Tammin Sursok originally gained notoriety in Australia when she portrayed teenage Dani Sutherland in the television series Home and Away. The versatile actress eventually achieved fame in Hollywood by using the show as a stepping stone.
Playing Jenna Marshall in the popular television series Pretty Little Liars has so far been her biggest role in the US. The seven-season teen mystery programme also included Rebecca Breeds, a former cast member of Home and Away.
In an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Tammin now discusses how getting the part of Jenna “totally transformed her life,” shares some behind-the-scenes information, and reveals which cast members she connected with.
Describe your opinion on Pretty Little Liars.
I clearly recall feeling quite anxious. I gave Spencer an interview. I considered that to be the worst audition I’d ever had. The producer, Marlene King, overheard me remark, “This is the worst audition I have ever done. I believe I should just quit,” at one point. Following that audition, I called my spouse and declared, “I’m giving up acting, like I’m done.” They enjoyed the audition but didn’t believe I was the proper fit for the Spencer job, but they had me in mind for the Jenna position, which illustrates that you have no concept about what you’re feeling compared to what you’re displaying. I consequently received the Jenna role for the pilot, and I had absolutely no dialogue to deliver. Funny thing is, those outside the room didn’t know whether I could act or not after the pilot was produced and they were picked up for the first season. After performing the pilot, I had to re-audition for Jenna to see if I could act and if I could take on the part for the remainder of the season.
How did your first day of filming go?
I had a 103-degree fever, which is equivalent to a 40-degree fever in Australia. I was very ill. I had bronchitis, but as you well know, in my world, the show must go on as if nobody cares anymore if you go to work when ill. Back then, people would say things like, “No, you need to go to work. I don’t care if you’re sick. I don’t care if you’re throwing up. So when I arrived, I had taken all of my Panadol and Nurofen, along with everything else. Then I recalled that when you take action, your adrenaline rushes and you suddenly feel like you can accomplish anything. So, I well recall that day.
How did it feel to play Jenna?
Nowadays, and for good reason, they would definitely cast a person who was blind. It was just the way things were done back then. And I was very appreciative of the opportunity to perform that role and put myself in her shoes. I attended a school for the blind and picked up some basic Braille. To make it as authentic as possible, I made every effort to learn as much as I could. Because I can see in real life, I made sure that when I was on set, I wasn’t really able to see and wouldn’t immediately reach for a cup of coffee or something similar. But if I couldn’t and I was on set, I would have to make a concerted effort to make motions with my hands or my stick to try to locate objects. Any character you portray needs to have some kind of empathy and understanding on your part, in my opinion, or else you risk writing her off as bad simply because she is. And in my opinion, there aren’t any layers to that at all. Playing a character with no layers is likewise uninteresting. I therefore made an effort to ensure that Jenna had sympathy for her and empathy for what had happened to her. And perhaps you can see that people develop into a particular way as a result of their circumstances. And I’ve always wanted people to understand what Jenna was really like—that she wasn’t simply nasty. She had had a great deal of trauma and PTSD in the past, which shaped who she was. And while I wanted people to fear her, I equally wanted them to care about her.
Any behind-the-scenes information that fans of Pretty Little Liars might not be aware of?
You didn’t know I was pregnant when I had to, Shay Mitchell. But I was in the lake and approximately nine months pregnant. Shay Mitchell had to rescue me since everyone believed I had passed away. And I was almost ready to give birth. That incident made me quite anxious because I kept thinking, “Oh my goodness, what if it? Even though it wasn’t that close, I simply wanted everything to be secure and comfy in case I went into labour. When you’re filming scenes like that, especially if you’re pregnant or going through something, there are a million people surrounding you to make sure you’re comfortable. They were just really amazing on set. But now that I see that scenario, they are pulling my body, and I am thinking, “I have a baby within my tummy when that is going on,” I just find it comical. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes activities like that, where you could think, “Oh, it’s just an easy scene,” but it wasn’t, or there are sequences when something went wrong and we were stuck there for something like 17 hours. But you guys just said, “Oh, that it was just a typical, wonderful scenario.” It’s true that a lot of things occurs in the background.
How did you feel about the cast back then? How do you feel about them now?
I would cite the fact that in addition to the four principal girls, there was a sizable supporting cast. The four lead females became close because they had to spend 12 hours a day on set, every day. And because they were working continuously, the supporting cast also got quite close because we would come in and out and occasionally be in a different sector. So, because we were going through the same thing, I had a lot of close pals, including, you know, Vanessa, who I love, Tori, Brandon, and the rest of the supporting cast. And in most cases, you discover that the person you work with the most is also the person you are closest to, at least in my experience over the past 20 years on set. So, I got along well with the supporting cast as well as Keegan, who played my brother. You see, we did everything together from the very beginning. We’re also new to the show, so you could say we’re a little anxious. He’s fantastic, so. They come on and talk about everything, and I’m like, “Wait a minute, I never knew you thought that, or never knew you felt that way, or never knew this.” I’ve actually had a lot of them on my podcast, Women On Top. Since we were in our early to mid-20s when the show first aired, it’s nice to be able to discuss it now that we are older. So, I believe, it’s very different from being in your 30s.
What do you think contributed to the show’s fame?
The fact that the show was fundamentally about friendship, in my opinion, is what made it so well-known. And I believe that mystery always attracts viewers, so having a show where you need to know what’s going to happen because the following episode keeps you guessing, I believe is always a smart strategy to keep viewers interested. However, I believe that it was mostly because of the show’s focus on friendship, what you would do for your friends—and perhaps what you wouldn’t—and loyalty. And those, in my opinion, were the themes that ran throughout the programme. People kept returning because they watched it with their friends and their families, which is why they kept coming. Yes, the mystery was crucial, and I’ll say it again: I believe it was due to the friendship.
How did it feel to say farewell to the programme?
The finale did not include my scene. In light of this, I believe attending the finale would have been extremely emotional. I am aware that all the girls were there, and everyone was visibly moved, as we would expect from something that has lasted seven years and completely altered all of our lives. My moment was really brief; as you may recall, I rode in on a horse. After that, it was kind of like, “And that’s a wrap for Tammin,” and they had to move on to the next scene. I had a lot of emotion, but I believe that everyone needed to immediately move on. But I believe that overall, as I left that night, I was like, “Wow, this has absolutely transformed my life,” and I felt incredibly contemplative. You spend your entire life waiting for that big break, and Home and Away accomplished for me what Pretty Little Liars did for Americans. When I created the pilot, I never imagined that, you know, girls would be like crying and running through the streets. I also never imagined that, after the pilot, the programme would have such an impact on girls. However, it was wild as hell. It was exactly like America, and it was unlike anything I had ever known.
Who would you like to be A?
Oh, I believe you frequently wish it were you, just as I frequently wish it had been me. However, I afterwards reasoned that would have been too obvious. I believe Aria to be one of the primary characters, and I am aware that Spencer had a twin. I just revealed the conclusion. It would have been fantastic if it had been one of the core primary four girls, in my opinion. Or Allison was raised from the dead or something, suggesting that she didn’t actually pass away. And if someone had asked Aria, “Well, why didn’t you just alter your initials?” she may have replied, “I just wanted it to be, like, obvious” or something similar.
Would you be interested in participating in PLL: Original Sin?
Funny thing is, I swore I’d never watch soap operas again, but I went back and watched a season of Neighbours because I really needed the experience. I was curious how Neighbours stacked up against Home and Away. As a result, I reply “no,” but who knows. However, there are times when I truly appreciate the concept of chapters and I consider them frequently in my life, along with who enters and exits my life in terms of friendships, relationships, and other things. And that chapter was so incredible, challenging, life-altering, taxing, and everything else that it felt like sometimes chapters were wrapped up and then they were made to be finished. Additionally, I never thought I’d go back to Home and Away because it was such a great period in my life. I always felt like it had been meant to be done. And since that was the start of everything, I believe I would destroy the enchantment of it. I believe that would be ruined if I returned to Home and Away or Pretty Little Liars.
What are you currently doing?
My podcast has about 200 episodes now. We are extremely appreciative of the amazing guests we have had on our show, including Suzanne Somers, Colbie Caillat, Ricki Lake, and Glennon Doyle. I just feel like you’re talking to one of my closest friends when all these people are listening, and it’s kind of gone crazy around here. So, take that for what it’s worth, it’s called Women On Top. My spouse and I wrote a movie about whaling called Breaking for Whales, and I believe it is available on Apple. Additionally, we are currently working on a few movies. I’m scheduled to film a movie in Australia the following month. A movie I have is titled Love and Penguins. I believe that is currently available in Australia. Kane, another movie, will also be released in theatres. There are numerous things happening. Check out my TikToks and Instagram; I strive to make extremely amusing material for everyone there as well as content that helps people feel less lonely and alone about things like their fertility journeys, relationships, parenthood, and mental health.
