Sofia Hasmik made her first appearance as Chrissy Beppo on Superman & Lois in Episode 2, and since then, the breakout character known for running the Smallville Gazette has made such an impact on the show that Hasmik will be a series regular for Superman & Lois Season 2.
In tonight’s episode of the series titled “Fail Safe” airing on The CW, Chrissy and Lois have a bit of a conflict about information that’s coming to the town (or in this case, not coming) from Lois Lane’s father, General Sam Lane. To promote it, KryptonSite was able to interview Sofia Hasmik to learn more about the actress that plays Chrissy and what is coming up for her!
KRYPTONSITE’S CRAIG BYRNE: I’m just gonna jump right in and ask: What is your favorite thing about Chrissy Beppo as a character?
SOFIA HASMIK: My favorite thing about Chrissy as a character…. I think it would be her kind of her very nonstop energy. It definitely has to be that. I admire it so much. She really doesn’t stop until she feels that the story has been told. I really appreciate that relentless energy of hers.
She even had that energy when she first met Lois Lane, too. Did you want to talk about that?
I love those scenes with Chrissy and Lois in the beginning. I describe it as just this very giddy, putting-herself-out-there vulnerability that I admire so much. Just this balance of being so starstruck and really going for it, asking her to come to the Smallville Gazette… it’s making me smile from ear to ear right now, thinking about it.
Can you preview the conflict that Chrissy has with Lois in the July 20 episode?
This whole relationship with Lois and Chrissy has kind of teetered on this very fine line between professionalism and adoration. It’s a delicate, strange dance where you have somebody that she idolizes completely, who I think is one of the main reasons that she got into journalism, and trying to find that balance between staying true to herself, and to the integrity of being a journalist and what it stands for. She is talking to her idol on a day to day basis. They see each other every day at work. How do you find the balance between that and still standing up for what you believe in?
Will we learn any more of Chrissy’s backstory?
I hope so. She’s such an interesting character, and she’s just so much fun to play and really develop. She’s grown tremendously from the first time we see her in Episode Two. I really can’t wait to dig a little deeper into how she became who she is right now.
Up until meeting Lois, she has really has done it all on her own. I think that that takes a lot of courage ans power on her part, at a young age, to be like, “yep, I’m gonna do this, and I’m gonna do it to the best of my capabilities.” It’s a thing that I’m very proud of for her.
Do you think that she’s always lived in Smallville?
I don’t think so. That will be something I’m sure that we’ll be jumping into.
I do think that there is something so incredible about Smallville that draws people to it – that small town feel, that camaraderie, that community. It’s something that I think people yearn for, and I can imagine it’s something that Chrissy really loves. It’s something she fights for daily. Every stance that she’s taken has been for the good of Smallville, and for the good of this community, and this incredible group of people. And 100%, she calls it home.
Can you talk about how excited you are to find out that you were becoming a series regular for Season 2?
Oh my gosh. My brain couldn’t compute it. It was just, like, so shocked, and happily confused. I am so happy to be a part of such a phenomenal cast and such a great story, and then to get to do it again, it’s really a dream come true.
Are we going ever going to meet any of these random love interests that she seems to mention?
She does seem to like to drop them in there. She’s so passionate, but I think she’s waiting for someone to ask. I think she’s like, just dropping the bait? I don’t know. I think it would be really interesting to jump into that life of hers. It would be it would be a lot of fun. But, I think it kind of speaks to the fact that her job really takes over. She gives it 110%. I think that’s always, why when she mentioned it, she’s like “ugh, an ex.” I think she puts the Gazette first, and I think that’s probably very clear in her love life.
Is there less pressure to be playing a character we have not seen in live action before?
I’m so happy that she’s this original character that we get to kind of all discover together. I love that as as people watch the episodes and see how she develops and how she grows, it’s the same way I feel when I get a script. She’s kind of morphing in front of everyone’s eyes, myself included, and I think that there is some freedom in that, to get to play around and discover different bits and parts of her.
Have you asked the producers how your character got last name like “Beppo?”
When I originally got the audition for her, and I started trying to do my own little research on it, I did find like a few little nuggets, like that “Beppo” is the name of one of the Super-Pets, so I felt like it was kind of a little bit of a nod to that, maybe, and I took it and ran with it a little bit in my head. She’s got a little bit of this adorable “Super Monkey ” energy. I sort of just ran with it.
If Chrissy were to ever discovered Superman’s true identity, do you think she would run it, or do you think she has her limits?
I don’t think she would. becaise there are some things that are meant to be protected, and I don’t think that Chrissy would betray that trust. I think that she does have her limits, and if that situation were to arise, I think that she would honor the trust that she has with Lois.
What else should people know about the July 20 episode “Fail Safe?”
The adventure continues, and there is not one moment within the series and within this episode that should be missed, and Episode 13 really lays the groundwork for what’s to come in 14 and 15.
Superman & Lois “Fail Safe” airs tonight (July 20) on The CW. Take a look at some preview images here!