Lindsay Pulsipher and Matt Barr Playing Star-Crossed Lovers in the Tumultuous World of the HATFIELDS & MCCOYS

As a special dramatic presentation, History Channel is airing the 6-hour mini-series HATFIELDS & MCCOYS over three nights in order to tell the violent and labyrinthine story of two families whose personal feud led to one of the largest government-sanctioned manhunts in U.S. history.

The love story of Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield is one of the brightest and most heart-warming aspects to an otherwise dark tale of deceit, betrayal and burning hatred; and but for the entrenched and intractable animosity between their families, their love story could have healed the terrible wounds and perceived wrong-doings allowing future generations to live in peace. Instead, the terrifying tale of the HATFIELDS & MCCOYS marks a turning point in history when men were law unto themselves and family obligations came first, no matter how strong your love for another. It was a testament to how destiny struggled with the will of man — and it cost everyone dearly.

In exclusive interviews, stars Lindsay Pulsipher and Matt Barr shared what it was like bringing the story of the star-crossed lovers Roseanna and Johnse to life for this epic mini-series.

Lindsay Pulpisher as Roseanna McCoy

Roseanna had quite the love story threaded throughout the mini-series. What drew you to playing such a complicated character?
LINDSAY: I really loved Roseanna’s character arc. She really has a full spectrum. She starts in one place and really ends up in a completely different place, mentally and physically. And it was really interesting for me to have this soft character amongst all this feuding and fighting and oppression. It was so nice to have that breath of fresh air with her character.

She was one of the few characters that was given a distinct beginning and ending. It allowed us to see the whole scope of her life in a way. What did you find to be the most fun aspect of playing such a character?
LINDSAY: It was great because I got to play so many different aspects of her life. She really does have a beginning and an end, and it as so fun to play the different traits throughout her life. ‘Cause she’s the same person, but her mannerisms and everything that changes, it was fun as I changed her physicality throughout the series. That was really fun, to kind of play with those mannerisms and her different mental capacities. It was really fun.

Were you ever concerned how weathered and worn her look became towards the end of her journey?
LINDSAY: [Laughs] No, funny enough, I actually enjoyed that part about playing characters. I kind of like it when it’s interesting. I like to play a character and I’m not afraid of getting dirty or being haggard looking. I prefer that. I think that’s more interesting for me anyway.

This series really showed the gritty side of things. It really made it feel like these were real people living through these circumstances. At times it was hard to remember that you were playing characters, which is a credit to the cast. So what was it like working with these big name actors as they became immersed in their roles?
LINDSAY: Yeah, it was such an honor to work with Kevin Costner, Mare Winningham, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe — these actors who have done such incredible work. I felt like I learned so much from them just being around them. Mare Winningham became a dear friend of mine and I just learned so much from her. She’s so dedicated and incredible to watch. I was so honored to be amongst such great talent.

Did you ever become so immersed in your character that you stopped seeing them as big actors and started seeing them as comrades-in-arms in these circumstances?
LINDSAY: Absolutely! It’s funny, when you’re on set, it’s all about the character. I really started seeing them through Roseanna’s eyes. You leave that persona of these incredible icons behind and they just become the character. It’s so fun to just play make-believe and play these different characters. I love it.

What were some of the challenges you encountered? It looked awfully cold at times.
LINDSAY: [Laughs] Yes, it was definitely that. There were some cold nights. I had a scene where I was riding the horse in the rain, and we were up in the mountains at that point, and it was cold and freezing temperatures. That was definitely a challenge, but those kinds of challenges kind of propel the character and I kind of think it helps enhance the performance. Because if you’re actually going through the physical elements, like the weather, affecting your physical body, then it kind of helps propel the character forward. You kind of start to use that.

Where did you film the mini-series?
LINDSAY: We shot it in Romania, which people are surprised about. But the locations that they found were incredible. The problem we ran into Kentucky and West Virginia is that it doesn’t really look like it did back in the Civil War era. So we had to find a place that was untouched, but still looked like the Appalachian Mountains. They did an incredible job.

Visually it really took you back to that place in time, which was surprising as a viewer ’cause it makes you forget that it doesn’t exist anymore.
LINDSAY: I know! And all the costumes. You put on that costume and you’re instantly transformed into another time. It’s great.

So this was like a microcosm because you were working on the mini-series. How long were you filming in Romania?
LINDSAY: We were there for almost four months. We started in September and ended in December. So we had full spectrum of weather and climate change.

That’s quite a lengthy amount of time, even for a mini-series, to be working together.
LINDSAY: It was. It was a good cast. We all got along really well, which is hard to do when there is such a big cast. But we all got along great.

Portraying Rosanna, you again had such a wealth of dramatic scenes to portray. Was there one that was particularly difficult for you to work with because of what she was going through?
LINDSAY: I quite prefer the emotional scenes. I think that, for some reason, they come a little bit easier for me. Kevin Reynolds, the director, he was so great about working with me and kind of forming the scenes. He was really just a great leader and collaborator in some of these scenes that are really emotional. One in particular was when Roseanna gave birth to the baby ’cause I haven’t been a mom. So those emotions and going through that was kind of strange, but it felt really special at the same time. That was really emotional for me.

 

Roseanna and Johnse

What was it like working with your co-star Matt Barr, who you had most of your scenes with?
LINDSAY: It was really fun. He is such a dedicated actor. He’s so passionate about his work, and it was really fun to come into this great relationship and have him so excited about it. ‘Cause I was too and we kind of bonded over that. We bonded over the love of the story. We both kind of agreed that Roseanna and Johnse were the heart of the series, in a way. It gave us time to breathe. There’s so much violence and chaos going on, that it provided some nice quiet time for the series.

It seemed like there was a lot of enthusiasm when you and Matt were doing your scenes together. They were a little bit warmer than, of course, the other dramatic things that were going on, so it felt like you two were smirking a little bit at the camera.
LINDSAY: [Laughs] Oh really, that’s interesting! I think everybody was very enthusiastic about this project coming on to it and every single one of us said how excited we were to be there. We were all just so passionate about this project.

So you and Matt played the “Romeo and Juliet” storyline. Do you think that Roseanna and Johnse would have had a different story if they had actually gotten away from their families?
LINDSAY: I’d like to think so. I actually thought about that a lot: what would happen if they had branched off on their own. I like to think that it would be really beautiful and they had a wonderful life together.

The series was always dangling the possibility that Roseanna might eventually accept one of Perry Cline’s proposals, and his last proposal created one of your more dramatic scenes. What was that like to work on that scene?
LINDSAY: That was after Roseanna had really transformed from who she was at the beginning of the series. Ronan Vibert, who plays Perry Cline, he is a tremendous actor and it was really easy to play that scene even though it’s so emotional. It was really fun to work with him. He’s super talented and he kind of helped me through that one.

It caught me off-guard. I probably should have anticipated it, but I was very surprised when that happened.
LINDSAY: Yeah, I know!

What will you take away from the HATFIELDS & MCCOYS mini-series?
LINDSAY: It will be just really fulfilling to see the whole project come together. To see it as a whole. When I first read this script, I was blown away by the dynamic of it. How rich and full it was. It’s always amazing to see it come together and to see the scenes that I wasn’t in. To see how they played out, it’s just sweet. I’m super excited to see it!

Then for his perspective on, Matt Barr shared his experiences working on this wonderful mini-series.

Matt Barr and Kevin Costern as Johnse and Devil Hatfield

What attracted you to the role of Johnse Hatfield?
MATT: Two different things: one, my childhood idol is Kevin Costner. We actually met briefly when I was eleven years old and I told him I was going to grow up and play his son in a movie. So when this came along, I always wanted to work with him as an actor and as a filmmaker. So I knew he was attached. Then when I read the script, it just had all the elements that I love in storytelling. It was kind of timeless. It was epic. It’s tragic. And I like when the character is kind of put upon by the world. He’s somewhat of a black-sheep and it makes for a fun dynamic.

There were a lot of rich textures to this story and the characters themselves. Was there anything that you really admired about portraying Johnse?
MATT: I like that throughout all the chaos, death and war that endured over the years, Johnse never really lost himself. He was still so pure-hearted about things and in a way, unaffected. Even when he was brought to his breaking point, I think that in the end, he was still that young dreamer. Kind of a young lover. I don’t want to give it away to the audience, but he does end up going West.

Do you think he was ultimately more of a pacifist than the rest of his family? ‘Cause he seemed so reluctant to get involved in some of the shenanigans.
MATT: Absolutely. For that generation of Hatfields and McCoys, they were innately raised with a sense of judgment towards the opposing family, and what separates Johnse is he just doesn’t have it. He doesn’t have the hate and, unfortunately, it causes a lot of conflict between he and his family.

For your portrayal, working with Lindsay, were you more focused on trying to make this a love-story than opposed to just two families that were always fighting with each other?
MATT: Absolutely. I think a lot of the heart and soul of the mini-series lie within the Johnse/Roseanna storyline. They represent the best of us. So that love-story, that narrative thread is what I really buy into as you’re kind of taking the ride through all those years. It shows how black-and-white it is. How ugly those families became. There was something so beautiful and kind of pure in what Johnse and Roseanna had.

As far as working with Lindsay, it seemed like in a couple of your scenes together, the two of you were smirking through the scenes. Like you were having way too much fun portraying the characters.
MATT: [Laughs] That’s true. We did. We were kind of buddies. We were in Romania in the middle of nowhere and we shot a lot of those scenes early on in the filming. So we all were just discovering who we were and we were so excited to be there. It’s almost like how the movie unravels: in the beginning, it’s all kind of bright and sunny and “peaches and cream,” then by the third month of filming, it’s like dark and cold and characters had died. So it kind of reflected our own journeys.

Kevin Costner as Devil Anse Hatfield

What can you share about some of the costuming choices? Like there’s the one line where Kevin Costner’s character Devil remarks about Johnse’s “fancy boots.” Did you have any input into the costuming, or were you just wearing whatever they gave you?
MATT: I did. I had a color scheme for Johnse. So when I talked with the designer we were on the same page. A lot of the other characters had something monochromatic or kind of dull feel, which reflected that time and sort of the climate, if you will. Johnse was different, so we had these lighter colors: blues. Which to me represented the sky and the ocean — something greater that was out West. He always wanted to go find that great blue ocean, so I liked that he had some actual color in his life and his wardrobe. I thought that they did a great job with that. Now I never did get used to the hat that Johnse wore. I think every kid wants to be like Clint Eastwood or John Wayne and have some bad-ass cowboy hat. But they kept telling me that “we’re not making a cowboy movie here.” So I wore my bowler hat, or whatever it’s called. My pan-handler hat.

I think it helped define who Johnse was. It gave a sense that he wasn’t committed to being a hard, tough criminal. He was just kind of playing his part and he was like, “yeah, I’ve got to have a hat, but it doesn’t have to be that tough of a hat.”
MATT: That’s right. If you noticed, as Johnse evolved, he creates his own kind of enterprise. He makes his own money. He likes things clean and he has fancy boots, but he always has that hat. I found that kind of special.

It seemed like Johnse was hiding in plain sight. He knew he had to live up to this name, that he was part of the Hatfield family, but he had this totally different persona that he kept hidden away from everybody. Did you sense that and play that a little bit?
MATT: Yeah. He so strongly wanted to be a part of his family. He wants to be accepted like any child does. You want to be loved and there’s no one else in the world. It’s a very lonely place if you’re not surrounded by that support. You’re right, because he was different, he does kind of live in the closet in terms of how he feels. It’s really tragic that he had to live behind a facade for so many years.

Finally, what was it like to do that one scene with Kevin Costner where Devil and Johnse are fishing?
MATT: Oh, man, that was kind of the culmination — not only for Johnse and his father, but of Matt and Kevin. It was sort of that one scene that as an actor I’ve always dreamed of getting a chance to do with my idol. It was also the scene that made me want to do the movie when I read the script. As an actor, it’s crack. And we spent a whole day actually filming that one scene. It was just one of those magic days where you’re sort of half present in the moment, then I have to admit it’s an out-of-body experience and I was kind of sitting there looking down in awe at how special that moment really was. And I learned so much. I felt like a student in KC’s school. If I could relive one moment, it would be back there on that riverbank fishing with Kevin and talking about how to be an actor.

To see the beautiful love story of Roseanna and Johnse threaded through the mini-series of the HATFIELDS & MCCOYS, be sure to tune in for the 3-part mini-series which airs Monday through Wednesday, May 28th, 29th and 30th from 9 – 11 p.m. on the History Channel.

Missy Peregrym Previews ROOKIE BLUE’s 3rd Season

The second season finale of ROOKIE BLUE left fans wondering what was next for Officer Andy McNally, who was asked to surrender her badge after putting her partner Sam Swarek’s life in jeopardy while working undercover. Taking a few minutes to chat in an exclusive interview, star Missy Peregrym candidly shared what changes and challenges lie ahead both for her character and the rest of the rookies in the third season.

What’s your favorite thing about working on ROOKIE BLUE?
MISSY: Definitely the people. We laugh a lot when we’re filming even though we have some tense situations coming up. We’re always being told to be quiet. It makes a huge difference when you enjoy working with people. Also I love playing Andy. It’s the first time that I’ve been actually able to portray a character for this long because it’s the first time I’ve been on a series where it went for 3 years. So, obviously, it’s exciting to kind of go back — and I learn with the character as I read the scripts, which is a lot of fun.

Sam and Andy on “Rookie Blue”

You’ve kind of mentioned it, but are we going to be seeing some more dark turns for Andy’s world coming up in Season 3?
MISSY: Yes. I would say it’s kind of bittersweet. We kind of start the season with Andy and Sam seeing each other again. They haven’t seen each other for three months, which is one of the conditions of Andy’s suspension. She wasn’t allowed to see him, so she kind of took off. Then when she gets her job back. She came back and Sam’s not pleased about that. So Sam and Andy are in a position where they are trying to work out their relationship — and the theme is “be careful what you wish for — so Andy gets her job back and it’s great, but there’s conditions. So she’s back together with Sam and it’s awesome. It’s the first time they can really explore a real relationship, but it’s very complicated — obviously, because the dynamic has changed. Sam can’t help but be over-protective of Andy. So there’s a line of “This is my job and we’re partners,” but he’s her boyfriend and he’s going to look out for her. So the lines get blurred. Then just when Andy is trying to find a balance, she sees her mother at work. They both end up on the same call and it totally throws Andy ’cause she hasn’t seen her mother in 12 years. So it’s a very difficult thing to deal with and Sam is being really protective of her. But Andy doesn’t know how she feels, so that’s complicated. That’s all I can really tell you right now.

That’s actually quite a bit!
MISSY: [Laughs] That’s a lot, but there’s more stuff coming. It’s a really good season. I mean, it’s so fun when you get further along because everybody just really connects with the characters. So it definitely feels heavier any time something happens.

Andy and Sam on “Rookie Blue”

They seem to be pushing the limits of what Andy can tolerate. Do they ever really give her a second to breathe?
MISSY: [Laughs] I don’t know if we have time for that in 13 episodes. There’s definitely moments where Andy is starting to be comfortable. But isn’t it like real life? The second you get a grip, something else happens and you’re evolving again. I feel like that any way in my personal life. So I’m like, “Okay, please can we just stand still for a second and I’ll learn something later? I’m so sick and tired of learning this patience rule.”

You mentioned the time-jump, are we going to be seeing everyone 3 months later?
MISSY: Yes. It’s going to be picked up for everyone there.

So, obviously, there’s a lot that could have developed in Andy’s absence. Will we be seeing more of the storyline involving Luke and Gail? It looked like they were kind of flirting with that at the end of last season.
MISSY: No. I don’t know how much I can say. There’s a twist because we get a new rookie this year. Not really a rookie. He was in Afghanistan. So he was in the military and then he comes back and he gets on the force, and he’s had a past with Gail. So that definitely throws a wrench with Chris Diaz.

Luke and Gail on “Rookie Blue”x

We also saw that Gail was in a bit of a triangle with Dov and Chris last season. Is that going to be explored further, or is that kind of dropped to explore other relationships?
MISSY: I don’t remember that being explored. I think there is some growth in that area. I think Chris and Dov kind of get back on track because that was hard on their friendship. Aah! I’m trying to remember which is which now. I honestly can’t remember if I’m remembering things because of filming or because it aired last year. [Laughs]

You have a great rapport with your co-star Gregory Smith. Do you two get an opportunity to work more together this season?
MISSY: Man! I’m always asking to work with him. Yeah, there’s a few scenes. But our storylines don’t really connect. He’s going through something crazy this year. There’s an experience that he has at work and it kind of rocks the rest of the season. But there’s a little bit of bonding with him over that experience.

We’ve also seen in the previews that Bill Shatner is guest-starring. Did you get an opportunity to work with him?
MISSY: For about 5 seconds. The scene that he was in, I literally show up at the end. He was very nice and a total trooper. For being his age and running around as much as he was, he was a lot of fun. But I didn’t have as much time with him as Enuka or Greg.

Dov and Chris on “Rookie Blue”

Finally, maybe you’d could talk a bit about Andy and Traci’s friendship. Does it allow them to be closer this season?
MISSY: Yeah, it definitely does. She’s going to be trying out to be a detective. That’s where her goals are this year. So Andy and Traci are definitely closer. Andy is going to stick up for her and is so excited that Traci is doing this. So Andy’s kind of got her back as she is essentially a rookie again in this new department and there’s things they bond over.

To see the next chapter in Andy and Sam’s relationship and the new challenges the rookies face both on and off the job, be sure to tune in for the third season premiere of ROOKIE BLUE on Thursday, May 24th at 10:00 p.m. on ABC.

Where to find this article:

 

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/05/23/missy-peregrym-rookie-blue-season-3-spoilers/

 

 

Scott Cohen Teases What’s Next In Nico’s “Fixer” Playbook for the 2nd Season of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS

Scott Cohen (Photo credit: USA Network)

The first season of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS took us into the world of Dr. Dani Santino as she became a therapist to a large variety of sports figures and other big business high-rollers. While Dr. Dani’s world seemed initially be about her varied love interests and elite clientele, including T.K., a football star in need of a therapeutic babysitter, the surprise member rounding out their intertwined lives was Nico, the Atlanta Hawk team’s “fixer.” Scott Cohen’s quiet, mysterious Nico became a fixture as well as a fixer in Dr. Dani’s world, and their blossoming friendship was unexpected and rewarding. During a recent set visit, star Scott Cohen shared what kinds of personal and professional entanglements Nico faces in the second season, as well as his insight into a character that everyone is dying to know more about.

In the 2nd season premiere Nico gets a nice surprise. What can you tease about that avenue for Nico?
SCOTT: What can I tease about it? I think basically just that it gets more complicated. I mean, Nico finds himself between a rock and a hard place, and what is questioned is his loyalty and who he’s working for? Marshall Pittman really kind of controls his life, whether that’s true or not, and who he wants to be loyal to. Whether he wants to be loyal to the team or to Pittman. But you discover a history with them that is a lot more complicated than you kind of thought in the beginning. So it’s not just about the wife. There’s other things that are involved and there’s competition and weird things with the daughter, and stuff like that.

So we’ll maybe get to know more about Nico?
SCOTT: A little bit. He remains a mystery.

Scott Cohen as Nico (Photo credit: USA Network)

Is everything over between Gabrielle and Nico and if so, will there be an appearance of a love interest for Nico?
SCOTT: That’s really a question for the writers. But it’s not over-over, and I hear that there is love to come.

And it’s not with Dr. Dani?
SCOTT: [Laughs] I know, I know. Well, I didn’t want to say anything because I want them to continue on and fight for what’s right. I wish I could give them to you. But I can’t.

Would you like to see Nico together with Dr. Dani?
SCOTT: With Dr. Dani? Yes and no. I mean I think it’d be a really interesting dynamic. I want it to happen, but if it’s ever going to happen to be much later, ‘cause I want it to be teased for years to come.

So it’ll get really awkward at work?
SCOTT: Yeah, well it already has. It’s like kind of weird. I mean it’s like the tension between him and Matt, and him and T.K. He knows what’s going on, so it’s like he’s very protective of Dr. Dani, so it just kind of stays interesting and keeps us going for a while.

Is there anything that Nico doesn’t know?
SCOTT: [Laughs] There’s nothing Nico doesn’t know.

Is directing where you see yourself going?
SCOTT: Yeah, loved to. It’s very fun.

Would you want to direct an episode of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS?
SCOTT: I would love to. Yeah, love to.

Does directing give you a different window into the acting side of things?
SCOTT: It does. It completely gives you a different point of view. It’s a much more relaxed point of view. First of all, and it takes away the pressure. When you’re an actor, you’re always under pressure just about you and your character, and you don’t see the big picture. So you’re just kind of focused in. You’re very myopic. Reading the script for this episode, knowing that I was going to do this, it kind of allowed me to see everybody and just be aware of everybody’s situation and have a very kind of equal balanced view of it. As opposed to, “Wait, I should have that line? Wait I should be in that scene?” Like that. Which is usually what an actor does. It’s like, “How come I’m not in that scene? How come I’m not doing that?” and “I could’ve done that better.”

What kind of preparation did you go for the role of Nico? Did you actually talk to any Navy Seals?
SCOTT: Yeah, I talked to two Navy Seals that I’m connected to actually, via Facebook interestingly enough. Not so in depth. I got some information from them, but I talked more to NFL security people who exist and who are very present in players’ lives. So I talked to them and I kind of got a sense of what their backgrounds might be and who they are and where they come from and things like that. And that’s basically what I did. For Nico, from the very beginning what was interesting to me — ‘cause I think I’ve always played characters, I mean not always, but I think I’ve always played characters that are a lot more talkative, a lot more energetic, a lot more involved. What attracted to me to [Nico] in the beginning was how quietly energetic he was. He was so quiet, but so intense and that to me was always interesting. To be able to play that, which I actually think at least for me, it is so difficult to actually just shut up and trust that your power is in your silence or in your eyes or whatever it may be . . . Basically what interested me in terms of in trying to play Nico was trusting and really kind of understanding his presence was more than enough. And I hope they continue that because it’s really fun to do. It’s really fun to kind of put the fear of God in people.

So after the end of the second season premiere, how closely do you have to keep an eye on T.K.?
SCOTT: Very, very, very, very close.

Is that for the duration of the season?
SCOTT: Yes. Even now. I think it’s actually going to get more so. This last episode that we do is very interesting because it’s about becoming irrelevant and it’s about people and loyalty-switches in that episode. You see more of T.K. needing another body to kind of be near and Nico becomes that person.

What kind of input do you have into creating and shaping the character?
SCOTT: A lot. Not his story arcs. They’ll take a phone call and I’ll pitch an idea very easily. But it might not happen, they might say, “Oh that’s really interesting.” But they’re very open to ideas. They’re very open to interpretations of a scene. Not that things will be used, necessarily, but definitely like I can go and say, “Oh I read this article and this looks like a really interesting thing for Nico, the background or what’s going to happen,” or “I thought about this,” and they would totally hear it and try to put it into the fray.

What kind of stories would you want to see for Nico?
SCOTT: [Laughs] Traveling to foreign countries, tropical islands. That’s an interesting question. I mean I would love to see a little bit more of his background as time goes on. I mean, I think it’s too early to know people that were in his life, but I really would enjoy that. Especially if they kind of came back into his life. That would kind of interest me. I like the whole idea of him having a daughter. Last season was very interesting to me. So that’s somewhere to be had and that would be really interesting ‘cause I love the idea of a man his age — does he have a family? Does he not have a family? Did he have a family? Did he not have a family? That’s interesting to me.

Are we going to see anymore of Nico’s vulnerable side?
SCOTT: Vulnerable? Yeah, you see a bunch in the first four episode. Him dealing with Pittman. It gets nasty. It really gets nasty and Evan Handler, who is superb plays what you believe is a evil human being. I mean, he doesn’t end up being an evil human being, but Nico has to kind of keep him at bay and he’s having trouble doing it.

Is it the life and death stakes, or more just emotional?
SCOTT: I think it’s more emotional. I think it’s “life and death” in terms of the money that’s involved and the team, and how many lives are at stake. It’s more like that.

“Necessary Roughness” (Photo credit: USA Network)

What’s the weapon in Nico’s arsenal that he is going really employ this season since he’s got a lot of different tools to control things.
SCOTT: Nico’s main power is his information. It is his knowledge and he’s capable of using it at lightening speeds. So I think that’s his greatest weapon. If you’re talking about like guns and knives and things like that? Is that what you’re talking about?

More along the lines of tools of the trade.
SCOTT: Negotiation, manipulation, and threat.

And a willingness to carry through?
SCOTT: Absolutely. No question. Which he does.

He can acquire information, but does he utilize it?
SCOTT: You will see in this season, he utilizes quite a lot of the things that we just did not mention. But his threats get carried out.

Is there any limit that he will not cross?
SCOTT: No, I don’t think so. I mean, I think that if he’s confronted with it, he has to make a decision. But I think that if somebody that he needs to protect is in trouble then he’s willing to go the distance. He’s willing to take a bullet for somebody. That’s his mentality.

But he’ll never lies.
SCOTT: Never, ever.

Isn’t lying the act of omission? He controls information, he doesn’t revel it.
SCOTT: Yeah, I think that’s pretty accurate.

And he holds and manipulates information that way.
SCOTT: Yep. That’s very accurate.

So in that sense that he’s not lying.
SCOTT: He doesn’t lie about things about himself. So if you ask him a question about him, he’ll be honest with you. He doesn’t need to. There’s nothing he needs to hide. Nothing. But in terms of a negotiation or in terms of a manipulation, or in terms of just trying to get somebody to do what he needs them to do, he will manipulate information in order to get what he wants. But I don’t think that’s in the context of lying. Not lying is more about him. He has nothing to hide. He has no regrets. He’s very satisfied and content with who he is, which might be his flaw – in that he has a lot he’s just content and he’s happy where he is. Like nothing will affect him that much. But things do affect him that much. That’s what we see in this season I think.

Do you feel that the writers are writing more towards you?
SCOTT: I think so. I mean I think they were surprised in the beginning of last season of how Nico just kind of panned out. I mean, today was a great example actually. This kid that was hired to a little kid that is the football player’s child, and he was just so fantastic. So the writer immediately thought, “I’ve got to put him in another scene.” Simply to resolve an issue that wasn’t explored in the beginning of the episode, but now has to be explored in the episode. Because you’re glued to the TV watching him. So if you’re the audience as you’re shooting it, and if you’re interested, then the audience is probably going to be interested. So I think that’s what kind of happened last season with Nico.

Does the show model Nico after you in any aspect?
SCOTT: I definitely think that they are not modeling it after me, by any stretch of the imagination. But instead they are trying to infuse everything that they’ve created last season with mystery and him knowing everything that’s underground, keeps it above ground or things like that. He lives underground basically and they are utilizing that. I think that’s definitely happening, while trying to keep it a mystery at the same time. I think they’ve really attempting to keep the mystery of Nico alive, so that the knowledge of him, you only learn tiny, tiny pieces of it.

You mentioned that Nico is going to have a closer relationship with T.K.. Could you expand on that? How is Nico involved with T.K. and the shooter?
SCOTT: T.K. needs to be protected, and Nico’s the only one that can do it. That’s basically what it is. So Nico becomes T.K.’s go-to-guy. Not in T.K.’s mind, but Nico kind of puts himself in that position. He is kind of like a father-figure in certain ways. Nico’s not his father, but T.K. needs an older presence in his life, and Nico kind of represents that to him, and Nico allows T.K. himself to be used that way.

Does the mystery to the character make him difficult to play because you don’t have a backstory?
SCOTT: Absolutely. Yeah, I mean I have it my mind, of what I do, and I would assume they would tell me if it’s wrong ‘cause it comes out how I play it.

As far as Nico and Matt, they both seem like “alpha dogs” and Matt and Nico are vying for the alpha dog position. Will we see that tension develop?
SCOTT: Yeah, it reaches a head in the second episode. It’s very tense between the two of them. Mainly because of T.K., not because of Dr. Dani. But I think Dr. Dani’s playing a major role in it. It’s funny you say that because I don’t really see it like we’re vying for position like for “alpha dog” position, but I guess that’s what it is really. It’s definitely very present. Very present.

What do you think Nico’s motivation is in what he does? Is he trying to help people?
SCOTT: I think he’s just doing his job. I think it’s really plain and simple for him. If this job ended today, then he’d be okay. . . I think he just does his job. I think it’s just that his job is so intense, what he does involves so many people and involves such high level personality that, you do what you have to do to get the job done. That’s simply what has to be done. He’s very loyal to that.

With Nico juggling a lot of conflicting responsibilities and a tug-of-war for his heart and loyalties, the second season premiere of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS is not to be missed. Be sure to tune in on Wednesday, June 6th at 10:00 p.m. on USA Network to see what else is revealed about Nico’s mysterious world.

“Necessary Roughness” (Photo credit: USA Network)

Noah Wyle Talks About What’s Next on FALLING SKIES’ 2nd Season

At the end of first season of FALLING SKIES, we all watched with simultaneous fear and fascination as Tom Mason walked boldly into the alien spacecraft seeking answers that only the extraterrestrials could provide in order to help his son, Ben. During a recent press conference call, star Noah Wyle talked about what lies ahead for his character, Tom Mason and the rigors of filming the second season of the series that has captivated fans across the globe.

How does the season 1 finale payoff in the 2nd season?
NOAH: Well, obviously getting off the friggin spaceship! It’s easy to ride that wave and then you suddenly go, “Oh my god. What did we just do? And how are we going to do it?” Aside from that I’d say we dominated a lot of storytelling last year to the harnesses and the kids and kids in peril. That was a storyline that I thought if we paid off pretty significantly and then we just wanted to move on into other aspects of the technology which I think we were able to do in in season 2.

Were you surprised how quickly Tom resurfaced and rejoined the 2nd Mass?
NOAH: I thought it was a pretty novel way of telling the story to have flashback sequences fill in the blanks of where’s he’s been and what’s been happening. It was a way of showing that the 2nd Mass, in his absence, has had a really tough road and they are not exactly sure what’s happened to him. So everybody meets or more like strangers than friends at the beginning.

How much flak did you get from fans after last season’s finale when Tom stepped into the alien spacecraft?
NOAH: I got a lot of phone calls about that. It was the number one feedback: what the hell were you doing getting on that spaceship? So we kind of wrote ourselves to do a little bit of corner trying to justify it and I think we did a really good job coming back season two, and explaining what happened to him and what happens to the group in his absence. It’s allowed us to really jump off from a novel place this year.

“Falling Skies”

Did the second season feel different for you when you were doing it, or did it just feel more familiar?
NOAH: No, there were some significant differences. We moved the production from Toronto, Canada to Vancouver, so we had all new crew for the most part. We only had two or three people on staff that were there in season one. We also had almost a brand new writing staff and certainly a new show runner. So it wasn’t like we were building on internal momentum. We sort of had to start and get to know each other all over again, which gave it a different aura, just sort of ambiently. Then storytelling-wise, I thought we really stepped it up a notch — not having to dedicate so much of our screen time to exposition, establishing the world, establishing the characters. It allowed us a little bit more freedom to be creative in flushing out these character arcs and exploring the mythology of the aliens: why they’re here and who they are and how we’d radically misunderstood the situation in season one.

For your character Tom, are there going to be any major differences for this season?
NOAH: Well, the fact that he walked on the spaceship and what happens to him on that ship definitely conforms the character in a different way and he comes back slightly changed. Then it’s just sort of keeping with the trajectory that we laid out for the character’s arc or deconstructing the intellectual aspects of this character, and trying to show the emergence of a latent leader reluctantly, but an effective one over the course of this season.

With regards to Tom’s relationship with Anne, how that’s going to evolve this season?
NOAH: Last year we showed that there was a great chemistry between the two characters, but the practical demands of the day sort of kept them apart. That’s how we did a nice job sort of slowly building to that one moment of intimacy at the end when he entrusts his kids to her care and drives off on what could be a suicide mission. Then the clock gets reset a little bit as it’s been three months since we’ve seen him. She’s assumed he’s dead, and he’s assumed that she’s dead, and all the inherent complications about opening your heart up once it’s been destroyed. So it gives them a little bit of an obstacle to have to get passed. But ultimately they end up sort of together.

What would you say is the theme of the second season?
NOAH: There are a couple of significant themes that I have hooked into — that I felt had some personal resonance. I sort of would have identified with the themes of fatherhood, leadership and loss. I think Tom’s Achilles heel, in a lot of ways, is his children. That’s the one thing that he has to grapple with — this sort of dual feeling of wanting to keep his kids close and safe, and at the same time realizing that there’s a greater good to serve and that his kids are going to play a role in that regardless of whether he’s around or not. This sort of notion of reluctant leadership, of really not wanting to be the guy center stage with all the responsibility on his shoulders, but at the same time not wanting to shirk his duties or responsibilities in the face of great need. Then the notion of loss when everything that you sort of identify yourself as it gets taken away and you have to rebuild yourself in a different image. How do you go about doing that? Those were the three themes that I really kind of hooked into.

Overlord on “Falling Skies”

After three months away, does that lead to issues of distrust between Tom and his son Hal or do they instinctively know that nothing can ever come between them?
NOAH: Well, I think there’s an element of distrust certainly. Tom espouses it himself about himself. He doesn’t want to be a security risk or a liability in anyway. He can’t be positive that he was released [by the Overlords] without some ulterior motive in mind. So that allows us to start this season off with a little bit of tension in trying to figure out how to envelop Tom back into the fold and him trying establish a position of leadership again after having been gone for three months.

There seems to be a lot of distrust with Tom’s mysterious return, especially from Pope. Do you feel that your character distrusts himself more than the 2nd Mass might distrust him?
NOAH: I think they’re really happy to see him. I think his kids are happy to have him back. I think Captain Weaver is happy to have an ally again in a leadership position and that may be blinding them a little bit to the practical concerns of where is this guy has been and what have they done to him. Is he a homing pigeon leading the enemy right to them? It makes for some interesting storytelling in the first couple of episodes, and I think Tom’s a smart enough character to realize that that’s a possibility that he doesn’t really know himself — and until he can get his footing and establish himself back in the group and win their trust and vice versa, that he should be watched.

Are you still learning about the character and finding different ways to play him?
NOAH: Yes, I sort of feel like I am just getting started. With this guy, to a certain extent, over three or four years will be a slow deconstruction of his intellectual aspects, and he becoming a little bit harder. There is in a way a big of transference with the Weaver character, who starts off very militaristic, where Tom’s a bit more of a humanist; then gradually Weaver becomes a lot more vulnerable and a lot more human, and Tom gets a lot more practical and a lot harder-edged. We sort of continue in that vein hopefully arriving at some sort of synthesis between the two of them as the most effective way of leading this group, which isn’t not traditionally military-dogmatic style and not exactly touchy-feely human, but something in between.

What continues to be the most challenging aspect to you for the series for your character acting-wise?
NOAH: It’s kind of an aggregate thing. It’s a tough show to do. Most of it takes place at night, so you go to work around 12 p.m. in the afternoon and you work till 5 a.m. in the morning. And because we wanted this year to be less focused on any single location, the group had to be a lot more mobile. It made for some long, wet nights as were shooting in mostly practical locations and exteriors.

“Falling Skies”

Is it a challenge for you trying to act or interact with Skitters or the other computer-generated elements in the show that aren’t there with you on the set?
NOAH: I hadn’t done a lot of that kind of work up until this show, but it’s sort of a muscle that the more you exercise, the better at it you get. And it’s kind of 50/50 between the screen and practical. We do a lot of work acting to tennis balls on the end of sticks. But then we also have a really talented puppeteer and a really great Skitter suit for the close up personal interactions with the aliens. I would say the most difficult part is when you’ve got four or five actors in the same frame all having to react to the same thing that’s not there. Trying to find a line of continuity and performance can be tricky.

The unwashed-look really brings an authenticity to the show in the morning. What is the process behind getting it to look like that and was that a decision of yours?
NOAH: I wouldn’t say that there were disagreements, but the costumers love putting people in different costumes, and I kept saying I am not changing my jacket until the group goes into a GAP and finds a new jacket. Like when it happens on screen, I will do it. And I felt this same way about shaving and everything else — that until there was a moment of respite with these characters would sort of rediscover their sense of vanity, there really wasn’t any point in grooming. And that look of being smutty, dirty, bloody and shaggy does lend itself to an air of authenticity.

“Falling Skies”

Obviously you do a lot of fighting this season and last. Did you get a lot of like fighting and weapons training?
NOAH: I wouldn’t say a lot. When we showed up, I went into office building with a stunt man and hit a punching bag for about an hour. Then we went to the sound stage and ran around shooting blanks at the walls for another couple of hours and then we were let loose.

Was it difficult to film the scene that has been previewed where there are people working on your eye?
NOAH: Yes. It helped that I was being restrained by four actors. But I had great confidence with in Moon Bloodgood’s medical skills and she kept the forces away from my eyeball.

Are you or any of your castmates planning on making an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con this year or have a panel?
NOAH: Yes, I believe do we have a panel at Comic-Con this year. We will be there.

To see exactly what Tom Mason went through while on the alien ship and during his three months away, and the thorny issues of distrust that arise upon his return, be sure to tune in for the 2-hour second season premiere of FALLING SKIES on Sunday, June 17th at 9:00 p.m. on TNT.

Where to find this article:

 

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/05/22/noah-wyle-falling-skies-season-2-spoilers/

 

 

Stars David Giuntoli and Russell Hornsby Talk GRIMM’s Season Finale and Show’s Success

With the supernaturally creepy world of GRIMM about to wrap its first season and leave viewers hanging during the summer hiatus, stars David Giuntoli and Russell Hornsby took a few minutes to chat with press in a recent conference call about a few things fans may anticipate in the finale and some clues about what may be looming on the horizon for the show’s second season.

So what can you tell us about the first season finale of GRIMM?
DAVID: Well, we’ve got about three major cliffhangers that the audience will be left with at the end of the finale. One of the major characters may get very hurt in this episode, and the episode’s called “Woman in Black,” and we’ll be introduced to a character named the “Woman in Black.” And from there, I don’t know what I can say. Russ, you got anything?
RUSSELL: Cliffhangers, yes, I think you hit all the buttons.

Is the “Woman in Black” character going to continue on to next season, or is it just this one episode?
DAVID: I don’t have a definitive answer to that, but I would imagine that yes, she would continue on to next season.

“Grimm”

Also in the episode where Nick destroys the two grim reapers, it seemed like all of a sudden, Nick had all these kind of new powers. What do you think about that?
DAVID: I think this is how I’ve kind of thought of Grimms. I feel like it’s a bloodline where you kind of have some natural inclinations, some natural powers. All these other Grimms knew that they were Grimms from the get-go and they have been coming up with these powers, and they’ve been training literally and honing these skills. And Nick was just told about them maybe eight months ago in the world of our story. So he had these kind of inclinations, but it just took some honing to kind of finally fully harness his skills. They had me kind of training with weapons in several of the episodes and really kind of embracing these tools that his aunt left him in the trailer. And I think that he has surprised himself on occasion. But even next season I think that Nick’s going to be even more capable and useful.

David, you mention that you were hoping that next season Nick would be a little more badass and he seems to be a little more powerful, a little more stronger. Do you think they might put a supernatural element in his capabilities next season?
DAVID: I think one of the cool things about Nick is that he doesn’t necessarily supernatural powers. I would be surprised if that happened. What I really am excited for is more and better fights and getting to use some of these — I mean there’s a weapons cabinet in my trailer that Aunt Marie gave me in Portland, and I’m real excited to get my hands on some of those weapons and really use them.

The Wesen seem actually kind of freaked out when they first saw Nick weapons. They are kind of pretty terrifying.
DAVID: Yes, I mean weapons in that they could bludgeon a person to death. Like when there’s a metal ball with spikes on a chain. It’s not like a fake metal ball on spikes – with spikes on a chain. It’s like the real thing. So you take them out. You like wield them around a little bit, and they have definite girth to them. You’ve got to be careful.

“Grimm”

What about creatures that after coming out of the makeup trailer, and you’re going, “That’s pretty gruesome. That’s pretty scary”?
DAVID: Some of the death scenes, some of the corpses I had visceral responses to. Other than that I usually know the guy in the makeup, so I’m just like, “Hey, it’s that guy.” But some of the death scenes, I remember there were rats at one point pouring out of a guy’s chest and mouth. And I mean it made me really uneasy.
RUSSELL: Well, see the thing is, I get grossed very easily. So actually I actually close my eyes when they’re in front of me. That whole rat sequence that happened, that disgusted me to no end. I mean I’m really actually in real life scared of rats. But I just appreciate sort of just the artistry of all the creatures both from CGI and the practical. I just think our department and team has done just a fabulous job with all the creatures and just creatively done great.

For next season, what would you like to see happen with each of your characters?
DAVID: I’m excited for Nick to become more of a badass, so to speak. Throughout the Season 1, he’s become like from a very passive observer of what was taking place to a real kind of go-getter where he tried to work the politics of what Wesen were against him and who was for him and who was going after his loved ones, and who was his friend. And I think that certain events will make him a little more aggressive.
RUSSELL: My hope is that Hank sort of finds out what’s behind door number one. And if that’s the case, then just sort of seeing [what’s going on around him] and the opportunity for the relationship to develop, I think, between the three of them — Nick, Monroe and Hank — as they sort of try to solve these crimes together. And I guess the drama that could possibly ensue between the three of them.

Is there a chance for a larger role for Juliette next season?
DAVID: Oh, sure and Bitsie Tulloch is such a wonderful actress and I think the writers are excited to kind of include her in a more active way as the episodes go on.

“Grimm”

Do you have your own theories and also do you see something maybe coming next season between Captain Renard and Nick coming up as far as their relationship?
DAVID: Well, I think as Nick is concerned, he doesn’t really have an eye on Renard at this point. I think Renard’s got the goods on him, and he does not have the goods on Renard. And then as David speaking, I think we’re going to be learning a lot more about Renard’s family, what he comes from, and what his purpose is, why is he protecting Nick, and why does he want a Grimm close to him, other than it’s good to have an eye on the Grimm. But I think that we and the audience will learn a lot more. Other than that, I don’t know the specifics.

Russell, what was it like to do the whole arc with the love potion story? That must have been some fun acting for you.
RUSSELL: Yes, it was a lot of fun sort of in a “midsummer night’s dream,” if you will, and just working alongside Claire Coffee who plays Adalind was a lot of fun. Just taking a whole different vent to the character, taking the character on a different sort of arc and journey was fun, and just sort of being in love with love. It was a good time. We also saw sort of a more playful and vulnerable side of Hank that I think audiences didn’t know Hank had. So that’s always great.

Nick’s been keeping so much to himself for months and months and at the point of jeopardizing his relationships. Where do you think his head is going into this final episode?
DAVID: Yes, things have really come to a head, haven’t they for Nick? Now Hank has seen someone completely change before his very eyes. I think he might be in a serious state of denial and also firmly aware that a paradigm is about to shift, and he’s going to have to let someone in or else he’s just going to lose his mind.

“Grimm”

In the last episode we saw Nick lying to Hank. Once Hank finds out the truth, how do you think that will affect their friendship?
RUSSELL: Well, I don’t know. That’ll that’s interesting. It depends on how the writers write it. But at first I’m sure that if and when he finds out, he’ll be in denial because that just doesn’t happen. That’s like stuff you read about in books and watch in movies. So from Hank’s point of view, that can’t happen. So I’m sure that there’ll be a time where he’s just in denial and thinks that Nick is crazy, thinks the world is nuts and possibly thinks that Hank’s going crazy like I have to be dreaming, like some psychedelic sort of something have been ingested. Who knows, but it’s going to be a lot of fun though.
DAVID: I think my character, Nick is very worried about this this very thing. And I know that he’s keeping an eye on Hank, making sure that he’s not going to lose his mind over this, and if he starts to, then he’ll intervene.

What’s with Hank? Is he slow on the uptake or is he’s in denial?
RUSSELL: Well, I think he’s sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’ve been sort of using the analogy of when crime hit in the early ’80s there was uptick in robberies and whatnot, and I think a lot of police officers were wondering, “Well, what’s going on? Why is the crime rate going up, you know?” Robberies and breaking and entering and stuff like that. And then they realized that it took them like six months to a year later to realize that crack had hit the street. You know what I mean? So I don’t think he’s so much in denial as he’s just waiting for another shoe to drop. I think having been on the force these some 10-15 years, he knows that something else is going to happen. He is taking note of the fact that the city has gotten a little weirder, the crimes have gotten a little weird and suspiciously different, but he just hasn’t been able to put his finger on it yet. And so being the cop that he is, he knows that there’s something going on behind this, and he just has to wait for the other shoe to drop.

How have you planned or played Nick’s growth through the season?
DAVID: The writers do most of that work for us. We have some great writers, so I’m very thankful for that. I went I think my arc, generally speaking in those terms, went from constant befuddlement — he was this whole new role was thrown on him, and he didn’t know what to do with it at first and he kind of was in denial at first, and he wanted business to go back to usual at first, and ultimately there’s no changing what has happened, so he kind of accepted it. He still obviously doesn’t know quite how to fuse his normal day-to-day life and his new night job, I suppose you could say, but he definitely is an active player in this world now. And he uses the tools that he’s been given and some of his abilities he’s been given to (a) try to get the bad guy and (b) try to kind of work to the greater Wesen system.

“Grimm”

What do you think you have brought to the character life for progression that was not necessarily spelled out by the writers?
DAVID: Well, going into this season I always thought Nick Burkhardt was a guy who was very happy with a live-in girlfriend. He wanted to get married. He had a not-so-stable childhood, because he was being raised by his Aunt, and there was a lot of moving around for reasons you didn’t really understand at that point. So he was happy to have his house, his girl, his job. He knew he was a good profiler. It was kind of a special instinct he had, but he didn’t really understand why. And he wanted a not-so-crazy adult life, because he had a crazy childhood. And the inciting incident in the pilot was, of course, I start seeing things, and I think I’m losing my mind, and I desperately want to keep my world from unraveling. And that’s kind of the goal of Nick Burkhardt. And he grows throughout the season and just kind of has to deal with his new reality.
RUSSELL: Well, I have to ground a character in a reality. There is a fantastical element. There is a fairytale element to this show. I don’t exist in that element, although the show exists around me. I mean that element exists around me. So I have to approach that everything is real, and that’s what I do. So basically I have to approach everything from the standpoint that this is all confusing me — this confuses my character, and this is strange. You know what I mean? And it’s like as if like honestly if you walked outside today and you saw somebody change and transform into a monster, you would go crazy. And that’s how I approach it, as if like this is real. I don’t know that there is a Grimm. I don’t know there is this parallel alternate universe or alternate world where people turn into creatures or creatures turn into people. So I just approach it very honestly and very much rooted in reality, and I think I feel like I’m sort of the leveling force on the show on the procedural side. And that’s what I try to do. I don’t try to get ahead of it. I don’t try to think outside of my realm. Hank is just a police officer fighting crime.

“Grimm”

If you can sort of reflect on this past year and how it’s been for each of you in terms of your career and how the show has been going for you, and the fan reaction and the network support.
DAVID: Appreciate it, absolutely. From a standpoint of an actor, I mean I’ve grown leaps and bounds. I’ve learned so much. You really get thrown into it, and you don’t stop running until 22 episodes are done and 9 months has passed. And I’ve been very fortunate to get to work alongside guys who are youthful veterans of the entertainment industry like Russell Hornsby and Silas Weir Mitchell. These guys have really been great and gracious and have taught me a lot just so I kind of lock it in every day. And the fans have been unbelievable like I’ve had fans in the past, but genre TV fans are passionate fans. They’re completely active. They watch the episode, and then next thing they’re writing fan fiction or creating more scenarios and asking questions, and they really hold you accountable. The whole experience has been wonderful.
RUSSELL: Well, for me, this experience has been rather surreal for myself. I mean I’ve I guess I don’t consider myself a veteran of television and to a certain extent having that fan reaction before. But this is like the first time I’ve been on a show that people actually watch and so, just sort of getting used to the sort of the hubbub and fanfare and being like some first time like recognized. It has been crazy. I really thought that I had sort of made it five years ago, and I realized, “Oh, no, I didn’t.” So the work schedule has been very intense, like I’ve never experienced just all the hours that we’ve had to put in, being on location, being in Portland and shooting outside in the rain, and at night. I’ve just learned to appreciate this whole experience and just what it’s like to as an actor learning just new things about myself as an actor and as a performer, and all the stuff that I can handle. I never thought I could up to this point. And again the fans have been crazy — I mean in a good way. Like they’ve said, the genre fans are just nuts about their shows that they’ve loved and they follow them — and they’re very interactive and very smart. So I’m really curious to see what the next season is going to bring as far as the show’s concerned but also from a fan perspective.

“Grimm”

How does filming here in Portland kind of affect the show, and how does it affect how you think about your characters and your performances?
DAVID: Well, filming on location in general allows – well, if you’ve ever been to camp, it’s like that. It’s a whole new place that started with an entirely new experience. So there’s an otherness to it. It’s not life. It’s the world of GRIMM now to all of us. And I think it helps a lot in our chemistry within the actors, because let’s face it, we don’t know a ton of people up there. We hang together and we get on together. As far as the show, we could not do it without Portland. I couldn’t imagine taking this to a soundstage in L.A. — it would be impossible. It makes such a wonderful aesthetic. It makes it creepy, and it can help do the acting for you when you’re out on location and it’s raining and you look like you’re in the forest from the Mesozoic era. It kind of brings it to life.
RUSSELL: I go with his sentiment. It is like camp. It’s like you just realize like you don’t think like the world exists outside of the show. But it’s a lot of fun.

To see what juicy cliffhanger the show has in store for our heroes, be sure to tune in the GRIMM first season finale on Friday, May 18 at 9:00 p.m. on NBC. (Also beginning Tuesday, May 29 at 10:00 pm, NBC will be running encore performances of GRIMM throughout the summer.)

Where to find this article:

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/05/18/stars-david-giuntoli-and-russell-hornsby-talk-up-grimm%E2%80%99s-season-finale-and-show%E2%80%99s-surprising-success/

 

Kerry Washington Talks About Those Sexy Scenes and Cryptically Teases the First Season Finale of SCANDAL

If you saw last week’s penultimate episode of SCANDAL, you know exactly what everyone has been talking about. Was it the fact that Gideon Wallace was stabbed in the neck by a pair of scissors by the Vice President’s scheming aid? Was it the reveal that the sex tape sent to the President was from 2 years earlier recording Olivia and Fitz’s first intimate encounter? No, what caught everyone’s attention was the sizzling, hot and oh-so-sexy scene where Presidential candidate Fitz Grant seduced Olivia. Then just as breath-taking was the intimacy with which they held each other in the final moments of the episode knowing that the days when no one was looking were over and they would never have any more stolen moments together. In an exclusive interview Kerry Washington talked about filming the challenges of filming those memorable scenes, and the possible ramifications for both Olivia and Fitz now that their secret is about to come out.

So after last week’s really hot, super sexy scenes, can you talk about the challenges of working on those types of intimate scenes?
KERRY: [Laughs] I will tell you that doing those scenes is the worst part of my job. I love my job so much, but those scenes make me so uncomfortable. Like usually acting doesn’t feel like work to me. It is a lot of work, but because I enjoy it so much, it is work that is enjoyable. But sex scenes are a nightmare. I am so close to the crew and I’m very excited that most of them are coming back for Season 2, which is great. So I kept saying to the crew because I’m so close to them, “This is awful. This is so weird!” These scenes are always hard, but especially doing it in front of this crew — they are like my boys. They are my like my family, so it was awful. Everything about it was awful. [Laughs some more] It’s also really funny because both Katie Lowes and I were working out and eating really clean, juicing, and eating organically — just really trying to take care of ourselves, and Tony is eating junk food and sleeping in. We were so annoyed ’cause the boys were so carefree.

“Scandal”

Then those scenes with Olivia and Fitz sitting on the sofa were just mesmerizing to watch. What was that experience like for you as an actor?
KERRY: You know that’s really special to me. That scene was very moving to shoot. I don’t remember the last time you experience silence in real time on television like that. It’s one thing to say one minute, but it is truly one minute of silence. I think it is so breath-taking — and so brave on the part of writers and producers. I was also honored that they trusted us to fill that space with enough emotional life for the characters. That is would be interesting, and that people wouldn’t fall asleep. For me, the first time I saw it, it was such a gift because we were in that embrace as I’m snuggled into Tony’s arms, so I never saw the work that he was doing. So when I saw the episode for the first time, I was so moved by what was going on for his character. A lot times when you’re doing a scene, you’re looking at your other actors, so you’re aware of what the other actors are doing, but that was not the case in that scene. So for the both of us to be really struck by the intensity of it, I’m glad we were on the same page. It was so emotional.

How would you describe the current status of Olivia and Fitz’s relationship? They seem to not be together, but are longing to be together. Where do they see themselves?
KERRY: A lot of what that scene is about to me is two people really trying to do the right thing for their country, for themselves and for each other. I think after last week’s episode that’s where we are: two people who obviously weren’t together, then he showed up at her house, but they’re still not together. So every moment we see them together was in the past. But in the present, they’re feelings may be really complicated, but clearly they are not going there — at least for now.

We’ve seen glimpses, but is the First Lady a bit more clued into to how close Fitz and Olivia have gotten, or does she just think that they’re good for each other when they are around each other?
KERRY: Bellamy Young who plays the First Lady will blow you away this week. I promise you that question will be answered. But she is amazing. I think she is such a great actress, and what they have written for her is fantastic. She will just knock your socks off this week. As will Matt Letscher who plays Billy. He is just awesome in this next episode.

“Scandal”

So are we going to see Olivia doing whatever it takes to preserve Fitz’s presidency, or is she going to want to hold back her cards a little bit?
KERRY: I think that’s an interesting question. I think there’s always a balance for Olivia. I think she’s most strategic when she’s managing a crisis and in her sort of relationships with people. Even when she’s going all the way for her clients, there is a delicate balance in how she manages information in order to do that in the best way.

What do you think is driving her, besides her obvious affection for Fitz, is there some self-preservation going on, or is it more that she just wants to protect him?
KERRY: You’ll see. It’s very complicated.

Speaking of complicated, what is it about Olivia that drives her to recruit and rescue these particular individuals that make-up Pope & Associates?
KERRY: I’ll tell you where it comes from and why it works — where the initial impulse came from and why it actually works for the office. Olivia is just a person who likes and needs to make things better for other people. She comes to this work of “fixing” professionally because she has an inner need to fix, whether it is for the person behind her at Starbucks or for the next Supreme Court justice. She is just somebody who cares for her fellow human beings and wants to take care of people who are in difficult, challenging situations until they feel like they can take care of themselves. So that’s where I think it comes from. But I also think she realizes that she works for the office — at this point in the season, you may not understand all the dynamics of the relationships and for each character, but each of the people who work at Pope & Associates has had their own personal crisis, if not more than one. So they know what it is like to have a seemingly worst-day-of-your-life. So when somebody walks through the door at Pope & Associates, all of the people in that office can really approach the situation with a sense of compassion and also with understanding and know how. They’ve been there.

Okay, lastly, are we going to finally learn what is the big secret with Quinn? Since we do not know why she was recruited by Olivia yet.
KERRY: It’s so hard! I wish I could tell everything, but I can’t! But at the end of the season finale, there will be one huge question that will be answered and everyone is going to be so fascinated and happy to have more of the full picture of the situation. And there will be another situation that will continue to go unanswered in a shocking way.

With that last fun tease, be sure to tune in for the first season finale of SCANDAL on Thursday, May 17th at 10:00 p.m. on ABC.

Where to find this article:

 

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/05/17/kerry-washington-scandal-spoilers/

 

 

Mehcad Brooks Talks About The Tumultuous Journey of T.K. in the 2nd Season of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS

Mehcad Brooks (Photo credit: USA Network)

The first season of USA Network’s drama series NECESSARY ROUGHNESS ended with a bang – a literally bang, as a shot rang out. During a recent interview with press from the set, star Mehcad Brooks provided his insight on what his character T.K., a pro football wide receiver, will be going through this next season as he recovers from the near fatal gunshot and what he did to mentally and physically prepare for the role.

Did you do any research into PTSD?
MEHCAD: Yes, I did. I did a lot actually. I got a couple friends who’ve come back from Afghanistan and Iraq with some issues. One guy was actually blown up by a grenade and we knew each other for 17 years; and one of my best friends, he’s like a brother to me and we work together, I got him a job on MY GENERATION as our military coordinator, and he’s just a great guy, just a fantastic guy, and 13 surgeries later (to make a long story short), he’s walking, he’s running, he’s back as part of the population physically. So I’ve seen it firsthand, and I’ve been able to talk to him about it and he’s been strong enough to open up to me about it. I want to portray it as serious as possible and as accurately as possible because it’s a under-discussed subject and it’s something that 2 million Americans are going to have to deal with actively themselves –not to mention the toll it’s going to take on families and friends and so on — relationships and jobs and so on and so forth. The thing is, I think no one really wants to see soldiers going through it because we have this sort of war-fatigue and we have this insulation, we haven’t even paid for the war, taxes. Like we’re completely insulated from it and I think when it’s coming from an athlete or a football player, somebody that we see every day and that we allow into our home every day, it’s different. So I hope that maybe I’ll have athletes who come up to me and say, “Hey, what you did was real, it was realistic.” And I hope that one of these days I’ll have a soldier come up to me and say, “I went through that. My family went through that. Thank you for taking it seriously because it really affected us.” So it’s not something that I make light of. Not that part of it. . . . That’s one part of T.K. that I can’t laugh at. This one, I’ve seen it first hand and I’ve been there for guys who have gone through it and I went through it in some ways, in my life. You don’t have to go to war to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I lost a family member, I lost my brother when I was 19 and he was 17. You react in the way that you do. You just react in the way that you do, and there’s no wrong answer for it; there’s no right answer for it. But there’s ways of healing holistically that I think that we can as a nation, that we can embrace our sons and daughters that way, and and have them know that they’re welcome to come back. That’s what they need, they just need love, and understanding and patience. So I hope that we can touch on it a little bit.

Is your character going to face his PTSD head on or fight longer with it in the background?
MEHCAD: Well, it’s real PTSD. You don’t know you have it. So you deny. You go through withdrawal of what the situation was. You have nightmares about it. You start to beat yourself up. You become a hermit. There’s all types of different things that happen. This is sort of several different stages and there’s a lot of debate on it, clinically, what those stages are. But a lot of it has to do with manic depression and bipolar and all these things that start to open up in your brain. So yeah, he goes through the same stages that most people would if they come to this near death experience and they come to terms with their own mortality, which we don’t on a day-to-day basis. Thank God.

Where will T.K. be mentally when the shooter comes back into his life?
MEHCAD: Where the hell is T.K. mentally anyway? [Laughs] When the shooter does come back? We haven’t actually discussed where T.K.’s going to be mentally at that point in time, so I can’t answer that question right now. I know that in real situations that could either cause a relapse or either cause a breakthrough, and since we got 16 episodes to do, I hope it causes a relapse.

Will the show delve into T.K.’s past and will we see some of his family members while he goes through this?
MEHCAD: We do go back to his old neighborhood. He doesn’t really know his family. He was a foster kid at nine years old. He’s an only child. His mom’s passed on, and his father he doesn’t know so, the closest thing to family that he has [is his old neighborhood]. I think it’s episode like 203 to 204 or something like that, but it’s great. He goes back to his old neighborhood and hides out for a couple episodes and gets into some shenanigans, some funny stuff and some not so funny stuff, actually. It’s weird because after almost losing his life, he kind of doesn’t know where he belongs, professionally. It’s almost as if, “Wow, maybe I just catch a ball for a living. Is that important? I don’t know.” He starts to question everything, and it’s, “Maybe I just want to go home and just be around people who love me for being Terry King, not the King.” But he kind of doesn’t fit into either world and doesn’t really know where to go. So he goes through that for a little while, as well, and that’s when you kind of meet the people who are in his past.

Do you base the T.K. antics on anybody in particular, or was that informed solely by the script?
MEHCAD: It’s actually based on Keyshawn Johnson — who I don’t know from a can of paint. So I based it on other guys that I know in the league, T.O. (Terrell Owens) not being one of them ‘cause I didn’t know T.O. all that well before we started working together. And I based it on my dad who was a wide receiver in the 70’s and 80’s when cocaine was a performance-enhancing drug and it was okay. Those were wild times and different times in the NFL and I got to see some of it first-hand as a kid and I also based some of it on myself in my young 20’s. Like: what if I had 85 million dollars and I was that stupid? So it’s kind of, in some ways, it’s like I come into work and just being a dick and getting away with it. But I’m actually kind of nice in person I think at least to myself.

Where do you get your inspiration from for this role?
MEHCAD: It started off, like I said, with my dad — my biological father. I started off with him, and then it kind of had to take its own life on after that only gives you so much information and so much to start with. But it was rooted in that and then kind of sprouted its own life from there. So where do I get my inspiration? What Kanye West actually is – that is somebody that I looked to. I mean, I admire Kanye West, period, because I think that he’s brilliant. His brilliance can’t be denied, for one. But I think he’s been brilliant in business in the fact that he puts up a public persona for everybody to attack while he’s just kind of under the radar living his life the way he wants to while you’re attacking his persona. So you have no clue who this guy is, which I think is amazing. I think it’s really, really smart. I mean, you may not like it, but you got to kind of respect how smart that is. Like you never are actually criticizing Kanye West. You’re criticizing the persona he’s allowing you too. And I thought that was brilliant and I thought that T.K. who’s probably not as smart as Kanye West, is trying to do something like that, but he’s failing. So he’s just kind of an a-hole.

Did you have difficulty keeping the name change for T.K. to K.T. straight this year?
MEHCAD: No, yeah, of course. I was actually the one keeping the K.T. going and the show was like, “Forget it.” I was like, “What you mean?” I’m like, “I like it.” So we don’t keep it for the whole season, but it was kind of strange. At first I was like, “K.T.?” I’m like, “This is ridiculous.” Then I got this new blinged-out chain that says T.K., and I was like, “This is the wrong chain. You’ll ordered this chain like a month before I changed my name.” But props didn’t give a (bleep) about it. They’re like, “So, yeah?” So anyway we don’t keep it the whole time.

How do you get into that mindset of being so arrogant for the character?
MEHCAD: I like to pretend that I’m arrogant. I don’t think I am really. How do you get into that mindset? What it is, it’s actually T.K. and I are really different. Like he’s not even a dude I would hang out with, to tell you the truth. But I’ve known guys like that and it’s just about really taking five minutes to believe your hype and if you thought you were God’s gift to insert noun, then that’s how you act. There’s no boundaries. You’re put on a pedestal by society, so that means you’re above the societal-mirror, which means you can’t even really look at yourself in a realistic light. I know people who are this famous and they read the tabloids and they obsess about what people are saying about them and I’m just like, “God that is tough. That’s got to be really, really tough.” So you just have to accept them and go there and act like — it’s weird — it’s just taking my personality, a piece of it, and injecting it with anabolic steroids. But not literally.

Executive producer Kevin Dowling mentioned when you came back for this season you were in better shape than you were in the first season. Did you do something different with your training in your time off between seasons?
MEHCAD: Yeah, well last season was kind of unfair to me because I couldn’t work out ‘cause I got in a really bad car accident. So I did the best that I could. But I was on a lot of medication, so there wasn’t a lot I could do. I couldn’t even work out. So this year, about two months out, I worked out with some pro guys and some guys who train Olympiads. So I just took it really seriously and because now I have the physical opportunity to do so, I’m not playing around.

Can you talk about actually playing the football scenes? How did you prepare for that and how did you feel about those scenes?
MEHCAD: Well, I pulled my hamstring in the pilot which means I was like, “Man, I am such an actor! This is crazy. Like I’m, I’m just Hollywood as hell.” So there I was sitting on the sidelines rubbing my leg. Like I couldn’t even do all the stuff that I wanted to do. So when I came back and then I got in the car accident, which was bad, I couldn’t really do a lot. So this year when I came back I was like, “I’m going to do all my stuff. I’m going to make my stunt doubles look bad.” And I’ve done my best. Like I said, I kind of had my training camp in L.A. and then every chance I get, I go up to some surrounding states and work out with some pro bowlers. And I know what I’m doing now and it’s fun. It’s really fun. Sometimes they take the stunt double out and put me in, except when I get hit. I mean I am not doing that. [Laughs]

As you’re getting to know your character do you find yourself learning from him?
MEHCAD: Yeah. I mean we’re all learning about ourselves. I mean if you can surprise yourself, you don’t really know yourself, and we can all surprise ourselves, I would imagine. So it is intriguing having a relationship with this guy because I love him, and I hate him, and I judge him. It’s not all fun and games because he’s gone through a lot and you do your best not to take that home with you. But it is what it is, sometimes you do.

Did your role on TRUE BLOOD help you get prepared for some of the darker things that T.K. has to deal with?
MEHCAD: Yeah. Simply put, yes. But every role is kind of like a training ground and it’s sort of a learning lesson for the next one. You’re trying to become better constantly, so yeah. There was a lot of moments and situations that are applicable to this one. What I learned that I can apply here mostly is how do you prep for that. How do you prep to be in that sort of darkness or how do you prep to be in it and not let it affect your personal life. So on and so forth – and really be true to it. So yeah, every role informs the next one. I would hope.

How is it for you to portray such a serious arc after normally playing such an upbeat character from last season?
MEHCAD: Challenging. But it’s that’s what I got into this business for is to be challenged. I love this job because it’s varied in that way. That’s what I love about T.K., one minute you can have him in a scene where he’s on the verge of tears and like not knowing what’s going on in his life and then really sort of losing grip of who he is., and then the next moment he’s having a Twitter-war, like he’s a 12 year old. And that’s fun to play, but sometimes when you’re shooting both scenes in the same day it’s, “Can you put that one first, please?” So it’s interesting, but it’s a lot of fun. It’s fun to be challenged.

Are we going to see more fun stuff with Terrance and Dr. Dani’s kids?
MEHCAD: I hope so. I really enjoy working with [Hannah and Patrick]. I think they’re so talented. They’re really talented, hard working kids — and I shouldn’t even call them kids, they’re adults — so I have a lot of respect for them.

Do you have more scenes with Terrell Owens’ character this year? Does that relationship get ramped up?
MEHCAD: It sort of did, yes. It gets ramped up a lot and then what happens is, it sort of gets rectified all in the same swoop. So it’s kind of nice. He becomes likable all of a sudden. I think it’s good for T.O. I mean that in an actually nice way, because he’s a nice guy. But his public persona is what it is, but if you meet him, he’s actually a very misunderstood. I think he’s very shy, and what happens is he comes off in a protective way and it’s unbefitting of his personality because he’s actually a really nice guy, believe it or not.

For T.O.’s returning role, is he going to act more like a catalyst of change to get T.K. back on track or just dance on his grave?
MEHCAD: That’s a good question. He does a little bit of both actually. I don’t want to get too much into it, but the Twitter-war will obviously be with the character he plays. and there’s some really awful things, at least in T.K.’s world, said about him. And T.K., like a grown man, goes to handle it and shenanigans ensue.

Scott Cohen mentioned that the relationship between Nico and T.K. is going to evolve into something like a father-figure role this next season.
MEHCAD: Yeah, I call it “Teko” — T.K. and Nico. I think it’s cool because its like T.K. finally has a maternal figure in his life and he’s never had that. He does need a positive male figure in his life, and Nico is the only guy with the patience and probably the training to handle someone’s attitude as large as T.K.’s. So I mean the guy doesn’t listen to anybody but Nico really, so there you go.

To see where the tough recovery journey of T.K. takes him, be sure to tune in for the 2nd season premiere of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS on Wednesday, June 6th at 10:00 p.m. on USA Network.

Where to find this article:

 

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2012/05/21/mehcad-brooks-necessary-roughness-season-2-interview/

 

 

Mehcad Brooks (Photo credit: USA Network)

(Photo credit: USA Network)

HELL ON WHEELS – Season One available on DVD

“Unforgiven meets Glory in this grimy post-Civil War Western series.” -- In Touch Magazine

AMC rolls out another winner with ‘Hell on Wheels’.” -– New York Daily News

“Railroads may not seem sexy, but this series brings a There Will Be Blood aesthetic to episodic TV.” -– Wall Street Journal

BLOOD WILL BE SPILLED.  LIVES WILL BE LOST. 

FORTUNES WILL BE MADE.  MEN WILL BE RUINED.

 

THIS MAY, THE LATEST ACCLAIMED TV SERIES FROM AMC MAKES ITS EPIC DEBUT ON
DVD & BLU-RAY™

 

HELL ON WHEELS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

 Available: May 15, 2012

 

Anson Mount as Cullen Bohannon

DESCRIPTION

Credited for “helping to modernize the Western genre[1]” when it premiered in 2011, Hell on Wheels centers on former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), whose quest for vengeance has led him to the Union Pacific Railroad’s westward construction of the first transcontinental railroad.  Currently reigning as the #2 rated show on AMC (with a series premiere that was the second highest rated AMC debut of all time), it is episodic TV at its very best.  And before Season Two rolls into town this fall, home viewers can catch up on all the frontier drama in this star-studded smash with HELL ON WHEELS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, arriving on DVD and blu-ray this May, only from Entertainment One.

“Hell on Wheels” tells the epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on a soldier who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife.  His journey takes him west to Hell on Wheels, a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time. The lavishly-produced series documents the railroad’s engineering and construction, as well as institutionalized greed and corruption, the immigrant experience and the plight of newly emancipated African-Americans during Reconstruction.  Chronicling this potent turning point in our nation’s history, this fan favorite series shows just how uncivilized the business of civilization can be across 10 absorbing episodes.

Developed by Endemol USA and produced by Entertainment One and Nomadic Pictures, Hell on Wheels is created, written, and executive-produced by Joe and Tony Gayton (Faster, Uncommon Valor, The Salton Sea, Bulletproof).

“Hell On Wheels”

CAST

·         Anson Mount (City by the Sea, Cook County, “Line of Fire”)

·         Common (Just Wright, Date Night)

·         Colm Meaney (The Conspirator, Get Him to the Greek)

·         Dominique McElligott (Moon, The Philanthropist)

·         Ben Esler (The Pacific)

·         Tom Noonan (“Damages”, The House of the Devil,

·         Phil Burke (Mercy)

·         Eddie Spears (Into the West)

·         Wes Studi (“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”, Heat)

Common as Elam Ferguson

BONUS PROGRAMMING

·         “Recreating the Past: The Making of Hell on Wheels”

·         “Crashing a Train: From Concept to Camera”

·         Seven “Making-of” Featurettes

·         Ten “Inside the Episode” Featurettes

·         Seven Character Featurettes

·         Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Colm Meaney as Thomas Durant

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Type: BD/DVD (3 Discs)

Catalog #:  (BD) EOE-BD-7217/(DVD) EOE-DV-7128

Running Time: 450 minutes + extras

Genre:  Western/TV

Rated:  N/A

Aspect Ratio: (BD) 1080p High Definition/(DVD) 16×9 (1.78:1)

Audio: (BD) DTS-HD Master Audio/(DVD) 5.1 Surround Sound

Language: English w/SDH Subtitles

(Information provided courtesy of Foundry Communications / Entertainment One)

******

HELL ON WHEELS Invites Viewers into
the Wild West for a Tale of Vengeance

AMC’s new post-Civil War drama HELL ON WHEELS is a lush, visually stunning and, at times, graphic account of revenge and retribution.  In 1865, America was uneasily settling into a routine where the North and South had put aside their differences.  But old tensions were still bubbling beneath the surface; and battle wounds, scars and seething rage were testament to the recent civil war.   The lure of the open West and money to be made through the ambitious pursuit of building a railroad across America brought men together so long as they could leave the past behind.  While the old plantation owners, former slaves, and retired military officers could see the sense of turning their backs on the past and looking to the future, the only ones not to quick to jump on the bandwagon to modernize were the Indians.  Greed and power were pushing the railroad barons to race to build a railroad to bring prosperity across the land, but with time working against them, funds running low and a hostile indigenous population, it is not going to be easy.

HELL ON WHEELS focuses on a handful of people whose lives intersect at the boiling point.  There is Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), the former plantation owner, who is intent only hunting down the men who killed his wife but who becomes intertwined in the affairs of the railroad due to his strong honor and sense of justice.  There is Elam Ferguson (Common), the former slave seeking to prove his newfound freedom makes him equal to any man and who finds himself reluctantly bonding with Cullen due to the secrets they both hide.  Then overseeing the railroad and lording over everyone is Thomas Durant (Colm Meaney), the railroad tycoon who believes his vision of the future is paramount to America’s success and who finds himself crippled without the crucial surveyor maps to finish the railroad.  And on the sidelines are the surveyor’s wife, Lily (Dominique McElligott), who becomes the most sought after woman because she has the one thing everyone is looking for.  Adding to the diverse and fascinating cast of characters are the Irish brothers, Mickey (Phil Burke) and Sean McGuinnes (Ben Esler), who have come looking for financial opportunity and a little fun; Joseph Black Moon (Eddie Spears) the reformed Cheyenne Indian who embraced Christianity and became the local preacher’s son; and the enigmatic Norwegian known simply as The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl) a former bookkeeper turned private security and enforcer for Durant.  As all their lives come together in a collision of fates, they are forced to rely on each other and yet keep watchful eye out for the first scent of betrayal.

It is a high-stakes game of vengeance and greed.  But, as each is acutely aware, the sins of their past haunt them and came be used against them if they are not careful.  Well, not everyone has terrible sins to account for, but each certainly has secrets they wish to keep buried.

HELL ON WHEELS starts off slow as it introduces its rich tapestry of characters and drops hints of their backstories.  But given time, over the course of its initial five episodes, it weaves a tale that seduces viewers into a world where everyone is looking for redemption, freedom and a bit of happiness.  Give it that chance and you too will discover the gold buried beneath the surface and a story that is worth investing in.  Find out if the heart of a wounded hero gets his revenge, if the lost surveyor’s wife is rescued, if the former slave finds equality, and if the railroad baron finds his precious maps to make America as great as he envisions.

At the beginning, a doomed man says, “we opened a dark door and the devil stepped in.”  Life in the after-math of the Civil War was not peaceful and yet America as a nation had to heal.  The secret to healing lies in finding a reason to live and forgive — if at all possible.  HELL ON WHEELS is a tale of this hope, courage and determination.  It is raw, bold and beautiful.  It will grab your heart in unexpected ways.  Hold on tight — it’s worth it!

Updated: HELL ON WHEELS returns with its 2nd season on Sunday, August 12th on AMC.

“Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

Common in “Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

Eddie Spears as Joseph Black Moon in “Hell On Wheels”

Dominique McElligott as Lily Bell in “Hell On Wheels”

Common as Elam Ferguson in “Hell On Wheels”

Anson Mount as Cullen Bohannon in “Hell On Wheels”

“Hell On Wheels”

Fun photos from the set of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS

A few fun photos from the set of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (provided courtesy of USA Network, all rights reserved).

Executive Producer Kevin Dowling

Scott Cohen

Mehcad Brooks

Callie Thorne

Mehcad Brooks

Callie Thorne

Executive Producer Kevin Dowling

Callie Thorne

Mehcad Brooks

Leonard Nimoy Previews His Stunning Return To FRINGE for Its Climatic 4th Season Finale

Leonard Nimoy as William Bell on “Fringe”

After last week’s reveal that Leonard Nimoy had returned to reprise his electrifying role as William Bell in FRINGE for its fourth season finale, the sci-fi legend took a few minutes to chat with press in a recent conference call about what inspired him to return to the celluloid screen.

What was it about the role of William Bell that enticed you to return from retirement to reprise the character?
LEONARD: Well, it’s not just the role of William Bell. It’s the show. I think FRINGE is a wildly imaginative show. The writers and the creators of the show, the producers, are very bright and very theatrical. All the characters are fleshed out wonderfully and the chemistry amongst the cast is terrific. I wanted to be part of this project. I enjoy the project. Of course, the character of William Bell started out to be rather ambivalent. We weren’t quite sure whether we were supposed to enjoy him or be afraid of him. We couldn’t quite figure out what his motivation was. At the end of last season, he seemed to come around to be less dangerous. This season I think things have taken another turn. He’s in another universe and has taken on other characteristics. There were challenges in the character itself that were attractive to me. I could play aspects of a character that I haven’t played in a long time, so it was very welcoming to me.

How long have you known you were going to come back and what was it like keeping that secret?
LEONARD: I’m not sure exactly the amount of time. I would say somewhere around two or three months from the time that I knew I was going to do it until now. I’m a sucker for a good role and J.J. Abrams, the Executive Producer of the show, is a friend of mine. He calls. I take his call. The writers and producers, Joel Wyman, Jeff Pinkner, and the cast, they’re a wonderful bunch of people and I enjoy being there. When they called and asked me if I would do it, it was pretty easy to convince me that there was an interesting challenge in the character and a very wonderful company to work with.

William Bell and Walter Bishop on “Fringe”

You probably can’t say exactly what’s going to happen with William Bell in the finale, but if there was an opportunity to see him again somewhere in those final 13 episodes, is that something you’re open to?
LEONARD: I’m sure that we will be having conversations about that before too long. I haven’t heard anything new about William Bell or the show, except that it has been picked up for 13 episodes, which I think is wonderful. I know the company was hoping for that that they could have another season to close out successfully. I haven’t heard anything about Bell coming back, but I’m sure I’ll be getting a call. We’ll talk about it. It will depend on my schedule. It will depend on what they have in mind for the character. There are a lot of issues that have to be dealt with, but we’ll be talking.

Is it important for you to keep up with what was going on with the FRINGE world? Or have you kind of jumped in here and there to catch up with what’s going on?
LEONARD: I haven’t watched all the episodes but I have a general picture of what has been happening and where my character fits in the story, in the overall arc of the story. I think they’ve done a really wonderful job of finding ways to reinvent the story and reinvent the characters. When I was asked about coming on this season, I said I think the mystery of William Bell has kind of gone away by the end of the last season because it was pretty clear that he was a pretty decent guy. I said, “Where are we going to go now?” It was explained to me that we’re opening up a whole world and a whole new can of peas, so to speak, and William Bell is being recreated as something else. That intrigued me and I was excited to go back to work.

Are there any lengths that William Bell won’t be willing to go in this week’s episode?
LEONARD: You’re going to see some interesting activities on the part of William Bell tonight. This character has gotten himself out on a limb and is doing some very wonderful theatrical and bizarre activities. He has become a world of his own. Take that as a hint.

You’ve been playing a lot of these bad guy roles lately? Do you prefer playing the bad guy rather than the good guy?
LEONARD: I don’t have a preference for bad people. No. I have an interest in playing a broad range of characters. Obviously, I’m mostly identified with a character who is very responsible and very solid and very intelligent, but there are plenty of questionable characters in my past career. I’m interested in exploring theatricality and characters with some dimension. William Bell certainly has that.

How does it feel to be portraying a character who turns people into monsters?
LEONARD: Well, if there is anything I can do about it, I’ll see if I can change his attitude about turning people into monsters. I’ll have a conversation with him very soon. I’ll say, “William, cut it out.”

William Bell on “Fringe”

If the right show and the right film or the right role came along, are you now seeing yourself as a little more open to doing some more acting or do you still mostly consider yourself retired?
LEONARD: The door is not completely closed. Obviously, I said a couple of years ago that I was retiring and here I am talking about a performance that I just gave. There are certain special situations that come along that can intrigue me. This one did. As I said before, J.J. Abrams is a friend. Jeff Pinkner, Joel Wyman, they’re all friends, the producers of the show. I think the writing is wonderfully imaginative. It’s a fascinating character and a great company. It’s nice to get off the couch and throw the clothes on and a little makeup and go back to work every once in a while. I still enjoy it. In this case, as I said before, it’s all of the elements that come together at the right time in the right way and I was happy to do it.

You’ve played different versions of William Bell now. Which is kind of the most interesting for you to play and why?
LEONARD: I think what you’re going to see tonight night is probably the most interesting of it all because the character has become very exotic; very exotic is the best word I can come up with at the moment. He’s got himself out on a limb and doing some very strange and fantastic things with his powers. I think what you’ll see tonight night is probably the culmination of a lot of wonderful eyes coming together. I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to seeing it myself. I haven’t seen it in context, so I’m pretty excited about what people are going to be experiencing tonight night.

What kind of a journey would you say William Bell is on, the William Bell that we’ll see on Friday?
LEONARD: Well, the William Bell character started out to be a very intelligent and rational character. I think he’s still very, very intelligent but I’m not quite so sure he’s rational anymore. I think you’ll see some behaviors tonight night that have taken him quite a distance from where he started.

What did you think of Anna Torv’s impression of you on the show?
LEONARD: I saw that. I thought she was brilliant. I was very flattered. I thought she was wonderful.

Are we going to get to see you do an impression of Anna Torv?
LEONARD: I don’t think I could do justice to her the way she did for me. I don’t think I’m capable of that. She was quite wonderful and I told her so.

What is it like working with John Noble?
LEONARD: John is a wonderful actor. They all are. Working with John is always a treat and I think the relationship between William Bell and John’s character has been very well written so that we have some delicious scenes to play with each other. I look forward to it. When I began working with him I admired what he was doing. We kind of hit it off personally and in character. I think the chemistry between the two characters has worked very well. It was a very satisfying experience working with him.

FRINGE has been well received by critics and it’s got a great loyal fan base, but kind of like with STAR TREK it has struggled to get that large television audience. Why do you suppose that is?
LEONARD: If I could answer that question I think the networks would all be on me for explanations of what to do about their schedules. I’m not an authority on ratings and how these things happen. You’re absolutely right in the comparison to STAR TREK. We did very poorly in the ratings but eventually, the show started to become more and more popular until it became a news story where stations were carrying the show at various hours and various time and sometimes in marathons on weekends and 6:00 every night in syndication. The same thing could happen with FRINGE. I can tell you that when STAR TREK was put on a Friday night, which is a date night, not a good night for a show like this, it did very, very poorly. FRINGE has the same kind of audience, a very intense audience, a small audience, but very intense and very committed. I think it’s commendable that the people at FOX decided to honor that commitment. Now I understand that the show does particularly well in DVR recordings and I don’t know how that works or how they measure that. What that means is that people who are out on Friday nights record the show and watch it some other time. That’s a sign of the commitment to the show.

William Bell and Olivia Dunham on “Fringe”

William Bell, has shown up in a new and exciting way each season. Can you briefly tell us a little bit about how those worked for you and if you’re able to do Season 5, what new media would you like to be in?
LEONARD: Well, the William Bell journey has been really interesting to me and I don’t take any credit for it. I’m only the performer. I’ve given the material on the printed page. They hand it to me in a script form. Conversations first about which way William Bell is going now and then it comes to me on the pages. I have been very grateful for having been given some wonderful, rich opportunities as an actor in the William Bell character. We started out, as I said before, very ambiguous, didn’t quite know whether to trust him or not, and gradually it was revealed that he could be a helpful and reasonable kind of guy. Now in this particular season, this particular work that’s on tonight night, I think you’ll see quite a dramatic shift in the character. There is another dimension of him. We have not yet spoken at all about another season. I know that the show has been picked up for 13 more episodes but there has been no conversation yet about whether they want William Bell and if so, what will William Bell be all about next season? What’s on tonight night I think is quite extraordinary. . . I’m excited about the show. I’m proud to be connected with FRINGE. I think it’s an intelligent and imaginative and theatrical show. I told the company when I finished shooting on this particular episode a few weeks ago I said, “You are superior company. I have never worked with a better company in my entire 60-year career.” I thanked them all for being who they are and doing what they are and told them how proud I was to be a part of it. I’m looking forward to tonight myself. I have not seen the show put together. I think it’s going to be exciting for everybody.

To see what ingenious plan William Bell has sprung on our heroes in FRINGE, and the final fate of both universes, be sure to tune in tonight for the 4th season finale at 9:00 p.m. on Fox. (Then mark your calendars, FRINGE returns for its fifth and final season later this year.)

“Fringe”