Exclusive interview with Sachin Sahel

October 3, 2016 | Sachin Sahel studied psychology before he got into acting. In the postapocalyptic show "The 100" he has been playing Jackson since the first season. In our interview Sachin Sahel talks about his favorite books and television shows, portraying a whole new version of Jackson in season 3 and his experiences from working on the "The X-Files"-set.

Foto: Sachin Sahel - Copyright: Russel Baer
Sachin Sahel
© Russel Baer
Note: © myFanbase 2016 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first two questions (up to 180 words) if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the link to this site.

Deutsche Übersetzung des Interviews. | German translation of the interview.

You played a role in one episode of the cult tv show "The X-Files", please tell us a little bit about your experiences on set.

I was always a huge "The X-Files" fan so for me to be able to have a character exist in that universe, working directly with Mulder and Scully is a huge honor.
David and Gillian are not only extremely talented but hilarious. All we did all day in between takes was do Jeff Golfblum impression and sing Lion King songs, so besides doing the great scene, it was fun to hang out with them and see they they're actually even cooler than they look on screen.

On your Instagram account we often see you with your "The 100" castmates Richard Harmon and Jarod Joseph. If you could write a scene for Jackson with Murphy or Miller, what would the characters do together?

Good question! Those are my best friends so it's funny to think how different our characters are from each other.
I think our characters all have such different views on the world, I'd honestly like them to just sit at a round table and argue politics.
At the beginning of the show I always said Murphy and Jackson were on opposite ends of the spectrum with Miller somewhere closer to Murphy.
It would be interesting to me to see where they stand now after all they've been through. Murphy having to deal with Jaha and Alie and now having someone he cares about, Miller is now working for the guard and Jackson with all the blood of people he has tried to save on his hands, and taking the chip.

Due to the mind control, you had to portray a whole new Jackson in season 3. How did you like playing one of the (temporarily) evil characters and what was the biggest challenge?

It's always fun to play something different! I had a blast. The cool thing was we still got to be our characters when on the chip, just a different version of them, so we all were able to interpret the chip differently. Jackson, a fairly solemn somewhat depressed dude was so relived of having all that pressure of people's lives off his shoulders, he was jovial! Thus always the creepy smile.

Before your started acting you studied psychology. Based on that, how do you presume Jackson is going to cope with his actions while being controlled by A.L.I.E.?

Using my psychology degree to get spoilers?! Haha, you know he has been through so much already as a doctor dealing with the ramifications from the lack of supplies on The Ark, to the crash, to the war, to wanting to go back to mount weather then having it be blown up. It could go lots of ways.
I'll give you the answer I came up with before I read any scripts this season and I think it could go one of three ways:
1. He could be destroyed, and the guilt of all he is done could make him quit it all.
2. It could renew his understanding of his need in the world and make him do it with more aggression.
3. Something else that the writers came up with.

So we'll see.

Many characters of the series have gone through some traumatic experiences. Which character would in your opinion benefit most of a therapy and why?

Oh man. All of them could use a lifetime of it but I think Jaha and Bellamy could benefit from it the most.
Jaha lost his son, came down to earth on a rocket by himself, landed in a strange new world only to be tricked by an artificial intelligence to turn on his people. That's enough to make any man need therapy.
Bellamy has had to make some of the hardest moral and ethical decision on the show and no one really has to deal with the aftermath of them like he does. He could definitely benefit from some emotional catharsis. I don't think Bell would ever show up to his appointments though.

Foto: Sachin Sahel - Copyright: Russel Baer
Sachin Sahel
© Russel Baer

We read in an interview that you own two typewriters and like to write letters to your friends. If you had the opportunity to send Jackson a letter, what would you write him?

It's been the same since season 1:
Keep trying to be the man that you want to be because the world needs people who just try to make it better.
It's going to be hard and you are going to have to sacrifice a lot of happiness, but it'll be worth it in the end when you see the faces of everyone you love smiling.

In episode #3.10 Fallen we learn that Jackson is in fact his last name. What do you know about his first name? Any preferences?

I have a name for him for sure, but I'm excited for the day when one is on paper.

Has there been a day on the set of "The 100" that you would like to relive because it was especially funny or exceptional?

This is going to sound cliché but everyday I have on that set is great. After 4 seasons we are all such a close group, I can honestly say this cast is full of my greatest friends and I have the best time acting with them and watching their talent.
It's like asking the guys which day is your favorite day to go to "CHEERS"?
The next day!

Not every scene you shoot makes it to the final cut. Has there been a scene you did that you loved but didn't make it to the final cut?

I remember once I had a comedic line right before I was about to do surgery and it was cut because watching it, it would have taken away the levity of the scene if it was in there. So while I liked that funny line, I think it worked out for the best. Don't make jokes right before you do surgery!

Last week you posted some pages from "The Age of Magic" by Ben Okri on Instagram. Would you consider yourself a bookworm? What are your favorite books?

I am definitely back into my book grind! That book is one I will re-read forever.
Other books I like are: "The Giver", "The Talent Code", "The Tao of Jeet Kun Do", "Jurassic Park", "The Kite Runner", "Life of Pi"... There are too many to name I've realized, but that's off the top of my head haha.

According to the IMDb-Filmography you play a character named McGill in the upcoming season of "Supergirl". Maybe you can tell us more about him or another new project?

No I can't! I'm not allowed to talk about anything! NDA's are everywhere!

You are also active on Twitter and go to conventions, what does it add to the experience of being on a show with a passionate fandom getting to meet the fans?

I think it's important to be interactive with the people that watch your show, hear what they have to say and have direct conversations about things they feel are important. Especially on a show like this that I feel is trying to say something and do some very forward things; you need to see people face to face and talk to them about everything they think and feel. Those are the best parts of life and some of the best parts about being on a show like this.

Since myFanbase is an online magazine about U.S. television shows, we would like to know what your favorite shows are?

Again off the top of my head:
"Friday Night Lights", "Game of Thrones", "The Wire", "Seinfeld", "Stranger Things", "Breaking Bad", "Firefly", "Sherlock", "The Office" (Both Versions), "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" ... Yeah, I think that'll do for today haha.

Sina Behling & Charleen Winter - myFanbase


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