Jaimie Alexander Describes ‘Blindspot’ As ‘Lightning In A Bottle’
Blindspot. It begins with Jaimie Alexander emerging from a standard size duffel bag nude and tattooed, surrounded by curious police officers in the middle of New York City’s Times Square.
“You can now add contortionist to my résumé,” laughs the 31-year-old Blindspot actress. “It was such a teeny bag. And I actually had to get in there. I just remember it being really loud and really cold in Times Square that night.”
Jaimie comes to Blindspot fresh from the Marvel universe, where she played Lady Sif, first in the two Thor films, before reprising her role in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on the smaller screen. Alexander plays Jane Doe in Blindspot and, as the series opens, she finds herself with no memory of her past or what is the meaning of her tattoos, but it isn’t long before she discovers that she possesses a variety of talents and skills. As the Star reports, Jaimie’s character is multi-lingual and experienced in martial arts, but those are mild discoveries compared to the realization that her tattoos are leading her to a sizable conspiracy.
“When I first read the script I thought it was awesome,” says Alexander. “A lot of it could have come across as hokey or corny. But when you put it all together, it’s like lightning in a bottle. I saw the pilot and it turned out better than I could have imagined. Nothing is cliché.”
The Blindspot actress says her new role is nothing like her Marvel character and that fans shouldn’t expect superhero antics from Jane Doe.
“In terms of my character, she’s not a superhero, or genetically modified. She’s a regular woman. I’m five feet nine inches and 130 pounds, so I’m not going to knock someone out. It needs to be elbows and shoulders and very realistic and instinctive.”
Ms. Alexander revealed to E! News that the tattoo artwork seen to cover her entire body in the premiere took a full seven hours to complete and, while that process isn’t completed in its entirety for every Blindspot episode, there is still a long, tedious process involved.
“Every single day I put on the arms and then chest up,” Jaimie Alexander revealed. “And the neck and part of my back…Typically, I’m in the forearms and the chest up, which takes like an hour and a half.”
The next episode of Blindspot airs on Monday, September 28, on NBC.
[Featured image: Jaimie Alexander courtesy of Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for TNT LA]
