"Black Sails" Star Jessica Parker Kennedy on Filming on Real Life-Sized Pirate Ships

Happy New Year.

Great to see you.

Thank you.

You too.

Um we're both from Canada.

Yes.

How was your cold holiday?

So, I was in Calgary, which is where I grew up and froze my butt off. It was minus 20 Celsius. I don't know what that is in Fahrenheit. I think you double it and add 30. But I don't think it's for when it's in the negatives. in the negatives. I don't know what happens then. But it was outrageously cold and snow and scary roads, but it was really, really nice to just be somewhere completely different than kind of Hollywood land.

Let's talk about the show. The other day, I had a moment with Helena. I told her all the things I wanted to say to her for so long. And I was unbroken by her. And I saw that it shook her. And I felt happy. And the moment she turned to walk away from me, do you know what I felt? The urge to go after her and hold her again. It's amazing, isn't it? The spell she cast on us. What are you talking about? Now, this is a Michael Bay Executive Produced show. So, you know it's going to be epic. Do you still get awed by it? Because I know even in season two, they've sort of upped the ante in terms of like the ships and.

Yeah, we have like, we have four ships this coming season, season three that we've already started filming. I mean, it's in their life-sized ships. It's it is epic and I never, ever get used to it, which I think is a really, really good thing.

But does that inform the performance too, when you're actually in that environment instead of you know, imagining or green screen or anything?

It Absolutely. Yeah, and because it's not really, we don't, we have sound stages, but we don't use them very often. So, you can shoot in the brothel where I am all the time, but you could do a shot.

That's the only time you can actually say that and brag about it. You shoot in the brothel a lot.

Exactly. I'm always in a brothel. Always in a brothel. Um, so you shoot inside and then you can simultaneously shoot outside and you can do these beautiful walk in and out shots, which is really unique and I mean, most sets don't have that. So, we're really lucky. And it is, when you get 500 extras all dressed up in those sets, it's so easy to play make believe.

We're talking pirates. We're talking about that. If you were to be on a desert island, three items you would have to bring with you, and you cannot say iPod, iPhone, or computer.

Okay, so no technology.

No technology.

Three items. I guess a good book that I love, would love to read over and over again. like as much, as much pasta, as humanly possible, but I would be able to do.

Oh, really? I thought you were going to go the sunscreen angle and I love that you just threw pasta in there.

But if I'm there forever, it doesn't need like, whatever. If I'm there forever, I mean, what, who cares, you know, what happens to my skin? I just want to be comfortable. comfortable as possible. And I guess just lots of water, lots of clean water.

I love that. I love that. So you didn't bring anybody. You just go, you know, you go and you just pick out.

Oh, can I bring a person?

Sure.

Oh, I didn't know that. Okay, what.

Oh, actually, any celebrity? Do you have a crush or anybody that you would love to sort of

Oh god, I do. I always say Benicio Del Toro, because he's, he's my 6'4" love of my life.

Have you met him?

Never met the man. I think I would probably fall on my face if I'm if I met him. Would be more excited to work with him than anything. So, maybe that'll happen one day.

Last but not least, um last time I interviewed you, I think it was for Awards Season, you were getting ready to go to I think it was going to some Globes parties. Yeah. Awards Season is amongst us like. Do you like doing that kind of thing? Does it cuz I get anxiety. Oh, what am I going to wear, and is my hair going to turn out, and is the spray tan going to turn out. That whole thing, but

Yeah. I think at the end of the day, I don't get crazy anxiety about it. I mostly just excited about it. I'm going to the Golden Globes this year, which is really exciting. That'll be the first for me to be in the room. Oh, you get to eat and drink. Eat and drink. I'm just going to be like a humble observer. and watch everything that happens and um no, I really, the Globes parties are the most fun parties I've been to in Hollywood so far. They're really lovely and everybody that's anybody is is there and you just get to people watch and it's a safe environment for everyone to dance and have a good time and be kind of reckless without cameras in the room. So, you get to see sort of what they're really like.

Yeah. And that'll be part two of the interview when you're not rolling and you're going to tell me what you've seen. Um, so obviously, if you could see three people, Benicio would be one. Who would be the other two?

Yeah. Um Brad Pitt, just because I have mad respect for him as an actor. I think he's absolutely phenomenal. And um Kate Blanchett. She's like my homegirl. I would love to uh to meet her and work with her. That would be really amazing. Yeah.

I love it. Great, great list. Yeah. Thank you for coming in.

My absolute pleasure. Finally coming. This is the third time.

I know. Third time I've seen you and finally in the house. So, congratulations on the show.

Thank you.

You do amazing work on the show. It's a great show. Yeah. People should check it out. Definitely check out season two. It's an epic, epic show.