It hasn’t been the easiest transition for Janina Gavankar.
As an actress, it’s been her duty to step in to any role that she and the creators see fit; however, her inclusion in the fourth season of Sleepy Hollow was a bit on the jarring side. Viewers have seen and thoroughly discussed the departure of Nicole Beharie. With Gavankar stepping in a no-nonsense Diana Thomas and working with Ichabod Crane, fans are a bit wary about her introduction.
And they were not the only ones. Gavankar, in an interview with TVLine, sat down to discuss her role on the show. “I’m not an idiot,” she notes, addressing viewer’s concerns. “I’m totally nervous that people are going to hate me. But someone had to take the job, and I was so honored that [Sleepy] called me in the first place. I wasn’t going to say no.”
She’s even had experience before stepping into pre-established worlds. “This is the third show that I’ve joined as a series regular in the fourth season. The L Word, True Blood, Sleepy Hollow. Bizarre. It’s like, ‘Oh, we’ve got to fill a spot, who are we going to call? Call Janina.’ Its very strange.”
But even so, the character of Abbie is still being respected by Sleepy Hollow‘s latest member. “The characters on the show miss Abbie,” Gavankar says, “They are grieving for her loss, as the fans are. By the way, I’ve seen every episode — I am, too. She’s incredible. She’s part of the fabric of the show.”
For more Ichabod-Diana interaction, tune into Sleepy Hollow on January 6th.