Tonight is the season finale of the new hit series, Deception on NBC! We caught up with Katherine LaNasa but you probably know her as Sofia Bowers. She talks about being a vegetarian, being Mrs. Grant Show and what she has coming up next! Check out these 10 Things.
RM: Some would be surprised to know that you started out as a professional dancer. What made you decide to go from dancing to acting?
KL: I moved to California from New York where I was a professional ballet dancer. And frankly, at that time, there wasn’t anything out there in LA that was on that same level. I was pregnant with my son Henry, and literally a couple of days before he was born, I was this documentary on Sandy Meisner that Sydney Pollack made. And I thought…I don’t know what he’s doing but I have to do that! It was really that documentary that inspired me to study acting acting. I called Sydney’s office and he actually called me back, told me how to find Sandy Meisner and I went and studied with him for two and a half years.
RM: Did you always know you wanted to be an actress or was this something that happened and you just kept moving forward with it?
KL: I think because I was so athletic, I wanted to be a dancer. But, I think my strongest skill in dancing was my acting. So really, I was a better actor then a dancer.
RM: You currently star as Sofia Bowers on NBC’s new show, Deception. What drew you to the character of Sophia and what do you like most about her?
KL: I really like that she’s unapologetic and makes no excuses for who she is. She’s very self empowered in that way. I also like that she has snappy lines and has that femme noir kind of thing like Joan Crawford, Betty Davis or Barbara Stanwyck. And that role has that kind of feel to me. There are some similarities between myself and my character Sophia in the sense that I don’t really take any nonsense from anyone and I love my child much like she does.
RM: If you could sum up the season finale in one word, what would it be?
KL: Surprising!
RM: Let’s talk fashion, what are your favorite red carpet designers and what statement pieces would we find in your closet?
KL: Valentino, Dior, Calvin Klein. I like a lot of different styles. I don’t have just one style that I stick to. I love the people that did the retro 80s look at this year’s Oscars, like Halle Berry and Jane Fonda. I thought that was a lot of fun. In my personal closet, you’ll find Dolce & Gabbana pencil skirts. I have an Alexander McQueen jacket, a blazer that has a ruffle back, I love it!
RM: You recently married the very handsome, Grant Show. Can you tell us what it’s like being Mrs. Grant Show?
KL: Thank you. The interesting thing is that I thought, a guy that handsome would be a real pain in the butt, however, he couldn’t be sweeter, smarter, kinder, and more supportive. He’s just a great guy. I feel so lucky. He’s a wonderful husband and he really loves me. I think that you have no control over how much someone loves you, and I feel so lucky to be deeply loved.
RM: You’re a vegetarian, which I love because I am as well. What is your favorite vegetarian dish?
KL: Yes, I am. I eat a lot of Indian food. I really like Saag, which is Indian spiced spinach. I love Pho, which is Vietnamese soup. I’ve also been making a lot of blended soups these days, like spinach and pea soup with a little garlic and onions in it. It’s just fabulous! It’s literally heaven on a cold winter day.
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RM: You have some serious fans on Twitter, what do you like the most about social media?
KL: It’s instant fan mail. It’s an easy and quick way to respond to my fans. You can do something so easy as re-Tweet them or saying “Thanks,” something short. I’m really appreciative of all the fans that I have. They’re the ones that make our careers. They’re the ones that buy movie tickets. It’s not like the old days, where they would send letters from prison, LOL!
RM: Guilty pleasure?
KL: Real Housewives of Atlanta. I would most likely be friends with Kandi but I get a kick out of Phaedra. I even got my husband Grant into watching it!
RM: What other projects do you have in the works?
KL: Coming out in June is Jayne Mansfield’s Car with Kevin Bacon and Billy Bob Thornton who is acting, writing and directing. It’s set in the year 1969 in Alabama. It was a divine project to work on. I’m really proud of it. After that I’m going back to work as Lizzie Ambrose inLongmire this summer. I play a sort of benign Southerner that’s just kind of sweet and madly in love with Walt, played by Robert Taylor. It’s a complete opposite of my character Sophia on NBC’s Deception.
Twitter: @ LadyLaNasa
Facebook: Katherine Lanasa
Instagram: @LadyLaNasa