An Interview with Elena Esovolova

Finally, an interview with Elena!! Thanks to Maria Valiente at Wetpaint.

We absolutely love Patty "The Wedge" Wedgerman on Hellcats, so we cheered — and tried to do a flip, which failed — when actress Elena Esovolova agreed to chat with us about her character and her experience on the show so far. Our takeaways? Tom Welling is super-cool, cucumbers are tasty, cheerleaders are tough, and Elena is just as funny and down-to-earth as The Wedge. (Unfortunately, we're still in the dark as to how did Patty earned that intriguing nickname.)

Wetpaint: Could you tell us a little bit about how you landed the part of Patty Wedgerman?

Elena Esovolova: I was very confident from the beginning. I knew that the universe was working, and that this part was written for me. What was different for this show was the dance audition. I am not a professional dancer, so trying to learn choreography, when I had only taken ballroom 10 years ago — well, let's just say I was all over the place in the dance audition! Ha, ha!

WP: How did you feel about cheerleading before Hellcats and how has your perspective changed since working on the show?

EE: Well... When I was in grade 8, I tried out for the cheerleaders and didn't get in. Probably because I was too nerdy! I had BIG pink coke-bottle glasses, long brown hair. Kind of a super nerd! I guess God, the universe, was giving me a second chance to be a cheerleader and live my dream of being an actress all at once! Since being on the show, seeing these talented and graceful athletes and what they can do — it amazes me! They are REAL athletes. They work and train hard. The "bases" have to have endurance and strength. And the flyers? Fearless they are! Really... it's quite an exciting sport, and amazing to watch and learn from them.

WP: Do you perform your own stunts on set? If so, what’s the most difficult trick you've learned so far?

EE: Learning to not knock over Ashley Tisdale — ha, ha! Nah, seriously, at first just learning to be able to remember the choreography and have it ingrained in my body so I didn't even have to think about what move was next. After rehearsals, I went home at night and danced on the street till about midnight... But I get to DANCE! So it was fun — even though I hurt in places I never knew I had! They started teaching me holds, and I have lifted the tiniest flyer above my head once when we were practicing, but I do have a dance double (in case I need to be shot from the back or if I can't do a move) and a cheerleading double who does my tumbling passes and base lifting.

WP: We’re huge fans of sexy Tom Welling — talk about a dream boss! What's Superman like in person?

EE: He sat down next to me at a cast and crew dinner and we talked the whole way through dinner. He really is Superman in the fact that he is a really genuine, honest, and hard-working dude! We are both excited by the way a show is made and everything that the crew does to make magic happen. He is such a talented actor and so kind... OK, now I will stop gushing! It's just really nice to be lucky enough to work with such experienced and nice people in the industry for my first bigger part on a bigger show! Yippeeee!

WP: In case you haven't noticed, you are stunning, dahling. Do you have any beauty secrets to share with our readers?

EE: Aww, thanks! Here's a beauty tip from The Wedge: Cucumber slices. Great for the eyes and a healthy snack.

Episode 3 "Beale St. After Dark"

Official synopsis for episode 3:

Savannah (Ashley Tisdale) is nervous about her first date with Dan (Matt Barr) so Marti (Aly Michalka), Lewis (Robbie Jones) and the rest of the Hellcats team accompany her on their date which ends in disaster. Meanwhile, Marti tries to impress her law professor Julian (Harold) in the hopes of joining his legal team but he doubts she can balance both her studies and cheerleading. Desperate to get her spot back, Alice (Heather Hemmens) turns to pills to kill the pain so she can get medically approved to re-join the team. Vanessa (Sharon Leal) decides to come clean with Derrick (DB Woodside) about her affair with Red (Jeff Hephner). Bethany Rooney directed the episode with story by Kevin Murphy and teleplay by Kevin Murphy & Peter Calloway.

Check out the new Photo Gallery

Hey Everyone, sorry it's been a little while since I lasted posted, but I've been moving so I was without internet service and time for a couple of weeks!

The first couple episodes of Hellcats have been sooo good, but I really hope we see a little more of Patty in the upcoming episodes. She seems like such a cool character.

While I haven't been posting lately, I have still been working on the blog. I just added a photo gallery, and there are a ton of pictures in there. I hope you check it out and let me know what you think.