Shantel VanSanten on How She Relates to Her "The Messengers" Character

Most of the guys had to get half naked in this season or naked. None of the girls had to. Right. It's the most exciting thing ever. I've never had something I didn't have to get in my lingerie or a bikini. Yeah. We're all crushed. Yeah. Then my old view has now just like gone poof. Off.

I'm Oliver Trevena here at the Young Hollywood Studio with the lovely Shantel Van Santon. How are you?

I'm wonderful. Thank you for having me.

I was kissing you before you got here.

You were. And they had to take my picture down so we could actually conduct the interview.

Yeah. Speak. Yeah. We did have a big picture of Shantel here but I may have to screen it a bit. He said I'm better in photos than in real life. He's like, eh.

No, it's not true. You're you're beautiful in real life. Especially with this dress.

Yeah, my cut-key dress. Is that what it's called?

I don't know. I just feel like a cut-key. They're very in fashion now. So I'll try it on after the interview. We'll do an outtake.

I think so. We'll do like a we'll do like a clothing swap.

Okay, done.

Yeah. These would look great on you. Especially with all the dog hair on them now. Um anyway, more importantly, The Messengers.

Yes.

Where will you be watching it?

Home.

Okay. Do you have like a little viewing party or something like that?

I've thought about it. Um I just finished doing a lot of construction in the house so I'm thinking about having people over. I also have a 15-foot by 8-foot by 7-foot couch. And on the 7-foot side, it's a 5 like 7x5-foot bed. So everybody always comes over and watches movies anyways. So I think it'll be a good place to watch it.

That's good. I love that you know the exact measurements of your couch.

That's because I designed it. Okay. I love uh decorating and it's so it's a it's a big passion of mine.

So you're not a scientist like Vera.

Um no but I wish I was. She's a smart girl. She's a smart girl. Yeah, she is. You know, I grew up in Houston where we had NASA. And we would always go on field trips there. And uh and so science was always something that I loved. And and I had a great science teacher from fifth through eighth grade. So I I already when I read the script connected to Vera and that side of her. Um she's very very outspoken. Um and that side uh is very like you. I would like to believe it's not but I think that it is more and more. Yeah. But yeah, I I fell in love when I read when I read the script with with Vera and with her passion and with you know she has this amazing backstory. And as it unfolds you kind of understand why she is that way.

I've seen the first one. I got to see it. Yeah. So I know I know a bit. It's great. Yeah. So it's very uh very It's quite intense for a CW.

Yes. It is, right? Yeah. It's like Yeah. I feel like they really took a risk. You know, having having a show that deals with the uh loosely based on the Book of Revelation and the rapture story. And you know, it has the elements that that I think their viewers already like. We have us having these gifts or powers if you will. But the cool thing is we're not superheroes. We have limits. When you first are introduced to Vera, we're at the VLA, which is the very large array, which is insane. It's where they shot Contact. Uh and we got to be there all day and it was incredible but in the very first scene you'll notice like we can barely open up our eyes and we're constantly rubbing our faces. I had to do I had to do word by word acting. I've never in my life like I would get out maybe two words and then I'd have to stop and then say the next two words and you're blink because the sand and dust and it's interesting in the desert. That did say that. Um and uh going back to the show, it connects you you you connect with these four other strangers that you're yet to meet. Um and then I'm assuming that you end up meeting.

Yeah. We all we all are you know, drawn by different reasons. Um for Vera it's kind of an ultimatum, which is very interesting. Um we find out that she has a son uh that she hasn't seen for a very long time and thought was dead. And um this man appears in her home and gives her an ultimatum that she has to go and kill somebody if she ever wants to see her son. And that's that's the interesting thing about the show is

It's aggressive.

Yeah. It's aggressive. It's definitely aggressive. Not in a good way aggressive. But we're you know somebody's sitting at your kitchen table telling you, you can kill this person who's in a coma and you can have your son or you can forget about your son and that person can stay in a coma. And it's you know, the the free will choices that we have and what do you do and you it's a lose-lose situation. And so much of that

What would you do in real life? What? What would you do?

I'd kill the person. Definitely. Definitely kill the person. Sorry whoever the person may be in the future. Um I'd kill the person. So many times I would think, I would never do that in real life. And then the more and more we'd play with it more and I would think about it, it's like Maybe I would. And then by the end of it you're like Let's go. Definitely. Definitely. Let's do it. Let's go right now. Um so yeah, it connects you with four people. Um if you could connect with four people, four famous people, dead or alive, who would be your four?

Oh man.

Let's see. Anne Frank.

Anne Frank.

I always growing up I was obsessed with with uh with her and her diaries and and her whole experience. I don't know, Marilyn Monroe.

That's a great one.

Um just because I think that she was so so interesting and tormented and I'd love to like get inside and talk to her. Um Tesla.

Okay. Okay.

Um anybody who was like an inventor. Einstein like Tesla. Those kind of people who were just kind of mastermind.

That's a good mix there. Yeah. That'd be a cool like evening dinner party on your on your 15-foot 6-foot 7-foot couch. Everyone can come chill on the couch and watch The Messengers.

There you go. Let's we can make a lot happen. We can make that happen.

We can't we can't do that. We can't.

No. We can't do that. We can't do that.

Who would you have? All of The Beatles. All of them. Just have them. That's so good. I'd just have them straight off the bat. That's so good. Yeah. But yeah, so going back to traveling, you travel you travel loads. Um and your story is quite 75% Dutch.

Yes.

25% Norwegian.

Yep.

Grew up in Minnesota on a farm.

Minnesota on a farm. And now you're in LA as an actress. I am.

Have you have you been to your have you been to Holland yet?

I haven't. I haven't. And I hear that I have lots of family there. I need to go.

I know. That's like that's like third or fourth. You've got to do that. 75%. You've got to go.

I mean, I grew up like, you know, every Christmas present was a pair of wooden shoes.

That's probably why you don't want to go.

Exactly. That's not really a great memory. That wasn't the best thing that Santa could have brought. A pair of wooden shoes. Thank you. Not my favorite. Thank you. Um if you have to tell the viewers to watch out for for an episode of yours that's a favorite in this in this season.

You really get to dive in in episode two and three into her past and really understand where she's coming from, her belief system. Um and what's you know, happened before this meteor. Uh so those episodes early on are really wonderful. And then as it goes on you get to learn about every character and then I feel like you're fully invested in their mission after that and really rooting for them.

And it's CW there's got to be some romance in there as well, right?

Um yeah, it's it's funny actually. Most of the guys had to get half naked in the season or naked. None of the girls had to. Right. It's the most exciting thing ever. I've never had something I didn't have to get in my lingerie or a bikini.

From your point of view. From your point of view.

Yeah. We're all crushed. Yeah. Then my old view has now just like gone poof. Off. Um but yeah there is there's there's some interesting I mean, when the world's ending, I don't know if you have as much time for romance, but there's still

Totally. Always. Always find time for romance. I mean, if the world was ending that's what you would run out and do.

100. Actually. I think I've been asked that question before and that was what I said I'd do. Cause the world's ending.

What a great chat line. Come on darling. We've got an hour. The world's ending. It's me or nothing. It's me. Are you gonna die anyway? As a great great chance to capitalize.

Yes. It's more like a Yeah, forcefulness. Let's scrap this up. Let's scrap this up.

Shantel, you are lovely. CW The Messengers.

Yes.

This this Friday.

This Friday. Watch it. Watch it. Definitely. It's dark.

Thank you. Mysterious.

Mysterious.