‘Blacklist’ Spinoff Star Famke Janssen Likes Playing ‘Strong And Different And Unique’ Women

Famke Janssen has a type. A type of role, that is, and it’s clear in nearly every movie she’s done. Whether she’s playing Hemlock Grove’s Olivia or Jean Grey in the X-Men film franchise, Famke is never seen as helpless or weak. Even when Ms. Janssen starred as Xenia Onatopp in the James Bond film Goldeneye, Famke didn’t play the customary damsel in distress but instead proved a worthy adversary to the British secret agent.

Now, as news that Ms. Janssen will be starring in a Blacklist spinoff hits the media, Famke reveals what she loves most about playing a butt-kicking femme fatale and why right now is the perfect time for her favorite types of roles.

The Blacklist Spinoff To Star Famke Janssen

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Famke Janssen is finally being offered a series of her own as the star of a spinoff of The Blacklist. NBC is working in conjunction with producers of The Blacklist to make the spinoff a reality, and even at this early date, inspiring series details put Famke at the center of a new drama.

The spinoff will be introduced as a backdoor pilot scheduled to air as an episode of The Blacklist on May 12. The new series will star Janssen (X-Men, How to Get Away with Murder) as Susan “Scottie” Halsted. Although little else has been revealed at this time, it’s suspected that Famke will play the mother of Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold).

This may mean Eggold’s character will be crossing over between The Blacklist and the currently untitled Janssen-led spinoff. Also making the move to the spinoff will be Edi Gathegi, who plays Matias Solomon, a Cabal operative who has been responsible for tracking down James Spader’s Blacklist character.

Famke Janssen Talks About Playing Strong Women

According to People, when Famke talks about the types of roles she goes for, one of her favorite roles turned out to be Olivia Godfrey on Hemlock Grove, an original Netflix series. Janssen says the producers pitched the show to her as something similar to Twin Peaks, and Famke says that description originally attracted her to the role.

“There was something in the pilot script that was so cunning and unpredictable, but I always like characters who have a bit of a sense of humor about it too, a bit more tongue in cheek at times, so that was the initial attraction,” said Ms. Janssen.

Famke says that she’s enjoyed the roles she has taken on, particularly because she’s been able to play so many independent and strong-willed females. Even in 1995’s Goldeneye, Janssen played a villain in a franchise notorious for casting women as helpless, hapless bimbos.

Of course, since playing Xenia Onatopp, the James Bond franchise, like much of the film industry, has changed how it represents women on screen. Betraying just a small measure of pride, Famke says she hopes she’s had some influence in changing things with her own characters.

“That those women could be strong and different and unique and that’s what I tried to do with the parts that come my way,” Janssen said when asked what differences she sees in the way women are portrayed on film. “I think it’s getting a little better now with the introduction of Netflix shows, and of course Amazon and HBO. We are seeing a lot more interesting females, and strong female-driven shows.”

Famke has no trouble finding the kinds of women she most likes to play, as can be seen in the long list of 2016 films in which she is set to star. Among them, Janssen will star in This Is Your Death, a drama about a game show that entertains the public with the executions of its contestants. Famke will also star in Kickback, a mystery/war drama about a detective who refuses to let up on an investigation into the death of a reporter who covered the Chechen War.

The Season 3 premiere of The Blacklist will air on Thursday, April 9 on NBC.

[Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images]