Beauty And The Beast , the new version of the ’80s US show vaguely inspired by the classic fairytale (for instance, there were no cops or mobile phones in the fairy tale) starts tomorrow in the UK on Watch at 9pm.
Former Smallville star Kristin Kreuk plays Catherine Chandler, a detective who nine years ago witnessed her mother being shot the same night she is saved from her mother´s murderers by a mysterious man-beast. Her latest case leads her to Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan), an ex-soldier, allegedly killed in action. In fact, he was the subject of experiments that bring out the worst in him… But despite the obstacles a bond grows between them.
Here Kristin Kreuk talks about how much she’s enjoying her latest role, and the success it’s already been in the States:
What do you love most about working on Beauty And The Beast ?
Kristin Kreuk: “I love working with the cast and the crew. This is a group of people that can sit and talk about the show and how to make it better, how to make the stories work, how do we make each scene as dynamic as possible. The producers have been really open to collaborating with us, which doesn’t always happen, so I feel very lucky that we can really bombard them with ideas and they’ll take it in.”
How does Catherine rationalise her relationship with Vincent?
“After Catherine’s mom dies her sense of justice is incredibly profound. Vincent is the ultimate injustice in her mind. She sees a man who has gone through so much and even though she knows he’s not right for her, deep down she knows she can’t walk away from him.”
What similarities do Catherine and Vincent Share?
“They both want to help other people to avoid the tragedies they both went through. As their relationship develops and they become more relaxed in each other’s company we start to see their humorous sides come out as they become more playful with one another.”
How important is the procedural element on Beauty And The Beast ?
“The crime element of the show is prevalent in every episode and provides an interesting take on the traditional story of Beauty And The Beast . We have two female cops that work together who are kind of opposites, so this does end up providing a lot of the show’s humour.”
Are there universal themes in Beauty And The Beast that international audiences can relate to?
“ Beauty And The Beast is about love. A love you build with somebody over time despite difficulties. It’s about looking past a person’s looks and chequered past to see their inner beauty.”
Is there an item from Catherine’s wardrobe that you feel identifies your character?
“Catherine is interesting because she is not a style girl. So for her it’s all about practicality. Catherine has a relaxed attitude to fashion but she likes comfort above all things – a good flat boot so you can run and hurt people if you need to.”
What has been the fan reaction to Beauty And The Beast ?
“People are already very intense about the show and we’ve only a few episodes in America and Canada so they’re responding well so far. They love Catherine and Vincent together. They like all the mythology and they want to know how everything develops. They’re rooting for the characters to be together, which is great, so they seem to like it.”
