Marvel's Agents of SHIELD actress Elizabeth Henstridge talks about the big FitzSimmons reunion episode "Inescapable", the surprise Season 6 renewal, and more.
When you’re filming the reunion episode, when you know so many fans have been waiting to see them back together, does it have an extra weight to it while you’re shooting it? Did you personally find yourselves wanting to live up to that fan expectation?
HENSTRIDGE: No. I don’t know if the writers feel that pressure more, but as soon as we get the script, my feeling is that I just want to do the script justice. That’s where my pressure comes from. I read the script and was like, “Oh, my god, if we can do this right, FitzSimmons fans are going to love it.” I guess that’s a similar thing [to what you asked about], but I just usually start with the script. I’ll be like, “I hope I can do this justice because the writer has done his job, and now I have to do my job to do it justice.” But then, as soon as we were in there and going, it was just so easy with Iain. We clicked back into that rhythm, where it just became its own beast.
This episode is fun because you really get to explore the full arc between Fitz and Simmons. We see them from their younger years to their evil sides. How was it to explore so many sides to these characters, in one episode?
HENSTRIDGE: It was brilliant. It felt like a challenge. On day one, we were like, “Oh, my gosh, how are we going to get this all done?” But, it was great. It was nerve-wracking. I was nervous to play [evil] Simmons, and figure out what that was and how she moved. When you start approaching a character, you feel all of the pressure, thinking that it’s just you. And then, you get to set and R.J. McCasland, the special effects make-up wizard, has made a creation that was just incredible. By the time I got into the costume, and went through make-up and hair, and I got my teeth yellowed and the eye contacts, it was like I had just woken up and opened my mouth. I’ve never had so much fun. I absolutely loved her. I’ve been campaigning, every day, for her to be brought back. She’s amazing. Everyone should have the chance to play something like her because it’s very liberating. You don’t care, if she looks pretty or not. You look horrendous, and it’s much more fun. And Iain plays Leopold so well. It was nice to see him in different positions and it was nice to see him react with that character. As an actor, to get a script like that is a freakin’ dream. There was so much cool stuff to do.
When you play a character who’s so driven to find the person that she loves most in the world, and then you find him, what’s next? What can you say about where their relationship is going, for the rest of the season?
HENSTRIDGE: They’re stronger together. They’re pretty great apart, but they’re stronger together. And now that they are together, they can get moving on figuring out how to get back and get with the team. They’re reunited now, and it’s time to get to business.
