Tatiana Maslany Explains How She Played a Clone Playing a Clone on Orphan Black

She contains multitudes.

How Tatiana Maslany Tripled Down on Playing a Clone on Orphan Black
Courtesy of BBC.

In the premiere episode of Orphan Black’s third season, which aired Saturday night on BBC America, the show’s clone-playing star, Tatiana Maslany, pulled off an acting hat trick that was almost bewildering in its execution. With minimal spoilers we’ll explain.

In the episode, Dr. Delphine Cormier (Évelyne Brochu) seeks out Sarah (Maslany) to help solve a problem at the as-evil-as-it-sounds Dyad Institute. Delphine needs Sarah to step in for her clone sister, Rachel (also Maslany), who is in the hospital and can’t meet-and-greet a visiting supervisor. The only problem with the plan is that Rachel is supposed to be incarcerated at Dyad and recovering from a forced operation and the visitor will want to see her as well. The solution: conscript Alison, another clone, also played by Maslany, to cover for Sarah.

Confused? In short, in a scene with five characters, Maslany plays three of them. But she’s not just playing them, she’s playing one character playing another character—Alison’s uptightness bleeds into Sarah’s wildness, and Sarah’s anger seeps into Rachel’s corporate polish. It’s like the acting equivalent of a matryoshka doll, and Maslany pulls it off effortlessly.

VF Hollywood talked to Maslany about what went in to that scene, her background in improv, and why she still takes acting classes.

VF Hollywood: How did the scene in which Sarah plays Rachel and Alison plays Sarah come about?

Tatiana Maslany: It was the first time we had done that sort of double-clone acting session. It was super fun. Dave Frazee was directing the episode, and he and I talked a lot about not planning anything and seeing how it sort of fell off the truck. We just wanted to see how Sarah might play Rachel in that moment and how Alison might play Sarah in that moment. Just letting it be very messy and not premeditated in any way. I think that leaves room for a lot of mistakes and slips and surprises. That way he and I are surprised by it. It was really fun and disorienting.

Does your background in improv help you just go with the flow on scenes like that?

Improv definitely lets me trust that sense of not knowing, because when you step on stage as an improviser, you have no plan. There’s no plan, no safety net. That’s sort of the joy of it and the electricity of it. Getting to do that on screen in this way is really nice, because so often things are so plotted out or blocked or heavily rehearsed, and you don’t have that sense of being on the edge of total failure, which is an exciting place to play from. I definitely think improv set me up for that and helped me be at peace with that feeling a bit more than I might normally be.

How does it work playing three characters at once?

That to me is the most exciting work to do because it’s so layered. It’s uncharted territory. It doesn’t feel like something I’ve ever done before. It’s really engaging to me in terms of the work that goes into it. I am really lucky to be surrounded by actors who are generous and supportive and don’t get bored by the fact that they kind of have to do the same thing over and over again, while I’m figuring this thing out and we’re doing this kind of technical thing over and over again. I think there’s a real team mentality to it, which makes it easy and fun to do.

Aside from the technical aspects, as an actor how do you make it work?


I don’t know! It’s sort of a crapshoot. It’s always a bit different. I just sort of want to embrace whatever organic thing comes out of it and stay in that sense of discomfort. It’s definitely a weirdly embarrassing, uncomfortable place to play from.

Why embarrassing?

Because, you know, things like the accent will take on a new form. It’s like you’re sitting in a bunch of mistakes, because Sarah doesn’t know how to be Rachel perfectly so her cracks will show and Alison’s accent will slip. I’m playing off James Frain, who is an Englishman, so Alison’s fear of being caught out is just as much as my fear of being caught out as a phony. It’s hard to describe. It’s just kind of an in-the-moment trusting of my knowledge of these characters and just letting them play. Letting Sarah play Rachel, letting Alison play Sarah.

Do you map out how each character will act in each situation?

It’s more instinctive than that. It’s not super intellectual. I’ve lived through three seasons with these characters, so they are in my body in a way. It’s just an instinct. I know how Helena would act in this scenario, because that’s how she is acting in this scenario. There’s no kind of right or wrong. The directors and the writers definitely help that, and guide that and the writing is so strong that I don’t really have to decide how Helena would react. It’s just a natural flow that is quite organic.

Since you’re playing five different characters on the show and you can’t fully immerse yourself in them, method acting-wise, how do you engage with them?

I do acting classes all the time, and I do scene study classes where you’re always playing different characters and always exploring something different, so there is something about being malleable and being able to sort of dive in and believe fully in that moment and then come out of it to take notes from the teacher. It’s a natural thing for an actor to dive in and dive out. The most ideal situation is to be able to be with a character for months on a film where you can just continue to live with that character and continue to be in that headspace, but there is something fun about the gymnastics of changing back and forth and having to drop in quicker than you would normally be allotted.

You’re still taking acting classes?

I’ve been really busy the last half year, but I think the last time I took an acting class was seven, eight months ago. I love taking classes. I think it’s the thing that keeps me growing and excited about work and still scared and still searching. I love being in class, and I have so many amazing coaches.

Are the coaches intimidated when you walk in?

Not remotely. Class is sort of the best place to be, just to work. You have to check your ego at the door. It doesn’t exist. And if it does exist, then it’s not the right class. Any class that I’ve been to, that has really taught me something, is a place where everybody is challenged, everybody is given the same amount of respect and the same amount of pushing and time and energy from the teacher. Any of the stuff that makes people nervous about me, whether it’s an award or this kind of fabricated thing that has value to it? It doesn’t exist there. You’re all in the same boat trying to improve your work and push forward and push through blocks. You’re never finished. That’s why I love going back to class, because you’re never finished. There’s never a moment where you’re like, “Oh and now I’m acting. Now I get acting.” That doesn’t exist. It’s such an organic ever-evolving process. It’s the same way that people are, or your life is. It’s my favorite place to be.