Posted at 5 p.m. Friday, April 18

Spoilery stuff from Naoko Mori.

As British actress Naoko Mori ticks off items on her “bucket list” of things to do before she dies, she’s grateful for her role on the sci-fi thriller “Torchwood.”

“I think it’s pretty much been one of the best jobs I’ve ever done insofar as it’s ticked so many boxes for me,” she told me this week via telephone from her London home. “It’s not just sci fi ... It’s like, ‘run around in the rain chasing aliens in heels—tick,’ ‘shoot a gun while trying to do this—tick.”

Apparently I’m not the only person with a very strange bucket list.

Mori plays Torchwood team member Toshiko Sato, which concludes its second season at 8 p.m. Saturday on BBC America.

And what an episode it is. Torchwood, the pseudo-secret organization that protects Cardiff, Wales, and the rest of humanity from all the creatures that slip through a space/time rift under the city, is under attack. Captain John Hart (James Marters of “Buffy” fame), a time-traveling troublemaker who has a soft spot in his heart—but a mean streak in his warped mind—for Torchwood leader Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), ambushes the team with a series of bombs all over the city.

I won’t spoil anything for fans, but suffice to say, you will be surprised by the episode. (If you want the spoileriffic part of this interview, go here.)

“Didn’t see it coming, huh,” Mori asked me of the shockers, adding that response to the episode was “phenomenal” in Great Britain, where it already has aired.

The show is a spin-off of the hugely popular “Doctor Who” series also from creator Russell T. Davies, is BBC America’s most watched show, according to the network.

“We were always anxious to see how we would fare in America,” Mori said. “BBC America is one of how many channels [on American TV]? Under the circumstances I think it’s done incredibly well. We’re absolutely delighted with it.”

The show’s popularity springs from a mix of adult humor and dark human stories as seen through a science fiction lens. “Torchwood” earns an almost R-rating compared to the PG-level “Doctor Who.” Many scenes involve randy Captain Jack and his team—Toshiko, Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles), Owen Harper (Burn Gorman) and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd)—making out with each other or even aliens.

“One of the greatest things I found with ‘Torchwood’ is there’s drama, there’s action, there’s romance,” Mori said. “You could tell just by reading the first script that there was so much scope, so much potential.”

Mori talked more about being a geek, kissing a frozen soldier and how happy she is not to be known in America as “Titicaca” from “Absolutely Fabulous.”

After you watch this fan video about Mori and her “Torchwood” character, go to the jump for video of Mori in “Ab Fab” and the musical “Avenue Q.”

.

This season creator Russell T. Davies and the writers have ratcheted up the drama and gotten darker, haven’t they?

I think so. There’s certainly a lot of light moments as well. But with the light moments—that’s the great thing—the light moments make the dark moments darker. I feel like we’ve really found our identity this series. With the first season there’s always what I call the First Seasonitis. It’s a real work in progress. But with the second series [Brit term for season] I think we just knew what worked and what didn’t and sort of landed on our feet with an identity.

I think what really worked this series is there is a lot more character-driven stuff. You get to know a lot more about each and every character. And that’s really good.

So how is it working with Davies?

Oh my God. That in itself is a huge tick [off my bucket list]. To be able to work with someone like Russell—he’s incredible. He’s the sharpest man I’ve ever known. He not only oversees and writes for “Torchwood.” He does “Doctor Who” and he does “The Sarah Jane Adventures” and he does all his other personal projects as well. I don’t know how he does it.

When I first met him I was so nervous. I couldn’t even put a sentence together, I was gushing so badly. To be able to work with someone like that who’s incredibly sharp and talented. Seriously, I think he’s got like eight brains in his head.

And working with your co-stars, including John Barrowman?

Good old John. We’ve known each other for, like, a hundred years. We worked together years ago in the London production of “Miss Saigon,” the musical. In 1731 A.D. or something. It was amazing to find out that, on the first day at the read-through, “Oh my God [it’s you]!” We’d not seen each other for awhile so that was incredible.

To be honest I can’t think of anyone else who could play Captain Jack.

As for the entire cast, we’re known to be a bit of a noisy bunch. But we really did, all of us get along so ridiculously well we’re like naughty schoolchildren. We’re always getting told we’re making too much noise. We really, genuinely get on so well—all of us.

Now that you’ve been embraced as Toshiko Sato are you glad that you won’t always be remembered as your “Absolutely Fabulous” character, Sarah, who star Jennifer Saunders’ character called “Titcaca” (see video below)?

[Laughs.] I’m sure [Toshiko and Sarah] are like long-lost relatives, you know? … What’s really nice is there so very different shows; one’s hugely funny and they other is very serious.

But yeah, I think they’re mildly related somewhere down the line. They’re both kind of geeky, which probably says a lot about me. That’s probably something I should sit down and think about.

Are you geeky in real life?

Exactly. [Laughs.] I am a geek in real life. Hmm, maybe someone’s trying to tell me something.

Can you build a sonic booster or whatever that thing was?

No, I can’t do that, but I can build flat pack furniture. Actually that’s one thing I’ve always liked—I am actually a geek. I built my first vending machine when I was 8-years-old for no reason whatsoever—as you do, you just build a vending machine.

I think it dispensed tissues, like little packs of tissues. And I made it all from cardboard and wood. I don’t know why I built a vending machine.

And it worked?

It worked, but the only problem was it was exact amount only. It wouldn’t dispense change. I couldn’t work that out. It was all manual.

How sad is that that I built a vending machine when I was eight?

Let’s talk about this season. You had quite a checkered love life …
[Laughs.] Story of my life … No, I’m kidding.

First, there was Tommy the frozen soldier. Then Adam, the memory-stealing alien, and then pining for Owen.

I know. Someone said to me even though she has the worst track record has for as love life is concerned, it’s ironic that she’s probably getting [sex] the most.

Tosh is really not fed well in the love life area. I think mainly it’s due to her being so academically driven. You find people who have been very academic tend to—they’re late bloomers, aren’t they? And they haven’t had as much experience socially.

She really has had a tough time. But in a weird way, for example with Adam, he helped her in a sense. I think each bad experience probably brings some good. It makes you more self-aware of your needs and wants. It gets you to be more honest with yourself. And I think she’s learned a heck of a lot starting in series one with Mary [another alien], and then Tommy the frozen soldier and Adam.

I always felt that Tosh and Owen, as well, there’s a residue. Even though their memories were wiped by Adam, there was a residue. Something was left behind and something always is. I think Adam did her a favor in that sense. It kind of made her more confident in a way, and she learned a lot more about herself and her potential.

Was the idea of more romance for Toshiko your idea?

There wasn’t a particular discussion about making her more romantic. We didn’t sit down and talk about it too much. If anything we talked a lot more about the whole Owen and Tosh relationship. I’ve always wanted to make sure it doesn’t seem like she’s a stalker woman who’s just pining after this guy forever. I wanted to make sure it had some underlying friendship on a human basis—like she really did care for him as a colleague and as a friend and a fellow human being.

But again, the slightly pining, yearning thing is also the case in real life, you know? I think she was slightly confused as well. It was a very delicate thing; it was a difficult one to balance, I think, in the midst of all the other things going off including bombs and aliens.

In last week’s episode we saw everyone’s back story. Do you think part of her separating from others has to do with her back story of having been a traitor of sorts? Maybe she thinks she’s not worthy?

Yeah. Certainly. When I read that script for that episode a lot of things just sort of clicked. It made sense to me.

Certainly, the whole experience of being locked up and her mother being dragged into it—if someone took your mother away or your father away and blackmailed you, you’d do anything … You’d give your arm and leg to try to protect them. So it certainly explained really well why she is who she is. I hope anyway.

Back to “Ab Fab” for a minute. You look so much different in that, so young. How old were you at the time?

The first series was like 12 years ago. I was 17 or 18 or something at the time. I had really big eyebrows. I think we all had big shoulder pads and big eyebrows.

I bumped into Jennifer Saunders a couple of months ago and we were talking and I was like “Do you think [we should do it again]?” And she was like “Never say never, but darling, we’re all far too old now.” [Laughs.]

You’ve done TV, movies, stage work. Is there one particular area you like best?

That’s really difficult to answer. For me, I guess, to use a cliché, variety really is the spice of life. Some actors tend to be one or the other. Maybe I’m greedy but I kind of like doing different things all the time.

Having said that I’ve been doing a lot of TV and film, mostly TV. But once and awhile I get this yearning to go back to theater. I think, as an actor, it’s almost like realigning yourself. I did [the musical] “Avenue Q” between the first season of “Torchwood” and the second season of “Torchwood.” For me it’s—it realigns you and it balances you out.

The same with comedies and drama. First I think comedy is the same as drama; it’s two sides of the same coin. Comedy is at its best, I fell, when it’s kind of done seriously. It’s only comedy because, basically, you’re laughing at the misfortune of others. It’s schadenfreud or something, you know?

I like to be able to do different things. I guess the best analogy is it’s like food. As much as I love Mexican food and I could pretty much eat it every day you need to have different tastes and flavors.

That’s the joy of [working]—having different experiences. So in that sense I find it really hard to say “This is what I love.” I like having the variety.

Do you have a favorite role?

Oh my God. Well, “Ab Fab” was amazing. Although she was just a recurring role. But comedy for me is, I love comedy. Life without humor or comedy is not worth living to be honest. I adore comedy. The funny thing is we never thought it would become that huge.

I remember the first guest appearance I did. It was only supposed to be a one-off and I had two words to say, “yes” and “yes.” That was it. I remember my agent at the time told me not to do it. He was like, “It’s probably going to be really bad.”

And I was like “No, no, no let’s do it.” I was doing “Miss Saigon” at the time. And lo and behold it became “Ab Fab.” And I must have done something right because Jennifer kept bringing the character back.

Working with Sir Mike Leigh in “Topsy Turvy,” the movie, was great. That was a huge tick off my list, to be able to work with someone like that.

Obviously “Torchwood,” it’s just been the most phenomenal experience.

I did a TV movie called “Hiroshima” which actually won an international Emmy. That was life-changing, being Japanese. It’s history, you know? That pretty much scarred me for life—physically and mentally. That was heavy going.

Again, it’s really difficult to say. “Miss Saigon” was great. Every job is special. But I have to say, “Torchwood” is pretty much up there.

Mori in "Avenue Q":

On Chicago: “I love Chicago. I grew up in New Jersey as a child, so I’ve been around all over. I’ve been to Chicago like three times. Three or four times, I’m sure.”

On New Jersey, where she lived as a child: “I went to New Jersey when I was like 3 ½ years old. I lived there for six years. So I learned English there. I had a full-blown Jersey accent until I came to England and got de-Americanized and became sort of British.”

On actor James Marsters, who plays Captain John Hart: “I think James Marsters is genius. He’s incredible onscreen. And off screen he’s hilarious. He’s such a cool guy but a goofball at the same time. He’s so talented and hilarious.”

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"Torchwood," the best. After watching the acting it's difficult to see another show afterwards. I love the show, thanks for coming to America. By the way here in Miami, "Torchwood" isn't listed in our tv guide in the newspaper. Please let people know about this great acting, fun, exciting show which makes you want to be home Saturday nights.

Curt's reply: I LOVE this show. Are other BBC America shows listed in your Guide? That is strange. Well, you keep watching and tell your friends. Thanks for writing.

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