The world is getting ready to end for one small, New England town Monday at 10 p.m. on CBS when the highly-anticipated adaption of Stephen King’s Under the Dome premieres. We had the opportunity to chat with one of the series’ young stars, Mackenzie Lintz, and discuss her character Norrie Calvert, her family’s previous connection with King and just what she would do if an invisible dome suddenly came crashing down around her. Read on for the full interview…

The Daily Quirk: You come from a family full of actors. Did you always know you wanted to be an actress, or did the interest develop over time?

Mackenzie Lintz: When I was younger I was an athlete. I played softball for six years, I played volleyball for about three. I played every sport and that was what I wanted to do. And not until I was about 13 or 14 years old did I decide to seriously pursue acting because my three younger siblings decided to pursue it a lot younger than I did and it became something I truly had interest in. But it didn’t really start out like that. I really wanted to play sports.

TDQ: You had your first big screen role as a Tribute from District 8 in The Hunger Games. Were you a fan of the books before you auditioned for the film?

ML:Absolutely. It’s actually a funny story. I read all three of the books before I even knew there was a movie. And I was totally that person who would look up the casting director and the director of the movie and all this stuff. And I was buggy my mom for the longest time telling her ‘I have to get an audition for The Hunger Games. I have to.’ It was my favorite book series. So I just kept bugging her to get an audition and when I did get one I was totally ecstatic and I was just so grateful to get an audition. Then we got a call about four weeks later saying that I got one of the tributes.

TDQ: Can you share a little bit about what it was like being a part of such a huge franchise?

ML: It was definitely a lot crazier than I expected it to be. We all got invited to the world premiere in Los Angeles two Marches ago. And people were camping out and recognizing us on the street and it was such a different thing that I had never experienced before. But it was definitely one of the best times of my life.

TDQ: Fans can catch you next on CBS’ highly anticipated television adaption of Under the Dome. Can you tell me a little bit about your character Norrie Calvert?

ML: She is kind of a rebellious teenager from Los Angeles, California. She’s on her way to reform school with her two lesbian moms when the dome comes down around Chester’s Mill as their just passing through. So she kind of gets trapped in the wrong place at the wrong time and her and her family are kind of fish out of water. So you kind of see her walls break down, and her rebellious nature break down as she gets to know the people in Chester’s Mill.

TDQ: What attracted you to the role?

ML:My mom had read Under the Dome a long time ago and I would go into her room every night and ask her ‘What’s happening now? What’s happening in Under the Dome?’ And I didn’t remember Norrie from the book, but I read her character breakdown and she just seemed like a very passionate person. And in that way I can relate to her. She’s just hilarious and fantastic and such an interesting character. So that’s part of what drew me to portray her.

TDQ: Do you have any favorite on-set moments you want to share?

ML: Well, I always have fun with Samantha Mathis, she plays my mom Alice, and Aisha Hinds, who is my mom Caroline. We are constantly laughing all the time on set. And I remember one time, Aisha and I just got to laughing and it had to be a very serious scene. But we were just dying and it’s always very hard to control myself because she is just hilarious. So we kind of got out of control for a little bit.

TDQ: What do you think viewers will find to be the most exciting or shocking about the series premiere?

ML:People are going to realize that the dome is as much of a character as I am or any of the other people on the show. You’re going to get to know the dome as much as you get to know Norrie or Big Jim or any of the other characters. You kind of get to see how scary it is, even though it’s invisible. But that makes sense, because a lot of the things we’re scared of as people are the things we can’t see, like in the ocean or space. So it’s cool that the dome, even though you can’t see it, is still something so scary and unknown. It draws you towards the mystery of it.

TDQ:Your mom, Kelly Lintz, was also cast in a Stephen King adaption of The Mist a few years ago. Did she have any advice for your first time on set?

ML: She was a part of The Mist, but that’s a lot different because it was a movie and this is a series. But she is so excited, Stephen King is a genius, and we’re both just to excited and humbled to have the opportunity to be a part of two Stephen King projects.

TDQ:If you suddenly found yourself stuck under a dome, what would your initial reaction be? 

ML: I think it would honestly be very similar to what Norrie goes through. I would be totally scared, but I would probably try to make some sarcastic joke out of it. I would be scared, for sure.

TDQ: Under the Dome is sure to get viewers hearts racing. What’s your favorite heart racing scary movie?

ML:Me and a bunch of my girlfriends will always have Paranormal Activity nights, so we watch all of the movies. I don’t know, I like scary movies, but I’ve never been one to watch them all the time so I don’t know if I have a favorite. But I definitely like Paranormal Activity.

TDQ: Do you have any other upcoming projects or events that you would like to share with out readers?

ML: Not really, just stay tuned for this Monday night on CBS to catch the fireworks!

The Daily Quirk would like to thank Mackenzie Lintz for taking some time to chat with us! Be sure to check out Under the Dome, premiering June 24th on CBS !

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Holly Storrow
Holly is a recent graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University where she majored in smoothie addiction, Netflix and, oh yeah, journalism. When she’s not writing for The Daily Quirk, she’s scouring job sites for her next big move. Anyone need a dog walker?
Check out more from Holly Storrow on TDQ…

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