We sit down with the leading lady of new blockbuster film “The Trotsky”, Emily Hampshire. The Canadian actress is making her mark on the big screen and if you didn’t recognize her face, you’ll definitely recognize her voice from cartoons like “Braceface” and “Ruby Gloom”

Did you always think you’d go into acting?
EH: Yes and no. Acting was just something I’d always done – from playing pretend with my dolls, to acting in plays at my high school, to eventually getting paid to act, so I never really thought of ‘getting into it’ as a profession until I found myself at 20 years old with nothing but a headshot and a resume and no formal education to speak of. That was when I realized…this was all I could do as a profession. So I HAD to make this ‘acting thing’ work or else I was f**ked. So far, I’ve been lucky and have been able to make my living doing the same thing I did when I was 13.

What was your first big role and how did you prepare for it?
EH: My first film role was in a movie called Dead Innocent where I played
Genvieve Bujold’s daughter. In retrospect, I can see that I ‘prepared’ for it in much the same way as I work now, but back then I don’t think I realized that fantasizing about Genevieve being my mother, imagining what would happen if I WAS kidnapped (I was abducted in the movie) or being interested in how my on-screen room was decorated…etc. was a way of ‘preparing’. I just like to immerse myself in the story and daydream about it and that was (and is, for the most part) my preparation.

Describe your experience starring alongside Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman?
EH: They were both shining examples of what I consider TRUE ’star-quality’. They were two of the most generous actors I’ve worked with and I’ve come to realize that the REAL BIG stars usually are like that. They don’t have anything to prove and are so unbelievably gracious and kind and treat you like a peer from the get go. And that was Sigourney and Alan. I mean, Alan still checks in with me once a month and he came to a screening of The Trotsky in Tribeca. Sigourney never has a premiere in LA that she doesn’t think to invite me to… It’s CRAZY, I have close friends who aren’t even that nice to me. [laughs]

What was it like voicing a cartoon character?
EH: Oh that’s the best job in the world. You can get out of bed and go to the studio in your pj’s with bed-head, make silly voices for an hour and get paid a ridiculous amount of money for doing it. Then at Christmas all your little nephews and nieces think you’re the coolest girl in the world because you can make your voice sound like Misery from Ruby Gloom (they don’t actually believe that you ARE Misery’s voice though, because that doesn’t make sense. Misery has her OWN voice…obviously).

How did it feel to be recognized with a Gemini award for your role in “Made
in Canada”?
EH: Well it didn’t feel bad. It’s always nice when people like your work, so to be recognized in that way is pretty awesome.

Let’s talk about your role as Alexandra in “The Trotsky”, how did that come about?
EH: Jacob Tierney (writer/director) and I have been friends for…over a decade now. He originally wanted me to play Caroline (one of the teenagers) in the movie, however, by the time the movie got the green light this awful thing happened to me called…AGING (gasps), so when it was clear that I could no longer play ‘high school’ anymore I slid into the ‘older-woman’ role of Alexandra.

How was this role more challenging than roles you’ve played in the past?
EH: Before The Trotsky, I tended to be cast in more ‘quirky’ character roles, so I found it a real challenge -albeit a welcomed one- to play the straightforward ‘leading lady’ part.

Do you generally enjoy playing the love interest?
EH: When the person ‘interested’ in me is Jay Baruchel. Yes! Yes I do indeed.

Now that you’re out in LA, what do you miss most about Canada?
EH: Jacob and Jay… and the Canadian crew. I feel like I have a community of creative people in Canada that I’m lucky to be part of, and I don’t have that as much in LA. So I miss that and it’s the reason why I’m always happiest when working in Canada.

What films/TV shows can we expect to see you in next?
EH: I just finished filming another movie with Jacob Tierney called Good Neighbours (to be released under the title Notre Dame De Grace in Montreal). It’s a kind of hitchcockian murder mystery about 3 neighbours played by me, Jay Baruchel and Scott Speedman.