Allison Miller, Pretty, Pretty Princess

Allison Miller picks up the silver spoon in the anticipated NBC series, Kings, premiering Sunday, March 15th. The series, created by Michael Green (Heroes), centers around TV heavyweight, Ian McShane (Deadwood) as King Silas of the fictional Kingdom, Gilboa. Allison shines a his daughter, Princess Michelle, and shares the screen with drool-worthy males Christopher Egan (Alpha Male) and Sebastian Stan (Rachel Getting Married). The show has been criticized for having overly religious references (the premise is directly based on the story of David & Goliath), but it seems that there will be a plentiful helping of lustful lotharios devilish deceit. Miller opens up about her royal experience.

What’s the story with Princess Michelle Benjamin?
She is the King’s daughter, and she’s been sheltered her whole life. She’s had a really strange childhood living in the limelight, but at the same time, never really being let out from underneath her father’s watch. When the show begins, she’s coming into her own and beginning to work for the greater good of the people of the Kingdom. She’s rallying for healthcare reform and she gets involved in a bunch of public works, so she’s actually trying to do some good in the community. Then David (the war hero) comes along, and he waltzes onto the scene. She’s immediately taken with him. They begin a romance of which the King does not approve...and she’s very close with her father.

So she’s a daddy’s girl?
She’s absolutely a daddy’s girl. Michelle really connects with the King and Jack connects with the Queen. There is a little bit of family division and when David comes along, it upsets the balance.

What were your initial impressions of Kings?
I was reading the script thinking, “WHAT?” Because the first time I read it, it seemed like a sci-fi to me, which I think a lot of people have as a first impression. Once you really delve into it, there’s nothing incredibly supernatural happening. And it’s also not a period piece, which was my first assumption.  The pilot script really lays out a lot of ground and leaves it all open. There are endless possibilities. The script really peaked my interest. The character was appealing to me because she is a woman in power and she doesn’t come across that way at first. She isn’t in the same kind of role as the masculine characters. But she and the queen work behind the scenes and make things happen for themselves through their own feminine wiles.

What elements did you take into consideration to play a modern princess?
There are modern princesses, and it’s more just an idea of presenting yourself. And someone who has been taught from birth about how to act and what to say and never letting their guard down. I thought about maintaining poise at all times.

Is King Silas a good ruler?
That is the question of the show. It’s hard to tell if the characters are good or bad. It’s hard to tell who is doing things for the right reasons. I think that King Silas’s intentions are good, but I think that in his mind, the ends always justify the means.

What is the set like?
The set is fantastic. I’ve heard that that’s a terrible thing for a show, because often when shows don’t do well, people will say, “It’s such a shame because the set was so much fun, and we had so much fun working together.” And that’s what we’ve been saying this whole time. I wake up every morning and want to go to the set. It’s like going to visit your friends everyday. Everyone on the show has a nice, dry wit. We hung out after the show was over and saw Broadway shows, and we hang out on the weekends.

What TV shows do you love?
I love Mad Men.

Where does this kingdom Gilboa fit into the rest of the world from a 2009 perspective?
It’s definitely a reflection of our world. I wouldn’t say that it fits in any niche that we have. It doesn’t belong in any of our countries, but you could feasibly say that this is a different world that is a mirror of ours. The nation is a made up place as is the capital city. It could be a place that we’ve never heard of and then all of a sudden, pops up on the scene even though we had no idea that it is there. Everyone has modern day gadgets, and there is a lot of technology that looks similar to ours, but isn’t exactly what we have. There are no iphones, but there are PDA handheld devices that look like that. I think that it is also a commentary on our political system as well.

What does the butterfly represent within the Kingdom?
There is that direct literal tie, monarch butterfly and monarchy. I also think that it represents God in our story. There is a lot of discussion that this is a religious show. It’s pulled directly from religion, but I don’t think that it makes a statement either way. I think that the butterfly is a tie to the powers that be. It’s constantly there and shows up all over the place. It represents power because it’s a reminder to of all the citizens of this world who their leader is. And how his story began.

Do you have any princess-esque habits?
Probably not. I had never had a manicure or pedicure before the show, and now I have to get them every week. I might be reasonably poised but I think that I’m more of a tomboy. I never wear heels, so I had to learn to walk in heels for this. And I wore them everyday on set.

Where do you hang out in LA?
There is a Vegan restaurant called Pure Luck that is one of my favorite places. There is an Italian place called Speranza in Silver Lake. My favorite bars change all the time, but I like this divey bar in Silver Lake called Little Joy. I shop at Space 15 Twenty and another store called Confederacy.