The Flash star Katee Sackhoff opens up about playing Amunet Black and how her work on Robot Chicken influenced her role as the comic book villain.
When Katee Sackhoff joined The Flash she became instantly recognizable thanks to her theatrical take on the villain with her iconically posh English accent – as well as being a formidable opponent for the Scarlet Speedster. But in a recent interview with ComicBook.com she opened up about the process that went into creating Amunet Black as well as comparing her role to her work on Robot Chicken. She explained that it doesn’t matter whether fans love or hate her accent, it’s an integral part of the character that becomes part of her identity on The Flash. Sackhoff pointed out that since she’s a comic character it meant she can get away with the theatrical part of her villainous role.
“I do think that voice work allows me to go over the top to where I started back in theater, which is when I was 14 years old, I was playing a grandmother on stage. That’s what you do. You play a character and voice work allows you to do that. And so I do believe that it keeps that craft tuned, if you will, to be able to go and play characters like Amunet Black over on The Flash. Because the voice is what I first decided that I wanted Amunet to be, and it’s how I pitched her to the producers when they brought her up to me. I said, ‘I want her to have an over the top, unrealistic, British, Mary Poppins, arch nemesis accent that you can’t place.’ And they were like, ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Why not? She’s a comic book character that is not based on reality in any way, shape or form. Why not?’ I think the voice is what created that character. And I think that’s also why people like her so much. Because love or hate that accent, it’s completely identifiable away from anyone else you’ve ever seen on The Flash. You hear that voice, you know who it is instantaneously, and that’s the power of voice.”
The Flash star Katee Sackhoff also referred back to her voice on Robot Chicken, where she played fan-favorite role Bitch Pudding, who has an incredibly distinctive southern accent in the series. She explained that both her Robot Chicken character and her villain on The Flash are recognizable just by hearing them, even for people who aren’t necessarily dedicated viewers of both shows.
“I mean, maybe within the universe, yeah, people knew Starbuck without seeing her because they were viewers of the show. Same with Vic. You can absolutely identify a voice if you are a viewer of a show.There is no character that I have ever done, except for Amunet Black or Bitch Pudding where you know who they are without even opening your eyes. And you’ve only probably need to have seen the show once, saw the character once. You don’t even have to be familiar with it. So yeah, definitely the voices for sure.”
What do you think about Katee Sackhoff as Amunet Black? Do you like her over-the-top theatrical accent? What do you think of her Robot Chicken character? Sound-off in the comments below!
Here’s the official synopsis for The Flash season seven:
Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) lived a normal life as a perpetually tardy C.S.I. in the Central City Police Department. Barry’s life changed forever when the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator exploded, creating a dark-matter lightning storm that struck Barry, bestowing him with superspeed and making him the fastest man alive — The Flash. After a thrilling cliffhanger last season which saw the new Mirror Master (Efrat Dor) victorious and still-at-large in Central City, The Flash must regroup in order to stop her and find a way to make contact with his missing wife, Iris West-Allen (Candice Patton).
With help from the rest of Team Flash, which includes superheroes Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer), and Nash Wells (Tom Cavanagh), as well as the Flash’s adoptive father Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), Meta-Attorney Cecile Horton (Danielle Nicolet), tough cub reporter Allegra Garcia (Kayla Compton) and brilliant tech-nerd Chester P. Runk (Brandon McKnight)…Flash will ultimately defeat Mirror Master. But in doing so, he’ll also unleash an even more powerful and devastating threat on Central City: one that threatens to tear his team—and his marriage—apart.
The Flash stars Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, Candice Patton as Iris West, Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow / Killer Frost, Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe, Tom Cavanagh as Harrison Wells, Jesse L. Martin as Joe West, and Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton.
The Flash will return on The CW in 2021. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for all the latest news on Katee Sackhoff and the Arrowverse and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more video content in the future!
Source: ComicBook.com
