50 Girlcrushes of 2013: Tatiana Maslany
How does one begin to explain Orphan Black? How does one explain how a show that barely got a million people to watch it during its run earlier this year on BBC America became, by awards season, the most talked about show in critical circles? Well, the answer is simple and only two words. TATIANA MASLANY. The story on Emmy Awards nomination day became not who was nominated but who was criminally snubbed. Those two words again. TATIANA MASLANY. The show used the power of social media, gaining followers and fans as the faithful, the Clone Club, spread the word over tumblr, twitter and told anyone who would listen, you have to watch this show! Why? TATIANA MASLANY. Her performances as (so far) six different clones (and one proto-clone?) - sometimes clones pretending to be other clones - is one of those things that one has to see to really believe and trying to explain it to people seems almost inadequate, like trying to describe a sunset. The word I’ve often heard to describe Maslany’s performance in this show is “mind blowing” and I would agree. One thing is for certain, I feel incredibly sorry for anyone who has to play more than one character in a TV show or film in the future because Maslany has set the bar so impossibly high, most actors will be doomed to fail. I have to constantly remind myself that Alison and Helena are played by the same actress. When watching Comic Con panels, sometimes found myself asking the question, “wait, where is the actress who played Cosima?” only to remember that she was right there. I still don’t quite know how Maslany works this sorcery that enables her to embody these different characters with the same face so completely that they genuinely look and feel like different people. They talk differently. They sit differently. They hold their bodies different. Even a small thing like how they hold a glass is something Tatiana pays attention to. HOW DO YOU DO THIS? And the one truly mind blowing thing about this for me is that I’m only attracted to Cosima and no other clone. I mean .. what? THEY HAVE THE SAME FACE. How? I don’t understand. Make me understand! So, I guess you can say Tatiana has blown my mind… just a bit.