write. Margo has changed so much since season one that Summer barely recognizes her. Get to know the talent and passion behind those glorious eyepatches!
CB: Tell your fans about the transformation of your character Margo Hanson of since season one.
SB: It’s really incredible how much they’ve developed my character. It’s been amazing to play her and I would have never seen it coming. From season one to now, I wouldn’t even recognize her. I mean literally–she’s got an eye patch! I think John McNamara loves it too. I don’t think it’s going anywhere. Guidasci has a great time decorating them.
CB: Those eye patches are wicked cool.
SB: They’re not your run of the mill eye patch.
CB: Tell us more about how your character has changed. You’re a totally different character now.
SB: It’s really insane. When I’m in it and you’re filming the season, I’m not necessarily analyzing the material in a meta way or trying to decern how my character’s evolution is going to be seen. I’m just reacting the way she would in the scenarios that she’s put in. And then when I sort of step back after the season has wrapped and I watch the show, I’m like wow. OK, so that makes sense, and it comes full circle for me when I’ve wrapped and I’ve watched it because I’m in the middle of it, it’s hard to analyze the material that way. Sometimes you don’t have time to overthink it too much.
It’s really incredible how much she’s changed and I think it’s because of the circumstances that she’s put in. I think that they’re exceptional circumstances that are very trying of her character, and she could have gone either way. She could have become a bully and I think she evolved into a much more mindful leader. I love that. It’s been amazing to play that.
CB: You play such a badass female character. Is that empowering?
SB: It is. I remember in season two when they put me in the throne room and I was just happy to be doing something different. I had a little more meat and I really wanted her to be strong, but I didn’t want to be what happens sometimes when (someone) wants to make the character badass, and they are trying to be badass all the time. I wanted it to be authentic and I think what makes her badass is she’s not necessarily busting down doors, or physically confronting people all the time, she just makes very tough decisions that others are afraid to make. She trusts her instincts and I think that’s what truly makes her so strong.
CB: That’s what we love about Margo is that she will say and do what needs to be done where others are afraid to.
SB: That’s what I wanted for her. There are other ways to be strong other than strong physically.
CB: Do you ever get the chance to have some input into Margo’s character?
SB: I would say a lot of people have asked me about the creative process and it really has been them just kind of letting me make my choices. I’ve very rarely been talked out of something. In Season two I sort of just experimented and I was waiting for somebody to pull me aside and said you know like we really appreciate it but that’s completely out there. You’re not doing that. But nobody ever did. I figured they were liking it and I just kept making crazier and crazier choices. Nobody ever reeled me in.
I feel like I pretty much have creative freedom on who she is in the scene in any given moment. It’s very rare that I’ve been directed, and when I have been directed it’s more of a reminder of who Margo is. It’s usually towards the tail end of the season when I’m like (funny voice) I want to crawl out of the skin and be another character today, and I forgot I’m on the Magicians and I’m Margo. They have reminded me by episode 13 by telling me to do the Margo thing, which is really whatever I wanted to be, so it’s actually been really great. There’s not a lot of control.
SB: He is. It’s amazing working with Hale Appleman. I haven’t worked with him as much in the last couple of years, but I always relish the opportunity to be paired with him again. It’s sort of like coming home at this point. We just understand
CB: Do you have any other projects in the works that you’re allowed to talk about?
SB: I wrapped “Under the Silver Lake” like a while back and I don’t think it’s been released yet. I was pretty excited about that. It was a really great cast and be a really interesting film. I had a lot of fun working on that. When you’re a series for a while, sometimes it’s hard to work out your dates and there are definitely some projects that have come up that I haven’t been able to do because I’m on “The Magicians.” I’m just happy to have this job.
CB: Do you have any ambitions in writing or directing?
SB: I definitely have ambitions to be a writer. I’ve been writing a screenplay for a while now, but I’ve only just started getting really serious about it; outlining it and thinking of a title. I don’t want to be a director at this point, but if I ever got something I wrote and produced, maybe I would be such a control freak that I would want to direct. (laughs).
CB: Tell me a little bit about what you do in your free time. Anything quirky?
SB: I think I’m a bit of a cardio freak. Like I do 90 minutes of cardio a day a lot of time. People are surprised to learn that. I love cardio. I’m one of those rare beasts. I love the high
CB: Any hobbies? Sports?
SB: I was a figure skater when I was a child and I still love doing that for recreation. I’m pretty athletic and I like sports. I live for swimming. I like taking little trips. I especially love going to Oregon. When were filming “The Magicians” I like to sneak away a couple of times during production and hold up somewhere really isolated and just write. That’s really what I do to unwind during production.