Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
We’re excited to be speaking today with celebrated actress extraordinaire Catherine Lough Haggquist; greetings and salutations, Catherine! Before we begin kicking the proverbial tin can down the dusty entertainment road, how has the first half of 2022 been treating you?
2022 is off to a great start! It began with me working with some of my favourite collaborators on the 3rd and final season of Motherland: Fort Salem and has transitioned into some new and exciting projects for me both as an actor and as an educator!
Congratulations on your beautiful work in the hit series Motherland: Fort Salem which just kicked off its final season on Freeform! For those not in the know and very late to the party, can you explain what Motherland is about and how your character of Petra Bellweather figures into the proceedings?
Motherland: Fort Salem is a fantasy re-imagining of the world that would have resulted if the United States had tried to harness the power of witches rather than snuff it out. It is a world meant to link up with our current timeline and yet, due to the signing of the Salem Accord, witches and the US Government have come to terms, and the US is protected by a military with witch leadership at the helm. In season one my character, Petra Bellweather, is a high ranking General and also the mother of a new conscript who has just been called up, Abigail. Through the 3 seasons, Petra engages in the political machinations of the country, the military and her family.
As you were filming the latest season of Motherland: Fort Salem, did you and the rest of the cast and crew know that this would be the final chapter in this fan-favorite series?
Yes, we were VERY lucky to be given notice that season 3 would be our last. It gave the writers the opportunity to craft an exciting ending that brings the journey of the first 2 seasons to what we hope will be a really satisfying conclusion for the fans.
How are you similar to your character of Petra? How are you different?
I think I share many of Petra’s qualities and aspire to many more. We share an observing and analytical nature and a boldness in speaking our minds. Where we differ – and I aim to become more like her – is in her bravery and patience.
What’s it been like working alongside such a brilliant ensemble in Motherland: Fort Salem? It truly is one of the best casts on television at the moment!
The cast AND crew have been some of the greatest folks I have ever had the privilege to work with. I truly feel that I will know many of these people for the rest of my days and the real loss I know I will feel this Fall is not reuniting with them en masse to get back to our wonderful little Motherland world.
What has made Freeform the perfect home for Motherland: Fort Salem?
I think Freeform is a very progressive, diverse and inclusive platform that is devoted to amplifying the stories of the under or mis-represented. I think Motherland: Fort Salem ticks all the boxes of what they value and endorse.
Series finales by and large have a reputation for having difficulties sticking their landings and satisfying fans. What are your thoughts on the final episode of Motherland: Fort Salem?
Our fans are so devoted that I think nothing short of a renewal reprieve for the show will satisfy them. That said, they are also aware of how much we value THEM and so I hope that they will receive the last episodes in the spirit we made them…an offering of gratitude for their support that we poured our hearts into.
Your first credited on-screen work came in the form of the 1992 television movie A Killer Among Friends. Any special memories of that freshman project?
My main memory from that show was it was the one and only time I played a teenager…and I was in my 20s at the time. And that I was struck by the cruelty of the girls who actually committed the murder of their former friend.
You are the envy of all of us nerds for your turn as Dr. Richmond on an episode of the classic series The X-Files. Has that show’s longevity surprised you?
I think that people’s fascination with the “unexplained” began long before The X-Files but the mastery of their storytelling made it iconic in addressing these types of questions in an interesting, layered and mysterious way. While Dr. Richmond was a relatively small part, the fans are so devoted that I still get asked about it regularly.
How did you wind up upon the path of being an actress? Is there a Secret Origin Story you could share with us?
There really is no secret origin story. I was reading at 3 and by that time, I loved reading to other people and having an audience. Growing up in small towns in Alberta and Saskatchewan, I never thought of acting as a career and it was only after we moved back to Vancouver and I graduated high school that I discovered it was really a possible career opportunity. I had done some modelling in high school and so a couple of commercials came my way but those still felt like “events” and not something I could do as a “job”. Once I lucked into being in the right place at the right time to get the opportunity to be Holly Robinson-Peete’s stand in on 21 Jump Street, the stars aligned. The old saying is that “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. I am so fortunate that I declared my readiness and my teachers presented themselves to me. From the first day I walked on the set, I paid attention to everything going on around me and to the people who offered me advice and the benefit of their experiences.
Directing-wise, is there anyone specific that you would enjoy working with on a film or television project?
I would love to work with Jodie Foster again. We worked together as actors on Elysium and I found her to be so fun, kind and engaging that I would love to work on a project where she was directing as I think it would be a really awesome and collaborative process.
Speaking of directing, do you foresee a day when you might enjoy directing? Is this something that intrigues you?
Directing intrigues me and I am curious about doing it but I think my personality and skill sets lead me more to creative producing. I appreciate the focus that directors need to have moment to moment on the creative fulfillment of the story but the producers have their fingers in a variety of pies and shift from task to task… or have as some have described it to me, jumping from fire to fire. I think that would be fun.
Final – SILLY! – Question: Favorite movie about making movies – The Big Picture, Swimming with Sharks, Barton Fink or Ed Wood?
Rebel that I am, I am going off-list and say that for me, it is a tie between Wag the Dog and The Player. In some ways they both seem even more relevant now than they did when they were made!
Facebook:@TheCatLH | Twitter:@TheCatLH | Instagram: @TheCatLH
