In ‘Sysegi’, a brand new ‘Sex and the
City’ type series, Melissa Lianne Woods will play Margaret, an up-and-coming
writer bored of her life in the UK. After relocating to LA, she befriends two
different women who are also embarking on a similar life journey.

We caught up with the actress and writer to
talk about the show, living in a foreign city and making new friends.

LIFESTYLE: In ‘Sysegi’ your character moves to America to make a fresh start. You are also planning a move to LA, is this a case of life imitating art?

MELISSA LIANNE WOODS: I can totally relate to Margaret, my character in ‘Sysegi’. I feel like, for the past few years, I’ve been stuck in a bit of a rut, both personally and career-wise. So a move to LA to seems like a complete fresh start for me. I’d like to think I have put a little bit more thought into the move than my character Margaret did. She literally quit her job and just upped and left overnight. 

LIFESTYLE: What else do you have in common with Margaret?

MELISSA
LIANNE WOODS: I am
usually very organised and very much a planner down to the last detail but
occasionally I’ll do something completely out of character and on a whim, which
is exactly what Margaret does in the pilot episode.

I think Margaret is a dreamer; she believes
in pursuing her dreams and making the most of her life. My biggest fear is
looking back on my life with regret. I think that’s why I am making the move to
LA now, because it feels like a “now on never” point in my life.

LIFESTYLE: How did the idea for ‘Sysegi’ come about?

MELISSA
LIANNE WOODS: Sofya
and Syra, my co-stars in ‘Sysegi’ were probably two of the first people that I
met when I was visiting LA. I already had the thought, in the back of my mind,
that I wanted to move to LA more permanently.

All three of us went out to
dinner one day and we just got talking about where we were in our lives.
 We are very much, three girls who in our normal walks of life would
probably never have met or be friends. Our lives, our backgrounds and cultures
are all very different, but we shared one thing in common and that was moving
to LA to “find ourselves”. We talked and talked (and talked…) and by the end
of the dinner we all agreed that there was a story in this. A story that needed
to be told; that would hopefully be relatable to other girls and maybe inspire
them to do something about their own situations. 

LIFESTYLE: In what ways, do the other girls relate to their characters?

MELISSA LIANNE WOODS: ‘Sysegi’ basically
starts with three very stereotypical girls from the UK, India and Russia. They
are in fact, complete exaggerations of the stereotypes.

What we all have in common
with our characters and each other, is that we don’t necessarily relate to our
stereotypes and what is expected of us from our own societies. I wouldn’t say
I’m a feminist, I believe in equality for everyone, but there is a real sense
of female empowerment with this series. 

Sofya and Syra are both
fantastic, strong women and it’s a pleasure to not only work with them but to
be able to call them friends.

LIFESTYLE: Your character in ‘Sysegi’ is a struggling writer. If you could have any other career what would it be?

MELISSA
LIANNE WOODS: Since
I was little, I have wanted to try every career possible: a nurse,  an
astronaut, a zookeeper, a lawyer (I have a law degree!) and a princess. 

I think the amazing thing
about acting is that you can be and do anything you want. Each day is
completely different, so I can live each of those careers choices, vicariously
through my acting career. 

LIFESTYLE: Who do you think this series will most appeal to?

MELISSA
LIANNE WOODS: I
grew up watching “Sex and the City” and I think this series has a similar vibe;
strong female characters who share a unique bond and a special friendship;
women who are dealing with various issues all whilst living in an amazing city.

Fans of sex and city would
definitely enjoy this but there’s also a lot of stereotypical humour to it as
well and I think it will be something that is easy to watch and very
funny. 

LIFESTYLE: What can viewers expect to take away from this series?

MELISSA
LIANNE WOODS: I’d
like to think that anyone who is watching the series who has a dream that
they’ve been scared to follow, or a decision to make that they’ve been putting
off, will be inspired to take action and hopefully change their lives for the
better. If we wanted to promote anything with this series, it’s the fact that
anything is possible if you just have the courage to pursue it. 

LIFESTYLE: If you could move anywhere else in the world, where would you move to?

MELISSA
LIANNE WOODS: I
absolutely adore New York City. Me and my best friend, Holly go every single
year for my birthday. It honestly feels like a “home away from home”. The
vibrance, the energy, the excitement, the fashion is all so euphoric. 

LIFESTYLE: What are you most, and least, going to miss about the UK?

MELISSA
LIANNE WOODS: I
most definitely will not miss the weather in England. I’m very excited to
experience the “California sunshine”. 

I guess I will miss home
comforts, like walking my dog in the countryside, having nice home cooked food
and being around my friends and family, but it’s just such an exciting time and
there is a lot to look forward to. 

I
think I’ll be so busy with work that I won’t really have time to miss home too
much

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