Amy McPherson: 10 Things I learnt from playing Matta in The CW’s Pandora

Actress Amy McPherson, best known for her starring roles in the Game of Thrones Prequel, Bloodmoon, as well as her captivating portrayal of Matta in the American TV series, Pandora, has undeniably left an indelible mark on the small screen. In addition to her television success, Amy’s recent foray into film sees her star in Harvey Pearson’s latest film, In My Mind which has been nominated for various awards.

From early call times, to what not to do at a wrap party (if you have an early flight the next day), Amy provides a unique and insightful perspective on the top 10 lessons she learnt while embodying her character Matta, and the impact it has had on her personal and professional growth.

I decided to become an actress at four years old. My parents tried their best to persuade me otherwise, but I’ve always been incredibly headstrong and sure of my decisions. My mum recalls a time when I was about 3 feet tall, playing dress up in a wooden chest (completely unaware that the chest lid was about to fall on my tiny pea head), and I was point blank refusing to get out of the danger zone as I hadn’t finished putting on my (stolen) lipstick. At that point, I think they realised that they were going to struggle to convince me to go into a different career…

You only learn what it’s truly like to be an actor when you’re working on set. No amount of spiral rolls, trust falls, and deep breathing at drama school can really prepare you for the beautiful chaos of a working set. One minute you’re on the floor in a drama class giving your best physical interpretation of ‘pink mist’, and the next you’re being flown out to Bulgaria to play a very peeved-off alien whose husband is having an emotional affair with a very beautiful Earth lady…

Here are some of the things I learnt while playing Matta:

1. If you‘re working with prosthetics – prepare for an early call time! 

For some bizarre reason, I didn!t cotton on to the fact I would have to wear prosthetics daily to play Matta until I got to set. As actors, we!re used to early call times, but if you!re working with prosthetics, you!ll be called in a lot earlier than your co stars… Myself and my amazing TV husband, Ben Radcliffe, would start our days sleepy-eyed at 4am, ready to shoot at  9am.  

Being in heavy makeup also means you’re the last to leave the studio as it takes time to take it off! By the end of the shoot,  Ben and I were experts in helping the hair and makeup team get those prosthetics off at lightning speed so we could crack  open a beer and go to sleep. 

2. Blackout eye contacts will make you even more clumsy! 

An already clumsy Amy plus eye contacts that reduce your vision to 80% is a recipe for disaster on a set. It took me a good  3 hours every day to get used to my new vision and to not trip over cables or walk into doors… It!s amazing I survived. 

3. You have to get comfortable with eating alone… or with a peacock 

A lot of people don!t realise but as an actor, you spend a lot of your time in restaurants eating alone. This is down to the schedules – sometimes your co-stars are working on set when you!re not, so you have to brave the outside world, put your big girl pants on and go for dinner solo. 

At one of the hotels, I became friends with a peacock who quickly became my dinner date whenever I was alone. We had a  complicated relationship where he would try to peck my ankles unless I surrendered my biscuits to him. I wonder how he!s doing or if he has another girlfriend he!s terrorising now. 

4. Auditions don!t stop when you!re at work 

Yes, you!ll be learning hundreds of lines, working 12 hour days, sitting in hair and makeup for hours and your agent will still email you like “Hey! We have this amazing 4 scene, 12 page audition for you in an accent you!ve never done before — can you do it by tomorrow?” The hustle never stops. 

4. A good skincare routine is vital 

What a lot of people don!t realise about being an actor is how much makeup is put on your face throughout the course of a filming day. You have your first initial makeup and hundreds of #touch ups! whilst filming.

I always ensure I double cleanse with my Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm at the end of the day and smear a thick layer  of my all time favourite moisturiser, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream to ensure my skin is looking camera ready for the next day. 

6. Becoming a family 

You create incredibly close relationships with your coworkers on set. It!s truly magical. These people become part of your family while you!re working, but when you go back to the real world, you slowly drift apart. That!s just part of the profession. 

7. Bring something to do 

My advice to young actors on their first job is always to bring something to do — a book, a Nintendo Switch, knitting  needles… anything! There is a lot of waiting around in your trailer and there is only so much social media scrolling your brain  can handle. 

8. Try not to break the set 

Yes, I broke the set during my fight scene with Ben… But luckily we got the shot and it was the last scene of the day…  Whoopsie! 

9. Playing an alien is so much fun 

I would honestly love to play an alien again. It was so fun to play Matta as I!m fascinated by Sci-Fi worlds. What are the social norms in her world? Does she shake hands upon meeting someone new? What are the consequences for her  husband who’s having an emotional affair in Zatar? Murder? These questions are always fun to ask yourself an actor, and  the sky really is the limit in a Sci-Fi series. 

10. Don‘t drink a ridiculous amount of booze at the wrap party if you have an early flight the next day 

Some may say this is incredibly on brand… Has she learnt anything? Absolutely not. Will she be doing it again for the next  wrap party? Most probably. 

Amy is now represented by CESD Talent and Echo Lake Entertainment in America and has spent a lot of time in LA over the last year auditioning for incredibly high-profile projects. She tells us she is incredibly optimistic about the future of the entertainment industry in a post-covid and post-strike world.

Written by Amy McPherson @amymcphersonx | Edited by Kai Lutterodt @the.soho.girl

Share your thoughts in the comment box below!