As WandaVision comes to a close, cast and crew are looking back at the work they've done on Marvel's first Disney+ series. One thing that's been unique about the project when compared to other comic book-based media is that it's embraced the world of sitcoms and used the format to explore various eras of the past.
An actor on the show who got to dive into most of these various time periods is Victoria Blade, who appears in most of the mid-episode advertisements referencing Wanda's trauma as the "Commercial Lady". The Direct had an exclusive interview with Blade, during which she shared what it was like to be thrown into scenes covering time periods spanning multiple decades.
PREPARING FOR TIME TRAVEL
When asked about any research she may have done while getting ready to emulate commercial actors from several decades ago, Blade explained her process and emphasized that the team was "really trying to honestly replicate the style" of each era.
"I did a lot of prep work, especially for the oldest eras, like for the 1950s. The style of advertising back then was so unlike what I've ever auditioned for. The style was almost very realistic [with] very long shots and really slow pacing, so I watched commercials that were airing in the 50s to prepare for that spot. That one took the most research because it was such a different style than what modern actors are used to, and the director, Matt [Shakman], who was so amazing to work with, he also sent specific links to commercials that we could watch to research the style. So that was really helpful, because we were really trying to honestly replicate the style. And then for the bath commercial, which was so much fun, there was kind of a specific commercial we were playing off of [featuring] this woman; she was, like, dancing in the bath with the bubbles, and it was just so stylistic, and it was so much fun to play with the heightened style that ads used to [have]."
Blade was likely referring to the classic Calgon Bath Powder commercial from the 1970s.
WARDROBE HIGHLIGHTS
In paying homage to all the different eras, Blade was seen sporting a wide variety of different costumes, hairstyles, and makeup over the course of WandaVision. When asked about her favorite look she got to put on during the series, she had trouble choosing "because [it] was the funnest part of the job," but managed to come up with one she had a particular affinity for.
"I loved the 1970s outfit for Hydra Soak with the turtleneck. That outfit, I would wear that in a heartbeat right now. But they were all [great]. It's hard to choose because that was the funnest part of the job, basically playing mega-dress up every day. [...] We had so much fun with the hair and makeup team and with the wardrobe team. Like, that was a dream."
However, Blade revealed there was one look she and the rest of the WandaVision team had a bit of trouble getting just right.
"For the 1960s, for the watch commercial, they wanted, like, cleavage, and we had to try really hard to get the cleavage going. That was the hardest part; it was like whoa, okay, we're gonna have to work at that, but we did it."
Stay tuned to The Direct for more from our exclusive interview with WandaVision's Victoria Blade.
