Talk about a knockout. She isn't just the drop-dead beauty who turned nearly every head at the CW's soiree for TV critics last night. (I'd drop some superfamous names here, but some of them are, ahem, married.)
Maggie Q, the Mission Impossible 3 star who headlines the CW's cool new spy series Nikita, confessed to me that she actually knocked out a guy. Cold. A 6'4" guy. On the ground. And oh yeah, it was a fellow actor. Whoops.
Here's Maggie's confession of that and another awesome secret, plus the cool things we learned about Nikita today as the stars met with reporters:
Check out Maggie's confessional in the exclusive video interview above—in which she also talks about what we can expect from Nikita. [Warning: You might fall in love with her.]
"I knocked a guy out while shooting the pilot," Maggie, who is a seasoned martial-arts expert, explains. "He didn't duck, you know? In 13 years, I've never hurt anyone. He was 6'4." He literally dropped to the ground…I just stood there going, 'What just happened? What just happened?!' I felt so bad, he wasn't a stunt man, he was an actor, which is the worst because he needs his face and...his part got cut. See, I am evil!"
So is her costar Shane West worried he'll get KO'd next? "I was worried when I met her," he tells me with a laugh. "Now I'm extra worried. We do have some conflict coming up, and now I'll be thinking about it. [Laughs.] Thanks."
In the first episode of Nikita, the spy drama based on La Femme Nikita (hint: tones of Alias, that other series that borrowed from LFN) and airing on the CW this fall, you'll see just how badass—and stunningly fit—Maggie is, thanks to some skimpy getups and sharp fight scenes. The good news for you fellow females? Maggie owns up to how much effort she puts into her body.
"I once read an article where Naomi Campbell was like, 'I never do anything,' Maggie muses." And I was like, 'Oh my God.' If that's true, I retire from being a woman. I work so hard. It's not luck. I mean, if it's luck, what are we doing? No, I work, girl. I work my butt off. [Laughs.] Literally!"
Here are the other tidbits we learned from Nikita's cast and producers at today's Television Critics Press Tour in Beverly Hills:
Girl Power: All the executive producers and castmembers love the notion of "strong, empowering women who aren't afraid to be beautiful." After Maggie's quick-witted remarks to critics during panel, we gotta say, we love her as the new poster girl for strong, awesome women.
Not a Revamp: The creators stressed that this is not a remake, but a continuation of the Nikita story, with a new spy in training to follow, Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca), and we don't know which way she's going to go. Speaking of...
Spy in Training: The character of Alex has an "epic backstory that I don't think anyone will see coming," says executive producer Craig Silverstein. "It's a backstory that will start unfolding directly after the pilot and through the course of the season. And it will tell the story of how Alex and Nikita got together."
Bourne, not Dolls: Producers liken Nikita to the Jason Bourne series, and not as much to Dollhouse. "Nikita knows exactly who she is," Maggie says.
Season Setup: Along with a week-to-week mission and countermission, a season arc will tell the story of Nikita and Alex, as well as Nikita and Michael. Still, Craig promises that "you will be able to come in on episode two or six having not seen the show before and still be able to follow it."
Keep checking back for much more scoop from the Television Critics Association Press Tour! We are rubbing elbows with superhot people like Maggie...just for you.
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You saw this exclusive Glee casting scoop on Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and more, right? And the Glee romance scoop, too? If not, you're so gonna get Slusheed.
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