No Bones about it

Michaela Conlin from the show Bones. Photo / Supplied

The idea that being of Irish-American/Chinese descent could be an impediment to success never occurred to actress Michaela Conlin - until she went to Hollywood. "It really didn't," says the 32-year-old, who plays artistic boffin Angela Montenegro on the hit forensic series Bones.

"My parents are so cool. My mother is Chinese, from New York, and my father is Irish-American. There was always a reverence towards my heritage and history. I honestly didn't think about it 'til I moved to Los Angeles."

Conlin was fortunate to land the part of Montenegro in the Bones pilot in 2005, a role written for someone of non-Anglo ethnicity. "They really didn't know whether she would be Latino, African, Asian or Indian," she says.

Her striking appearance fitted the bill and Conlin has been with the show, now in its fifth season, ever since. Others are not so lucky. Conlin doesn't mince her words when describing Hollywood as "limiting" for ethnically diverse actors, with many producers reluctant to cast them in situations such as mixed-race families.

"It's a difficult thing in this town to get around the race card," she says. "It becomes a problem for producers to think outside the box. It's upsetting, because out in the world it's totally normal. Hollywood is very slow to the party."

Conlin believes television, particularly cable, is more open-minded about race than films, and the upside is that for a specific role it "minimises the playing field". Not that she wants to be typecast, or pigeon-holed as an "Asian" actor.

The attitude she has encountered in Hollywood is clearly something which irks this intelligent and well-spoken woman, unafraid to criticise the Establishment, despite what she describes as a sense of insecurity pervading the entertainment business.

"It's really scary the way the industry is going. There are a lot less opportunities for actors and they're not making as many movies," she says. Conlin started her acting career in theatre and has appeared in a handful of films, although she says the "pretty tough" Bones filming schedule leaves her little time to pursue other projects.

Conlin attributes the popular show's worldwide success to the depth of its main characters, rather than its criminal or scientific aspects. "People always want to talk to me about the characters rather than the science. We go a bit deeper into those characters in this series."

The show's writers may be responsible for putting characters through the mill of emotional upheaval, but after five seasons the actors' roles are well defined. "The characters create themselves in a weird way," says Conlin. "But we [actors] definitely have a say if something feels dishonest or wrong."

The science may be secondary for Conlin, but it defines the role of Angela Montenegro, who creates 3D facial images with holograms on her "Angelatron" machine to help identify deceased crime victims. But how realistic are the forensic techniques portrayed on Bones?

"Mostly everything is real, we just do it a million times faster. One thing I like is we have an incredible team of technical advisers on the show." So, if she wasn't an actor, would she consider forensics, or some kind of scientific vocation?

"No," she answers adamantly. "That's why I'm an actor. I would never be in a maths or science field. Or a visual artist. Perhaps a writer."

While still keenly involved in Bones, Conlin clearly has ambitions to broaden her CV. "I would love to do a cable TV show," she says. "I'm really interested in what that offers. And I'd like to do more movies. I'm also starting to produce."

A trip to New Zealand could also be on the cards in the next 12 months, after a visit from a couple of recently emigrated friends. "Two of my dearest friends moved to Auckland a couple of years ago," she explains, noting that "culture shock" occurred when they returned to the US briefly over Christmas.

"They were just a little overwhelmed at how everything in the States is so consumerist. Apparently the shops close very early over there."

* Bones is on TV3 tonight at 8.30.