An Interview with Kari Matchett - #2 (Kate, Heartland, ex-Lisa, 24)

June, 2007

Everybody loves celebrities, but I think many people forget that they really are just like you and me. While some celebrities live very public lives, there are many who manage to live quiet and normal existences without the constant barrage of paparazzi. Such is the case of the very lovely and talented actress Kari Matchett. From starring on ABC's alien series Invasion to portraying the Vice President's Chief of Staff on 24, Kari knows the value of choosing the perfect role to fit her personality and lifestyle. I had the pleasure of speaking a second time with Kari to catch-up with her life and learn about her new role as Lisa Armstrong on TNT's fantastic new medical series Heartland.

Q: Tell us what you've been up to since we last spoke.

Kari: "When I heard about Invasion being cancelled, I was in Spain. I actually spent five weeks in Spain. I then came back to L.A. and my first meeting about work was with David Hollander, the creator of Heartland. I went into the meeting with him, I loved who he was, loved the script and decided to do Heartland. Three weeks later, we shot the pilot and while we were waiting to hear about the pilot, I started working on 24."

Q: I must ask the question all Invasion fans want to know -- where you an alien?

Kari: "The truth is that I was a hybrid, I was part-alien, or whatever that was and part-human. What I don't know are a number of things that the fans don't know. I'm having lunch with Shawn Cassidy next week, so I'm going to ask him about that."

Q: Do you keep in touch with any of the Invasion cast members?

Kari: "I keep in contact with almost everybody. Tyler Labine, who played Dave, got married last week. We were a very close-knit cast."

Q: You've just finished playing a key role on 24, how was your experience on the show?

Kari: "It was really interesting, I loved working on the show. Talk about a tight-knit group. The people working on the show, the crew, worked on the pilot, so they have been together for six years. That's very rare, to film the pilot and still be working together after six years. They have a really wonderful working dynamic. They love to have fun, they make each other laugh."

Q: You're now starring on TNT's new medical series Heartland, tell us about your character.

Kari: "She's an organ donation coordinator. What that means is when somebody dies and have organs that are still intact, my character would talk to their loved ones. It's a really intense scenario each week when you're dealing with life and death, especially untimely death. It's a very soulful show. David Hollander, who writes it, really connects in with the truth of what goes through people's minds and hearts when they experience something like that. He's probably the most daring writer I've ever worked with in terms of emotion."

Q: Did you do anything special to prepare for the role?

Kari: "I went to UCLA and talked with a few organ donation coordinators. I also watched open heart surgery. I talked to a bunch of people waiting to receive hearts."

Q: Do you enjoy working with the cast of Heartland?

Kari: "I do, I do! We have a really fun cast. There's a really good energy between everyone. It's a pleasure to go to work everyday."

Q: Do you have any projects in the works once your done filming the series?

Kari: "I don't have anything specific. I am committed to spending some vacation time with family. I'm going to go away to Europe, I really need some down time. After that, I'm really looking for that perfect project. I'm really interested in doing things that make my heart sing."

Q: Anything to say to the fans?

Kari: "I would like to say to anyone who would consider themselves my fans, I send them a tremendous amount of love."