Tatiana Maslany and Tom Cullen, who have been together since
2011 after meeting on the set of the miniseries, World Without End, should definitely be in the running for couple
of the year. Understated, cute, and lacking any dating moniker (TatTom?
Caslany?), the two are exposing their relationship on screen for the first time
to act in and executive produce The Other
Half.
A devastating and beautiful tale of two damaged souls coming together, the film rises above the other vanity projects starring famed Hollywood couples that have come before it.
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"It was the most joyful, fulfilling working experience I've
ever had," Cullen tells ETonline about collaborating with his girlfriend. Audiences
grew to love the 30-year-old actor as one of Lady Mary's fleeting love interests,
Lord Gillingham, on Downton Abbey and in Andrew Haigh's Weekend.
Directed by actor and first-time feature writer-director,
Joey Klein, the two actors only had 16 days to realize the immediate,
inseparable bond between Nickie and Emily. But then again, they had five years to form that kind of
trust off-camera since Klein first approached Maslany and Cullen about the
project.
"I didn't ever picture it actually happening," Maslany
reveals, adding she now wants to film with Cullen "all the time."
In the movie, she plays a young woman suffering from bipolar
disorder, proving again that her acting skills arguably go far beyond many of the other
women taking home all the awards.
So, naturally, we can't help but wonder how Maslany feels when it comes to accolades that seem to evade her, despite rave reviews and cries of snubs each season. (To date, she's only earned one Golden Globe nomination and one Primetime Emmy nomination.)
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"None of that stuff factors in for me," Maslany insists. "It's
only when people ask about it. It's funny that people fixate so much on that
dictating the worth of your work. For me, getting to do this movie with my best
friends and with Tom, and coming to SXSW with a film that we made, that we
fought for and we believed in and a story that we care about so much."
"That is by far, so much more meaningful and so much more
fulfilling than any kind of award show," Maslany says of promoting the
independent film, which she and
Cullen (literally) put blood, sweat,
and tears into making.
Even though they're at SXSW to promote this labor of love, for
Maslany, Orphan Black always lurks.
Understandably, the actress is tight-lipped about spoilers
-- "I like being surprised when I watch stuff" -- but she confirms there will
indeed be another clone introduced as the show continues to explore Sarah and
her sisters' backstories.
"They're all going through a lot and there is some really
nice character development for the Leda clones this season," she offers, revealing
that fan favorites -- Helena and Alison -- will get more screen time in the new
season, which returns on April 14.
Cullen, who watches the show religiously (yes, he gets
spoilers beforehand but swears it doesn't bother him), teases that perhaps it won't be long before he gets his cameo. While Maslany would like her boyfriend to guest
star as a mob boss or hitman, she jokingly suggests he take on her role as
Alison.
"I'd love to play Alison," Cullen says about the uptight
clone. "I would be so into playing her."
"You'd be so good and weird at playing Alison," Maslany
quips.