When Mike Person and Laura Baldwin, creators of the hit show "Hippocratic Oath," hinted at a cast change this season, fans prepared to say farewell to Marleigh Norton's January Sook, as the character was freed for the spinoff series H4X0RZ. The real surprise is the recent addition of recurring character Mirris as a full member of the ensemble. Entertainment Weekly scored the first exclusive interview with Rosalind Martin, the actress who plays the Hippocrates' newest crew member.

EW: I'm sure you know what everyone is asking.  Was this all planned in
advance?
RM: No, it really wasn't.  [Series creators] Mike and Laura originally
asked me to work on the two-parter "Imaginary Friends" in Season 2, and
apparently it worked so well that they asked me back for the Season 3
premiere, and then one thing led to another, and here we are!
EW: What is it like to walk onto the set a fully developed series?  Is
it strange to be the new cast member?
RM: Everyone, both cast and crew, has been wonderful.  We have a lot of
fun working together, and I look forward to every day on the set.  I
know there is a lot that I missed, but I'm working hard to catch up.
EW: Had you ever watched the show before your appearance in Season 2?
RM: I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't.  I watched a number of old
episodes just before we started filming, but I didn't study them
carefully.  You see, Mirris was supposed to look at the ship's records
just long enough to insert herself into the logs, so to keep it more
realistic I tried to view only a portion of the old episodes so I would
be partly informed and partly lost, just like her.  Now, of course, I'm
as hooked as anyone.
EW: Among fans, there was some speculation about Mirris being a
replacement for Sook now that Marleigh Norton is joining the spinoff
series H4X0RZ.  Would you say that's accurate?
RM: Oh, I could never replace Marleigh!  [laughs]  She's fantastic, and
while I'm sorry we won't be working together now, I think it's a great
opportunity for her in Atlanta.  I'll miss her, though.
EW: You worked with her before, in "The New Inquisition."
RM: Yes, so I've been a fan of hers for a while.
EW: Speaking of previous work, you used a different accent in each of
your Shultz shows ["The New Inquisition" and "Hook Harbor"].  Do you
use your real voice for Mirris?
RM: Mostly.  Her tone is different, of course, depending on what's going
on, but the accent is real.  If she impersonates a Valley Girl or New
Yorker, you'll hear the accents again, but I doubt that we're in the
right universe for that!
EW: So if you don't have to worry about an accent, what's the biggest
challenge to playing Mirris?
RM: Well, part of it is that she's lost most of her memories, so some of
her personality is being built from scratch.  I sometimes think of her
as a mirror to other people and events.  Sometimes the reflection is
clear, and sometimes it's disturbing.  
EW: So you're suggesting some hidden depths. 
RM: Sometimes it's more simple than that.  Probably the trickiest issue
is that Mirris is, among other things, a recovering addict.  We play up
to that occasionally, but it's really a very serious issue.  I just want
to let everyone know that I support and encourage anyone who struggles
with addiction.  I have the greatest respect for all the programs out
there which can help.
EW: Are you suggesting that "Hippocratic Oath" will have a Very Special
Episode about this?  It's not usually known as an "issues" show.
RM: No, we're not making public service announcements.  But like the
best entertainment, there's a lot about human nature in it too.
EW: And alien nature.
RM: And that.
EW: Is there anything else you'd like to tell fans of the series?
RM: I just want to do right by the series, including its cast, crew and
fans.  There's a lot invested in this show and I want to do the best I
can to live up to the honor of being included.

Catch the first regular appearance of Mirris on the next episode of "Hippocratic Oath," this Saturday at 1 p.m.!