(Photo credit to Alison Wandzura at Soulfire Studios)
Written by Colleen Bement, Editor
“Superman and Lois” fans know Natalie Moon from her guest role as Lex Luthor’s ex-wife Erica Del Portenza. She had the unforgettable role alongside Michael Cudlitz, who plays Lex Luthor in the series. The classically trained actress had a blast on set and had some amazing stories to tell. Nerd Alert News was lucky to catch up with Natalie to hear about it as well as catching up on other roles such as CBC’s “Allegiance.” She’s also known for her spot on “The Flash,” Apple TV’s hit show “Invasion,” and the new CBS series “The Hunting Party.” Sci-Fi fans have seen her in “Star Trek Beyond,” the Netflix hit series “Travelers,” “DC Legends of Tomorrow,” and more.
And there is so much more to Natalie! This super talent is an accent coach, coaching the likes of Jon Voight, Kristen Chenoweth, and Inbar Lavi. She happens to be a bidialectal actor trained at The Oxford School of Drama. Originally from England, she calls Vancouver, BC, Canada home. Get up close and learn more about Natalie Moon.
Colleen Bement: Your schedule is certainly full! Let’s start by chatting “Superman and Lois.” I’m a DC gal and Superman has always been a favorite of mine. Just a few questions.
- What was it like playing Lex Luthor’s ex-wife, Erica Del Portenza? Do we love her or love to hate her?
Natalie Moon: I have been through a divorce in my life, and although I still deeply believed that I loved my partner, I needed to extract myself from the situation for my safety and emotional well-being. Erica does the exact same thing with Lex; however, she protects not only herself but also her vulnerable daughter. I know that Erica is feeling the same way about Lex, and although she still loves him and desperately wants him to love her back, she has to choose herself and leave. Also, she is protecting not only herself but also Elizabeth, which is the absolute most important thing to her. Being able to connect to those stakes from a personal level and for your body and sensory system to already recognize the gravity of the situation you are going through helped me to connect with Erica on a deep level.
- Were you welcomed to the set, and did you have a good time?
NM: Everyone on the show was so warm, welcoming, and friendly, Tyler and Bitsie are such generous and humble leads that it trickles down the rest of the cast and crew and you can feel the warmth and it really feels like a family.
Elizabeth and I connected immediately about both being from England and even the same area! She was such a giving director, always asking if I was happy with the performance or wanted to do another take. She was incredibly organised and you could really feel the love she had for the show and the characters. Also, as a Brit, there were a couple of lines that felt very American for Erica to say. One of which was something like, There’s no way in hell when Lex was saying that Elizabeth was staying with him. I asked Elizabeth if she would mind if I changed the line to Over my dead body which A, I felt was more something a Brit would say and B, in the comic books Lex does try to kill Erica, she was very open to the idea and loved the idea of the easter egg because the fans of the comics love finding those kinds of things within the show.
Working with Micahel I can only describe as easeful. He was a very giving scene partner always checking in to ask if there was anything more I needed from him. He was a very calm presence whether on or off set and it was a lovely energy to be around especially when you are among the hustle and bustle of set dec, make up, lighting etc. I think he makes such an excellent Lex and his brooding intensity and explosivity is so perfect for the character.
CB: What can you share about your guest role on CBC’s hit show “Allegiance?”
NM: I play the character of Alice Yiang who is the mother to Robin (Played by Mason Temple) a gay teen whose boyfriend Sebastien (Oscar Chark) gets into deep debt to an underground gambling network. To save his boyfriend the two boys decide to team up and rob a jewelry store that his father owns to steal an expensive watch. They however do not get the required paperwork and without it the watch is useless so unfortunately they go to Robin’s family home and hold up his mother Alice at gunpoint to open the family safe and retrieve the required documents. Playing Alice was a challenge as she is in such a high-stress traumatic scenario, the stakes are extremely high for her as she is dealing with a life-or-death situation. In my personal life, I have been through a similar situation to which Alice finds herself in, and my body fully recognized how such a high stakes life and death situation feels which I felt really helped to embody the character and what Alice goes through.
CB: Do you have any other projects in the works that you can tell us about?
NM: I had an absolute blast playing Inspector Jane in “The Flash,” I loved her quirkiness and her social awkwardness, it was so fun to play around with. I wanted the audience to like her even though she was somewhat emotionless and matter-of-fact. Her literal attitude and logical brain could have made her quite cold so I wanted her to have a subtle friendliness and warmth which I think I found. I think even Iris was a fan, which considering I sort of asked out her man in the episode hopefully proves that Jane was endearing and a straight shooter at the same time. I am also playing another high-stakes situation as the character Gloria in the new series “The Hunting Party” for NBC which is airing very soon!
CB: I understand that you’re an accent coach and I’ve always wondered how actors learn accents and learn to hide accents. Besides lots of practice, how do actors do it? I’m always so impressed by those who can.
NM: A lot of hard work lol. For me learning or teaching any accent has to start with a foundation, the basic features of the accent, and going from there. People also all learn in very different ways, some people need to hear the accent to understand the differences, and others prefer to see it written down so I tailor my teaching for the individual. I will say some people have more of an ear for the differences in sounds and musicality in general and that does tend to help when learning an accent but it can be approached very technically as well.
CB: You’re a big supporter of the indie film scene. What do you love about indie films?
NM: I love the quirky nature of indie films and how often the stories go in ways that you may not expect. Quite often when I am watching Network television I am able to guess the plotline of the episode or the story arc of the show and I find indie films more obscure and exciting and usually keep me guessing. I also find that an actor doing an indie film is not doing it for the pay cheque but a love of the story and characters and that usually comes across in the performance. I find the acting more subtle, beautiful, and nuanced usually.
CB: What brought you over from England and do you go back for visits?
NM: Originally I came to Canada for a relationship but unfortunately that definitely did not go as planned and he was not the person I thought he was. I knew that Vancouver had a thriving film and television scene so I decided to stay and make the most of my move. I do visit, I try and get home at least once a year and then my Mum will try to come this way across the pond once more in the year. My mum means everything to me so I try and see her as much as I can.
CB: I see an adorable dog on your Instagram. Tell us about that little cutie.
NM: He’s a little rescue pup from California, he was 1.5 years when I adopted him. He is such a joy, he is very sweet and gentle and goofy, he lets me put him in cool hoodies and denim jackets and he’s very much my little sidekick. I can’t describe the love and affection I have for him and hopefully he has for me too!
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