Hypable participated in a conference call with Orphan Black‘s leading lady, Tatiana Maslany, where she discussed Project Castor, Project Leda and much more.

After the last season, how is Sarah’s relationship with Mrs. S. and Paul?

I think what Mrs. S. and Paul did to Helana definitely changed the game in terms of who Sarah can trust. I think Paul was always someone Sarah was weary of and at this point it sealed the deal on how she feels about him. But Mrs. S is definitely more complicated because Sarah really started taking on the idea of her being her mother, and this betrayal is so enormous that it forces Sarah into some of the most difficult choices she’s had to make so far on the series.

Is Alison and Donny’s the strongest relationship this season?

We’ve definitely seen them come together at the end of season 2 and there’s this understanding of why the two of them get each other and why they work. We’ve only ever seen them in conflict before this so its nice to get to explore their romantic feelings about each other. And we definitely get to see that a lot more in season 3!

What does Delphine’s new job mean for the relationship between Delphine and Cosima?

I think Delphine and Cosima have always been on opposite sides of the equation in terms of Delphine really being her monitor and sort of having to, you know, pull the wool over Cosima’s eyes a little bit. Cosima continually trusts Delphine and continues to love her and romanticize what they can be. I think the two of them would love to be together but unfortunately Delphine has to cover herself and Cosima has to protect her sisters, so they end up being again on the opposite ends of the equation. It’s an interesting season for the two of them, but I won’t say too much about what happens.

Any chance to see Tony again?

I won’t spoil too much but yeah, Tony was an awesome addition to our exploration of identity in season 2 and I would like to see him and Felix continue to explore what that relationship could be and to get more backstory on who Tony is. I think there’s a lot there and we barely scratched the surface.

Did you have any advice for Ari about playing multiple characters this season?

We definitely talked about the challenge of it and Ari is an amazing actor and has his own take on the characters. I think when you’re facing something like this, it definitely takes something like an ally and we had an open discussion going any time there was something that came up. When I saw his first clone scene it was kind of unbelievable, his understanding of the technical side of it while still being able to be present and relaxed and not make it about just the technical, I was just amazed by it. He’s a natural at it, so yeah it’s very cool to see someone else go through the same process I did.

Is it gratifying to see how inspirational your characters have been to so many women at cons?

Yeah, those events are the most exciting part of the “other stuff” of the job. It feels amazing to get to meet the fans and interact with them in a personal way. For them to tell us how the show affected them is unbelievable, I never expected that. We’ve always been really humbled and inspired by our fans and their dedication to this show and their breaking down of the show and also just how it changes their own lives. It’s incredible. You don’t expect that and we’re lucky that we’re in a world where we’re able to interact and discuss important things with our fans.

You play so many integral characters on the show, so do the showrunners give you a heads up when you’re about to do something huge or do you learn as you get the script?

There’s a lot that I learn when I read the scripts, which is nice for me because I can’t keep too much plot in my head. It’s nice to be in the dark a little bit but John [Fawcett] and Graeme [Manson], the creators of the show, have this great open door policy in terms of what’s going on and where we’re headed, and have asked for my input and my ideas about characters and new characters so it’s a really collaborative thing. Not every TV show can really say that. It’s a really unique position to be in as the lead actress to have that kind of say, I appreciate it.

Now that Ari [Millen] is in the mix, have his clones increased the complexity and time it takes to film these scenes?

Yeah, I think what we tend to do on the show is as soon as we get comfortable with one way of doing something we kind of screw ourselves up a little bit, haha. We like to push the boundaries of what we’re able to do and the limits of those clone scenes. You’ll definitely see more complex clone works this season and that’s just because we’re more comfortable with the technology and we’re excited to further complicate things. John Fawcett is crazy excited about adding more of those scenes and making them more difficult. It’s really fun, we never sort of get used to them — we’re used to what we’ve done but then we start adding on to it to make it more interesting to the audience.

Obviously Rachel had such an important season 2 finale. Was that, for you, a really important episode for her showing where she was mentally? What about her scenes were your favorite?

It’s always cool to take a character that’s always been seen one way and get to expand her in a different direction. Rachel has always been sort of buttoned up and aloof and difficult to access emotionally, so it was fun pushing her in a different direction and letting things unravel. I think a lot of these clones are dealing with identity and family has a lot to do with that and any time we get a little glimpse into the backstory of into any of them it’s always a little exciting seeing them be shaken up by it, especially by Rachel who’s always buttoned up and seemingly together and untouched by any kind of pain or fears.

On page 2: Tatiana talks about Felix and Cosima, threats in season 3, and more.

Do you have a favorite scene at all?

There were so many, it’s hard to pick one. Helena’s slow dance with Jesse in the bar was nice — a totally different thing for her to get to do. Alison in season 1 getting to rip up everyone who was judging her in her community was fun. And the scene between Sarah and Cosima in the season 2 finale — it was great for Katherine and I to do together, she’s my clone double and she’s so incredible. To not have to act with a tennis ball but with a real actress that gives me so much, she and I have a real connection so for us to explore these quiet moments that Sarah never gets it was really beautiful and fun for us to do.

At WonderCon, Jordan [Gavaris] talked about Felix getting to develop a relationship with Cosima this season. Can you talk about approaching that relationship from that clone?

The two of them have always been at odds for some reason, not for any sort of thing, but I know Jordan was like “I don’t think Felix trusts Cosima.” And so we got to explore a slow burn relationship between the two of them. They have so much in common in terms of being lonely and there’s a shared experience there. There’s a heartache in the two of them and we really get to see that more this season and Cosima is sort of thrust on Felix because she’s living at his place and he kind of can’t get rid of her. Another kind of unlikely coming together of two people. Felix always has the more unlikely of relationships with the clones, you know with Alison and him even though they kind of despise each other, there’s an interesting two sides of the same coin in that relationship.

Besides DYAD and Topside and Castor are there going to be other threats this season?

There’s loads of threats. It’s a huge season, and the mysteries continue to unravel. And just like in seasons past, as soon as you get a clue of what’s happening the rug gets pulled out from under you and you have a thousand more questions. It’s going to continue to be a mystery.

What was your reaction when you heard male clones were coming into the mix?

I was really excited about the prospect because I think Ari is such a strong actor. I think what they offer us is another exploration of nature vs nurture, a different perspective and experiment. The Leda clones were raised in different circumstances, separate from each other, and for them to discover each other is kind of their journey, and to discover themselves as clones is their journey. But the Castor clones were raised self-aware and sort of in a unit so there’s a very different experience they bring to the question.

Are there more great lines this seasons?

Any time you have Felix in a scene you get great one-liners, and Donny too has a great season. Kristian [Bruun] is an amazing improviser and kind of has created this hilarious character and gives me to work so much opposite when it’s Alison and Donny. The hijinks are fun!

Kira has always been hinted as being special and whatnot, and it looks like she’s set up to have a bigger role this season. Can you comment on that in any way?

She’s been such a driving force in Sarah’s world and the stakes of her relationship with Sarah continues to be a driving force. Sarah, unfortunately, has to make a lot of really difficult choices this season and those will affect Kira and we will see this unit be compromised. I don’t want to say too too much about it, but that’s sort of a little spoiler.

Is it fun getting to see the clone swaps or do you shrug your shoulders and just try to figure out how to do it?

I don’t do a lot of figuring out. I love those scenes so much and they’re confusing and disorienting experience but I love them, they’re so much fun to play. I always feel a little like out to sea, like there’s a lot of room for mistakes and a lot of freedom to play and experiment with the side of things or how bad someone’s impersonation of someone else is and who’s good at it and who’s not. It’s really fun. And to play with how the clones see each other — what Alison’s version of Sarah or or what Sarah’s version of Rachel is.

The show runners have hinted at wanting to explore Beth’s story more, so what aspect of Beth would you be most interest in exploring or playing?

There’s a lot to her that is unknown and has been hinted at but, I mean, I think she was going through a lot of turmoil and pain and I’d love to get to the root of that and what that is. Her relationship with Paul and Art, there’s so many things there to mine and to go into. I would love to do that, and I think it’s so cool that they said that.

Did you discover any new acting challenges with your roles this season? How have you grown and developed as an actress overall on the show?

I’m so lucky to have this challenge of playing so many characters and revisiting them every season and growing. The writers are amazing, they constantly expand the characters and give me more to play with and explore. I feel really challenged every season. You can’t help but change as an actor as you grow and learn more and work opposite such amazing people. Every day is a learning experience for me so it’s hard to even pinpoint what I learn exactly but I know I’ve learned so much in terms of what it takes to lead a series and what kind of stamina it requires to play these characters.

Can you tell us anything about Art’s relationship with the characters this season?

Art has always been the moral center to the show and has always fought for the sisters for some reason and we’ve never understood why, and we get a lot more insight into him this season. I was so happy for that because Kevin [Hanchard] has been an actor I’ve watched for years before I got to work with him on the show. He is such an amazing actor, and we’re really lucky to have him. It’s great to mine his talent and expand that beautiful character that is Art.

‘Orphan Black’ season 3 premieres April 18 on BBC America

And don’t forget, if for some reason you don’t have BBC America as a channel, Orphan Black will be premiering its third season across all AMC channels. This includes AMC, SundanceTV, IFC and We TV, all in addition to BBC America.