Saturday, July 16, 2005
You have the power to create your own reality, says Lombard.
By DAVE MASON
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Karina Lombard has always believed in infinity. So it's no surprise that she jumped into a parallel universe story on "The 4400" on Sunday.
The Tahitian actress plays Tahitian character Alana Marvea, who falls in love with agent Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch) in a universe where 4,400 people were never abducted by people from the future. Only Tom and Alana seem to be aware that the universe suddenly has changed, but they make the best of the circumstances in a story full of surprises.
"The 4400" airs at 9 p.m. on the USA network. Lombard is guest-starring in six episodes, beginning with Sunday's story, "Life Interrupted."
She compared the relationship between Alana and Tom to that of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in their movies. The chemistry is similar.
Her character definitely takes charge of her destiny. Lombard said she can relate with that.
"I really do believe that we have the power to create our own reality. By your thoughts, you determine your choices," Lombard, 36, said in a phone interview from Vancouver, British Columbia, where "The 4400" is filmed.
Big dreams
"We live in an infinite universe. I remember when I was taught that in school. And yet we are so accustomed to putting limits on the unlimited," Lombard said.
That's her response to agents who believe actors must focus strictly on their acting. Despite the conventional wisdom, Lombard has allowed herself to be distracted. She's a singer and musician and worked on a music project with Cirque du Soleil.
When she became busy writing the first of what she hopes will be a series of movies about assassins, she neglected auditioning for pilot season.
Lombard said that was OK. It meant she was available to guest-star on "The 4400," where she reunited with executive producer Ira Steven Behr. Behr had hired her as a guest-star on the short-lived Rob Lowe comedy, "Dr. Vegas."
Infinite powers
On "The 4400," Lombard discovered a universe where people return from the future with seemingly infinite powers. Shawn Farrell (Patrick Flueger), for example, can cure nearly any disease.
"What's wonderful with 'The 4400' is that with power comes responsibility," Lombard said. "Every power is ambivalent. You can do right, you can do wrong.
"Maia Rutledge [played by 9-year-old Conchita Campbell] has the ability to see the future. Because of that, she scares people," Lombard said.
Before "The 4400," Lombard starred in movies varying from "Legends of the Fall" (1994) to "Big Kiss" (2004.) Movies take weeks to shoot. Television moves at a much faster pace.
"In TV, it's like boot camp," Lombard said. "There's something healthy about that. You trust your instinct."
In addition to "The 4400," Lombard's TV credits include her role of Marina Ferrer on "The L Word" on Showtime.
Her belief in "no limits" extends to languages. Born in Tahiti, Lombard grew up in Spain and is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French.