Lucy in the Sky … With Killjoys

“We know nothing,” is the energetic affirmation from Aaron Ashmore and Tamsen McDonough when asked about upcoming surprises for the renewed second season of Space Channel’s smash hit, Killjoys!

Yup … the cast of Killjoys know about as much as the show’s dedicated fans, which of course, is a good thing. Show creator, Michelle Lovretta refuses to tell them anything and has kept them in the dark as much as possible about all the different twists and turns of this dynamic sci-fi series, which adds to its realism and authenticity.

“It doesn’t matter how much we beat her, she won’t say a thing!” Laughs Tamsen McDonough, who plays the voice of the ship’s computer, Lucy, at Toronto’s Fan Expo Canada, 2015.

This a rare chance to meet Lucy. Tamsen McDonough is a fiery and exuberant redhead whose mechanical voice on the show belie the actress’s playful spirit as she laughs with colleague and cast-mate, Aaron Ashmore.

Ashmore is laughing as well – as well as he should. Not only has Killjoys successfully been picked up for another season with Space Channel and SyFy South of the border, but the Space Channel booth at Fan Expo Canada has fans lined up around the corner eager to meet and chat with him and McDonough. It’s a great day for the Killjoys and this high-energy pair are having fun with their faithful fans.

There’s an obvious amount of chemistry between these two. They are smiling, cracking jokes with each other and the question about what it’s like to work with each other just has to be asked.

“We just met an hour ago.” They both reply at almost the same time, though you’d never believe them.

More laughter ensues as the conversation turns to first impressions and McDonough is asked if she thinks they should keep Ashmore. Ashmore is clearly having fun with this line of conversation and offers the following observation.

“I know, I know … better on screen than off. That’s what everyone says, right?”

The Space Channel booth green room is exploding with outright cheerfulness right now. Perhaps it’s the happiness of the renewed season, the joy of the fans, or just working at Space Channel; but everyone from the social media manager tweeting in the background to the executive producer walking in and out through the secret curtain access in the back of the green room has the biggest smile on their face. It’s like a dome of bliss has descended upon this little section of Fan Expo and at 4:00 on the last day of a tiring comic convention, it is gratefully needed.

But that’s the spirit of Killjoys for you. It’s a high-energy, pulse-pounding adventure story about people who are hooked into the main vein of life, looking for the next rush of excitement. Is it any wonder that the nature of the actors should be like their characters in real life?

“You know, I sort of got to meet him because as I was doing the voice, I got to see almost all of the show, completely done and we would communicate over the ‘net, via Twitter, you know?” McDonough adds after the chuckles have subsided.

Ashmore nods his head emphatically at this.

“It is great to put the face to the voice, though.”

McDonough beams a smile and puts her arm around her cast-mate.

“This guy was so sweet … he sent this incredible twitter message to all the cast, just saying congratulations and thank you and all that.” Tamsen adds with a playful shoulder hug.

There’s a great on-screen relationship between Johnny and Lucy. On the show, Johnny is clearly Lucy’s favourite of the Killjoys, though Lucy is an artificial intelligence and supposedly beyond such petty biases. Lucy’s electronic tones manage to hide her affection for Johnny but during times of crisis, she lets her guard down and her persuasion towards her favourite is revealed.

Ashmore remembers one of these moments.

“After I got stabbed and was asking [Lucy] for help … because how real is she? She sounded so lost and confused, because she’s never like that. She’s always so automated – so that was a really interesting slice of her personality in that you just know that there’s some humanity there and if you ever questioned it before, you know that it’s in there. That’s my favourite Lucy moment.”

Chemistry is a vastly under-rated thing in working on a show like Killjoys. After all, it is easy to be dazzled by the special effects, detailed world-building and technology and fail to notice the on-screen fluid relationship between these characters and according to Ashmore, it’s this relationship that lies at the heart of Killjoys.

“Chemistry is an intangible thing right? You can’t say what it’s going to be like when you first meet someone. But there is really interesting chemistry between all of the different characters on this show … like Dutch and Khlyen, right? I don’t think I had a single scene with Khlyen so to just to watch those dynamics and that chemistry unfold is so fantastic to see. I was so excited – more than what it was like on the page. There’s something going on there with Khlyen – not that I know the whole story there, right, but there’s definitely something to watch for with him in the upcoming season.”

Lucy’s personality is definitely something to think about, as well. When asked about Lucy’s background, McDonough shrugged.

“I don’t know very much about her. I mean, she is supposed to be based on a real person, but that’s as much as I’ve been told. It changed – originally she was supposed to be the wife of a famous chief, but apparently I wasn’t very motherly …”

Tamsen and Aaron apparently find McDonough’s lack of matronliness hilarious.

“Yeah, gotta work on that maternal …” Ashmore suggests, and more laughter continues.

It’s the laughter that really provides the framework for the interview. The people in the background are feeding off the energy of these high-energy people. They’re having a great time answering zinger questions out of left field about sci-fi influences, favourite items of technology and speculations about perhaps adapting a holographic interface to Lucy’s program so we can actually see her as well as hear her.

McDonough’s loving that suggestion, by the way.

In fact, one of the most imaginative turns of the conversation included other famous artificial intelligences in film and TV. HAL 9000 came up as well as Majel Roddenberry’s voice of the Enterprise computer from Star Trek. When asked about who she researched for the role of the Killjoys’ ship’s computer, McDonough had a surprising inspiration.

“Ooooh, that’s a good question,” she began.

There was blushing.

“I watched a couple of shows, but I have to say that I watched Knight Rider.”

There was oohing and general sounds of approval.

“My sister loved Knight Rider, so she suggested that I adopt a snarky kind of attitude. It was a really good reference.”

“That was a smart choice. That was a good way to go.” Ashmore says.

“I just got a feel for an AI that has limits to the personality but still puts that personality out there. She’s amazing as is, but if there was something to be added, I’d be for it.“

Lucy’s a pearl of great price, that’s for sure, but the most valuable aspect about these two actors is the obvious relationship between the two of them. Be it an aspect of Lucy’s special relationship with Johnny, the “intangible chemistry”, Ashmore alluded to previously, or just the fact that they’re both high-energy people playing the roles of high-octane characters set in a world that revolves around adventure; whatever it is – they’re an awesome team together.

Whatever it is, the unmistakable and clearly evidential truth is, this is an incredibly enjoyable twenty minutes – and if they’re not enjoying themselves, then they’re clearly really talented actors.

Here’s to the second season – and possible holographic interfaces.