Exclusive Interview: Talking Zombies, Boxing, and Shadowhunters with Kat McNamara

Is there anything Katherine McNamara can’t do? Graduating high school at 14, college at 17, and going on to become the leading lady in an award-winning fantasy series, she definitely sets the bar high. As if being an internationally adored actress isn’t enough, Kat is also working on a Master of Science in Literature in her spare time. Over the course of her career, Kat has appeared on Broadway, done voice acting work, and even finds time to release music – her song “Ember” appeared in the Shadowhunters Season 2 finale. We were lucky enough to speak to her the other day about the dedication of the “Shadowfam,” a hypothetical zombie apocalypse, and her evolving family drama on Shadowhunters.

First off, congratulations on your People’s Choice Awards. I hope you guys got to feel a bit like rock stars that night.

Thank you. That night was really magical. It was the first time a lot of us had all been together in a while, so that was very, you know…it felt like home. And then the fact that – even with the show coming to a close – it is getting its due diligence and we can really celebrate the show and the fandom. Because that’s what the People’s Choice Awards are all about, right? It’s to celebrate what the fans’ choice is. And the fact that the fandom was able to come together and accomplish four write-in categories and four wins; it was really amazing. And we were so happy – I know Harry and I, especially, were so happy – to just have a moment to be able to say something in such a public forum and to say thank you in such a big way.

Are you working on any music currently? Do you have any plans to release more?

Yes, kind of. And yes. I am definitely planning to release more music. I actually tried to get something together around Halloween. I had a bunch of songs I had put together for something I was working on a long time ago, and it’s just been sitting on my computer. But timing and logistics [didn’t work out], so maybe next year.

But it’s something that I love so much, and haven’t had time to do given the work schedule of Shadowhunters. But now that I have a bit more time, that is something that is definitely on the agenda.

Is there a type of role that you’re still dying to add to your repertoire?

Sort of ‘all of the above,’ if I’m honest. One of the promises I made to myself when I got into this industry in the first place was that I wouldn’t limit myself. The beauty of being an actor is that you get to live a million different lives and walk in a million different peoples’ shoes and work in so many different genres and mediums and things of this nature. So I really want to experience every genre, every medium, everything I could possibly mold myself into, being the chameleon that I am. But I’m dying to do a great horror movie. I’m dying to do a period piece – give me a corset and a hoop skirt, and I’ll be a happy girl. But honestly, I just keep wanting to look for challenging characters, and things that will really push me to do something that I never thought possible.

Do you feel a personal responsibility as an actress to make sure that you are helping to add layers of meaning within the dialogue you read?

Yes and no. I think a lot of the stories being told– as an actor, I try to not overstep my bounds. Because, you know, on a particular project, I’m not the writer…I’m not the director. So I do try and stay in my lane as much as possible. Unless it’s something like with Shadowhunters, for example, where they were open to our input and our collaboration. And I’ve had other jobs of that nature as well, and that’s amazing. But I’m well aware there are people who do that job for a living, and there are things that are beyond my understanding.

But I think you don’t necessarily have to take things on the page literally. Even if it’s a story being told where a certain role could be considered (or maybe is written) as a very one-dimensional female character, there are ways to, within the dialogue that is given, to add complexity and maybe play against the dialogue. And to make something that wasn’t maybe written as ‘interesting’ have some depth and have some meaning to it. But that’s sort of the fun and the challenge of doing what I do.

Having lost her mother, and killed her father (twice), Clary has a complicated relationship with her family. How would you describe her relationship with her brother, Jonathan, going forward?

I’ll tell you this: 3B gets very twisted. And given everything that happened in Lilith’s apartment in Episode 10, Clary will never be the same. After everything she went through in 3A, there was a lot, between Jace trying to kill her and throwing her off a roof, between her having to keep a secret and lying to everyone, her being the cause of an angel dying, losing a sliver of her soul, [being] taken by Lilith, Lilith literally carving something into her chest, [Clary] raising her father from the dead and then having to kill him one more time, and then almost being executed [herself]. She’s been through a lot, let’s put it that way. I could go on…

But in Season 3B, she is really forced to confront that thing that she has tried to shove aside this entire time, which is the fact that she is a Morgenstern and there is no denying that. And that is very much a part of who she is. And it’s very much a strength as much as it is a weakness. So there comes a point where – given the fact that Jonathan is around, given the fact that all these things have happened – she has to face it head-on. She has to deal with it. As to how she does that, you know, depends on how things go. But I can tell you that Clary will never be the same after 3×10.

How is Clary’s ‘death’ at the end of 3A going to affect the other characters? Are we going to see any of that fallout?

That’s actually the first thing you see in 3B, is how everyone feels about losing Clary. Because the last thing we hear in 3A is Simon saying, ‘I killed her, she’s dead.’ So no matter what the actual situation is, that is the common belief going into 3B. So, we get to see Luke and Jace and Simon and all of these characters deal with her loss. And the effect that that has on all of them. And it’s really touching and really indicative of all of their relationships. You know, Simon in particular, he thinks it’s his fault. So that’s really heavy. And it plays into a lot of their relationships moving forward. The thing that I keep saying about 3B is anything that you think you can count on, anything you think that you are sure of, anything you think is rock solid, will get turned upside down and will be questioned and will be pushed. That’s what makes it our best 12 episodes yet.

If you could transport the show’s characters into an alternate reality setting, what would it be and why?

I think it would be interesting to take them all to a different time period. To take them all some place – maybe ‘Shadowhunters Go to the Renaissance,’ or ‘Shadowhunters Go to the Future.’ I like the [idea of] a pirate version. Or ‘Shadowhunters In Space’ or something!

But we actually talked about the zombie apocalypse a lot on set. That it would be an interesting sort of alternate reality, that the zombie apocalypse had happened and everyone was fighting for their lives. And all the guys have beards and it was The Walking Dead meets Shadowhunters somehow.

I think they’re very equipped for a zombie apocalypse. I think that’s the good thing about the Shadowhunters, they are already ready to go.

Yeah…I think so. But, you know, the Forsaken always threw them for a loop. But I think they’d manage.

What would be your drink order at the Hunter’s Moon?

I think werewolves would have really good taste in scotch, and I’m a scotch girl myself, so I would take the most hair-raising scotch that they have on their shelf.

That sounds like a drink that Maya, your character on Arrow, would drink.

Yes, and that’s actually a choice I made. In [Maya’s] first episode you see her finishing a drink and they initially wanted it to be vodka or beer or something like that. And I said, ‘No, no, no…my drink is scotch neat; that’s gotta be it.’ She’s a fighter, she’s a survivor, she’s not one to shy away from anything.

We love your #MondayMotivation posts and all the workout videos you share. They’re so motivating and inspiring. What is your favorite workout routine or exercise?

Boxing has become something that’s kind of the all-around favorite for me at the moment, just because it really is a total body workout. When I don’t box for a while and then I come back to it, I wake up the next morning and every single muscle hurts. And it’s the type of hurt where you know you really worked [your muscles] the proper way. But it’s also really good cardio. It’s so empowering for anyone because you really have authority over your body and over your physical being in a space. And there’s a real power in it which is really interesting. I’m a really tiny human and I never thought I could be a strong human as well. And that’s something that all of this training, as a whole, has taught me.

We were as shocked as anyone when we found out that Shadowhunters wasn’t going to get a fourth season. But the fans have been busy the past few months. Between the over $30,000 raised for charity (for Trevor Project, GirlUp, and others) and the billboards and planes, has the scope and scale of the fan uproar about the show’s cancelation surprised you?

One hundred percent. I’ve watched this community grow for the last four or five years and witnessed, and been privy to, the love and support and the passion and the power of this fandom. But, I never expected the kind of immediate and long-lasting reaction the fans have had. As sad as it is, the way things have gone, it’s been the most comforting and heartwarming and astounding thing that everyone has really rallied behind this show to really celebrate the story and this community. I’m so proud to say that these last 12 episodes that we have really are – particularly the finale that we were able to go back and shoot – a love letter to the fans. And all of the love and all of the memories that we’ve had creating this show have been put into [these episodes]. And just having the love and support of everyone has been amazing.

You pour your heart and soul into a project, and half the time you put it out into the world and nobody really cares. Nobody gets that invested; it’s a passing fancy. But the fact that this is something that people are having intense conversations about – I’ve had multiple conversations with fans where they’ve noticed things I hadn’t even put together about the show or a certain relationship or a particular scene. It just constantly astounds me that people out there in the world really care that much. And it gives me a little bit of hope in humanity as well to see this community where so many people have made friends and found a space for themselves and really found a community that not only celebrates the story but celebrates its members. And they are there as support and as a safe space for each other. And that’s so rare in this day and age. And something that I keep trying to tell people and trying to assure people, that no matter what happens with the show – even if there are no more new episodes – the fandom, the family, this community you all have created doesn’t have to go away. It will continue to grow, it will continue to stick, it will continue to be there as a support system and as a place of acceptance and celebration and love out there in the world. And just the fact that people know it’s there is a beautiful thing.

No matter what happens in the future, I do hope that at the very least, that [the #SaveShadowhunters campaign] has helped you guys see just how loved this show is. That people loved it this much, that they raged this hard against it ending. So I’m glad that you guys have been able to feel some of that, so it can hopefully soften some of the blow a bit.

Absolutely, I mean, that’s one of my favorite things about doing these [conventions] is just seeing the positivity and the sort of luminous radiance of love and joy and celebration and community. To see these people making new friends, finding kindred spirits, and really coming together to discuss openly and question and celebrate and learn, not only about the show but also themselves and about each other. And I learn something new every time I go to one of these conventions, so I can only imagine what everyone else learns as well. It’s truly astounding and it’s opened my eyes to so much.

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Shadowhunters returns with Season 3B starting Monday, February 25, 2019 on Freeform.

Arrow resumes Season 7 on Monday, January 21 on The CW.