IGN Interview with Georgina Haig

Having grossed well over a billion dollars and becoming a huge cultural milestone in the process — the soundtrack is still in the top 20 albums, nearly a year later — Frozen quickly cemented itself and its characters in the public eye. So what’s it like playing the live-action version of the Disney icon at the center of it all?

During a visit to the set of Once Upon a Time this week, I was among a group of journalists who spoke to Georgina Haig (Fringe) about taking on the role of Elsa on the ABC series and becoming part of such a notable franchise. We also spoke about what’s to come for the character on Once and her reaction to the presence of the Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell) – her long lost aunt, who has the same abilities as Elsa. Plus, could the Frozen characters stay on Once Upon a Time beyond their big storyline this fall?

Question: What’s the whirlwind been like of taking on this role and the significance of it at this moment in time? Has the reaction been insane?

Haig: Yeah, it has been insane because Frozen is so recent and it’s in everyone’s minds. Everyone’s kids are going to Frozen parties.

Just to be thrown into this role… and I was really thrown into it. I auditioned, a week later I was here and we were shooting. It all happened really, really fast. So it was a little nerve-wracking at first thinking about the responsibility of taking on such a beloved character and a character so many people identify with. But it’s been really fun and I was very supported here. It’s been good but very overwhelming in many ways.

Question: Have you tried going to lunch around here in costume? [Editor’s Note: Haig was in the full Elsa costume during our conversation with her]

Haig: I know, I wouldn’t dare! When we film in Steveston, we’re in an actual town and often there are people that come to watch or just townsfolk. One time I was standing in the street doing a scene and this little girl was going to the dentist and she looked so upset. Obviously kids don’t particularly like going to the dentist. She looked up and I was just sort of staring at her because I was like maybe if I wave, she’ll feel better. She got my eye and I was like, “Hi!” and she was just [mimes gasping “Elsa!”] With the kids it’s like seeing Santa Claus or something because they watch the films over and over. It’s cool getting to be that when I’m in the outfit. When I’m out of the outfit, I think I look very different. It’s such a transformation. Two hours in hair and make up and the outfit it’s so iconic so it’s fun to get to transform so much.

Question: What are we going to see in terms of Elsa’s search for the Snow Queen in Storybrooke and what’s her relationship going to be like with her?

Haig: For Elsa to meet any new member of her family is a huge deal because she’s an orphan and her and Anna really only had each other, so just having a family member is an incredible discovery, let alone someone with her powers. The reason Elsa feels so isolated and alone is because she knows no one else with her powers. She doesn’t know anyone else like her so she feels like a freak and she feels like she doesn’t fit in. So meeting someone like her, it’s quite a revelation and she starts to look at herself in a different way like maybe this is a good thing I can embrace instead of being afraid of it.

Question: How much confrontation might there be between them?

Haig: Well, like relatives in real life, sometimes things can be complicated. It’s funny, because in the Storybrooke world she has such a different relationship with her to the Arendale world, because obviously she’s approaching it from two different sets of realities and memories. That’s been really fun to get to play. But either way, in both worlds, she’s drawn to her – even though in the Storybrooke world she is mistrusting, she’s still drawn to her because she’s like her and she’s never met anyone like her. I guess she still feels like she could learn from this person.

Question: In Storybrooke we’ve seen Elsa has made allies, but obviously other people haven’t been as trusting. Is she going to make some more friends or some more enemies?

Haig: They’re such a welcoming group. They just sort of adopt people. It’s quite nice for Elsa. Obviously, she becomes friends with Emma very quickly because they bond over the fact that they have this shared, uncontrollable power and that’s sort of lovely for both of them that they can share in those difficulties. But the whole group really, they all kind of gather around her and decide to work together to help solve this problem and to help find Anna. For her, it’s a bit like stepping into a little family. It’s sort of a bit of a shock. She’s not used to so many people being so loving in that way. She’s used to probably a bit more distance being a queen in Arendale. But obviously she doesn’t feel like she completely fits in and she’s missing basically her soul mate, Anna, so it’s difficult. But it’s a lovely group of people to get to help you out with something.

Question: Do you see your storyline being more of a closed ended one or do you see these characters sticking around? They’re obviously very popular with people, not only because of what’s happening now but they’re really resonating in the larger scale and fitting in with the gang.

Haig: Well, I don’t know. I think normally if characters were this popular, they might have that chance that they’d stick around, but because of the whole Frozen franchise, I don’t know if this is a different story – like Disney probably have certain ideas for their franchise that may or may not include the characters being able to live on in the show for an indefinite amount of time. So I don’t know. It’s probably an interesting conversation that will be happening with Disney and ABC.

Question: Maybe a spinoff?

Haig: I heard those rumors and I just don’t know. I don’t know if Disney would let the franchise just sort of continue in that way knowing that they would probably do a Frozen 2 at some point. So, it’s a big mystery and perhaps someone else can answer that. I would love to know!

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/19/once-upon-a-time-georgina-haig-on-becoming-elsa-and-if-the-frozen-characters-could-stick-around