Hello Felicia !
First of all, thanks a lot for doing this, I know you must be pretty backed up right now. Alright, on with the questions from the guys at GeekZone.fr, in no particular order…
How did you get the job for Dr. Horrible? Did Joss know about The Guild and was that the reason why he decided to cast you?
Yes, Joss had seen The Guild, and it definitely contributed to my casting. We had discussed my show and his nascent plans for an « internet superhero musical » on the WGA strike line in October. Later, in February or so, I received an email from him out of the blue saying, « Can you sing? » Needless to say I said, « Yes! »
How much did you put in your character? Was everything scripted from the beginning or did you get the chance to add your own input?
I believe everything spoken on-screen was sprung from the brilliant collective mind of Joss, Jed and Zach Whedon and Jed’s fiancée Maurissa Tancheroen. They wrote « Horrible » together and seamlessly created what we are enjoying today. I just tried to ground Penny in reality and be natural in the role. Penny is the straight-woman in a fantastic world, and it was such a joy to travel in her footsteps through the script.
I know Joss Whedon has a reputation of offing most of his beloved characters but we were pretty shocked (in a good way) by the ending. It started as a light and funny thing and ended up in a dark place. Were you as shocked as we were about it? What was your first reaction? Do you think he decided to kill Penny because he didn’t get to off Vi in Chosen (Buffy)? 
Ha! Vi is the head of the Manhattan Slayers now, don’t you read the comic! You better watch your questions! :crying: When I read the script, the moment Penny died I was in tears myself. It was a beautiful arc to enable Dr. Horrible to achieve his « horribleness ». And as an actor a good death scene is the biggest challenge and joy. I love that it was captured on film and I’ll always be proud of it. I think the controversy it started within the fan community was verification of how perfect a choice it was. Without controversy there is no challenge and with no challenge there is no art. That sounded smart, didn’t it, haha!
It pretty much did, yeah. 
So, what’s the future for Dr. Horrible? Another web series? A movie? World domination?
I don’t know, the word « sequel » has been thrown around by Joss and Co. a lot, but nothing is definite. I’m crossing my fingers, being a part of this phenomenon has been such a joy!
The Internet allows anyone now to produce and put out their own thing, regardless if it’s music, writings or even movies. But on the downside, doesn’t it also mean that it’s getting more and more difficult for anybody to stand out of the crowd? In the music business for example (which is my « thing »), I find it harder and harder to sort out all the new releases because there are so many. What’s your take on this? Can you really make a living out of a web show?
It’s not easy, I certainly don’t make a living at it. I think in a few years we’ll see web content become more viable as a career, but right now it’s still developing. With Dr Horrible, I believe Joss is revolutionizing that though. I would say know going in that it won’t be your living, but making content now is a great way to be on the cutting edge and refine your skills.
What advices could you give to someone who wants to start his own show but is too afraid to do so or doesn’t know where to start?
I would say do your research. There are great podcasts on doing independent filmmaking, and if you can, volunteer to work on other people’s sets to get a feel of how it should be done. Work for free to learn firsthand. Then make sure you’re telling a story that is unique to you, don’t try to please other people or you’ll be too generic.
How’s season 2 of The Guild coming up by the way? One of my friends (who’s a big WoW player) liked it but felt a bit disappointed that it was not really aimed at WoW players. Do you agree? Was it a deliberate choice?
I deliberately chose to not be specific about the game in the show for copyright reasons primarily, but I think it was definitely the right way to go. Being neutral with the game forces me as a writer to focus on the characters, not on the in-game jokes. I am currently writing season 2 and having a blast. We hope to be shooting in September with full funding.
There seems to be a lot of interest for the geek community lately: people like Joss Whedon of course, but also Kevin Smith, websites, TV shows like The Big Bang Theory, The IT Crowd, etc. Is being geek the new cool thing?
I feel like the internet is really taking over how we get our media, and the people who know that area best, the « early adopters » are in power more than they have been in a while. To me, being geek was always cool though. 
I feel you. 
Still on the geeky side: what are the top 5 bookmarks in your browser?
Twitter, Google Reader, PopURLS, The Guild Website, and Cute Overload for smiles.
What’s next for you? Any other projects besides The Guild that we should know about?
I’m appearing in House in a Guest Starring role this September, and other than that I’m looking for my next project, along with doing The Guild. I also have another web project I’m working on that’s still in the development stages.
We’ll keep an eye on that! Well, that’s it! Again, thanks a million for doing this! And good luck with your future projects! Keep us posted!
Site officiel: http://feliciaday.net/
