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Interview with “Young Rock” actors

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Stacey Leilua and Ana Tuisila

Interview with actors of “Young Rock” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

There are two short interviews here with the actors from “Young Rock.” One is with Stacey Leilua, who plays Ata; and with Ana Tuisila, who plays her mother, Lia. The other is with Joseph Lee Anderson, who plays Ata’s husband, Rocky, and with Matt Willig, who plays Andre the Giant.  This is a fun little show, and I enjoy watching it.

Here’s the first interview, with the women.

Suzanne:   My first question is for Stacy: what has the fan reaction been like so far that you’ve seen?

Stacey:   It’s mostly just been, I guess, in the way of messages through social media, because it’s not screening in New Zealand yet. So, I get messages from people – like the stuff I love is Pacific Islanders around the world saying how awesome it is to turn the TV’s on and see, you know, their mums and the grandmas sort of represented, their uncles. So, they’re seeing their culture on primetime US TV, and they’re loving it. So, that’s awesome for me to be able to be a part of that representation.

Suzanne:   Yeah, that’s great about the show. I didn’t even realize that he had lived in Hawaii, and I spent three years in Honolulu, and I miss it so much. I was happy to see that. And, Anna, are you on social media at all?

Ana:   Yes, I am.

Suzanne:   What is the reaction that you’ve gotten?

Ana:   Well, like Stacey, my family in New Zealand hasn’t seen the series at all, and so they’re putting on these promotions and “watch this,” and they are coming back to me sort of, “Watch what? We haven’t haven’t seen [it].” So, it’s a bit disappointing that they’re not keeping up with the excitement that I’m feeling as well. But we’re really lucky that I’ve got a link that was sent, so I’m able to watch it at the same time, but for the rest of New Zealand and Australia, it’s a shame that they’re not feeling the same as we all are.

Suzanne:   Yeah. It’s too bad you can’t get a copy to send to your family at least.

Stacey:   It’s coming soon, I think.

Suzanne:   Oh, good. I can’t imagine.

Question:   This is a male fronted comedy, but what I really like about it is that the women are a really big part of it, and you guys get to not just be background players; you’re really in the narrative of it. I was just curious how you feel about that, and how you feel about this show? It’s a success. Did you feel more pressure before it was a success, or do you feel more pressure now to keep it a success?

Stacey:   I think when you get the original audition, and you can see who’s attached to it, and you see Dwayne Johnson, that already is an indication of the success of what it [is] most likely going to be like. It’s pretty hard to imagine that something that he’s attached to is…not going to work or whatever. He’s just incredible like that. So, he finds a way to make everything work.

And I was excited about the fact that he will very often and publicly speak about his mother and his grandmother and the influence that these women had on his life. I mean, to this day, his mother, I think she she lives with him, or she’s pretty close to physically where he is. So, it’s kind of like at the end of this long journey that they’ve been through and the ups and downs. It’s the two of them still there looking after each other.

I quite often say that playing a real character, a real person, Ata Johnson, I don’t like to think of it as pressure, because I feel like that sort of has negative connotations. I think there’s definitely a huge responsibility in there.

I guess, if we’re talking about the success of a show, for me, what I really cared about the most was that I was going to do this character justice and that Dwayne and Ata were going to be watching this and going, “Yes,” and that has happened.

So, for me, I think, like, we talk about the ratings or more seasons and things like that, and I’m like, as long as I’m bringing this truth to that character – Just, I think in light of what a life they’ve had, and, you know, like we were saying, the ups and downs, we only see a sort of snippet of it in the show. It was so important to me; that was the priority for me, really being able to do the family justice and make them proud of the representation on the screen, for me, anyway.

Ana, do you want to speak to that?

Ana:   You ask about being the only woman in a very male dominated cast. Well, you know, it just helped me play the role even more diligently, because, Lia, the grandmother, is obviously a very strong character, and being the only woman and in with the wrestlers and the football team, it just makes – you know, I’m even sitting up straight now just thinking about it. It just makes the role that I play so much more physical [and] mentally and emotionally more dominant to just get there and make sure that I play this character the way it should be. So, being in a very male dominated, as you say, cast, and the storyline, it just just helps me portray this character even better.

There isn’t much known about it, but after listening to Dwayne and Ata describe her, I thought, “Oh, that’s great.” It’s just great putting the women up here. So, it wasn’t too difficult. I guess, as Stacey said, the pressure was ensuring that the character and the role was played with integrity and honesty, and making sure that I play the role the way it should be.

Question:   …What role did your mothers and grandmother play in your life?…Was there something that you brought on from your mother and grandmothers on to this show?

Stacey:   Yeah, I think I’ve mentioned before in interviews, my grandfather was actually a boxing champion here in New Zealand, and he held the light heavyweight title in, I want to say, early 1960s, I think. So [it] was my grandmother at home looking after the babies and holding the fort while her athlete sort of superstar husband, as much as he could be back then in New Zealand, was out traveling and on the road and everything that came with that. So, for me, in the early portrayals of Ata, that was something that was on my mind as well, and just kind of channeling a little bit of that and what that might have been like.

Like Ata, my grandmother is a very… strong matriarch of the family and really led with love and care for her children. I think that that was really, [and] after speaking with Dwayne and Ata, we’ve been saying sort of the character is really the heart and soul of the storytelling, and she brings that love and the nurturing. I mean, she’s a fighter, and she’s fierce, but it’s always done with the integrity and love for her son first and foremost, and then the family that wraps around him and guides him through his life journey. So, I was really holding on to, I guess, a lot of those aspects that I had seen myself in my grandmother growing up. Yeah, on a personal note for me.

Ana:   I didn’t know my maternal and paternal grandparents, grandmothers, but when I read the script, that was just truly my mother, my own mother, and, I guess, for myself, as well. She was also the matriarch of the eldest of 13 children. So, even though we had high chiefs, and there were five girls and eight boys, she just dominated. Whatever she says, goes.

When I read the script, I thought, “It sounds just like my mother,” and, I guess, it’s just passed down to the way I have parented. So, it was quite easy for me to step into Lia’s shoes, and even more so that Lia’s Samoan, and I’m Samoan. I guess, the connection there was really easy, and the cultural terms.

So, you asked, were my mother and my grandmother, or people who I knew – Yes, they were great inspiration, and it’s just passed down to how we are. Women are very strong. Even though they talk about the patriarchal system in Samoan, the [unintelligible], it’s the women that run the household. So, they are very strong, and, I guess, for Lia, which is different being in a white male’s institutional sport, that would have been [unintelligible]. Yes. So, the inspiration for me was my mother, which made it easy for me to play the character.

You can see the video here!

Joseph Lee Anderson and Matt Willig

Here’s the transcript of the call with the two men.

Question:   Hey, guys, thank you so much for taking the time and congratulations on on this fantastic journey. So, let me just ask, and I’m sure you’ve been asked, but I’m really curious, what was the biggest challenge for both of you in portraying your characters, especially because they’re based on real people? And what’s the most surprising thing you think you learned in the process of preparing for the characters?

Joseph:   Yeah, the biggest thing for me was the weight. I was at about 220 pounds when I first got the role, and then got a call and said they wanted me to be about 250 pounds. So, I had about two months to put all that weight on and make it as much muscle as possible…The opposite of what Matt did.

…And I was shocked to learn that Rocky, he fell so far from grace. He worked so hard to get to that moment, and he was on top of the world, and it just didn’t end the way I’m sure he wanted it to end.

Matthew:   Yeah, a lot like Joseph, you know, it starts with the weight. I knew I needed to have a certain look, and I normally kind of am more much more diligent about my diet and exercise and stuff. So, I just ate whatever I wanted for a couple months, and I gained about 35 pounds myself, but it was bad weight. So, it was fun for a while, and then it got old after a little bit, but that was important to kind of have that feel of having that girth that André had. I knew I wasn’t gonna be 7’4’’ or, you know, a seven footer, but I could have the dimensions that would be important. So, that was the first thing, and then, getting the sort of the Frenchisms and the French accent down was important [and] not easy. So, just kind of working with a French dialect coach first and then sort of making it my own sort of mumbled André speak was important to have. I had to be very careful about making it understandable for television so that people can understand me, but at the same time, sort of keeping authentic to André in the way that he spoke. So, that was hard.

And the surprising stuff, I guess, it’s just the fact that he was so close to Rocky, their family, and Dwayne. I wasn’t aware of that. So, that was a big revelation and sort of immediately sort of made my character André of all these crazy wrestlers, specifically having André in his life as uncle Andre, so that was pretty cool.

Suzanne:   Hi, guys. For Matt, what research have you done? What did you do before you got the role playing André the Giant?

Matthew:   Well, it started with watching documentaries and going from the documentaries to interviews, listening to him speak, trying to do as much research as possible. What else? You know, like I said, getting the speak down, his accent. Things like that were important, because I knew that when you’re dealing with someone that’s a real person, there is a sense of being true to him. You have to do a lot of work to get to that point before you even put your own spin on it. So, that was important. …Just watching him, watching his videos, watching his interviews was really important. Again, speaking to Dwayne and getting his take on it and finding out what was real in his life, in that relationship, how it was real, and what was going to be explored sort of for the show, as opposed to being in real life. Like I said, it was really nice to hear that that was a real relationship that was really, really important to him. So, that kind of made it nice so that we could be talking to Dwayne and getting the history of where André came into their lives with Peter Maivia, his grandfather, and kind of working into to being uncle André with him as a kid and beyond.

Suzanne:   Okay, great. And Joseph, I watched the four episodes last night on demand. You have such great energy on there. Have you gotten a lot of fan feedback so far?

Joseph:   Yeah, everyone’s been very kind saying they love what I’m doing with Rocky. People that have met him have been awesome with the feedback. So, that was great. Then, most importantly, Dwayne is beyond happy.

Suzanne:   Oh, that’s good.

Joseph:   That’s really the person I wanted to make happy.

Question:   …Joseph, I’ll start with you…Talk to us a little bit about how involved – and Matthew, you can also speak to this – how involved has Dwayne been throughout this process of helping you guys create and build on these characters who are real characters and real people that he lived with? [unintelligible] Like with Joseph, you play his dad. Talk to us a little bit about how involved Dwayne has been throughout this process.

Joseph:   He was insanely involved. Anytime there was a question, anything, it was a text away. He made himself open to me at any time. Anything I needed, it was just, he was there, and that was amazing since we were in different countries. So, yeah, hopefully, once COVID is over, we can all get in the same set, same room. It’d be nice to talk.

Question:   Definitely. Matthew, what about you?

Matthew:   Yeah, you know, it’s obviously a little different being that I’m not playing his dad. So, I come and go, but I think the biggest thing was just, number one, Dwayne being accessible. Like Joe said, from the first zoom call that we had on the first table read, he said, “Anytime any of you want to get with me -“ You know, he kind of apologized for not being able to be with us, but, “Anytime you guys want any information, have any questions, ask us.” And I did. So, him giving me a really detailed, honest account of his relationship with André and what he meant…He actually kind of commented what I think he meant, to me, but he really felt like André had a sense of being uncle André with him, and that was really important to him, especially early on in his life. So, Dwayne was really, really detailed about that relationship, and so, that was really cool. And again, he kind of left with, “If you ever need anything, any questions about anything, please let me know.” So, he’s been great.

Question:   Definitely. Joe, let me ask you this. You play Rocky, Dwayne’s father. Did you study him before Dwayne was assessable in helping you with the character, but did you study him on your own to learn a different side of him than what Dwayne told you? Did you study him and research him yourself?

Joseph:   Well, I think my research on Rocky was a lot of watching matches, a lot of trying to emulate how he moves in the ring and his signature moves, because Dwayne, he really gets the, you know, I’m not gonna learn about the man better than from Dwayne, so that was great. Yeah, I watched any interview I could find, every match I could find. There was a lot of that.

Question:   Why do you think people love the show so much? I mean, the fans are on Twitter; they’re in the comments on Instagram. People love the show. I think it gets better each week. It’s like, “Okay, oh, it was cute.” Then, each week it gets better, and then, you get an inside look into Dwayne’s life. Why do you think viewers love the show so much?

Joseph:   It’s such a heartwarming show. It’s nice; it’s loving. It’s a loving show. It’s about family. There’s so much that this show brings. We go in the 80s with the wrestlers, as, you know, the older generation loves wrestlers. And people who love Dwayne get more of an inside look at Dwayne that they probably would have never known if he wouldn’t have done this. There’s a lot that this show brings.

Question:   Definitely. Matthew, why do you think [that]?

Matthew:   Yeah, I think, just to piggyback Joe a little bit, it is that sense of – it appeals to many different audiences. People that want to see the wrestling and those iconic wrestlers are getting that. People that want to see more about Dwayne’s life are getting that. In today’s age where you can stream any sort of violence and sex and drugs and all that stuff, I think just to have a good heartwarming family type story, where you can sit down with your kids and know that for at least a half hour, they’re not going to be overwhelmed with some sort of sex or violence, it’s kind of a nice change. And I think that people are responding to that and really appreciate [it]. And, again, you’re really getting like four different stories in one show, which is pretty amazing that we’re able to do that. So, people come in and out, and they enjoy different aspects of it. So that’s, I think, contributing to the popularity of it all.

Here is the video of this call!

Interviews Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

“Young Rock” focuses on different chapters of Dwayne Johnson’s life. From growing up in a strong and resilient family, to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family, to playing football at the University of Miami, the show will explore the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he’s met along the way.

Dwayne Johnson, Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu, Ana Tuisila, Fasitua Amosa and John Tui star.

Nahnatchka Khan, Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Chiang, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz and Jennifer Carreras serve as executive producers.

“Young Rock” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Seven Bucks Productions and Fierce Baby Productions.

Stacey Leilua

Ata Johnson, “Young Rock”

YOUNG ROCK -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Stacey Leilua as Ata Johnson -- (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
Stacey Leilua plays Ata Johnson on the new NBC comedy “Young Rock.” Leilua is of Samoan, Maori and English heritage and based in New Zealand. She graduated from one of New Zealand’s leading drama schools: UNITEC School of Performing & Screen Arts, where she majored in acting. Leilua has worked on a variety of productions, including New Zealand’s longest-running series, Shortland Street.” Other credits of note are the UK/NZ feature film ”Love Birds” and the highly acclaimed web series “The Factory,” which she also co-executive produced alongside Kila Kokonut Krew under the mentorship of Robin Scholes, one of New Zealand’s most well-known producers. Leilua has also worked as a presenter (“Homai Te Paki Paki”) and director with the South Auckland-based theatre company Kila Kokonut Krew. Most recently she performed in Tusiata Avia’s ”Wild Dogs Under My Skirt,” which won Production of the Year at the 2018 Wellington Theatre Awards. The production was picked up for a season at the Soho Playhouse in New York in January 2020 where it played to full houses every night.

Ana Tuisila

Lia Maivia, “Young Rock”

YOUNG ROCK -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Ana Tuisila as Lia -- (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
Ana Tuisila stars as Lia Maivia on NBC’s new comedy “Young Rock.” Tuisila’s career spans over two decades in film, television and theater. Her most memorable performance is in “The Songmaker’s Chair,” a stage production written by esteemed international author, poet and playwright Albert Wendt, and directed by Nathaniel Lees and Nancy Brunning. Following a successful season, the show later participated in the International Arts Festival at Te Papa Museum in New Zealand. Tuisila has starred in two short films on location in Samoa, Vai and Liliu, which have both been recognized throughout film festivals globally. She speaks fluent Samoan as well as having familiarity with other Pacific languages.

Joseph Lee Anderson

Rocky Johnson, “Young Rock”

YOUNG ROCK -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Joseph Lee Anderson as Rocky Johnson -- (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
Joseph Lee Anderson plays Rocky Johnson in the NBC comedy series “Young Rock.” Anderson has appeared in the Oscar-nominated film “Harriet,” recurred on “S.W.A.T.” and has guest starred on “Timeless,” “American Soul” and others. He also directed and starred in the critically acclaimed short film “The Jog,” which premiered at South By Southwest. Anderson is a Kansas City native currently living in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

Matthew Willig retired from the NFL after 14 seasons. He played for 6 teams (New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers). He went to 2 Super Bowls, winning 1 and losing the other. He is steadily rising up the acting ladder and receiving acclaim as his roles get bigger and better.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Young Rock cast members

Y&R Short Recap Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Posted on by Eva Diaz

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

Y&R logo

 

 

Recap written by Eva

Mariah has a bad case of morning sickness and Tessa is there to listen to her complaints and offer Mariah moral support. Abby gets a call from Chance but later tells Devon she is worried that Chance won’t come home to her. Nate tells Lola that he broke up with Elena because the relationship didn’t feel right to him. Amanda tells her grandfather and mother that she thinks Richard was killed because he was blackmailing an unknown executive at Newman Enterprises. Amanda gets a text from her sister Imani that says “this will end badly for you.” Ashland sends Victor a text telling him if he increases his offer he won’t sell his company to Victoria. Lily worries that Victoria will get the wrong idea because Billy sent her flowers to congratulate her on the deal with Ashland Locke.

Y&R Short Recap, Friday, April 16, 2021

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Y&R cast animation

 

Interview with Melanie Scrofano and Tim Rozon

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Tim Rozon and Melanie Scrofano of "Wynonna Earp" on Syfy

Interview with Melanie Scrofano and Tim Rozon of “Wynonna Earp” on Syfy by Suzanne 3/23/21

This was a lot of fun, even though we didn’t have a lot of time to ask questions (there are multiple journalists here). I’d interviewed Tim a month earlier, so it was great to see him again. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Suzanne: I went on Facebook and Twitter, where you guys are really popular and asked fans for questions, because I’m behind.

Melanie: Ooh, fun.

Suzanne: Joanne wants to know if either of you… if there’s a scene that you wish you could go back and do over again.

Melanie: Oh, wow. Well, okay. I haven’t seen it yet, but I would do one in Episode 11, because it was such an epic one to shoot. I really haven’t seen it, but I didn’t feel like I was – It just was so important that I just hope that it’s as good as it’s written, because there was a lot going on in terms of like, it took us all day to shoot it, and the sun was moving. So, we’d have to like – we’d be doing this emotional stuff, and then the sun moves, and we’re like, “Okay, stop. Stop crying, and cry,” or whatever the thing was. So, you know, if I could go back and do that, just to make sure we have it, I would do that.

Tim, what would you do?

Tim: Ah, hands down, I think it was 406 or 405. It was the episode you directed.

Melanie: [403].

Tim: 403 with Greg Lawson naked on the ground. I’m running around with the frickin’ lasso. You’re behind the monitors, just screaming with a big smile. Dominique (Provost-Chalkley)’s got a water gun or something. Kat (Barrell) and I are falling all over the ice. We’re just running around like idiots. I just remember having so much fun that why would I not want to do that all over again?…Yeah, remember, we were in the middle of that pit ravine and in the snow, but I don’t remember being cold. I just remember it being like a super fun, crazy day.

Melanie: So awesome.

Tim: So, I’d do that day over and over.

Melanie: That day shortened my life by ten years, because I was so stressed. So, I’m glad you had fun.

Tim: I did. Yeah, it was awesome.

Suzanne: She’s obviously a good director. She made sure you had fun.

Melanie: Great actors.

Tim: It was one of my favorite moments I’ve ever had on the show. Like I remember I was stuck on the floor, Greg Lawson’s leg was on me, Dominique’s knee was here, and I just looked over. From where I could see, I could see Mel at the monitor with a big smile, and it was cool, because it was just her watching her friends and her cast be idiots, and the joy that it gave her gave me joy in that moment. It was a fun moment. It was a fun day.

Question: How is that experience of working with your co star in the boss position of the director? I mean, do you feel there are any specific differences coming from somebody who is in the show and is an actor themselves? And then I will follow up with you on how’s that experience, directing people that you’re working with?

Tim: Yeah, well, I mean, nobody knows Wynona Earp better than Wynonna Earp. And I think I’ve said this a zillion times to every person who will listen: I think Melanie’s Scrofano is one of the best actors that I’ve ever worked with. So, you kind of are a sponge for those notes. You really want them. I remember telling Dom even in the first – because you directed us in a scene originally –

Melanie: Yep.

Tim: The season before.

Melanie: I remember.

Tim: I don’t know if I’m suppose say that or whatever.

Melanie: No, I’ve said it.

Tim: I just remember that day, it was like, it was never anything other than, “This is gonna be sick. What notes are we gonna get?” We were like greedy little actors. It’s just like, “We’re gonna get the good shit from Mama.” So, yeah, you’re kind of like you just know you want it. I just know you want the direction.

Question: And Melanie, for you, how is it working as a director on your show with your own team and being responsible maybe sometimes in calling them out?

Melanie: I didn’t have to call anyone out, because I thought it was unfair on Wynonna. Like, in a way, it wasn’t a real taste of directing, because I knew that they had my back. So, I felt very safe, which is not normal. Like the scene that Tim’s talking about, where they’re running around, I was terrified about – we were losing the sun, like, it was chaos. But I knew that the thing that was gonna mess it up wasn’t going to be that. I knew that I could just yell things, because I didn’t have time. So, it’s like, I couldn’t go over and be like, “I need you to sit on his crotch. It’s really funny.” I was just yelling things, and they’re like, “Okay!” So, to know that I had the room to do that was really good. It was just a blessing to be able to work with [them]. But I would say that, as an actor too, you so seldom get the chance to work with people that you feel safe with that you trust and that you love. So, just, I think, actor or director, I’ve have just been very lucky on the show.

Question: …How is this show special to you in terms of a strong female lead, and what do you hope happens [unintelligible]?

Melanie: I think this was the first time – I auditioned for it, but I didn’t think I’d get it, because I was like, “I don’t know how to do ‘action lady;’ I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to be sexy.” I’m like, cool, and whatever. So, I was like, “I’m just gonna go in and do stupid; I’m gonna do how I am.” And it was the first time that anybody – like that I got hired for being myself, and myself isn’t terribly conventionally sexy or whatever. It felt really validating to be thought of as enough the way I am to play this character. So, I hope that girls, anybody, who see that go, “Maybe I’m enough the way I am.” Like, “Maybe I don’t have to represent some stereotype of what people usually think of this character, and I can just bring what I have to this role or to this life, and that enough.”

Suzanne: I just had one more question. Tim, I noticed you look really different from when I saw you on one of these other junkets. Is this just for fun, or do you have a new thing you’re working on?

Tim: Yeah, have a new show coming out this summer called Surreal Estate…There’s a guest star you might recognize in it and a director that you might also recognize who might be in this room with us at the same time.

Suzanne: Great.

Melanie: Who also has different hair on that show.

Suzanne: That’s great. Will it be on Syfy or another network?

Tim: Yeah, it will be on the Syfy network. All I know is summertime. I never know anything. I’m the last to know. Well, I’m excited. I’m very excited.

Suzanne: Great. Great. I look forward to it. I’ll make sure to tell all your fans on Facebook.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

WYNONNA EARP follows legendary law man Wyatt Earp’s descendant, Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) who inherits his mystical gun, Peacemaker. With it, Wynonna and her posse of dysfunctional allies must fight against supernatural beings and other paranormal occurrences in a raucous, whisky-soaked struggle to break her family’s demonic curse.

In Season 4, the infamous Earp Curse is broken, and witty and wild demon hunter Wynonna Earp would love to be celebrating with cold whisky and hot donuts. Too bad she has to rescue everyone she loves, save the town of Purgatory, and take on her most diabolical, Earp-hating enemy yet — all without her trustworthy gun, Peacemaker. And that’s just Monday…

WYNONNA EARP is produced in Calgary by Seven24 Films and globally distributed by IDW Entertainment and Cineflix Rights. Emily Andras developed the series for television and continues to serve as showrunner and executive producer. Jordy Randall, Tom Cox, Rick Jacobs, Todd Berger, Peter Emerson and Brett Burlock also serve as executive producers.

Twitter: @WynonnaEarp
Instagram: @WynonnaEarp
Hashtag: #WynonnaEarp

Melanie Scrofano

Wynonna Earp, “Wynonna Earp”

Melanie Scrofano stars on SYFY’s WYNONNA EARP as Wynonna Earp, the great-great-granddaughter of famous lawman Wyatt Earp who inherited his famous gun – and a whole lot of trouble. Wynonna is brave and witty with an impulsive streak that gets her into trouble more than she’d care to admit. She uses her unique abilities, along with her dysfunctional posse of allies to bring the paranormal to justice.

Scrofano has won a People’s Choice Award and received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for best actor for her role as Wynonna. In season four of the SYFY fan-favorite series, WYNONNA EARP, Scrofano makes her directorial debut, with her direction of episode 403. She recently starred in the feature “Ready or Not” and is looking forward to the release of her newest film, “The Silencing.” Fans will recognize her recurring appearances on, “Letterkenny,” “Bad Blood,” “Designated Survivor” and “Damien.” Other notable film credits include “Wolves,” “We Were Wolves,” “Citizen Gangster” and “Saw VI.”

Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Scrofano currently resides in Canada with her husband, Jeff.

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Tim Rozon

Doc Holliday, “Wynonna Earp”

Tim Rozon stars on SYFY’s WYNONNA EARP as Doc Holliday, the legendary gunslinger, friend and partner of Wyatt Earp, and now immortal “will they or won’t they” love interest to Wynonna Earp. He is handsome and charming and knows just what he must do to survive in Purgatory. Doc’s on a mission of his own to right the wrongs of his past before they consume him.

Rozon’s first leading role was playing heartthrob Tommy Quincy opposite Alexz Johnson and Laura Vandervoort on the teen drama series, “Instant Star.” Other notable credits include playing Mutt Schitt on “Schitt’s Creek,” gang infiltrator Alex Caine on “Befriend and Betray,” outer space rogue Isaac on SYFY’s VAGRANT QUEEN, and love interest to Candice Cameron Bure on “Christmas Town.” Guest appearances include “Rookie Blue,” “Flashpoint,” “The Listener,” “Heartland,” “Combat Hospital,” “Lost Girl,” “Being Human” and ”19-2.” Rozon won a prestigious Gemini Award for his performance on “Flashpoint” and was nominated for his role in “Befriend and Betray.”

Rozon currently resides in Montreal, where he co-owns the hit restaurants Garde Manger and Le Bremner opposite star chef Chuck Hughes.

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Melanie Scrofano and Tim Rozon of "Wynonna Earp" on Syfy

Interview with Elizabeth Blake-Thomas

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Filmmaker Elizabeth Blake-Thomas

Interview with Elizabeth Blake-Thomas of the film “Evie Rose” on Amazon Prime by Suzanne 4/13/21

This was an interview via email, so there is no audio or video. I enjoyed watching her short film on Amazon, and I look forward to her upcoming feature film.

Suzanne: You were a theater director, I see. Did you work in a particular city?

Elizabeth: I was based in the center of England, but we toured around. I enjoyed taking theater to smaller places that didn’t have easy access to theater or the arts.

Suzanne: How did you get involved in making films?

Elizabeth: My daughter has been in the film and TV industry since a young age, so when she was about 11 or 12 I thought I could help her by producing a short film that she could star in. After we completed that film, “Broken Wings”, which is available online, I realized I had the knowledge to make more, as well as try my hand at directing instead of just producing. On top of that, the whole experience was so enjoyable, working with my daughter and creating art, it just made sense. It reminded me of being a theater director. So I made the conscious decision to get into the film industry myself, writing something with my daughter to have her star in. From there, the projects just kept flowing.

Suzanne: I enjoyed your movie “Evie Rose” on Amazon. I assume that’s what’s referred to as a “short film”?

Elizabeth: That’s correct, a film that’s less than an hour. Some festivals qualify a short as being no more than 50 minutes. The Academy says no more than 40. A short film’s length though can greatly vary, like features. To me, it’s about what length helps tell a story most effectively. If it takes 2 minutes or 2 hours, it doesn’t matter. As long as it best serves the story.

Suzanne: Are there any plans to expand it into a full-length film?

Elizabeth: All of my shorts have this potential. I let things happen organically to tell the story of Evie Rose as best I saw fit, so I need to give this film time to breathe as a short before making any drastic changes. I need to see what happens this year first. I’m currently waiting to hear back from several festivals on the short, which could dramatically change the next course of the film.

Suzanne: Do you know yet where “Will You Be My Quarantine” will be shown (which network or streaming service)?

Elizabeth: No official announcement yet, but it is being pitched to all the major platforms. It really is a fantastic, fun, sweet movie. Something we all really need right now.

Suzanne: Is it finished?

Elizabeth: Yes, it is. All original music has been placed, all visual effects are finalized, and I’ve watched it through thoroughly. I’m very proud of it.

Suzanne: Will this be another short film, or full-length?

Elizabeth: Feature length film.

Suzanne: Can you tell us what it’s about?

Elizabeth: Dating in the pre-Covid world was hard for people, endlessly swiping trying to find “the one”. Once quarantine hit, this became even harder. Swiping was easy, sitting on your couch in your PJs, but meeting anyone in person was impossible. “Will You Be My Quarantine?” is a heartwarming, yet comical, story about finding real love in tricky circumstances, getting to know someone for who they truly are and finding an authentic, genuine connection.

Film Logline: Vanessa has always had trouble in the dating world, never mind now being confined to her home. She soon discovers just how much you can get away with dating via webcam, but is the love she feels true or only a distorted version of reality?

Suzanne: Anything you can tell us about how it was developed?

Elizabeth: It was based on my real experiences during the start of quarantine, when I came to the realization that dating could no longer happen as it did before. How was I going to meet people? Online meetings and dates began and I realized I could be anyone I wanted to be. I could show only the bits of me I wanted that person to see. I could have a nice top on, but baggy sweatpants just off screen. My hair could be greasy, but they’d never know! Which led to my idea of having a fun, relatable romcom about a new couple that are not being truthful with each other. Highlighting how dating online can only show us so much, and raising the important question of, “How can we truly find someone and something that’s real, if we aren’t honest?”

Suzanne: What about the casting process?

Elizabeth: Most of the cast are friends or close contacts, who I immediately knew were perfect for their roles. After everyone accepted, I was thrilled, for I truly feel the entire cast is stellar and represents such a diverse group of individuals that the audience can relate to. Having that proper representation was key for me, as we all have been affected by this “Great Pause”. I wanted everyone who watches the film to be able to connect with someone that looks just like them or relate to something a character does that they too did while stuck at home. Casting this project was fun and honestly a breeze since each actor was ideal for their role.

Suzanne: I’ve interviewed Eddie McClintock a few times before, and he’s very funny as well as quite a good dramatic actor. Which side does he get to show off in this movie?

Elizabeth: In this film he shows off his fantastic comedic side. He totally embraced this character and brought something even more than I could have imagined. He is a true artist.

Suzanne: Joe LoCicero was just recently on “The Bold and the Beautiful.” His character was killed off on that show, and now there’s a murder mystery. What is his character like in your movie?

Elizabeth: More details on his character once the film is released, but I can say that Joe was so adorable. I auditioned him originally for a smaller role, but he impressed me so much with his tape, I gave him a bigger one. He is very talented, and I can’t wait to put him in my next feature film.

Suzanne: Were you a fan of Jodie Sweetin’s before she was cast?

Elizabeth: Who wasn’t a fan of “Full House?” Jodie is the perfect girl-next-door and such a talent. She can play all levels of characters and everyone connects to her, making her perfect for this film’s role.

Suzanne: Tell us about your business and website – medicinewithwords.com How did it come about?

Elizabeth: I’ve always been a storyteller. Across mediums, across time zones. When I wanted to make films on my own timeline, I created my entertainment company Mother & Daughter Entertainment. I’ve also always mentored, guided and helped people. During the Covid Great Pause, I was able to put some time into really finessing who I am and what I want to do. The clarity I was given enabled me to create Medicine with Words, a “spring cleaning” journey of your mind, encompassing everything from your emotions and surroundings, to your purpose and desires. Through guided studies of intention and reflection using pen to paper, meditation, stories and your senses, my “stars” (clients) learn to lead a more purposeful, contented, peaceful life. They learn to free themselves from the unnecessary noise that the world muddles their mind with, and start living intentionally, without fear. I already have many “stars” that I help guide to transform their lives. Think of it as yoga for the mind. It is something very unique and special to me and I feel very blessed that I have been given the tools to share this.

Suzanne: How did you become a philanthropist, and why did you pick human trafficking as your focus?

Elizabeth: It was a natural progression through my company Mother & Daughter Entertainment. Our motto “making content that matters” is something my team and I believe strongly in. The cause of human trafficking awareness actually just found me. Upon meeting an individual who escaped being trafficked and hearing her story, I was inspired to write and produce a short film called UNSEEN. This film was purely made to distribute for free and educate others of the potential lure tactics of traffickers, especially those used through social media. The film was viewed by the non-profit Awareness Ties and I became their Ambassador for Human Trafficking Awareness, working with them and others to raise awareness and end human trafficking. Seeing the assistance that storytelling can bring to philanthropic work, I now strive to have an impact with everything I put my time into. This also includes mentoring fellow filmmakers and storytellers, especially women. It’s important to me to give back.

Suzanne: Reading your bio and your website, I was very impressed. What you’ve achieved is amazing. Most people would be too scared to do half the things you’re doing, with the major changes in your life. What age were you, if you don’t mind my asking, when you left the UK and came to the US?

Elizabeth: It is a scary thing to do. I was 32 when I first experienced LA and then was 34 when I officially moved over from the UK. I won’t sugar coat it. It wasn’t easy. It cost me my marriage; it took all my strength to continue on this path. But I did it for my daughter, and then ended up finding my calling in LA as a storyteller as well. I have not one single regret about making these changes. In regards to my industry achievements, I like to use the phrase “filmmaking with fear”, as sometimes you just have to go for it and live each day intentionally.

Suzanne: How long after that did you get into either theater or film?

Elizabeth: I was a theater director from aged 16, running my theater company in the UK for almost 20 years. I became a film director 5 years ago once in LA. In just the past 5 years, I feel I have completed a huge amount in the film industry, pushing myself to make things happen no matter what others around me said or did.

Suzanne: Do you have a favorite type of movie or TV series you like to watch for fun?

Elizabeth: I love procedurals. My brain is constantly thinking of new storytelling ideas from the moment I wake up at 4 or 5am. When I feel I need my brain to turn off, a procedural is the perfect outlet that allows me to sit mindlessly and still know what’s going to happen. They are so formulaic with the story that they are easy to follow along and often the story is wrapped up with a perfect bow by the end of the 45 minutes. A different story each episode, but with characters I can still love and enjoy seeing snippets of their lives.

Suzanne: What is your next project?

Elizabeth: I have a couple of fantastic feature films that are in pre-production. I will be filming both this year. My environmental short documentary Consume As Little As Possible will also be released in a few months, and is something I believe we all need to watch. My book “Filmmaking Without Fear” is set to release later this month. My podcast and featurette of the same name are already available to stream, documenting my career thus far, as well as storytelling tips and tricks

MORE INFO:

Elizabeth Black-Thomas directing a film.

ELIZABETH BLAKE-THOMAS is a British award-winning storyteller and philanthropist based
in Los Angeles, having recently directed her latest feature film during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will You Be My Quarantine? is a romcom starring Full House/Fuller House star Jodie Sweetin
and is set to release in 2021. Elizabeth’s recent film Evie Rose, starring Oscar-nominated actress
Terry Moore, is premiering on Christmas Eve 2020. Elizabeth is the founder and resident
director of entertainment company Mother & Daughter Entertainment, whose motto is “Making
Content That Matters”, putting focus on each project starting a conversation amongst viewers.
Through MDE, Elizabeth established the MD Foundation Initiative, a campaign to mentor and
employ undiscovered filmmakers through fellow philanthropic pledges.
An Official Ambassador of Awareness Ties for Human Trafficking, Elizabeth hopes to raise
more awareness to the horrific nature of human trafficking and help put a stop to it. Her award-
winning short film UNSEEN, which addresses the role technology plays in the facilitation of
child trafficking, is being used to educate children on the dangers of lure tactics. A regular on
panels at Sundance, Cannes and Toronto International Film Festival, Elizabeth mentors wherever
possible, ensuring she sends the elevator back down to all other female storytellers.
Directing Showreel Awareness Ties Ambassador Page

The Self-Made Triumph of Director, Storyteller and Philanthropist, Elizabeth Blake-Thomas

Single mum of a 10-year-old, 6 suitcases total for the both of them, packed and headed from the UK to LA. That was 8 years ago.

Cut to now, living happily on a houseboat in sunny Redondo Beach, California, a successful 18-year-old daughter who just starred as one of the leads in the latest Disney+ movie Secret Society of Second Born Royals, and a fruitful, self-made directing career. To top it off, Elizabeth just wrapped her latest feature film, a romcom, safely shot during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Elizabeth and her daughter Isabella are a resourceful mother-daughter team, who in light of wanting to forge their own path in the LA industry rather than waiting around for a big break to be handed to them, founded a company together, Mother & Daughter Entertainment. Through MDE, they develop, write, produce, and direct everything from feature films to short films to episodics. Isabella even stars in a few. Their team is on fire, with over 12 projects under their belt in the last four years, finishing off 2019 with an award-winning short film UNSEEN about child trafficking and educating kids on the dangers of lure tactics. Just in 2020, they have filmed two additional feature films, created three pilots, completed a documentary and created and written pitches and teasers for several other projects.

Against all odds, they have become a successful team in LA.

Even COVID couldn’t stop them from creating. Following SAG’s safety protocols, they worked together and completed their latest romcom, Will You Be My Quarantine?, starring Full House and Fuller House alum Jodie Sweetin and David Lipper. The entire cast and crew safely tested throughout filming, social distanced and wore masks. Many thought it would be impossible to get the industry back on its feet, but Elizabeth pushed forward and succeeded through her resourcefulness and inspiring tenacity.

During COVID and 2020, Elizabeth has also completed and released the first season of her new podcast “Filmmaking Without Fear”. The podcast episodes are available to stream on all platforms (Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify).  Her book of the same name, documenting her success in the industry from ground zero up, is also due to be published end of the year. Elizabeth also directed and produced a movie titled Evie Rose, starring Oscar-Nominated actress Terry Moore (Come Back, Little Sheba), which is set to screen on Christmas Eve.

All of this has been accomplished by Elizabeth and Isabella whilst living on their 34ft boat with their Maltese Chai!

If anyone can prove LA is possible, Elizabeth can!

Take it from Elizabeth’s friend and mentor Sean McNamara, Emmy-nominated Producer, Director, and Co-Chairman of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, “I’ve honestly watched in awe, and even used several of Elizabeth’s excellent ideas. She has actually taught me a thing or two, even though I’ve been in this industry as a director/producer for over thirty-five years. Elizabeth is always bringing fresh new approaches and ideas to filmmaking that are inspirational for me as a fellow filmmaker.”

Elizabeth’s drive to learn as she went and create her own opportunities, forged her path to success. LA is the land of dreamers and Elizabeth Blake-Thomas is proof that you can do whatever you set your mind to and accomplish your goals.

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Elizabeth Blake-Thomas directing her film.

Interview with Dick Wolf, Chris Meloni and Ilene Chaiken

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Composite photo: NBCUNIVERSAL EVENTS -- "Law & Order Crossover Premiere Press Day" -- Pictured: Christopher Meloni, “Law & Order: Organized Crime” at Capitale NYC, September 19, 2022 -- (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC); Ilene Chaiken from Instagram; and NBCUNIVERSAL EVENTS -- "Law & Order Crossover Premiere Press Day" -- Pictured: Christopher Meloni, “Law & Order: Organized Crime” at Capitale NYC, September 19, 2022 -- (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC).

Interview with Dick Wolf, Chris Meloni and Ilene Chaiken of “Law and Order: Organized Crime” on NBC by Suzanne 4/7/21

This was a virtual press conference with Wolf, the creator of this show (and all the Law & Order shows, as well as all the Chicago shows and all the FBI shows), the headwriter Chaiken and star Meloni.  There wasn’t a lot of time, and many press people were there, so I didn’t get to ask a question. However, they did answer most of the questions I would have asked, anyway. It was just great to see them.

Question: Chris, I think Stabler is probably one of the most hot-headed of the characters in the “Law & Order” brand. What’s the secret as an actor to playing hot- headed– playing anger without going over the top?

Chris: Well, I think that that template was set right from the beginning. Meaning, I still remember very vividly, Dick [Wolf] wrote the initial “SVU” pilot. Dick was the one who hired me. And I went to him. And I said, he originally had Elliot Stabler with three kids. I said, “I think he needs four.” He’s like, “Oh, okay.” And I saw this guy as a guy under pressure constantly. And I felt that and this had a lot to do with after speaking with real SVU detectives, about the pressures that they were under and the crimes that they witnessed. And I knew that I as me, personally, Chris Meloni would have a very difficult time downloading and processing what these real people in heroes do every day, and the things that they see. So, that’s like kind of the genesis of this. So, it’s not like, “Oh, he’s a hothead to be a hothead.” I think it’s his reaction to injustice. I think to him injustice makes his head explode. And I think that’s also now part of Elliot 2.0 is hopefully his evolution towards having a clear understanding of the world is unjust. And then now how is it that you adapt yourself to realities that keep punching you in the face literally and figuratively?

Question: The tragic incident that started this all-in motion is the death of your wife. Has that ramped him up more? How do you feel like that’s changed him? Is it for the better for the worse? Or could he get any worse?

Chris: Well, I think it’s what I that that can be tagged along to the last question that I answered, which is so a guy who’s dealt with injustice, always one step removed, which is it’s a victim that it is my job to go and to attend to. Now, it’s how do you attend to your own wounds? How do you attend to this own injustice? How do you carry on carrying that much grief? I asked Dick, “Can I have four kids,” and that later was five kids? How do you carry on through there with financial pressures and all these and family pressures. Now deal with your your family, being literally figuratively blown up? So how do you deal with that faith wise and personally? So, let’s hope that Elliot has found better coping mechanisms, but is still very passionate.

Question: Ilene, I believe you had to shut down twice for COVID concerns, how has that affected your delivery as far as episodes go, and also the overall arc you’re planning to tell the season Have you had to compact that at all?

Dick: We’ve been remarkably lucky with COVID. It hasn’t affected the storytelling at all, but you open the door for a gratuitous statement here that, needless to say, I’m thrilled to have Chris back. It’s been a wonderful collaborative relationship with Ilene on this pilot and the show. But the thing that really excites me about the show, and I’m not speaking in progress, what I think is exciting for him is that this is the first “Law & Order” with literally, completely different storytelling. That in a twenty-four-episode season, which next year will be, you should think about the fact that it’s going to be three, eight-episode arcs. And the first third of the season is The Godfather. The second third is American Gangster. And the last third is Scarface. And these villains are going to be really bad guys. That gives Chris a constant source of energy, outrage, belief in justice and a different way of pursuing criminals than we’ve had before. He could always say, in things like this, “What are you going to be doing this year?” And on the mothership, or in Season 3, you could just go and check off your fingers. Now, we’re doing this is a very long, but not too long period to really get inside both your protagonist and your antagonist heads. And I’m not all you have to do is look at the casting and the first episode. And realize this is not episodic casting. We’re shooting for bigger game. And I think it’s gonna be endlessly interesting and the character craft has evolved in subtle ways that are given a lot more than lip service this last week. Just think of the challenge that will be this gentleman was the most pre-Miranda cop on television. And he is come back and the adjustment to the new realities that he well represents I’m very proud of and this is – I’m almost afraid to say it. It’s one of the real reasons that I ebb and wain here is because Ilene is not only an excellent writer, but she has managed to take a very tough character and make him more sympathetic last week than he’s ever been. You ever think you’d see Stabler cry? Anyway, that’s the commercial.

Question: Chris mentioned about literally blowing his family up with Kathy. Talk a little bit about what’s going to happen on the personal side of his life because it looks like that was setting it up for a lot of Stabler and some family interaction and are we going to spend time at home with him?

Ilene: Yeah. This is this is a show that will spend time with Stabler and his family and his life and his emotions. We tell stories. We tell procedural stories. The DNA of the “Law & Order” franchise of “SVU” very much in our show, but we probably will get to know Stabler in a way you’ve never gotten to know him.

Question: Dick and Ilene, there have been crossovers with SVU in the first two episodes. Can you talk about finding the balance of doing that to keep the focus on organized crime?

Dick: Well, I certainly think the second episode…I’m going to turn this over to Ilene, but I would say, the most accurate measure is how often there will be crossovers? And what depth are the Chicago shows? We’re going to do it whenever it gave us both shows a different way to shine. And, obviously, I’m very supportive to the audience and says, “Geez, this is frustrating. Why don’t you just put them both in the same show again?” It’s not exciting. This, to me, is scary, is much more engaging.

Ilene: I’ll take the lead on this. Because it’s a thing that he so intuitively knows how to do. But it’s…I mean, these two shows within the same universe in the same fictional but very grounded universe. And we never forget that those other characters in those other stories exist. And when we tell a story about Stabler in Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) world or Benson in Stabler’s world, and things happen, that affect their characters, we don’t just forget about it. So, it’s both challenging and tantalizing from the point of view of story writing, to make sure that you keep those things a lot, while the shows have their own identity.

Question: For Ilene and Dick, I’m curious about the choice to use the dead wife as motivation, the trope, at the opening of this show. I know there was some pushback, and some criticism of that aspect.

Dick: Look, I have to tell you, it’s one of the most dramatic. I’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s probably the most dramatic teaser that I can remember on any show, too. I don’t know what. I didn’t see anything that was critical of that storytelling. You can’t please all the people any of the time. It’s not what we do. The only thing we can do is tell stories that if we’re sitting there and it doesn’t compel us, why are we going to think that it’s going to compel and audience? When I thought that was like, “Wow, what a re-intro!”

Ilene: When I joined this project that was already a fait accompli. It was a premise that I was given to work with. And I said, “Wow, this is a great place to start.” I was not in any way put off by it. I was immediately drawn in. When you tell a story like this, when you tell a story about a beloved character, who’s been gone for many years, the first question you ask yourself is why now? And that as a storytelling catalyst is one of the best why nails I could ever think of?

Question: Chris, when you left did you say, “Someday I’ll be back? Or did you say, “No, I’m done with that. I’m over with that.” And then when you were gone, did you watch the shows and and say, “Oh, God, I should be in that.” What was your kind of thinking about all of that?

Chris: My thinking was it was time to go. So, I wasn’t and I don’t tend to look back. So, I didn’t and my journey has been fantastic and very fulfilling. And I must admit, I have maybe watched ten minutes. I’m not much of a TV watcher. So, it wasn’t anything personal. That’s it. Those are the facts, Jack.

Question: Dick, one of the hallmarks of your shows is ripped from the headlines. And it sounds like from what you said earlier that it that this show “Organized Crime” is going to have two levels of ripped from the headlines, the overriding arc of these eight episodes. And the second is the individual episodes. I was wondering between you and Ilene, what headlines are we going to see ripped from the headlines as the show continues?

Dick: I’ve had the same answer for thirty-one years. “Law & Order” is fiction. We make the headline, but not the body copy. And I hate to be abrasive, but this show started off as a story that while we were going to be covering with “Organized Crime,” criminal enterprises that are ongoing, and their headlines…Well, every day in every major newspaper that have some reference point. And the thing that’s fascinating about Wheatley (Dylan McDermott) to me is that he is the old mob and the new mob. And there’s plenty of vaccine right now there wasn’t last week. And I thought that the oldest mob activity that there is or was was hijacked. And here is an opportunity to combine hijacking and COVID. I don’t know how to get it much more ripped from the headlines. But there will be others and Ilene should really be answering. She’s the one inserting the flavor into the sauce. But we never think consciously, “Okay, what’s the headline in this show?” It’s life. It’s what’s going on. It’s zeitgeist. And when there was some discussion, “Gee, how are we gonna handle COVID.” I said, “The show is going to be on by Spring. It’s not going to be gone by then.” And sure enough, it couldn’t have felt more timely, but it is taking up the major share of Americans thinking for the last year. So, I can’t say I was surprised that people found it interesting. But Ilene, what other headlines?

Ilene: Well, what usually happens is, you know, given the template that we’re working on, we come up with a story, we think maybe it’s ludicrous, we hope not. But we run with it. And then the next day, Chris sends me an article that he found, and the thing that we just made up in the writers room, has actually happened. So, I mean, we’re taking our lead from what’s going on in the world and imagining where it might be going. And usually it pans out. And sometimes we feel just the ungainly weight of responsibility for having imagined these things into existence.

Question: A lot of police shows have made adjustments since the events of last year relating to matters like police behavior and brutality, racial justice. I’ve seen it on “SVU.” Hhow much will that enter into here? And how does Elliot as the protagonist did, said pre Miranda cop, how much did that factor in how he has or hasn’t changed over this decade? And how much will that affect him since that could seem like it could be a point of conflict in some ways?

Dick: I will just, again…Obviously, the people inside the company, the showrunners, the producers, we spend a lot of time talking about police behavior. I would put it to that you probably more time than any other non-law enforcement group of people in the country, because it’s what we do every day. And I made a statement when everything erupted in the Spring and early Summer that somebody said, “What are you doing to change?” I said, “We’re doing what we always do, which is listen very carefully, read virtually everything written about this from both sides of the spectrum – from the far left to the far right.” And what I said in the Spring still holds. The shows will speak for themselves. That if you’ve been watching “Chicago PD,” the question is asked and answered. Of course, we deal with what’s going on. But it’s never in a knee jerk way. That “Law & Order” for years that people say “There is no character in it.” And I said, oh, there’s a lot of character if you’re a regular viewer, you know, surprisingly huge personal dossiers on all six of the regulars. But we don’t dole it out with soup labels. We dole it out with Demi tap spoons, because that’s the way life is because nobody gets a job walks in and says, here’s my resume for the last five years. It’s much more interesting that television shows exist on a very different timeframe than movies or books. That a movie exists for 110 minutes. An hour show to be considered successful, the old standard was five seasons. So, a successful drama exists for 110 hours. And we cover a lot of ground in terms of a) trying to be current and b) tell the truth in a sense that people don’t get to hear it. And again, something that I’ve said, we’ve come very close. But the paradigm episode of “Law & Order” or as “SVU” has yet to be written, which is where all six of the regulars are on different sides of the same question. As you hear the arguments, or you hear them discussing every one of them is right. Because life is not black and white, it’s Shades of Grey. And again, coming full circle back to Chris, and I’d like to know what he thinks that I think he’s becoming one of the most complex television stars in the history of the medium because he – you don’t know what he is gonna do now. He is a little less predictable. But he sure has had a play it. When he walked in to the interrogation room and rolled up his sleeves I don’t think that was in the script. It is an instinct, it’s like…I hate to say it, but Peacock says sales are there for sexual display. It’s literally is this big enough? He takes all these rolls up his sleeve 80% of the audience, I am sure thought he was gonna approach the guy. That’s pretty cool.

Question: Chris, we have seen videos and talks about you and the rest of the cast reuniting. But how was it reuniting with the actors who play your kids? And will we see more of them in their background, what they’ve done for the last 10 years? We’ve seen Eli in the second episode, but will we see the rest of the kids and future episodes?

Chris: Yeah, and I’ll give Ilene the lion’s share on this. But I will say what was it like? My son, Dickey was the only original, original from day one “SVU” hits. And then some came on later. And then some were brand new. Some, “Hi, you’re my new daughter. Let’s figure out our history.” It was very sweet and nice. And I think the biggest, the biggest thing to try and overcome was (and it was very sweet), they made me feel like OG – the original gangster – you know, because I’ve been playing and I’ve lived in this world for almost 20 years. And many of them were new to it. So we just had to get to know each other as people. And it was lovely. It was it. I think there’s a lot of ground that’s available to cover.

Ilene: Oh, we certainly will see more of them. Some more than others, but a big part of Stabler’s life now a big part of his story is that he’s now a single father to a 14 year old kid. So, how he manages to balance that with being back in New York and back on the job is going to be in his story. And we did that great thing. Before we started working, we got the whole family together all the kids with Chris and they talked about who they are and where they’ve been and what they’ve been doing and what they do now. And hopefully that will go on with the show.

Question: Chris, fans of course I freaked out seeing Olivia and Elliott back together last week. How does it feel seeing a positive fan reaction to your return ten years and have you and Mariska talked about it since the episodes aired?

Chris: Mariska and I have talked. And the conversation went something basically like this. “Wow. Congratulations. Congratulations to you.” Ah, yeah, it was pretty overwhelming. I think she was expecting it more than I was. You know, because I think she’s still been the she’s been on the “Law & Order” stew. She’s been in that world continuously for the 20 years. I don’t know, I was not prepared. And it’s overwhelming. And it’s wonderful. And it’s very appreciated. And I think this time around I don’t know the pressures off. I feel less pressure than I did when Dick first tasked me with being Elliott Stabler. So, I’m a little freer to appreciate everything. It’s a nice journey.

Here is the audio version of it.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie S.

MORE INFO:

Christopher Meloni, reprising his role as Elliot Stabler, returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Stabler will aim to find absolution and rebuild his life while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.

NBC’S ‘LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME’ HITS THE STREETS THURSDAY, APRIL 1 AS PART OF HISTORIC CROSSOVER WITH ‘LAW & ORDER: SVU’

NBC is reuniting two of the most popular members of the NYPD in TV history with a must-watch April 1 crossover that will serve as the launch of the highly anticipated new Dick Wolf drama, “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

A two-hour television event set for Thursday, April 1, this crossover between “Law & Order: SVU” (9 p.m.) and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (10 p.m.) will finally bring back together Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, played by Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni.

“LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME” (SERIES PREMIERE)
Christopher Meloni, reprising his role as Elliot Stabler, returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. Stabler will aim to rebuild his life as part of a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.

The cast features Christopher Meloni, Dylan McDermott and Tamara Taylor.

“Law & Order: Organized Crime”was created by Dick Wolf, who will executive produce along with Ilene Chaiken, Terry Miller, Fred Berner, Arthur W. Forney and Peter Jankowski.

The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Christopher Meloni

Elliot Stabler, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME -- Season: 1 -- Pictured: Chris Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
Christopher Meloni returns to his iconic character, Elliot Stabler, in the new NBC drama series “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

Meloni was last seen starring on the Hulu British comedy “Maxxx.”

Meloni starred in SYFY’s dark comedy “Happy!” based on Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s graphic novel. In addition to his starring role as Nick Sax, he directed an episode as well as executive produced the series. Meloni also co-starred in the third season of the critically acclaimed Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” as Commander Winslow, a powerful and magnetic commander who hosts the Waterfords on an important trip.

Meloni had a guest arc on the breakout FX series “Pose,” from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. He also appeared in the landmark historical series “Underground,” executive produced by John Legend, and directed an episode.

Following his breakout role on “NYPD Blue,” Meloni was cast in HBO’s gritty prison drama “Oz” and then moved on to “Law & Order: SVU,” where he received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Following his 12 seasons on “SVU,” Meloni returned to HBO in Alan Ball’s wildly popular drama “True Blood” and the Julie Louis-Dreyfus-starrer “Veep.”

On the film side, Meloni’s credits include “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” “White Bird in a Blizzard,” “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “Man of Steel,” “42,” “They Came Together,” the Terry Gilliam films “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and “Twelve Monkeys,” “Bound,” “Runaway Bride,”  “Nights in Rodanthe,” and the cult favorites “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and its first sequel, “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”

Dick Wolf

Executive Producer, “Chicago Med”; Executive Producer, “Chicago Fire”; Executive Producer, “Chicago P.D.”; Executive Producer, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”; “Law & Order: Organized Crime”; Executive Producer, “FBI”; Executive Producer, “FBI: Most Wanted”; Executive Producer, “Murder for Hire”; Executive Producer, “Cold Justice”

Dick Wolf, a two-time Emmy Award winner (13-time Emmy nominated), Grammy Award winner and New York Times best-selling author, is one of television’s most respected drama series creator/producers and the architect of one of the most successful brands in the history of television – “Law & Order.”

He serves as creator and executive producer of all of the “Law & Order”- branded series from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which made television history which is beginning its 22nd season and is the longest-running live action primetime series in the history of television (surpassing “Gunsmoke” and “Law & Order,” both of which ran for 20 seasons). Wolf has extended his branding expertise to the Windy City, with his Chicago-based NBC series: “Chicago Fire” (season nine); “Chicago P.D.” (season eight) and “Chicago Med” (season six), with all three series receiving three-year pick-ups. Wolf’s CBS brand, “FBI,” which was the network’s top-rated new drama series for the 2018-19 television season, continued its stellar performance in season two and is now poised for season three. The success of “FBI” has spawned the spinoff “FBI Most Wanted,” which consistently wins its time period and has been renewed for season two.

Wolf’s seventh broadcast series is “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” which premieres on NBC in early 2021 and showcases the return of former “SVU” detective Elliot Stabler. In addition, NBC’s new streaming service Peacock, which launched in July 2020, announced an unprecedented deal for Wolf’s “Law & Order” and “Chicago” branded series.

Wolf has also expanded into non-fiction as executive producer of Oxygen’s critically acclaimed “Murder for Hire,” “Cold Justice” and “Criminal Confessions.” He also executive produced USA’s docuseries “Inside the FBI: New York,” the successful A&E series “Nightwatch” and its spinoffs, and Fox’s “First Responders Live.” Wolf Entertainment has also expanded into audio content with the successful debut of the podcast “Hunted,” in conjunction with Endeavor Audio and executive produced by Elliot Wolf.

Wolf’s company also produced two award-winning documentaries. “Twin Towers” is the 2003 Academy Award-winning documentary short about two brothers – one a policeman and the other a fireman – who lost their lives in the line of duty on Sept. 11. “When You’re Strange” is the Emmy-nominated documentary about the 1960s group The Doors, which won a Grammy Award for Outstanding Longform Video in 2011.

In 2007, Wolf executive produced (with Tom Thayer) the critically acclaimed HBO original movie “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” which won six Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie. The film tells the tragic and powerful story of the subjugation and cultural extermination of the Native American, and garnered a record 17 Emmy nominations, the most of the 2006-07 television season. The film also received the prestigious Broadcast Film Critics Association’s Critic’s Choice Award for Best Picture Made for Television. Wolf and Thayer have teamed up again with the high-profile limited series “American Babylon,” which is in development at Showtime.

Wolf’s debut novel, “The Intercept,” was a New York Times bestselling thriller about Jeremy Fisk, a new kind of hero for a new kind of enemy. His follow up book, “The Execution,” debuted in 2014 and, like its predecessor, was both popular and critically acclaimed. “The Ultimatum,” the third installment of the series, was released in 2015 from HarperCollins.

Wolf’s “Law & Order”-branded series continue to rewrite the annals of television history. “Law & Order” earned 11 consecutive Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominations – the record for most consecutive series Emmy nominations in the history of television (tied with “Cheers” and “M*A*S*H”) – and won the coveted Emmy in that category in 1997. Additional accolades “Law & Order” has garnered include the highly coveted Peabody Award; multiple Emmys; the Crystal Apple Award from New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting; the Writer’s Guild Award for Television; and numerous other high-ranking tributes.

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which has received a three-year pick up from NBC, has been one of the network’s top performers. Mariska Hargitay, who plays Det. Olivia Benson, has received seven Emmy nominations for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, winning in 2006. The show has earned five Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Wolf, “SVU” and Hargitay, through her Joyful Heart Foundation, have used the show’s platform to make groundbreaking changes in the way sexual assault is prosecuted and reported.

“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” completed its critically acclaimed and successful 10-year run on NBC and USA Network in 2011. Other “Law & Order”-branded series include “Law & Order: True Crime: The Menendez Murders,” “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” “Law & Order: “Trial By Jury,” “Crime & Punishment” and “Exiled: A Law & Order Movie.”

Wolf Entertainment’s feature arm will be producing “77” for Paramount, directed by Jared Leto and based on an original screenplay by James Ellroy. Wolf also produced, with Fortress Films, the psychological thriller “The Super,” written by John J. McLaughlin (“Black Swan”) and starring Patrick Flueger (“Chicago P.D.”), which was distributed by Saban and premiered in 2018. Wolf also wrote the screenplay for the hit Paramount release “School Ties,” was writer and executive producer of “Masquerade,” and writer and producer of “No Man’s Land.”

His personal accolades include the Television Academy Hall of Fame (inducted 2013); the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Lifetime Achievement Award; the Producers Guild of America’s Norman Lear Showmanship Award; the DGA Honors; the Governor’s Award by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; the Achievement Award from the Caucus for Producers, Writers, and Directors; the Television Showman of the Year Award from the Publicist’s Guild of America; the Monte Carlo Television Festival Gold Nymph Award; the Award of Excellence from the Banff Television Festival; NATPE’s Brandon Tartikoff Award; accolades from the Saban Clinic; and the Alliance for Children’s Rights. On March 29, 2007, Wolf received a star on Hollywood’s world famous Walk of Fame.

Wolf is also an Honorary Consul of Monaco and is actively involved in the principality’s annual Monte Carlo Television Festival and is its primary liaison with the entertainment community. He is also the founder and benefactor (with Marcy Carsey) of the Carsey-Wolf Center for Media at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as numerous philanthropic endeavors, including MOXI, the Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation, chairman of the board of Bellosguardo, Trustee of the Paley Center for Media, the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the Princess Grace Foundation and, through his Wolf Family Foundation, endowed the new Wolf Theatre at the Television Academy.

Ilene Chaiken

Executive Producer, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”

Ilene Chaiken serves as executive producer and showrunner for NBC’s new drama series “Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Best known for creating the Showtime series “The L Word,” Chaiken received an Emmy, among many other awards, for Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” She was the showrunner for the first four seasons of the Golden Globe-nominated Fox series “Empire” and currently serves as executive producer of “The L Word” sequel, “The L Word: Generation Q,” which has been renewed for a second season on Showtime.

Prior to that, Chaiken produced the docu-dramas “The Real L Word” and “The Real L Word Mississippi” for Showtime, which won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary.  She also executive produced pilots for Jerry Bruckheimer, McG and Joel Silver, and served as showrunner of the ABC drama series “Black Box.”

Hailing from Elkins Park, Penn., Chaiken resides in Los Angeles with her wife, LouAnne Brickhouse, and is the mother of two daughters, Augusta and Tallulah Hood. She serves as a member of the Rhode Island School of Design Board of Trustees.

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Law & Order: Organized Crime poster

Primetime TV Review: Home Economics

Posted on by Eva Diaz

TV Review!

“Home Economics” Review on by Suzanne 4/9/2021

This is a comedy, but it’s not very funny. Still, it’s an interesting family show. The relationships between the two brothers and their sister (and all their families) is what drives this show. Each of the siblings competes with each other, but in a fairly realistic way.  The oldest brother, Tom (Topher Grace), is doing OK financially but is struggling with his marriage.  The middle sibling, Sarah (Caitlin McGee), has a great family but is having problems making ends meet. The youngest brother, Connor (Jimmy Tatro), is doing quite well financially but getting divorced.

I’m older, so I prefer sitcoms that have a lot of jokes, like Grace’s previous show, “That 70’s Show,” “Barney Miller” or “Frasier.”  Nowadays they don’t do as much jokes in sitcoms.  If you’re older, you might not find this show funny, but the characters are engaging. I think they’re hoping that you find similarities in the characters and their families with what your own family is going through. Personally, the last thing I want to do is to watch squabbling families (unless they’re really funny).

Let’s hope the show gets better.

MORE INFORMATION:

New Comedy “Home Economics” Coming WEDNESDAY APRIL 7 to ABC

By Steve Dove
Jan 25th, 2021

Starring and executive produced by Topher Grace, “Home Economics” takes a look at the heartwarming yet super uncomfortable and sometimes frustrating relationship between three adult siblings: one in the 1%, one middle-class and one barely holding on. The comedy is inspired by the life of writer and executive producer Michael Colton. The new comedy premieres WEDNESDAY APRIL 7 8:30|7:30c on ABC.

The series stars Topher Grace as Tom, Caitlin McGee as Sarah, Jimmy Tatro as Connor, Karla Souza as Marina, and Sasheer Zamata as Denise. Also starring is Shiloh Bearman as Gretchen, Jordyn Curet as Shamiah, Chloe Jo Rountree as Camila and JeCobi Swain as Kelvin.

“Home Economics” was created by writers Michael Colton & John Aboud. They serve as executive producers alongside Topher Grace and Eric and Kim Tannenbaum of The Tannenbaum Company, whose Jason Wang will co-executive produce. The series is produced by Lionsgate and ABC Signature. ABC Signature, alongside 20th Television, is a part of Disney Television Studios.

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HOME ECONOMICS - Starring and executive produced by Topher Grace, "Home Economics" takes a look at the heartwarming yet super uncomfortable and sometimes frustrating relationship between three adult siblings: one in the 1%, one middle-class and one barely holding on. The comedy is inspired by the life of writer and executive producer Michael Colton. (ABC/Temma Hankin)

Interview with Milo Ventimiglia

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Milo Ventimiglia of "This Is Us" on NBC (photo from NBC)

Interview with Milo Ventimiglia of “This Is Us” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

It was great to interview Milo. He seems very nice and took the time to remember my name. I was on another conference call interview with him back in 2015 as well. I loved him in “Heroes.” I don’t watch “This Is Us” that regularly, but he’s great in it from what I’ve seen. I know he and the show are very popular and loved. I hope you enjoy our brief interview!

Here is the Video!

Question: This show itself was like a defining moment, in some ways, right? Like it completely changed [from] a man in his early 40s to America’s Dad. How’s that? I mean, did you expect this in your journey as an actor, and how has the near death experience shaped you now?

Milo: I mean, I’ve always been told I look younger than my actual age. So, to play my actual age and even play older has been really nice. The subject matter of being a dad, being a husband, being a friend, brother, being a war buddy, being a support member in AA, we’ve covered a lot of ground with Jack, and I wasn’t expecting it. It’s just really been a blessing to be able to play a mature man, a good man who is flawed that I think everybody can learn from, everybody can relate to, not just men, but women. Families can look at this guy and draw something, some kind of inspiration from the way that he views family, he lives his life, the dedication he has to his wife and kids, and the commitment to be strong of his own shortcomings to protect his family. So, for me, it’s just the whole thing; the whole experience has just really been a blessing.

Question: …Of course, he has some flaws, but he’s like this idyllic man, right? Which is how the show is set him up. Now we’re exploring more flaws as the time goes [on], but was that a challenge, as an actor, [to play an] idol sort of and still bring out the flaws and make him relatable?…

Milo: I mean, Jack definitely has very big shoes to fill, even for me, Milo, out in the world, because of how beloved the character is, when I’m out in the world, I definitely feel the good graces that get showered onto me because of Jack and [understand] how important he is as a character to people in their daily life. But, playing the flaws, I mean, there’s been one or two moments in the five years we’ve been doing this show that I’ve been playing Jack that I’ve disagreed with how he’s handled something, but I also accept and understand that Jack is an individual of himself. We may share certain qualities. We may look the same, sound the same, present similar, but there have been a couple times where I just completely disagree with Jack, but I also understand that he’s a character. When the cameras start rolling, I myself, Milo, don’t exist, and only Jack lives. When the cameras call cut, then all of a sudden, Jack gets put to the side for a moment, and then, I resume my life. So, I’m always just trying to honor the character I’m playing, the experiences. He’s lived through alcoholism, through fatherhood, through marriage, through war. I’m just trying to honor those different life experiences that I think a lot of people can relate to.

Suzanne: I asked a bunch of people on Facebook and Twitter that were really big fans of the show what they would ask you, and I got a few good questions. Krista wants to know, if you could give Jack one piece of advice, what would it have been?

Milo: Man, I don’t know if there’s any advice I could give Jack. I feel like in a strange way it’d be like giving advice to my father. Jack is a man of a certain generation and a man built of a certain fiber. I don’t know that Jack needs a lot of direction, but I think what Jack needs to know is that he’s not alone, that he has support, that he has people that care for him and love for him. He doesn’t always have to be the epitome of strength; he can actually depend on people at times. I think a lot of men of that era, born in the 40s, experienced 50s and the 60s, maybe went to war, came home started a family went through, you know, financial booms and losses and things like that, I think, also just where men were in terms of positioning and kind of not really being allowed or able to speak about what was impacting them and affecting them. I mean, I’m 40 now. I feel like as my generation, I was able to really talk about how we felt, how we felt about something. So, I think the only thing I’d say to Jack is, “Hey, man, you’re not alone. There’s a lot of us going through life, and we’re here to help.”

Suzanne: Great. And this show has been so popular right from the beginning. Why do you think that is?

Milo: It’s always been the relatability. I think that’s been the success of the show. Every single person, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or who you are, can relate to family, can relate to the struggle of not having a family, can relate to the happiness and joy and pain and everything that life throws at you. It’s incredibly, incredibly telling of the human story, the human condition, human emotion, experience. I think Dan Fogelman and our writers just so tapped into that, into also knowing what people need. People need that outlet, especially the last year that we’ve had. People need to know that, again, they’re not really alone from the rest of us.

Question: …How has [it] been working during this pandemic, because this is hard for everyone, like as an actor, and as an American, as a person, a human being living through these times, having this opportunity and being able to work?

Milo: I have the opportunity. I’m fully aware that it is a huge opportunity to be able to work when a lot of people [weren’t]…So, I’m grateful. At the same time, I understand people have consumed just about everything the internet and the television networks can offer, so I think people are tapped out, and they need something new. So, I’m grateful to be a part of the show that can provide that. For us on production, we have our safety protocols. We all follow them; we all look out for one another. It’s not just about my safety or my co-star’s safety; it’s about our crew safety. And I think all of us have been respectful knowing that we have the opportunity to work and contribute more than to just our own households but to the households of a lot of the world. So, we’re we’re grateful. We’re happy we work through the conditions, and I’ll tell you what, when I’m on set, morale is still pretty high.

Question: …You’ve had a long career and you have a lot of great things, and then I feel like, and I may be wrong, but [there was] like a period where I didn’t see you…then again this great thing. What is your advice to a younger you or other actors who want to pursue this?

Milo: Keep at it. Never give up. Always be true to yourself. Have a line and don’t let people cross it. Push through when you hear no; find a way to make that yes. When people tell you, “You can’t do this,” prove them that you can do this and more. I think so many times, a lot of people fall out of the acting career or the creative space, because they’re critiqued. They’re told that they’re not good enough, or they’re led to believe they’re not good enough, because somebody’s art or somebody else’s creativity was chosen over theirs. It’s really tough. It’s it’s hard not to take it personally. You know, I tell people, “You have to take it personally,” because when you’re personally kind of told, “No” – I know when I am, I push through. Prove people wrong; always prove people wrong and show you deserve to be in that place. You got to work hard at your craft. This isn’t something – I mean, I live and breathe this. I live and breathe my work, I do. If you can’t do that, you’re gonna have a hard time. So, I’d say, “Just push through.”

Question: …Is it possible for Heroes to come back and for us to see [unintelligible]?

Milo: I’m the wrong guy. No, I know, listen, I’m the wrong guy to ask that question to, because, I’m not the creator. I’m not the studio. I’m not the network on it. Peter Petrelli was a great role. I enjoyed playing him. I had my time with playing him.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Milo Ventimiglia stars as Jack Pearson in the hit NBC drama “This Is Us.”

Ventimiglia has been nominated three times for an Emmy Award forOutstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He was also nominated for a People’s Choice Award, Critics’ Choice Award and won an MTV Movie Award for his work in the show. He was named the 2019 Man of the Year by the Harvard Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical organization in the U.S.

Ventimiglia has built an impressive resume of television and film credits and also embraced the power of the Internet and new media with numerous projects.

One of Ventimiglia’s early signature television roles was as Jess Mariano on the hit series “The Gilmore Girls.” Other notable television work includes “Heroes,” “American Dreams,” “Mob City” and “Gotham.” He also has had guest-starring roles on several series, including “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “CSI,” “Promised Land” and “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.”

Ventimiglia recently starred in the Disney feature film “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” an adaptation of the international best-selling novel by Garth Stein. He also starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy “Second Act” and had a memorable cameo in “Creed II.” He starred alongside Sylvester Stallone playing his son, Rocky Jr., in the sixth installment of the Rocky series “Rocky Balboa. He worked alongside Adam Sandler in “That’s My Boy” and “Grown Ups 2,” and with Nicole Kidman in “Grace of Monaco.” Other film credits include Xan Cassavetes’ “Kiss of the Damned,” “Wild Card,” a remake of the 1986 Burt Reynolds drama “Heat,” alongside Jason Statham, and “Killing Season,” with Robert De Niro.

With his production company DiVide Pictures, Ventimiglia has both scripted and alternative projects in active development with a variety of studios and networks. Also, under the DiVide banner, he launched two comic book titles with Top Cow Productions.

Ventimiglia is involved with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America organization (IAVA), which supports veterans who need help when they return home from the war. He recently traveled across three continents to five countries with the USO to spend time over the holidays meeting with the servicemen and women of the U.S. military. Additionally, he took time during his hiatus from “This Is Us” and traveled to Kenya with the nonprofit organization Comic Relief to see first-hand the challenges kid face and bring awareness to the positive work and impact of Red Nose Day.

Ventimiglia currently resides in Los Angeles.

Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. “This Is Us” chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their kids (the big three), Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day along with Toby (Chris Sullivan) and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson). This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become, and how the connections we share with each other can transcend time, distance and even death.

Dan Fogelman, Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Ken Olin, Charlie Gogolak, Jess Rosenthal and Steve Beers executive produce. “This Is Us” is produced by 20th Television.

Please visit the official show site at http://www.nbc.com/this-is-us
Facebook: Facebook.com/NBCThisIsUs
Twitter: @NBCThisIsUs
Hashtag: #ThisIsUs

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Milo Ventimiglia of "This Is Us" on NBC

Primetime TV Review: United States of Al

Posted on by Eva Diaz

TV Review!

“United States of Al” on CBS Review on by Eva 4/4/2021

I was really interested in this show because the commercials for the it looked funny. It is funny, but not as much as I thought it would be.

The story revolves around Riley (Parker Young), a Marine combat veteran who is having trouble adjusting to his life back home in Ohio. Riley decides to help his friend Awalimir (Adhir Kalyan) – or Al for short – and his family get out of Afghanistan. Al was Riley’s interpreter, and that’s why the two men formed a close friendship. Al saved Riley’s life. The comedy arises as the audience watches Al adjust to life in America, which leads Riley and his family being appreciative of the opportunities they have had in America. Al is also determined to reunite Riley with his wife because they are in the process of a divorce.

I like several things about the show, such as the strong brotherly friendship between Al and Riley.  It’s heartwarming and touching that these two men have shared so much that they consider each other family. The relationship is my favorite part of the show and the reason I will keep watching it – to give it a chance to improve and get funnier. The jokes didn’t make me laugh because I have seen some version of the jokes in other fish-out-of-water type comedies. I think that the cast needs time to mesh together so they become a group that works together well. If the show can write jokes that are funny, and the cast can work together better, I think this show will do well. I think that you should give it a chance because it’s a show that needs some time to warm up and come into its own. I give this show a 3 out of 5 stars.

MORE INFORMATION:

ADHIR KALYAN AND PARKER YOUNG STAR IN A NEW COMEDY ABOUT THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A MARINE COMBAT VETERAN AND THE INTERPRETER WHO SERVED WITH HIS UNIT IN AFGHANISTAN, ON THE SERIES PREMIERE OF “UNITED STATES OF AL,” THURSDAY, APRIL 1

Series Hails From Award-Winning Executive Producers Chuck Lorre, David Goetsch and Maria Ferrari

Dean Norris, Elizabeth Alderfer, Kelli Goss and Farrah Mackenzie Also Star

“Pilot” – Marine veteran Riley, home at last after serving in Afghanistan, is happily reunited with his friend Awalmir, who goes by Al, the interpreter with his unit, after a long struggle to get him a visa to travel to the United States from Afghanistan, on the series premiere of UNITED STATES OF AL, Thursday, April 1 (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Riley (Young), a marine combat veteran, is struggling to adjust to civilian life in Ohio and the interpreter, Al (Kalyan), who served with his unit in Afghanistan, has just arrived to start a new life in America. Dean Norris stars as Art, Riley’s father; Elizabeth Alderfer stars as Lizzie, Riley’s sister; Kelli Goss stars as Vanessa, Riley’s ex-wife and Farrah Mackenzie stars as Hazel, Riley and Vanessa’s daughter.

REGULAR CAST:

Adhir Kalyan (Al)
Parker Young (Riley)
Dean Norris (Art)
Elizabeth Alderfer (Lizzie)
Kelli Goss (Vanessa)
Farrah Mackenzie (Hazel)


WRITTEN BY: David Goetsch & Maria Ferrari

DIRECTED BY: Mark Cendrowski

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The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Adhir Kalyan as Al and Parker Young as Riley, from the CBS series United States of Al. Photo Credit: Robert Voets/ 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Interview with Ella Mika

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Ella Mika in "Chad" on TBS

Interview with Ella Mika of “Chad” on TBS by Suzanne 3/24/21

It was very nice to speak with young Ella. She is obviously very smart, and I think she’ll do well as her career progresses.  She was thoughtful in her answers and handled them with aplomb.

Here is the audio version of it.

Suzanne: Tell us how this part came about for you…

Ella: Getting this part was a step by step process. It was my longest audition process I’ve had so far, actually. So first, we had two rounds of auditioning and getting a callback that was more focused on the character and how well I could perform and fit into it. So, that was what the first two rounds of auditioning was made up of.

Then, with each callback, the script changed, so I had to make sure I coached every time before I went in, and I think that was really helpful with getting the role.

Then, we had a third and fourth round of auditioning to really test out my improv skills, and they made sure to send notes on what to adjust and what they really wanted from me each time I auditioned.

Then, the third and fourth round of auditioning was also down to me and one other girl, which really raised the stakes and brought lots of anticipation.

Then, finally, the last two rounds of auditioning were for a chemistry read with Nasim [Pedrad] and Saba [Homayoon], who plays my mother in “Chad,” to see how well us three work together and if we were able to communicate well and really perform our characters well together. In the end, it was the Nasim who called me and gave me the news that I got the part.

Suzanne: Wow, that is a long process.

Ella: Yeah, it was very long.

Suzanne: But at least now you have all that experience. You can handle anything now, right?

Ella: Yeah.

Suzanne: That’s great. From what I’ve heard from actors, a lot of times they change the scripts on you constantly, even after you get the role, and you have to really be on your toes all the time. That would be difficult.

Ella: Yeah.

Suzanne: So, tell us what your character is like.

Ella: So, my character is Niki. She’s really sassy, straightforward, stylish, confident, and she’s slightly bratty, and she’s a young girl as well. She’s my age range, around 13 years old. She’s constantly bickering with her brother Chad (Pedrad), and she’s also known as the popular girl at school, but she has a sweet and sentimental side to her that we get to see on the show as well. A lot of the times she doesn’t act her age, and the show usually describes her as 13 going on 21 just to kind of explain her attitude. She’s just a young girl that I think is confident in herself and never afraid to see things straight up and as they are.

Suzanne: What has been the best thing about filming the show?

Ella: …The best thing was probably the amount of freedom to improv that we had and the amount of positive energy during the process. Nasim, the directors, and the producers, they were all really great about giving us just the right amount of freedom to improv throughout the process of filming, which I think was really important for the show, since it is a comedy. I think some of the best moments and scenes were actually because of a spontaneous improv moment by one or more of the actors, which really got a raw reaction out of us and made the scene a lot funnier than we could have like imagined. The energy throughout filming was also really helpful, because we always felt like each day was better than the last, and all the cast and crew were really great at making it a positive environment to want to work in.

Suzanne: Did the pandemic affect the filming at all?

Ella: Yeah, it affected it quite a bit. That was one of the more unusual and difficult parts of it. We had to stop filming for about five months until we could resume again in August. Then, we had to test for COVID multiple times before we flew out to Oregon again to finish filming. As we arrived, we had to self quarantine for a few days and then get tested. While we were self quarantining, the wardrobe and styling team dropped off some outfits for a fitting for us to take pictures [of] and send to them, and then they came back and they took it again without contact, which was really weird for me, since before the pandemic, we used to go in person for fittings. It was just more like in person with contact with one another. While we were filming, the actors had to be tested around like three times a week, whether or not we were [actually] filming, because we were the most dangerous to others by having our masks off for the filming of the scenes. So, I think the most unusual part, for me, was not being able to interact with others close up and personal, but the entire team was really smart and careful, so we all felt safe and happy.

Suzanne: That’s good. Yeah, that’s pretty much aligned with what I’ve been hearing from other actors about when you’re on set, and they have to keep you away from each other and test you a lot.

Ella: Yeah.

Suzanne: So, the show is about a teenage boy, but he’s being played by an adult woman. Do you know why they went in that direction?

Ella: Yes. So, I think Nasim really wanted to make the show stand out and be different, and what better way to do it than to dress an adult woman as an awkward, puny, teenage boy? I also think she thought it would push the comedic aspect of the show much more if it was an adult that was playing a teen boy and she was in on the joke. Nasim was also the one that wrote the majority of the show, and I think she enjoyed playing different roles that could have led to her writing about her experiences as a Middle Eastern girl moving to America, but as an awkward teenage boy instead to really push the comedy.

Suzanne: And why do you think audiences will enjoy the show?

Ella: I’m sure audiences will enjoy the show, because it’s something new, something different, and you don’t see very many shows like this one. I think it has the perfect combination of comedy and culture, and I think audiences will also love the show for its diversity and strong implement of culture throughout it. The show is really full of people with different looks, races, and ethnicities, so I feel like people are really going to enjoy the inclusivity.

Suzanne: Have you have you done anything with a live audience, like plays and things like that before?

Ella: Yeah, I have. I’d started doing live audience plays, even when I was little and I went to daycare, we had some performances. Then, throughout growing up, I also did a few performances at different theaters. Also, when visiting Armenia, I did a few performances there too.

Suzanne: Great. So, I was wondering what the differences [are] you found between doing live stage performing, especially if you did a comedy and filming without an audience?

Ella: Yeah, I think definitely, filming with an audience, in live and in person, it’s definitely much more difficult and stressful, because you can’t really mess up, as you can’t do more takes. Then, they’re quite different filming them, because one is really in person, you do it on the spot, you do it in the moment, and then the other, you get so many scenes from different angles, you take so many takes, and you can do it out of order, and in the end, it all gets put together. So, you have your best moments on camera.

So, I think I enjoy the thrill of both. I enjoy the thrill of being in the moment for theater, but I think for films, I love that most, because I’m able to connect with others, and it’s just more fun for me to be able to put [out] my very best.

Suzanne: …Your character looks very stylish, as you mentioned earlier, in the clips I’ve seen. How is your own style similar or different from hers?

Ella: So, Niki is definitely a stylish girl, and she includes girly pieces in her wardrobe, but she also has some edgier pieces, and I think that’s something we both have in common. She’s also switching up her looks quite a bit, whether [it’s] her shoes or her hair or her style, which is another thing I like to do quite often. I just like the change. And she loves pink quite a bit. So, while playing her role, I actually started to like the color pink too, which was unexpected for me. Unlike Niki though, I usually tend to have a more minimalistic look, and I love neutrals, whereas Niki is often exploring colors and patterns and things of the sort.

Suzanne: Do you think the way she’s changing a wardrobe is her way of fitting in to the culture, like Chad is trying to fit in his way?

Ella: Yeah, and I think also because she is the popular girl, she’s often a trendsetter at her school. So, oftentimes she’ll wear something, and then her friends will. So, I think she also switches it up for that reason, to kind of show people that whatever she does is basically what starts the trend.

Suzanne: She and Chad argue quite a bit. Do you have siblings in real life, and did this help you in the role?

Ella: Yeah, I do have siblings in real life, and that helps a lot, definitely. I have a three-month-old baby brother and an eight-year-old sister who I’m constantly arguing with, and which, for once, came in handy, which I never thought would happen. So, Niki and her brother, Chad, arguing almost came as a natural instinct to me when filming. So, that was pretty easy for both me and Nasim, because I know she has a younger sister too. So, definitely I use some of the things my sister and I say to one another, like quotes, when arguing, anytime we improvised with Nasim. So, that definitely was a great help.

Suzanne: Had you seen Nasim on SNL or elsewhere before you started working with her?

Ella: Yeah, I saw her quite a lot on SNL, and she’s always been successful in putting a smile on my face. I’ve also seen some of her work in the sitcom New Girl where she’s in for a few episodes and parts. I also loved her a lot in the live remake of Aladdin, which recently came out.

Suzanne: Does she star in that? I don’t think I saw that one.

Ella:
Yeah, she played Jasmine’s maid.

Suzanne:
Oh, okay.

Ella: I really loved seeing her, because it was so weird to see her as a pretty dressed up girl, when usually on the show, I see her looking like a teenage boy.

Suzanne: Were your parents there on set with you?

Ella: My dad had to work, and my mom had to take care of my little sister, so my grandma was actually the one that traveled with me and came on set. She doesn’t know the language, so I was really the one helping her figure things out, but I don’t really mind that much, because I’m really an independent person. I’ve always been like that. So, I like figuring things out myself and learning them throughout the process, but my parents let me know that they’re always here, and if I need help figuring anything out, but I just like doing it myself.

Suzanne: Was there anyone on set though that took you under their wing or helped you, that kind of thing?

Ella: Yeah, all of the cast was usually older than me, but not by too much. During school there was Alexa Loo and Jake Ryan, who I did school with, and they both helped me a lot to feel welcomed. Their parents as well were very welcoming and let me know that if there was ever anything I needed, we could help and talk to one another. And before the pandemic, when we were filming back in January in August, we actually hung out with Alexa. Jake couldn’t attend that time, but Alexa and I went out for ice cream and just really bonded.

Suzanne: What was different about filming “Chad” than other projects you’ve worked on?

Ella: The entire cast and crew were the kindest that I’ve worked with so far. And again, the freedom to improv a good amount was really different for me than any other project I’ve worked on. I really had so much fun while filming, and unlike other projects I’ve worked on, the entire cast was able to bond so quickly, in such a short amount of time, because we all really liked one another and [unintelligible]. So, filming “Chad” was one of the most positive experiences that I’ve personally ever had, and the show overall just had three interesting storylines for each episode, which kept things really fun.

Suzanne: And you have another movie coming out starring Elijah Wood. Can you tell us about that one?

Ella: Yeah, I honestly don’t remember auditioning for the movie, so when I had gotten the news that I got the role, it was really surprising to me. Nonetheless, I was happy to have a great opportunity and got prepared to film. So, for the amount of time I filmed, our set was a house in a small neighborhood…I had my fitting and school was done there at the small neighborhood in the tiny house, and it was an interesting experience. I had to play a role that was younger than I was, but I was ready for any roles I got. So, I was really grateful for the experience, and I’m glad I had the opportunity.

Suzanne: What was the name of the movie?

Ella: It’s, I think, LA Rush.

Suzanne: Do you know if it’s done filming and when it will be out?

Ella: It was filmed a while ago. I believe it was filmed about like two or three years ago, actually. So, I was waiting to see when it would come out, because it had been quite a while, but I’m not sure when they’re planning on releasing it.

Suzanne: Okay. And you actually worked with Elijah Wood?

Ella: No, I didn’t. I worked with another girl and a small little family.

Suzanne: Well, he’s really nice. So, if you ever get to talk to him, he’s a great guy.

Ella: Yeah.

Suzanne: I’ve interviewed him a few times. He’s always super nice.

So, do you have any plans besides acting? Would you like to direct, write, or anything like that in the future?

Ella: As of now, I want to remain an actress for as long as life takes me to be, which I’m hoping is quite a while, but I’m open to directing and possibly writing in the future. I definitely think directing is something I would explore, and if not directing, then at least producing. But then, I really enjoy writing, so writing might also interest me quite a lot when I’m a bit older.

Suzanne: Let me ask this. Say if you decided you didn’t want to be in the entertainment industry anymore – you’re only 14, right? So, what do you think you would like to do if you weren’t in the entertainment industry? What other talents or desires do you have that you think you would do for say, a second job, if you had to?

Ella: I’d definitely be a CEO and have my own business. I think I’ll still do that with acting, that’s one of my goals, but maybe a business that’s into makeup or into fashion, because those really interests me.

Before I was thinking possibly a physicist, but we’ll see how that goes.

Suzanne: Yeah, that’s a little tougher.

Ella: Yeah.

Suzanne: But you must enjoy math then?

Ella: Yeah, I do.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Ella Mika in "Chad" on TBSArmenian actress and superstar in the making Ella Mika (BIRDS OF PREY) is taking over screens nationwide next month as she stars in TBS’ “CHAD.” The sure to be hit comedy premieres on April 6th and features SNL alum, Nasim Pedrad who created, wrote, and executive produced the show. Ella stars as “Niki”, ‘Chad’s’ younger, popular sister, that often bickers with her dorky brother at school and in family settings. ‘Chad’ (Nasim Pedrad) is on a mission to become popular using every trick in the book, all while the two endure their mother’s new dating life and reconcile with cultural identity. The show is packed full of comedy, improv and those cringey middle-school moments we all love and loathe the same.

TBS “Chad” Teaser

Born in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, Ella’s journey to America started on April 6th 2008, just after her first birthday, and coincidentally, the same date being used for the premiere of “Chad” next month. Her parents won aposter for "Chad" on TBS Green Card and moved to Los Angeles. Her father was a prominent actor back in Armenia, so it was only a matter of time before Ella would also catch the acting bug. Signs first appeared while she was in daycare, often taking on leading roles in plays and poems with her class. After a couple years of appearing in commercials for “My Little Pony” and “Red Robin,” while simultaneously taking acting classes, Ella landed her first mainstream role as young Helena in BIRDS OF PREY, where she got to work with Margot Robbie. Fast track to “Chad,” Ella has her first series regular role, embracing improv and refining her comedic craft. Filming started and stopped as Covid hit, but the cast was able to complete the show in the Summer and it’s ready to share with audiences nationwide.

When Ella isn’t juggling schooling with acting or booking her next role, she loves to embrace the arts of all kinds. She’s trained in Latin American ballroom, loves fashion, cooking, baking, and stays connected to herself through meditation and yoga.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Ella Mika in "Chad" on TBS

Television and its Adverse Impact on Youth Development

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TV Opinion Article!

TV

Television and its Adverse Impact on Youth Development

by Jason 4/2/21

With the introduction of electronic media such as television, video games and the internet, a large number of individuals, especially those of the younger generation, have improved their analytical skills. Alongside, acknowledging information about the current incidents has become feasible by just accessing television. Gone are those days where people used to highly depend on the print media sources such as newspapers to acquire adequate information about politics, weather, or sports events. These days, electronic media has declined the usage of print media with its immense availability and accessibility.

Even so, television has become a prime source of entertainment for the youth as it telecasts numerous shows, series, and movies for them. Moreover, over the years, with the advent of television, a large number of people have enhanced their communication and critical thinking power. When it comes to child development, television plays an imperative role nowadays. It also has an immersive contribution to the cognitive growth of children. Additionally, television helps to alter one’s perspective towards society and life; this assists him/her to become a better human being.

However, along with these sorts of benefits, this electronic media can adversely affect an individual’s life. An inappropriate TV show can mislead an individual who might unknowingly invite negative consequences in his/her life. A child who prefers to watch violent acts on TV can adapt to aggressive behavior. So, every parent should continuously evaluate the type of contents or channels the children mostly access to prevent the uncanny circumstances. Here, we are providing both the positive and negative impacts of television on youth for a better understanding.

Is there any Contribution of Television in a Youth’s Life?

Obviously, television helps to shape an individual’s trait, and the contribution of the different types of programs is unprecedented. And, the right kind of content can imbue social, health, and environmental awareness in a youth’s life. But if your kid tends to mostly watch crime drama or horror flicks during bedtime, then make sure you have changed such a habit immediately. Based on a recently conducted study, it was analyzed that television can affect a child’s regular eating habit, physical appearance, interest in the study, and other necessary things.

A growing interest in watching anime or other TV programs will eventually decline the interest in studying regularly. As per the study, only 250 children of 3-10 years age groups have studied for approximately 9 months. And, their average duration of television exposure was almost 18.5 hours a week.

A significant change in body weight was noticed in almost 19.6% of children for watching television for a considerable period. This can also lead to a breakdown of the TV, and then you need assistance from Electrician Dubai. So, in a nutshell, it can be concluded that television streaming can lead to severe health problems like obesity. Even, the overall school performance of these individuals declined in certain instances. Sleeping disorders and weak eyesight are also for watching television continuously. Technological revolutions have undoubtedly made the learning process easier and come with a plethora of disadvantages.

Let’s first proceed with the advantages that have helped more than millions of youth to improve their behaviur.

Positive Impacts of Television on Youth

Undeniably, when a child gets the right guidance, he/she will start indulging in watching the right shows and programs. This will help them to learn useful things which will be beneficial in the long run. Moreover, there are more than 1000+channels that have engaged more than millions of children.

In the media-rich environment, most of the children utilize their leisure time by watching superhero movies, music, and other animated series. And, when the users will be unable to access the device, the top-ranked electrical Dubai is always there to offer immediate recoveries.

Young people, especially teenagers, prefer exploring the different contents that are broadcasted on the TV regularly. And, this can obviously positively influence a kid’s living pattern and his/her behavior. So, let’s see in which way television can positively influence the youth generation:

By Serving Educational Content

You might have found numerous television channels that provide educational and informative content to the viewers. Cosmos: The Spacetime Odyssey is one of the most-watched television series aimed at teaching the kids about the solar system. Alongside, your kid can learn about the valuable life lessons from this show. And, this type of series mostly emphasises connectivity between human beings and nature.

It helps the kids to learn that every living being is resilient; even micro-animals such as tardigrades are also capable of withstanding a critical obstacle. Cosmos has become the highest-rated show by enhancing the curiosity level of the viewers.

With the presence of TV channels that showcase educational content, learning about different subjects such as art and craft, geography, and even mathematicians has become easier. You can also allow your kid to watch news channels, but make sure you have guided them throughout the process for a clear understanding. Even some shows have inspired millions of kids to try something new with papers or clays in their leisure time.

Most-Accessed Entertainment Medium

The creative sounds and colorful images on the TV screen captivate the eyes of the children. Be it a movie or cartoon show, and this electronic media successfully retains the attention of the youth. But make sure, the type of content they are watching on these different channels of Television to keep aside the negative occurrences.

There are TV shows that are completely oriented for the kids whose age is between 3-10 and some for the children who are more than 10. Based on their age and level of understanding, selecting the appropriate movie, show, or series plays a pivotal role in their mental development.

 Increases their Interest in Sports

As a responsible parent, you should always encourage the kids to watch more sports events during their leisure time. And, this includes different ongoing events of tennis, soccer, baseball, cricket, and basketball as well. Make sure you have made them understand the gameplay, rules, and other essential information which will grow their interest in a specific sport.

Helps to Acknowledge about Different Cultures

When the kids watch television, it can aid in learning about the regional culture of different countries. But for that, you have to thoroughly search for the right program that can enlighten them about the different lifestyles, traditions, festivals, their food habits or about their languages as well.

How has Television Affected the Lives of the Youth?

Unfortunately, even after having such a prolonged list of benefits, television can negatively affect an individual, especially the kids. These adverse effects can even outnumber the positive ones when as a parent, you will overlook them.

Reduces the Physical Activities

Addiction to television can make a kid lazy and results in reducing the amount of physical activity he/she was involved in. Moreover, when your kid spends most of the time watching TV, it can negatively impact his/her socialisation. Don’t let this happen because social development is necessary for the upbringing of a child. So, it’s highly recommended to opt for reducing the overall time limit (1-2 hours is enough) for watching television.

Constraint on the Brain Development

Moreover, even watching educational shows or programs for more than 2 hours can impact the child’s brain development. Prolonged TV watching can decline an individual’s cognitive abilities. Even, it can lead to short-time memory loss and behavioural changes.

Exposure to Violence

It’s not always possible to control the type of content the kids regularly watch, especially when you are not around. Even, the violence portrayed in superhero movies can make them believe that violating norms is not a crime. Moreover, television shows might provide them with a distorted view of the world.

Another negative effect can be caused by the different ads that are daily telecast in between the TV shows. This can insist the kids consume unhealthy foods or drinks, which can result in obesity. Every parent should check on the ingredients that food or drinks contain to prevent the risk factors. Parental supervision is essential for reducing the negative consequences of television. So, behave like a responsible parent and prevent the exposure as early as possible.

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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TV shows kids shouldn't watch

Interview with Melissa Roxburgh and Matt Long

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Melissa Roxburgh and Matt Long of "Manifest" on NBC

Interview with Melissa Roxburgh and Matt Long of “Manifest” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

It was nice to interview two of the bigger stars of this show! They were very laid back and had a good time answering questions. I’ve seen Matt on so many great shows, going all the way back to “Jack and Bobby” in 2004, and he was really good in “Mad Men“, as well as “Helix” and more.  Melissa has also been in some of my favorite shows, such as “Supernatural” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” and the movie “Star Trek: Beyond” (you wouldn’t recognize her there because of the heavy alien makeup!).  She is so great as Michaela on this show. We only had a short time with them, but I managed to get some great questions in, thanks to my sister-in-law, Eileen, and her husband, Joe, who are huge fans of the series. I watch it, too, but I’m way behind. Hope you enjoy this!

Question: Melissa, what do you think is the biggest challenge for a show like this, which is fantasy, to make it relatable to people? Why do people relate to sci-fi and fantasy do you think so much, and what’s behind it?

Melissa: What’s the hardest challenge about it? I think the hardest challenge about it is the clarity, especially for a show like ours. There’re so many moving pieces and new bits of information every single episode, so the biggest challenge is giving the audience that information without bombarding them with it. I think a lot of people like our show, specifically, because Jeff [Rake] has done a good job of tying in the human element of that, which is to balance all of the information out.

I think people like sci-fi, because, especially right now, during COVID, when we’re all stuck inside, it’s like an escape. It’s the biggest escape from reality, because it’s the unknown. It’s mythology. It’s things that don’t normally happen, like us hearing voices and, you know, airplanes disappearing and coming back. It’s not a normal situation, which makes it really fun to explore.

Question: Matt, you joined as a recurring character; now you’re the main cast. As an actor, can you speak about, like is that something you expected, I mean, I’m assuming hoped to happen, but expected it to happen, and how is that experience of coming into a show and then becoming part of that family?

Matt: It was set up that way from the beginning that Zeke would recur in the first season and then become a series regular in season two. So, when I tested for this, I signed a contract for the full term of the show. That being said, as an actor, you never know if they’re going to exercise that, so there’s always a possibility that you recur in the first season, and they decide to go a different direction, and you don’t come back to the series regular.

I mean, I did a show called “Private Practice” that I sort of had a similar thing that if it had gotten continued in season six at the end of the season – I think season six was last year – I recurred the first half of the season, and if it had continued, I would have become a regular, but it didn’t, and that’s just what it was.

As far as joining the show, it’s been fantastic. I’ve been so lucky from the very beginning that Jeff has written a really compelling, interesting, complicated, complex story for me and Zeke. I love him; I love the characters so much, and also, the cast is so great. I got to join it in the first season, and I came in the end of episode 12, I think, so it was still quite new for them. They were still in their first season. So, I feel like I got to join quite early on, which helps you also to feel a part of it, as it’s getting its life and growing, and its fans [grow]. So, it’s been fantastic, and I’ve been after something like this for a long time.

Suzanne: My sister-in-law Eileen and her husband Joe love your show. I think it’s the only show they watch; they just love it. So, she gave me questions, because I’m behind. Melissa, since you play a cop, did you do any special preparation in that before you started playing Michaela?

Melissa: Yeah, I spent a year as a police officer. No. It’s a good question, but at the same time, we’re in such a make-believe world that even if I did do research, it’s so different from the realities of what a cop would go through… So, I don’t think our show portrays the reality, in good and bad ways, because our show is very sci-fi. So, my cop dealings are mostly involved in that.

That being said, J.R. [Ramirez] and I, since we were partners at the beginning of all this, we did shadow NYPD for a couple days. They took us on a little drive, and they showed us the precinct. So, it was just fun being able to chat with them about what their life looks like, and then we could take little bits and pieces… but overall, it’s just about the characters and how they’re reacting to this crazy mystery.

Suzanne: All right, thanks. And, Matt, she wanted to know if you’d ever played a drug addict before.

Matt: I don’t think…. I did a pilot in 2006. Nobody ever saw it, but the kid had struggled with that, but never anything that anyone’s ever seen, which was one of the my favorite things about Zeke. It was so different for me and refreshing.

Suzanne: All right, thanks a lot. I’ve seen you in so many shows, and I’m glad to see that you’re on this one.

Matt: Thank you very much. I’m pleased to be a part of it.

Question: What’s been the biggest challenge and biggest happy surprise of working during the pandemic?

Melissa: The biggest thing for me is that we’ve been able to get through it. When all of this hit, it was a two week quarantine, and you think it’s all gonna go back to normal, but then, as time goes on, we [didn’t] realize how serious it. Filming a TV show during this time just seemed a little bit bonkers. Obviously, all of us [were] wanting to get back on the set and see each other and continue telling the story, but there’s the fears of, you know, we are in a pandemic. So, the fact that the team in charge of safety on set kept us going the entire time, that was really neat to see, because a lot of shows had been shut down or cancelled, and they didn’t get to continue telling their story. So, we were really lucky for that.

Matt: The hardest part, I think, was trying to connect with each other. The pandemic is not a part of our story. We also wore masks, obviously, off camera, but when we shot, there were no masks. We had been living in this pandemic for months when we got here to shoot this series. When we first took our masks off to do scenes, it was really surreal. It has been a constant sort of struggle, I think, to be able to connect with each other like you normally would and in a world where the pandemic didn’t exist.

We don’t have really any intimacy this season, and we have several different stories that involve married couples or people that are dating or in love with each other. That’s a part of our show that we didn’t include this year, because of the risk involved. So, we’ve had to make some adjustments, but I think we’ve been successful in telling the story even taking those things into account.

Suzanne: Since Manifest is kind of an unusual show, have either of you had any nightmares after filming it?

Matt: Interesting question.

Melissa: I don’t know if it’s related to Manifest, but I have nightmares. I just [unintelligible] flying and stuff, not really, to be honest.

Matt: No, I haven’t either, that I remember. I sleep really heavy, and I don’t really…It would be awesome if I could say “Yes, I had this vivid dream!” Wouldn’t be a great story? Maybe I should. I’ll make something up next time.

Here is the video of our interview.

Check out our

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Melissa Roxburgh and Matt Long of "Manifest" on NBC“Manifest” returns for a third season of action-packed drama, shocking revelations and the answer to the show’s biggest mystery – what happened to the passengers of Flight 828?

Over a year has passed since the miraculous homecoming of Flight 828 and the discovery of others who have mysteriously returned. While the Stone family endeavors to keep their friends safe and make their enemies believe the unbelievable, new challenges will test their trust of the callings and each other. But sticking together is more important than ever, because no matter what happens, it’s all connected.

“Manifest” stars Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur, Matt Long and Holly Taylor.

Jeff Rake, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Jackie Levine and Len Goldstein are executive producers.

“Manifest” is produced by Warner Bros. Television, Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Compari Entertainment and Jeff Rake Productions.

Melissa Roxburgh stars as Michaela Stone in NBC’s “Manifest.”

Last year Roxburgh starred opposite KJ Apa and Brit Robertson in the Lionsgate feature “I Still Believe.” Prior to “Manifest,” she played CIA officer Thea in the CW series “Valor.” Her first film role was a coveted part in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” franchise. Several television roles followed, including “Supernatural,” “Arrow,” “Legends of Tomorrow” and the telefilm “Rita.” Recent films include “Marine 4: Moving Target” and “Star Trek: Beyond.”

Roxburgh, the second of four siblings, was born and raised in Vancouver. Her father is a pastor and her mother a former professional tennis player. Roxburgh participated in the International Baccalaureate program before pursuing a career in acting. She splits her time between Vancouver and Los Angeles.

Matt Long stars as Ezekiel “Zeke” Landon in NBC’s “Manifest.”

Long’s big break came with the starring role of Jack McCallister in the WB’s critically acclaimed series “Jack & Bobby,” starring Christine Lahti. He subsequently recurred as Joey Baird on “Mad Men” as well as Dr. James Peterson on “Private Practice.” He also has had guest-starring roles on “The Newsroom” and “Timeless.”

Long’s film credits include Mark Steven Johnson’s “Ghost Rider,” in which he portrayed young Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), as well as the film “Sydney White,” opposite Amanda Bynes.

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Melissa Roxburgh and Matt Long of "Manifest" on NBC

Interview with Corey Reynolds and Alan Tudyk

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Interview with Corey Parker and Alan Tudyk of "Resident Alien" on Syfy

Interview with Corey Reynolds and Alan Tudyk of “Resident Alien” on Syfy by Suzanne 3/23/21

NBC/Universal had a wonderful virtual junket last week, where we were fortunate to interview many of their stars. This particular interview was supposed to just be with Corey Reynolds, but Alan Tudyk showed up as well (much to our delight). I didn’t actually get to ask them any of my questions, but you can see the other reporters’ questions and hear my exchange with them. It was pretty funny in parts.  This is a great show, and I’m so happy that they’re going to have a second season.

Don’t miss the season one finale Wednesday, March 31, 10/9c.

Here’s the transcript of our interview, which doesn’t include my own comments. Make sure you watch the video!

Question:   Good morning, Cory. Good morning, Alan, thank you so much for joining us. [I’m] a big fan of the show and such a big fan of you Alan. I don’t know if anybody else could have ever played this character. Oh my god. Can talk a little bit about that. You’ve played a lot of weird characters, inhuman characters, but this one, even in your human form, from the first episode and the evolution and everything, it was just mind blowing to see that. What’s your process and stuff like that, and how do you still humanize your characters while being so inhuman?

Alan:   Hmm. I think a few things, I guess. You know, you have to start with you, when you act in anything. That’s the best way to go. Whatever you’re doing, it all goes through the filter of you as a human, you as an actor. Then you add things on that are unlike you. Harry’s an alien, and he’s using this body as a sort of meat puppet. He’s having to learn how to move this thing around from the inside. He’s Jim Henson’s hand, which was going to be the title, and I really think it should have been. So, I think that way, sort of as if he’s an alien peering out through the eyes of this character. Like just immediately, if you start thinking yourself that way, that you’re like something just sitting at the rim of the eyes looking out, it’s creepy, and you end up becoming a little creepy when you put your head space there.

And it’s just adding on all those little things that are given to you in the script. We’ve got great scripts, and because everything’s a first for Harry, specifically for Harry, he doesn’t know anything about being a human. That gives me a lot of leeway to go as far as I want to in many directions, because he’s curious. He’s curious, like a child, and can be surprised very easily. There’re really very few things you can’t accept about his behavior. He can do some really crazy stuff, and you can go, “Well, that makes sense.” So, it’s a it’s a fun character in that there’s a lot of leeway, a lot of leeway there.

Question:   Right. You want to kill the child, and I’m still like, “Sure, go ahead.”

[laughter]

Question:   Which is what I’m saying. I was surprised in the writing and your performance in that sense. Like, how can you actually keep doing that and still root for this character, which I really think is a huge cheers to your performance and [the] writing for that matter. Absolutely. So, congratulations.

Cory, you are so damn hilarious from your first appearance. It’s mind-blowing. I mean, not many people can just go ahead and be the Big Black and still, you know, not feel offensive or feel like –

Corey:   I feel offensive.

Question:   But I want to get to that. Initial[ly], it’s a comedy, and you’re a fantastic actor, but the show kind of taps into this guy’s confidence in being surrounded by white and Native people, but they don’t have the confidence and everything, keeping it so funny, but still kind of acknowledging [it]. So, can you talk a little bit about that? The race aspect of this issue where there’s a fantastic character so confident in himself, but doesn’t acknowledge – that seems ignorant of, like, you know, the race. I’m not sure.

Corey:   Yeah, you know, I had a question come up at our New York City Comic-Con a of couple years ago about that. I had one of the interviewers ask me, “Did Big Black have any concerns about being in a mountain town surrounded by all of those white folks?” I believe that was the question that was asked. I think my response was something along the lines of, “If he does, he hasn’t mentioned it to me.” [laughs] I think, obviously, there is a component of race there, and it’s hard to ignore in the climate that we’re in, but I think one thing we’re going to come to discover about Sheriff Mike, about Big Black, is that – at least for me, and I’m not even really sure if I’ve discussed this as much with Chris, because, we’ve played around with the idea and talked about it, but we haven’t really like delved into it. I think, for me, personally, Mike feels like the sheriff’s department in his hands when it comes to that race component is the safest place for it to be, because despite his exterior, I believe that he sees police work as being 90% communication and 10% enforcement. I think that as long as he’s in that driver’s seat, when it comes to the sheriff’s office, he knows that everyone in that town is going to be treated fairly. He knows that everyone in that town is going to be given equal credence, and no one’s going to be mistreated based on their creed, based on what they look like, who they love, or how they pray. I think that his efforts to fit in, fueled by his insecurities of fitting in, have been what has really fueled his dynamic and downfall with Deputy Liv (Elizabeth Bowen). Mike is trying desperately to prove himself, and we’re going to begin to discover more and more what that’s rooted in and why he is that way.

…Hey, can I just add, one key thing about about Alan as well, when we talk about nobody else being able to play this role, like it’s hard to do scene work with Alan, because he’s so fucking funny and his embodiment of this character. If you watch the show, there’re two things, two little moments, little itty bitty things when he first shows up at the crime scene. He’s holding his hands in the position of his second pair of hands, and he’s like, “This is awesome.” Then, most recently, in the episode where his wife is played by Elvy, [she] is laying in bed with him, and he’s laying there on his back with his hands. You know, that type of commitment to letting that character exist is kind of like always running in the background for him. So, you have the things that we’re seeing in the foreground, but then there’s also this undercurrent of Harry that’s there that’s always being played and suddenly found all over the place. It’s just, he’s great man. Seriously, l’m constantly blown away by Alan. He knows this though. I mean, he knows I am.

Alan:   Thank you very much.

Question:   Do you do the motion capture for the alien?

Publicist:   Sorry, guys, we have to we have to let someone else have a have a turn because we’re gonna have to wrap it [up].

Question:   This is such a hybrid. You have the mystery of sci-fi. It’s from a comic. Is there ever a point where you’re in a scene and you’re like, “What’s the tone here? How do I approach this?” to get the most out of it, you know, to to make the scene really pop? Do you ever have an issue with that?

Question:   Alan?

Alan:   I don’t. There are times we finish a thing in a scene and I’ll say, “This is a one-hour drama, everybody, a one-hour drama,” because it’ll be on the heels of something so very comic. I think Chris [Sheridan] has done a great job in creating a world that can hold all of it. That is no easy feat, and when it doesn’t work, it’s so easy for it not to work, and I think he’s done a good job of of getting it to work.

When we did the pilot, that was something that we all talked about, just play it like a drama, you know, play it like a drama and the comedy will be there. I think we do that for the most part, but again, there’s leeway to be a little bit – You know, there’s a scene where Elvy, or my wife that I didn’t know I had, she’s gone downstairs and she’s opened up the freezer, and she’s taken out steaks, and she’s made steaks, and I’m saying, “Where did you get those steaks?” She says, “I got them downstairs.” And I’m going to say, “It’s closed; that door is closed,” and I say, “That door is open.” I had two takes where I said, “That door is open,” or “That door is open!” or something like that. Then, the third take, I screamed it, and that’s the one they used. So, you know, they use [it] at their discretion also. They have options. But in the world, there’s this alien who has new emotions, and he’s starting to feel he doesn’t have a great governor on his emotions. His feelings can just come up and come up in a rush. So, you can excuse it away that it becomes a very comic “Open!” screaming moment. So, I hope that it holds it all, and we do – I think, Cory, your stuff is so funny. You have the same thing. Right?

Corey:   Yeah, it’s trying to find a way to keep these ungrounded characters somewhat grounded. You know what I mean? The sheriff is definitely over the top, but truth be told, listen, I grew up in Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, Chesterfield County, just outside of Richmond, and a lot of my family was up in Dodgeville County. I have an uncle named Flip. You understand what I’m saying? So, you know, I had an uncle named Butt Cut, so I know folks, not quite like Mike, but he’s not that foreign to me. Maybe his attitude is much bigger, but the person he is, is pretty – I know this guy; I know guy.

And as far as getting the scenes and stuff together, we block shoot. So, we shoot two episodes at a time, so it does require in moments – Like we’ll be shooting something from episode two and three, literally, in the same day. We might even be using the same location but having totally different emotions from scene to scene, because they’re two different episodes. So, we do have to get a reminder every now and again from our directors, or Chris, or our script supervisor, of what’s happened between what are we coming directly out of [and] what are we bringing into this moment, which is pretty standard overall, but when you’re block shooting, it does create a unique kind of challenge to make sure you’re staying in the right moment for the right scene.

Alan:   And I don’t do motion capture on this show. Just a heads up to answer that question from before.

Here is the video version of it.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

Check out Jamie’s interview with Corey Reynolds!

MORE INFO:

Read Our Review!

‘RESIDENT ALIEN’ BLOOPER REEL & DELETED SCENE REVEALED
—Season Finale Airs Wednesday, March 31 at 10/9c—
In advance of the season finale, we’re excited to share the hysterical season 1 blooper reel and deleted scene from episode 7.

Based on the Dark Horse comic, SYFY’s RESIDENT ALIEN follows Harry, an alien played by Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One,” “Firefly”) that crash lands on Earth and passes himself off as a small-town human doctor. Arriving with a secret mission to kill all humans, Harry starts off living a simple life… but things get a bit rocky when he’s roped into solving a local murder and realizes he needs to assimilate into his new world. As he does so, he begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his mission and asking the big life questions like: “Are human beings worth saving?” and “Why do they fold their pizza before eating it?”

From UCP, in association with Amblin TV and Dark Horse Entertainment, RESIDENT ALIEN was adapted to television by executive producer Chris Sheridan (“Family Guy”). Mike Richardson (“Hellboy”) and Keith Goldberg (“The Legend of Tarzan”) of Dark Horse Entertainment (“The Umbrella Academy”), and Justin Falvey (“The Americans”) and Darryl Frank (“The Americans”) of Amblin TV also executive produce. David Dobkin (“Wedding Crashers”) executive produced and directed the pilot. “Resident Alien” also stars Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund and Levi Fiehler.

Hashtag: #ResidentAlien

SYFY PICKS UP DARK HORSE COMICS’ ‘RESIDENT ALIEN’ TO SERIES

breaking news | May 30, 2019

Alan Tudyk Stars in Series from UCP, with Chris Sheridan Executive Producing Alongside Dark Horse Entertainment and Amblin TV

David Dobkin Executive Produced and Directed the Pilot

NEW YORK, NY – February 28, 2019 — SYFY today announced the series pickup of RESIDENT ALIEN, a comedic drama based on the popular Dark Horse comics series by co-creators Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse. From Universal Content Productions (UCP), in association with Amblin TV and Dark Horse Entertainment, the series was adapted to television by executive producer Chris Sheridan (“Family Guy”). Mike Richardson (“Hellboy”) and Keith Goldberg (“The Legend of Tarzan”) of Dark Horse Entertainment (“The Umbrella Academy”), and Justin Falvey (“The Americans”) and Darryl Frank (“The Americans”) of Amblin TV will also executive produce. David Dobkin (“The Judge”) executive produced and directed the pilot.

RESIDENT ALIEN is a twisted and comedic fish-out-of-water story that follows a crash-landed alien named Harry (Alan Tudyk) who, after taking on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor, slowly begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his secret mission on Earth — ultimately asking the question, “Are human beings worth saving?”

Tudyk (“Doom Patrol,” “Rogue One”) is joined by series regulars Sara Tomko (“Once Upon A Time”), Corey Reynolds (“The Closer”), Alice Wetterlund (“People of Earth”) and Levi Fiehler (“Mars”). The series will begin production in Vancouver this summer.

About SYFY
SYFY is a global, multiplatform media brand that gives science fiction fans of all kinds a universe to call home. Celebrating the genre in all its forms, SYFY super-serves passionate fans with original science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and superhero programming, live event coverage and imaginative digital and social content. The brand is powered by SYFY WIRE (www.syfy.com), the premier portal for breaking genre news, insight and commentary. SYFY is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

About UCP
UCP is a premium content studio that operates with a highly curated indie sensibility, while simultaneously leveraging the power and scale of NBCUniversal. As fierce advocates for creators with an eclectic point of view, the UCP team develops pioneering original programming with partners such as Amazon (“Homecoming”), Netflix (“The Umbrella Academy”), Hulu (“The Act”) and YouTube (“Impulse”). In addition, UCP produces high-caliber content for NBCU Cable networks, including Bravo (“Dirty John”), USA (the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning drama “Mr. Robot,” the Golden Globe nominated “The Sinner,” “The Purge” and “Suits” ) and SYFY (“Happy!,” and “The Magicians”). UCP’s content library also features 800 hours of award-winning and critically-acclaimed content, including the Emmy Award-winning “Monk,” the Peabody and Hugo Award-winning “Battlestar Galactica” and the Emmy nominated “Psych.”

About Amblin Television:
Amblin Television, a long-time leader in quality programming, is a division of Amblin Partners, a content creation company led by Steven Spielberg. Amblin Television’s co-presidents, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, oversee all development, production and programming for the company. Amblin Television currently has thirteen projects in various stages of production including “Bull” and “Tommy” for CBS, “Roswell, New Mexico” for the CW, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” for Netflix – the follow-up chapter to The Haunting of Hill House, “Amazing Stories” for Apple, “Halo” for Showtime, a straight-to-series order for “Brave New World” from USA Network, “Cortes and Moctezuma” for Amazon, “Animaniacs” for Hulu, “Why We Hate” for Discovery, “Resident Alien” for SYFY, and the documentary films “Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind” for HBO and “Laurel Canyon” for Epix.

Some of Amblin Television’s previous credits include the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning drama “The Americans” for FX, Emmy-nominated HBO movie “All The Way” starring Bryan Cranston, “Smash” for NBC, “Under the Dome” for CBS, “Falling Skies” for TNT, “The Borgias” and “The United States of Tara” for Showtime, and “Las Vegas” for NBC.

About Dark Horse Entertainment:
Dark Horse Entertainment was spun off from founder Mike Richardson’s Dark Horse Comics in 1992. The company’s first major hits—THE MASK and TIMECOP — were based on Richardson’s creations and DHE has since produced over 30 films and series, including an Emmy Award–winning documentary, MR. WARMTH: THE DON RICKLES PROJECT. Recent projects include THE LEGEND OF TARZAN with Warner Bros., the DARK MATTER television series for Syfy network and POLAR, adapted from Victor Santo’s noir graphic novel starring Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One) at Netflix. Current projects include a reboot of Mike Mignola’s HELLBOY starring David Harbour (Stranger Things) directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent), and THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, a Netflix original series based on the comics created by Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) and Gabriel Ba.

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Interview with Corey Parker and Alan Tudyk of "Resident Alien" on Syfy

Interview with Jeff Rake and Parveen Kaur

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Parveen Kaur and Jeff Rake of "Manifest" on NBC

Interview with star Parveen Kaur and showrunner Jeff Rake of “Manifest” on NBC by Suzanne 2/22/21

I waited to put this up, since “Manifest” is returning Thursday, April 1st for season 3, and we had many other interviews to put up in the meantime. We also have a new “Manifest” interview to put up as well, which we hope will be up soon. I hope it’s worth the wait! They were both very nice. I have to thank my sister-in-law Eileen, and her husband Joe, because they are huge fans of the show and provided me with the questions. I like the show, but I’m way behind on catching up with it.

Parveen is one of the stars of the show.  She plays Saanvi Bahl, a scientist.  Jeff Rake created the show and is producer and showrunner.

It was a fun interview, even though I didn’t have a lot of time with them. This was with a series of interviews that NBC and SYFY had for us in one day, with many different reporters. In the Zoom video below, you’ll see and hear other reporters asking their questions as well. We were just one group asking questions that day. In fact, I came in after another reporter had already asked their question. Enjoy!

Here’s the transcript:

Jeff:   But every day she’s dealing with, you know, Ben (Josh Dallas); she’s dealing, with, you know, Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), the Stone family, and so it’s such an oppressive burden that it makes the stakes raise right off the top. There’s an important story point that I’ll tease. Let me see how I can tease it without kind of telling too much, but let’s put it this way, halfway through the season, we come to have an even clearer understanding about why the passengers are back and whether or not they will be able to survive the death date that we’ve been following since the end of season one.

And what Saanvi comes to deduce when this greater clarity comes out, is the fact that she has been guilty of this terrible act could have implications not only on her own destiny, but on the destiny of others around her. So, a bad situation becomes even worse when this kind of comes to fruition at a halfway point in season three, and that ends up kind of driving some of Saanvi’s agenda for the back half of the season.

Question:   As far as the Stone family thinks, they’ve cracked what to do about the death date, that if you do something – Can you articulate what it is they think they’ve discovered about defeating the death date and whether or not that discovery holds water?

Jeff:   …So, of course, at the end of season two, Zeke (Matt Long), who had just gotten married to Michaela, surprised Michaela and the audience by surviving his death date. He had his own death date to remind our viewers he wasn’t on the plane. The passengers had disappeared and come back, and we came to discover in season two that you’re back for as long as you were gone. So, Zeke was gone for year. After a year, he was back, and he survived his death date.

So, now that we’re on the B side of that, the passengers are trying to understand, “Well, can we learn from the lesson of Zeke? It seems like he followed his callings and therefore lived.” So, when we come into season three, we find Ben and Michaela, unlike Saanvi – and I’ll let Parveen speak to this in a minute, but we find Ben and Michaela in a somewhat optimistic place, because they’re just kind of a few months in the aftermath of Zeke’s survival, and their working theory is, “Okay, Zeke follow the callings, and he lived. If we all follow the callings, then perhaps that means we can live too.”

So, for for Ben and Michaela, it becomes about trying to spread the word to 180 some passengers. “Hey, folks, here’s what we have to do if we want to survive.” They’re going to discover halfway through the season that it’s more complicated than that, but they think they have the tools for survival when they come into the season.

Saanvi, on the other hand, burdened by so much kind of crap that’s going on in her world, I’m not sure if she shares that optimism, but I’ll let Parveen speak to that.

Parveen:   Well, I don’t think that she does. She’s also not getting the callings anymore…

Jeff:   But that’s a great point, if you need to follow the callings to survive, Saanvi kind of got rid of her callings through science, and now she’s kind of stuck and desperately in search of her path to redemption if there is one.

Question:   So, does Saanvi think that she’s screwed it up for everybody or just for herself?

Jeff:   Parveen?

Parveen:   Well, she has one theory starting off, and then that theory is proven to be incorrect, which is yes, she thought it was just going to be [her], and then we find out that…the consequences that I thought that only Saanvi was going to experience, there might be repercussions and consequences for all of us.

Jeff:   And forgive us for being elliptical, but so much of the season’s mystery is about exactly this, so we’re just being a little bit guarded.

Question:   How does COVID impact the production, and do you think viewers of the show living through a real life pandemic developed more of an interest and respect for science?

Jeff:   Oh, wow, that’s a really good question. You want to go at that first, Parveen?

Parveen:   Yeah, I mean, we obviously can all say that we have a lot of respect for all the frontline workers and all the people that are in the thick of all of this and really feeling it, being, you know, closest to the sun and feeling the heat to all of this, but with the science aspect, I mean, I would have you answer that question in terms of, “Will people have more respect for science because of a pandemic?” I mean, I hope so. These are the people that we rely on in terms of our safety and our health and making sure that we are a thriving, functioning society. Yes, science and scientists are an integral part of our society. So, yeah, I would hope so, so that people can watch a show like ours and have respect for people like Saanvi, because they put themselves through a lot. We’ve seen also certain scientists dealing with a lot of repercussions in terms of trying to spread information and trying to get information out, and it’s not always a safe type of job. We’ve seen people have to deal with real consequences. What was the second part of the question?

Question:   How COVID affected the production.

Parveen:   There are definitely – we have a very strict protocol on our show in terms of testing in terms of social distancing, and we are very diligent. It definitely took us a minute to get our footing in this new world, but, you know, knock on wood, we’ve been really good.

Jeff:   And just to pile on that for one second, when you watch Manifest in season three, you’re not going to see actors wearing masks, and I wouldn’t want anybody out there who watches the show to think that we were loosey goosey with COVID protocol. All we do around here is wear masks and goggles and shields, and the only people who take their masks off are the actors, and they do it only when the camera rolls. And through a combination of rapid tests and PCR tests and social distance, we’ve gotten to a point where the actors feel comfortable with that limited exposure, but it’s a highly regulated environment. It’s it’s been a huge priority for all of us, and when you watch season three, you’ll see when the credits roll, at the end of the first line of the credits is going to mention that this episode was filmed safely in adherence to COVID protocols, because we just wanted to make everybody aware that the actors, the producers, the entire crew, studio, network, everybody’s greatest concern was about the safety and well being for everybody involved in the show and everybody out in the world.

Suzanne:   Parveen, I wanted to ask you first, I read an interview from last April where you said that you were concerned that Saanvi might die. Do you still feel that way?

Parveen:   Um…

Suzanne:   Put you on the spot, huh?

Parveen:   Well, yeah, I think she’s very concerned about that.

Suzanne:   She’s very concerned. Okay. And, Jeff, my sister-in-law just loves the show. I mean, I think it’s the only show she watches; she loves it. So, wanted me to ask if you have any idea which characters on the show are the most popular, if you’ve done any market research, or going by a male or whatever – I put you on the spot. Now you both get a turn.

Jeff:   First of all, thank your sister-in-law for being such a fan of the show. We’re grateful and, you know, honestly, I don’t think it’s a question of like, “Who’s most popular?” I feel like there’s a lot of fan rivalries. So, like, for instance, in the romantic triangle that exists between like Michaela, Zeek, and Jared (J.R. Ramirez), I know that like – Did I say that right? Michaela, Zeke, and Jared. If you’re a Zeke fan, you’re not Jared fan; if you’re a Jared fan, you’re not a Zeke fan. Then, there’re a lot of fans, who even though Saanvi is a strong, compelling character on her own, and she’s a scientist and a driver of mythology, there’re are a lot of fans who see romantic chemistry between Saanvi and Ben. And if you’re an [unintelligible] fan, if you’re a Saanvi fan, you’re not a Grace (Athena Karkanis) fan. If you’re a Grace fan, you’re not a Saanvi fan. So, I think it’s interesting that there’re a lot of factions in that regard. Then, there’re a lot of young people who watch the show, and they’re all about Cal (Jack Messina) and Olive (Luna Blaise). So, I think that a lot of people have their favorites, and they like to argue with each other on Twitter, on Reddit, or the Facebook pages about the characters, but that’s great. I love that. If you love a character, great. If you hate a character, that’s fine with me. I’m just glad that you’re invested.

Suzanne:   Thank you. Good answer.

Question:   Yes, I would like to ask, is TJ (Garrett Wareing) going to Egypt, because somebody needed to go to Egypt? Or did the actor get something that his absence needed to be explained?

Jeff:   That’s very funny. I don’t really have a straight ahead answer for you, in that regard. His character was a great and important role in season two. We love the actor so much; he’s a great friend to the production, and there’s a very good chance we’ll see him again. You know, serialized stories like this are like the sine curve. They have the ups and downs of when different characters are vital to our storytelling. In season three, that wasn’t the case for TJ and Olive’s continuing, mythological journey and relationship journey, [which] goes in a different direction in season three. I’m excited for people to see where that leads and who that leads to.

Question:   So, the building of the pyramids is not going to factor into the mythology?

Jeff:   Not this season, but you never know on Manifest. And I should add one more thing, in absentia, TJ does play an important role in at least one mythological story turn in the season, so so he will absolutely be invoked. So, with a tip of the hat to TJ, even if we’re not going to see him on screen.

Here is the video of the interview.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

"Manifest" key art“Manifest” returns for a third season of action-packed drama, shocking revelations and the answer to the show’s biggest mystery – what happened to the passengers of Flight 828?

Over a year has passed since the miraculous homecoming of Flight 828 and the discovery of others who have mysteriously returned. While the Stone family endeavors to keep their friends safe and make their enemies believe the unbelievable, new challenges will test their trust of the callings and each other. But sticking together is more important than ever, because no matter what happens, it’s all connected.

“Manifest” stars Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur, Matt Long and Holly Taylor.

Jeff Rake, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Jackie Levine and Len Goldstein are executive producers.

“Manifest” is produced by Warner Bros. Television, Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Compari Entertainment and Jeff Rake Productions.

Parveen Kaur stars as Saanvi Bahl in NBC’s “Manifest.”

Born in British Columbia’s beautiful Okanagan Valley, Kaur moved to Toronto at age 19 to pursue a career in film and television. She is best known for her work in Guillermo del Toro’s hit FX series “The Strain” and CTV’s Saving Hope.

Jeff Rake serves as executive producer, writer and showrunner for NBC’s “Manifest.”

After a short career in law, Rake co-created “The $treet” for Fox, “Miss Match” for NBC and also co-wrote the pilot for ABC’s “Boston Legal.”

In 2013, he developed “The Mysteries of Laura,” which aired for two seasons on NBC and in more than 100 countries around the world.

He has written and produced episodes of “The Practice,” “Bones,” “Head Cases,” “Cashmere Mafia,” “Hawthorne,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Tomorrow People,” as well as the 1996 Elvis Presley hip-hop musical “Hound Dog: A Hip hOpera” for the Hudson Avenue Theatre in Hollywood.

Rake grew up in Encino, Calif., and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children.

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Parveen Kaur and Jeff Rake of "Manifest" on NBC

Interview with Loretta Walsh

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Loretta Walsh of "When Calls the Heart" on Hallmark

Interview with Loretta Walsh of “When Calls the Heart” on Hallmark by Krista 3/19/21

This was an interview done by email. We’re always glad when an actor takes the time to type their own answers to our questions because it’s less work for us! As you can see, her answers are very kind and professional.

1. I see that you grew up in Queensland, Australia. What was that like?

It was a very sheltered and “go outside and play” childhood in rural Queensland. I had a wonderful community and big family, but I knew at a young age I would need to leave for a bigger city to pursue my dreams of being an actor.

2. I read that you grew up in a family of actors. What was it like growing up with your family and did you know from a young age that you also wanted to act?

I knew that I wanted to dance from a young age and imagination and play were always a big part of my childhood. I was usually deterred from pursuing a career in the arts by those who knew how challenging a career it can be, but I knew in my heart that’s what I wanted, so I went for it!

3. I saw your first production was as Louisa in The Sound of Music. What was it like being in your first stage production?

Thrilling! I loved the collaboration, creativity and community of making theatre together. I was absolutely hooked!

4. When you first started acting, did you plan to act in all venues, theatre as well as TV and movies? How is it different to act on stage in theatre versus acting on a television show?

When I first started I didn’t know what was possible. I wasn’t focused on one particular medium. But after getting some experience, I knew that I wanted to work both on screen and on stage. The big difference is that on camera, the camera is your audience, on stage your audience is further away. Plus in theatre, the audience reaction is immediate and in real time (no second takes!)

5. You are returning as Florence Blakely in Season 8 of When Calls The Heart. What drew you to accepting this part?

I was really wanting to do an ensemble show that focused on women and the important and deep friendships of that sisterhood. I thought WCTH was that project.

6. What do you enjoy most about your character Florence Blakely?

I enjoy that she is a character who is always “doing” something. She doesn’t wait for things to happen to her – she takes action!

7. What has been your biggest challenge in playing the part of Florence Blakely?

Florence is quite a different person than Loretta, so finding those elements that are different and not playing them as a characature can be a challenge, but I feel that I ‘know’ Florence well now, so it comes a little easier after 8 seasons 😉

8. What is it like playing with the other actors in When Calls The Heart? Do you have relationships/friendships off set?

It’s great! We have a shorthand after so many years of playing together and it’s a real collaboration. And yes, behind the scenes we have our own little “hope valley” style community in real life. It’s a real gift in my life.

9. I saw where Florence will go through a physical and emotional transformation? Can you tell me more about that and what it involves?

You will have to watch as I can’t give any spoilers, but I will say that we will see some sides to Florence this season that we haven’t seen before.

10. What has been the funniest thing you have had happen on set?

I couldn’t pick one! There’s lots of laughter on set. It’s a fun group.

11. I saw where you will be appearing in “A Picture Perfect Wedding” later on, can you tell us a little bit about that movie?

Photographer Lindsey gets asked by a New York mogul’s son, Josh, to shoot his sister’s wedding. Sparks fly as Josh and Lindsey prepare for the ceremony, but as the big day arrives, what will their hearts decide? I play the villain in the movie “Maxine Bower-Smythe”.

12. Any other upcoming projects you can discuss?

The Sinners, a thriller/horror movie on VOD now!

13. I understand you founded your own theatre company. Tell me more about that.

I love theatre and have been deeply impacted by it over the years. I want to share the respect and love of theatre I have with others which is why I started Kindred Entertainment.

14. If you could pick any actor/actress to co-star with, who would you pick and why?

There’s too many to choose from! But I’d love to work with Emma Thompson as I love her authenticity and how she speaks about being a woman and an actor.

15. What piece of advice would you give to someone with a desire to act either on stage or on TV/movies?

Go for it! Study – take great acting classes, build a community, care for yourself and get ready for a marathon (not a sprint) Believe in yourself no matter how many “no’s” you get – good things will come your way!

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Loretta Walsh of "When Calls the Heart" on HallmarkBorn and raised in rural Queensland Australia, Loretta Walsh has enchanted audiences since a young age. She comes from a family of actors, and wanted to pursue acting as a career after playing “Louisa” in her local town’s production of “The Sound of Music”. Soon after discovering her love for the art she landed a small part in the tv series “Water Rats” playing a hostess of a swingers club. Loretta’s unique ability to transform and emobody a vast array of characters keeps audiences on their toes – this year will be no exception with her upcoming projects.

This year audiences will see Loretta return as Florence Blakeley in season eight of Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart” which premiered February 21st. This season reveals new sides to Florence that #hearties haven’t seen before as she goes through both a physical and emotional transformation. Loretta will also appear in a supporting lead role as the villainous Maxine Bower-Smythe in the upcoming film A PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING, premiering later this year.

Loretta has worked on numerous TV shows and films including CW’s “Batwoman”, Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, A&E’s “Bates Motel” and the award winning teen thriller film THE SINNERS (aka The Color Rose).

Along with captivating audiences in film and TV Loretta has made an inprint in theatre, not only founding her own theatre company Kindred Entertainment, in Vancouver but appearing on various stages in a wide array of productions.

Loretta loves the variety and range of roles she has been privileged to play over the years and is motivated to represent women on screen and their stories that are surprising, complicated and imperfectly human.

SERIES: WHEN CALLS THE HEART"When Calls the Heart" poster

ABOUT THE SERIES: More surprises and challenges are in store for the residents of Hope Valley. Elizabeth’s relationships with Nathan and Lucas continue to deepen, Faith and Carson must make choices about their future, a new family arrives to town, Lee and Rosemary get some unexpected news, Bill is asked to return a prized possession and the whole town joins in the excitement as another wedding takes place.

CHARACTER: Florence Blakeley

PREMIERE: February 21, 2021 on Hallmark

FILM: A PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING

ABOUT THE FILM: Photographer Lindsey gets asked by a New York mogul’s son, Josh, to shoot his sister’s wedding. Sparks fly as Josh and Lindsey prepare for ceremony, but as the big day arrive, what will their hearts decide?

CHARACTER: Maxine Bower-Smythe

PREMIERE: 2021

Get to Know Loretta

My favorite movies when I was a kid – tied for SOUND OF MUSIC and GREASE. I wanted to be Olivia Newton John or Julie Andrews.

I love to travel….most favourite vacation was to Positano in Italy. Favorite place in the world – the beach – Noosa, Australia.

I love fashion and getting dressed up, but I put high value in being cozy (think Uggs, slippers, cashmere sweaters and pajamas 😉
I am fascinated by (and terrified of) sharks….
I have been skydiving.

Loretta has many different jobs apart from being an actor including.…. at KFC, being a nanny, a bartender, a teacher, a producer, working in events, a wine company rep, worked for an airline, a temp, a tour director, worked ONE night as catering staff….tough gig!
If I wasn’t an actor/producer, I would like to be a social worker ……or a puppy cuddler

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Loretta Walsh of "When Calls the Heart" on Hallmark

Primetime DVD Review: “The Undoing” [Blu-ray]

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

DVD Review!

"The Undoing" [Blu-ray] DVD cover

“The Undoing” [Blu-ray] Review by Suzanne 3/20/21

This is a wonderful, suspenseful murder mystery with an outstanding cast, featuring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland, Lily Rabe, Noma Dumezweni and more. The fine script is by TV legend David E. Kelley.

Jonathan (Grant) and Grace Fraser (Kidman) are a wealthy married doctor couple in New York’s high society. He’s a pediatric oncologist and she’s a psychiatrist. They have a young son (Noah Jupe), Henry. Their lives are destroyed when a young woman is murdered and Jonathan disappears.

There are 6 episodes, so it’s really more like a long movie or miniseries than a real TV series. Unlike “Big Little Lies,” I doubt there will be a second season. The whole suspense was about who did the murder, and we learn that at the end. I can’t imagine how they would do a second season.

Kidman plays a much stronger woman here than she did in that other HBO series. Most of the show is scene from Grace’s point-of-view, and she imagines scenes of murder or sex that she didn’t actually see.

Grant is fantastic as her lying, cheating (and possibly murderous) husband. They have great chemistry. If you like drama, suspense and mystery, you should enjoy this.  Heck, it might be worth watching just to see Donald Sutherland’s very impressive eyebrows.

There are many good features on the DVD set as you can see below. They’re entertaining to watch.

Buy this DVD

MORE INFORMATION:

WBHE Announces “The Undoing” an HBO Limited Series, on Blu-ray and DVD in March

(Burbank, CA) – Nothing stays hidden! From Emmy®, Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning director Susanne Bier (“The Night Manager”, “Bird Box”) and the Emmy® -winning creator of “Big Little Lies”, David E. Kelley and starring Emmy®, Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Nicole Kidman (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) and Emmy® nominee and Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winner Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”), comes the highly anticipated six-part limited series, “The Undoing: An HBO Limited Series” from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD March 23, 2021. Making HBO history as the first Original Series to grow viewership consistently week after week over the course of its season, the thriller will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish with all six gripping episodes from the fantastic limited series, plus three bonus features including one where the longtime friends and co-stars discuss working together for the first time. “The Undoing: An HBO Limited Series” is priced to own at $24.98 SRP ($29.98 in Canada) for the DVD and $29.98 SRP ($39.99 in Canada) for the Blu-ray which includes a Digital Copy (US Only). Both sets have an order due date of February 9, 2021. “The Undoing: An HBO Limited Series” is also available to own on Digital via purchase from all major digital retailers.

“The Undoing: An HBO Limited Series” follows Grace (Kidman) and Jonathan Fraser (Grant), who are living the only lives they ever wanted for themselves. Overnight, a chasm opens in their lives: a violent death and a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and her family.

The limited series’ incredible cast includes Emmy® and Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Nicole Kidman (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) and Emmy® nominee and Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winner Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”), Edgar Ramirez (Emmy® nominee for “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace” and “Carlos”), Noah Jupe (“Honey Boy”, “A Quiet Place 2”), Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”), Noma Dumezweni (“Black Earth Rising”), Sofie Gråbøl (HBO’s “Gentleman Jack”, “Fortitude”), Matilda De Angelis, Ismael Cruz Córdova (“Berlin Station”), and Donald Sutherland (Emmy® winner for “Citizen X”).

“The Undoing: An HBO Limited Series” is directed by Susanne Bier and is created and written for television by David E. Kelley, who also serves as showrunner; executive produced by Susanne Bier, David E. Kelley through David E. Kelley Productions, Nicole Kidman and Per Saari through Blossom Films, Bruna Papandrea through Made Up Stories, Stephen Garrett and Celia Costas. The limited series is based on the 2014 novel, “You Should Have Known” by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

BONUS FEATURES

  • Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant Introduce “The Undoing”
  • Creating “The Undoing”
  • “The Undoing” Revelations

6 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

  1. The Undoing
  2. The Missing
  3. Do No Harm
  4. See No Evil
  5. Trial by Fury
  6. The Bloody Truth

DIGITAL
“The Undoing” is now available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and others. A Digital Copy is also included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs for redemption and cloud storage.

BASICS
Street Date: March 23, 2021
Order Due Date: February 9, 2021
BD and DVD Presented in 16×9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx. 360 min
Enhanced Content: Approx. 27 min

DVD
Price: $24.98 SRP ($29.98 in Canada)
2 DVD-9s
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – English

BLU-RAY
Price: $29.98 SRP ($39.99 in Canada)
2 BD-50s
Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English
BD Subtitles – English

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

Product details

  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ s_medNotRated NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 8.32 Ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Susanne Bier
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ March 23, 2021
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Edgar Ramírez, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Matilda De Angelis
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Susanne Bier, Deb Dyer, Richard Styles, David E. Kelley, Matthew Tinker
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ HBO
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08MMGZWC7
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ David E. Kelley
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2

From Emmy®, Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning director Susanne Bier (“The Night Manager”) and the Emmy®-winning creator of “Big Little Lies,” David E. Kelley and starring Emmy® and Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Nicole Kidman (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) and Emmy® nominee Hugh Grant (“A Very English Scandal”), comes the six-part limited series THE UNDOING, debuting SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Directed by Susanne Bier and created and written for television by David E. Kelley, who also serves as showrunner; executive produced by Susanne Bier, David E. Kelley through David E. Kelley Productions, Nicole Kidman and Per Saari through Blossom Films, Bruna Papandrea through Made Up Stories, Stephen Garrett and Celia Costas.

The limited series will air on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max.

The limited series follows Grace (Kidman) and Jonathan Fraser (Grant), who are living the only lives they ever wanted for themselves. Overnight, a chasm opens in their lives: a violent death and a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and her family.

THE UNDOING also stars Edgar Ramírez (Emmy® nominee for “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace” and “Carlos”) as Detective Joe Mendoza; Noah Jupe (“Honey Boy” and “A Quiet Place 2”) as Henry Fraser, Jonathan and Grace’s precocious and artistic 12-year-old son; Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”) as Sylvia Steinetz; Noma Dumezweni (“Black Earth Rising”) as Haley Fitzgerald; Sofie Gråbøl (HBO’s “Gentleman Jack,” “Fortitude”) as Catherine Stamper; Matilda De Angelis as Elena Alves; Ismael Cruz Córdova (“Berlin Station”) as Fernando Alves; and Donald Sutherland (Emmy® winner for “Citizen X”) as Franklin Reinhardt, Grace’s father, a retired financier and loving grandfather who is tasked with protecting his family when turbulent revelations come to light.

Upcoming Episodes:

Episode 1: “The Undoing”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Limited series premiere. Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman) becomes intrigued by a young mother at her son’s school. Later, news of a tragedy rocks the school community.
Written for television by David E. Kelley; Directed by Susanne Bier

Episode 2: “The Missing”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
After seeking refuge at her father’s house, Grace (Nicole Kidman) finds herself on the receiving end of detectives’ probing questions.
Written for television by David E. Kelley; Directed by Susanne Bier

Episode 3: “Do No Harm”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Grace (Nicole Kidman) hears Jonathan’s (Hugh Grant) side of the story and finds herself being followed by someone close to Elena (Matilda De Angelis).
Written for television by David E. Kelley; Directed by Susanne Bier

Episode 4: “See No Evil”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
As Haley (Noma Dumezweni) begins to shape the narrative of the case, Franklin (Donald Sutherland) uses his resources to help his family.
Written for television by David E. Kelley; Directed by Susanne Bier

Episode 5: “Trial by Fury”
Debut Date: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
On the first day of the trial, the prosecution presents shocking evidence, while the defense casts doubt on the police investigation. Later, Henry (Noah Jupe) divulges a secret to Grace (Nicole Kidman).
Written for television by David E. Kelley; Directed by Susanne Bier

THE UNDOING is created by David E. Kelley; executive producers, Susanne Bier, David E. Kelley, Nicole Kidman, Per Saari, Bruna Papandrea, Stephen Garrett, Celia Costas; based on the novel “You Should Have Known” by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

"The Undoing"

Interview with Lauralee Bell

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Lauralee Bell in Lifetime's "Ruby" and "Pearl in the Mist"

Interview with Lauralee Bell of movies “Ruby” and “Pearl in the Mist” on Lifetime by Suzanne 3/17/21

It was so nice to speak with Lauralee. As I told her in the interview, I’ve been watching “The Young and The Restless” since 1986. She played young model “Cricket” and was in a lot of great stories. Later, she became a lawyer and went by “Christine.”  She still recurs on the show.  She plays a small-but-memorable part in these two Lifetime movies. It’s a very different role from Christine.  Make sure you watch these two movies on Lifetime this weekend: “Ruby” and “Pearl in the Mist.”

Here is the audio version of it.

Suzanne: I’m actually a big fan. I started watching “Young in the Restless” in 1986.

Lauralee: Oh, my gosh. Oh, in the good years, I must say.

Suzanne: Yeah, back when you were “Cricket.”

Lauralee: The 80s and 90s were so, so exciting with Danny (Michael Damian) and Cricket.

Suzanne: Yeah, and Nina (Tricia Cast) and Phillip. That was great.

Lauralee: Did you know that Nina’s back for a little bit?

Suzanne: I haven’t been watching regularly lately, but, yeah… I did see that she’s coming back.

Lauralee: Oh, it’s over. She stayed with us, and it was just it was so fun. It was like old times, and I hope they keep her going.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Lauralee: Then, good. You know how opposite my part in these movies are. It could not be more opposite than Cricket.

Suzanne: I was wondering if you were channeling maybe a little Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) or a little Jill (Jess Walton) in there, maybe?

Lauralee: I mean, Jill, for sure. I mean, I definitely haven’t really been as evil to anyone other than Phyllis on our show to pull off these scenes. But yeah, no, definitely. Watching the great women of Y&R doing – I feel like Daphne is just so self centered. Jill was very much that way. So, I think, yes, I always do something from somewhere.

But, for me, just the hair and the red lipstick and the clothes kind of brought me into her. I mean, it was fun to be in Canada and in this mansion. Just once you’re in there wearing all this stuff, it sort of comes to play, but the performance was bigger than I’m normally used to. I usually try and be as natural as possible. So, I was definitely questioning myself as I was going through it, but it was super fun, and I love her.

Suzanne: It did look like you were having a little fun.

Lauralee: Yeah, I definitely did. I mean, if I’m at Y&R, I pretty much know what the program is, and at home, I’m very much a hands on mom. So, to kind of get this offer and escape and just kind of dive into that world for two movies, it was a great experience. I’ve worked with Lifetime a bunch, and I’m such a huge fan of their whole company, and then to be able to accomplish those two movies right before the lockdown was very satisfying in terms of getting something done in the work department. So, it was all around just a happy experience.

Suzanne: How long did it take to film it?

Lauralee: So, I went for a little over a week and a half for Ruby. Then, they were super great. My mom lived a wonderful life, but she passed away between the two movies. So, they were very kind when I came back. We had her memorial on a Wednesday, and I was on a plane at 4am on a Thursday the next morning, and they were very wonderful about mushing all my scenes together. So, I went back for about four or five days.

Then, I mean, it was truly on my last filming day where I would be seeing everyone around the set kind of whispering, and I was just hearing that all the shows in Vancouver were getting shut down. So, I was like, “Oh, my goodness, will I make this last scene?” and “Will the will the movie keep going?” I think because we were on Victoria Island, there were no cases there I believe, and they got to work maybe two or three days longer than Vancouver, but we were close behind them. But I was fortunate enough to get wrapped and then come home. Yeah, it wasn’t a long period of time, but it was still, for me, to be away from my husband and kids, that’s a long time.

Suzanne: Sure, and I can’t imagine it was fun to have to fly back after that and be all worried.

Lauralee: Yeah, it was a really fun night. My husband was very nervous to [unintelligible] “What if you don’t get home?” I was like, “I will get home. Somehow I’ll get home.” And at that point, we [didn’t] really understand like, if the United States was your home, you could get home, but it was just all so new to us, of course, and just trying to figure out what that meant.

Suzanne: Did you meet other members of the cast that you’re not on screen with, like Naomi Judd and Marilu Henner?

Lauralee: No, I’m so bummed. I have friends who are friends with them…I can’t remember. So I missed Naomi Judd by a day, and I was contemplating changing my flight, but … you know, when you come in for your first day, you don’t need to be bothered with anyone else that you have to say hello to. So, when I got back, I had so many questions. I was like, “How was she?” And everyone was like, “She was everything you could imagine and more.”

And Marilu Henner I’ve been a fan of forever, just her whole – also, her– not only her acting talent, but her ability with her memory is so fascinating to me. So, that was exciting.

And then, I didn’t find out that Kristian Alfonso (who played Hope on “Days of Our Lives“) was on until way later, and so we have become Instagram buddies and supporters and, you know, making jokes that we should do a spin off with our two characters, just all these fun things.

It’s hard, because I got really close with Raechelle (Banno) and Karina (Banno), and it was great working with Gil (Bellows), because I was a huge Ally McBeal fan. So, it’s hard not to all be together promoting this, but we’re basically adding everybody’s everything to our stories and DMing each other constantly. So, we’re probably talking more apart than we would if we were together, because it is constant. I think everyone is so excited, and we’ve all had to hold all these pictures for a year, so it’s finally fun to release a few of them, behind the scenes.

Suzanne: And I like your character’s hair and makeup; it looks so perfect. How long did it take them to put you together like that?

Lauralee: I mean, they were an amazing team. They did it rather quickly, but coming home, back to the hotel, and then trying to get all that teasing out of my hair – I mean, first of all, there was a little restaurant in the hotel and we would wrap late, so’d I always pop in there with bright red lipstick and this bouffant hair, and I thought, “You know what? I’m in jeans and a sweater, so nothing about it makes sense.” And I thought, “You know, I don’t care, but they must think I am just some strange woman who was staying in their hotel.” Yeah, I mean, in the car ride to the hotel, I would be putting my fingers through the teasing of my hair and just trying to relax it, but it was a process for sure. They were hairdos that I had not worn, and for 20 years on The Young and The Restless, Patti Denney, my makeup artist had always said like, “Well, you’re wearing a red dress. Would you like to wear red lipstick?” And I was like, “No, no, no, no, it just doesn’t work on me.” And, you know, it has to work for Daphne, and what’s great about it, for me, is it completely changes my look. So, it was fun. It was definitely fun to sort of look in the mirror and be like, “Wow. This is not how I came in,” and, you know, kudos to Daphne.

Suzanne: So, did it take a lot longer to do all that than it normally would have been for you to, say, get made up as Christine on The Young the Restless?

Lauralee: The difference was I had like no eye makeup. So, the eye makeup that Christine would have worn, Daphne didn’t wear. She had a couple of lashes, but it was really about those red lips. So, hair, yes. I would say hair took longer. Wardrobe was so fantastic, but it was a lot of, you know, pinning in and dipping tight and undergarments, because it was very, very cold there, so we would have like heating pads under our clothes. It was pantyhose and things like that we haven’t worn in a bit, which was so fun. So, [it was] just different, but yeah, even minimal makeup tends to take some time, and those red lips had to be really painted on carefully.

Suzanne: So, how did you mentally prepare for this role, which is so different?

Lauralee: I mean, I just felt that, again, she’s so self-centered, and she just really doesn’t care about anybody else but herself. So, I just thought, the kids are a nuisance, and it’s really the opposite of how I think, but once I got in there, I just sort of could kind of key into her as like, you know, Ruby coming into this world is just throwing off her universe, and one child is more than enough. This child that I have living in the house knows all the rules, and she knows to pretend that everything’s great, even when it isn’t. She knows how to fit the mold, but this Ruby girl is going to be a troublemaker.

I think you’re probably right; watching some amazing actresses on our show growing up, I’m sure that sort of helped a bit. I mean, the lines are there [like] when I say something like, “If you don’t have anything bad to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’s like, who would say that to a young person? So, that helped.

Suzanne: Do you have any fun behind the scenes stories you can tell us about?

Lauralee: I mean, we were kind of up in this mansion away from where our trailers were, so we really had a lot of kind of hanging out time. I posted this on my Instagram yesterday, where, you know, Gil, has a son – he spoke about his son; he may might have children, but I think he just has one, but I was showing him all the silly apps you can do on your phone.

And the girls are knitters, so in between scenes, we would be just so fascinated, because, first of all, it’s fun to watch twins, but I just was kind of enamored with them, because they were both doing intermittent fasting, and they were both knitting, and they both finished each other’s sentences.

So, it wasn’t crazy stuff behind the scenes, but the downtime was really fun, because they’re really talented, bright, funny girls that when you’re doing something – kind of like, my part was really condensed, so I knew I had a limited amount of time with them, but to have really talked about everything, I mean, we talked about everything. They’re from Australia, and Y&R’s popular in Australia. So, I mean, just, there’s so much to discuss, but no real crazy things, but definitely a great time. I feel like we bonded twice as fast as I would have in past projects, just because, I don’t know, I think maybe we felt the pressure of…

Suzanne: The time crunch.

Lauralee: …and what’s going on in the world, and we knew that Lifetime was so excited about another VC Andrews project. We were excited about making these books come to life. So, there was just so much positive energy.

Suzanne: Yeah, those twins did a fantastic job.

Lauralee: Oh, my gosh, they’re so great. I mean, I can’t say enough about it. They were like, “We just watched the movies, and you did such a great job, and we’re so excited.” I’m like, “Okay, that’s so nice, but I am so excited for everyone to see you guys, because they’re your movies, and you guys are amazing.” I am so happy for them.

Suzanne: Yeah, it’s funny, because when you watch a movie like that, your mind sort of tries to predict what’s going to happen next, and I half expected we’d find out that Daphne and her husband’s partner had killed her husband.

Lauralee: Aha, I like that.

Suzanne: I watch too many soaps, I guess.

Lauralee: Right, there has to be more to it; there has to be some conniving behind the scenes. I love that idea. It’s so funny, when I’m telling the girls, like I’m taking over their world, basically, and then he puts his hand on my shoulder, and I grab his hand. It’s just like, ick. You know, it’s just like, these poor girls have to deal with this person. And it was so funny; every time we did the scene, the director would just laugh when I would grab his hand, and it was such a great move to have us do. It’s just repulsive to do in front of your children. “Well, your father’s gone…”

Suzanne: Not the most repulsive thing in the movie, though.

Lauralee: That is correct.

Suzanne: Every time she kissed her brother, I was like, “Eww, no.”

Lauralee: I know. I know. I mean, my daughter, luckily, is 18, so I feel as though she’s seen all these crazy shows that are on now, and I said to her, I was like, “This has a lot of good stuff in it. I think you’re gonna like it.” But, who knows. It’s always hard for them to watch Mom.

Suzanne: So, you’re not in the other two movies that come out next week?

Lauralee: Nope, I’m just in the first two. As they say, “Always leave them wanting more.”

Suzanne: That’s right. Now, you were on The Young and the Restless not too long ago. Have you been filming anymore there lately?

Lauralee: Yeah, I just I worked last week and the week before, so, yeah. I mean, really, if I didn’t switch to [recurring], I couldn’t do these opportunities that I really love doing, which is, you know, I’ve done, I guess, four Lifetime movies in the past three years. Maybe now with the pandemic, it’s four in four years, but, yeah, I love Y&R so much, but I also love doing a little side project.

Then, I have a writing partner, Martha Byrne, who was on “As the World Turns“; she played Lily. She and I are on the phone together every day, and we’re pitching some primetime shows to all different kinds of outlets. So, I stay very busy when I’m not on camera. So, it’s kind of fun right now.

Suzanne: Is that what you were doing a lot of during the pandemic, working on [those] kinds of things?

Lauralee: So, once we kind of got halfway through it, because for a while, everyone was just so focused on just keeping healthy and making sure their loved ones were healthy, as soon as people started realizing, like, you know, Zoom works well, and there will be positive life again in the future, then we started doing some pitch meetings. We’ve had to rework some pitch decks and resend them and now meet with this production company. So, it’s a slow process, but I see that we’re really making efforts to come back into all kinds of production. So, we’re hoping for some good news. We just keep on pushing.

Suzanne: Now, speaking of partners, I have a question, and you can feel free to say, “No comment,” because I don’t know, but I heard that Doug Davidson was leaving the show. Do you have a thing to say about that?

Lauralee: I mean, my only comment is we talk every single day. We’re very good friends. So, I can’t speak for him, but my advice to him was, “Never say never.” So, I’m still hopeful, but I support him in whatever he decides. We will still stay in touch daily, or weekly, regardless, but I think I could say that I can’t imagine not working with him again. So, I have to hold on to that hope that we will be reunited someday.

Suzanne: That’s good. You know, what’s nice about your characters is that there aren’t very many soap opera characters that you still see on a show, and they’re still a happy couple.

Lauralee: I know, and I agree. I love that. People are like, “How many husbands have you had?” or something. I’m like, “No, my character, I love it that it’s really been, like, you know, she loved Phillip, and then she loved Danny, and she loves Paul (Davidson).” And this relationship is so true to real life. Like people saw us really grow together as a couple, so I love that. And I love the fact that Nina’s back. To me, there aren’t enough female friendships on television. It’s very catty, and I understand that can be fun to watch, but I also think, to balance it out, we need a positive woman to support another kind of [woman], to have those kinds of conversations as well. So, I feel like Nina and Cricket have that history.

Suzanne: Yes, definitely. It’s funny, it seems like they bring in [Brittany]; maybe they bring her in when you can’t be a lawyer.

Lauralee: Right, exactly. It is funny. She’s so sweet, Lauren Woodland, who plays Brittany. [unintelligible] that legal stuff is not easy, and even after working for so long and staying with it for so long, it still throws me on days where I have a long legal either trial or statement or whatever. Then, for her to just be asked in occasionally, and then, “Oh, by the way, here’s your monologue or your very wordy couple of scenes,” good for her. She always does great.

Suzanne: Yeah. It helps that – she’s a lawyer in real life, right?

Lauralee: Yeah, which is so exciting. I was gonna say it’s relatively recent, but it’s not that recent, but yeah, I think that’s such a fun little tidbit.

Suzanne: Yeah, that’s cool.

Lauralee: She understands that lingo. I just pretend I [do].

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Lauralee’s Wikipedia Page

LIFETIME, THE EXCLUSIVE HOME OF V.C. ANDREWS’ MOVIES, PREMIERES THE NEXT MOVIE SERIES EVENT, BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING LANDRY BOOK SERIES THIS MARCH WITH FOUR NEW MOVIES RUBY, PEARL IN THE MIST, ALL THAT GLITTERS AND HIDDEN JEWEL DEBUTING OVER CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS BEGINNING MARCH 20

Kristian Alfonso, Marilu Henner, Richard Harmon, Jennifer Laporte and Evan Roderick Join Previously Announced Cast Including Identical Twins Raechelle Banno & Karina Banno, Naomi Judd, Crystal Fox, Gil Bellows, Deborah Cox, Lauralee Bell, Sam Duke and Ty Wood

Lifetime, the exclusive home of movies inspired by books from best-selling author V.C. Andrews, adds additional star-studded names to their next movie series event, centered on the Landry Family, with Daytime Emmy award winner, Kristian Alfonso (Days of our Lives); Golden Globe nominee, Marilu Henner (Taxi); Leo Award winner Richard Harmon (The 100, Bates Motel); Leo Award winner Jennifer Laporte (V.C. Andrews’ Web of Dreams) and Evan Roderick (Arrow, BH90210) joining the cast. The four-movie V.C. event airs consecutively over two weekends starting at 8pm ET/PT on Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21 and then again at 8pm ET/PT on Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28. The movie series follows Ruby Landry, who after being raised by her loving spiritual healer grandmother in the Louisiana bayou, is ensnared in a world of dark family secrets and betrayal, upon discovering that she has another family living in New Orleans.

The V.C Andrews’ Landry Family book series – Ruby, Pearl in the Mist, All That Glitters and Hidden Jewel – is the second highest-selling series from the author and becomes Lifetime’s latest adaptation of the prolific writer’s work. Lifetime’s new movie series comes on the heels of last summer’s premiere of V.C. Andrews’ Casteel Family movie series, which ranked as cable’s #2 new drama series among W25-54 for 20191.

Stars Naomi Judd, Crystal Fox, Gil Bellows, Deborah Cox, twins Raechelle Banno & Karina Banno, Lauralee Bell, Sam Duke and Ty Wood Saturday March 20th at 8pm ET/PT

Ruby centers on Ruby Landry (Raechelle Banno), born in the Louisiana bayou and watched over by her loving Grandmère Catherine (Judd). Ruby is filled with hope as love blooms with her high school sweetheart Paul Tate (Duke), but lingering thoughts of her mysterious father and her mother’s death often creep into Ruby’s mind. As dark family secrets begin to reveal themselves when Paul’s parents forbid him from seeing Ruby, Ruby is further devastated when her beloved Grandmère passes away. Forced to flee to New Orleans from the bayou, Ruby searches for her estranged father (Bellows), one of the richest men in the city, as she clings to her memories of Paul and their forbidden love.

Stars Marilu Henner with Gil Bellows, Raechelle Banno, Karina Banno, Lauralee Bell, Richard Harmon, Sam Duke and Ty Wood Sunday March 21st at 8pm ET/PT

Based on the second book, Pearl in the Mist finds Ruby still struggling to find true happiness, after a year of living at her father’s lavish mansion. When Ruby and her twin Giselle (Karina Banno) are sent away to an exclusive all girls boarding school, Ruby is hopeful for a new start with her sister. But when Ruby is once again shamed for her backwater upbringing, and her cruel Headmistress, Mrs. Ironwood (Henner), along with her stepmother Daphne (Bell) and Giselle continue to plot against her, Ruby must endure torturous punishments and public humiliation. Ruby holds out hope and continues to dream of a better future until tragedy leaves her alone in a world of deceits.

Stars Kristian Alfonso with Raechelle Banno, Karina Banno, Sam Duke and Ty Wood Saturday March 27th at 8pm ET/PT

All That Glitters picks up as Ruby is driven from the Dumas mansion and returns to her beloved childhood home in the bayou where she’s intent on creating a new life for her baby girl, Pearl. Ruby’s high school sweetheart, Paul, once again is there to support her, and when he moves her into his impressive home, she has new hope for the future. However, Ruby can’t escape the judging eyes of Paul’s mother Gladys (Alfonso) who knows Ruby and Paul’s dark secret and Giselle continues to torment Ruby when she reveals news about Beau (Wood), Pearl’s real father and Ruby’s true love. Ruby longs for another life. The web of deceit continues when Giselle falls into a coma and Ruby finds herself lured into a twisted plan to be with Beau.

Stars Jennifer Laporte and Evan Roderick with Kristian Alfonso, Raechelle Banno, Karina Banno, Crystal Fox, Sam Duke and Ty Wood  Sunday March 28th at 8pm ET/PT

Hidden Jewel finds Ruby trying to find a new life for her children and desperate to protect her beloved daughter from the dark secrets she harbors. Raised amidst the privileges in New Orleans, Pearl (Laporte) aspires to become a doctor, but when an unfortunate accident occurs to one of her twin brothers, Pearl’s dreams are threatened and Ruby runs, once again back to the bayou. And when one of Pearl’s younger brothers becomes deathly ill, she must journey to the backwaters to find her mother and uncover the mysterious secrets of her past.

Additional stars across all four movies include Tess Atkins, Todd Thompson Serge Houde, Liza Huget, Mason Temple, Ducan Ollerenshaw, Paula Giroday, Giordana Venturi, Marc-Anthony Massiah, Veena Sood, Bob Frazer, Eric Vincent, Sage Linder, Glynis Davies, Bronwen Smith, Darien Martin, Meaghan Claire Hewitt McDonald, Beverly Gay Breuer, Chad Willett, Christian Michael Cooper, Dean Petriw, Ellen MacNevin, Indie Bajic, Mila Jones, Peter Anderson, and Caroline Yonge.

V.C. Andrews’ Landry Family Series is produced by Champlain Media and distributed by Reel One Entertainment. Executive producers are Tom Berry, Dan Angel, Jane Startz, Breanne Hartley, Jane Charles, and Ric Nish and Matthew Chipera serve as producers. Screenwriters include Richard Blaney, Gregory Small, Scarlett Lacey, Andy Cochran and Brian C. Rost who co-wrote the outline for Hidden Jewel. Gail Harvey directs Ruby, David Bercovici-Artieda directs Pearl in the Mist and Michael Robison directs All That Glitters and Hidden Jewel.

*For the 2019 TV Season, Lifetime’s VC Andrews Casteel Family film series would rank as cables #2 new drama among W25-54. Source: Nielsen, Live+SD, W25-54 (000s), 10/1/18-9/29/19, VC Andrews film series average vs. new drama season averages on cable.

ABOUT LIFETIME
Celebrating over 35 years of entertaining audiences, Lifetime is a premier entertainment destination for women dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning award-winning movies, high-quality scripted series and breakout non-fiction series. Lifetime has an impressive legacy in public affairs, bringing attention to social issues that women care about with initiatives such as the long-running Stop Breast Cancer for Life, Stop Violence Against Women, and Broader Focus, a major global initiative dedicated to supporting and hiring female directors, writers and producers, including women of color, to make its content. Lifetime Television®, LMN®, Lifetime Real Women® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Lauralee Bell in Lifetime's "Ruby" and "Pearl in the Mist"

Interview with Jodi Balfour & Sonya Walger

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Jodi Balfour & Sonya Walger of "For All Mankind" on Apple TV+

Interview with Jodi Balfour & Sonya Walger of “For All Mankind” on Apple TV+ by Suzanne 3/3/21

This was a fun interview. I was glad to interview these two women as well as the other two from the show. I didn’t get a lot of time with them, but it went very well.

Suzanne: Sonya, you’ve done a lot of TV and movies. What was it about this show that you felt was different than your past projects?

Sonya: I didn’t honestly know a lot about the show when I signed up. I auditioned for the role of Molly with, I think it was, three sheets of paper, one scene. It was a scene from – I can’t even remember. Anyway, it was a great scene, and it was a scene with Joe [Kinnaman]; we were already in the rocket. It was a world I knew nothing about. I knew nothing about NASA. The idea of playing an astronaut felt thrilling.

There was also an aesthetic element too. I just finished doing The Catch. I did two seasons of that, which was an incredibly glamorous show, high lip gloss, shiny heels I couldn’t move in, lots of pencil skirts. It was great. It was a wonderful role, but to suddenly come to this to play someone who, you know, it’s said in capital letters all over the top of these these sides that I was given, “Dress down; this woman pays no attention to how she looks.” It felt great; bring it, fantastic. How fun. That was an element of it, because that was honestly as much information as I had about it.

I mean, I got the role and started shooting two, three days later. So, it was so fast the turnaround. I didn’t have much time to think about, “What is this? What am I joining?” I was also only supposed to be in it for three episodes, and I am talking with you at the end of season two. So, it wasn’t like I knew I was joining something that was going to take up the next two years of my life.

Suzanne: Okay, and I can say this because I’m older than you, but you’re probably one of the few actors in the cast that was actually around in the 80s when this season takes place.

Sonya: Yes.

Suzanne: How well do you remember it, and did you think the series did a good job of capturing that time?

Sonya: I think it totally did. I mean, short of having Princess Diana in it, it did everything. We had the shoulder puffs and the big hair and the perms and the headbands, and it was all going on. Yeah, fully, that felt like home, although it didn’t, because England in the 80s is very different to America in the 80s. England in the 80s was still quite depressed and grim, and it always felt like America had, you know, shiny bright things happening, and McDonald’s and milkshakes. America was where I wanted to be in the 80s. So, it’s fun to imaginatively be there now.

Suzanne: Thank you, and Jodi, what are you allowed to tell us about what happens to your character this season?

Jodi: Oh, so little. What can I actually tell you? I mean, there’s a big – I just used this term a second ago, but there’s a big political awakening that happens with her this season. I suppose it’s not a total surprise that this is possible, but certainly not something I think audiences will be expecting of Ellen, who when we meet in season one, there’s something [quite] mild about her, but quite timid and reserved and quiet and studious. By the end of season two, there’s someone really stepping in to try to claim a sense of power and leadership, all in in service of getting to Mars, but still, nonetheless, we meet quite a political animal by the end of season two.

Suzanne: Okay, and congratulations to both you on the show being renewed for a third season. How far ahead did they tell you what’s going to happen to your character? Either of you can answer, or both.

Jodi: I’ve had a quick chat with the writers, but that’s it. They’ll plant a few seeds for us, and then we have to wait for [the] script.

Suzanne: Have they started working on season three, shooting-wise or just writing-wise?

Sonya: We start shooting soon.

Jodi: Yeah. end of the month. I think they have close to the whole season written, not all, but close to, but they’ll keep writing as we shoot.

Suzanne: I saw an article that was talking about the things that people wanted to know about season two. Do we find out what happened with Pam (Meghan Leathers)? Is there any more about Pam and your [character’s] relationship? Or you can’t say?

Jodi: I don’t know. I wish I could like give you some sort of sign language to point one direction or the other, but I just simply can’t. It’s been scrubbed from my memory.

Suzanne: That’s fair…How did you feel when you found out that they have so much faith in the show that they’re already going on with the third season before the second one even started airing?

Sonya: It’s great. I mean, honestly, working with Apple is fantastic. It’s a company founded on innovation, and it feels like this is such a good fit for that. Our shows is a good match for that. I also feel like there’s such a great cast. It’s such an unusual idea to keep jumping years ahead. I can’t think of many shows that have ever attempted this. It feels brave and thrilling; to get a chance to jump ahead again is wonderful.

Suzanne: Did the pandemic affect the filming at all?

Jodi: Big time. We shot right before finishing season two and then had to come back, kind of as one of the early guinea pigs, in August [or] September to complete season two, and now we will be going back into production.

Suzanne: What precautions do they take? I know they test you a lot.

Sonya: We tested every day. We tested even on our days off. Every single person is masked. We have special entrances and exits so that nobody’s crossing pods. You rehearse in a mask…There’re many, many precautions.

I was incredibly nervous about going back to work in the middle of this. I’ve got two small children; I’ve got an asthmatic husband. It all felt terrifying to me, and yet, I got to work, and I truthfully couldn’t have felt safer. They have implemented everything possible to keep you safe, all of us.

Suzanne: That’s great. Jodi, comments?

Jodi: No, everything Sonya said and more. I mean, it almost to a degree starts to make set feel like the safest place you can be, to be honest. It’s great.

I was really worried about it feeling like it would be COVID with a side of a TV show, and it really didn’t feel like that. We found a way, and the first few days felt strange and apocalyptic in the way that you would expect them to, but, eventually, you really get into the swing of it. It’s amazing how adaptable we all are, and by the end of finishing those last two episodes, it was making a TV show with a side of COVID, rather than the other way around. So, the work felt protected.

Suzanne: Have you heard anything about what they plan to do in the future? Say everyone has, or most people have been vaccinated, are they still going to keep some of those restrictions? Have you heard anything about it?

Jodi: I think we’d continue on as we have, but I don’t [know] – none of us have – I haven’t been vaccinated certainly, and I don’t think there’s a plan to do that before we shoot. We’ll continue on as we did successfully in August and in September.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

“For All Mankind” explores what would have happened if the global space race had

never ended. The series presents an aspirational world where NASA astronauts, engineers and their families find themselves in the center of extraordinary events seen through the prism of an alternate history timeline — a world in which the USSR beats the US to the moon.

Season two of the space drama picks up a decade later in 1983. It’s the height of the Cold War and tensions between the United States and the USSR are at their peak. Ronald Reagan is President and the greater ambitions of science and space exploration are at threat of being squandered as the US and Soviets go head to head to control sites rich in resources on the moon. The Department of Defense has moved into Mission Control, and the militarization of NASA becomes central to several characters’ stories: some fight it, some use it as an opportunity to advance their own interests, and some find themselves at the height of a conflict that may lead to nuclear war. New stars set to join Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, Wrenn Schmidt, Jodi Balfour, Krys Marshall and Sonya Walger in the second season include Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Casey W. Johnson.

“For All Mankind” is created by Golden Globe-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Ronald D. Moore, and Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominees Ben Nedivi & Matt Wolpert. Moore, Nedivi and Wolpert executive produce alongside Golden Globe Award nominee Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions and Nichole Beattie, David Weddle and Bradley Thompson. “For All Mankind” is produced by Sony Pictures Television.

The ten episode second season will debut globally on Friday, February 19, 2021, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday, exclusively on Apple TV+.

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Jodi Balfour & Sonya Walger of "For All Mankind" on Apple TV+

Interview with Wrenn Schmidt & Krys Marshall

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Wrenn Schmidt in “For All Mankind,” now streaming on Apple TV+.Krys Marshall in “For All Mankind,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Interview with Wrenn Schmidt & Krys Marshall of “For All Mankind” on Apple+ by Suzanne 3/3/21

It was nice to chat with 4 of the actresses from the show. There are two here and then two others in a separate interview for 10 minutes each and It was so much fun. It’s a huge cast in this good scifi show. They were very gracious.

Suzanne: Could you tell us what’s new for both of your characters this season? Whatever you’re allowed to say?

Wrenn: Well, Margo is the boss. In season one, Margo made a prediction that she would be running NASA in ten years, and the only thing she got wrong was the timeline. She got there sooner than ten years. So, that’s something that’s new. Margo, because of that, she’s got a massive office. So, instead of being stuck in a closet, where she’s got like – I mean, it almost looks like just all camping gear and engineered fixes, you know, she’s got a closet full of clothes and little hiding places for books that she reads when everyone else has left and a massive desk. She’s been been around for a while. So, that’s all different, and now, Margot has people come to her for things instead of her needing to go to them. So, yeah, it’s a very different world from season one.

Suzanne: Krys?

Krys: For Danielle, I think, at the end of season one, we see that she’s really dedicated herself to her work. She’s made this enormous sacrifice to protect Gordo (Michael Dorman) and his reputation. We also see that her marriage to Clayton (Edwin Hodge) is really hanging on by a thread, because he’s in such disarray after returning home from Vietnam. So, we kind of leave Danielle in peril; we don’t know where we’ll find her.

At the top of season two, we see what the end result is of what happens when you just give and give and give of yourself, and eventually you have nothing left to give. Emotionally, she’s in a pretty kind of low place. I think she’s pretty exhausted. We see that Clayton is no longer with us, and so having had all these losses has created a revival in Danielle. She realizes, you know, “I want to go back to Jamestown. I want to not just be an astronaut in name only, but I want to suit up. I want to put my helmet on. I want to see the sunrise over the Earth’s crest, and I want to get back at it again.” So, we start to see the little inklings of a renewed and reborn Danielle.

Suzanne: So, I noticed something. I interviewed Jodi (Balfour) and Sonya (Walger) a little while earlier. Did they try to make a concerted effort to make all of you look a little plain?  Because you’re all much prettier in real life than on the show.

Krys: That’s very sweet. Suzanne, thank you.

Suzanne: It’s true, though.

Wrenn: I think, though, what’s interesting about that observation, is that it takes all of us, I think, one to two hours to get ready to bring us in that direction…

Krys: To look that plain.

Wrenn: …And like one two hours to look like this…It goes both directions.

Krys: Well, I was just gonna say too that, you know, Wrenn mentioned this in an earlier conversation, but especially with Margo and Danielle, these are people who are putting their intellect and that foot first. So, often, and as an actor, you’re judged on the way that you look and the appearance that you present, whereas these women are scientists and engineers. So, I love that, yes, Dani is a bit plain and Margo is a bit plain, but that’s because it’s not a fashion show. These women are looking to be taken seriously, and, ultimately, women are judged by the way that they look even in a bureaucratic environment. If Dani were to show up to the office, and – because we thought about that, like, this is 1983, and I came here with ideas of Whitney Houston, “I Want to Dance with Somebody” hair. I was like, “Let’s do it,” and they’re like, “Hold on, hold on, hold on. This is a woman who has an incredible acumen for science and technology. Let’s just take it a beat and also remind ourselves that this is in Houston. This is not in New York City or in Paris or some enormous fashion capital.” So, our costume designer, Jill Ohanneson, used the Sears Roebuck catalog as the baseline for Dani’s looks, because that’s where Dani can afford to shop, and she wants to look nice. She wants to look presentable. So, yeah, thank you for saying we look nice.

Suzanne: There are some interviews and videos where it seems like they just wear sweat pants and [unintelligible], males, especially.

What was the most fun thing – this is for either or both of you – that you’ve done on the show?

Wrenn: It’s too hard to choose. That’s like a nightmare of a question, because there are so many things…

Suzanne: Sorry.

Wrenn: …No, no, I mean, I’m just gonna start like reeling off things, and Krys, I’m going to leave it to you to stop me and be like, “Cut. Scene.”

I really loved working with Colm Feore in the first season. The whole relationship between Margo and von Braun was so much fun. I mean, it’s a true gift. When you pick up a script – like that was in our sixth episode that season, where it was almost like filming a play in some ways, which is when Margot goes to von Braun’s house.

I also really, really loved trying to figure out how to fake play the piano. So, it was really rewarding after spending so much time doing that to actually do it, and to have Sonya, who I just met, be like, “You’re pretending?” and me just being like, “Oh my God, [it’s] working.”

I also really loved filming scenes with Sonya as well; she was just incredible, especially [in] that one little scene between Molly and Margo, when they’re doing the training stuff.

Then, I just really love working with our writers and our whole crew. I mean, that’s something that’s a big bummer about COVID. It’s not just that we as a cast have to keep our distance, it’s that the crew, we’re actually all separated into different pods. I’m so used to like, jabbering with the crew on the side. I’m so used to being like, “Hey, how are you?” and to just feel like, it’s like, “Hey…” That’s a little sad.

Then, as far as Season Two goes, I just I love getting to play with who Margo is when she’s not at work being watched by other people. I just find that to be the most fun, fascinating, like creative ocean to dive into. Yeah, I maybe get a little carried away with that, but it’s so much fun. I’m gonna cut myself [off].

Krys: Yeah, I mean, all of it is really fun. I will say, learning The Bob Newhart Show by heart was really fun. Michael and Joel [Kinnaman] – I mean, I kind of feel like I should have shot those scenes wearing an astronaut diaper, because I laughed so hard that I had a little bit of pee in my pants. I mean, they’re just so much fun to be around. So, Meera Menon, our director for the “Hi, Bob” episode, really just let us open it up, let us play, let us improvise, let us just have fun together. So, I think what translates on screen is a connection with Gordo, Dani and Ed, and in real life, there was just a true connection between myself, Joel, and Michael, and just being able to horse around. There are so many aspects of this job that I love, but I think getting to reunite with those guys, is always really, really delicious fun stuff to do.

Suzanne: When they do the scenes that are on the moon, and like at the beginning of the second season, they’re bouncing around trying to get back when they have the solar flares, how is that done? Is that done completely CGI? How do they do that?

Krys: Suzanne! I can’t tell you how the magic is made. Are you kidding me? Come on.

Suzanne: A little bit, a little bit.

Krys: …So, here’s the rub about wearing the spacesuit. The spacesuit is about 65 pounds with the helmet and the boots and the full – it’s extraordinarily heavy. The joy of it is that if you were in space, you’d be weightless. So, it’d be [nice] for you, but we’re not; we’re here on Earth. It’s about half my body weight, so it’s it’s pretty taxing. So, some of the work is done on wires. Some of the work is actually just us moving in kind of an undulating way that’s slowed down a little bit to make it seem like we’re moving [in] space. But yeah, the suits are incredibly hot to wear, so they have to constantly lift the visor to blot you, because you’re just pouring sweat as you play those bits. But yeah, our visual effects team is incredible at making – Like there’s a bit in the “Hi, Bob” episode where I drop the ant farm. I mean, that’s all on liars, and it looks like it’s just me dropping an ant farm, and in actuality, I’m hitched to wires as I slowly slow speed fall over to grab this falling ant farm. So, all movie magic.

Suzanne: I can see why you wouldn’t count this. The parts of the spacesuit as being the most fun though.

Krys: No. Fun to watch but not fun to wear.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

“For All Mankind” explores what would have happened if the global space race had

never ended. The series presents an aspirational world where NASA astronauts, engineers and their families find themselves in the center of extraordinary events seen through the prism of an alternate history timeline — a world in which the USSR beats the US to the moon.

Season two of the space drama picks up a decade later in 1983. It’s the height of the Cold War and tensions between the United States and the USSR are at their peak. Ronald Reagan is President and the greater ambitions of science and space exploration are at threat of being squandered as the US and Soviets go head to head to control sites rich in resources on the moon. The Department of Defense has moved into Mission Control, and the militarization of NASA becomes central to several characters’ stories: some fight it, some use it as an opportunity to advance their own interests, and some find themselves at the height of a conflict that may lead to nuclear war. New stars set to join Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, Wrenn Schmidt, Jodi Balfour, Krys Marshall and Sonya Walger in the second season include Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña and Casey W. Johnson.

“For All Mankind” is created by Golden Globe-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Ronald D. Moore, and Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominees Ben Nedivi & Matt Wolpert. Moore, Nedivi and Wolpert executive produce alongside Golden Globe Award nominee Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions and Nichole Beattie, David Weddle and Bradley Thompson. “For All Mankind” is produced by Sony Pictures Television.

The ten episode second season will debut globally on Friday, February 19, 2021, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday, exclusively on Apple TV+.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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For All Mankind poster

Interview with Tarun Keram

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Tarun Keram of "The Stand" on CBS All Access

Interview with Tarun Keram of “The Stand” on CBS All Access by Suzanne 2/25/21

This was a delightful interview. He’s a very talented young actor, and I think we will see a lot more of him. I was excited to learn that he’s been in some of my favorite shows. I’m looking forward to seeing his “Debris” episode coming up.

Here is the audio version of it.

Suzanne: So, tell us about your character in The Stand, which, I think, just finished up last week.

Tarun: Yeah, it just finished. So, I play Steve, the orderly. He used to be a vet technician, and the apocalypse hit. Everyone’s dead, so there’re no doctors around. So, I have to step up and become a doctor and assist in labors.

Suzanne:
Great. And I heard you did a little research about being a vet technician.

Tarun: Yeah, I’ve done a little. I have a dog. So, I’d ask the vet some questions and all that, because there wasn’t – my character doesn’t exist in the book. So, the only information I had was the vet technician part and what it would be like to transition into being a doctor.

Suzanne: Great. What kind of dog do you have?

Tarun: I have a husky.

Suzanne: Oh, I love huskies.

Tarun: So great. So much hair, though.

Suzanne: They’re so pretty though. We almost got one.

Tarun: So pretty. Then, he’s got two different colored eyes.

Suzanne: Oh, that’s great. We when we had our first dog, we went to the shelter, and we wanted this husky there that was so pretty, but it had kennel cough, so we couldn’t get it.

Tarun: Aww.

Suzanne: I know.

Tarun: That’s too bad. Poor dog.

Suzanne: I hope it ended up okay.

Tarun: Yeah.

Suzanne: Do you have Instagram? Do you have pictures of your dog on there we can see?

Tarun: Yeah, absolutely. It’s just my first name last name, and you can check out my myself and my dog on Instagram.

Suzanne: Oh, cool. I’ll have to check that out. I’ll definitely do that. I follow a lot of dog and cat and other pet things on Instagram.

Tarun: Oh, really?

Suzanne: Yeah.

Tarun: I do too. Do you follow Loki, the wolf dog?

Suzanne: I don’t know. There’s so many that I follow. I don’t remember. I’ll look for him though.

Tarun: He didn’t do it, like the celebrity of dogs.

Suzanne: Oh, okay, cool. So anyway, you finished The Stand right before the pandemic, correct?

Tarun: Yeah, that’s right. I think it the first week of March was my final day, and I think everything shut down the week after or the week after that, but we just made it, and we didn’t have a wrap party.

Suzanne: Aww. Well, I know it’s a mini series, but is there any talk of a sequel that you’ve heard?

Tarun: Not that I’ve heard of yet. But the ending, if you’ve seen it, has changed from the book. So it’s sort of open ended.

Suzanne: No, I haven’t seen it, but I heard that it was left that way. So, that’s why I was wondering if maybe [it would].

Tarun: Yeah, I mean, I hope it does, but I haven’t I haven’t heard anything quite yet.

Suzanne: You’re also going to be an episode of the new NBC series, Debris?

Tarun: Absolutely.

Suzanne: What role are you playing there?

Tarun: I play a secret agent that’s a tech head. So, I deal with computers and spyware, figuring out where people go, that sort of thing. That’s pretty much all I can really say about it.

Suzanne: Are you in just one episode or multiple episodes?

Tarun: So far, just one.

Suzanne: I saw the first episode, and I interviewed two of the guys from there the other day. It looks like a good show.

Tarun: Yeah, looks like NBC is really pushing the sci-fi now for – What is it? They have a new streaming platform, right?

Suzanne: Do you mean besides Peacock?

Tarun: Oh, yeah, that’s the one, I guess. I don’t know if it’s out already.

Suzanne: Yeah. It’s hard to keep track. There’re so many.

Tarun: There’re so many now, yeah.

Suzanne: Do you have anything else coming out that you tell us about?

Tarun: Yeah. So, I’m in an episode of Nancy Drew that’s coming out. I just shot that. I just shot that one [recently]. It’s been super busy. Then, I’m working on Legends of Tomorrow, I think, next week.

Suzanne: Cool. Is that one episode or do you have a recurring role?

Tarun: It’s like a pseudo guest star for Legends.

Suzanne: Okay, cool.

Tarun: I don’t want to think too much, because there’s a lot of moving parts of that show.

Suzanne: Sure. I love that show. I watch all the CW superhero shows.

Tarun: Awesome.

Suzanne: I’ll watch for you on there.

Tarun: Yeah, please do. I actually quite like them. The last one I saw was Flash, but I haven’t seen any other ones since then.

Suzanne: Yeah, I think Flash is coming back soon.

Tarun: Yeah, that’s right. I have been auditioning…for for some roles. I’ve been in Supergirl already, so now I’m in Legends, and I was in Arrow before, so I’m trying to try to make the rounds here.

Suzanne: Yeah, I saw that you were in there. Those are all my favorite shows. It’s great.

Tarun: That’s awesome.

Suzanne: Well, there’re so many TV shows of all different sorts, and there’s a lot of good ones out there. So, you have to sort of like, figure out and prioritize which ones [to watch].

Tarun: Yeah, you’re going to have to get all the streaming services.

Suzanne: Right. Well, I pretty much do have almost all of them, but I try to watch them all, at least one episode for reviewing, for my site. But, I mean, for my personal viewing, I try to prioritize superhero shows and some sci-fi and other things.

Tarun: …Yeah, that’s right; you have to.

Suzanne:
Yeah, because, otherwise, you’re always behind, and you’re always stressed out and like, “Oh, I can’t watch it all. It’s too much.”

Tarun: Yeah, I feel that.

Suzanne: Did you grow up reading comics?

Tarun: I did not. I did not read any comics. I mostly read – I wasn’t a big reader, to be honest. The last book I read was Eragon, all the way through, but then I picked up a Vertigo graphic novel. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. It’s called Fables.

Suzanne: No, but that’s okay.

Tarun: It’s all about fairy tales, but they all live in New York and have to deal with a bunch of problems. Beauty and the Beast is in it, Cinderella. It’s pretty cool.

Suzanne: Oh, it sounds a little bit like – there was a show like that on NBC awhile back…Grimm.

Tarun: Oh, I didn’t watch that one.

Suzanne: Yeah, that was a good show. Anyway, it’s similar to that with fairy tale characters in modern day society type of thing.

Tarun: Same idea. I guess [its], like Once Upon a Time; it’s kind of like that.

Suzanne: Yeah, it’s similar to that, but I think it was more of a gritty show than Once Upon a Time. So, are you back to auditioning now for other stuff, then?

Tarun: Absolutely. I don’t think that’s ever going to end. It’s changed a little bit now though, where I’m on set, and I have a call from my agent saying, “Send in a tape for before tomorrow morning.” So, it’s a little bit different than before where I’m sort of waiting around.

Suzanne: Well, I guess if you get big enough, at some point, you won’t have to audition.

Tarun: I hope so. I mean, I kind of like auditioning, but I remember Odessa Young from The Stand. One of the days we were there, she had an audition for the next day, and it was like twelve pages long or something, but she was on set shooting sixteen hours. So, I’m not sure. I’m not sure when when that would end, if the leads are doing it on The Stand.

Suzanne: But you actually like auditioning?

Tarun: I do. I do. The game’s sort of changed a little bit where there’s not many callbacks around for TV and film. So, when I showed up to set for Debris, I hadn’t met anyone, and I didn’t really know what their vision was for this character. So, I would do something one way, and then they would go a complete 180 on me. That sort of would have been figured out at the audition, or the callback, I would say, but it’s just adjusting.

Suzanne: Is that because of the pandemic and having to do everything remotely?

Tarun: Yeah, absolutely. You can’t really go in the room anymore.

Suzanne: So, they basically audition you on tape, and then they hire you, and then you sort of figure out the character together. Is that what you’re saying?

Tarun: Yeah, yeah, pretty much. You can give them your take, and you can show up to set with how you presented the character, but you’ve just got to be ready for some changes, as always.

Suzanne: To your knowledge, have they ever hired someone, and then when they get there, they find they just really can’t get this person to act the way they want to, and then they say, “Nevermind,” and they get somebody else?

Tarun: Oh, I don’t know. I feel like that might be a little costly. Yeah, you just kind of have to roll with the punches and work with what you’ve got.

Suzanne: Well, it’s good that they streamlined it, especially nowadays. Everything moves so fast anyway with the filming.

Tarun: Yeah, exactly.

Suzanne: …So, what have you been doing this past year to keep busy during the pandemic?

Tarun: Oh, I started a garden in my backyard. I built a fence, and I just relaxed. It’s a huge change of pace from auditioning all the time.

Suzanne: I’ll bet. Was this in Vancouver or somewhere else?

Tarun: Yeah, I live in Surrey, which is about an hour from Vancouver. It’s kind of like the [unintelligible].

Suzanne: That’s cool. So, did you know anything about gardening before, or did you have to learn everything?

Tarun: Absolutely not. I knew nothing. I just thought everything took the same amount of water; that’s not true. I ended up picking peppers and a bunch of other plants, and obviously, the peppers don’t need as much water, but I’d still water them the same amount. But after a week, I figured it out pretty quick[ly], because they did not look good.

Suzanne: I think that was very smart of you. Most people it takes awhile, or they just give up.

Tarun: Yeah, no, I didn’t. I actually enjoy cooking now. So, it’s nice having fresh thyme and fresh rosemary on hand. It’s so nice.

Suzanne: Great. And I see you’ve been a both a producer and a director. What do you like best actor, producer, or director if you had to choose?

Tarun: I feel like it depends on what kind of mood I’m in, because sometimes I just want to create my own project, and in that case, I love being the producer. Sometimes I just want to act. I don’t know. I don’t know. I would say that I like producing and acting more than directing, but I also like writing more than I like producing and directing, if that makes sense.

Suzanne: Sure. Well, I guess it’s a good thing you don’t have to choose, then.

Tarun: Yeah, exactly.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Tarun Keram’s stirring and rooted performances have the industry taking notice. He was born and raised in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada where he grew up spending his days playing sports with friends after school. In grade eleven Tarun began playing Ultimate Frisbee where he won multiple MVP medals. He came to the craft in his last semester of high school when he enrolled in a theatre class and uncovered his joy for acting. It took him a few more years to acknowledge his passion and talent for it but soon after he began landing coveted roles in TV and film. After high school, he dedicated himself to acting through the Vancouver Film School and an agent and roles soon followed.

Tarun has worked on numerous TV shows including The CW’s “Arrow”, “Supergirl”, “iZombie” and “Supernatural”, Amazon’s “Upload”, Netflix’s “Travelers”, Lifetime’s “UnREAL”, NBC’s “The Arrangement”, FOX’s “Prison Break” and ABC’s “Once Upon a Time”. He also had prominent roles on CBS’s “Twilight Zone”, The CW’s “Charmed”, Hulu’s “Marvel’s Helstrom” and SYFY’s “The Magicians”.

Most recently Tarun landed the coveted role of Steve on CBS All Access’ anticipated limited series “The Stand”, an adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel. The series premieres December 17th.

LIMITED SERIES: The Stand

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Stand is Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård), the Dark Man. THE STAND will close with a new coda written by the famed author himself.

CHARACTER: Steve

PREMIERE DATE: December 17th on CBS All Access

Get to Know Tarun

I did a DNA test and I’ve got Welsh and Japanese ancestry.

I was the Captain of my Ultimate Frisbee team in high school and won an MVP medal.

I’m very superstitious.

When I auditioned for Star Trek it was in a warehouse full of people who were auditioning for the Bridge Crew members.

I’m still in close contact with my Bridge Crew members to this day.

I grow my own ghost peppers to spice up my mom’s curry recipe.

I’m the owner of a print shop.

It takes me an hour to get to my auditions on a good day. I commuted an hour and a half every morning and evening .

When I was going to film school, I once thought I met Idris Elba , but it was actually his stunt double in an alien costume.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Tarun Keram of "The Stand" on CBS All Access

Interview with Cybil Lake

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

actress Cybil Lake

Interview with Cybil Lake of the film “Central Park Dark” by Krista

Cybil was very nice and excited to talk to me. She is so enthusiastic about her work and seems to be a hard worker. She talks about how she is always pitching an idea and always coming up with new ideas. I think some of the ideas she is pitching are interesting, and I hope they will come to fruition. I wish her the best in all her endeavors.

Krista: How did you get started in acting and how did you decide you wanted to write and direct?

Cybil: I have always loved performing. I have always loved acting and writing. I kind of like, even as a kid, you know, and as soon as I could, like even in high school and junior high [break in audio] …Everybody’s student films. I was at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and then, from there, I started making my own films, because I [knew] a lot of actors at that point, and I saw how it was really hard for them to find any roles. So, since I was a writer, I just kind of wrote my own part. Most of the things that I think about I create, so I can act in them. I usually don’t get story inspirations with other characters, not always. I’m more excited when it’s a female lead that I can play, because thus far those roles haven’t been given to me. Thus far.

Krista: Well, hopefully that will change.

Cybil: Yeah.

Krista: For your new movie Central Park Dark, I see you directed as well as acted, portraying Anna. How did the idea for that movie come about and the idea to direct as well as act in it?

Cybil: I was actually working on a serious project. I was writing sort of a serious project, and then I decided I wanted to write something that was light and fun and entertainment. It was like I just wanted entertainment after that more serious project that I was working on. I thought, “You know, that’s why I like movies.” I like movies to kind of – well, for two reasons. One is for entertainment…which is educational, which is like documentaries, but the rest is really entertainment and having the chance to have an adventure.

So, I love the dynamic of the three characters. You know, I love a love triangle. Love triangles are like my thing, because I think at the heart of everything, a lot of arguments and a lot of stories always boil down to a love triangle. And this initially started as a love triangle, because Tom (Tom Sizemore) is married to a friend that is having an affair with [my character]. That has drama inherent in it. 100% there’s drama inherent in that situation, because there’s going to be problems. Someone’s going to get hurt; someone’s going to get mad.

Krista: What was your experience like directing and acting in the movie? How did you balance that?

Cybil: Since I’m sort of used to it, I enjoy it. As long as I give myself a second to switch gears, it’s okay. There are some times in the movie when I can tell that I didn’t, if I remember that I didn’t. So, I think I can see it on the screen, but I don’t know if other people can. So, if I give myself the same time that I give other actors, then I’m good.

Krista: Without giving anything away, can you give a short summary of what the movie is about?

Cybil: Yes. So, the tagline that we’ve been using, is it’s a one night stand that turns into a never ending nightmare. So, basically, Tom is an alcoholic married doctor who during a relapse reconnects with Anna, my character, and I’m an unstable woman with whom he has a past. We start up again; I think we’re gonna have this great relationship, and then he kind of lets me know that’s not going to happen, that it was just a mistake. So, in a heated argument, I jump out of the window, and then I begin to torment him. So, it’s unclear if I’m alive or not. So, that’s when it kind of shifts into more horror elements. And a part of the story…Anna appears to Tom in his dreams and lets him in on a secret about the long history of dark forces in Central Park. Then, she uses these forces to take revenge on Tom. Then, Tom is trying to get back to his normal life and keep a secret from Brenda (Margaret Reed), and it’s sort of a descent into more of a nightmare.

Krista: Oh, wow, that sounds like a great movie.

Cybil: Thank you. Thank you.

Krista: What was it like working with Tom Sizemore? Did you know him, or had you worked with him before?

Cybil: No, I didn’t. I didn’t know him. I reached out, and it was perfect timing. He had a window before another project, and I was pregnant at the time, so I had to shoot now as well, so we shot ASAP. You know, there wasn’t much pre production or anything. I wish there was a little more planning; we jumped into it. He’s a great professional. I kept my eye on him most of the shoot, that was the biggest job that I had. He was [did] professional work. He knew his lines, and he was very good with showing up when he needed to.

Krista: I just didn’t know if you had known him in the past or if he was a new contact.

Cybil: It was a new contact, and we hit it off well. We had things in common. We both struggled with addiction, so that’s a good bond. That kind of levels the fear, and you can talk to each other with a common language and have an understanding and compassion for each other. We were lucky. Actually, I think looking back, there was sort of a rapport that we had immediately, and that’s actually just luck too. You know, with having never met somebody, that’s not always achievable. You see it even on movies and TV shows. You’re like, “Those people don’t look like a couple.”

Krista: What was the biggest challenge for you for Central Park Dark, and did the pandemic impact any of the filming or anything?

Cybil: The biggest challenge was definitely the budget, because we didn’t have one. When that ended up being a bigger problem, because I also rushed to [into] shooting, and so I had problems with the script. I probably could have done a rewrite, but there wasn’t a time for it. So, I tried to fix it in the editing process and [with] reshooting, I think, two times. I did what I could, and I kind of rewrote the story when I was editing. But, for sure, in an independent film, always I would say that answer is going to be cash flow. You’re just not able to do certain things with with a small budget, but I also think that sometimes those constraints open up the project to creative answers instead of monetary ones.

Krista: Think outside the box.

Cybil: Yeah, exactly.

Krista: What was your favorite moment from Central Park Dark, either on screen or behind the scenes?

Cybil: Because I’m a mushy mother now, I would say the ending – this isn’t giving it away, don’t worry. She’s holding a baby. That was my three month old baby, which I had in reshoots. So, seeing him, that was the best.

Krista: I can imagine.

Cybil: But I also love the scene when we have a really heated argument, and that was definitely my favorite stuff. The horror stuff I enjoyed. I surprised myself, and I liked that stuff, but I really liked the heated, you know, one person to another person argument, because as an actor, that’s the most fun, because it’s sort of alive. It is on fire. He was really angry at me, and it’s kind of fun.

Krista: Well, how does acting and directing in Central Park Dark compare to the other work that you’ve done in the past?

Cybil: You know, I think that [for] this I had to learn all the ugly technical details. I knew some things, like I knew how to edit, you know, rudimentary, and things like that. But it taught me to really persevere in complete, like completion became the option, because I could I could quit. I could set it aside, knowing it has issues, but instead, compelling myself to complete it was the biggest challenge. It really shows me there’s something to be said about finishing a project, even if it’s going to be imperfect, because actually, things that have a $200 million budget are also super imperfect. So, just finishing it. And now, I feel that I’ve had a lot of opportunities with the press, and it’s something I get to talk about while I move forward, and I’m ultimately proud of accomplishing it, of completing it. Completing a film is probably the hardest thing. As an actor, you go, and you do a few days here and there. When you’re done, you don’t even hear again [from] the TV shows and network stuff, like I rarely even hear people say, “I saw you on such and such.” I’ve never seen most of my work, because there wasn’t any communication. It’s interesting. So, it’s night and day. This is maybe too much control, because there’re too many details. This is, for me, personally, wearing too many hats. I love just showing up and acting. I think that’s what I’m going to be looking forward to more of. I think that’s hopefully within my future, because the nitty gritty technical stuff can be rough…

Krista: I understand that.

Cybil: Yeah.

Krista: I see that you recently moved from New York City to Los Angeles. How’s that been?

Cybil: Oh my gosh. I mean, talk about crazy timing. I guess I moved here seven months before the pandemic, and now I can’t believe it, because I’ve been here for a year and a half. So, I can’t believe that now, the majority of my time in California has been pandemic life, which is different all around. It’s a big shift, because I’ve been in Manhattan, in Brooklyn, in New York City for a long, long time, 22 years. This is – I’m used to [unintelligible], but people say, because of the pandemic, that’s not really there now, but I really thrive in – I like the feeling of a crowd and that there’s lots of people around. I like the activity, it gives you this sense [that] there’s always something that’s about to happen, even if there’s not. And that’s what’s actually kind of weird, is that now, living somewhere different, I’m like, “Oh, wow.” Like, even then, if you want to make something happen, you actually just have to do it, but with New York, you sort of think you’re just gonna be swept up and something’s gonna happen. Here it’s just like flatline. It’s just not loud. There’s not that energy. Just, especially with the pandemic, it’s like you and your mind, and me and my mind and my two tablets.

Krista: [When you moved] to Los Angeles, was it for an acting career to hopefully give you more opportunities?

Cybil: Yeah, yeah, exactly. And actually, both, ironically, fell through. It’s funny, but not graceful, actually, because I do really like LA, and I’ve been out here for different things, but even with those opportunities, I was bummed out that they fell apart, which, that’s what happens with projects. I mean, in fact my project would be one of those many that fall apart, if I didn’t say, “Let’s reshoot.” [unintelligible] It’s so interesting, because now I really see how easy things can just fall apart, you know, because problems come up.

Krista: Do you have any other upcoming projects that you can tell us about?

Cybil: Yes, I have a feature film that I wrote. It’s called White Lies and Darker Ones, and I can tell you that’s about Nina, a mother who seeks revenge for her daughter’s death, [but] instead uncovers the small town’s darkest secrets, including those within her own marriage. So, that’s a dark thriller.

I was pitching that for a little bit, and then people were kind of saying, “You know what? We’re not doing dark stuff.” So, then, I wrote a dramedy, you know, because I think the pandemic people were like, “We need lighter stuff.” That was the feedback I was getting from different people I pitched it to. And pitching now is 100% on Zoom and Skype. So, then, I wrote a dramedy called by Bicoastal, and that’s a fish out of water drama about a New Yorker who moved to LA to become a talent agent while struggling to stay sober and reconnect with her husband and find forgiveness. So, that’s a little bit lighter.

So, those are some of my options. Then, I also started writing something called Really Light, because I was like, they keep saying “light.” I’ve got to write something lighter. I started writing something called the Malibu Mother of Two. I just started writing that one.

Krista: Oh, well, they all sound good. I hope they all come to fruition.

Cybil: Thank you, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Krista: What do you do when you’re not writing, acting, or directing? What do you do in your free time?

Cybil: I was going to say, I start pitching, pitching people the ideas. I meditate and [unintelligible]. I meditate, and I go to the beach, and I take care of my two toddlers. I also paint; I love painting.

Krista: I like the beach too.

Cybil: The beach is the best. I grew up in Rhode Island, which is on the East Coast, and now I’m on the west coast. It’s different. It’s different but equally beautiful, but it’s really different. Unless you were near the beach in the pandemic when everything shuts down. We can still go and sit in the sand, and that’s something really to do, and go for a long walk or run. So, I do that a lot. Yeah, even when things are closed, and there’s mountains here, which is really cool. We go hiking as well. It’s just the quality of life in California is superduper high. It’s a quality, beautiful place. It’s expensive, and it’s gorgeous.

Krista: Sounds pretty peaceful, and it probably helps a lot to clear your head and give you some inspiration.

Cybil: Absolutely, totally, totally. I think I’m actually more creative here, and I am so surprised, because I don’t know, like I’ve just been creative in this pandemic and over here in California. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know what’s contributing into it to it, but I’ve been feeling like I just have a lot of different ideas.

I wrote another project called Moontown, and I was pitching that, but that was too big budget. I’m just always trying to hustle these days, because I think that’s the only way that things can happen. I actually I want to believe that things will just kind of roll towards me now peacefully. That would be nice.

Krista: What is the most memorable piece of advice that you’ve ever been given that has helped you in your career?

Cybil: I would say it’s really simple, but it’s be inside your own skin, because as an actor, that’s really good advice. Be inside your own skin, because that’s sort of like a ground view. So, I always find that very powerful.

Krista: Be yourself.

Cybil: Yeah, totally.

Krista: What piece of advice or tips would you give to someone who wants to get into a career with acting or directing?

Cybil: Definitely, I would say, start making your own work. You know, learn the mistakes, because I remember when I made my first short films, you make a film, you make so many mistakes and learn so much quickly, and then you do it again. And then you do it again. That’s the same feature that shows you just that you – it is always learning. Be willing to be learning. Be open to always be learning. It doesn’t stop; you have to keep working. You have to keep working on your own development as an artist, and you can choose to anytime give up, but if you really want to succeed, you have to really just stay on the path. You have to really stay on the path.

What I regret is I got discouraged when I was in my 20s. I made a feature film that was really good selling myself. In today’s market, I could totally sell it, [but] back then, there weren’t too many options. It was like you either get in Sundance, or you just sort of have a few small things and that’s it, but today, it’s so different. I mean, there’re so many outlets. And I got discouraged, and I kind of didn’t do stuff in film and TV for a few years. I really regret that time. I should have just kept going, but it pulled me back in anyway. I got cast in a commercial, and then I remembered how much I enjoyed acting, and I kind of got roped back into the business. When I did that, when I decided to come back, I was like, “Okay, but you have to understand, it’s unfair, and you have to deal with that.”…It’s an unfair business; you’re going to have a lot of failure. I have had so much failure that I don’t like to even tell people who are starting out. People ask me for advice. I don’t even want to tell them the truth. You don’t want to know. You don’t want to know, because the people who achieve it really young and continue to do so forever are real exceptions. You have to love it, and if you don’t love it, don’t do it; do something else.

Krista: I would say that you probably have to achieve your dreams and go for your dreams, but you probably have to also learn to accept the word “no.”

Cybil: Totally, totally, totally, totally, totally. Yeah. It’s all you’re gonna hear. In fact, I heard a producer, and I was like, I hope that’s not true, but I once heard a producer say, “You have to hear 1000 no’s before you even get a meeting.” I was like, “I don’t want to hear that.” I don’t know if I believed him. I hope he was exaggerating.

Krista: Well, that’s all the questions that I have for today. I thank you very much for talking with us. Talking was me today. I really did enjoy it. I hope that Central Park Dark will be very successful for you, and I hope all your upcoming projects will come about as well.

Cybil: Well, thank you so much. I am so happy we got to talk. It was super fun…It’s on Amazon and iTunes. Central Park Dark is on Amazon and iTunes now.

Here is the audio version of it.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Cybil Lake stars in the horror/thriller film CENTRAL PARK DARK, about a one-night stand that turns into a neveCentral Park Dark posterr-ending nightmare. Cybil is also the director of this mind-bending horror film that follows ‘Thomas’ (Tom Sizemore), an alcoholic married doctor who has a one-night stand with ‘Nina’ (Cybil).

Please see new trailer here: Central Park Dark Official Trailer

CENTRAL PARK DARK is a ‘Fatal Attraction meets Blair Witch Project set in Central Park’. Cybil recast Central Park as a darker place of unknown forces. The picturesque parts of the park are displayed, but Cybil’s film digs into the park’s underbelly, the off-limits woods that might as well be in the middle of nowhere. This film illustrates how individuals can be completely isolated in a city of nine million people.

Cybil Lake in "Central Park Dark"Cybil Lake is an American actor and filmmaker who has significant experience in the TV and film world. Her TV credits include “The Black List” with James Spader on NBC, “The Following” with Kevin Bacon on Fox, and “Show Me a Hero” directed by Academy Award Winner Paul Haggis for HBO. She has written, directed, and acted in numerous shorts, including An Echo Remains, which she screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Cybil was selected by NBC for a new filmmaker’s program, The Screening Room in 2010. She’s a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she majored in film and acting.Tom Sizemore in "Central Park Dark"

Tom Sizemore who stars alongside Lake, has established himself as an unforgettable tough-guy actor, sought by the most respected directors in Hollywood. His first break came when Oliver Stone cast him in BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY and NATURAL BORN KILLERS. Sizemore wowed audiences and critics in Michael Mann’s crime thriller, HEAT. He was then cast in Martin Scorsese’s BRINGING OUT THE DEAD, RED PLANET, PEARL HARBOR. He then starred in Steven Spielberg’s WWII epic SAVING PRIVATE RYAN followed by another leading role in BLACK HAWK DOWN directed by Ridley Scott. Recently, he starred in “Shooter” on USA Network with Mark Wahlberg and the reboot of the TV series “Twin Peaks” directed by David Lynch.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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actress Cybil Lake

Interview with Brendan Taylor

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TV Interview!

Brendan Taylor of "Firefly Lane" on Netflix

Interview with Brendan Taylor of “Firefly Lane” on Netflix by Suzanne 2/23/21

It was so enjoyable to speak with Brendan. He has a lot of enthusiasm. He was so great on “Supernatural” as Dougie, and he’s entirely different in this newer role, yet still awesome.

Suzanne: Can you tell us how this part came about for you?

Brendan: Sure. So, Mutt on Firefly Lane, it was actually just a regular old audition, to be honest, that I felt connected to, but it seemed to go – well, I felt like I had a good handle on him from the get go. There’s a bit of comedy in there and sort of the heart that Mutt brings. I got a call back, and it seemed to go well, but I do remember I was sort of busy at the time and was just kind of hoping to hear something. Then, I was actually on set on another project when I got the call from an agent that I booked this one. So, that’s always the best feeling to get a call for more work during work.

Suzanne: That’s good. How long ago was this? Was it before the pandemic?

Brendan: Yes, it was long before. I would have got that call probably August or September of 2019. So, long before that.

Suzanne: When was it shot, and how long did it take?

Brendan: We shot basically right after that. It was September to January 2019. My shooting ended at the end of December. There was a bit of a hiatus for Christmas, and then they had a few weeks left. Then, we had a wrap party, and then the pandemic hit. So, we got in right under the wire, which is nice. So, there was not a single thought of not being able to hug people. It’s pretty special to get a full project in before before it all shut down.

Suzanne: So, where was it shot?

Brendan: Vancouver. It was no studio; it was all locations. We had some standing sets, which are set locations that they return to. So, yeah, in and around the Vancouver area.

Suzanne: Okay, great. And I see that you had to carry around some camera equipment. Was it heavy?

Brendan: Thankfully, not. Actually, I mean, the gear, they weigh it down a little bit, but they also don’t want us to throw our backs out, so [they don’t] put a bunch of stuff in there. You take out your tape, and start to get a little sweat on for sure, but yeah, a big old 80s camera on my shoulder. Yeah, definitely. You know, you want to put it down after a while.

Suzanne: Did you enjoy playing a character in the 1980s?

Brendan: Oh, yeah, it was cool. I mean, I grew up in the 80s and 90s – more in the 90s, but still it was just such a cool – I mean, the reminders of the colors and the style, and I think what I really like most about this show, is given the era, cell phones don’t really play a part. It’s not part of the narrative. It’s all other analog phone calls or meeting people in person, and it just makes for a better, dynamic thing to watch. There was a time where we just made an appointment and showed up, and you either were there or you weren’t. You had a friend or you didn’t. So, that was the 80s and 90s for us.

Suzanne: I know; I was around then. I always thought that it’s better to have the cell phones now, and I like them, but it certainly makes it harder on the writers, because if you have people in some kind of distress or some situation, you have to come up with a reason why they don’t have their cell phone with them, because it would be pretty easy.

Brendan: Exactly. It is funny. Something I’ve just sort of noticed myself in narratives of shows for exactly that reason is when you try to create conflict, and then like, oh well, you just look it up on your phone, versus like, oh we need to talk to that other character and go and see them across town. I think that’s why shows like Stranger Things also resonated in the same kind of nostalgia, where [the phones had] the big long curly cords in the kitchen, or you just kind of got onto your Banana bike and [unintelligible] across town.

Suzanne: I think my mother-in-law had what they called a car phone in the late 80s, and it was this humongous thing in the car.

Brendan: Totally. I remember my uncle was a building alarm sort of specialist, and he was one of the first to have a cell phone. I remember my cousin’s coming to visit me, and they called the house, and they’re like, “Oh, we’re gonna be half an hour late or whatever.” I’m like, “Okay, cool,” because I picked up the house phone, and then two seconds later, the doorbell rings at my front door. My mind was like, “Wow.”

Suzanne: That’s funny. Do you remember when they had the pagers before they had the cell phones?

Brendan: Oh, yeah. My mom had a pager for sure. I didn’t. It kind of missed me, but, yeah, she had it for for work.

Suzanne: I didn’t have a pager either, but I remember that. So, was there anything special that you had to do to prepare for the role?

Brendan: Well, I mean, reading Kristin [Hannah]’s book was really helpful. Although, if you’ve read it, or anyone [reading this] has read it, I might have mentioned it a few times, but it’s really expanded into the world of the show. But I really did want to read that and see if there – I dog eared pages just to go back to and see if there was anything. There are a few lines; there’re a couple lines of dialogue in the book, and I sort of try to capture that essence, but also just sort of trusting that what they saw and what I sort of brought to it was fun. I kind of tend to like dry humor and sort of straight delivery and stuff like that. So, I just kind of went with that, and I was given a bit of flexibility on the day. The directors changed through the episodes as well, so I kind of was able to take the reins on them a little bit and throw some stuff at them and see if it sticks or not, just to see if that [unintelligible]. But yeah, it was just sort of a fun, natural sort of character to jump into.

Suzanne: So, they were pretty flexible and let you change stuff?

Brendan: Yeah, the creative team is just really great. In fact, the writers – also the producers in many of the cases, some of the writers were on set while we’re shooting. I literally would just go to the person who wrote the dialogue and be like, “Hey, I think [it would] more make more sense if I throw this in,” or “What about this?” and they were usually like, “Yeah, okay.” Or they’d try to justify it and it clarify it for me, like, “Okay, I get like why that’s there. Sure, I’ll take it.” I just want to be always clear about what it is that I’m saying, and I want it to make sense in my mind. I mean, I am paid to say words in front of a camera. It’s a lot better when it makes sense, because then it’s gonna come across to the watcher.

Suzanne: I read that they changed your character quite a bit from the book.

Brendan: Yeah. I mean, well, there’s a lot of smoking in the book, and there’s a bit of that. I got the idea that Mutt is a chain smoker. He’s always got booze. I mean, there’s a bit of drugs and booze and all that stuff, but they didn’t really maintain that for the show. It would be just [unintelligible] really disgusting, like fake cigarettes. I think, I mean, it sort of seemed like Mutt just liked to party, you know, [take a] break when it’s after work kind of thing, but he sticks to his job and stuff like that. I mean, he is maybe a little rougher on the edges in the book, and I just sort of, I guess, went with a bit more of a sort of teddy bear-esque type character. [unintelligible]

Suzanne: But didn’t they also expand him a little bit more in the show?

Brendan: Yeah, they did. I mean, there’s a bit of affection for Kate when they come to the KPOC, but definitely where we get to expanding more on the dating Kate stuff, and that was pretty fun.

Suzanne: If there’s a season two for the show, do you think you’ll be in it?

Brendan: The format of the show bounces around in timelines, although, you know, the relationship is over. Also, anytime they go back to KPOC there, the news station, Mutt and Carol are both sort of staples of that station, so it makes sense to include them there. I do hope that I might get a bit more screen time, and there was definitely some stuff that didn’t make it in the show, in the scripts and stuff like that. It’s more about the flow of the narrative and keeping it going and focused on Kate and Tully. So, I don’t know, maybe we’ll see a bit more.

Suzanne: I haven’t seen the whole thing yet, but I heard this season ends in quite a cliffhanger, so they’re hoping that they bring it back.

Brendan: It does.

Suzanne: Or a series of cliffhangers.

Brendan: It does, yeah. I mean, I may have spoiled my my timeline, but that’s okay, it’s on Netflix, so there you go. In terms of the cliffhanger, yes, it’s definitely one of those. You’re just kind of left wondering what happened.

Suzanne: Well, good. I hope they do bring it back for a season two then. That’s always frustrating if they cancel it on a cliffhanger.

Brendan: Exactly. I mean, we’re all crossing fingers. It’s been, obviously, “Well, we’ll see.” It was number one in the world on Netflix for a couple of weeks, so hopefully that means something.

Suzanne: Yeah, it sounds really successful from what I’ve heard everybody talking about it and with great stars in it.

Brendan: There aren’t many stories that are about sort of platonic friendship, love through the years, and just that sort of touching on a lot of women issues that are important to talk about, that are sort of brought to the forefront in the show. I think it’s really great to bring that forward. [That] discussion, I think, a lot of people have really related to it, in that sense, from what I’m hearing.

Suzanne: I saw a great thing on Twitter. Do you know the sci-fi show Firefly?

Brendan: Yes.

Suzanne: One of the actresses was saying that she told somebody that she was on Firefly, and then somebody nearby said, “Oh, you’re in Firefly Lane. I love that show.”

Brendan: That’s funny. [I’d] been getting the opposite thing when people didn’t know about this show and it wasn’t out. I have a bunch of sci-fi friends. Firefly has a huge following; it has a cult following, and I really liked the show too. It’s like, “Oh, they’re bringing back Firefly?” I’m like, “No, it’s another show called Firefly Lane.” They’re like, “Oh, okay.” [unintelligible]

Suzanne: That’s funny. So, what other shows or movies do you have coming out this year?

Brendan: I have a couple of TV features that are coming out. They’re sort of Hallmark-esque. They might be on Hallmark. We’ll find out, but one is called A Whirlwind Wedding, and the other is called Under a Lover’s Moon. Always love the titles of these films, but yeah, some good stuff. Though, that was really fun and entertaining. Then, [I have] some commercials coming out as well. Yeah, I’m just kind of gearing up here. Vancouver has been one of the only places where they’re still going pretty hard in the industry; they can actually stay open somewhat with some strict protocols. So, a lot of stuff is shooting here. I actually have several auditions to prep and send in the next couple of days here. It’s [for] some big shows here too. So yeah, [unintelligible] about some things.

Suzanne: Yeah, Hallmark is is great for their movies, and they often change the titles by the time they get to the screen anyway. So, you never know.

Brendan: Exactly. Yeah, that’s true. I know they shoot quite a lot up here in B.C. Vancouver and B.C. in general. They’re a great market that only seems to be expanding, and it’s one of those things that people like to go on and watch. The stories are similar, but, you know, sometimes people just want to see it; they want to see people fall in love at the end or whatever. They’re a really good opportunity for Vancouver actors to get some experience [and some] credits and so forth, because…it’s like a good place to definitely start and pick up some gigs here and there while they shoot here. So, yeah, we’re pretty fortunate to have that.

Suzanne: I think they’ve done a good job with trying to expand beyond the basic storylines that they’ve been doing. I noticed that at Christmas; I watched a lot of Hallmark and Lifetime movies, and they’re bringing in more people of color and more gay people, and some of the stories were much better than they had been before, I thought [it was] interesting, unusual.

Brendan: Yeah, I think that’s one of the things that has to evolve, and there was a lot of pushback or encouragement for making it more diverse. I’m sure there was fear around that, but I think in the end, we all win when there’s more diversity in the stories. And there’s [been] a lot of people being left out of the stories. People of color fall in love too, and gay people. Why are we beating around the bush? So, I mean, it’s definitely great. I’ve seen a lot of that, and I believe the new CEO of Hallmark has made a special effort to make all that happen.

Suzanne: Good.

Brendan: Yeah, it’s great.

Suzanne: You’ve played a great role in a couple of episodes of Supernatural as Officer Doug. You were great in that; I love that.

Brendan: Thanks. Yeah, that was one of the greatest experiences too, to work on that show, to get the role, and to meet Briana [Buckmaster] and become friends with her and Jensen [Ackles] and Jared [Padalecki], who are just fantastic in terms of the [Supernatural] experience, and that was one of the longest running shows on TV, and they were running 24 episode seasons when that was a thing. It was just a tightly operated machine, and everyone was so great, and then to sort of get to come back and continue that story was so cool. The fandom is incredible. The Supernatural family, they’re really gracious. It’s a special group of people that proceeded most social media. They started up on Twitter before Facebook was a thing, just sort of a Supernatural day when that episode would air, just Twitter would be inundated with Supernatural fans. It’s pretty awesome.

Suzanne: What would you say that you get most recognized for when you go out and about?

Brendan: It’s funny. One of the most recognized things I got, was just this past summer, I did a commercial for a bank where it was just my face on screen, and I shot it in my apartment. So, there weren’t many new commercials. So, of all things I’ve ever done that people on the street [recognize me for] – because mainly it’s just my face and sitting there and sort of the passage of time and all this stuff, but I thought that was funny, that of all the things I’ve done, it was a commercial. But, I mean, yeah, Supernatural, definitely, people have…The fans who watch the show are really into it. So, there’ve been a couple times where someone passed me in the building, just going to an audition. Someone was in another business adjacent and [recognized me]…So, I had a couple times with that, which is super cool. So, it just shows that sort of loyalty and appreciation that the fans have.

Suzanne: Yeah, that’s fun. You’re kind of a character actor in a way, so you probably are able to play a lot of different roles. You look different in a lot of them. So, it’s good you get recognized.

Brendan: I love that. I think one of the greatest compliments I could receive or have received in the past is when someone watched something I was in and didn’t recognize me; they were so engrossed in the show and the character. They saw me, but they didn’t see me. You know? The show all came together for them to sort of see it, and they clearly got what was happening, but they didn’t put me into it in any way. So, that’s kind of a cool thing to feel when that happens. Yeah, I love it.

Suzanne: It means you’re doing your job.

Brendan: Exactly. Yeah. I mean, you’re always gonna recognize actors…A really cool character I got to play was on the second season of Fargo. It was this sort of side film. It was a film within the show, a sort of old war time movie that Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons’ characters were watching through the episode, and then they finally get to a point where we realize that this movie is sort of paralleling the situation that they’re in in real life. Then, we kind of go into the [unintelligible] endpoint and have a little moment with the actual actors in the film. I played this French soldier. [He and his] girlfriend are on the run from this Nazi who’s chasing us…I got to play this sort of French Parisian, sort of French character on the run, and I grew up speaking French, so I could kind of do a pretty good accent. It was great.

Suzanne: That sounds great. I’m gonna have to watch that.

Brendan: Yeah, it’s really good. I had a little pencil mustache and a turtleneck and all that stuff.

Here is the audio version of it. I apologize for the poor sound quality.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

Brendan Taylor grew up in the suburbs of Vancouver, BC and was drawn to TV and Film at a young age. From action films like BATMAN, to the comedy of Mel Brooks and MONTY PYTHON, to dramas like PULP FICTION, and all the best 90s cartoons, like “Duck Tales”. This enchantment with film and TV combined with a great love of video games and comic books, created the perfect recipe for an overactive imagination.

Brendan was a shy kid and it wasn’t until he found drama class as an elective at the start of high school, that he discovered a natural confidence, and ability on stage. His mom, who worked on the other side of camera in the art department, would invite him to film sets to help her out, so from an early age he was exposed to the world of film and got to see behind the curtain. After highschool Brendan went to college to find his career path, but always maintained an elective in Theater every term, as it was a consistently joyful and creative outlet for him. It wasn’t until the end of college that he found a scene study class off campus, where he felt at home. After graduating he continued to train in acting but used connections through his mother to begin a career in Set Decoration; the first film he worked on was THE WICKER MAN starring Nicholas Cage. From there he made more connections and worked on several other films and series around Vancouver, such as AMC’s “The Killing” and SYFY’s “Falling Skies” and “Battlestar Galactica”, accumulating more than 50 credits as a Lead, On-Set, and Set Dresser (Decorator), and Production Designer on short films.

As his training and skills increased, so did his desire to pursue his dream, and he started to scale back in Set Decorating, got an agent, and he landed roles in The CW’s “Arrow”, SYFY’s “Olympus” and A&E’s “Bates Motel”. Dreams started to become reality when his past influences began merging with his roles: he was cast on season two of FX’s “Fargo”, played Superman’s creator Jerry Siegel on AMC’s “Secret History of Comic Books” documentary series, and had a recurring role in SYFY’s “The Magicians” and on The CW’s “Supernatural”, as Officer Doug Stover. In the film world, he had a lead role in an independent period-fantasy feature film MERMAID’S SONG, opposite Iwan Rheon from HBO’s “Game of Thrones”. Brendan also developed an aptitude for improv comedy, which led him to shoot commercials, of which to date he has shot over 110.

Recently Brendan appeared in Disney +’s “Noelle” opposite Anna Kendrick, Netflix’s “Love, Guaran- teed” opposite Rachel Leigh Cook and Damon Wayans Jr., and had supporting roles in the upcom- ing TV features “A Whirlwind Wedding” and “Under A Lover’s Moon” airing later this year. Most no- tably, he has a recurring supporting role on the highly anticipated new Netflix series “Firefly Lane” based on the popular novel by Kristin Hannah. Brendan plays Mutt, the loveable cameraman for a local news team opposite Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, and Ben Lawson. “Firefly Lane” premieres worldwide on Netflix February 3rd, 2021.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The greatest love story of all can be between friends. When unlikely duo Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke) meet at age fourteen, they couldn’t be more different. Tully is the brash and bold girl you can’t ignore, while Kate is the mousy shy girl you never notice. But when a tragedy brings them together, they are bonded for life — forever inseparable best friends. Together they experience thirty years of ups and downs — triumphs and disappointments, heartbreak and joy, and a love triangle that strains their friendship. One goes on to fabulous wealth and fame, the other chooses marriage and motherhood — but through the decades, their bond remains — until it faces the ultimate test. The series is based on the novel of the same name by New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah, who serves as co- executive producer.

CHARACTER: Mutt

PREMIERE DATE: February 3rd on Netflix

Get to Know Brendan

I’m fluent in French and Spanish, and conversational in Italian, but I’m 100% English- speaking Canadian.

I’m 5th generation Canadian, with my great-great-grandparents being from Northern Ontario.

I lived on my own in Paris when I was twenty for a year. I have friends scattered all over Europe and have been back many times to visit.

I’m trained in theatre, and had a theatre company with friends having co-operated, produced, production designed, and acted in many independently produced plays, both established and original.

I’m an avid car enthusiast and self-taught mechanic, with a particular interest in JDM vehicles; my car has won several prestigious awards and was published in a popular magazine.

Between set dec and mechanic skills, I’m very handy, and recently single-handedly fully designed and renovated my new apartment from the studs up.

I started playing golf because I was determined to be a pro golfer all through high school and only stopped because of my interest in mechanics.

I’m the talle.st in my family on both sides at 6’5”; the height is a mystery.

My first on stage performance was Christopher Walken’s “Watch” monologue from PULP FICTION in 8 th grade.

I listen almost exclusively to rap and hip-hop, and won’t ever pass up karaoke.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Brendan Taylor of "Firefly Lane" on Netflix

Primetime DVD Review: “Wonder Showzen: The Complete Series”

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DVD Review!

Wonder Showzen: The Complete Series DVD cover

“Wonder Showzen: The Complete Series” Review by Suzanne 3/10/21

This is a funny show from 2005-2006 that ran only two seasons. It’s a raunchy parody of shows like “Sesame Street,” but it’s for adults only. Some of it can be just gross. I’m sure it was shocking back then, but now it’s a little tame compared to some Adult Swim shows.

Similarly to “Robot Chicken,” it flows from one scenario to another in a haphazard manner. It’s not as funny as “Robot Chicken,” though.  The series uses old stock footage as well as clips of kids, and ugly puppets, for humor.

I think that if you’re sitting around late at night with your friends, drinking or smoking, it’s probably a lot funnier.

Sadly, there are no DVD extras or features on the set. It would have been nice to hear about the development of the show and where the people in it are now. Also, there is no closed captioning, so sometimes I had trouble understanding what was being said. I had to go to Paramount+ to watch most of the episodes. It’s streaming there – with the closed-captioning.

The series was already released previously on DVDs (one for each season), and apparently the packaging was much nicer. The only reason to buy this set is if you didn’t buy it the first time around or you really want it all in one set. Since there are only two seasons, that seems unlikely.

Buy this DVD

MORE INFORMATION:

From MTV and Paramount Home Entertainment, Wonder Showzen: The Complete Collection will be arriving on DVD this March.

Executive produced by Vernon Chatman (“South Park”) and John Lee (Pee-wee’s Big Holiday), Join in on the humor of the all-cynical and all-evil absurdist variety show. Catch all sixteen episodes of the dark comedy in a four-disc set filled with a variety of special features.

Wonder Showzen: The Complete Collection

Street Date: March 16, 2021

Format: DVD

Description: Wonder Showzen  parodies the classic educational PBS shows from the 1970s, made up of old cartoons and educational films plus puppets from one’s worst nightmares. Starring Chatman as Chauncey, Lee as Wordsworth and Alyson Levy (“At Home with Amy Sedaris”) as Sthugar.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

"Wonder Showzen: The Complete Series" DVD cover

Interview with Tim Rozon

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Tim Rozon of "Wynonna Earp" on Syfy

Interview with Tim Rozon of “Wynonna Earp” on Syfy by Suzanne 2/22/21

This was a fun interview because he really loves to talk about the show, and really appreciates the fans. I hope they get another season!

Here’s the video of our interview

Question: You had some big gaps in the scheduling. Were you confident you’d be back for this? Or were you just relieved? How did you feel about that?

Tim: You know, it’s so crazy. I started Schitt’s Creek before I started Wynonna Earp. Schitt’s Creek wrapped season six, six seasons before we wrapped the fourth season of Wynonna Earp, just to show you how long it was to film that show. Yeah, I don’t know. There was almost a year hiatus between season three and four that we weren’t sure if we were coming back, and then we finally did, and then the global pandemic hit. So, we only got halfway through the season, and then to come back, I wasn’t sure, but if I was ever sure about anything, it’s kind of with Wynonna that it was gonna get done. There’s just something so special about this show. Then, yeah, it finally happened. It took five years, I think, maybe a little longer, five and a half years, to finally finally get there. Well, we eventually got there.

Question: Do you feel like your character got a satisfying ending, and have you been able to let him go yet?

Tim: You know, I love the the ending of the show. If that is truly the way it ends, I loved it. So, especially for my character, I remember telling Emily just, “Wow.” I mean, she’s wonderful, and as a showrunner and a writer, she’s very open. She’s there for you if you need her, but I’m not one of those people who are really – I never bug her. I never ask for things. You know, I’m not that person. I just put my trust in what they do, and I perform, and I understand that I have a job to do. You know, sometimes my character is going to do some of the things that aren’t so great, man, and I understand that’s just that’s part of it. But the way it all came together, I just remember telling Emily, just, “Thank you. I mean, I thought you did an incredible job with this character. You showed him so much love and compassion and growth.” And it was really touching.

How do I say goodbye to him? I made sure to, though while we were filming the second part of Season Four, just because you never know. It took us so long to get there, to finally film Season Four, to complete it. It almost never happens twice. So, yeah, I was aware of it the entire time, so I tried to literally enjoy every second that I possibly could with that character. It’s difficult now that it’s more real than ever, that the show most likely isn’t coming back. To say goodbye to that character is difficult. I think most people understand that it’s one of my favorite characters I’ve ever played. He just has a special place in my heart, the old cowboy. So yeah, it’s tough.

Question: So, last we saw everyone, our hearts were cheering for Waverly and Nicole but breaking for Wynonna and Doc. So, how would you describe those two relationships in these final episodes? What are the chances of maybe two weddings before it’s over?

Tim: You know, this love is complicated, and it comes in different shapes and forms and people love differently, and they love different things about other people and themselves. You know, it’s funny, I just feel like Doc has come so far by Season Four, and he’s really done with the old life. You know, I think he understands that sometimes to move forward, we’ve got to let the old ways die. I think as a society we’re learning that. And I think Doc, he finally gets that it’s time to let go.

It’s unfortunate, because I don’t think Wynonna has yet, but Wynonna has the burden of the curse. Well, she did at least. So, before it was tough. You couldn’t really say anything, because she was the one who had the burden. Anyway, at the end of the day, it was Wynonna who had to save the day. So, you couldn’t really say “Hey, let’s stop and grow a family and grow barley in the little farm,” like Doc wanted, because well, she had the burden of the curse. But now, the curse is gone, and for him, he just sees it as, “Why are you fighting?” Did you somehow come to love the fight? Is that what it’s become?” You know? Will she ever let go? Because they can never be together if she doesn’t let go too. So, I don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.

Well, Waverly and Nicole, that’s just magic. Those are those stories we hear about, just, you know, magic. It exists. True love like that does exist. I mean, that’s the beauty of love and life. Doc and Wynonna is a little closer to real life. Maybe not. If you’re in a relationship, to be honest, like Doc and Wynonna’s, you should probably get out. [laughs] Probably not the healthiest.

Suzanne: So, you said that you think it’s the end of the season? Have you heard anything about the possibility of it continuing?

Tim: I haven’t heard anything. I’m always the last to know. People think that we know stuff. I don’t know. I’d know, honestly, a little before anybody if we ever came back, because I’d have to grow the mustache. You know, no one [unintelligible] grow a mustache. So, yeah, I don’t know; I don’t know anything.

I’ll say this, and this is the thing that makes the whole process easier for me, the only thing at the end of the day that I really care about is the Earpers, the fandom, and the way that the story ends. Now, if it ends, I’m very proud of it, and I’m very happy, and I think everybody’s going to be very happy. Now, if it continues on, I’m 100% sure that Emily and her team can write another amazing story, and there’re other stories and other avenues to go down, other than telling these stories. You know what I mean? Even if Doc doesn’t come back, you could tell the (Rachel) Valdez story. You know, there’re so many great stories you could tell and everything, but, for me, the main thing and the most important thing is I’m really proud and happy that I think the Earpers are going to be happy. That’s what makes me happy, to be honest, the most, because they deserve it the most. They’re the reason we got as far as we ever did, and there’s no doubt. So, that’s the one part that makes it all kind of okay, because I know that they’re still gonna be happy.

Question: Over four seasons, how is it been playing somebody who’s a lot older than you look, or at least who has the sensibilities of somebody who’s a lot older than you look?

Tim: Yeah, does he have too many sensibilities? I don’t know, it’s interesting. We didn’t play the man out of time as much as I would have loved to, and I did find some moments early on in season one to really play it. I remember I was doing things like [that]. I remember, specifically, there was an episode where I went to where all the broken cars were, where Bobo lived, and Doc went to meet Bobo whenever Bobo was camping there. I remember, I got into a car with the Levi character, and I got in the car, and I acted like it was the first time in a car. I remember the director, Ron Murphy’s, like, “Tim, what the hell are you doing?” I’m like, “Well, Doc Holliday, he’s never been in a car before. He wouldn’t know.” He’s like, “Yeah, dude, we’re not playing that. We don’t have time for that.” You know, he’s like, “He’s figured out stuff right away.” He’s just like, “You got to figure that he’s figured out stuff.” Yeah, so we never played the matter of time stuff. So, I don’t know how sensible he is, because I don’t know how much he’s learned from – You know, I think he’s less crazy than he should be, to be honest, because if we’re being honest, he was stuck there for 180 years in solitude. I’m pretty sure that would drive me nuts. So, I think the old cowboy did pretty good, to be honest.

Question: So, you’re not playing the inclination to go up to every person you meet and go, “Talk to me; talk to me! I was by myself for 180 years. Say something.”

Tim: No. And I mean, had I wanted to play it, I think they would have told me not to, so, no.

Question: Both Schitt’s Creek and Wynonna Earp have tremendous fan bases. I was just wondering how life has changed for you over the last six or so years?

Tim: Oh, I mean, just in the best way possible, and in just the sense of family and community that I’ve met in this thing. Meeting people virtually is one thing, and it’s amazing, but some of my most favorite memories in the past years have been meeting people in person, the fans of both those shows. I’m happy you said that, because Schitt’s Creek, you know, everybody talks about the Earpers, but the Creekers, man, they’re amazing, same energy. I’ve gone to Australia, and I’ve met Earpers and Creekers together, and they’ve all been just very supportive and amazing. It’s immediate. The most amazing thing is, especially with the Earper communities, we don’t need to talk about it. We already understand; it’s a symbiotic thing. It’s almost like, every time we’re seeing each other, it’s like saying, “Thank you.” It’s like, “Thank you.” “But thank you,” and both people meaning it. I don’t know, in a lot of ways, it just made me conscious to make sure that I’m just the best version of myself that I can be.

I’ve seen some amazing things, just amazing things. I’ve seen a lot of people come out for the very first time and the courage that it takes to do that. I’ve seen just fathers that came to the cons to support their daughter for the first time. You know, just stuff. It’s just amazing stuff that’s bigger than the show at the end of the day. That’s why I said I’m happy that if it is over, that part’s never over, the Earpers. It’s not over. The community and everything they built, it’s bigger than the show. It’s better than the show. It’s more important than the show. The show was amazing. It was great, but at the end of the day, we are fighting demons, pretending to be – you know what I mean? What these people created, it’s incredible, and I feel lucky that I got to be a part of that and into their world. It’s so weird, because they feel lucky that they got let to ours, but it’s so obvious to me that it’s the other way around. Yeah, it’s very special, very special communities, and the same with the Creekers. I just did a Zoom meeting with Karen for a charity for a couple of Creek fans, and it was supposed to be a 15 minute zoom call. I think we went almost two hours just chatting. But, honestly, we’re just chit chatting, and it was great.

Question: Speaking of Zoom, how is it working with the COVID protocols? How was shooting the second part?

Tim: You know, it was very difficult. In a weird way, it was the busiest year I’ve had in my life, actually, shooting during COVID, because I went directly from the last day of Wynonna Earp, getting on a plane and flying and starting a new show called Surreal Estate four days later. I just had to test I think six times within those three days that I was off. Yeah, it was very interesting. It was difficult.

I felt for the crew a lot. There were groupings at first, and at first, Wynonna was kind of tough, because we were the first show back in Canada. So, there was a lot of eyes on us, a lot of pressure. And for me, that was a lot of responsibility to make sure that we got this season done. When we first got out to Alberta, the numbers were kind of low. I remember some of the rest of the cast were like, “Oh, let’s go for dinner,” or “We can go for lunch.” I’m like, “I’m not going anywhere. I just quarantined at home for three months. If you think I’m coming here to start work and put this entire production at risk of how lucky we are, you’re crazy.” And they’re all like, “Oh my god.” But nobody went for lunch either. You know what I mean? It’s like, it’s the crews job. The Earpers are waiting for that season. It was just too important. There was just so much responsibility to be responsible, because the actual part of it, the actors, we’re the luckiest ones, again. We’re the only ones that get to take our masks off, even if it’s just to film or when you go to your little area after your mask is off. The crew, that mask is on from seven in the morning until 8:30 at night when we wrap. It’s difficult.

I didn’t like the groupings, because we never had that on Wynonna Earp. I’m friends with the crew as much as I am friends with Melanie, you know what I mean? Like, on the weekend, I’m going to equally hang out, go have brunch with the grip, because it doesn’t matter for me, but the groupings kind of made it like “Well, only Group B can talk to Group B. Well, what group are you in?” It’s kind of like sometimes there is that on a set anyway, different groupings, and I hate that. So, that part I didn’t like. The grouping part was tough, but you understand; it’s a global pandemic.

It’s hilarious that we actually lived during – we’re living still. They never would have wrote this for Wynonna Earp. It’s too crazy. All the crazy stuff we did, but they never would have went to pandemic, because that’s just too nuts, and yet, here we are. We’re all dressed as Mortal Kombat characters.

Interview Transcribed by Jamie of http://www.scifivision.com

MORE INFO:

poster for "Wynonna Earp" on Syfy

Tim Rozon

Doc Holliday, “Wynonna Earp”

Tim Rozon stars on SYFY’s WYNONNA EARP as Doc Holliday, the legendary gunslinger, friend and partner of Wyatt Earp, and now immortal “will they or won’t they” love interest to Wynonna Earp. He is handsome and charming and knows just what he must do to survive in Purgatory. Doc’s on a mission of his own to right the wrongs of his past before they consume him.

Rozon’s first leading role was playing heartthrob Tommy Quincy opposite Alexz Johnson and Laura Vandervoort on the teen drama series, “Instant Star.” Other notable credits include playing Mutt Schitt on “Schitt’s Creek,” gang infiltrator Alex Caine on “Befriend and Betray,” outer space rogue Isaac on SYFY’s VAGRANT QUEEN, and love interest to Candice Cameron Bure on “Christmas Town.” Guest appearances include “Rookie Blue,” “Flashpoint,” “The Listener,” “Heartland,” “Combat Hospital,” “Lost Girl,” “Being Human” and ”19-2.” Rozon won a prestigious Gemini Award for his performance on “Flashpoint” and was nominated for his role in “Befriend and Betray.”

Rozon currently resides in Montreal, where he co-owns the hit restaurants Garde Manger and Le Bremner opposite star chef Chuck Hughes.

WYNONNA EARP follows legendary law man Wyatt Earp’s descendant, Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) who inherits his mystical gun, Peacemaker. With it, Wynonna and her posse of dysfunctional allies must fight against supernatural beings and other paranormal occurrences in a raucous, whisky-soaked struggle to break her family’s demonic curse.

In Season 4, the infamous Earp Curse is broken, and witty and wild demon hunter Wynonna Earp would love to be celebrating with cold whisky and hot donuts. Too bad she has to rescue everyone she loves, save the town of Purgatory, and take on her most diabolical, Earp-hating enemy yet — all without her trustworthy gun, Peacemaker. And that’s just Monday…

WYNONNA EARP is produced in Calgary by Seven24 Films and globally distributed by IDW Entertainment and Cineflix Rights. Emily Andras developed the series for television and continues to serve as showrunner and executive producer. Jordy Randall, Tom Cox, Rick Jacobs, Todd Berger, Peter Emerson and Brett Burlock also serve as executive producers.

Twitter: @WynonnaEarp
Instagram: @WynonnaEarp
Hashtag: #WynonnaEarp

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Tim Rozon as Doc Holliday on "Wynonna Earp" on Syfy

Interview with “The Masked Singer” panel and host

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

The Masked Singer cast at the FOX Winter TCAs

Interview with “The Masked Singer” panel and host on FOX by Suzanne 3/2/21

This was a very fun panel at the FOX Television Critics Association. The panel is filled with comedians and they were all being hilarious (especially Ken Jeong).  There was a lot of laughing.

The panelists included Host Niecy Nash; panelists Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke; and executive producers Craig Plestis, James Breen and Rosie Seitchik.

I’ve never heard Robin Thicke speak before. I was amazed at how much he sounds like his dad, Alan Thicke! For those of you who are younger folks, Alan Thicke starred in the hit 80’s sitcom “Growing Pains.” He passed away about 5 years ago.

I didn’t get a chance to ask a question, but I was there watching it with the hundreds of other reporters.

I’ve put in quite a bit of quotes here because the cast was just so funny, and I wanted to share with you how they joke around and make fun of each other. Normally I would just summarize it a lot more.

Introduction: The smash hit competition series THE MASKED SINGER returns for its game changing fifth season with major format twists and all new costumes you really have to see to believe. The season premieres Wednesday, March 10th, with our fabulous guest host, Niecy Nash, serving as ringmaster of our very weird and wonderful three ring circus. We are excited for you to be the first to see this show stopping performance from the new season of THE MASKED SINGER.

The first question asked about the wild card. The questioner said that “one of the appeals of the show is connecting with the masked celebrities” but the wild card just jumps on stage. Would there be any connecting with a wild card?

Producer Plestis answered that yes, they do connect with the wild because of the story and clue packages, where they find out a little. He said that it just adds some freshness to the show. They’re excited by it and think the viewers will be, too, and be able to connect with them. Wahlberg added that she thinks that the wild cards have had some of the “most moving stories.” She thinks that the audience will expect that they’re “coming too late in the game” but they’re not. She thinks they’ll be surprised. Producer Breen agrees with that and added that one of them gives a very emotional performance.

The second questioner asked about whether there was any concern about too much franchise spinoff and posited two possible examples as “The Masked Chef” or “The Masked Athlete” Jeong said, jokingly, “I mean, look, we are getting the message out to wear a mask, guys. If you want to wear a mask out in public, if you want to wear a mask on broadcasting, on television, I mean, how better than to get the message out and profitability, you know, than to wear a mask, so no.” Everyone was laughing at his dry humor. He said seriously that the Masked Chef was exceptional and the Mother Ship (implying that any spinoffs would not be a problem). He praised the production team. Thicke added that, although they love the Masked Dancer as well, he feels that the “level of star power in Season 5 in THE MASKED SINGER is at another level.” Scherzingers said, “We also love your gold chains, Robin.” Thicke joked back, “Thank you. You know, I figured I’d shower and put on some clothes this time.” Nash said, “Very good.” Jeong joked, “Oh my goodness. Talking about Mr. T, literally.”

Wahlberg was impressed by the high caliber of celebrities they had on the show this season. It shocked her. Nash and Thicke agreed with that. Plestis added that they had so many celebs that wanted to be on the show, but they had to ask them to “Come back for a future season.” They felt very lucky this season to have so many.

The next questioner asked if there would be more competition between the judges this season. Thicke replied succinctly, “Yes.” Wahlberg said, “Well, I’m a very competitive person.” Thicke joked, “Ken and I will be doing bare hand boxing.” Jeong joined in on the joke, “Yeah. It’s really great.” Nash put in her two cents, “Listen, let me just say, as somebody who was blessed and honored to show up and stand in the gap, the competition between these judges is a real — they go hard because–” Scherzinger interjected, “What are you talking about, Niecy?” Nash couldn’t believe she said that. She went on. “Oh, you know what I’m talking about. The competition is real.” She said they put pressure on themselves to get it right. Wahlberg agreed that they get harangued on social media if they don’t get it right. She continued, “But I will say this: The game changing in terms of the panelists is Ken Jeong went from Ken Jeong wrong to Ken Jeong strong.” Thicke added, “Ken Jeong is competitive.” Wahlberg said, “He comes as a real competitor this year with the Golden Ear.” Nash joked, “Ken Jeong is not so wrong.” Jeong kept the joking going, “Yeah. I go ‘Queen’s Gambit’ on this, guys. I go ‘Queen’s Gambit.’ I really just… it’s just a whole new look for your boys over here.” Wahlberg said, “He stares at the ceiling just like, ‘Shit.’ It gets crazy.” There was a lot of laughter. Scherzinger had been pointing, gesturing, so Jeong said, “Great pointing, Nicole. Great pointing.” Scherzinger agreed, “I get to point my finger. I was, like, wait a minute.” Jeong joked, “You have to find your finger first. Yeah, no. That’s how you make a point, by pointing. That’s how you do it.” They were clearly having a good time.

The next question was a two-parter. First he asked if the judges are getting better at picking up on the clues, or are the producers finding new ways to challenge them.

Thicke jumped in to admit that it’s gotten more difficult with each new season and that in this one, they’re “pretty much inadequate in most ways.” He said that Wahlberg studies the clues hard. Then he joked,”Ken gets lucky because every dog has their day.” He bragged that he and Scherzinger usually can get it after a few times listening and also admitted that the new “first impression guess” had really been challenging them. Scherzinger said that the new character Cluedle-Doo makes it difficult. She has difficulty saying that name, but the others helped her out. Wahlberg said, “And he messes with us. So even when we think he’s going to give us an amazing clue, sometimes he does, but sometimes he’ll steal it or not tell us or turn it around.” Thicked agreed, “A lot of the clues line up, and a lot of them are misdirects,” and Wahlberg agreed.

The second question was for Niecy Nash. The questioner asked if there was anything she noticed, as a viewer, when watching the first 4 seasons, that she brings as a host? Nash answered her part of the question. She was able to sit with the judges and be a guest, which was very different from hosting. When she’s hosting, she can’t be guessing about who’s who like the judges do. She’s supposed to “lead the charge, lead the circus.” Whenever she wasn’t hosting, though, she tried to figure out the clues. She felt like one of the home viewers even when she was hosting.

Executive producer Rosie Seitchik joined the call late, so they welcomed her.

The next question asked about the various changes they make in the game each year and whether they’re worried about messing with success. Plestis answered that their challenge every season is to make it fresh and making things a little different without really varying the format. He added, “And, honestly, it was fun filming it. And I know with the panel, you know, the twists and turns, they had a ball doing it, and I think America will as well.” Breen agreed. Scherzinger added, “Keeping them guessing.” “Exactly,” Plestis agreed. Jeong joked, “Point again, Nicole. Just point again, please.” Scherzinger said, pointing, “Let me find it.” Jeong replied, “There you go.” Scherzinger said, “There it is. Is that good?” This brought more laughs.

The next question asked about the fake audience (that they use during the pandemic) – whether it changed at all this season and whether they’re worried people at home might think it’s a real audience (and thus breaking protocols). Breen thinks that people are more sophisticated than that and know that it’s not a real audience because of what’s going on in the world, so they don’t worry that people will think it’s real. Breen added, “I also think big, communal events are what everyone’s missing right now, and we wanted to keep that atmosphere and that fun for everyone at home. I mean, I think it would be a very different show without any audience. So, yeah, this season is going to be the same as Season 4 in terms of there’s a virtually created audience and there’s audience cutaways from previous seasons, but I think that’s the best we can do, unfortunately, right now.” The panelists agreed with that, and Thicke said that they like giving people something to celebrate and give them hope that good times are coming soon again. “It’s all about positivity,” he said.
Scherzinger shared her praise, “Yeah. I think it’s really cool how you producers did that and used old footage to make it feel like a real audience as opposed to just doing what a lot of people are doing with a Zoom and just this screen behind everybody.” Thicke mused, “When I watch basketball games, I miss that intensity. You miss that crowd. You miss the crowd’s reaction. You miss seeing how they would jump up and down to something, and that little bit of fantasy is necessary for us to fully dive into the experience.” Wahlberg said, “Right. And cardboard cutouts just don’t cut it.” Seitchik: “To each his own. … I was going to say, for such an interactive show, the premise of this show is so much guessing and so much participation that, without that element, it would be a very different show. So, we were really keen on holding onto that selling point and everyone’s ability to engage on that level and see everyone on the floor, engaging with the panel’s guesses and guessing who is under the mask. It’s so much a part of what this show is.” Thicke said, “Yeah. A lot of times, when we are watching it at home, we feel those emotions that rise and fall of oohs and ahs. We feel those emotions, and so you want to see that represented in the people in the audience also. I think it’s wonderful how they figured that out.”

The next question was to Robin Thicke about whether the singers try to sing in a different style to throw him off, since he tries to guess by singing style. Daughtry mentioned that, so he wondered if others did that, too. Thicke replied, “In fact, it’s become part of the game. They want to go as long as they can into the competition, but they don’t want to be guessed. So, they want to throw us off, and the producers want to throw us off so we get to go on this adventure with the performers. But sometimes Nicole and I will look at each other from across the table, like, ‘We know who this is, right?’ And then some of the clues will take us down another path. And then Jenny will say something that now, all of a sudden, we are thinking an athlete. And then Ken goes on some rant, completely unnecessary, that won’t help us at all.” Jeong, mock-angry, replied, “How dare you.” Thicke joked, “And somewhere in the middle, we don’t get it right even after all of that.” Wahlberg said, “Very true.” Thicke added, “That’s pretty much what happens, and it’s a lot of fun the whole time.” It’s clear that this cast has a lot of fun with their job.

The next press person asked, “When you make your guesses, how much of it do you think is based on the clues, how much is based on what you just heard, and how much is just a gut feeling?” Jeong joked, “I’m all gut. I mean, you really have to just not think and just don’t listen. I’m not trained. I don’t have any musical talent. I’m not a recording artist. I’ve never been signed to any label, my choice, which is why I feel I’m the most authentic voice because I only listen to my gut and nobody else, including my peers, producers, network, studio, and that’s why I’m very necessary, Robin.” Everyone laughed because it was very funny. Wahlberg shared that she was “90 percent clues except when I get the first impression,” because she loves clues. “I love going to escape rooms on the weekends. I love to figure things out. So, I really lean heavily on those because it makes it even more fun for me. ”

The next question asked about the condensed filming for the season, and how often we’ll see Niecy Nash hosting and how often Nick Cannon will be hosting. Breen replied, “Well, Nick rejoins towards the second half of the season. I won’t be too specific about how many shows, but Niecy kicks things off. And I did want to say, actually, we got incredibly lucky there because Niecy just stepped in… it was pretty last minute… and immediately had her own chemistry with the panel.” He kept praising her, and the cast agreed. Plestis also replied, “She is part of our game changing season,” which Breen agreed with. Scherzinger praised, “Niecy is the boss. She’s a queen. She’s so fast but fun, relatable. And she took over from Nick’s spot, and she put her son in his place, Ken.” They all laughed. Nash was thankful for all the praise, saying, “You guys, I have never felt so welcomed. You know, it’s not like we all started together or we… do you know what I mean? I just walked in the door, and every single person supported me and was so kind. And the producers, I have to take my hats off to you because they gave me such a beautiful surprise.” She went on to reveal that the producers surprised her with a video message of her new wife, which made her cry.

Jeong also praised the producers and how safe they make them feel. “We’ve never been on a set where we’ve had so much love and support and especially during COVID. Even before we’ll do episodes, the producers will do a completely edited package for each panelist, and, you know, whether they’ll bring in friends and family and highlight old clips, it’s just for us. It’s not for public consumption. It really is. And it’s not just for shallow morale. It really is just how much we genuinely love and support each other and especially during these times. It’s the best TV job I’ve ever had. It’s just been incredible.” Wahlberg agreed, “A hundred percent. Well said.” Nash joked, “Well, if y’all need anything, an extra grip or somebody to hold up, like, done.” Breen also joked, “Done. You are hired.”

The next question from the press was asking how COVID impacted the filming and whether they got bigger stars than they would normally get because people aren’t out there performing. Plestis replied that they definitely got people whose schedules would not normally be free and that they were “really blessed this season to get some exceptional talent.” He added that the premiere is phenomenal and we won’t believe it. Scherzinger said, “There’s been celebrities who have said to us that they… oh, wait. What was the question again?” Everyone laughed at that. Jeong joked, “Just point. Just point, Nicole.” Thicke added, “Welcome to THE MASKED SINGER.” Jeong also said, “We told her backstage “Just point.” Scherzinger said,”When you looked at me, all I kept thinking was “Premiere energy, premiere energy,” and then I forget what the question was.” Jeong joked, “Good point.” Wahlberg agreed that there were “amazing celebrities” this year. Scherzinger said,”No. Wait. Celebrities have said… I know what I was going to say. Celebrities have said… oh, my gosh, yes, to what you are saying! Their schedules are more free but also that they want this platform, that they miss performing, that they miss the stage, and this is the perfect opportunity to get back out there. So, a lot of people aren’t touring, like me and Robin. So they are, like, ‘Get me out there.’ Yeah, even LeAnn Rimes said that the other day.”

The next questioner said that “Jenny is very good at figuring out who is behind the mask. Do you guys have to have conversations with her about slowing it down in terms of the guessing?” Jeong replied jokingly, “Yes. I’m glad you brought that up. I really do, on and off camera, just really slow it down.” Nash confirmed “that conversation isn’t planned.” Plestis praised cast for being so smart and that they have find tougher ways to trick them. He made sure that everyone knows that “no one knows who is behind the mask. There’s only a few people on our production who does. Our director doesn’t know. Most of the crew doesn’t know, definitely not the panel. We don’t tell the host. So, it is a big secret.” They make the clue packages to just give a little “nugget” of truth for them to play with. Wahlberg agreed and added, “They’ve never approached me to say, “Slow it down,” because all they do, like he said, is just change it up to make it more difficult.” Jeong added, “But slow it down, please.” Plestis joked, “Let Ken catch up, Jenny. Come on. Let him catch up.” Wahlberg joked, “He can slow it down.”

Another person asked a very good question about whether there had been “an accidental reveal? Like, somebody tripped on a wire, and their costume might have come off, or someone walked in a room at the wrong time? And then, for the judges, who to this day has been your most shocking unmasking?” Wahlberg replied, “Well, I’d love to answer both of those questions, which is Mickey Rourke, because he just decided ‘I’m done. I’m hot. I want to take it off.’ We were, like, ‘What?’ So that was a true unexpected surprise.” The person who asked the question was amazed. “That was genuinely unplanned?” Wahlberg confirmed it, “Yes.” Jeong agreed, “Yeah, that was unplanned.” Breen also agreed, “Yeah, absolutely. That was all legit, real, and we were–” Thicke cut Breen off by accidentally. “Yeah. Mickey Rourke was tired. He wanted to go.” Jeong said, “He wanted to go, and we were being told, ‘Just go with it. Just go with it.’ And we were, like, ‘What is going on?’ That was a hundred percent real.” Wahlberg said, “He just didn’t want to be in it.” Thicke agreed, “Yeah.” Jeong said, “It was crazy.” Scherzinger joined in, “He did whatever he wanted when he wanted. I think, for me, the biggest surprise, I was really impressed with my guess. I guessed the Ying Yang Twins when it was Bob Saget.” Jeong joked, “They do get confused, to be fair.” Scherzinger added, “The biggest surprise for me was Lil Wayne, and I think it was, for all of us, when Lil Wayne took the robot mask off.” Thicke agreed again, “Yeah.” Scherzinger continued, “We were, like, “What?”” Wahlberg added, “That was embarrassing.”

The last questioner asked, “Whose skills have gotten sharper? Whose have maybe gotten less sharp? And feel free to talk about each other.” Of course, this set them up for more joking. Thicke remarked, “Oh, I can answer this loud and clear. Well, Ken has definitely finally shown up.” Wahlberg agreed, “Yeah.” Jeong joked, “How dare you.” Scherzinger pointed out, “Ken is not so wrong Jeong.” Thicke answered, somewhat seriously, “Nicole and I started off stronger the first couple of seasons. Now we are just more confused than ever.” Scherzinger agreed, “Yeah.” Thicke continued, “I think we try to trust our guts, and then the clues take us on another path. Nicole and I need help. We need help in whatever way you can send it to us.” Wahlberg countered, “That’s not true.” Scherzinger chimed in, “I think our ears are pretty golden because we have good ears, but our clue master is definitely Jenny.” Jeong agreed, “Yes.” Thicke said, “Yes. I’ve decided to just have a good time this season.” Scherzinger said, “You sure have.” Wahlberg agreed, “And because of it, we all have a good time.” Thicke said, “Yeah. I’ve never had more fun and gotten…” Jeong interrupted to say, “Robin really is just… if you look at his attire and unfortunately his chains today, it really has been amazing to see his evolution on the show, and he is so funny this season and is just a ray of light, just pure sunshine. I think we can all say that.” Thicke added, “I think Ken and I kind of switched places. Ken is getting more right now, and I’m just going for the jokes.” Nash joked, “Let me just say this: Being able to come and host this season, I don’t know how well I would have done on the panel because everybody who stood next to me in the costume I thought was somebody I dated. I’m, like, “Did we go out?” Scherzinger added, “Just like Nick Cannon. It was the same for him as well.

Conclusion: As a reminder, THE MASKED SINGER will premiere on Wednesday, March 10th, at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific. New episodes of the show will be available on Tubi shortly after the linear premiere, and all prior seasons of THE MASKED SINGER as well as more than 30,000 other titles are currently up and available. So, we encourage you to download the app and check it out.

characters from "The Masked Singer" on FOX

MORE INFO:

FOX BET SUPER 6 TEAMS WITH
TELEVISION’S #1 ENTERTAINMENT SERIES, “THE MASKED SINGER,” FOR SEASON FIVE,
PREMIERING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, ON FOX

 

Free-To-Play App Introduces Awards
Totaling More than $250K Throughout Season Five

Players Try to Predict Six Outcomes Per Episode For a Chance to Win Cash Prizes

When the fifth season of the hit singing competition series THE MASKED SINGER debuts Wednesday, March 10 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, the FOX Bet Super 6 app will offer viewers an enhanced entertainment experience, by making predictions about what they think will happen in each episode throughout the season.

In advance of each episode of THE MASKED SINGER, viewers who download the FOX Bet Super 6 app will be presented with six questions to predict what will occur in the show that night. For every correct answer, users of the app will receive an entry into a prize drawing where a total of $20,000 will be given away each week. There will be multiple winners each week. Users who enter the sweepstakes every week will receive an extra entry into a grand prize sweepstakes with a $100,000 grand prize, which could be awarded to a single player following the show’s season finale in May.

Starting Monday, March 8, in advance of the season premiere episode of THE MASKED SINGER, FOX Bet Super 6’s weekly contest will launch each Monday at 8:00 PM ET, and entries will be open until the end of Act 1 of the East Coast airing on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to build on the app’s popularity with sports fans and expand the fun and excitement into an entirely new audience,” said FOX Bet CMO, Andrew Schneider. “The app has proven to be an engaging complement to live events and, through this partnership, will help to drive viewership and enrich the experience of MASKED SINGER fans.”

This season’s #1 entertainment series among Adults 18-49 in Most Current ratings, THE MASKED SINGER is hosted by Nick Cannon and will feature guest host Niecy Nash this season, along with panelists Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke. Celebrities who have performed on the show include T-Pain, LeAnn Rimes, Gladys Knight, Donny Osmond, Seal, Patti LaBelle, Drew Carey, Lil Wayne, Mickey Rourke, Rob Gronkowski, Wayne Brady, Tori Spelling, Dionne Warwick and many, many more!

Beyond the sports arena, the versatile FOX Bet Super 6 app grew exponentially with contests during the 2020 Presidential Debate and Election. The first Presidential Debate in September generated over 479,000 entries, followed by October’s Presidential Debate with more than 678,000 entries, and culminated with November’s Presidential Election contest registering over 1 million entries. Additional pop culture contests include FOX Bet’s Super 6 Stock Market Challenge and Quiz Show.

Since launching in September 2019, the FOX Bet Super 6 app boasts a user base of 4.4 million with more than 90 million contest entries and has awarded 22,000 nationwide winners with approximately $4 million in prizes.  Since the return of sports at the end of July 2020, FOX Bet Super 6 has garnered the most downloads in the free-to-play category of Sports Prediction Apps (includes Fantasy). For the Super Bowl LV Super 6 contest last month, the app scored more than 1.4 million entries – the most entries for a single contest ever.

THE MASKED SINGER is produced by FOX Alternative Entertainment. James Breen, Craig Plestis, Rosie Seitchik and Nick Cannon serve as executive producers. James Breen serves as showrunner. The series is based on the South Korean format created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp.

FOX Bet Super 6, is a free-to-play prediction app under the FOX Bet umbrella, which is a division of Flutter Entertainment. No betting or wagering of any kind is made on the FOX Bet Super 6 platform. No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the U.S., excluding WA, 18 and over. Each contest closes at 8:15pm ET. See terms and conditions at FOXSuper6.com. Sponsored and prize supplied by TSG Interactive US Services Limited.

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The Masked Singer on FOX

Interview with cast of “Prodigal Son” TCA Panel

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

"Prodigal Son" cast at the FOX Spring TCAs.

Interview with actors of “Prodigal Son” on FOX by Suzanne 3/2/21

Today I went to the TCA panel (virtual presentation) with most of the actors from “Prodigal Son” and the executive producers, Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver.

The actors were newcomer Catherine Zeta-Jones (Dr. Vivian Capshaw); star Tom Payne (Malcolm Bright); Lou Diamond Phillips (Gil); Bellamy Young (Jessica); Halston Sage (Ainsley); Aurora Perrineau (Dani); Frank Harts (JT); and Keiko Agena (Edrisa). Unfortunately, Michael Sheen (Martin) was not there. He was back in England, and I heard that he was recovering from COVID.

First they had an introduction, where they talked about some of the upcoming FOX shows, and they showed us a preview video.

I didn’t get to ask a question, but it was still fun to be there, and to see the actors on the panel. Most of my questions were asked by other journalists, anyway.

Tom Payne (Bright) was dressed in a suit, and Bellamy Young (Jessica) was dressed in a very nice lace white top. Halston Sage also had a nice white top. The rest were not particularly dressed up. From the banter during the interview, it was clear that this cast is not only amazingly talented but gets along really well.

Catherine Zeta-JonesThe first question was, “What made PRODIGAL SON the right choice for this TV renaissance? And how will Dr. Capshaw change things up at Claremont?” Catherine Zeta-Jones answered this question with a very long speech. (By the way, I had no idea that “Zeta” is pronounced like “cheetah.” I thought it was like “beta.” Who knew? Not me.She replied that she liked the nuance of the show…how it’s a “pretty good family drama with a twist of danger.” She also mentioned that Michael Sheen is from her hometown of Swansea in Wales. She’s admired him from a distance, and they have mutual friends. She said it’s “bizarre” how much their paths have almost crossed before now. That was one of the reasons she wanted to do the show as well as the character of Dr. Vivian Capshaw. The script really drew her in. She was intrigued and wanted to know more about the character and why she was working there at the facility.

The next question was a bit lengthy. In short, the person asked her to elaborate about working with Michael and the relationship between their characters. She answered that Martin Whitley reminds her of men she grew up with. She spoke about the complexity of her character and how it’s starting to unfold. She then praised the group of actors and how their “great work” made her want to be part of the show. She specifically praised Lou Diamond-Phillips for his work directing. She revealed that she and Michael had many Welsh inside jokes but that everyone was very welcoming, which made her feel comfortableJT, Bright and Dani

I was starting to feel bad for the other actors there because they weren’t getting much of a chance to answer any questions.

Case in point: the next questioner asked all the other actors what their first response was to finding out that Jones would be joining the show, and asked Lou Diamond Phillips what it was like to direct her. (Which reminds me of the old joke: “Enough about me. What do YOU think of me?”)

Several of the actors answered. First was Halston Sage, who said she was excited. Then Tom Payne answered next. (He has a wonderful British accent. I wish he used that on the show.) “I was super excited, happy and excited that someone like Catherine would want to join our little gang, really.” He shared that it’s hard for him to watch the show as a viewer and just see it as entertainment. He said they have a lot of fun, especially with the “flashy characters come in and join us like Alan Cumming’s character who came in.” He felt that when Jones joined their show, they were doing a good job because it attracted people of her caliber. It made him feel “proud and very happy, and I’m excited for where our story line goes in the show. Simon Hoxley (Alan Cummings) with Martin and Vivian (from https://www.instagram.com/alancummingsnaps)

Keiko Agena then said, “Yeah. I’ll just say my jaw dropped, and I think it’s still dropped. So, at some point, I’ll pick it up and go on.”  Everyone giggled at that.

Then Lou Diamond Philips revealed that when he started his preparations for direction Episode 207, he didn’t know it was the midseason finale, nor did he know who his guest stars would be. He compared it to “a frog getting boiled in water. The heat just kept getting turned up. It was, like, this is the finale. Okay. That’s a big deal. Catherine Zeta Jones? Oh, my God. And the sphincter tightens more on top of that.” Very colorfully put.  He described the episode as a ship, which he said started as having lovely storylines for Halston and Bellamy, as well as having Rachel York (Birdie), someone he’s known for a long time since they were both on Broadway. It just became richer and richer for him to direct, but it was overwhelming at first. “And knowing that I was going to be the one to welcome Hera down from Mount Olympus when Catherine stepped on set, you don’t always know what you are going to get. And what you are seeing today is emblematic of who she is, so gracious and so warm and so inclusive of everyone.” He praised her for being a team player and part of their group from the outset, which made it all work very easily. He ended by saying, “to quote Keiko Agena’s character, ‘Well, that went well.'”

EP Sklaver chimed in with, “And Catherine is not lying. The second rehearsal, she said, ‘Do you remember Margaret?’ I go, ‘Yeah, I know Margaret.’ It was nonstop. It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Which led to Catherine Zeta-Jones replying that she was randomly watching “The View” when Whoopi Goldberg gave high praise to their show.  She knew that Whoopi understood their show, and she was happy to see that praise.  Michael was there when she saw it and wondered if she knew that would happen.  She just figured that “great minds think alike.” They got that stamp of approval from out of nowhere.

Frank Harts was very funny when he added in his two cents, which were meant in a sarcastic (but hilarious) way: “Yeah. I was excited about the Whoopi thing, too, and Catherine joining. I was also a little scared because I was thinking, like, ‘How am I going to hang with Catherine in all of these one-on-one scenes that we are going to hit?’ I’m trained. I come from the theater. There’s a lot there. But, you know, that’s Hollywood royalty. She’s a Titan, man. So, I just had to wrap my brain around that, but welcome, Catherine.” Catherine Zeta-Jones thanked him for this, laughing.

Another journalist asked why they think there are more serial killer shows now and whether it has something to do with the times we’re living in, or even the pandemic crisis.

EP Fedak agreed that it does speak to us because of the age in which we live, since things seem “dark and seemingly scary.”  However, they view their show as more of a family show with a lot of humor and a great cast that’s “charming and fun.” He concluded that it’s many things together, not just a serial killer drama.

Catherine Zeta-Jones chimed in, “You know, what’s really interesting is where this I think it comes from the work and obviously the script. What’s on the page is what we work with, but it’s admirable when the characters that are darker than the regular folk can be as charming and interesting.” She thinks that you need a great actor to play a likable serial killer, and she added that she has a fascination with mobster families.  The family is reflected, which we can all relate to, but then to bring in a serial killer that is likable, all intertwined with the rest, is unique.

Bellamy Young shared her thoughts on that question, saying that they couldn’t have known the pandemic would hit during their filming of the show, but they just happened to hit it at the right time and place while the world is going through something so difficult.  She praised the show for making us laugh through the horror and pain, with it all being about family.  Zeta-Jones agreed that this was true.

Frank Harts answered in a serious way. He remembered how he reacted to the George Floyd murder last summer, which made him freak out and wake up in a little bit of a cold sweat the next day.  He told his wife it was crazy and that now he has to go back into the Prodigal Son world, playing a black cop on TV.  He wasn’t sure which direction they would go in, but he had a great conversation with the EPs. They assured him that they would incorporate the racism conversation into the show, which they did. He’s grateful that they nailed it. He echoed Bellamy’s words that the best part of the show is how they do comedy and big drama as well as “keep it real and grounded.” He gave credit to both the writers and all of the actors for bringing their best work to the table.

Zeta-Jones added that the FOX network deserved praise as well for having such great diversity among the actors and crew. She pointed out that many of them were from other countries and everyone is working together, being not only great at their jobs but “gracious and respectful,” which she noticed immediately.

The next question asked about the future of Dani and Malcolm’s relationship as well as when they were going to replace Gil’s car (the LeMans). The EP’s confirmed that the car was destroyed last season and isn’t coming back. Sklaver said that we will see Gil working on the car that Jessica destroyed in a scene involving her.

Lou Diamond Phillips pointed out, “I just said, ‘No Whitleys are supposed to get near my car.'”

“Don’t let them,” said Frank Harts.

Sklaver continued: “That’s the rule.”  He continued on, saying he couldn’t give spoilers about Bright and Dani, but he loves how fun they are together.  He praised the actors’ chemistry and shared that they do want to explore their romance, but he hinted that some things in the story might be keeping them from doing that. He said the same is true about Martin and Vivian.

Sklaver brought Aurora into the conversation, asking her thoughts on the Dani-Malcolm relationship. He said that he enjoys them together on the show because they’re “magical.”

Aurora answered that she agrees…she likes the transition they’ve been going through between meeting, and then learning more about each other. She praised the writers for making their relationship very believable and organic.

Fedak half-jokingly pointed out, “It is unfortunately, when you write someone kissing in a script this year, with COVID protocols, it does require a hazmat team. So, we do have to be careful in that regard.” Everyone on the screen was nodding their heads in agreement on this one.

Bellamy Young was asked what she could share about how things will play out for her character after she takes matters into her own hands this week and whether she’ll find it empowering. Bellamy answered that she thinks things will be rocky for Jess because she’s been keeping way too many secrets. She thinks the truth will set her free in the end. She shared that the episode they’re filming now leads her to “a very dark predicament.” She hasn’t seen the scripts after this one, so she doesn’t know how it all comes out.

There was one last question, for Keiko. The journalist said that we “got a look at her incredible fashion sense recently” and that we want to know more about her. He asked, “Can we perhaps see a more Edrisa-centric episode in the future?”

Keiko answered that they just finished episode 209, which does focus on her character. She had mentioned to the EPs about what her hopes for Edrisa were and what she though about the character. This episode has a lot of action and get to meet some of Edrisa’s friends, outside of the precinct.

Sklaver said, jokingly, “Keiko sends us emails that I’m afraid to show my wife sometimes. I don’t know about these guys. She sends an email. There’s whips. She’s bound to do whatever. It’s the best. ”

Keiko looked at him as if to scold him, saying, “Sam.”

Zeta-Jones joined in the joking by adding, “Yeah. It changed the course of her career right there.”

Fedak used the opportunity to praise the cast and how well it works together and goes along with whatever crazy stories they write. He thinks every network show should involve this kind of enthusiasm and cooperation.

Lou Diamond Phillips mentioned how great Halston was in the episode he directed, too.  He hopes to see more about the relationship with Ainsley in the future. He was glad to see more of “Lou’s relationship with Halston. He says it’s “pretty wonderful, and I was so grateful for her help and for her enthusiasm throughout. I just wanted to toss that out there.”

Halston Sage was grateful, “Oh, I love you, Lou. That was so sweet. I feel the same way. It was amazing working together.”

MORE INFO:

PRODIGAL SON follows MALCOLM BRIGHT (Tom Payne), a criminal profiler with a rare talent for getting inside the minds of killers. He learned how they think because his father, DR. MARTIN WHITLY (Michael Sheen), was a notorious serial killer known as “The Surgeon.” Now he’s using his twisted genius to help the NYPD solve their most puzzling murders. Bright’s team, led by his longtime mentor, NYPD Lieutenant GIL ARROYO (Lou Diamond Phillips), includes Detectives DANI POWELL (Aurora Perrineau), JT TARMEL (Frank Harts) and medical examiner DR. EDRISA TANAKA (Keiko Agena). Season Two picks up with Bright’s personal life in disarray after his sister AINSLEY’s (Halston Sage) shocking actions in the Season One finale. Now, he must “take care” of her and protect his mother JESSICA WHITLY (Bellamy Young) from a secret that could tear the family apart all over again. Meanwhile, Martin proves himself valuable in treating patients, after being assigned to infirmary duty by Claremont Psychiatric’s resident MD, DR. VIVIAN CAPSHAW (Catherine Zeta-Jones, “Chicago,” “Ocean’s 12,” “Traffic,” “Feud”), and seeks to deepen his relationship with Bright, his prodigal son, but forging this bond leads to shocking twists and revelations.

PRODIGAL SON is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and FOX Entertainment. Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver created the series, and are executive producers, showrunners and writers on the show. Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter also serve as executive producers.

ACADEMY AWARD AND TONY AWARD WINNER CATHERINE ZETA-JONES JOINS
FOX’S HIT DRAMA, “PRODIGAL SON,” FOR SEASON TWO

 

Zeta-Jones to Star Opposite Fellow Welsh Actor Michael Sheen,
As Claremont Psychiatric’s Resident MD, Dr. Vivian Capshaw

Season Two of PRODIGAL SON Premieres on a New Night,
Beginning Tuesday, January 12, on FOX

Academy Award, Tony Award and three-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner and Golden Globe nominee Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago,” “Ocean’s 12,” “Traffic,” “Feud”) will join FOX’s hit drama, PRODIGAL SON, for Season Two of the series. Starring as a special guest star opposite fellow Welsh actor Michael Sheen, Zeta-Jones will appear in the latter half of the season as DR. VIVIAN CAPSHAW, Claremont Psychiatric’s resident MD. In Season Two, DR. MARTIN WHITLY (Sheen) is assigned to infirmary duty, and Dr. Capshaw (Zeta-Jones) revels in tasking “The Surgeon” to clean bedpans and mop the floor. But as Martin proves valuable in treating patients, Capshaw begins to see him in a new light…which is not a good thing.

“An extraordinary talent, Catherine Zeta-Jones is the perfect foil for the brilliant Michael Sheen,” said Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment, FOX Entertainment. “I can’t wait to see these two greats go head-to-head in a season that is bound to raise the bar set by an outstanding Season One.”

Season Two of PRODIGAL SON premieres on a new night, Tuesday, Jan. 12 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. PRODIGAL SON was the No. 1 new series last fall, averaging 9.3 million multi-platform viewers.

PRODIGAL SON follows MALCOLM BRIGHT (Tom Payne), a criminal profiler with a rare talent for getting inside the minds of killers. He learned how they think because his father, Martin Whitly, was a notorious serial killer known as “The Surgeon.” Now he’s using his twisted genius to help the NYPD solve their most puzzling murders. Bright’s team, led by his longtime mentor, NYPD Lieutenant GIL ARROYO (Lou Diamond Phillips), includes Detectives DANI POWELL (Aurora Perrineau), JT TARMEL (Frank Harts) and medical examiner DR. EDRISATANAKA (Keiko Agena). Season Two picks up with Bright’s personal life in disarray after the shocking actions of his sister, AINSLEY (Halston Sage), in the Season One finale. Now, he must “take care” of her and protect his mother, JESSICA WHITLY (Bellamy Young), from a secret that could tear the family apart all over again! Further complicating matters, Martin seeks to deepen his relationship with Bright, his prodigal son, but forging this bond leads to shocking twists and revelations. Season Two guest stars include Christian Borle and Michael Potts.

Zeta-Jones is a multi-award-winning actress whose talents range from film to theater. She garnered an Academy Award for her portrayal of the scandalous “Velma Kelly,” in the screen adaptation of the Broadway musical “Chicago.” She also was nominated for a Golden Globe and took home the Critics’ Choice Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. She won the Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Musical for her critically acclaimed Broadway debut as “Desirée Armfeldt” in Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music.” Her other starring roles include Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s 12,” “Side Effects,” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Terminal,” opposite Tom Hanks. Zeta-Jones also starred with George Clooney in the Coen Brothers’ dark comedy, “Intolerable Cruelty.” She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the wife of a drug-runner in Steven Soderbergh’s “Traffic.” Most recently, she starred in the telefilm “Cocaine Godmother,” based on the true-life story of the notorious drug lord Griselda Blanco. She first gained international recognition in the action-adventure film “The Mask of Zorro,” opposite Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins. She then captivated audiences in “Entrapment,” opposite screen legend Sean Connery. Born in Wales, Zeta-Jones began her career on the stage in London and was then cast in the popular Yorkshire Television series, “The Darling Buds of May,” based on the novels of H.E. Bates. In 2010, she was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to the film industry and charity.

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Prodigal Son second season poster