Supernatural Greece | Exclusive interview with Emily Swallow

Actress Emily Swallow talked exclusively with Supernatural Greece about Amara’s ending on Supernatural, as well as the character she played on The Mandalorian, and how she’s coping with a global pandemic.

I hope you are okay despite the difficult circumstances that the whole world is facing. Are you quarantining at the moment? How hard is it to shoot something with all these new safety regulations regarding COVID-19?

I have been able to go back to work on SEAL Team, for which I am incredibly grateful. There are a lot of safety protocols in place, but everyone is doing their part to make sure we can continue to work. Not many shows have gotten to come back to work, so we’re all willing to do what we need to do! I have been quarantining when I need to—after traveling, before going to set, etc.

How did you react when you first got the part of Amara? Did you know from the start that she was going to be God’s sister? What headspace does an actor need to be in to play a primordial being?

I was excited and intrigued by the challenge. I did know she was God’s sister, but I did not know at the beginning that Chuck was God. I honestly couldn’t focus much on her deity; I had to connect to the things that felt human—her sorrow, her fear, her hurt. In order to get into the headspace of someone who has never seen the earth or how it works, I tried to allow her to be childlike and simple in how she approached all these new circumstances. And I found that, because of the enormity of her power, it felt right to do less physically; her power isn’t forced. She carries it with confidence and, for the most part, holds it in her stillness.

How did it make you feel that Amara was right about Chuck all along? She never was a real villain, but he turned out to be the ultimate Big Bad! Were you given any hints back then, or were you just as surprised as we were?

I had no idea back then that he was the Big Bad! All I knew was that he had betrayed me, ignored me and turned everyone against me. That was certainly enough to build my own rage. Honestly, it really made my heart hurt for Amara when I found out he was irredeemable. She so badly wanted a relationship with him, and he was out of reach.

After watching Episode 17, many fans thought Amara was “naive” for trusting Chuck again, after everything he’s done to her. What is your take on that? Did she willingly merge with him because Dean’s betrayal broke her heart? Or is she really that trusting and she paid the price by losing herself completely?
(Question by fan: Katia Kiouloglou)

Amara never had many options because of her deep connection with both Dean and with Chuck, who wound up being at odds with each other. I think when she found out Dean had betrayed her, she knew she’d been backed into a corner. She didn’t fully trust Chuck’s proposal of a restart where they could both be equal, but the pain of Dean letting her down was just too much, so Chuck’s plan was worth hoping for. In my mind she didn’t lose herself completely; she lost her autonomy in this world, but since we later learned that she is a part of Jack, I think she finally got the balance she craved.

We hear that the set of Supernatural is famously one of the most fun sets to work on. Do you have any cute or funny stories you would like to share from working with the guys?
(Question by fan: Evi eleftheriafou)

Every day working with them was fun. They bring so much playfulness and joy to their work. But my funniest day was a day with Ruth – we had several scenes together in Season 11, and we realized it was easy to catch the crew by surprise because they weren’t used to having scenes without any guys. They were being super respectful and proper with us, so we couldn’t resist the urge to play some pranks on them.

What will you take away from Amara when Supernatural is over? Is there something that she taught you?

Amara taught me beautiful lessons. Underneath all her anger was a deep vulnerability, and she was willing to expose herself to the potential for hurt because of how deeply she loved Chuck and Dean. I admire that willingness. In Season 15, I really appreciated her patience—rather than reacting with physical violence, she decided to remove herself from the situation when Chuck ambushed her in Reno, and she was willing to sit and listen to Sam and Dean plead their case before she decided how to act. She tried to play the ultimate mediator between Dean and Chuck. Even though she didn’t succeed, I think it took a lot of humility and love to make the attempt.

You had a pivotal role on The Mandalorian last year, one that was quite different from Amara. Can you tell us if the Armorer will return in Season 2, and did you find any common ground between the two badass ladies you played?

I see similarities in the way they held on to sacred truths—for Amara, she had a deep belief that she and Chuck should be able to exist in harmony, and she was always searching for that. Similarly, The Armorer holds on to deeply felt beliefs about loyalty and unity. She reminds the other Mandalorians in their covert that, no matter their differences, they are bound to each other. That reminder winds up saving Din Djarin when he is under attack in Chapter 3—the Mandalorians with whom he had just been quarreling all rise to the occasion and take on the bounty hunters who are attacking him. I think that, if Chuck had been willing to maintain that kind of loyalty to Amara, they both could have avoided the deep hurt and frustration they felt with trying to get what they wanted from the Winchesters, and everyone would have been better off!

Do you have any plans for the future you could share with us? Are we going to see you in another TV series – or maybe a film – any time soon?

 I’ve been working on SEAL Team again – I recurred on Season 3, and you’ll see me in Season 4 when it comes back December 2. I just had a thriller released—The Haunting of the Mary Celeste— but it’s one that a shot a few years ago, so it feels weird to see it finally out in the world! It is available on VOD streaming platforms. I am so grateful to be working at all right now; so many shows still haven’t gotten to start back up again because of COVID! I can’t wait to get back to conventions

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