British actress Sonya Cassidy was eager for an American adventure when she got cast in AMC's surreal series "Lodge 49." It was her first U.S. role, and made all the sweeter when the show earned critical acclaim after its debut last year.
Now the "Lodge" gang is back _ season two premieres Monday with surfer dude Dud (Wyatt Russell); his pragmatic twin sister, Liz (Cassidy), and all the folks in the strange fraternal order that Dud has stumbled upon. The show's magical, meandering qualities really appeal to Cassidy, who admits to being a J.R.R. Tolkien fanatic (she loved reading "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy as a kid). Not that this series is a fantasy. No, it's not that simple.
Cassidy, 32, recently spoke by phone with Newsday contributor Joseph V. Amodio. He caught her back home in London, sitting in her living room and looking out on her beloved back garden.
