Interview with Archie Panjabi

She’s won an Emmy for her supporting role in The Good Wife, in which she plays Kalinda Sharma, a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails, bisexual private investigator who uses her sex appeal and knee-high boots to get information from the police and the district attorney’s office. In real life, Archie Panjabi is anything but an ice queen. She talked to us about family in Kuala Lumpur, borrowing boots from her character and meeting a childhood idol.

Is this your first time in Singapore?
This is my second time. The first time I came was about ten years ago.

I’m sure that was less of a business trip.
This one’s actually to do with family. I have family here and in KL. I haven’t seen a lot of them for a long time, so this is a really good opportunity…and it’s not a bad place to come. [Laughs]

So you’ve got a little bit of time to relax?
Well, I go back in two to three weeks' time, so just a little bit of time to unwind.

Congratulations on The Good Wife being renewed for a third season! It must be a thrill.
Thank you very much. Yeah, we had an idea that it might happen, but what I‘ve learned about America is you never know until it’s formally announced.

How has it been for the last two seasons playing a character whose story develops gradually, as opposed to a character for film?
It’s a completely new adventure for me because I always thought television was easier than film. And if my last experience is anything to go by, I think television is more challenging. In a film you just have a character for two hours, and you can plot your journey and story arc, but in television you’ve got no clue where they’re going to take your character. So you’re forced to make decisions on the day, on the dot. And you have to still maintain an interest for the audience for God knows how many years. I think that’s exciting, but it’s a challenge.

So you find out on a script-by-script basis?
That’s right. I mean you have some idea. What’s so good about this show [is that] creators Robert and Michelle King experiment a lot, particularly with my character – they take a lot of risks. And if something works they’ll continue doing it, and if a character or storyline doesn’t work, they’ll get rid of it. So it’s in our interest, but it just means you can never plan or plot a character’s story.

There’s always been talk about ‘the boots’ Kalinda Sharma wears.
[Laughs] Yeah, I always wanted her to wear boots, then I found out that Michelle King was really keen to have her wearing boots as well. They gave her a certain walk, which I felt was just so right for the character. But in wearing them, I don’t know, they give you a certain confidence. Something about the fact that a lot of skin isn’t shown, but there’s still something quite sexy about wearing knee-high boots, for men and for women. [Laughs] So I have found myself borrowing her boots a couple of times. She’s got a nice wardrobe, so I’ll have a go at some of them once in a while.

Your roles in films like A Mighty Heart and Yasmin are very deep and complex. Is that what really gets you excited for a role?
I think it probably keeps me busy because I tend to get bored very quickly and I make more conflicts than are already written. I have a theory that human beings are very complex characters. Every character is grey, nobody’s good or bad, and it’s trying to find that in a character to take on board, with the different layers and different shades. It’s quite an exciting process.

You’ve also played comedy, do you find that just as interesting?
I think making people laugh in film or TV is a lot tougher, but it’s so nice to be able to do that because it’s so different from playing heavy drama. What I like about Kalinda is that she kind of has a bit of both. There are some serious moments, then some really nice comedy moments. It’s nice to have that. She’s just so sarcastic and dry, so it’s refreshing.

If it weren’t for acting, you would’ve been in business management. What do your parents say?
They were always keen for me to succeed, because they knew it was something I wanted to do, with their support or not. They were really keen for me to study and go to university. I thought doing a business degree would be at complete odds with this business. But that’s exactly what it is, a business. I always think it’s taught me a lot about how to handle and manage myself.

Have you got a special spot at home for your Emmy?
As I enter my apartment it’s on my little desk, so when I come home tired at 4am, before I can say I had such a hard day, I can look at that and go ‘Wow’.

Are you friends with the cast?
Yeah, well everyone’s based in New York. We don’t really have any time to just hang out. We hang out on set, with the crew as well. There’s a lot of laughter.

Have you been able to meet any of your acting heroes?
What’s so great about this job is you get to travel a lot. We go to LA and see a number of actors you’ve grown up watching. Because you’re in the business you can actually talk to them. You have to be very cool about it, though. We went to Monte Carlo the other day and I got to see Patrick Duffy! I can remember as a kid watching him, and he’ll always be a star to me.

You’ve had a mix of roles, but you’ve also voiced in Postman Pat! Were you a fan of it growing up?
I wouldn’t say I was a fan, but I watched a little bit of it and actually got into it after doing the voices, it’s such a cute series. I think we did about three series. [I played] the four-year-old and the mother…to be able to do all this with your voice is really good fun. You would sit around a table with the other actors, and leave maybe five seconds before doing the other character so you’re mentally switching to the other. I’ve done voice work before. Animation is something I’d love to do.

The Good Wife’s season 2 finale shows here on 20 June. Are there any little hints for those who haven’t already rushed to the internet about they can expect?
Well, as you know, Kalinda and Alicia just ‘had it out’ and didn’t leave on good terms. In the finale, the two of them are forced to work together, as you can imagine how awkward and uncomfortable that would be. We’re all working under a great deal of pressure, and it forces Alicia to spend time with Will – bearing in mind her situation, and what Will knows about Alicia’s status. There’s an interesting development between those two characters, as well as an interesting development between me and another character.

The Good Wife season two finale airs on Diva Universal Channel (StarHub Channel 522) at 9pm on 20 Jun.