Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Spoilers ahead forChilling Adventures of Sabrina.
How much did you know of the arc of the character?When we started, I didnt know.
It took turns that I wasnt expecting.
That also comes out in her affair with Father Blackwood.
She sees her journey as within the church.
How did you develop Zeldas relationship with Hilda?
I dont think she really wants to be free of Zelda.
They are like a married couple, like an odd couple.
Theyve formed this unusual family with Ambrose and Sabrina two aunts, a niece, and a cousin.
Its a little like that John Donneanalogy of the compass.
One person stays strong, is the center, and the other roams.
Zelda, needs Hildas influence, and vice versa.
Hildas a people person.
Zeldas not a people person.
Zelda has a very specific posture, physicality, and accent.
How did you figure it out?It was important that she was strong.
She has a lot more male characteristics.
Shes not super-soft and shes not super-nurturing.
Sitting behind the newspaper at breakfast, like images of the dads from the 1950s or something.
She sees herself as better than some other witches.
Those things were important in her preciseness and her delivery and her stature.
Other cast members and the shows writers have talked aboutinfluences from paganism and Wiccaon the show.
But no, I havent done a serious research into witchcraft to play the role.
The show has all sorts of references to classic horror and noir.
Did you want to reference any characters with Zelda?
She has a bit of a Gloria Swanson aspect at moments.Theres a Gloria Swanson reference.
Theres a Joan Crawford-y, Bette Davis thing going on.
I saw her like the film noirtype women strong, a little mysterious, dark, and very definite.
Those women from the 30s and 40s and early stars from that time.
I think Zelda might be a big Joan Crawford fan.
Shes a big ice hockey fan, too.
Why ice hockey?Because its very violent.
What was it like working with Kiernan Shipka?
Shes a terrific actor.
Shes really quite amazingly well prepared and incredibly professional.
Sabrina is very, very bright, and Kiernan is very, very bright.
Lee [Toland Krieger], who is our first director, he nicknamed her the Machine.
She always knows every line.
Shes totally in every scene, knows exactly what she wants to do.
Takes every direction brilliantly.
Yeah, shes the Machine.
Were you familiar withRiverdalewhen you met with Roberto?I wasnt hugely familiar withRiverdale.
Id heard of it.
Id seen the posters.
I thought it was super-stylish and beautiful and mysterious and interesting.
I thought that boded very well for this show.
That really made everything very clear for me.
Like, those things are a real trigger for me in terms of understanding the world that were in.
The Spellman house is so detailed.
Whats it like to act in that set?I love all the sets.
I particularly love our house because theres just this amazing amount of detail in everything.
The detail in all of the props, in every piece that was on the wall.
Everything has a history and a purpose, and theres nothing generic in there at all.
Its a real treat to come onto the set and have a look.
I dont enjoy so much playing myself.
I much more enjoy trying to dive into a character.
The more specific it is in the writing, the more fun it is for me.
Judging fromKiernan Shipkas Instagram, the cast has bonded closely.
So it was like we never left, really.
We madly rushed to finish the first one, and a week later we were back.
Shes usually head-driven, thinks through what is the best move.
She is someone who wants to protect people.
Since her brother died, she feels that she has to be the one who protects everybody.
She takes on that role for the family.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
