ALIAS mag - Lena news

[sdmix]

on abc.com they said that the new/next issue of ALIAS magazine had the latest information on Lena. does anyone here get the magazine? and WHAT DID IT SAY?!?!?!?!

 

[verdantheart]

Someone asked this in the Yahoo forum when AllAlias went down and I transcribed it (returns added by system):

Lena Olin seems unlikely to reprise her pivotal role as Sydney Bristow's mother Irina Derevko despite the efforts of Alias Producers [sic] and an organized fan campaign.

The Oscar-nominated actress joined Alias in its second season as the mother of Jennifer Garner's heroine Sydney Bristow. Earlier this year she scooped a Best Supporting Actress Emmy nomination for her performance. However, Creator and Eecutive Producer J.J. Abrams has announced that efforts to bring Olin back for the show's third season have so far failed. "After doing everything we possibly could,
including meeting the agents' requests, Lena ultimately decided it wasn't the right time for her to return to the show," said Abrams in an official statement released by ABC.

Fans had organized a campaign seeking Olin's return to Alias. Laura Picazo, fo the bring Back Lena campaign (www.bringbacklena.com), argued that Olin's absence from the third season "has left a void in the show and in the hearts of viewers." The campaigners raised money and ran a full page ad in The Hollywood Reporter. They stated that, "All excess funds will be donated to a charity fo Lena Olin's
choice."

In an excluseive interview with Alias Magazine, series creator J.J. Abrams addressed Lena Olin's absence. "Part of it is she had just done a season, shed' just gone back to New York and was with her family... I think she might have needed a break," said Abrams. "For wjatever reason, it wasn't the right time for her to come back. When
we spoke she was incredibly enthusiastic about coming back. Managers and agents can often make things more complicated than they need to be. Based on our conversation, there's no reason to believe that there isn't something that can't be figured out at some point."

Alias star Jennifer Garner publicly praised Olin's casting in a recent edition of Australian newspaper The Sunday Herald Sun. "She IS Sydney's mother. I mean, she's incredibly sexy, smart, she is all heart, but she can be completely cold, and she is agile."

Olin herself noted that her role as Derevko was winning her greater attention. "It's funny and so strange being on TV," she said. "I've been doing this for so long, but I'm getting so much more attention now and things to choose from. It's ridiculous." When asked about a return for Alias' third season, Olin said, "There are other things I want to do, other projects."

Although Olin appears unwilling to return at present, Abrams says that the show remains "hopeful that things will work out in the future." He says that Irina Derevko "remains a critical piece of the puzzle."

I added this:

Hope I didn't introduce too many typos. Go get the magazine. It's a good fan zine.

My comments:

Reading between the lines, Abrams is very cannily keeping the door wide open and refusing to say anything negative about Ms Olin ("It's not the right time")--and he's kind of stuck anyway; he needs her. Meanwhile Ms Olin is apparently getting tons of offers--admittedly as a result of her turn on Alias, BTW--and has decided against committing to even the brief period of time that it takes to shoot a guest spot. She certainly could take a long vacation before a spot at the conclusion of the season. I cannot argue with the casting of the role, but I will reiterate: perfect casting does not compensate for an actress who is not present for the final act. (But perhaps she will eventually deign to show, perhaps not. You'd think she really WERE Russian ... perhaps she let her role go to her head, lol.) Mr Garber knew that he was signing on for a continuing character and was willing to take that into consideration before signing on--he has discussed the fact working in television meant that he had to
consider the ramifications of committing to potentially "living with a character" for several years. And even though Ms Olin was signing a short-term contract, she knew that the character was potentially not (probably knew it was almost certainly not) a short-term character. It is certainly her contractual right to move on. However ... draw what conclusions you like.

Hope that helps. Meanwhile, moving this to Lena Olin forum . . .

 

[sdmix]

thanks for the reply. well i'm still keeping my hopes up. she HAS to return eventually.

 

[garnergarnish]

i am a loyal subscriber to the alias magazine and suggest you become one as it is the best fanzine out there, included the buffy and angel ones i read with jaw open about ms olin as i can't believe anyone could turn down such an opportunity. but hey family gets in the way and us loyalists will have to do without syd's mom. hopefully JJ will entice her back :

 

[verdantheart]

but hey family gets in the way

Here she was saying:

"There are other things I want to do, other projects."

 

[happybirthday2me]

I agree one should really think things through especially when joining a show with such a pivotal role-as the main characters mother.Hopefully she will come back-season 3 has been lacking without her