Under the Dome is the surprise huge hit of the summer that is being seen by the amount of people that most falls show wish they were being viewed by on a weekly basis. So why is this show that airs Mondays at 10p on CBS doing so great in the ratings? Well one of the stars of the show,
Jolene Purdy, told me what the producers told her the actors should be focusing on. She said they advised them, “It is not about the Dome, it is about the people and their human spirit as they are facing this crisis.”
It is these people that we have grown to care about and to love, and Jolene Purdy’s Dodee quickly became a fan favorite. Dodee works at the radio station, and she is trying her hardest to hear the communications going on the other side of the Dome. So far it has just been bits and pieces, but the little tidbits have made a difference. Not as much as she made in episode 5, when Barbie saw her signing to a family member. He then asked her if she could read lips, and when she told them that he could he used her to communicate with an officer on the other side. The soldier told them they were going to send the Mother of All Bombs to Chester’s Mill, and the town was able to prepare for the impact because of her. It is the little things like this that make us adore her. And it’s the little like learning sign language that she was able to cross off of her acting bucket list. Another thing she crossed off, is that she got to do her own stunts. Something we have yet to see, but we should be looking out for in a future episode.
Now as you know Under the Dome is based on a Steven King book and except for the name, TV Dodee is nothing like book Dodee. So when I asked her if she has read the book, she told me about an interesting experience she had trying to read it. She said, “I started to read the book, and it was a safety hazard on USA Airways. They made me stow away the book because I couldn’t have it on my lap. It was too big (nearly 1,100 pages).” Then when she was allowed to read it, she told me “I noticed that Dodee died, and I was like that’s it. I quit! I’m out! I’m not reading it!” Which is a good thing she stopped there. I won’t say what happens to her character in the book, but even I had a hard time reading Dodee’s fate. She also shared with me another reason why she put the book down, “I wanted to experience the Dome as my character and really make it feel natural. Not play something, I read.” Not that the two have a lot in common past what she read, but I respect her decision for playing the character as is and not what it should be.
Under the Dome is a Sci-Fi show and playing in this genre is something that is new for this actress that started out in musical theater before landing leading roles on Do Not Disturb, 10 Things I Hate About You and Gigantic and a recurring one on Glee. She is really enjoying doing Sci-Fi, and during the show’s hiatus she is hoping to do a comedy or two. Through her body of work we know she can tackle it all, so I hope we see her in at least one comedy before she get trapped under the Dome again next summer.
Now as you probably figured, the show isn’t really filmed in a Dome but it is shot in North Carolina. So when I asked her what it is like to work there, the California native told me “I got to experience weather. I got to experience bugs at their finest.” Then she added with a big smile on her face, “The people there were very very very very very sweet.” Just like Jolene and that is just another reason why we love her so much on Under the Dome.
So watch it tonight on CBS at 10p to see what happens in Chester’s Mill when their worst fears come true…
