Exclusive Interview with Sweet/Vicious’ Lindsay Chambers

Charming and spirited newcomer Lindsay Chambers, known best for Couple’s Therapy and The Mindy Project, can now add her longest recurring role to date to her resume officially – as sorority sister Fiona Price on MTV’s newest hit Sweet/Vicious. The show tackles campus sexual assault and other social issues with a dose of dark humor and serious strength, while also nailing college personalities spot on.

Here’s what Chambers had to say about the experience, Fiona Price and what makes Lindsay nerdy.

When you first heard about Sweet/Vicious and the premise of it – campus sexual assault – how did you feel about a project that covers such a serious issue?

When I heard about it, I was so intrigued by the idea of a show that not only covers sexual assault, but also gives victims power and a voice. And then when I read it I fell in love. Jenn Kaytin Robinson (our brilliant, badass – can I say badass? – creator) has such a strong voice and is so naturally funny, and she handles this serious subject with respect, and responsibility. With the current college rape culture, I was excited about the prospect of being part of a show that I felt was truly important.

You play Fiona Price, one of Jules’ sorority sisters (and a hilarious one, at that – love the eye twitch winking scene!). Were you ever in a sorority? Or is this new territory for you?

(laughs) I was in a sorority! And, as a bizarre fact, I was actually in the exact same sorority as Victoria (who plays Gaby). At our first table read, we asked each other this same question, and we slowly figured out we both attended Northwestern and were both in Kappa Alpha Theta there. She had graduated the year before I got there, so we just missed each other, but it’s crazy, we lived in the same house! So yes, a lot of the rituals are familiar, and being on set sometimes really feels like I’m back in our sorority.

Will we get a chance to see more of Fiona and Gaby going forward? Should we fans have any hope for Fiona and Harris?

Fiona and Gaby stick around! I think besides being comic relief, they serve as another important point of view. Most of us know someone who has been sexually assaulted, whether we’re aware of their trauma or not, and the Zeta sisters have a journey to face in order to be there for Jules. The sisters also serve as a constant reminder of the life Jules had before and feels she never will again, giving more insight to her pain. As for Harris… I won’t give anything away, but Fiona is, as I always hope her to be, confident 😉

Sweet/Vicious has a great balance so far of dark humor and tackling some heavy issues in an empowering, taking-back-control sort of way. How is it possible to strike that kind of balance, and what’s it like for all the actors on the show trying to do that?

In college, I played Edith Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and after a rehearsal, my teacher pulled me aside and said, “Don’t forget, even in times of great tragedy, there are always moments of levity.” I think the show mimics real life in that way. It’s a TV show so obviously some things are heightened, but I really do think Jenn and the writers did and incredible job of balancing light and dark for us. As an actor who mostly is in the moments of levity on the show, I knew it was important to really let that feel like a breath, but remain in the same world. As I said, Fiona largely represents carefree fun and is almost inseparable from her best friend – so no matter how fun or silly my scenes were, my character still embodies a life Jules envies and misses. That’s all the writers; I was just living up to their story.

You’ve also appeared on The Mindy Project and worked on some shorts in the past, but this is your first regular role. How did the process of getting the part work, and what do you identify with most with Fiona?

I auditioned for the role, felt really right for it, and I guess they agreed? (laughs) Honestly, I still just feel so lucky and don’t want to peek too much behind that curtain. But I remember having a lot of fun in the audition and feeling really connected to the material and to Fiona. Sometimes it’s a little too easy for me to tap into her thought process, which is a little spacey… but mostly I identify with her deep love for her friends, her loyalty to them, and her ability to be firm when she knows she’s right. And she’s just so wonderfully confident in herself, and that’s something I admire and want to send out into the world too.

Looking ahead, what are some other projects you hope to be working on? Any dream roles? And what roles or films/shows inspired you most to be an actress?

Oh man… Westworld??? Honestly, I’m mostly hoping we get another season, and I get the opportunity to keep working on Sweet/Vicious. I also write a bit, and have a project I’m hoping to get made. As far as dream roles, I always thought playing Willy Wonka would be the best (the OG Gene Wilder version, sorry Johnny Depp), and if I were a real singer, my answer would be Eliza Doolittle, no question. I decided when I was six years old I wanted to be an actress, so I don’t really remember if it was anything specific that inspired me. But I always loved films and television and how they brought people together, to laugh or cry or see the world from a different point of view. Even before I fully understood why I thought it was important, I knew I wanted to be a part of that.

What has the experience been like with the cast and crew of Sweet/Vicious?

The best. The absolute best. I’m overwhelmed with love for each and every person who made this show possible. The cast has quickly become my people here in LA; I feel so lucky to have met them through this. The crew made me look good, the writers gave me a full character and fun moments, the editors made me funnier. (laughs) I have so much gratitude and respect for them.

As the name of our website is Talk Nerdy With Us, we like to ask – is there anything you’re nerdy about or nerd-out over?

WESTWORLD BAYBEEE you wanna talk theories, I got em. (laughs)

 

 

*Featured Image Photo Credit: Jeremiah Burton