報導｜'Nikita': Shane West on filming his hot scenes with Maggie Q and upcoming 'chaos' @ BELOVED

by Sandra Gonzalez
28 APR, 2011

Nikita might not be among the shows that snagged early pick-up by the CW, but fans of the action-packed spy drama know that the stakes have never been higher for the characters. Not only have Michael (Shane West) and Nikita (Maggie Q) recently taken the “will they or won’t they?” out of their description, but the show’s mythology (from Division’s black boxes to the character’s backstories) is also reaching a boiling point in the last episodes of the season. (Tonight’s episode is no exception.)

In a chat with EW, West talks about the recent fan-loved hook-up between Mikita (i.e. Michael + Nikita), and what’s next for the much-adored, trouble-plagued couple.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Before we get to the future, let’s talk about the big Nikita shake-up we’re in the midst of, which is Michael teaming up with Nikita. What was your reaction when you read that they were finally “going there” with the two?

SHANE WEST: Well, I was excited about it. I had a little bit of reservations only because I know that the fans — God bless them — were really excited to have the characters finally get together, but I was more in shock that they got together so quickly. I thought it might be a thing that might last a couple years and really drive people crazy and truly get under people’s skin. But, yeah, I think they shocked Maggie [Q.] and I with it coming as quickly as it did, but we were glad that it did. We knew that that’s where these characters were going to be and where they were supposed to go. Now that they’re together, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy. They’re still different people and the way they handle things, the way they handle their day-to-day lives, that’s one of the serious issues they’re going to have to work through now — trust issues and things like that. Their hearts are definitely unified. They’ve been connected for so long that it’s a strong connection.

Speaking of connections, tell me about filming that pretty sexy scene in “Covenant.” You and Maggie have great chemistry on screen and you’re obviously friends behind the scenes. Is that awkward or did that make for more fun?

I think it helps. I’ve heard interviews over the years from some people when they’re friendly with the person, they find it more awkward, but for me, I think it’s better that way ‘cause you have a rapport with the person. We get along famously, and it’s just something that I think would be sexier and better than if I’d just met someone off the street.

So are we gonna be seeing anything comparably steamy in the next couple episodes?

You know, I believe we will. The thing is, we don’t wanna over saturate that department so quickly. Even though I know a lot of people wanna see it, we also wanna build tension as well.

What challenges are they going to be facing, either as a couple or as professionals?

Michael is still a part of Division and, at this point, Alex is as well, and they’re going to have to get together — all three, as a unit — to do what they have to do. It’s better — there is more strength in numbers — but they’re still completely outnumbered. It’s just going to make things a little bit more difficult but at least they’ll have each other.

I know they’ve been building to a Michael/Percy showdown after he found out that big twist that Percy was involved in his family’s killing. How are we gonna see that build and climax toward the finale?

I mean, yeah, Michael still stays a part of Division. He’s currently a part of Division, and he’s has to bide his time to get his revenge. It’s not going to happen immediately, but we only have a few episodes left so he’s going to try and be, basically, the mole that Alex was originally, in the beginning of the year. He’s starting to try to collect information from Amanda, from Berkoff, from Percy and report back to Nikita. I think you’ll just see a lot more of that before the chaos truly begins.

Last time I talked to Maggie, she mentioned that at the end of the finale is a major change in the game for everybody involved. What else can you add to that?

Probably not much. It’s one of these things that we have to promote yet not talk about. The best way to put it: In the world of Nikita, everything will have changed by this last episode. It’s going to be completely different than the first episode, and it’s going to be a lot of new, different partnerships. There are going to be a lot of changes in certain characters’ positions — whether that’s in Division or the CIA or Gogol or anything like that. It’s going to keep people’s heads spinning, which we’re really excited to see how that comes out.

Last question: Obviously, Michael and Nikita are a huge draw of the show. Are we gonna end them in a good place this season?

Oy. I don’t know. I will say: yes and no. I think the fans will be happy. I think that’s all I can say right now.