'The Originals' Interview: Daniella Pineda on Sophie's Calculated Plan to Take Down Marcel

Daniella Pineda opens up about the witches of the French Quarter in this brand new interview!

The 26-year-old Originals actress stars as Sophie, a witch who just lost her sister and is working with Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) to take down Marcel (Charles Michael Davis).

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Daniella Pineda

We caught up with Daniella about tonight’s witch-heavy history, Sophie’s connection to Marcel, and more!

The Originals airs TONIGHT @ 8PM on The CW!

Click inside to read our interview with Daniella Pineda…

JustJaredJr.com Interview – Daniella Pineda

JustJaredJr: So what was it like getting cast for the show?

Daniella Pineda: It was really exciting. I think at first it was a little intimidating. It’s a new frontier. I have to figure out who this character is and a lot of times people assume you just have it in the first episode, but I’m learning all of this and exploring all of this as I go, so it’s been really rewarding. And really fun. We work long hours, but the cast, everyone is great. And I know people say that, but everyone gets along. And it’s a good group of people to work with.

JJJ: So we know we’re going to learn more about the witch history of New Orleans. What can you tease?

DP: Honestly, it’s so good I can’t you anything! But I will say that my character is kind of the reluctant hero who is kind of forced into everything, so you’ll learn more about who Sophie was.

JJJ: Fair enough. What about the linking spell to Hayley?

DP: The spell was performed in the cemetery, which is the only place in the city where magic can be performed without facing any danger, but it’s one of those really, really old…the older the spell is the safer it is to perform, and that’s an ancient spell.

JJJ: Sophie has kind of been on her own a lot. Will we see her come together with any of the other female characters?

DP: One thing I can say is that they are forced to spend so much time together, and Rebekah and Hayley, they’re not bad people. Rebekah can be feisty and dangerous, but deep down everyone knows that Rebekah is a good girl. So I think spending so much time together, relationships will form. So it will be interesting to see where that goes. So I think there are potential for friendships, absolutely.

JJJ: Sophie and Marcel obviously don’t get along. She has this big plan to take him down, but couldn’t she just find an easier way to take him out?

DC: I think she is afraid of him, which is why she’s taking precautionary measures. I think if she really wanted to, she could find a way to pop him off, but she’s not. She’s being very careful and calculated because she’s afraid of him and because she’s lost everything else. I think if she were to die, the future of the witches would be at stake.

JJJ: She’s also threatening Originals and it seems to be working so far…

DP: What’s awesome about my character is that I’m limited. I can’t use magic, I’m not a werewolf so I can’t turn into a weird creature and gobble everyone up, and I’m not a vampire. So I have to use my brain and be really smart about what I’m going to do next. Having nothing to lose even makes her more determined, enough to threaten those kinds of people. But she has a purpose. I think they know she’s making them a deal and they can stand to gain more power.

JJJ: Do you think Elijah feels for her a little bit because she just lost her sister?

DP: Totally. Even though Elijah’s a monster, he’s a very noble character, so on the family front, he empathizes with Sophie a lot.

JJJ: We’re going to learn a lot about the witches tonight. Will they come together?

DP: Witches in New Orleans practice ancestral magic, which is different and they are really tied to their history. You’ll get a sense of the witch community, for sure, as the episodes continue.