Ellen Tamaki, who some of you may recognize at Niko from Charmed, entered Manifest at the kickstart of season 2 as Drea, Michaela Stone’s brand-new partner.
It didn’t seem like a good fit at first as Mic was adamant about staying partnered up with Jared, her ex-boyfriend, but overtime, Drea began to prove herself as a trustworthy ally.
She would assist Mic in her cases and raids, cover for her when she needed to “handle something” related to the Callings, and stepped in when Mic went undercover as a druggie with Zeke.
Manifest Ellen Tamaki Interview Drea
MANIFEST — “Coordinated Flight” Episode 205 — Pictured: (l-r) Ellen Tamaki as Drea Mikami, JD Williams as Walter — (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC)All of that culminated on Monday’s Manifest episode “Carry On“ when the partners exchanged notes, surmised that Jared was an X’er, and Drea went undercover to scoop out the shady bar he attends to get more dirt.
We got to chat with Tamaki about her time on the NBC series, the dynamic between Drea and Mic, what it’s like working with Melissa Roxburgh, and well, we tried our best to get as much scoop about the remainder of the season as possible.
Check out the interview below:
Your character Drea and Mic make a very dynamic duo… tell us a little about that.
When I first came on the show it was a mystery. You know, we’ve wrapped the season, so I know what goes on for the rest of the season, but when it first started they wanted her [Mic] to have the new partner and they wanted some new faces in the precinct, and they’re like well what better way to do that then to kind of like create like this new relationship for her [Mic] that isn’t romantic.
I love seeing women on TV who have more relationships than just romantic ones, and I think there can be something so dynamic and professional about female friendships and that’s kind of what we have been discovering throughout the season is the way that these two characters get along and learn from each other. Drea comes in at the beginning and is just so infatuated with Mic and is trying to get Mic to warm up to her a little bit.
Teri Polo leads a quartet of actors cast in The Big Leap, Fox’s ballet-themed hourlong comedy-drama pilot from The Passage writer/executive producer Liz Heldens. Matt Lucas, Jumanji;s Ser’Darius Blain and Ray Cham also are cast in lead roles in the project, inspired by the UK reality series Big Ballet. It is a co-production between 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment.
Written by Heldens, The Big Leap is descried as a funny and contemporary tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours. The show revolves around a group of diverse underdogs from all different walks of life who compete to be part of a competition reality series that is putting on a modern, hip remake of Swan Lake. What they lack in the traditional dancer body type, they make up for with their edge, wit and desire to reimagine an iconic story to fit their own mold. The Big Leap takes us on a journey of self-acceptance, body-positivity and empowerment at any age.
Polo plays Julia Torrence. A beautiful former ballerina, Julia is now a social-media-obsessed mom who focuses more on her Instagram than her moody teenage girls or her distant husband, Kevin. When she sees the chance to audition for The Big Leap, it feels like a chance to fill what feels like a hollow, art-free life.
Cham plays Justin Reyes, Gabby’s adorable high school boyfriend and dance partner, who came out of the closet to nobody’s surprise except Gabby — and his parents, who kicked him out. He works at a big-box store to support himself now, but when Gabby shows up and tells him about the dance contest, he catches the spark and gets excited to dance again too.
Blain is cast as Reggie Sadler. A stunning specimen of humanity, Reggie is a gorgeous, famous, athletic, professional football player. He has demonstrated some erratic behavior and needs to take a break from the sport. He decides that some career rehab is in order and finds himself learning to dance so he can audition to be on The Big Leap.
Lucas plays Wayne Sleep, a joyful British fellow who is one of the co-hosts of The Big Leap. He is a former dancer and is entertaining, enthusiastic and encouraging.
Heldens executive produces with Sue Naegle and Peter Dale of UK company Rare Day, which produced the reality series.
Polo, whose recent credits include Freeform’s The Fosters and spinoff Good Trouble and HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, is repped by Gersh and manager Bob McGowan.
Blain, best known for his role as Anthony “Fridge” Johnson in the Dwayne Johnson-Kevin Hart Jumanji franchise, is repped by Paradigm and Grandview
British actor, comedian and writer Lucas is repped by WME. Ray is repped by TalentWorks and Justine Hunt.
Join original Charmed cast members Holly Marie Combs, Drew Fuller, and Brian Krause as they discuss their time on the hit TV show episode by episode. Hear behind the scenes stories and get insight into the production process of the hit cult show.
Sorry Not Sorry tackles social, political and cultural issues from the perspective of unapologetic guests while highlighting activists doing amazing things throughout the country.
The actress will open up like never before in a live memoir. She will cover everything from her TV and film credits, to her Stage IV cancer battle, friendships, divorces and more.
She will share her own personal stories, how she manages the lows all while celebrating the highs, and her hopes and dreams for the future. As Shannen says, it doesn’t matter how many times you fall, it’s about how you get back up. So, LET’S BE CLEAR… this is the truth and nothing but.