Amy Acker has played plenty of memorable characters throughout her career, but one of my favorite shows had to be the sci-fi drama Dollhouse. The series revolves around a corporation running underground Dollhouses that implant individuals, or Dolls, with temporary personalities and skills. They could be hired for heists, romance, assassinations, or other experiences. In an interview with Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado for her new holiday film My Christmas Cowboy, Acker opened up about her role as Dr. Claire Saunders, or the Doll Whiskey, on the show.
Acker played Dr. Claire Saunders who takes care of the physical well-being of the Dolls. As the series goes on, we learn that she is actual a former Doll named Whiskey who was implanted with altered memories of the past physician. “I had pitched many ideas as soon as I knew I used to be a Doll or was a Doll,” Acker recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I wish my Doll could be like 1920s and I wanted to be a flapper Doll.’”
But her character’s eventual assignment reveal was a far cry from the Roaring Twenties-inspired role she hoped for. “They were like, ‘You're going to be this sexy Doll who is making out with Alan Tudyk,’ and I was like, ‘That's the least comfortable I've ever felt,” she said.
Still, Acker looks back fondly on the show and believes it arrived before audiences were ready for it. “But yeah, it was such a fun show and I feel like before its time,” she said. “I feel like if that show was on right now, it would just run forever. It was so fun.”
One of the things that made Dollhouse such a unique experience for its cast was the ability to play virtually anyone. “You can really, really be anything in that show, for sure,” she said.
While Dollhouse might have only run for two seasons, you can get even more Acker this holiday season! You can watch My Christmas Cowboy airing November 13 on Hallmark Channel, while Return To Santa premieres November 27.
