Person of Interest has expanded its cast by upping both Sarah Shahi and Amy Acker to series regulars for season 3. That mean more of the strong and fierce Samantha Shaw and the crazy, yet brilliant Root. Acker and Shahi spoke with reporters about the new expanded role for their characters this upcoming season.

Check out the full video interviews and highlights.

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Amy Acker Interview

Highlights from the interview:

  • Acker was excited to read that the machine reached out to Root in the season 2 finale.
  • She loves doing genre television because you can “do anything.”
  • On Angel, she “started out in a potato sack and ended up as a blue demon goddess.” She believes that Root could be anyone now.
  • Acker loved playing Oregon Trail video game as a kid.
  • The character of Root was introduced before Acker was cast. Then, they pitched the role to her. She knew there was an arc for the character, but didn’t know that the character would grow like it has.
  • “I would like to say that I wish I liked tech and computer stuff more, but I would really be happy to move to the country and like sew my own clothes and make jam as well.”
  • She doesn’t worry about surveillance because she doesn’t feel like she has anything to hide.
  • She loves working with the cast. She had fun doing the scene with Sarah. 
  • “Really any chance I can have to torture one of the fellow castmates is gonna be a fun one.”

Sarah Shahi Interview

Highlights from the interview: 

  • Shaw will go undercover often in season 3. She’ll go where Reese can’t because she’s a girl. “Plus, girls do it better anyway.”
  • Shaw’s history will be revealed. “Why is she the way that she is?”
  • She’s a wild card, who lives on the outskirts.
  • Shaw can be “dangling from a rooftop in one scene and then put her in a dress in the next and it all make sense for Shaw.”
  • Shahi loves doing the action scenes. This is her first role with fight scenes. She had to go through training for the role. She wants to do “Mission Impossible” stunts.
  • Shahi didn’t have to audition. The executive producers knew her work from Alias.
  • “The love child of Jason Bourne and Catwoman.” on how the character was pitched to Shahi.
  • “You cannot outcute” the dog.
  • The dog who plays Bear is a world champion.
  • She loved the scene where Bear has to lick her alive.
  • Shahi believes that Sam and Reese definitely have chemistry and magnetic. She doesn’t know if they will be hooking up or not, but thinks fans would enjoy that.

Person of Interest season 3 premieres on Tuesday, September 24 at 10 pm ET on CBS.

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(Image and video: Carla Day)

Carla Day

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

Contributing Editor and Writer for Collider, BuddyTV, TV Fanatic, CliqueClack, and other publications. TV criticism, reviews, interviews with actors and producers, and other related content. Founder of TV Diehard.