By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Media Services
October 4, 2011
You’ve probably seen — or heard — Alexandra Breckenridge on some of your favorite television series. She portrays Katerina on HBO’s “True Blood” and spent six years doing voice work for such shows as Fox’s “Family Guy” and “American Dad.” Her latest role is playing Moira on the new FX series “American Horror Story,” which is the brainchild of “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy. Born and raised in Connecticut, Breckenridge and her mother moved to California when she was 12. Today, the 29-year-old actress/photographer lives in L.A.’s Los Feliz neighborhood.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. I love Australia and Jamaica. I love Sydney because it reminds me of Los Angeles and San Francisco sort of put together. And the air there is unbelievable. There’s something I love about Australians. I think it’s how friendly they are and the men are extremely attractive. (Laughs) As for Jamaica, I love the air, ocean and the feeling you get when you’re there. I actually love anything tropical with white sand beaches and clear blue water, laying around in a cabana sipping fruity drinks.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. At the moment I like to go to Laguna Beach for a day when I have the time. I like the beach and shops there. I’m also partial to it because I lived (in that area) for six months before settling in Los Angeles. Also, Mammoth is fantastic. I go there to fly-fish for the weekend sometimes.
Q. Which destination was a favorite when you were a child?
A. When I was younger living in Connecticut, my mother and I would stay in a cabin her family had in Cape Cod. Those were my favorite times during the summer, riding around on bikes, floating in the water for hours and having ice cream at a place called Sundae School.
Q. What are your favorite hotels?
A. I don’t have many, but I loved XV Beacon Hotel in Boston. Also, the Soho House in Miami is really nice.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Los Angeles, Sydney, New York, London and Chicago.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. I have always wanted to see the pyramids in Egypt. I would like to visit Africa. And, although I’ve been to Spain, France and Italy, I don’t feel that I really got to experience everything. I was only in these cities for a short time and would have liked to have seen different parts of the country. Fiji is pretty high on that list, as well as French Polynesia. I am dying to stay in those huts on the water.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. I have to have my bath products. It sounds silly but I have certain things I like to use. Moisturizer and ChapStick! There is nothing worse than dry skin and chapped lips. Music is really important to me. I always bring a snack for the plane. And socks!
Q. What would be your dream/fantasy trip?
A. I’d like to take a road trip around France and see the countryside, preferably with a significant other. I was only in France for a day to see the Louvre. I really want to take the Orient Express around Europe. It looks amazing!
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. I tend to eat whatever I want. I always come back to L.A. at least five pounds heavier.
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. Not much. I like to get a general sense of where I’m going and then just explore. It’s more surprising that way. Like seeing a movie you know nothing about. Then you don’t have any preconceived ideas.
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. Best was the entire trip to Australia with my uncle (actor Michael Weatherly of “NCIS”). He was there for the Australian Logie Awards and they gave him an extra plane ticket so he brought me. My room looked out at the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was amazing. The worst was when I was in Jamaica and stepped on a sea urchin. I had stingers in my foot for two days and could barely walk. The locals said to pee on it, so my boyfriend at the time did. It was not a nice experience and it didn’t even help.
© 2011 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
