Warehouse 13’s Allison Scagliotti on Playing a Video Game From The Inside!

Allison Scagliotti is best known for playing Warehouse Agent-in-Training, Claudia Donovan on Syfy’s hit series, Warehouse 13 [Mondays, 9/8C]. As the Warehouse’s resident tech wizard, she has only added to her geek cred – having played one of the Wonder Twins on Smallville – but that’s small potatoes compared with her dual role in this week’s episode of Warehouse 13, in which Claudia and Agent Pete Lattimer [Eddie McClintock] have to enter a virtual world inside a computer game to save the life of Douglas Fargo [Neil Greyston, crossing over Eureka]. Because of the unique nature of the episode – and her dual role, Syfy arranged a conference call Q&A session with Scagliotti.

This call took place before the series was picked up for a fourth season, but just after news of Syfy’s cancelation of Eureka – both of which topics came up in the course of the call.

What’s it been like to work with work with Neil again on Warehouse 13 and what can you tell us about the episode? I hear it’s set in a video game?

Allison Scagliotti: It’s – first of all to answer your quest- say again. Okay, I heard another hiccup there. Okay, I’ll restart. So it’s always a pleasure to work with Neil. I’ve said in the past, Neil is one of my best friends, and so having the opportunity to work with him on set is just a joy. It’s like summer camp but we’re getting paid to run around in crazy costumes.

He’s an incredibly professional, hilarious comedic as well as dramatic actor and is never afraid to have fun. We – I think I speak for the entire cast and crew of Warehouse when I say that being able to bring Neil Grayson onto the show is nothing but fun.

And, you know, in terms of this episode, this is probably our biggest concept episode that we’ve ever done. There was a lot of green screen, a lot of special effects. It’s airing sixth in our season but we shot it third in terms of shooting order because there were so many elements to capture and it took a lot of prep and we were directed by the incredibly gifted Chris Fisher, who’s also our supervising producer. And I can honestly say it’s my favorite episode this season so far anyway.

Wow, you know, I’ve noticed that Claudia getting out a lot more in the field and you do enough work with the new, character, Steve Jinks, Aaron Ashmore. Do you think Claudia is going to be, you know, going out in the field a lot more then kind of that second string team on the show?

Scagliotti: Yes, I think so. You’ll see in plenty of episodes that the episode between Claudia and Steve becomes very pivotal emotionally as well as professionally, you know, in terms of the Warehouse teams.

Claudia’s at this point in her life where she wants to prove herself as an adult and she’s sort of like all 20 year olds, figuring out who she is and what she wants to be. And that’s been really, really great for me to be able to bring that sort of part of my life and me discovering who I am to the character.

So in terms of Claudia’s destiny, I know last season we sort of touched on her becoming and (ex-friend) with Frederick, and what happens to her at the end of this season is really emotional and intense. I think the world is sort of Claudia’s oyster. We can see her go in a couple different directions, so I’m really excited to explore that going forward.

Can you talk about some of the things we’ll see inside the Warehouse 13 video game?

Scagliotti: Yes, it’s really – it’s a very tongue-in-cheek sort of lampooning of video games in general and their depiction of women as well as what the warehouse could look like, you know, to an outside viewer or, you know, from an outside perspective.

It’s – the theme of the Warehouse video game, it’s called Fortress 13, and it’s the sort of castle medieval feudalistic aesthetic. And so all the women have cartoonishly large breasts and the – you know, the theme inside is very – it’s actually a little bit conflicting because there’re gladiators as well as knights and wenches and – what you’ll get to see is your sort of staple warehouse characters but as Fortress 13 avatars, so cartoonish representations of our normal characters.

It’s really fun. We – Fargo sort of plays with the mythology of purple goo and artifacts. And I don’t want to give too much away but, you know, given that Fargo had seen the inside of the warehouse, you know, don’t be surprised when you see the disco ball from Studio 54 make an appearance (unintelligible). And is there a dragon? Maybe. I’m not saying there isn’t.

Oh, okay. So you guys will actually be pixilated then, not as live action people.

Scagliotti: Well, what’s interesting is we shot it in live action and then in post, the image was given a treatment so that we do look – we look stylized. We look animated in some way. But it wasn’t motion capture and it wasn’t animation. It’s just that the, you know, the digital – I don’t even know what you call it – but the digital image was altered in post so that we look at least a little bit more like a video game.

Oh that’s cool. All right. And, well, with the recent news about Eureka, has there been any talk about getting Neil on Warehouse 13 as a regular?

Scagliotti: I honestly have no idea. I really – I don’t know a lot about the news about Eureka. I mean, I heard and, you know, it would certainly be great to have Neil on but I think it’s really early to say that kind of thing, and more then anything I hope that Eureka fans just tune into this episode of Warehouse because I think they’ll really like it. Neil gets a lot of screen time.

So you’re – now obviously you’re done for the season. So kind of what are you doing now and what are – in your free time, what’s next for you right now?

Scagliotti: I’m doing what every other actor does. I’m back in LA and I’m reconvening with my representation to look for more work. I’ve got, you know, a couple things I’m waiting to hear back on. I’m continuing to play music, taking lessons as often as possible and giving press calls like this to promote the rest of the season.

Well that works. Okay. Can you talk about working on the Warehouse 13 Web series?

Scagliotti: Oh yes, the Web series. So that was really interesting. Part of it was live action and then the rest of it was, you know, motion comic, as you probably saw. We had one day where we had to shoot but the rest of it we were just in the studio in Toronto where we record ADR when we’re out there, and just sat in a circle and it was like a table read.

And we were directed by (Andy Sepra?) and it was just a really fun sort of extra thing to throw at the fans a little bit before the season started. Very different from our typical shooting schedule. I think – we actually had to film on a weekend in order to get it done because our episodes follow such a sort of strict schedule involving prep and locations and everything it takes to make a TV show, that this sort of had to be squeezed in in between the real work that we had to do.

But I think it was really fun. It came out well and I haven’t really heard a lot of feedback from the fans about it but I think they enjoyed it. So it’ll be up to SyFy whether we do it again next year.

Okay great. And then lastly, who’s someone that inspires you?

Scagliotti: Who is someone that inspires me?

Yes.

Scagliotti: Good question. I want to think about that before I – I – this is going to sound really strange for a sci-fi actor to say but people aren’t just one thing. I – I’m a big fan of Jessica Valenti. And if you haven’t heard of her, she is an author and an editor and a feminist.

She’s actually written a couple feminist books for young women to sort of reclaim their self-esteem and learn about women’s issues. And any time I read anything by her, I feel so bolstered and empowered and I just – I think she’s spectacular and I love the work that she does and I would love to meet her. So, yes, she’s the one who inspires me.

I loved the episode by the way, this gaming episode. As someone who games way too much, it’s was – I think it was spot on.

Scagliotti: Awesome. Oh, I’m so glad to hear that. It’s my favorite too and I’m not even a gamer.

Yes, I was going to ask, because I don’t think you really have time for gaming. But if you were to play a game, what – or are you more of an MMO type, are you more of a, like, first person shooter? What would you play?

Scagliotti: I have no idea. Let me start by saying that growing up, my parents – like, I never had a gaming console. I never had – like all my friends had Nintendo or Play Station or, you know, those little cartridges you had to blow into because they got dusty.

And that was never a part of my childhood. I mean, I was in every sense the theater kid who would just play dress up all day, you know, and then sit down at the piano and play for a couple of hours. So gaming is a whole culture that I have sort of no way to relate to.

But if I did play, I’d probably play some adorable little Indy game or if not, then, you know, the Legend of Zelda because that’s as close to this episode of Warehouse as I can imagine.

I know you also had to kind of share the screen with Eddie’s pecs for most of that episode. What was that like for you?

Scagliotti: Well, you know, it – you had to be careful not to bump into him because you’ll bruise. And I was worried that his pecs were going to be scene stealers but in terms of augmented body parts, I had pointy elf ears for much of the episode so I felt like I could contend to a certain degree.

And just one other thing. I know that you’re pretty close with Neil and working with him again, I’m sure is a great thrill. You know, what were your thoughts when you learned about the fate of Neil’s show?

Scagliotti: You know, to be honest, I – he and I haven’t had a conversation about it yet. I will say that this is sort of the natural order of the way television works. They’ve had a long run. I know they have a great fan base. And I hope that their fan base tunes into this episode of Warehouse next week because it’s a great episode for Neil and for all of us.

So Warehouse 13 (is in) a lot of – they (saw) some of the crazy artifacts, stuff that I’ve never heard of, stuff that I forgot about, like (unintelligible). But so what are some of your favorite ones so far? And is there one that you wanted to do that they haven’t done yet?

Scagliotti: My favorite one this year has definitely been Jimmy Hendrix’s guitar because it was the first opportunity they gave me to sort of play guitar on the show, which is actually something I want to add.

For those of you who’ve seen the episode, you’re expecting this. But for the people reading this article who haven’t seen it yet, I – we – the writers and the network has been really supportive of my wish to play guitar and sing on the show. And this episode that’s about to air is the first time I do get to do that.

So at the end of the episode, Claudia goes to an open mike and gets out on a limb and covers one of Claudia’s – I mean, Allison’s favorite songs. So that’s – but in terms of episodes – or rather, artifacts that I would like to see, I would love – I think I pitched the red shoes this year, based on the ballet.

I mean, before that, the short story of the girl who dances herself to death or a pair of red shoes. I think that would be really interesting if some shoes sort of wound up on Claudia and she had to find a way to get out of them and they have some sort of emotional resonenence.

But yes, you know, the great thing about this show is that we – it’s kind of past the limit. I think we can almost do anything in terms of artifacts, and even this year, we explore so many different themes that I don’t think any two episodes are alike.

We’ve got this video game sort of Tran-esque episode and then two episodes later we’ve got a sort of Die Hard type story line going on. So we’re keeping it fresh.

On SyFy we’re seeing that Haven is doing a big episode story of (Arch) with Twitter. Would you like to see that type of integration with Warehouse 13?

Scagliotti: I actually would not. And the reason is that Warehouse 13 is, you know, the mythology that we have established is that it’s a top secret government facility, you know, where sort of a sect that’s removed from the FBI. The Secret Service doesn’t really know about it. And so I think that – and to integrate something as public and difficult to control as Twitter into a mythology like, you know, the top secret, you know, mystery has an address, I think it would just sort of devalue the (unintelligible), the secrecy of what we strive for on the show.

However, I’m sure it’ll be great on Haven. I actually didn’t know they were doing that but, you know, the great thing about this episode is that we take something as obscure as the video game and somehow integrate it into what we do at the warehouse and that’s because Fargo inadvertently came into contact with an artifact and integrated it into his video game software.

So it’s been pretty cool to watch this episo- I thankfully was able to watch it before I got on this call with you guys. I love this episode. I think it’s hilarious and scary and all the things that make a warehouse episode great.

Yes, we’re looking forward to it. With him coming from Eureka and then Eureka getting cancelled, do you think there’re more chapters for Eureka characters to appear on Haven – I mean, Warehouse 13, and then are there any more scheduled?

Scagliotti: Well, we don’t have anything scheduled because we haven’t our official pick up for Season 4 yet.

In terms of the possibility, sure. I really don’t know. You know, that’s for the network to say. That’s for the folks at SyFy and probably the folks over at Eureka since they created those characters and I think they had a license to. So whether or not they’re comfortable with them going other places, but I say never say never.

Yes, no doubt. There’re a lot of Star Trek references on Warehouse 13. Are you – have you been a Star Trek fan and have you been to the conventions and met any of the Star Trek legends or actors?

Scagliotti: I am sorry to say that I’ve only ever seen one episode of Star Trek my entire life.

But the only time I ever go to conventions is to promote Warehouse. I don’t think I have ever – no, I honestly have never gone to a convention of my own accord for anything other then Warehouse, you know, related promotions.

However, I do geek out about things. I mean, you’re going to see the actor Steven Young from Walking Dead in this episode. Steven and I were friends long before Warehouse 13 or Walking Dead ever happened.

But Walking Dead is one of my favorite shows on TV. I watched every episode religiously last year and I geeked out a little bit when we were both sort of backstage at Comicon this year. And Miguel was there and a couple of the other actors and standing there with my friend, honestly, kind of squealing over the cast members. So that’s where I geek out a little bit.

I first of all wanted to say because I interviewed you a couple times for —–, I never had a chance to say this. When I first started watching Warehouse 13, it was a good show but when your character was introduced on it, I think it just added so much.

I mean, Artie needed someone, a foil – someone to work off of. And he was always sending the agents out and it was sort of like we never knew too much about Artie. So with you there, I really think Artie’s character developed as well as your character, too, but the interplay just was so nice in the show that it made it much more unique.

You know, you’re sort of like an apprentice to be and you’re out in the field now and that, I think, is because of your relationship with Artie. So you really added a lot to the show, so that’s the first comment I wanted to make. And it seems like you get along with everyone on the show, right? I mean.

Scagliotti: Yes, yes. Everyone – we’re lucky, you know, I don’t think that every show can say that the cast and crew form such a close knit family, but we definitely do. We, you know… I mean, if anybody here watched the Comic Con panel on (unintelligible), we basically spent an hour just talking about how much we love each other which might seem a little distrusting and gets old after a while. But it’s true and we’re lucky for that.

Cool. And that brings me to another question, sort of related to Artie. Now that you’re out in the field with Jinxy and forming a relationship there, it seems like the focus has shifted a little bit from the Artie/Claudia dimension. We saw it a little bit again this week when Jinxy was not in the episode. But I did want to know, because you mentioned something about the finale. And it’s going to be sort of a pivotal one for you. Is it also going involve the dynamic of you and Artie?

Scagliotti: Yes, it does. It absolutely does. It – well I think the relationships between all of us are really hanging in the balance with what happens at the end of this season. The great thing about this season has been that we’ve been able to explore how our characters past and their histories effect them in the present and effects what they do.

And so we – the Claudia and Artie dynamic is still very important and it’s still very much in play. But in order to just stick with Claudia’s role, the relationship between Claudia and Steve Jinx has been given a bit of a spotlight, which I really enjoy.

Okay. Okay, and one final question I had was working with Lindsay Wagner, I mean, it must’ve been quite an experience for you, the times that she’s been on the show. What was it like?

Scagliotti: She’s wonderful. I love it when we get to have Lindsay on the show because she has such a fantastic energy about her. She’s very calm, she’s very sweet and naturally funny and always a professional. I love watching her. I love being in a scene with her. It’s an honor. She’s a lot of fun to work with and I think that it was really fun to see Artie in love.

And I think that those two have a good chemistry as well. So I hope that we get to bring her back and explore that dynamic more in the future.

You all make a good show. You’re really quite wonderful in it. Is there a story behind your getting the part in this show? Were there hoops to jump through? Or was it a relatively easy process for you, what?

Scagliotti: You know, I think every actor will tell you that timing had a lot to do with, you know, getting a role that they love. I was in the middle of a full load at college. I was taking 16 units, and I had worked with our showrunner, Jack Kenny, years and years ago on the last pilot I did. And I worked with two of our writers, Ben Raab and Deric Hughes, the year before on our web series with Rosario Dawson.

And I sort of heard about this role being out in the ether and I knew that they were looking in Canada. I think the role was originally written to be Asian. It was an Asian character and they didn’t quite find what they were looking for.

And so (Jack) called me. We had a conversation and he first wanted me to watch the pilot before I auditioned just to make sure it was something that I was interested in, and I did, and I fell in love with it.

I watched the pilot maybe three times before I auditioned and took this role that I just fell in love with. I thought it was really perfect for me and I was really nervous when I auditioned but I did and that was that. And so within the span I think of a week and a half, I was sort of negotiating with my professors to let me take my work on the road and from then on it was, you know, spending months in Toronto with this weird family but they made me feel really welcome immediately.

And Saul and I – we met and were working together within, you know, the same couple of hours and it just felt natural, it felt like we’d been working together for years and years.

Cool. Yes, he – I’ve talked to him before too and he’s a self-starter, so I think he talked for me – to me for, like, five minutes before I asked him one – the first question in an interview with me.

Scagliotti: Yes.

What do you think Claudia’s clothes and her physical appearance say about her on the show?

Scagliotti: I think – what I hope that say is that she’s her own person and she doesn’t concern herself with societal standards and what other people expect of her to – expect her to look like or expect her to behave like.

You know, she’s definitely – you know, you called (Sol) a self-starter. I think Claudia’s a self-starter. I think she’s – in addition to being insecure and figuring out who she is as an adult, she does – she knows what she likes and the thing that I’ve been really flattered by in playing her is a number of, like, moms and young girls who reach out to me and tell me what a role model she is for young women, just sort of learning to love themselves.

So I hope that what people get out of the way that Claudia presents herself is there’s nothing more beautiful or fun or comfortable then just doing what you like.

Thank you so much and I want to say that the character of Claudia is such an authentic character and she’s an empowering and it’s so refreshing to see that instead of this cookie cutter image. I want to take a moment to say thank you for that.

Scagliotti: Oh thank you. I appreciate that. That is good.

It’s great. I have a couple of questions. And the first question I want to ask is the artifacts are absolutely amazing. Have you ever come up with any artifact ideas? And if you haven’t, if you had a chance to today, what would it be?

Scagliotti: I actually have pitched a couple different artifact ideas to them. I – this year I was taking a lot of ballet classes in Toronto. I actually – I danced for about eight years before I became an actress. And I pitched the Red Shoes, and I thought it would be interesting if Claudia sort of fell into the Red Shoes and had to dance herself to the brink of death before she could get out of them.

But before that, you know, before our benevolent writers and producers were supportive of me playing and singing on the show, I pitched the stage door of (CBGB). And in order to somehow facilitate Claudia fronting an all-girl punk band on the show, I believe the feedback was that makes too much sense, like what’s the parallel there. Claudia belongs in an all-girl punk band. Yes, that’s it.

What part of Claudia is more like Allison?

Scagliotti: Definitely her wit. I think that the thing that I bring the most of – about myself to this character is my sense of humor and my sarcasm. I’ve been told since I was a kid that the way I can sort of snarl out a one-liner is pretty unique. I don’t want to – I feel like I sound like I’m tooting my own horn or something but it’s definitely my humor that I bring to Claudia.

And what are you looking forward to the most about working with Kate Mulgrew?

Scagliotti: Oh my goodness. Kate – well we finished shooting our season so I’ve already worked with her. And she was such a force to be reckoned with and a spectacular actress. It was an honor to watch her work, to be in scenes with her.

We have a really intense scene together in the finale that I can’t tell you anything about because there were a lot of spoilers. But she – I hope she comes back on the show. She’s such an important character and a fantastic energy on out set.

We’ve been really lucky with the guest stars that we’ve had like Neil, (Greg Sand) and like Lindsay Wagner and Kate Mulgrew, that they just seem to get our show and they get the way we work. And they’re fast and they understand our dynamic and they fit right in.

So she’s fantastic. She’s a great addition to the cast and I hope to see her come back because I just adore her.

What’s the most invigorating part of working on Warehouse 13?

Scagliotti: Being able to get up every day and say that I’m going to work to do what I love is the most invigorating part of it. You know, I think any job can get tiring especially if you work with the same group of people all day, 16 hours a day for six months.

But at the end of it, I think we come away proud of the work that we do and proud of each other and, you know, the reason we’re able to be so positive in these interviews is because we’re not making it up. We are just generally – genuinely proud of each other and proud of what we do and I’m just incredibly lucky to be able to say that I’m, you know, at 20 years old I’m living my dream.

I have to tell you something. My 13 year old son watches the show with us religiously and so he came through to make his lunch and asked, ‘Have you talked to here yet?’ I said, ‘No.’

Scagliotti: Aw.

And he said, ‘When you do, can you tell her how much I love the show?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘And can you tell her how much I love Drake and Josh too?’

Scagliotti: Well, tell him I’ve talked with Josh this morning. That should make him smile.

It will and it’s fine because his name is Josh. So, you know, he gets a kick out of that.

Scagliotti: I get that.

Well anyway, we – like I said, we’re big fans. Can you tell us what has changed since episode one? What do you think has been the biggest change in the show? Obviously, you know, you’ve got the new character of Jinx, but you know, aside from that, what do you think, you know, with your characters and with the stories and that type of thing?

Scagliotti: Do you mean episode one from the start of the season or from my very first episode?

Yes, over the course of the series, yes.

Scagliotti: Over the course of the whole series, so like, from the time I joined the cast?

Right.

Scagliotti: Oh my gosh. Oh, I think first of all, no two episodes of Warehouse 13 I think one can say are alike. I think, you know, the major theme of our show is that we keep it diverse. You know, the only procedural aspect of what we do is that we track down artifacts and we have to neutralize them before bad things happen.

But the scenes that we deal with are all so different and we explore different dynamics and there are disagreements between characters and there are things that make us bond and deepen our relationship. I think we’ve all just grown. I think that’s the chief difference, is growth and increased trust and just, you know, what happens when you spend a couple years with working with people and also, you know, becoming family.

Yes, I don’t think there’s any one singular event that’s changed then – I think it’s time and human nature.

Right. Yes, and it’s been nice. Like you said, it’s been nice to see the growth in all of the characters, but especially I think in Claudia, just her – your character is just really coming into her own which is – especially this season – which is really good to see. Thank you.

Scagliotti: I know. And it’s just been (truth) to be able to play, you know, myself at 20 sort of discovering myself and figuring out who I am and what I want out of life and being able to just bring that to Claudia because it’s exactly what she’s going through to.

Right, right. And then one other quick question. You mentioned dance and how you’ve been a dancer for years. Do you ever watch, So You Think You Can Dance?

Scagliotti: Believe it or not, I don’t. I just – I watch very little TV. I fixate on a couple shows, like I’m obsessed with (World Fair) right now.

So is my husband.

Scagliotti: Oh, it’s great, fantastic show. And Walking Dead and Madmen, the Killing, Game of Thrones, I’m catching up on. I have two more episodes left before I finish the season, hitting the (fan). But no, I’ve not seen any – I just generally don’t really watch reality shows.

A pretty many of my questions were answered so I was just – I wanted to ask you, are there any other SyFy series that you would like to guest star on or that you actually watch and like?

Scagliotti: Yes, I – Walking Dead is probably my number one, but in terms of what’s on the SyFy Channel, I’d love to go do an episode of Alphas. Actually I haven’t seen the show yet but there shooting schedule overlapped with ours and we also shoot them in Toronto. So I became friends with Ryan Cartwright who I think is fantastic. I’d love to work with him at some point. Yes, those are my big two.

Awesome. If you could have a super power, because they actually have super powers on Alphas, well, human super powers, what super power would you want to have?

Scagliotti: You know, I think in the past I said that I’m jealous of Laura Mennell’s power which is the ability to bend someone’s will with whatever she says. I think that would be really useful, especially in the entertainment industry.

But I think that right now, just for my own happiness, I would like – would love the ability to pick up any instrument and be able to play it perfectly.

How did you get started in acting? Is it something you had wanted to do since you were little?

Scagliotti: It is. Yes, I was kind of a natural born performer. When I was a toddler, my mom used to read A.A. Milne poems to me and I have this insane memory and sort of memorized it as she would read to me and at one point, I think at a family gathering, I sat down all my elderly relatives and recited Puppy and I to them which, I guess, 500 word poems for a two year old is an odd achievement.

So yes, so maybe – most of it by the way. I’m not sure. Anyway, I got into the talent and drama program at my school when I was five years old and it was the only thing that I really loved at school. I was living in a place that I didn’t want to be and I was bored and then I wasn’t connecting with my classmates.

So being in the drama department really fulfilled me and gave me an outlet to blossom, I think. And it was something that I planned on long, long before I ever came to Los Angeles for the first time.

I met an acting coach by chance who makes it his business to sort of travel the country and look for talent in young children. And I guess he saw something in me that he believed in and he spoke to my parents and recommended that I give it a shot in Los Angeles, and so we did our homework. And I did, and I was very fortunate to work almost immediately.

And I haven’t looked back. I think maybe everyone sort of examines what it would be like if they made a different choice since my original sort of plan of attack was to go to performing arts high school and then move to New York, because theater was my first love, but I’m really happy where I am right now and I know that I’m doing what I wanted to do from the time I was a little girl, which is really fulfilling.

That’s awesome. So my next question is what was it about Claudia that made you want to play her? I mean, I think she’s an amazing character and you do a fabulous job. But from your perspective, reading her, what was it that intrigued you?

Scagliotti: I love how smart Claudia was. And I love that the writers didn’t apologize for her intelligence ever. You know, in Claudia’s first episode, this is a girl who had lived on her own for a decade, had been through some really dark times in a mental institution, was searching desperately for her brother to save him from that inter dimensional space he was caught in and was doing it all on her own without any help.

And so here was – here’s this really independent, really intelligent, really funny dark sarcastic, and also deeply insecure, scared, vulnerable character. And I rejoiced in a role so real because – I’ve mentioned this on panels before, I mentioned this in other interviews, it’s so rare for a role for a young actress to come around that isn’t too dimensional.

I mean, I’ve lost parts based on bra size. I’ve gotten feedback that, you know, I wasn’t pretty enough for the role that was being cast. But that’s the nature of this industry. It’s a superficial business. And I just – I love the character that was so full and so real and so much like myself and not just a pair of legs and lips and a giggle and a hair flip.

I think that’s fantastic. And if you – let’s see, if you could pick how, you know, wh- anything that Claudia could do in the next couple years, is there some sort of progression that you would like to see happen to her? Or you just sort of leave that up to the writers?

Scagliotti: You know, it’s always up to the writers. I think I’ve – as I spoke before, I’d really love to see Claudia go Dark Willow. I – you know, I think it’s maybe been earned for her to go to the dark side a little bit. But it’s – only to come back, you know, not be evil ever going down the line but to be…

((Crosstalk))

…that a little bit.

Scagliotti: Yes, to lose herself a little bit in the darkness that lives insider her, because she does have that and we acknowledged several times this season, I think we’ve already done it in episode two that Claudia was in an institution and it effects her to this day. You’re going to see that in the next episode, in episode six.

It’s a really kind of violent scene that it addresses where Claudia’s deepest fear is and it’s really cool to explore.

With Warehouse 13 in its third season, what do you think it is that keeps you hooked? Is it the mystery of what’s in the warehouse or the skill of the agents? What do you think is the key factor?

Scagliotti: I think it’s the relationships between the characters. I think it’s the fact that we are a sort of misfit family unit that people can somehow relate to. We get feedback all the time from families who watch the show together or from, you know, young people, older people alike, and I think we have a really diverse audience and it’s because it’s relatable in some way.

You know, we’re not being chased by aliens in space and while that’s fun to watch, I think that’s more of a fantastical escapist sort of entertainment then our show. I mean, our show is a lot of fantasy and it’s a great way to sort of escape from the perils of what, you know, our country and our times have become that what I think is so relatable about the show is our characters and the sort of brotherly love and tension between Pete and Myka and the father/daughter master apprentice relationship between Artie and Claudia and then the whole family together.

You know, in addition to the artifacts and the action, I’ll admit of the show being exciting and fun to watch. I think the reason people come back is to view this family that they’ve grown to love.

Right. And something that I thought was really awesome and really special was when you said that you are only 20 years old because you are such a young actress and you are already living out your dream.

So as such a young actress who has had such a versatile career already in terms of doing films and starring in television roles, what do you see in the future of your career? Is there type of genre or area that you’d like to focus in in acting?

Scagliotti: I can honestly say that I want to do everything. I want to do films. I want to do more TV. I want to do transmedia. I just never want to stop. I mean, you know, it is true I’m living out my dream but I think that I don’t – I will never be satisfied with just, you know, the next project. I’m constantly thinking of what else I’d like to do.

I was talking to a friend yesterday and he said, well you know, ‘What is success to you, Allison, and what do you want?’ And I said, ‘I honestly – I want – I don’t just want the roles to come to me, I want to pick the roles that I want. I want to create them and I want to, you know, if I hear about a movie that’s happening, I want to be a contender. I want to put myself in the running for it and succeed,’ which I think a lot of – a lot – of actors can say. But I’m hungry. I’m ready for it.

I was wondering, is it more fun being a pointy-eared elf or an enhanced princess?

Scagliotti: Oh my god. I don’t want to spoil that for the fans. The elf – you know, the thing with playing an elf is that – so pointy ears was really good, right? I had to be – that putting on those ears was an hour and a half process and that was before the hair and makeup.

So I had – there were a lot of mornings filming that episode where I had to be in at, like, 4:00 a.m. which meant, you know, getting up at 3:00 and going to bed early and oh god.

But it was really fun. You know, the hardest part was running around in those fancy gold heels while they pumped dry ice through the stage. A lot of us fell. A lot of us got hurt. A lot of us got bruised up during the filming, but I think all of that madcap energy really shows.

Yes, it’s a great screen episode. But when you saw the script, did you turn to Ian and say, ‘Okay, what’s the deal? What are you thinking?’

Scagliotti: No, not at all. I mean, I – you know, I love what Ian writes and I love the way he writes my character actually. I think that Ian being our youngest writer in the room really kind of just gets my voice and so I’m always excited to see what he writes next for me.

But he apologized to me over and over about the ears and how that cut into my sleep. But I really couldn’t fault him for it because they looked great and it was a lot of fun, so.

Were you surprised by the whole idea that he came up with with you guys existing in the game? Or did you just think, well that makes sense that he would write that?

Scagliotti: I – no, it made sense coming from Ian. I mean, given that, you know, our writer Ian Stokes also wrote the, you know, first crossover last season with Rene Auberjonois and the computer system sort of taking over the warehouse. So I’d say this is definitely in his wheel house.

So you – and you get to sing and play in the episode – play the guitar. Are we going to see an album any time?

Scagliotti: No, no. I mean, listen, never say never. But at the moment I just play a lot of covers. I just bought my first bass I’m really excited about. And I’ve been playing it non-stop. I think I’m kind of a natural at it.

But, you know, I’m – one day when I’m ready, I’ll be writing and we’ll see where that takes me. I – right now I don’t know. I’m just doing it for fun.

Are you self-taught or were you taking lessons for the guitar or?

Scagliotti: Both. I taught myself – I started teaching myself five years ago and I just started taking lessons regularly about a year ago. So I’m back into it now that I’m back in LA.

Does this mean that you’ll probably be asking – or offering up more ideas and seeing if you get to do all your little fantasy things you want to do on the show?

Scagliotti: Oh, you know it. I never stop.

And I wanted to tell you now when I heard that you said you’re obsessed with Wilfred, I thought I knew I loved this girl and now it’s even more. It’s a great show.

Scagliotti: Oh great because that show is so foul and just hilarious.

Yes, it is. Do you ever look at dogs now and wonder, okay, I wonder what’s going on in his head?

Scagliotti: Oh, I always wonder a lot about my dog. I think that – first of all, my dog thinks she’s an actress. And maybe she is. I mean, she, you know, she definitely knows how to use her cuteness to get what she wants. So maybe I could take a lesson from her.

All right. Now my last question is sort of a serious one about Claudia. She’s sort of more willing then ever now to talk about her past. And in this episode she has to face up to her fears. Do you think doing those kinds of cathartic scenes sort of helps you work things out in your personal life too?

Scagliotti: Always.

Just like…

Scagliotti: I think that’s ultimately why being an actor works for me, is as a kid, it was a way for me to express what I was going through with a, you know, a troubled home life or with depression about where I was living and my school. And it was a way to express myself safely behind the mask of a character.

So, you know, playing those cathartic Claudia scenes is the same. It’s just – it’s telling the Allison truth within the context of a character, as (Zol) would ultimately say, because I think the best performances are ones that come from a place of truth and vulnerability, so I try to bring that to Claudia as much as I can. It’s rewarding. It’s fun to play these cathartic heavy scenes.

Hey, Claudia, thanks for doing this – Allison.

Scagliotti: My pleasure.

I’ve been listening to this…

Scagliotti: It’s all right. I answer to both.

And this – the – anyway, we’ve talked a lot about Don’t Hate the Player and the fantasy aspect. In the B part of the story, Artie and Jinxy encounter the dirty FBI agent whose name escapes me at the moment, that we’ve seen earlier. I’m just wondering will Claudia encounter her at some point? And is there anything you can tease about that?

Scagliotti: You know, as a matter of fact, Claudia and Sally Stukowski) never meet at any point in this season. However, what you will come to realize in upcoming episodes is that (Pecalski) does not remain the villain. She’s definitely working for someone as we probably already established that at this point.

And it goes even deeper then what we’re sort of letting on now. And Claudia does become involved in the villain storyline in this episode. It deeply effects here at the end of the season. But she doesn’t actually meet the main puppet master ever.

So even though she doesn’t meet either the agent or the fellow in the back of the car, they play a large part in big pivotal moments in her life in the final episode of the season?

Scagliotti: Yes, absolutely. The action was – (unintelligible) the way that they enjoy the warehouse and everyone in it. It affects all of us.

Great. I get the last question. I’ll give you this one because actually my mom told me to ask you this because she watches it too.

Scagliotti: Okay.

She says is there a kind of character that you’d like to play that you haven’t yet?

Scagliotti: Yes, I’d like to do a period piece. I’d like to do something totally different from anything I’ve ever done. I – you know, and let me qualify that by saying period, like another century, because I’ve done 1980’s period stuff twice now which is fun but it’s not as challenging. All I have to do is sort of leave my cell phone at home and bring my music sensibility to the set and I’m good to go.

But I’d love to do like a sort of Game of Thrones-style period or a, you know, or even like early 1900s, not – you know, not going as far back as (unintelligible). I kind of just want to do it all. I want to stretch my boundaries, I guess as an actor.

((Crosstalk))

…that a little bit.

It’s a really kind of violent scene that it addresses where Claudia’s deepest fear is and it’s really cool to explore.