

Lost Girl's Bo Dennis (Anna Silk). Photo copyright of Shaw Media/Showcase.

No matter what anyone might tell you, living your life as a succubus is no proverbial walk in the park, and Lost Girl’s Bo Dennis knows that only too well. As one of the most powerful members of a supernatural species known as The Fae, she has been “hounded” by The Light Fae as well as The Dark Fae to pick a side and pledge her allegiance. Instead, Bo has decided to remain neutral and use her unique powers to help humans and, occasionally, Fae in need. Unfortunately, our heroine’s selflessness has endangered not only her life, but the lives of those closest to her.

At the end of the show’s fourth season, her best friend and sidekick Kenzi sacrificed herself to save Bo by entering the Cinvat (portal to Hell) and closing it, saving Bo's life. Determined to bring Kenzi back from beyond the grave, Bo follows her into the dreaded abyss in part one of the fifth (and final) season opener Like Hell (airing Sunday, December 7th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on Canada’s Showcase Network). It was a considerable leap even for someone as brave and powerful as her, and an exciting venture for the actress who plays her, Anna Silk.

“It was great to step into this season,” says Silk. “It’s one of my favorite seasons and I love the intensity we start out with. Because the season opener is a two-parter, shooting it was interesting because it was like working on one big long episode. Everyone came back to set stronger than ever, and I feel like we had an extra little bit of magic in the air.



Bo (Anna Silk) finds Hell is not quite what she imagined it might be in Part 1 of "Like Hell." Photo copyright of Shaw Media/Showcase.

“So we got off to a wonderful start, and we had a fantastic director, Paolo Barzman, who has directed a number of our episodes. He brought so many neat things to this season’s opener. We also had a new show runner this year, Michael Grassi, who was very much an integral part of creating what you’re going to see in season five. We shot Like Hell in the studio and on-location. The big sweeping lobby scenes were done at the Royal York Hotel at two or three in the morning, while many of the other interiors were actual studio sets. When it comes to Bo, I love where she’s at this year and how strong, brave and fierce she has become. I had a blast doing the fight scene with Rachel Skarsten [Tamsin] in the opening episode. It was pretty kick-ass, and there are lots of other cool things like that to look forward to.”

Bo’s incredible journey began back in high school when she accidentally drained the life energy – which a succubus feeds on – from her boyfriend during her first sexual encounter. When Bo told her parents what happened, they finally revealed to her that she had been adopted. No longer sure of who or what she was, Bo ran away, trading her home life for one on the streets and a brand new alias every time she killed to survive. In the Lost Girl season one opener It’s a Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World, Bo uses her unique abilities to save a young girl, Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) from date rape. Her actions attract the attention of the Fae, which then spurs Bo on to search for information about her true origins.

“My character has evolved a great deal since the beginning,” notes Silk. “Initially, she doesn’t know who she is and what her powers are all about. Bo then finds out she’s a succubus and part of the Fae world. She has no idea that the Fae world is actually as big as it is and there is this never-ending unfolding of information that comes her way about it. How Bo navigates through that is sort of how she has grown every season. Bo feels so much; she’s very sensitive and I think that’s what makes her such a strong character.”



Bo (Anna Silk) and Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried). Photo copyright of Shaw Media/Showcase.

Did the actress discover any new acting challenges with Bo’s further growth and development this (fifth) season on Lost Girl? “For me, the greatest acting challenge was, I think, having a child and then leading a show as well,” she says. “What that does is make you so much more focused on what you’re doing and all the more present in every scene you’re in. I feel like that actually made things even better for me in terms of performance and helped me better tell the amazing story I was given this year. Honestly, though, I feel like every day is a challenge, and it’s the best type of challenge I could ask for.”

Along with Kenzi, several other unexpected faces enter Bo’s life once the Fae become aware of her presence, including Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried), a Light Fae wolf shapeshifter and homicide detective for the human police force; and Lauren Lewis (Zoie Pamler), a human doctor and scientist bound by obligation to serve the Light Fae. She also forms a very special bond with Trick (Rick Howland), bartender and owner of the only Fae pub in town, The Dal Rieta, and also Bo’s maternal grandfather. Season three of Lost Girl saw the introduction of Tamsin, a Valkyrie mercenary and bounty hunter working for the Dark Fae. Bo’s relationships with each of these characters have had more than their fair share of ups and downs, and that continues this year.

“The love triangle that began back in season one between Bo, Lauren and Dyson is still very much present on the show,” says Silk. “It’s been such an essential part of the series because it’s central to who Bo is. She’s developed a strong affection for as well as close ties with both of them, and we certainly do not let that go in season five. That triangle is still there and it’s something that Bo has to make decisions about, invest in, be heartbroken by and be filled with love by.



Bo (Anna Silk) and Tamsin (Rachel Skarsten) have a little "disagreement" in "Like Hell, Part 1." Photo copyright of Shaw Media/Showcase.

“My character’s relationship with Trick has always been very special to me. I love the way Rick Howland plays Trick with so much weight, and there is a great deal that the character has not told Bo. She’s aware of that, too, and that has made the relationship between those two really fun for me to play. With Kenzi, that relationship is very special, too. She has been like a sister to Bo, and Bo has been such a protector of hers. Because of where we left off with Kenzi at the end of season four, there’s this sense of guilt that is driving Bo this year to find Kenzi. All the other characters know how important this is to Bo and they support her, or they don’t, depending on their individual opinions, each of which is quite strong. Last but not least, I had a ball this year working with Rachel Skarsten. Her character of Tamsin is back and is a true equal to Bo. She’s another strong female Fae who has her own agenda, and her relationship with Bo was another interesting and fun one for me to play.”

Just as the Fae have their secrets, the Lost Girl storytellers do not want to reveal too much prior to season five’s premiere. With that in mind, Silk was able to still talk a bit about some of her upcoming favorite episodes.

“Truthfully, the whole season was a pleasure to shoot,” enthuses the actress. “There were fun episodes, some tougher ones and some serious ones, but in my mind, episode 13, which is down the road, is one that particularly stands out for me. I really can’t say why, but it was a very hard one to film and brought out a variety of emotions from as many different angles. Episode three I remember as being a really fun one. I love the two-part opener as well, and, oh, my gosh, the last episode, too. We were all very much invested in properly closing our story and tying up as many loose storylines as possible.



Bo (Anna Silk) and Lauren (Zoie Palmer). Photo copyright of Shaw Media/Showcase.

“I just feel like all the groundwork that we laid in the first four seasons and everything that every creative person on-set brought to the show really paid off in season five. We tell such a beautiful story with such a beautiful ending. When I received the script for the last episode I thought, ‘I’m not going to read this right now. I’m going to wait until the weekend.’ I wanted to be on my own and really take in every minute of it, which I did. The story is just perfect, passion-filled and told with so much sensitivity. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with how the season unfolded and definitely the way we ended it and the show.”

Sadly, all good things must eventually come to an end, and the fictional world of TV is not immune to that reality. While Silk and the rest of the Lost Girl cast and crew may have finished their work on the series, the experience is one that the actress will always keep very close to her heart.

“Bo is a once in a lifetime character,” she says. “I love how strong, brave and kickass she is, and I also appreciate how sensitive she is and how much she was affected by the world around her. That kind of fueled her strength as well as hurt her at times. The relationships she had with each of the other characters were so unique, special and a joy to play. Bo was an incredible gift of a role and I’ll miss her terribly. I feel like I’ve grown and learned from her as a person, and as an actress, I’ve never led a show before, and telling a story from that point of view is a tremendous responsibility. I feel so lucky and blessed to have taken on that leadership role. We created such a great working environment on Lost Girl.I feel like everyone was able to thrive because of that, and I am extremely proud of that.

“It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to Bo, although I feel like I already have in a way because the way we ended things feels so satisfying. That makes it easier to look back now and think, ‘Wow, what a time we had, and how lucky are we.’”

Steve Eramo

As noted above, all photos courtesy/copyright of Shaw Media and the Showcase Network, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!