***The following contains spoilers for episode five***

Tonight’s new episode of Orphan Black, “Do I Know You,” finally sheds some light on why Kira (Keeley Hawes) created the printouts, with flashbacks of her time with Eleanor Miller, who would later become her wife and mother to their son. After some devastating news that Eleanor has developed early onset Alzheimer’s, Kira starts work on research for duplicating neurons.  When the transplant is unsuccessful and Eleanor passes, Kira goes to Paul Darros (James Hiroyuki Liao) and agrees to create a bio-printed human as a way to bring back her beloved.

Rya Kihlstedt, who plays the elder version of Eleanor recently spoke with SciFi Vision about joining the cast of the series. While the actress did play in a way a different version of the same character as both Krysten Ritter and Amanda Fix, since she came into the middle of the season, she more had to create her own version of the character. “As far as Amanda and Krysten, really, we talked about it, and mostly I just watched them,” the actress explained to the site. “They were already in and working. So, in some ways, it was my job to pick up what they did, what they had started, and then figuring out how to kind of have it feel subtle and…just enough that even if people weren't conscious [of it], it drew a line.”

Kihlstedt added that she spent most of her time with Hawes. “She and I spent time getting to know each other so we felt like we could build a marriage, a believable history of marriage together,” she told SciFi Vision.

One of the things that was difficult about playing Eleanor was that she doesn’t always remember all of her own history. “I had moments where I did a lot of asking, ‘Does it matter? Do I need to know what [I have] remembered here? Do I remember that I’d forgotten?’” Explained Kihlstedt. However, she realized after that it didn’t always matter, and she needed to just let it go. “It was really complicated, but I had a lot of people to lean on and to ask questions to,” she added.

For more from Kihlstedt, watch the full interview or read the transcript below, and catch new episodes of Orphan Black: Echoes Sundays on AMC or BBC America. The series is also available to stream on AMC+.




SCIFI VISION:   Had you watched the original series before this? Because, obviously, this is the big reveal, and you're pretty important in the in the scheme of things.

RYA KIHLSTEDT:   I had watched a lot of of the original, and I had watched a little bit before I got this, but when I got this, I went back. You know, I want to know what I'm walking into and where they're building from and coming from. I mean, this is a different show.

Yes, definitely.

It builds on themes. It builds on the beginnings of - I feel like, if we get picked up for a second season, and we're allowed to continue, I feel like a second season could lean more into where the original went, where John [Fawcett] took the original, but I feel like, for this, Anna [Fishko] took it back and started in a different place and started examining different stories. In some ways, the least of them - I hope this comes off right - the least of them is the clone issue, which is a huge part of it, but she also really looks at the heart of it, and marriage and relationships and lies and aging, and dementia really on top of the cloning. I feel like by the end of [episode] ten, the cloning has kind of come to the forefront.

Yeah it kind of circles back around.

Yes, exactly.

So, did you work at all with Krysten and Amanda to sort of get her as the same person, with the same mannerisms, that kind of thing at all? Or did you all sort of do your own own version?

I think we all sort of did our own version. I didn't start till episode five. So, by the time I came, it was a little like being invited to the party late. [laughs] So, I felt a little like - I mean, I got cast and flew up for hair and makeup tests when they were shooting episode, I want to say it was one, maybe two, so they were already in and running. So, by the time I got there, I really spent time with Keeley, getting to know her. She and I spent time getting to know each other so we felt like we could build a marriage, a believable history of marriage together. And as far as Amanda and Krysten, really, we talked about it, and mostly I just watched them. They were already in and working. So, in some ways, it was my job to pick up what they did, what they had started, and then figuring out how to kind of have it feel subtle and not being pointed to and just enough, just enough that even if people weren't conscious, it drew a line.

That makes sense. So, if you played a bunch of different versions, I'd probably be asking you if you could keep them separate, but I’m going to ask you sort of the opposite question. Since she does not remember, as time goes on, different things, was it hard to sort of, I guess, remember at what point in time you are and how much of her backstory [she remembers]? I don't even know if you need to know that, but just, as an actress, was that hard to sort of keep that separated? If that makes sense, the way I asked that?

No, it totally makes sense. And I actually spent a lot of time working and thinking through and getting really confused...because I also had two Eleanors that I was playing. I ended up calling her the OG and then there's the new one.

And then it's even more confusing!

And I had moments where I did a lot of asking, “Does it matter? Do I need to know what have I remembered here? Do I remember that I’d forgotten? Do I know there's a gap? Do I know that I've started from zero as the old [version]?” So there were a lot of questions. Sometimes I would get on set and say to the director, or to Anna, whoever was there, sometimes I was trying to put too much. I would realize that it it actually, you know, let it all go. It doesn't matter. She doesn't need to know that; the audience doesn't need to know that, just trust, just trust being there. Because sometimes it really felt like I was trying to be really thoughtful and how much do I keep in, the fact that I know something's going on with her? Have I forgotten? It was really complicated, but I had a lot of people to lean on and to ask questions to.

Do you find the more emotional stuff to be harder, or do you lean into that? Because obviously a lot of this is really devastating for her and for Kira. Do you find that more difficult than kind of worrying about all the other stuff?

You know, as an actor, I always answer that question that it depends on the scene, how grounded or well written, or, you know, sometimes it's just not at all. The truth is, most of those scenes that I had were with Keeley, and half the time with Keeley, the most incredible thing about working with her is I've done all my work. I can kind of let go of it all. What stays stays, and look at her. She's so incredibly present and available and just beautiful to work with that we both felt, for the most part, that I think we were in great hands with each other.

Now I'm going to quickly ask you a silly question. Obviously, in this episode, you die, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Is it hard to lay there and not move? [laughs]

Yes, yes. It's so hard. And to hear Keeley and what she's going through and what she's feeling and to really lay there and let all your muscles just go, try not to breathe, try not to show it, I mean, you know, it's not the hardest of the things I do, but listening to Keeley just weep is so devastating.

Yeah, it’s probably hard not to react to, I'm sure…Is there anything you're allowed to tease about the rest of the season for your character?

I don't know what I'm allowed to [say]. I just had such an incredible time working with this group of women, and if I had the opportunity to get a second season, I would be thrilled. That's really what I'll say. To work with Keeley and Amanda and Anna and our directors and writers, we were lucky. That was a great gift.