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Interview with Victoria Rowell and Richard Brooks

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TV Interview!

Richard Brooks and Victoria Rowell star in "The Ruth and the Ruthless" on BET+

Interview with Richard Brooks and Victoria Rowell of “The Ruth and the Ruthless” on BET+ by Suzanne 5/25/21

This was such a fun interview! You probably know Victoria from “The Young and the Restless” or “Diagnosis Murder” years ago. You may know Richard from “Law & Order,” “Good Trouble,” “The Haves and the Have Nots” or many other shows. Between the two of them, they have an impressive list of credits. Victoria not only stars in the show but also created, produced and directed it. With her history at Y&R, and all of her friends and colleagues in the daytime soap industry, she has a lot of rich material to spoof.

Here is the video of our interview!

Suzanne:   I’m glad I got to talk to both of you. Victoria…I interviewed you in 2014 over the phone for, I think, it was one of your Chandler family Christmas movies.

Victoria:   Oh, sure. Sure. With Melinda Williams. Yes.

Suzanne:   Those are great.

Victoria:   Thank you.

Suzanne:   And Richard, you’ve been some of my favorite shows like Bosch – I love that show – and Law & Order, of course, I mean, my gosh.

Richard:   Oh, yeah. Bosch was fun too.

Victoria:   Yeah, now he’s doing Shameless.

Richard Brooks and Victoria Rowell star in "The Ruth and the Ruthless" on BET+

Suzanne:   He’s everywhere.

…So, the trailer for Season Four looks hilarious. I like how you’re making fun of the soap actors having to use mannequins and things like that. That was really brilliant. That’s not a question; that’s just a compliment, but if you want to expand on that, feel free.

Victoria:   Well, with COVID, obviously, different productions, we’re resorting to different ways of getting the scenes in the can, whether it was actually using the spouses or significant others of the actual actors, so they could be close, and they were in their own bubble. I don’t know if you know that. So, the kissing scenes are actually done with husbands and/or wives in soap opera. And certainly mannequins were being used, and I just thought, “God, I’ve gotta put it in the show.” I mean, this is fantastic. So, that was it, and the actors were amenable to it. We had a lot of fun with it, at the same time, including COVID as a character.

Suzanne:   All right, and a lot of masks and jokes about masks and that kind of thing.

Victoria:   Right, and not really making fun of actors. I never want to say that. I’m not making fun of daytime, but the situations that we find ourselves in in daytime, because the reality is that we are producing 64 pages a day, and anything that is producing a movie in one day, the wheels are going to come off the rails, but I defer to Richard, who’s also a producer on the show.

Richard:   Well, I didn’t get to work with a mannequin, but it was fun. It was fun. It was definitely fun. A lot of the cast had fun with that.

Suzanne:   I think they used it most on The Bold and the Beautiful, and then they later made fun of themselves with it by having a character (Thomas) who was obsessed with the mannequin who looked like the woman (Hope) he was obsessed with, and then he had a brain tumor, a head injury or something, and her husband (Liam) walked in on him making out with the mannequin and flew off the handle. So, they’re good at making fun of [it] too.

Richard:   Oh, that’s funny, yeah.

Victoria:   Right, right.

Suzanne:   It was ridiculous. It was ridiculous.

Victoria:   So, we’re happy to be on BET+, our new home. It is an opportunity for our viewers, our fans, to watch all four seasons; they can binge watch. There’s a hashtag binge-watch weekend on BET+, and, of course, Richard was nominated for an Emmy. We’ve won Best Ensemble Cast, and our audience is growing with this bigger platform.

Suzanne:   Yeah, that’s really great. I have to sign up. I haven’t signed up yet.

Victoria:   Oh, yes, you must, and there’s a seven day free trial. Go for it. $9.99 a month.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I belong to all the others. It adds up, doesn’t it?

Victoria:   It does.

Suzanne:   So, seasons one through three had six episodes each, and I was looking on Amazon; it said that there’s five episodes this season. Is there any particular reason for that?

Victoria:   COVID. You know, just we were so fortunate to be able to shoot; this is a SAG-AFRTA production, but we were able to produce a really cogent, soapalicious, scintillating season of five episodes.

Richard, what did you think about the pace at [which] we were going and what we were able to produce?

Richard:   Well, I mean, it’s always such a smooth pace. I mean, you’re such a great director and create such a good environment for all the cast and the actors. So, I think we all just have fun, and it’s always fun whenever we get to come back and do the show and do another season and all get together. You’ve created such a great family environment for everyone. So, I know the pace didn’t seem hectic or anything. I felt we went really smooth, and it was really organized and tight, and it was just great that we were able to get another season together.

Victoria:   Thank you, Richard. And that’s how it went.

Of course, we’re held to the same standards. If you’re new media production or ultra low budget, you’re still held to the same COVID safety standards. So, we had our COVID safety officer on set; we had a nurse. We had to do testing, [have] individually packaged meals, I mean, all the COVID safety protocols are in place. Of course, SAG rep visits [the] set, and I always want my actors, as would any producer or producers on a show – You don’t want to get shut down, and you certainly want the environment to be safe but happy, and we achieve that each season.

Suzanne:   And do you know yet whether they’ll be a season five?

Victoria:   We don’t know yet, but I always write on speculation that I will get picked up, and so I just finished working on Richards courtroom scene. You know, he’s involved in the art forgery business. So, I continue to write, and I work with a wonderful writing consultant, Victoria Christopher Murray, and I just keep going. You know, it has momentum, and we’re really privileged to be able to work, certainly during a global pandemic, and we enjoy working together. Richard and I have been working together for like, 25 years. We started on Diagnosis Murder working together.

Richard:   I like when you said you’re gonna try to get Dick Van Dyke to come in. That’d be so great.

Suzanne:   Wouldn’t that be great?

Richard:   Yeah, he was so amazing to work with.

Suzanne:   Yeah, he’s still working.

Richard:   He’s the nicest man. He was the nicest man on the show when we did that.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I watched all of that show.

Richard:   Having his family there with him, that was just so cool. I really loved that, you know?

Victoria:   Yeah, yeah, he’s really –

Richard:   You were doing two shows. I remember when we met, she just blew me away, because she was running two shows at the same time, like full time cast member on that and on on your soap, but it was crazy.

Victoria:   The Young & the Restless, yeah.

Richard:   The Young & the Restless, yeah. It was just so energized, and they just made it all work. I was like, “Wow, anything is possible in Hollywood.”

Victoria:   Anything is possible.

Richard:   You know what I mean?

Victoria:   That was Viacom CBS, and by the way, Bryton James, who plays the rapper, Traque, on The Rich & the Ruthless, Suzanne, he played my foster son, then my adoptive son, on The Young & the Restless, Devon. So, he came on and did a guest star role. So, people have to tune in to watch that, but he just was nominated today for Best Supporting Actor on The Young & the Restless. So, we hope he’ll win an Emmy for us on The Rich & the Ruthless.

Suzanne:   Oh, that’d be nice.

Richard:   Oh, wow, that’s great.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I will say, what you said about anything is possible, if you have as much talent and drive and energy as she has –

Richard:   Really, exactly. It’s incredible. It’s incredible, and these are based on her novels, too. So, she’s a novelist also.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I was going to say…

Richard:   So, [she’s] just prolific. Fiction and non-fiction.Suzanne:   …When I interviewed you in 2014, you were talking about [how] you were writing, I think, you called it at the time, The Rich & the Restless, and I remember thinking, “Restless,” they might think that’s too close to The Young & the Restless, and then you made a TV series out of it. So, that’s amazing.

Victoria:   It really is a testament to putting, you know, the power of the pen and carrying it all the way through. And, you know, it started with an artist residence [at] the Hambidge, in Georgia. I got a fellowship, if you will, artist residency, and I was able to finish one of the two books. And it starts with just the discipline. As you know, Suzanne, and certainly Richard knows, [it’s] just staying in the chair and finishing the manuscript and just having a passion for your project.

I have a great cast. We have Alesha Renee, who’s now recurring on Kenan. We’ve got Robert R’ichard, who plays our son. Richard plays my husband, and I play, obviously, his wife. Robert R’ichard is going to be starring on Harlem, the series Harlem. And then, we have Akilah Releford. We have Vivian Lamolli, who’s starring in All the Queen’s Men along with Chrystale Wilson. I mean, the list goes on. Our actors are working actors. So, I’m so fortunate to have this incredible cast. Michael Colyar.

Suzanne:   I was looking at your cast list last night, and I had seen in the previews that you have Shadoe Stevens, and I remember him from the early 80s when he was doing the Federated commercials. Did you ever see those?

Victoria:   I didn’t see those.

Suzanne:   You should go on YouTube and look. There’s a compilation of all of his hilarious commercials for this electronics store in California.

Victoria:   He’s great. He’s great. He’s very supportive, and he’s an integral part of the cast…

Richard:   I was going to say, “He’s so funny, too.” He’s just so funny on the show.

Victoria:   He’s hilarious.

Suzanne:   Even in the promo I saw he was really funny. I went back and watched the promos for the other seasons too, so I could sort of get a sense for them. I think your promos are getting better too.

Victoria:   Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we’re really happy with BET+. BET+ has really come on board and pushed the series and into another dimension, and looking forward, obviously, to what the consensus will be after the summer, and hopefully we’ll have a pickup.

And I have a second soap opera, as well. So, we’ll see what happens.

Suzanne:   Do you have a title for that one?

Victoria:   I do. I do, but I won’t say it yet.

Suzanne:   Okay. What else can you tell us? For those who haven’t watched it yet, what can you tell us about season four?

Victoria:   Well, I’ll start, and Richard, if you want to chime in anywhere, but season four, we pick up with the devastating fan club cruise for The Rich & the Ruthless, Destination Nowhere, and the boat is faulty, because the Barringers, well, Max Berenger (R’ichard), our son, is trying to cut corners and save money. So, he leases a faulty boat, which takes on water. So, that was our cliffhanger for the fan club cruise. Season five picks up with who survived out there in the treacherous waters off the coast, and we see some of our cast stranded. We see some of our cast and the Barringers who have survived, and some of them have not really been able to maintain all of their faculties. Some people are seeing ghosts. Richard chime in anywhere.

Richard:   Yeah, and then, our son, Max, is trying to take advantage of our misfortune and our predicament to seize control of the of the soap opera. So, we’re fighting with him. It’s good; it’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun. We’re still trying to maintain the show and keep the show going.

Victoria:   Yeah, he’s always trying to prove himself. He’s like – you know, his parents are iconic in the business, right? [It’s] the only black-owned broadcast soap opera in Hollywood, and Max wants to be a movie producer. He wants to be a rap producer. He’s trying to do everything and anything to get out from under the shadow of his parents. So, he makes mistakes.

I do want to say that we have fabulous soap opera vets on the show. We have Brenda Epperson, who played Ashley Abbott on The Young & the Restless. We have Kimberlin Brown [who] played…a major villain on The Young & the Restless. I think she just went over to General Hospital. So, we want to encourage soap fans and film and primetime fans, because we covered the gamut in terms of talent. There’s something for everybody, and it is a dram-com.

Richard:   And it does all happened during COVID. So, it’s funny that we’re persisting to do the show in the series with all the COVID protocols and complications that come from doing it with masks on and stuff like that. So, it’s really funny.

Suzanne:   Are Brenda and Kimberlin in season four, as well?

Victoria:   Brenda’s is in season four, and she has a very prominent role in season four as network exec head of daytime, Edith Norman, and she plays a part that she hasn’t been given the opportunity to play in her career. She’s just so treacherous. She grabs her chest when she sees her performances. I mean, she takes your breath away, but it’s fun for her to play.

We also have fabulous comedians. We have Gabi Sanalitro, we have Elaine Ballace, and we have newcomers to the show. We have Guerin Berry.

Richard:   Michael Colyar.

Victoria:   Michael Colyar, who was mentioned. So, we’re fortunate to have this incredible cast. Kristen Mako, who’s a newcomer. Yeah.

Suzanne:   So Richard, you’ve never been in a daytime soap opera before, right?

Richard:   No, no, I haven’t, no.

Suzanne:   In real life, I mean.

Richard:   Yeah.Richard Brooks and Victoria Rowell star in "The Ruth and the Ruthless" on BET+

Suzanne:   So, Victoria, of course, spent many years on The Young & the Restless, and she wisely used her knowledge and experience from that show to satirize in The Rich & the Ruthless. Was there anything in the script that surprised you to learn about soaps?

Richard:   Well, I mean, you know, whenever I speak with Victoria, she tells me some of the stories. I mean, what really surprised me the most is that this is based on some real experiences, all the things that happen on the show and all throughout the seasons and stuff. The pace of it is crazy, you know, that they that they’re able to produce the shows in a day, which is amazing to me, and just the level that the actors bring to it, just the work ethic. I think people miss that a lot of times. They don’t realize [it]; they see it as fun or sort of easy, whatever. I don’t think they really realize how challenging that is as an actor, to stay on top of it, to try to go home and learn your lines, and then still be there on the set and just stay focused and give a turnout, great performance. So, it was fun. You know, this one is great, though, to me, because I love the comedy level to it. I just love that we get to have fun and put a little bit of a spoof spin on it, and then, just the freedom that we have. Also, this one is funny, because this is one of the larger casts I think that I’ve been on with the show this consistent. And the fact that she’s able to put together this amazing cast, such a large cast, that adds to it, all these things add to how much fun it is. So, yeah, but I mean, I’ve had a few opportunities, I guess, to be on soaps, but it never panned out.  I wasn’t available, but, yeah, I like it. I think it would be funny.

Suzanne:   Yeah, you probably have a larger cast than like actual soaps, daytime broadcast soaps. General Hospital  has a huge cast; you probably have a bigger one, looking at the list.

Richard:   Yeah, exactly.

Victoria:   You know, soaps have about 30 cast members. So, we’re right about there; we’re like, 27.

Suzanne:   I think one of the things that they do now, because they can’t afford to pay as much as they used to; they can’t afford to pay as many regular actors, is they do this – I know at least two of them do this constant revolving door of characters, or they’ll have like two or three that are always on, and then everybody else, they go out of town, and then they come back. They do that, and it drives the fans crazy. I’m sure the actors aren’t too happy about it. But what are you gonna do when the costs and the ratings and everything – I don’t know if you ever touched on that in the show or not, because…you’re characters are on a shoestring [budget].

Victoria:   Well, in season one, Richard does address it. He calls Willie Turner (Colyar), who plays the judge, the gardener, the butler; he plays this black character, plays multiple characters on the show. He calls him into his office – and Richard, do you want to expound on [that]? [unintelligible]

Richard:   Yeah, I tell him I have to cut his salary in half with cutbacks. He goes, “Half?!” He thinks he’s coming in to get a raise. So, it’s really funny. He comes in all confident and like, “Yeah, I know you called me in, and I’m gonna get a promotion. I’m gonna get a thing.” And I’m like, “No, I cut you in half. Sorry Willie.”

Suzanne:   Yeah, now they don’t have those big splashy weddings anymore. They’ll have like, five people and and some guy who’s always the minister, even though he’s not really. He’s like, “Oh, I did the online minister thing.” Like, there’s this guy Carter on The Bold and the Beautiful, and they’re finally giving him an actual story. Before he would just be the guy who married everybody, and he was a lawyer. So, they don’t unfortunately have those big splashy weddings that they used to have with all the whole cast.

Richard:   Oh, yeah.

Victoria:   Yeah. So, we do address it, is the point. We’re constantly addressing. Every season we address cuts. We’re constantly arguing. Like in season four, Edith Norman, played by Brenda Epperson, along with Robert R’ichard tell the wardrobe mistress, played by consummate actress Dawnn Lewis, that she has to identify and put used wardrobe on different actors. And she’s like, “What wardrobe? You make a return everything that has a price tag on it.” We’re constantly [addressing] . It’s always in the script.

Suzanne:   That is funny.

So, let’s see. Victoria, what have you learned most about writing, directing, and producing since you first started working on this show?…

Victoria:   Well, I’ve been producing live shows for like 20 years for fundraisers, big shows, like with Patti Austin, and Yolanda Adams, and Sharon Stone, and Sheila E. I’ve been doing that for a long time. I stopped doing it, because it requires a lot of work to do a live show with big talent like that, but I include that as part of my experience, of course, and coming from theater and ballet. So, all of that has informed what I do today, as a producer, for sure.

And in terms of writing, of course, Viacom CBS gave me my first – Dick Van Dyke gave me my first [script] writing opportunity, and I really – I guess, in summary, it’s the sum of all of my experiences that inform running a tight ship that is malleable at the same time and fun to work in. as Richard described. So, I’m as good as my team. My first ADs, my second ADs, my DP, you know, my team, all my hair and make-up [team], right down to the food. And my SAG-AFRTRA rep, of course, my cast led by Richard. So, I’ve learned through people I’ve worked with, being on the set with a Dick Van Dyke; it starts at the top down, the tone of the set. It starts with the top down on the other side of the camera, so I’ve just learned to be sensitive to that.

Suzanne:   Are you still going to be writing books, or you’re focusing just on the TV shows right now?

Victoria:   I may do another book. I have another book that I want to write, but my scripts – I’m working on a Christmas movie right now, and I have a Christmas movie coming out on BET that I directed this December starring Bill Bellamy, titled A Rich Christmas.

Richard, what are you working on right now?

Richard:   Well, I’m writing also a little bit. Yeah, I have a new screenplay I’m working on. And yeah, I’m just working on The Rich & the Ruthless.

Victoria:   I have a question for Richard. How was it working on Shameless recently?

Richard:   Shameless was really, really fun. You know, Bill [Macy] was just a great, great character. And, again, it was a little bit more comedy. So, that was just really – I got to play Big Liam. It was like a future Liam, the little son on the show, with all his attitude and his his language and a way to, like, talk to his his father and cut them down. So it’s just, it is really shameless. I mean, that show is really funny. They push it; they push the envelope so far that it’s incredible. And I think this is their last season or the last season coming up. So, it was great to just get to talk to Bill a little bit behind the scenes too and just see what that experience has been like, what he’s looking forward to, in the future. And we go back, too. We started with Law & Order. He was on the show…

Victoria:   Wow.

Richard:   In one of the first seasons, I think, actually, when we first started it. And his wife, we graduated high school together; we went to art school, Interlochen Arts Academy. So, it’s a small world. You know, it’s great. With Hollywood, I think you get a lot of years and in the game. You’ve connected with people, and then when you get to reconnect, like with Victoria and I, it’s always like you just pick up right from where you left off. That kind of thing about being an actor is one of the things I really love. A lot of times it’s just one of those those great fortunate things to have a long career.

Suzanne:   I’m trying to remember. I remember you playing Paul Robinette. Was it only on Law & Order? Were you an SVU as well? Did you cross over?

Richard:   The only one I crossed over was when they had Chicago Justice. Robinette came in for that season of that show, but, yeah, I’ve recurred a lot as a defense attorney now from leaving the practice and to join. And now I think they’re going to come up with a Law & Order for the defense. I think that’s in development. I think that was picked up.

Victoria:   Nice.

Richard:   Hopefully Robinette will get to reappear there.

 

Suzanne:   That would be great. I couldn’t remember if they’d killed off your character or not, because there’s so many characters on Law & Order.

Richard:   Yeah, no, it’s a great universe. It’s so good.

Victoria:   I played a judge on SVU, a recurring judge. So, that was cool, but, yeah, Richard’s right. It’s full circle, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention we also have a number of wonderful – Davetta Sherwood, also from Y&R, has guest starred. Dorien Wilson, who plays Pastor Bell. Starletta DuPois. I mean, you can see we have a big cast. They don’t play every season, but we’re so fortunate.

Suzanne:   And Richard, I heard you singing on YouTube. You have quite a voice.

Richard:   Thank you. Yeah, I’m trying to get I’m trying to get Victoria to write me in to sing a little bit and serenade her sometime on the set.

Victoria:   It’s coming. It’s coming.

Suzanne:   I listened to your Bill Wither’s song, and that was good.

Richard:   Thank you. Yeah, I love that. Yes, you know, social media now is a great opportunity to kind of express a little, you know, talents that you don’t really get to do a lot with. So, I want to do more with the music, but that’ll be fun.

Suzanne:   Okay, so any anything else you’d like to tell your fans?

Victoria:   Well, I just like to remind folks to get their BET+ subscription, #TheRichAndTheRuthless. You can reach me on instagram and twitter @VictoriaRowell. Richard?

Richard:   Yeah, same thing. Yes. Support the show. We appreciate all the fans who have supported all these seasons and crossed over from BET+, and you can follow me also. @RichardBrooksJr on Twitter, @RichardLeeBrooks on IG, or Richard Brooks on Facebook. That way just continue to support us; we really appreciate everybody, and we really love that we have this opportunity to do this show.

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

MORE INFO:

VICTORIA ROWELL STARS IN THE AWARD-WINNING SERIES, “THE RICH AND THE RUTHLESS” BEGINNING THURSDAY, MAY 13 – SERIES HAS NEW HOME FOR SEASON FOUR ON BET PLUS (BET+)

VICTORIA ROWELL STARS IN THE AWARD-WINNING SERIES, “THE RICH AND THE RUTHLESS” BEGINNING THURSDAY, MAY 13 – SERIES HAS NEW HOME FOR SEASON FOUR ON BET PLUS (BET+)

New York, NY, May 3, 2021 – Emmy nominated and 11-time NAACP Image Award-winning actress and New York Times best-selling author, Victoria Rowell and Days Ferry Productions, announce BET Plus (BET+) is the exciting new home for her hit series, THE RICH AND THE RUTHLESS Season 4, premiering May 13. Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on BET+.

Fan favorite THE RICH AND THE RUTHLESS is a behind-the-scenes, dram-com soap that follows the fictional story of the first black owned family sudser on broadcast television, stopping at nothing to stay in power.

This critically-acclaimed Daytime Emmy-nominated series won Best Ensemble Cast and Best Lead Actress by the Independent Series Awards.

The series stars Richard Brooks (Good Trouble; Shameless), Victoria Rowell (Birdie), Alesha Renee (Kenan), Robert Ri’chard (Harlem), Chrystale Wilson (All the Queens Men), Michael Colyar (BET’s Hollywood Heartbreak), Dawnn Lewis (Star Trek; Lower Decks), Vivian Lamolli (All the Queens Men), Kristen Mako (The Big Rant), Bryton James (The Young & The Restless) and new talent Akilah Releford.

Season 4 of THE RICH AND THE RUTHLESS is executive produced by Victoria Rowell in association with Days Ferry Productions, Carletta S. Hurt, Richard Brooks, Vanzil Burke and Jill Warner. Head Writer, Victoria Rowell. Writing Consultant, Victoria Christopher Murray.

#TheRichandtheRuthless

https://www.therichandtheruthless.com/

ABOUT BET+:
BET+ is the premium streaming service for the Black community offering thousands of hours of hit movies, TV shows, stage plays and more. With new, exclusive originals premiering each month, BET+ offers the best of Black culture with titles like First Wives Club, Ruthless, Bigger, The Family Business and American Gangster: Trap Queens from revered creators like Tracy Oliver, Tyler Perry, Will Packer and Carl Weber, to name a few. BET+ members can watch as much as they want anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen and always commercial-free. Visit BET.Plus to learn more about BET+, a joint venture between BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios, and follow @BETPlus for the latest news and updates.

ABOUT VICTORIA ROWELL:
Rowell is an EMMY nominated comedic and dramatic artist. She co-starred in the LIFETIME TV remake of Jane Austen’s classic, “Pride & Prejudice” as Catherine Darcy. Her executive produced and directed movie, “Jacqueline and Jilly,” addressing the Opioid addiction crisis in a well to do Virginian black family, was met with praise and released on UMC.TV and also aired on BET in 2020.

Rowell teamed up again with AMC Networks/RLJ Entertainment streamer / UMC.tvwith her interior design prowess, and first AMC Networks/UMC.tv Original (DYI) limited Series, “Trash vs Treasure,” with low-income clientele — which launched in July 2020

Rowell historically directed Viacom/CBS BET HER movie, “Everything Is Fine,” focusing on mental wellness in a black family which premiered in July 2020 and starred Charmin Lee and LaRonn Marzett.  Rowell appeared in two subsequent BET HER movies from the same series, “The Waiting Room: A Long Look in the Mirror” and “Like, Comment, Subscribe” in October 2020 as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Rowell/Days Ferry Productions also co-produced a five-part, behind the scenes, “Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva” podcast with Entertainment Speakers Bureau, available now wherever podcasts are available, such as Apple, Spotify and more.

Rowell co-stars with director/actor, Greg Alan Williams in the dramatic, criminal justice feature film, “Birdie”, releasing this month.

Rowell has worked with creative luminaries such as: Anne Rice, Misty Copeland, Anne Roth, Neema Barnette, Sharon Stone, Twyla Tharp, Kasi Lemmons, Denyce Graves, Colleen Atwood, Terri Lyne Carrington, Milos Forman, Irwin Winkler, Richard Brooks, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Medak, Johnathan Lynn, Patrick Demarchelier, Bruce Webber, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Bruce Willis, Jan de Bont, Peter/Bobby Farrelly, Eddie Murphy, Dick Van Dyke, Jim Carey, Beau Bridges, Harry Lennix, Anthony Tudor, Forest Whitaker and more. CBS, Viacom, Universal, Sony, NBC, ABC, AMC, Disney, Warner Brothers, Fox, MGM, HBO and UMC, Amazon, and ROKU.

Rowell co-executive produced several UPtv Christmas holiday movies for Uplifting Entertainment Network. UPTV boasts over 70 million subscribers worldwide.

Rowell has also been highly acclaimed from her work as an advocate for foster children and communities underserved in the arts.  In addition to her long time and illustrious acting career, she is a NY Times best-selling author and an in-demand speaker.  She has two adult children, Maya and Jasper, and resides in LA.

Actor Richard Brooks was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brooks has appeared in numerous television shows but is perhaps best known as ADA Paul Robinette, starring opposite Michael Moriarty’s Ben Stone, in the original LAW & ORDER.  He is also known for his role as the notorious space bounty hunter, Jubal Early, in the short-lived cult hit FIREFLY. He starred in the USA Network’s sci-fi comedy series GOOD VS. EVIL, as secret-agent-for-good Henry McNeil. And he was unforgettable in his powerful embodiment of Frederick Douglass in the award-winning PBS American Experience docudrama mini-series THE ABOLITIONISTS.

In addition to his recent television work on THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, BOSCH, CHICAGO PD, SHAMELESS, and others, Richard received his second consecutive Best Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination for his work on the BET+ series THE RICH AND THE RUTHLESS, in which he stars opposite the shows’ creator, Victoria Rowell.  No one can forget Brooks as Gabrielle Union’s big brother, Patrick, on the award-winning BET drama BEING MARY JANE.

This multitalented artist, in addition to his acting roles,  is also a singer, writer, director and producer. He was last seen on the stage originating the role of Harmond Wilks in the world premiere production of August Wilson’s RADIO GOLF at Yale Rep Theatre.

Richard is presently recurring on GOOD TROUBLE on FreeForm Network.  Brooks resides in Los Angeles and New York and is involved in many charity organizations since he is always motivated to “giving back”.

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Richard Brooks and Victoria Rowell star in "The Ruth and the Ruthless" on BET+

Interview with Max Talisman

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TV Interview!

 

Actor/writer/director Max Talisman

Interview with Max Talisman of the movie “Things Like This” by Suzanne 4/13/21

It was so nice to speak with Max. He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. I think he’ll do great things!

Suzanne:   So, what’s your film about?

Max:   So, the film is about two guys with the same name, who fall in love. Basically, what I’ve noticed is that every movie that has to do with gay characters is all about the coming out part of a gay life, but there’s so much that happens after that. So, that’s literally just the beginning of a gay person’s life as someone in the community. I just noticed that there were no movies like that, so I was like, “I have to write this. This is what I have to write. I have to write a movie about two men who fall in love where coming out just isn’t part of the story. It’s already happened.”

Suzanne:   So, they’re in their twenties, basically?

Max:   Yeah, they’re in their mid-twenties, and they’re just experiencing love and all the fears that come with falling in love.

Suzanne:   Okay, actually, that makes me think of another question. Had there been any movies about gay people in college?

Max:   I don’t think there have been. I think there have been a lot of – I mean, not a lot. There’s still not a lot of content for, you know, queer people. There’ve been movies about high school, with people coming out in high school. I can’t think of any gay people in college, especially not ones that have to do with post coming out.

Suzanne:   Right. Well, there’s your next movie.

Max:   Exactly.

Suzanne:   So, what made you want to become a writer and director?

Max:   I think it was just the past led me here. I’ve been a performer since I was very, very young, and a few years back I noticed that there weren’t a lot of roles for someone with my body type – I’m a plus size actor – and especially not the type of roles that I felt like I should be playing or I should be auditioning for. So, I decided that I should be writing them. I’m lucky that I have the ability to write, and I just decided to start writing the roles that I wanted to be playing.

Suzanne:   Okay. And had you done any shorter films before this or been been involved in film class? Anything like that?

Max:   No. I mean, I’ve been an actor, obviously, on multiple sets, TV and film, and I’ve learned while I’ve been there. Basically, the truth is that this movie is about telling the story of these two people falling in love. It’s not a technical film. It’s really about the story and the connection between these two people. So, I just I felt, after interviewing multiple directors and going through that, I just didn’t find someone who was able to tell the story in the same way that I knew I could.

Suzanne:   Okay, so you did interview other directors. Did you shadow anyone or anything like that?

Max:   No, I didn’t shadow anyone. I did interview other directors, but just like I said, at the end of the day, it felt like I needed to be the person to tell the story.

Suzanne:   Okay. And did did you learn a lot about directing while you were actually doing your movie?

Max:   So we haven’t – we’re filming in the fall.

Suzanne:   Oh, you’re not filming yet?

Max:   We’re filming this fall. We’re filming in September and October. So, I haven’t learned that much about filming yet through the film, because we haven’t done it yet, but I’m I’m ready to learn, and I’m open to everything.

Suzanne:   Okay, and so what was your preparation for writing the film? Did you just sit down and write? Did you have an outline? What did you do?

Max:   I’m someone who very much lets the story lead me wherever it feels like it needs to go. So, I didn’t have an outline. I just sat down, and it led me where it needed to. So, I wrote the first draft within a week, and the plot has stayed the same. Obviously, it’s been through hundreds and hundreds of edits since then, but the plot has remained the same since the first draft, and, yeah, I wrote the first draft within a week, and from there, it’s just became the film that it is now.

Suzanne:   Wow, that’s great. That’s working fast too.

Max:   One hundred percent.

Suzanne:   And had you done a lot of writing before, like, in school or just for fun or –

Max:   So, I’d written a television show, and I filmed a pilot. This was the first feature that I ever wrote, and just like I said, it kind of just, you know, flowed out of me. So, as soon as I started writing, it just felt unstoppable that I had to get it down.

Suzanne:   You have some great veteran TV and movie actors. Tell us about all the casting that you went through.

Max:   We have an insane cast. It’s pretty amazing. It’s pretty unreal. I mean, we have multiple Academy Award nominee Ryan Kinnon. She’s the first female to be nominated both in front and behind the camera. She’s an icon in every sense of the word, and Eric Roberts, who’s an Academy Award nominee, and is an icon himself. We have T-Boz, who’s one of the most famous musical artists of all time. I mean, it’s just, this cast is unbelievable, and it’s so exciting to get to work with these absolute supernovas. So, I’m just beside myself. We really just got lucky during COVID, because people were able to read things, which is, you know, a side part of this horrible, horrible thing that we’ve been going through, but we have been able to get scripts to people, and they’ve been able to take a look at it in a way that they weren’t before. So, that’s definitely changed. It’s made us able to cast this movie with people like Jasmin Savoy Brown, who’s been a friend of mine for a while, but because of her having time to read the script, now she’s a part of this feature. And she’s so excited to make it, and I’m so excited to meet with her. And Charlie Tahan, who’s from Ozark, he was in Super Dark Times with me, and we’ve been friends since, and he was the first person I went to with the script, and he’s so excited to make this film. So, it’s just been a journey. I’m creating this incredible cast, like, with Terry Moore, who’s one of the last living stars of a Hollywood Golden Age. And Willem, who’s one of the most famous [unintelligible] in this entire world, like we are just beside ourselves with this cast. It’s unreal.

Suzanne:   Yeah, it’s a really great cast. So, what else was involved in getting your film made? I mean, I know you haven’t shot it yet, but tell us about how you got started and all that. Financing and whatever else you had to do?

Max:   Yeah, well, actually it’s been extremely intense. Definitely getting it to the right people has been a journey. Getting it to people who believe in making a queer film, it’s intense. And it hasn’t been the easiest process, but it’s also been a process that now we’re working with the people we trust to make this film, and to make it right, and that’s definitely been lucky in the end. You know that what you want is to make the movie with the people who want to make it for exactly the kind of feature it is, but it’s definitely been a journey of getting in front of a lot of different people, and editing it and getting it in front of more people, but that’s kind of what it’s been like.

Suzanne:   That’s great. So, your shooting in the fall, and how long do you think shooting will take?

Max:   Yeah, so we’re planning for a twenty-eight day shoot. We’re planning for a twenty-eight day shoot, and we’re just really excited. We’ll be shooting in up in Canada, and we’re thrilled with everything that’s going on. So, yeah.

Suzanne:   And is there anything else you want to tell us about the film?

Max:   Just that I’m so excited to get it to everyone. It’s been a journey, like I said, to get this thing made, but now that we’re here ready to film, in pre-production, I’m just so thrilled, and I’m so happy. I think this is exactly the movie that people will want to see and need to see, just because love is universal, and the people falling in love are universal. And I’m just so thrilled to be able to tell this story with the cast and the team that we’ve built.

Suzanne:   Okay, and who would you say are your influences as far as writing and directing?

Max:   I mean, I think I take influence from a lot of different things I watched, definitely. I mean, I’ve been hugely influenced by the comedy of Tina Fey in 30 Rock, for sure. I mean, I watched that show so many times, and I definitely, in a lot of ways, write with her comedic beats. I read once that someone said, like, “It isn’t cliche,” I think it was Mindy Kaling said that it isn’t cliche to say that Tina Fey’s the influence for everyone, because there’s a reason that she is, and I agree with that. She’s so talented. She’s so gifted in comedy, and I’ve definitely been taking from her, like not taking from her, but being influenced by her and her writing. Then, there’re so many other filmmakers who I definitely have been influenced by, and I’ve been allowing myself through the last few years to be more influenced by it. Definitely Judd Apatow’s done a lot of work that has influenced me, especially Trainwreck by Amy Schumer, that has had a huge impact on me, and Bridesmaids, Kristen Wigg, that’s definitely influenced me. So, yeah, I’ve definitely been watching things, and I’ve been soaking them up as much as possible.

Suzanne:   Great, and so you mentioned mostly comedy people, so would you say that your movie is funny?

Max:   Oh, yeah. It’s a romantic comedy with a big emphasis on the comedy part. Yeah, definitely. I hope it’s funny, and yes it is, but, I mean, that’s for other people to decide, but it was written as a comedy.

Suzanne:   Great. And what about directing? Are there particular directors that you admire that you think you should be like, besides Judd Apatow?

Max:   Yeah, you know, it’s tough to like, rattle people off right away. I’m trying to think of specific people, but it’s just I watch a lot of romantic comedies these days, especially my favorite ones. I mean, obviously, Rob Reiner is a huge one, and I mean, I’m getting to work with his children. Jake Reiner, and Robby Reiner are both in this feature, and Jake is executive producing it as well. So, that’s a huge thing to be, you know, he’s really the father of modern romantic comedy, Rob Reiner. Obviously, he’s influenced me. When Harry Met Sally, Princess Bride, and now to be able to work with his kids and be able to create something for the new generation with them, I mean, that’s thrilling.

Suzanne:   Cool. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot trying to find names.

Max:   No worries.

Suzanne:   So, it’s probably a little early to ask you this, but do you have other projects that you’re thinking about for the future that you’re working on?

Max:   Yeah, so, actually, already we’re working through my my next feature, which is called Don’t Kiss a Werewolf Boy, and it’s an LGBTQI horror comedy, and I’m really, really excited to dive into that one, [unintelligible] because it’s very different from things like this. Obviously, it’s a horror comedy, but it’s genre bending. It has a lot of different influences, too, but that one’s super, super exciting.

Suzanne:   Is there gonna like some spoofing of things like Teen Wolf and I Was a Teenage Werewolf and things like that?

Max:   It’s not a spoof at all. It takes influences, but it’s really its own story. It doesn’t have to do with those.

Suzanne:   Okay, anything else?

Max:   No, with Werewolf, we’re in the very beginnings of casting it, getting it ready, and I’ll be filming it once we wrap things like this.

Suzanne:   Cool. So, you’ve already written it.

Max:   Oh, yeah. Yeah, it’s been written years ago.

Suzanne:   Okay. Who would you cast if you had had your pick of people?

Max:   I’m not sure I can say that, because we’re literally in the process of casting people right now. So, I don’t want to jump the gun, but definitely we are talking to some people who I’m very excited about.

Suzanne:   Cool. Cool. I think the first – I don’t know if you’ve ever seen it. Did you ever see the old An American Werewolf in London?

Max:   I have seen it. Yes.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I think that was the first werewolf movie that was actually, you know, good and had good special effects and makeup and that kind of thing.

Max:   One hundred percent.

Suzanne:   Yeah. Well, cool. I look forward to seeing both of them.

Max:   Thank you. Thank you so much.

Here is the audio version of it.

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

Photos by Bonnie Nichoalds

MORE INFO:

Actor, singer, writer and creative force, Max Talisman is set to make his directorial debut in his upcoming romantic comedy, THINGS LIKE THIS. The film stars Charlie Tahan (Netflix’s “Ozark”), Eric Roberts (THE DARK KNIGHT) and Miles Tagtmeyer (DISNEY DESCENDANTS: SCHOOL OF SECRETS), and tells a story of two guys who fall in love and while everything seems to align for them to be together, they begin to question fate as they encounter an obstacle.
Growing up in Washington DC, Max started performing in 3rd grade. He participated in musical theatre, including productions at the Musical Theatre Center (MTC), one of the leading performing arts education organizations for young people in the Washington DC area. It was the moment when he played the 2nd lead role in the through-composed musical, “Caroline, or Change” that he felt theatre was his calling.
When his senior year of high school began, Max made the courageous move to NYC to follow his passion for theatre. He joined the Broadway Artists Alliance, a professional training academy for promising young musical theatre performers right in the heart of New York City.After living in the big apple for 5 years, he decided to make his way to Hollywood, California. He’s appeared in The Orchard’s SUPER DARK TIMES, TBS’ “Search Party” and NBC’s “The Blacklist”.
Overcoming Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) and anxiety, this rising star doesn’t let these challenges prevent him from enjoying his life. He has a keen love for sports and when he’s not watching games on TV or at stadiums, he keeps up with the standings/scores on teams such as the LA Lakers, the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Orioles. He is also an avid tennis and ping pong player, crediting Serena Williams as his role model.
 
Consumed by wanderlust with a curiosity for cultures, Max has traveled all around the world from Argentina to Zimbabwe, Austria, Germany, Italy, England, Iceland, Greece, Africa and Costa Rica.
With a life of travel, art, and hobbies, Max hopes to incorporate all his current and future life experiences in all he does. He hopes to be a role model for the LGBTQ community and break stereotypical barriers/roles in Hollywood.

 

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Actor/writer/director Max Talisman

Interview with Lauren Lee Smith, Marc Blucas, Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

 

Lauren Lee Smith, Marc Blucas, Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy from panel for "Doomsday Mom" on Lifetime - photos from Lifetime and actors' social media

Interview with Lauren Lee Smith, Marc Blucas, Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy in “Doomsday Mom: The Lori Vallow Story” on Lifetime by Suzanne 5/19/21

I’ll admit I did gush a little talking to these fine actors. I’m familiar with them all from their previous TV roles. I literally grew up watching Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy in the 70’s, and I saw Marc Blucas and Lauren Lee Smith in their great scifi/fantasy roles later on. It was hard not to tell them how much I enjoyed their work. They were very kind and even made some fun jokes during the interview. This was a press call that was part of a series of calls we did all on that same day for Lifetime movies this summer.

DOOMSDAY MOM PANEL

Moderator: Hi all, our next panel is Doomsday Mom, The Lori Vallow Story.  I’d like to introduce our cast Lauren Lee Smith, Marc Blucas, Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy.

Hi everyone. Question is for Lauren, how familiar were you with the Lori Vallow case before taking on this role? And what was the most surprising thing you learned about the case that you wanted to make sure it was portrayed on screen and the same to you, Marc?

Lauren Lee Smith: Wow, no, I actually wasn’t. It was at a time where I think we were all in full blown, lockdown covid craziness and I was up here in Toronto with my young daughter just trying to sort of keep sane and there was no TV around. So I had no idea about this story. It first was brought to my attention through our director, actually Bradley Walsh. He had reached out to me a couple of weeks before shooting and we were just sort of catching up and he was asking me like what I would like to do next and then I was like yeah I’m really looking for something you know to sort of sink my teeth into and challenge me in a new, exciting way. And yeah, it’s sort of it all, one thing led to another and and then yeah, I found out that that I would be coming to do this with him. And I think what surprised me the most was, you know, just the initial sort of the initial reaction of finding out the story in general and finding out exactly who this this woman is and what had happened. I think the initial shock.

Moderator: How about you Marc?

Marc Blucas: You know, for me you know I had known about it and it’s I guess in the in a very peripheral kind of way and it had been a year since everything had happened. So you know, the first thing I did as we probably all do, is you get on the Internet. Boom, you type these two in and the first thing that came up was the mug shot and to me two things came to my right mind right away when I saw them that really attracted me to the project and taking on the role of Chad which was when I saw that I saw two people, and this is going to sound very shallow at first, but you kind of look at Lori on the surface and in a very just first glance way, it’s like, oh, there’s a you know,very attractive, you know woman there and then you see Chad and I was like, oh, maybe not so much, and I was like oh what was the initial draw? And the other thing I thought about that about that mug shot was that in his face I saw remorse an in hers I didn’t and from what I had recalled the story and what I just started the research of it, It was kind of like it really felt like and again we have a lot here, we don’t have all the answers to just yet, but that Chad really started going, taking Lori down a very committed path and at some point in their journey, it’s almost like she leapfrog him in in the in the power dynamics or in the commitment of their beliefs. And I just thought that was a fascinating study, not only is as an actor, but as a singular character, but seeing how we could make that relationship evolve because what the public know, we already know that the public knows so much. So what Lauren and I and Bradley had all talked about is like, what we don’t know is what happened behind closed doors between these two people and exploring that to see this journey and how they get to make these decisions that they made, I thought, was an interesting study.

Moderator: Thanks so much. Our next question is from Jamie.

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision): Sorry, forgot to unmute there for a second. Thanks for talking to us guys. So obviously these characters are based on real life people but what I want to know is what part of yourselves did you bring into the roles?

Lauren Lee Smith: Well. That’s a tough one, but.

Marc Blucas: Well, I’m a passionate person. That there.

Doomsday Mom poster

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision): You know, maybe there’s a better way to say it, how did you connect to them as people? Maybe that was a better way to phrase it.

Marc Blucas: Uh, I again, I, it was kind of said in jest, but you know…look, I mean at the end of the day, these are not great people and it’s our jobs as actors to kind of find how we can like them ourselves and portray something that’s three dimensional and real. And at the end of the day, I just said it in a way, it’s just like hey look I’m a very committed and passionate person and I’m about different things that I think that Chad was committed and passionate about and what he tried to do or what he tried to bring people together as a leader, I guess in this.  But there’s no, you can’t question the fact that they had a conviction of what they believed, and I may not be in the same category in what they believed, but having that kind of conviction I could relate to and start there from.

Lauren Lee Smith: Yeah, exactly like that’s really sort of all you can do. You know with these characters is find exactly that and then you know just trying to come and find the little moments you can of sort of humanity, you know, I’m a mother, so trying to sort of find those moments where you know you could see her love for JJ and for Tylee and sort of really infused that as much as possible. But yeah, other than that it was that wasn’t the easiest part of this job.

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision): Patrick, Linda anything to add?

Patrick Duffy: Well, we have the easier track of these characters. We had to be the sort of calming, and rational side of looking at all of these horrific things that were happening. So, you know, we were grandparents in and of itself and as a grandparent myself I know what that feels like and I could then was able to completely support what Linda was doing as really the fire brand of the two characters that we played. She was the relentless one that was in pursuit of justice in an ongoing situation, which is even more difficult in making this film. And I credit everybody from Karen and Ann and the actors Marc and Lauren and Bradley and everybody with being able to thread that fine line of fiction that we are doing based on a real story but keep these, especially those two characters, you know keeping them in a humanity arena so that it does not become,

I mean it in this way, it does not become cartoonish, in its evilness that it that everybody has to recognize a bit of humanity that contains that devilish nature and we are in control of it most of the time. And that, to me, is the interesting part about the script, and let the two lead actors were you know, really tasked with doing which is amazing and plus the fact we never except for

one little Christmas dinner scene, we never shared the camera with either of those two characters, so we had our own little movie going that you guys didn’t even know about.

Marc Blucas: That’s why you said yes to the job we know.

Lauren Lee Smith: We get it.

Linda Purl: I think the you know as Lauren said and Mark two that we’re all parents, and so it ignites certainly the Mama bear in me and I mean it. It’s actually unimaginable. Thank God, you know, the horror that this that this tale unfolds. But I think that that you know unbelievable journey of not knowing where your loved ones are, was interesting to visit.

Moderator: Thanks Jamie. Jay, You’re up next.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Hello everyone, thank you for doing this. Actually my question is for Patrick and Linda is nice to see you together, since we know you’re together and I hope that doesn’t sound too and ingracious. But were the two of you cast a package deal in this? Or was one of you cast 1st and super suggested the other person?

Patrick Duffy: Well, we were driving to Colorado from California when the phone rang and we almost made a U turn but we said no we gotta, we gotta get back to change our underwear and then go back to work so. But I actually I think you know, in deference, I think Linda’s name might have been mentioned first in terms of this when I look at the chronology and the phone messages, and then you know the conversations that all of your people have when you’re doing these things, so you know, I think the sequence was Linda and Patrick, not Patrick and Linda.

Linda Purl: I think it was Patrick and Linda.

Patrick Duffy: But it doesn’t matter. It was our first chance to work together. Yeah, you know, first chance to actually play a husband and wife, which was even more, and the other thing that Linda keeps saying, and so I’m stealing all of her good lines, that it’s the first time as actors we’ve ever walked to the set holding hands with the person you’re with.

Linda Purl: It felt weird but yeah, I guess it’s OK. At the end of a scene, I guess, Patrick patted me on the bottom and said nice job honey and I thought, well, that’s the first time that’s ever happened. It was fun.

Patrick Duffy: It was wonderful and yeah, and it was a great thing for us because you never know.

Linda Purl: It could have been a disaster.

Patrick Duffy: We could have completely polar opposite ways.

Linda Purl: That’s how you’re gonna do the scene?

Patrick Duffy: Yeah, well, I usually have a drink before every scene.

Marc Blucas: It was at least reassuring. I was so glad to see you were still together. Are they flying together? Or independently?

Linda Purl: Quarantine was the challenge. It was like are we gonna make it through 14 days of quarantine? But we did. Yeah it was fun.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Thank you both.

Moderator: Thank you so much. Suzanne. You’re up next.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Hi, thanks for the call, I’m so familiar with all your guys’ work. I grew up in the 70s, and so I love Patrick and Linda from so many different things, especially “Dallas”, of course– One of my favorite shows growing up… and Marc from “Buffy” and other projects, and Lauren from “Mutant X” and so many great things. So I’m just honored to talk to you all.. but I was wondering, Linda and Patrick, if you could give us any background as to what you think your characters were like before the movie started, and then how they progressed. Some of us haven’t actually seen the movie because it wasn’t on the screener site, so…

Linda Purl: We don’t know that much really. I mean just what’s available on the on the Internet and what the script gave us, but they seem to be very hardworking, family-oriented people, smart, successful in their careers and then suddenly this. You know, they were a very closely knit family, we would say, right?

Patrick Duffy: And if you’re– if you’re asking the question personally, what happens to us after doing something like this? Although we weren’t in the depths that Lauren and Marc were, but you, you are affected by it, especially when you have children. And now that I have four grandchildren, and, it is inconceivable, first of all, to right-minded people that these things actually occur… and you enter, going into this, reading the script, I’m doing it but in the– in the heat of the scenes — of which we were together as a couple. It builds, and your fascination and repulsion build at the same time as to what these human beings have to go through and what they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. And you get just a smattering of it by having occupied their space for a moment, and you look at your children differently because you know what the potential is, and it does affect you, and it affected me, not deeply, in the sense that I’m tormented by it, but I am aware of it in different depth now of what the potential is in the human being. And it’s frightening and encouraging in terms of who you look at as your characters in this film.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): And Linda, did you have anything to add to that?

Linda Purl: oh thank you, well…

Patrick Duffy: I don’t see how she could.

Linda Purl: I thought it was brilliant. It was, really. I was in the Grand Canyon with my son, who was then about 8 years old, and I lost him for the ten longest minutes of my life, and it’s an out-of-body electric shock experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. So I was able to, you know, sort of conjure that up when we’re looking for justice, when we’re looking for the grandkids, or were when we know my brother’s been killed. And so, but I think you know, as Patrick says, you just drop to your knees grateful that your family is safe, and it tends to highlight that gratitude in our lives when you walk down, even for a few minutes, the road of these people who have lost so much. I have no idea how you recover from that.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): And Lauren, what do you think? How do you think the character or the real person… however you like to interpret it… how she went from two loving parents to becoming this person who ends up killing her own children?

Lauren Lee Smith: Yeah, I mean, that’s definitely something that I had to sort of, I think, play around with in my own sort of interpretation of this character, even though, you know, it’s…. she’s very much alive and we, you know, know certain facts about her. I think for me, just on a personal level, to sort of dig into this, this character and sort of not, justified, but… give you know some sort of back-story and create this sort of, you know, back-story in my own head for her, so, you know… it’s very strange. I don’t know, I don’t… I don’t. It’s unimaginable to me how someone can go from, you know, having this sort of… being brought up in this loving family, which is is what we’ve been, you know, told to believe to, you know, becoming this person who would do these absolutely heinous things. So, yeah, I guess the only way that that I was able to sort of come to terms with it is to sort of… yeah, to really come up with my own back-story that perhaps, you know her, her past and her childhood, and her personal life, and whatever is maybe… not exactly, what we evolved, you know, read or seen or believed up until this point, that there perhaps is some major trauma or some major incidents or some… whatever it could possibly be to bring her to the point that she, you know, is at, and was at in her life. I answered it, took it upon myself to do that.

Marc Blucas: You’re being very sweet for not throwing me under the bus.  Suzanne, the reality is, is that when we both got there, we were freaking out, and I had called Lauren immediately, and I said, alright, ’cause that’s the big question, right? How did they go from everyday people that, we assume, think and decide and have a moral compass in a certain direction… suddenly getting to the point where they’re going to kill their kids and then walk around in Hawaii, and think that, like, as if nothing has happened, and we literally sat there and got Karen and Bradley on the phone after we made our, you know,4 gigabyte list of questions that we had. This is real, and how do we tackle this? Because this is it, and it goes back to what I had said before, a little bit, about that kind of, like, commitment and passion for something that you suddenly get so– the blinders get on so much that everything — all the collateral damage that happens — you, end up not seeing. And so, it was almost– I give Lauren a lot of credit because it was, it was kind of a two-part process of creating Chad for me. Like, I– we really, kind of, had to approach these characters together, in a sense, as one, because, I was in the process of gaining weight, so I kept saying, can we meet back at the croissant place? We kind of kept going to anywhere I could eat massive amounts of food to keep gaining weight for the role and trying to tackle and make sense of that question, and going through beat-by-beat of saying, “OK, here’s the arc of this, when does this moment happen?” Where they decide to go beyond the point of no return, almost.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Alright, thank you, guys, great answers.

Moderator: Thank you so much. We have time for one more, and if there was anyone who had a question and wants it answered, feel free to email us, and we’re happy to get answers for you. So Rick, you will be our last question.

Rick Bentley (Tribune): Thank you. Hey Patrick and Linda, you play characters that are one generation of removed from the central story here. I’m just wondering when you go into those characters when you start thinking about them, did you think of them as people who should have felt guilty should have felt some responsibility, should have would have been in complete denial, I mean, how do you know where you start from on a point with parents of people who are parents of people who are involved with something like this?

Linda Purl: Well, I don’t think denial, although maybe we missed that, maybe we should have. No, I think that you know their merit in this in this story is that they. Is that they fearlessly sort of faced this possibility and became the champions for truth and protection. And I think that’s sort of a cautionary tale maybe to take away from the film, in that in these kinds of situations don’t fail to act. These people did not fail to act and all their actions and seeking of truth and pushing the police and the detectives it was. Too late, but in another instance it might not have been, and so you know in these kinds of horrid situations any one of us you know, God forbid we’re in it, but you, have to, you have to be vigilant and you have to be forceful.

Patrick Duffy: Yeah, I think there is an element of self-reflection when this happens.  Maybe not regret or denial, but you know, as a parent, now my children are in their 40s but, you know when there would be rough patches in their upbringing where they might do things outside of the box that I thought was appropriate behavior, here is an element in me that says should I have foreseen this? Should I have forestalled this? Was there something I should have or could have or might have said that just would have deflected it enough? So for my character in this, although Linda’s character was much more doggedly active, my character was written as somewhat more passive and quiet, and I think part of that was that self-reflection of he was the, you know, quote, unquote, chauvinistically sounding, but the bread earner, the man of the family. And yet all of this happened, how could that happen on his watch had to be part of his processing, so that was the only thing that I could say where I might have felt a bit responsible as a character for the outcome, not that I thought I the character did anything wrong, but what could he have done, I think was the divergent point for me of accepting responsibility partially for what happened.

Linda Purl: And that’s probably human nature too. In any disaster, there’s that lovely phrase, magical thinking, and that we all know what on earth, no matter how irrational, what could I have done? How could I have changed things? How could I have missed the signs? I mean, I think we all go through these kinds of thoughts.

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DOOMSDAY MOM
PREMIERES SATURDAY, JUNE 26 at 8/7c
Screen Shot 2021-03-31 at 9
(L to R): Lauren Lee Smith, Marc Blucas, Linda Purl, Patrick Duffy
Doomsday Mom is based on the true story of Lori Vallow (Lauren Lee Smith), who gained national attention when her children, JJ and Tylee, were reported missing from their Idaho home in the Fall of 2019. As investigators learned of Lori and her husband Chad Daybell’s (Marc Blucas) involvement in a doomsday-prepper group, a trail of mystery was revealed spanning five states and numerous questionable deaths, before the bodies of JJ and Tylee were found in the backyard of Chad’s home in June 2020. Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy also star.

Doomsday Mom is produced by Lighthouse Pictures for Lifetime, with Sony Pictures Television distributing. Karen Glass and Tom Mazza of Everywhere Studios and Judith Verno of Peace Out Productions serve as executive producers. Stephen Tolkin wrote the script and Bradley Walsh directs.

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Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy in "Doomsday Mom: The Lori Vallow Story" on Lifetime

Interview with Sadie Calvano, Evan Roderick, Tom Stevens and Judith Verno

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

 

Sadie Calvano, Evan Roderick, Tom Stevens and Judith Verno of "Secret's of a Marine's Wife" on Lifetime - photos from Lifetime and social media

Interview with actors Sadie Calvano, Evan Roderick, and Tom Stevens, and executive producer Judith Verno in “Secrets of a Marine’s Wife” on Lifetime by Suzanne 5/19/21

This movie was very interesting and had a great cast. I was glad to speak with them. I’d interviewed Tom Stevens before about his role in “Deadly Class” on Syfy, so it was great to see him again. I hope you enjoyed the movie! It was an interesting mystery and romance story, but tragic.

SECRETS OF A MARINE’S WIFE

Moderator: Hi everyone, thank you for joining us. I am very pleased to welcome our panelists from Secrets of a Marine’s Wife, including Sadie Calvano, who plays Erin Corwin, Evan Roderick who plays her husband John Corwin, Tom Stevens, who plays Chris Lee, joined by executive producer Judith Verno.

Just a quick reminder if you’d like to ask a question, at the bottom of your screen please hit the raise your hand button at the bottom of the screen.  Depending on what version of zoom you have, it might be under the reactions button or the participants button. I will be answering questions as they come in an I wanted to start with one pre-submitted question that’s for everybody. And that question is Erin Corwin’s Story is very tragic. What do you hope viewers will take away from this movie?

Sadie Calvano: I’ll start. Hi everyone, I’m Sadie. I would really like viewers to take away from this movie  is that this isn’t a story that questions Erin’s sexual choices. This isn’t a story that talks about how because she had an affair, she got murdered. This is a story that is about complex relationships about a young girl who was looking for love and connection and who was going through a really tough time in her life and looking for support and fell in the hands of someone who brutally murdered her. And I really hope that people are able to see the story of love and seeking and are able to fall in love with her and wonder.

Tom Stevens: Yeah, and I like..Evan.

Evan Roderick: Yeah. You know, and like speaking from Jon’s perspective too, it’s a story

about forgiveness as well ,and you know, because these characters are so young that you know they hold such a, I guess, there is such an expectation on this relationship to work too, so you know, I think it was important to keep Erin in a light you know, and she was a really good person and we had to honor her story. I hope people can see that when they see the movie.

Tom Stevens: Yeah, I gotta say that like jumping off of what Sadie was saying is they had a relationship that was kind of…It was too young.

People got married very early and well. What we were telling the story of is what Chris and Aaron found was almost like an intimacy that they hadn’t really experienced before. It just so happened that she chose to go with somebody that had some serious mental issues.

Judith Verno (Executive Producer): Yeah, I mean, I think that what’s important is nobody should pay for their mistake with their life. And that’s the message here. And to find stories that are relatable at their core but can also serve as a cautionary tale, especially for a younger generation. I think that’s important to tap into for Lifetime.

Moderator: Thank you all. The next question is from Suzanne from TVMeg.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Hi, good morning. Let me ask, Tom, what do you think? What did you do to prepare for this very complex role?

Tom Stevens: Yeah, Chris, is uh, he kind of travels through a lot of different emotional realms throughout the film. The guy is dealing with suicide. He’s dealing with an unhappy marriage. Finding this new experience with his neighbor Erin and also everything that he’s kind of dealing with, with his experience with going over to Afghanistan.

And I just kind of took it day by day…I’ve done a lot of military research myself. I knew the story. I knew the case very well, so I listened to the book and I used the chapters about Chris and I just I tried to find as much that I could use out of that book as possible to add color to him every day.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Great, and Evan – your role is almost saint-like.

I know actors like to do… usually they like to play the bad guy because there’s so many different layers, and you get to vent your emotions and all that kind of thing. Well, what did you do to make your role speak to you and have fun with it?

Evan Roderick: As much as I think the center of it is he’s just a guy that loves this person so much you know. And I mean, personally, I know. I know what that feels like to love someone so much that you do anything for them. So I think that kind of was the center of Jon.

But I’ve never shot a gun before this movie. I’m so Canadian, I know. But you know I spent some time at the gun range in the gym. I watched all the Dateline stuff to prepare as well so but yeah, at the center of it he’s just a guy that’s just so in love with this woman. So that was kind of what I always hung onto.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Great. And Sadie, when they were doing the scenes… where they were showing him strangling your character, did you, uh..Can you tell us how you did that?  How it was done? Sort of physically and special effects wise? Was there a stunt person?

Sadie Calvano: Sure, yeah, there was some people involved. However, Tom I also participated. They had me in this like strapped suit and that clipped on to Tom’s back. I wore a necklace that was made out of like elastic that looked like what would have been choking her but it wasn’t connected to anything so that I stayed completely safe and then on the back of my suit there was a clip that the poles attached to for Tom. And we had some staff people help us out with different positions. Each shot kind of varied what the arrangement was, whether it was me with a stunt person or Tom with a staff person or me with Tom. But we had really amazing stunt people that kept us very safe and were so sensitive to the nature of that scene and made sure that we stayed protected emotionally and physically in what was a very strenuous scene.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Alright, well, thank you. I really enjoyed it. I love the movie. It was sad in the end, but it was good.

Sadie Calvano: Thank you.

Modderator: Thank you Suzanne. Ok, this next question is from Lisa Steinberg.

Lisa Steinberg (Starry Magazine): Hi thank you guys so much for talking with us today. Evan. you’re playing a marine in this and you touched on a bit about the physical aspect of it and getting into shape.

Was there something different you did to prepare for the role of a marine? Or you know, just you stay fit and it was just more upping your time at the gym.?

Evan Roderick: Good question. Well, I think you know when you’re an actor, you kind of have to try to stay in shape all year round anyway. But I think mainly it was about learning about the culture of being a Marine. Like these people are, they’re living in these complexes a lot of the time, you know, like in our movie and they’re like it’s just like this big tight knit family, you know. So I think the biggest learning curve for me was just kind of learning the culture and how they spend their time. And like I said, you know, just trying to get the mechanics of being able to work a gun and hold a gun properly without looking like a fool. I think that was pretty important as well. So just yeah, a couple of those kind of things, but it was very, it was a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun doing it so yeah.

Moderator: Thank you Evan.   And the next question is from Jamie Ruby.

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision): So do you guys have a favorite scene that you could tease?

Tom Stevens: I’d say the pool scene. The pool scene was really fun to shoot, we were just in the pool all day, just swimming.  It was great.

Evan Roderick: I think I agree.

Tom Stevens: Anything in the complex.

Sadie Calvano and Tom Stevens

Sadie Calvano: I actually think that I would say that one of my favorite scenes is the scene that we shot in the diner. I feel like it is really different from the rest of the film.  And I think that there is a moment in that where we see the cracks really starting to appear.

And I think that we’re able to see that end of the day, like these are just two young kids that don’t really know what they’re doing, that are struggling to make decisions and doing the best they can. Umm and I like I think that’s a scene where we’re really able to see their humanity in a way that is different from the rest of the film. So that was one of my favorites to shoot

Evan Roderick: I loved shooting that scene too.  It was fun.

Moderator: Thank you guys. The next question is from Jay Bobbin.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Hello everyone, thanks for doing this. Sadie my question is for you.  For Mom fans like my mom, who are such devotees of that show and know you so well as Violet and maybe haven’t seen you doing much else, what would you say to them before they watch you in this?

Sadie Calvano: I’d say thank you so much for watching Mom. Mom was such a huge part of my

life and of my personhood. I was kid when I started on Mom. You know I was 15 and so it shaped such a big part of my life and obviously of my career. So first I would say thank you so much and that I hope you like the finale because it just aired.

Umm and secondly, I would say that this is a really exciting project for you to get to watch because it’s not like Violet at all. You know, I think the thing that was so exciting about this was that next to Why Women Kill this is one of the first roles where I really got to play a woman, a person who’s not just like an angry bratty teenager. You know she has these like romantic complex relationships and I think you really get to see a different side of me in this project and I hope you enjoy it.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you Jay. I think we have time for one more question, maybe two. The next question is from Steve Gidlow of Media Village

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): My question is actually for Sadie.  I was just wondering how familiar were you with this story before joining the project. Had you heard about it before? Or was it all sort of news to you?

Sadie Calvano: That’s a great question. I must confess in my  day to day life I am a bit of a crime junkie. I really love watching murder shows probably an unhealthy amount. But I did know about this story before I got offered this job. I grew up in LA. My boyfriend’s mom lives in Palm Springs, and this was a huge story in that area particularly, so I was familiar with the case I remembered reading about it when it happened and, yeah, I definitely was familiar.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village):  And quickly. Is there a chance you’re going back to Why Women Kill?

Sadie Calvano: Oh, I would love that. I would love that so much. I guess time will tell. I know that with Season 2 they were planning on doing all new cast and all new stories, but the door is, you know always a sliver open and we’ll see what the future brings. I would love to work with Mark Cherry again in the future, so I don’t know, fingers crossed

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Awesome. Thanks so much.

Sadie Calvano: Of course

Moderator: Thanks so much, Steve. Thank you Sadie. The last question is for Judith.

As an executive producer for this movie, what interested you in Erin’s story.

Judith Verno: Well, I really do like doing stories that start with something where you feel it’s relatable and I do like doing stories that focus on a younger generation. It’s an area that I’ve worked on before and I welcome it.

I think that as Sadie and Tom and Evan alluded to, you know Erin is a really good person. And to be able to message that you can have flaws, make mistakes, be young and not wind up dead is important to me and so I love the true crime genre, I love the setting of this. I don’t think there’s been a lot of true crime that’s in a military environment, but most of all, I really love working with young people. We had an amazing cast and to be able to pay tribute to Erin who is a victim in the truest sense, and have a teachable moment for viewers, but also be entertaining, is you know it’s a great kind of story to be able to have the privilege to tell.

Moderator: That’s great. Well listen, thank you guys for participating.

We really appreciate it. And just a quick reminder to everyone that Secrets of a Marine’s Wife will premieres on Saturday, June 19th on Lifetime. So check it out, and thank you to all of our panelists and hold tight for our next panel.

MORE INFO:

"Secrets of a Marine's Wife" key art

SECRETS OF A MARINE‘S WIFE PREMIERES SATURDAY, JUNE 19
Secrets of a Marine‘s Wife is based on the true story of 19-year-old Erin Corwin (Sadie Calvano), who was married to U.S. Marine Corporal Jon Corwin (Evan Roderick) and expecting her first child, when she suddenly went missing. Erin’s disappearance sparked a grueling search led by family, friends and local law enforcement in the extreme conditions of the Joshua Tree National Park until her body was found two months later at the bottom of an abandoned mineshaft. Suspicions mounted quickly in the tight knit Marine community, and residents began to wonder if the killer was one of their own.  In their investigation, detectives uncover a friendship turned illicit relationship between Erin and her neighbor, Marine Christopher Lee (Tom Stevens), which consumed them both and called into question the paternity of Erin’s baby. Was this a motive for murder?  Who was responsible? Investigators work to discover answers to these questions and to unmask who killed Erin Corwin. Secrets of a Marine‘s Wife is produced by Front Street Pictures for Lifetime, with Sony Pictures Television distributing. Judith Verno/Peace Out Productions and Sharlene Martin/Martin Literary & Media Management serve as executive producers. Manu Boyer directs from a script written by Richard Blaney and Gregory Small.

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Sadie Calvano and Evan Roderick

Interview with Jennie Garth, Anwen O’Driscoll and Gloria Ui Young Kim

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

 

Jennie Garth, Anwen O'Driscoll and director Gloria Ui Young Kim of "Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story" on Lifetime

Interview with stars Jennie Garth, Anwen O’Driscoll and director Gloria Ui Young Kim of “Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story” on Lifetime by Suzanne 5/19/21

I enjoyed speaking with these actresses and the director. It was one of several Lifetime movie casts we spoke with in a special Zoom press call on the same day. The movie is worth watching. The story is good and the performances are great!

BEGIN LEFT FOR DEAD PANEL

Moderator: Wonderful, well we are officially getting started on our third panel today – three out of seven and today is going to be the cast and creatives from Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves story today we have Jennie Garth, Anwen O’Driscoll and director Gloria Ui Young Kim.

Let’s go ahead and get this started. So I’m going to go ahead and kick it off and do the first question with Gloria, our director Gloria.

Gloria (director): Hi, how are you?

Moderator: I’m good. I’m glad that you all are able to join us today. Gloria how does Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story stand out compared to other films you have directed?

Gloria (director): It was such an important story, I think to tell. I was immediately drawn in by the script and by the strength of the script and the strength of the story of resilience. And I had so much support at all levels from the producer Jeff Vanderwal, at Cineflix, and from Lifetime, our Executive Chris Wade. I mean, we were all aligned in the story that we wanted to tell, and it was full steam ahead. It was just really exciting.

Moderator: Awesome, well glad that you’re here. So we’re going to go ahead and get some press up here. Let’s go ahead and go with Lisa first – Lisa.

Lisa (Starry Magazine): Hi guys, thanks so much for taking some time to chat with us. For Jennie this is such an intense role for you. How did you shake off a long day of filming this one?

Jennie Garth (talent): Yeah, it was definitely a… so heart wrenching, especially, you know, being the mother of three young girls, this movie really tapped into a lot of very deep true emotions for me. So it was important for us to have as much fun as we could on the set and while working crazy, under the crazy time constraints…he was dealing with and kind of…Giving everybody their space to sort of go through everything that they needed to go through and then sort of let it all go at the end of….

Moderator: Great, awesome. Thank you Jennie. You were cutting out on my end so but I hope everyone was able to hear that. So thank you. Our next question is from Jamie – Jamie.

Jamie (SciFi Vision): Hi guys, thanks for talking to us. This is for Jennie and Anwen. I’d like to know how you two kind of worked on your relationship. Did you hang out at all outside of production or anything like that?

Anwen (talent): I mean, there it was hard to do a lot because there were covid restrictions, of course. But we did, we did have a get together, Gloria, Jennie and I one time beforehand where we talked through everything and talked through our characters and the journey of the edge and had dinner one time. But it wasn’t too much because of Covid going on. We did a lot of it on set, which was great.

Jennie (talent): *cuts out* a connection.

Gloria (director): With Jennie’s dog. And she brought her dog, so we all bonded.

Anwen (talent): Yes, immediately.

Jamie (SciFi Vision): We always bond over pets, right?

Moderator: Awesome thank you Jamie and Jennie we might have to hear more about that dog in a little bit, but moving right along with Jay Bobbin.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Hey Jennie, how are you? How are you?

Jennie (talent): Good! How are you?

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Good! Good to see you. A lot of people refers to the many perils of Kelly Taylor – burned on drugs, stalked, kidnapped. When it comes to something like this do you draw a lot on all the drama you did on 90210? I know it’s been a good number of years now, but did you find that good training as you look back to do a project like this?

Jennie (Talent): Working on camera sort of serve you as you get older and do more complex roles. Absolutely yeah, my character went through so much on that show that there’s a lot there. Real life experience with being a mom and having a young daughter and just putting myself in this woman’s shoes, you know, and really kind of feeling this terrible tragedy first hand. So it was a combination.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): OK, thanks.

Moderator: Wonderful thanks Jay. Up next, we have Suzanne.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Hi, my question is for Anwen. Your role seems very physical – was that difficult at all for you? Did you have to work on your upper arm strength?

Anwen (talent): Yes, it was. It was very challenging because I had never done something, so just like deep dive into something so physically and vocally challenging. We, Gloria and I, worked beforehand with an occupational therapist for physicality and vocal which really helps. And we also had a physical therapist on set sometimes which was great to remind me to do certain things, but I did practice a lot and watch as many videos as I could and I would take little videos and little clips of my voice and send it to Gloria and be like, what does this sound like? How does this sound like? Is this just trying to keep it consistent and accurate. I suppose I didn’t want to make it – I was afraid to make it kind of like a caricature thing, so I wanted to really get Gloria’s opinion and get everyone to tell me that it was OK.

Gloria (director): Anwen, you were great.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Gloria, can you give us insight as to what went into shaping the movie in terms of that you decided pretty early on to show that he was definitely or seemed to be the person that tried to kill her rather than making it more say of a mystery. Was it a boyfriend? Was it someone else?

Gloria (director): Sorry, what’s your question?

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Yes, can you give us insight as to how it went into making the movie in framing it that way? Focusing more on her as her rehab and all that kind of thing?

Gloria (director): Yeah, I think it was really, really important. I think just to everyone involved

that this be Ashley’s story, that this be the story of her resilience and her overcoming the obstacles, I think. You know this story was in the news. Everyone knew that it was. The person who it was that attacked her and you know, he was the one that led the police to her body. So in some ways the mystery aspect didn’t really quite work for this story and I think also just given the time that we’re living in, I think it’s just really, really, really important that women’s stories are in the forefront and that her actual story of survival was the story rather than the mystery story.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg):  Thank you.

Gloria (director): No problem.

Moderator: Wonderful, thank you Suzanne. Up next, we have Steve Gidlow.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Hi, my question is actually for Anwen. You were terrific in this. It’s just so so good. I was just wondering, one of the things you really seem to encapsulate with this whole performance was the frustration that your character went through. How much of it was frustrating for you?

Anwen (talent): Well, one of the things that drew me when I first read the script, and write to Ashley herself, was I could connect with the feeling of not being believed by people. And that was one of her huge struggles throughout the movie, was not being heard and not being supported by a lot of people that were close to her. She did have some support by, you know, her mother. But I think it was because could really connect to that feeling so the frustrations were real and I couldn’t pull on that because it was a real thing that I’ve experienced in my own life. Which is unfortunate, but it’s common and it happens all the time.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Yeah, well, you’re quite remarkable. So thank you so much.

Anwen (talent): Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you Steve. Up next is Barb Oates.

Barb Oates (Channel Guide): Great, thank you. This question is for Anwen. What did you learn or maybe take from after walking in Ashley’s journey?

Anwen (talent): I was very inspired by her bravery. And playing the character because I wouldn’t say that I’m a very brave person or confrontational in real life, so getting to play that character and playing that truth of her really inspired me as a person, and I felt that it encouraged me to be braver. So I feel like I pulled that from Ashley and learned that from Ashley herself. It’s great.

Barb Oates (Channel Guide): Thank you.

Moderator: Wonderful, thank you Barb. Up next, I believe Jay Bobbin. Do you have a follow up question?

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): I asked you, if you don’t mind sure. Jennie, another one Jennie, another one for you. Now that you’ve produced as you did on the 90210 reboot a couple of summers ago. Do you enjoy being an actress for hire as much, or do you look more for getting into situations where you can produce as well as act?

Jennie (talent): Well, it’s definitely changing hats when you’re producing some. On all fronts, kind of calling the shots and in charge of things. So I was very respectful of the producers that did such a great job with this film and Gloria, who did such a wonderful job directing it and trying to kind of zip it creatively, and let them do their job and stand back and let me do my job. So it was definitely changing gears but there is something refreshing about just being an actor for hire sometimes.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Sure, thank you.

Moderator: Great thank you, Jay. Jamie, did you have your hand up for a follow up or is your hand just still up?

Jamie (SciFi Vision): Sorry, yeah I just forgot to put it down.

Moderator: Sorry, no all good. I just wanted to make sure you got your question answered. Let’s go on then to Lisa, Lisa.

Lisa (Starry Magazine): Now Jennie about that dog. Just joking.

Jennie (talent): No, that was buddy. He was an emotional support dog for everybody on set. I think everybody benefited from having an animal on set. It was such a comfort issue and everybody was so spread so thin emotionally, that we all just sort of took turns clutching on to him.

Gloria (director): It’s true.

Moderator: Also, I love that the dog was brought back, so let’s go now. Steve, I believe has another follow up – Steve.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Yeah, I did actually have another question for Anwen. I’m just wondering how much time or how much interaction did you get to have with the real Ashley?

Anwen (talent): I didn’t get to speak with her unfortunately. Maybe hopefully one day. But I did want to give space and I respected you know, her space. I wouldn’t want to come at her with this super heavy subject matter. It’s her story and I feel like maybe she’s done talking about that and done having people come at her about it so. I just did a lot of self stuff and just tried to connect with her bravery and her heart and make that the focal point.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Was there a part to playing her without having interacted, that made it a little better for you, because you kind of were doing your own thing versus, you know if you had spoken to her, it would have been a different story.

Anwen (talent): Yeah, it’s true. I think it allowed me to add a bit of myself into it and I liked doing that, just you know, a little combination of me and her together, I suppose.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Thanks so much.

Moderator: Awesome, thank you Steve. And our last question should be from Barb – Barb Oates.

Barb Oates (Channel Guide): Thanks, I was wondering, this is for Gloria mainly, but were the Reeves family – are they aware of the film and did you approach them at all and do they have any input into anything?

Gloria (director): Yeah, the Reeves family is aware of the film and it would have been Christina Welsh, the writer, and Jeff Vanderwal, the producer, who were the ones who had the relationship with her. They spent time with her and interviewed her. So she was a part of the process. And in terms of my relationship, I just worked with the script and I worked with the materials that I had been sent and the stuff that I had done research online. We’re trying really hard to tell a respectful story.

Barb Oates (Channel Guide): Got it, thank you.

Moderator: Wonderful, and that was the last question from what I could tell. So thank you everyone for your questions and especially thank you to Gloria, Jennie and Anwen.  We will be prepping for our next panel here in just a moment so stay tuned.

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LEFT FOR DEAD: THE ASHLEY REEVES STORY
PREMIERES SATURDAY, JUNE 12 at 8/7c
LFD_03152021_SW_0435_TD
(L to R): Jennie Garth and Anwen O’Driscoll
In 2006, 17-year-old Ashley Reeves (Anwen O’Driscoll) is left for dead in the woods following a brutal attack. After spending 30 horrific hours in the cold, gravely wounded, lying in the dirt, and paralyzed, the police find her alive. Her injuries are so severe that she must re-learn how to walk and talk. With no memory of what happened, she begins a long and painful recovery while searching her shattered memory to unlock the mystery of who did this to her.  Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story is based on the extraordinary true story of an ordinary teenage girl who had to fight for her life three times; first in the woods, then in the hospital, and finally in court. Jennie Garth stars as Ashley’s mother, Michelle Reeves.
Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story is produced by Cineflix (Left For Dead) Inc. Jeff Vanderwal is among the executive producers. Gloria Ui Young Kim directs from a script written by Christina Welsh.

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Interview with Jana Kramer and Orly Adelson

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

 

 

Orly Adelson and Jana Kramer of "Soccer Mom Madam" on Lifetime

Interview with star Jana Kramer and producer Orly Adelson of “Soccer Mom Madam” on Lifetime by Suzanne 5/19/21

I enjoyed speaking with these two women about the Lifetime movie. It was interesting to hear about the real-life story and how they made the movie. This was part of a virtual press junket for several Lifetime summer movies that we’re covering this summer.

SOCCER MOM MADAM

Moderator: Hi everybody, our next panel is soccer mom madam and with us today is Jana Kramer, and executive producer. Orly Adelson. Hi ladies.

Orly & Jana: Hi. Hi

Moderator: how are you

Orly Adelson (Executive Producer): good

Moderator: thank you guys so much for being here today.

Orly Adelson: Thank you for having us

Moderator: Of course. our first question is for Orly. Orly. Knowing that this is inspired by a true story, what made you want to turn it into a film?

Orly Adelson: I was compelled by the idea of a mother by day and a Madam by night, and how those two lives ultimately are going to collide, and that journey is what intrigued me about it. And it’s about human things. It’s about betrayal. It’s about family. It’s about love. It’s all the things that we encounter every day and she encountered it differently.

Moderator: Thanks Orly, our first –  our next question is from Jay Bobbin.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Hello Jana, thanks so much for doing this. Good to see you.

Jana Kramer: Of course. good to see you too.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Thank you. You’ve done so many heartwarming projects in recent years, but those who know you from your earlier acting years remember how sassy you were – as it were – on One Tree Hill. Is it particularly pleasurable for you to return to this type of character now?

Jana Kramer: Jay, I couldn’t tell you how happy I was to read this script and talk to Orly.

I mean, I pretty much begged her. I was like I’ll do whatever – this script is so amazing. It’s fun and it’s sassy and it’s, you know there’s depth to it and it just made me feel excited.

Not that I don’t love, you know, the, you know the sweet Christmas movies and stuff, but there’s something about really going there – vulnerably and emotionally and just, you know, remembering why I love acting so much. Because you can just bring in so much of your personal life and you know it’s just – it’s fun and you know there were some really heavy days on set ’cause I had to get super emotional. But, I was like oh like this is this is the best day. So – I was thrilled that I got it and I was yeah – I was very happy.

Jay Bobbin: Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you, our next question is from Lisa.

Lisa (Starry Magazine): Hi, thank you both for taking some time to speak with us today.  Jana, what were some of your favorite moments from filming this? Was there a particular scene that stands out to you that was really challenging or something that really was interesting that you felt you worked on for this particular one?

Jana: You know, I’ll say thanks for the question Lisa. I personally enjoyed the time that I spent.

The girls were, you know, They were family to this – the woman that it was inspired by, and just the camaraderie that all of us girls had filming together – the fun that we had. You know, there’s a scene in particular where we went to this event and I’m basically trying to pick out the millionaires in the room. And just like, us going in there, as strong women and just the -again, the fun that we had together – it was really nice to feel empowered and also have you know, the support. Women supporting each other. And yeah, I just I loved the girls so much in this movie and they’ve stayed friends. So I think that was the kind of you know silver lining with this doing, this film was just having that friendship.

Moderator: Great, our next question is from Rick Bentley.

Rick Bentley (Tribune): Jenna, I’m just curious. These films are ripped from the headlines,

so from an acting perspective, Do you look at that and go: great I can find some source material to help me build a character. Or do you go – Oh crap, people know this story, what am I going to do differently?

Jana Kramer: Yeah sure, and Orly and I had a conversation about that ’cause I was fortunate to talk to the woman that this movie is portrayed about. And you know, I was kind of talking to Orly and I’m like man, like you know she’s got a little bit of an accent and so I was started freaking out as an actor ’cause I’m like, What if I don’t live up to like who she is and you know how she actually had her mannerisms and Orly really let me just take on their role. she reminded me that yes, it’s based on a true story, but to bring my story into it, and I think that the marriage of both of those worked really well. Don’t you agree Orly?

Orly Adelson: Yeah, ’cause it was inspired by her. And so the authenticity of the movie is because we have the access to stories –  to the journey. But yet you have to embark and embody that character in your own way.

Jana Kramer: Absolutely.

Orly Adelson: And Jana did it brilliantly, By the way. how many actresses had this ability

to show vulnerability and strength? Be likable? Because that’s so important for this character  – yet be tough. That’s a challenge that I really – I – sitting there and watching her film every day was really thrilling. To see how she could move quickly between all of these mine fields.

Jana Kramer: Thanks, Orly.

Moderator: Our next question is from Jamie Ruby.

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision): Hi Jana – and I don’t know – Orly may have just mentioned some of these things now, but I was wondering if you could talk about some of the things that you found most challenging.

Jana Kramer: Oh man – the things I found most challenging, UM? You know, I – So once I got the idea out of my head that OK I don’t have to portray this person exactly. I think – kind of what Orly mentioned was what was challenging is making sure that – I didn’t want people to….. ’cause like when you hear something like oh Madam – oh like what’s wrong with her? Or I wanted people to see that she was just doing the best that she could and to have that like ability too –  is like –  you know as a mom as a single mom, it’s like I I’m going to do what I have to do to support my kids and it may not be what you like but you know I have to do what I have to do. And so my biggest challenge, I guess it was just making sure that I kept her focus on the kids and you know it  started to –  and it was har ’cause then you’ll see like in the storyline, that you know she kind of gets a little bit lost, but bringing it back to the heart of why she worked so hard.

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision): Orly, What about you? What did you find the hardest thing?

Orly Adelson: For me it was really, how can we make it authentic? How can we really tell this story? So it’s not something you’ve seen in another movie because she had – Anna Gristina

had a different journey and that journey is important to tell in the way that it was inspired by her, not by other characters before that. So I think our writer, Barbara Marshall did an incredible job immediately by tying everything together through a narrative of girls that care about each other. Family that cares about each other – and so the disappointments were much harder at the end. And I don’t know how many of you saw the end and I won’t give it up but for me, that last scene of Jana in the movie – while she was filming it, I cried and then when we were editing I cried because it was true to the losses, the ups and down and at the end of the day; the price you pay.

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision): Great, thank you so much both of you.

Jana Kramer: Thanks Jamie.

Moderator: Thank you guys. I think we have another question from Rick.

Rick Bentley (Tribune): Yeah, I’m sorry Orly, I just want to get a little clarification here. You’ve mentioned the term authentic and you also talked about inspired by. When you’re dealing with a story like this what is the benefit of just basing a story on a real event and not just saying I’m just going to create this fictional story about a soccer mom where you don’t have to worry about – You know how authentic you stay and how you know how much you can sway from that that original story?

Orly Adelson: I think it’s a very thin line here between taking the heart of a story and telling it versus every moment to verify – Oh, this happened that way?  Now I have three people that I have to verify that it happened this way. Was this the girl? Now I need to make sure that the

girl was portrayed exactly correctly – versus I spoke to 2 girls, Never met them, spoke to them anonymously. And so it’s a little different than having to have then all the rights to that girl and make sure that she said that word versus didn’t say that word. It’s just the nuance between inspired to telling the story as a true story. ‘Cause even when you tell it from the point of view of Anna, it’s her POV that’s already a skewed POV.

Jana Kramer: Sure.

Orly Adelson: But that’s the point of view that was interesting to us.

Moderator: Thank you Orly. I think we have time for one more question from Suzanne.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Hi! I was wondering, Orly, if you could tell us what you think might have happened, either from the real story, or from what you would do if you, say, had a sequel. What happened in your mind after that last scene.  Does she stay on the pig farm?  Does she get back together? Does her daughter forgive her? Does she get her life back together? What do you think?

Jana Kramer:  You want the perfect bow don’t you? Like what happens, it’s like, oh, if I could always, ask that question.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): You know, I’m like –  what happened?

Orly Adelson: You know, here it is. She will never do it again. She has gotten married. And she still has all the pigs. And she raises pigs and sends me pictures. She’s a unique character, really unique, and Jana got an opportunity to talk to her. She’s very unique, very honest, and very unique.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): And Jana, what was it like for you working with the kids on the show?

Jana Kramer: Oh, they were so sweet. Every age with them. The younger kids were so sweet.

And then the girl who played Mia. I mean, she’s a doll and I still, you know, text with her and I kind of felt like, you know, her mom when I left because I was, you know,

giving her tips about you know, don’t take anything from bullies and like you’re beautiful and like believe in yourself and you know it was cool ’cause I was able to help her in on of the scenes that we did. She was wanting to use some teardrops and I remember this one actor, actually, Austin Nichols, I was having a hard time crying on the set of One Tree Hill ’cause I was

just blocked emotionally and he held my hands and I just started crying. And so I said to her, I was like you don’t need that tear stick ’cause I know, you know the stuff that you’ve told me.

You’ve got a lot in in your heart and I was like you need to use it. So, in the middle of the scene I just held her hands and I was like, just look at me and then she just starts crying and I’m like yes! Like it just feels good to like help and like you know give back to like to someone-

like Austin did for me and just like to tap into those emotions and yeah, they were great. It was so fun. Thank you.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): That was a great story.

Moderator: Well, thank you all for your questions. An Orly and Jana thank you so much for being here with us today. I know that everyone is looking forward to June 6 to watch this movie and everyone stay tuned for our next panel.

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MORE INFO:

Jana Kramer as Anna in "Soccer Mom Madam" on LifetimeAfter a bitter breakup leaves her and her young children without any support, Anna (Jana Kramer) goes to work for her cousin at a massage parlor known for “happy endings.” As soon as she learns the ropes, Anna branches out on her own, establishing a high end New York escort service that matches beautiful young women with the wealthiest and most powerful men in the city. For years, she operates undetected, making millions while keeping the secret of her success hidden from her children and the other moms in her Westchester suburb.  But when the FBI begins to investigate her, hoping to catch a big fish among her elite clientele, Anna’s days as a madam are numbered when her double life is revealed with devastating consequences.
Produced by Front Street Productions for Lifetime, Soccer Mom Madam is inspired by true events. Orly Adelson and Jon Eskenas executive produce, Kevin Fair directs from a script by Barbara Marshall.

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"Soccer Mom Madam" poster

Interview with Julie Benz

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

 

Julie Benz, star of "Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer" June 13 on Lifetime

Interview with producer Barbara Lieberman and star Julie Benz of “Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer” on Lifetime by Suzanne 5/19/21

Julie is one of my favorite actresses. I’ve followed her career since she played “Babs” in “Honey I’m Home” back in 1991. She’s proven what a great actress she is over and over in many roles, such as Darla on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel;” in the original “Roswell;” in “Desperate Housewives;” in “Dexter;” and in “Defiance.” I could go on and on. She really shines in this starring role as a manipulative and murderous woman (unfortunately, based on a true story). I enjoyed speaking with her about it. I’ve interviewed her before, but this was the first time on Zoom, so it was very special to me. It was also very enjoyable to hear her and the producer discuss the film and the real woman that Julie is portraying.

SECRETS OF A GOLD DIGGER PANEL

Moderator: Hi everybody, our next panel is Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer.  With us today is Julie Benz who plays “Celeste Beard” and executive producer Barbara Lieberman.  Our first question is for you, Barbara.  This movie is based on the book The Fortune Hunter by Suzy Spencer. What attracted you to this story?

Barbara Lieberman (Executive Producer): Well, it was a very high-profile case and Celeste Beard was an outrageous, outrageous woman and what she did was frankly reprehensible.  And sort of unbelievable…but riveting and fascinating.  And you know the depths that she could go were, I think very dramatic and would would make a fascinating movie and I was particularly attracted also to the girls, her daughters and how their relationship between Celeste and her daughters and how they survive their mother. And they did. And they’re fine now. So that’s a good thing. So yes, that’s why.

Moderator: Thank you, Barbara.  Our next question is from Suzanne.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): Hi Julie, I was wondering what you did to prepare for the role mentally to be so…I know you’re not an awful killer or terrible person.  What did you do to prepare for this role?

Julie Benz: The great thing about these types of roles is you can get all that anger and aggression out on set.  For me, you know, I did a lot of research.  We shot in Vancouver, so I had a 14 day quarantine. And so I spent that time watching every video footage I could find of Celeste and going down every rabbit hole of the case and just really trying to wrap my head around this woman and like Barbara said, she was extremely outrageous and it was challenging for me.  It allowed me basically to take the lid off of her like most people live with, a lid on to keep certain emotions in check, and Celeste just was like…she just vomited however she felt.  And so it was just being able to release the valve and let it all out and let it go. There were some days after filming all day where I would just A.) I’d be exhausted just from the amount of the emotional journey that she was going on but just that the jumping around in the shooting schedule as well.  It was exhausting.  But it was exhilarating as well.

Barbara Lieberman: I mean, I could say one other thing about Celeste, who was who was very savvy in her in her manipulation and smart about it.  And could you know hone in on the people that that she felt that she could best manipulate and use for her own ends and did that for a number of years quite successfully, but ultimately did not get away with it.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMeg): I imagine that’s a characteristic that most gold diggers share.  I actually knew a gold digger of a friend of mine.  Married one and she didn’t kill him, thankfully.  She took him for all he was worth so the same kind of manipulation that you’re talking about, so…thank you.

Moderator: Thanks Suzanne.  Our next question is from Jamie.

Jamie (Starry Magazine): Hi Julie, great to talk to you again.  Can you talk about working with the accent and the challenge of that?

Julie Benz: Um you know, I’m good at it, so it wasn’t that challenging for me.  For me, it was really kind of getting Celeste when she talks.  She has kind of a really flat tone and it was really trying to get some of that flat tone like she flattens A’s a lot and just also I can lean too heavily into the accent, so they were constantly pulling me away, like backing me off from it.  But getting that flat tone but still being able to show emotion through it.  But when you watch Celeste in interviews, she just has this very flat kind of way that she talks.  So it was being able to do that, but also still show all the like having the emotional range and having that go through your voice.

Jamie: Well, it was believable, so thank you.

Julie Benz: Thank you!

Moderator: Thank you.  Our next question is from Jay Bobbin.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Hello Julie, I like your comment about vomiting everything out as this character and also about having be pulled back on the accent.  I mean you’ve done so much work over the years.  You certainly know that when you get a colorful character like this, you can go high, wide and handsome at the same time.  I guess the challenge is to moderate so you don’t go too far.  How was that process for you as you approach the character before anybody else gave you direction?

Julie Benz: Well for me I go like this – approaching Celeste, I spoke to Robin, our director,  and I was like I’m gonna chew the scenery like I’m gonna, I’m gonna just let it go.  It’s up to you to tell me when I need where I need to pull it back when I need to pull it back and help me craft the performance because the only way I know how to play her is to just go from zero to 60 in under you know under a second so it was really in Robin’s hands to help like tell me like that.  Take it down a little bit, you know.  Next, take let’s you know, try a different approach. All of that.  So Robin really helped me craft the performance of her as well.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote): Thank you.

Barbara Lieberman: Well, I’m going to say one thing about Julie.  I mean, what’s ironic is Julie is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and the fact that she could slide into this role and play this woman with such ease and depth and definitely was fabulous and as I said, ironic considering the difference between her and the character but…go ahead sorry…

Julie Benz: I will say too like there were some scenes that really just that broke my heart as an actress where I really scared Roan and Georgia who played my daughters and like literally after every take I would just hug them and just be like I’m so sorry. And they loved it. They were just like no.  We were terrified.  But it’s like you know they would Robin would yell cut and I would immediately grab them into a hug just to make me feel better because it there was a lot of ugly energy that I had to live in.

Moderator: Thanks you guys.  Barbara, you do a lot of movies with Lifetime and we’re just wondering – what is it like to work with Lifetime and do you prefer to work with our network over other networks?

Barbara Lieberman: Well, that’s a very loaded question.  I mean I love, I love to work with Lifetime. I mean in the past that right now, in this present day, they’re my favorite network to work with.  I mean, over the years I’ve worked with HBO and other places, but many other places but Lifetimes great.  And there you know, there very much now very opened to pushing the envelope.  On their subject matter and the execution, they if it’s dark, they’re OK about being dark.  I like to put a lot of interesting, outrageous and you know, contemporary music in and they’re open to that, so that makes it very attractive to me to work with them as a network.  So yeah, it’s great.

Moderator: That’s awesome, that’s great.  And how did you get involved in this movie to begin with?  Like what was the start of your work on this project?

Barbara Lieberman: Me?

Moderator: Yes

Barbara Lieberman: I read about this story 17 years ago and started developing it then and it was a long haul and we had a good script. But then somehow the regimes changed, and it went away.  And then last year Lifetime asked me to do another true crime and I said OK to that.  And then I called up Tanya Lopez and said, listen, there’s a movie that is such a great story and there’s a script and it needs a little work, but it’s not difficult to do, and frankly we have to make this movie.  And she said, OK, let’s make it.  I mean it was…it was great so that that worked out really well.  And I’m so glad they said yes and were happy with the film.  And I think it’s very entertaining also. I mean obviously I’m not objective at all but people seem to like it.

Moderator: Thank you, Barbara.  Our next question is from Steve Gidlow.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Hi, my question is actually for Julie. I would assume going into a role, you’ve got to find something redeeming about the character, like something to like about her.  I would imagine with this one – pretty hard. Was there anything you found redeeming about her?  And do you think she was doing it for her kids?

Julie Benz: So when I entered into this project and started researching Celeste, I would go back and forth between was she guilty, was she innocent?  Because you watch her in an interview and she still claims her innocence and she’s so believable so I really tried not to pass any judgment on her and really, I think in her mind, she did it for her family, her children and like this is what you do. But I think at the end of the day she really just did it for herself and that’s speaking right now that I’m removed from the project and she’s out of my system. But in it, while I was in it, I would have big arguments on set about like I don’t know.  I think she’s innocent guys. I really, you know…I watched another interview.  Barbara would be like no, she’s not.

Barbara Lieberman: If you talk to her today, she will of course tell you she’s innocent and she’ll go into all kinds of rationalizations as to what everybody else did to make it bad, but she if convinced herself as many psychopaths are that she’s innocent, but she isn’t…

Julie Benz: …but she is very believable when you when you when you watch her an interview.  She is so believable you just you watch her.  At least for me, I would watch her interviews and just be like…she’s right, everybody was…everybody was out to get her.  This is a total lie.  This didn’t happen.  She’s so innocent.  And then you know, you read the transcript from the trial and you see all you hear the recorded messages and all of that.  And you’re like, well, wait a second…

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Thanks so much guys, appreciate it.

Moderator: Thank you guys so much.  Julie, this is our last question and it’s for you. If you could talk to Celeste and actually this is Barbara and Julie, you can both answer this.  If you could speak to Celeste, what would you ask her?

Julie Benz: You know, I mean, the obvious question is come on, did you really do it? But I don’t think I would ask that. I’d be too afraid.  I don’t know Barbara, what would you ask her?

Barbara Lieberman: I would probably…I wouldn’t ask that because you know, I know what her answer would be and it would be a lie. I would say do…did you…do you regret anything you did and would you do anything different and would you like to reconnect with your daughters?  I think that’s what I would ask and see what she came up with.  You know, by the way, as a side note, she has now, in case anybody’s interested in cooking has published a cookbook from prison.  Prison Recipes by Celeste Beard. I mean it and also her mother wrote a book about her.  She will never stop with her outrageous behavior.  But yeah, I would ask her that and see if she has any regret at all.  I mean, we have interviews with her from jail that we’ve used in addition to the book and all the massive research we did, but I think it’s would be hard to get a reliable answer from her about anything.

Julie Benz: Yeah, I think the best thing would just be to get her to talk. I mean, she sounds like somebody who would just talk and talk and talk and talk, which would be fascinating to listen to.

Moderator: Well thank you guys so very much for being here today.  We can’t wait to watch Secrets of the Gold Digger Killer.  Everybody, please stand by for the next panel.

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poster for the movie "Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer" on LifetimeBased on a true story, multimillionaire Steven Beard (Eli Gabay), a retired broadcasting executive, who fell hard for Celeste (Julie Benz), an attractive waitress who served him his nightly cocktail at the local country club in Austin, Texas. In 1995, the 70-year-old widow married the mother of teenage daughters and gave Celeste homes, cars, and more jewelry and designer clothes than she could ever wear. But it wasn’t enough for Celeste.  After being admitted into a mental health facility for depression, Celeste met and seduced fellow patient Tracey Tarlton (Justine Warrington), convincing her that the only way they could be together would be to murder Steven.  Knowing that she stood to inherit millions of dollars upon his death, the depth of Celeste’s lies, and betrayal knew no bounds until the truth was finally revealed by Tracey.

Produced by Fortune Hunter Films and based on The Fortune Hunter by Suzy Spencer, Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer is directed by Robin Hays and executive produced by Barbara Lieberman and Howard Braunstein.

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Julie Benz of "Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer" on Lifetime (photo from her Instagram)

Primetime TV Review: Small Fortune

Posted on by Eva Diaz

TV Review!

“Small Fortune” Review on by Eva 6/3/2021

I enjoy watching game shows so when I saw a commercial that a new game show called Small Fortune was going to be on I said I can’t wait to watch a new game show.

This game show is based on a British game show. The American version of the show is hosted by Lil Rel Howery who does a wonderful job as host of the show. He is funny and very encouraging to the contestants as they play these very difficult games. The games are difficult because they are the size of doll house furniture and the teams of three contestants have to play several rounds of these tiny games to win big money. One example of a game is a contestant must stack six tiny aluminum cans in one minute to win the money. The contestant gets one free chance to practice the game and if they want more practice games they must pay an amount from their possible winnings from that round. When the team of three contestants done playing they must play the big heist bonus game in which the team must work together to open a tiny safe in two minutes. If they open the safe they take home the money they earned in previous rounds.

I wanted to like this show, but I don’t because of two reasons. The first being that watching the team play these tiny games makes me very tense as I watch them try and fail several times before they possibly win the game. The second reason I don’t like it is because its missing the most important element of a game show it doesn’t allow the viewer at home to participate in the show. The viewers are bored by the show because they can’t answer questions or feel invested in the show in some way. I give this show a two out of five stars just because the host is good.

MORE INFORMATION:

NBC’S “SMALL FORTUNE” TAKES COMEDY AND COMPETITION TO NEW LEVELS WITH PREMIERE SET FOR MONDAY, MAY 31 AT 10 P.M. ET/PT

Game Show Marks Lil Rel Howery’s Return to NBC as Teams Test Their Skills for $250,000 Prize in Miniature-Sized Competition

· “Small Fortune,” NBC’s newest team competition game show hosted by Lil Rel Howery, premieres on Monday, May 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The series is a British import based on Youngest Media’s popular U.K. format and is unlike any team competition ever seen on U.S. television.

· In each heart-pounding episode, teams of three from various backgrounds, including first responders and Olympians from around the country, work together to earn a shot at competing for the $250,000 cash prize in the “Big Little Heist” finale game.

· To get there, each team must prove their skills on miniature playing fields from a shrunken sushi conveyor belt with tiny chopsticks (“Teeny Sashimi”) to a mini Ellis Island (“Statue of Liberteeny”). Challenges will require considerable dexterity and intense focus because with games this small, there’s no room for error as the slightest miscalculation or tremble may result in losing tens of thousands of dollars.

· In the eight-episode series, Howery raises the stakes by mixing encouragement with his brand of laughs to keep the players on their toes and audiences equally as anxious and entertained.

· Howery is fresh off his successful HBO comedy special “Lil Rel Howery: Live in Crenshaw,” which was rated the #1 hourlong comedy special of 2019 by Vulture.com. In film, he is perhaps best known for his roles as TSA agent Rod Williams in the Oscar-winning “Get Out,” Charlie in the Netflix smash “Bird Box, and more recently as Wayne in the Oscar-nominated “Judas and The Black Messiah.” On the small screen, he starred as Bobby, brother to Jerrod Carmichael, on the critically acclaimed NBC series “The Carmichael Show,” also starring Tiffany Haddish as his ex-wife. In addition to making an impression with his own comedy series, “Rel” on Fox, Howery has lent his talents to “Insecure” on HBO, “Southside” on Comedy Central and more.

· “Small Fortune” is co-produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio and entertainment studio Youngest Media, which created and produced the U.K. format.

· Lucas Church and David Flynn will serve as executive producers for Youngest Media alongside Steve Barry and Joe Braswell, who will serve as executive producers for Kelchris and showrunners for the series. Lil Rel Howery also executive produces.

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.

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Interview with Kim Clemons and Robyn Adams

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Showrunner Kim Clemons and former Casey Anthony cellmate Robyn Adams of "Cellmate Secrets" on Lifetime.

Interview with Showrunner Kim Clemons and former Casey Anthony cellmate Robyn Adams of “Cellmate Secrets” on Lifetime by Suzanne 5/19/21

This part of a multi-panel set of Zoom interviews for the press, set up by Lifetime to publicize their “Summer of Secrets” slate of movies and this docu-series that interviews former cellmates of various infamous murderers. I don’t really watch much non-fiction, but it was fascinating to listen to, nonetheless, and I even managed to ask a question or two. It sounds like an interesting show, especially if you’ve followed the real-life cases or have an interest in true-crime shows.

CELLMATE SECRETS PANEL

Moderator: Wonderful, we are officially on our last and final panel of our Lifetime Summer of Secrets press event.  So let us welcome our docuseries Cellmate Secrets showrunner Kim Clemons  joined by documentary participant Robyn Adams, who shares her personal story in the premiere docuseries episode, Cellmate Secrets: Casey Anthony.

So, let’s go ahead and get the first questions started and this one will be for you, Kim. So, Kim, your company AMS Pictures produces a lot of true crime documentaries and specials, including Lifetime’s recent special Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets. Why do you think viewers are so intrigued by these stories and obsessed with this genre and what new cases can we expect to see for this new season of cellmate secrets?

Kim Clemons (Cellmate Secrets Showrunner AMS Pictures): Well, hello everyone. I think that people are so intrigued by true crime because these are regular people that could be your neighbors and you’d never suspect that someone that you know and like and went to school with would do something as heinous as whatever our cases are, so that’s what’s intriguing.

For this first season of Cellmate Secrets, we have not only the Casey Anthony story with Robyn Adams, but we also have Chris Watts, Joyce Mitchell, Susan Smith, Shayna Hubers and Drew Peterson. So, we’ve got an interesting season coming up.

Moderator: Wonderful, we’re definitely very excited and I do have another written question that came in and it is actually for Robyn

Robyn, what was it like sitting down with a documentary film crew for the first time and going step-by-step through your relationship with Casey Anthony, detailing your lives together behind bars?

Robyn Adams (Cellmate Secrets: Casey Anthony doc participant): It was actually…thank you for the question…It was actually a lot more difficult than I had originally anticipated.  It was…it brought out a lot of raw emotions that I had to come to terms with that I suppose I had just compartmentalized.

To really address certain issues and a lot of questions that came from throughout the nation — I feel like, I feel like I did my part and in turn I feel like it was very liberating for me also.

Moderator: Of course, and thank you for sharing your story.  So, Kim, could you tell us about some of the reactions and you know, working with Robin?  And not just Robyn, but the series as a whole.  Could you go into what sort of reactions you were gathering?

Kim Clemons: Reactions from our cellmates?

Moderator: Yeah – with Robin and also the other participants who you interviewed?

Kim Clemons: Reactions, well, I think what we found the common thread between all of our participants was that there was some kind of understanding or friendship in the beginning.  There’s clearly no kind of judgment in prison if you’re alone in a cell and there’s a likeminded person or someone your age who’s just as scared and alone as you are, you’re probably going to befriend them and forgive.  Kind of and maybe, like Robyn said, compartmentalized what they’ve done just so you could, you know, have someone to talk to. So, I have noticed that most of our participants going in felt sympathy or some kind of kinship with the famous person that we’re profiling.

Moderator: For sure.  Well thank you for that. I do…actually, Suzanne has a question, Suzanne?

Suzanne Lanoue (The TV MegaSite): Hi Kim, did you create the series?

Kim Clemons: Well, not personally, but we have a small team here at AMS that works on original programming and our executive producer, Andy Streitfeld actually sent us a clip of a cellmate who was friends with Jodie Arias in prison last year and it was a clip from somewhere on the internet and that’s how the ball got rolling.

We did the pilot on Jodi, and it did well enough that we were granted a season.  So there are probably, you know four or five core people here that work on this show full time.

Suzanne Lanoue: Oh, great… and did you already have somebody, or already have Angie Harmon in mind, for the narrator? Or was there a big audition process?

Kim Clemons: Lifetime suggested Angie.  We were told that they wanted some kind of recognizable voice for the show after the pilot had aired, and Lifetime said that she was the only one on the list and only one that I ever was aware of, and they wanted her pretty badly.  And I’m excited to report that she’s just as excited to be a part of the show. So great, yeah, she’s awesome.

Moderator: Well, thank you. Wonderful thank you, Suzanne. This question is going to go back to Robyn. Robyn, what did you know about Casey in jail since you were cut off from the media?

Robyn Adams: So, prior to being cut off from the media, is that is that how the question is directed?

Moderator: Yeah, so to speak yeah.

Robyn Adams: Well, just like Kim had said, there was a sense of kinship that was that was definitely there between Casey and me.  Again, we were secluded, we were away from other inmates you know, and when that happens or any type of solitaire confinement — as we all know going through this whole pandemic — you tend to spend a lot more time with yourself than you could have ever imagined possible ever in your life and with all of the distractions completely taken away.

So, there we just have each other, and we were both in protective custody and although we were not sharing the same cell, we were able to communicate with each other discreetly through letters. Because of that, we did develop a very strong friendship, considering the circumstances.

Moderator: And as a follow up question to that, when did red flags go up as you got to know, Casey more and more, especially through the letters.

Robyn Adams: What were the red flags? There actually wasn’t I wouldn’t say many red flags — but there was one very big one — and one night, even though I was cut from the media, I was able to catch a glimpse of the 11:00 o’clock news, maybe for just not even two minutes and of course, the headline was that there was a bag of bones found in in a local river in Moss Park. So naturally, when I got taken back, she was the first person told that to and of course I was concerned. Just hoping to shed some light — at this point since they’re still trying to find her daughter. Nobody knows where she is and she’s still a concerned mom.

However, when I brought her that information it was a little, it was a little eye opening for me.  She didn’t react the way at all as I thought she would knowing that her child has been missing for so long so –that that was definitely a huge, if not the biggest red flag of the whole case.

Moderator: First, thank you for sharing. Next, we have Steve Gidlow.

Steve Gidlow (Media Village): Oh hi, my question is actually for Robyn.  I was just wondering if you could talk a little bit about some of the inner turmoil that you went through as far as sort of having to turn in your friend…how hard was that for you? I can’t imagine what you must have gone through personally.

Robyn Adams: That is an excellent question, and I actually can’t thank you enough for even asking that. So that the inner turmoil that…actually, I think you might be the very first person to ever ask me such a personal question like that, so it’s actually caught me off guard. (Tears up) I’m sorry I don’t need to do that.

Steve Gidlow: I’m just intrigued cause it’s…I would imagine it being extremely hard, but you want to do the right thing. So, what do you do?

Robyn Adams: It was actually. I feel like, I feel like that my whole story’s been a Lifetime movie. So just to be brief on my on my answer, my inner turmoil was exactly that. It was definitely inner turmoil in there. There really are no written words to ever express the pain in the hurt in the loss that I’ve ever gone through throughout this case. It’s still so very raw when I talk about it, and I’m sorry. But to have to turn on someone that I did call my friend was extremely difficult. And I’m sorry,

but if you’re and if you could see me…you could actually see that it is still very difficult.

Steve Gidlow: I can see it’s very raw for you hard. I appreciate your honest answer. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Moderator: Thank you, Steve, and thank you, Robin. This question is directed towards Kim.  Kim, can you explain the process of finding the documentary interviewees? Just go a little bit into the process of how that went down.

Kim Clemons: Yeah, there’s no straight line to a terrific subject like Robyn. Usually, it starts with the nugget of someone either on the Internet or with Robin’s case. It was her letters that were kind of out there in the ether, and then we just tracked her down and it’s through all kinds of means. We talked to friends, family, and then, you know, sometimes like Robyn, their names have changed.  So, we have a great team of researchers who are on social media. We’re reaching out to everyone and then finally…and I think we found you at your job.  And of course, she was thinking that we were crazy, and we tried to get her to call us back.

And so, it takes some convincing, because a lot of these people that we have on our show, you know they want this behind them and don’t want to relive. And it’s also pretty personal, you know, having been in prison.  You know what you want the world to know when you started your life over. You know, and made new friendships, and some people probably don’t know…so it takes time. But you know, we gained Robyn’s trust and she’s just made it all worthwhile. So, it’s kind of all over the place.

Moderator: Thank you, Kim. And I know that one of the final questions is for both of you to answer in your own honest opinions. Why was it important for both of you to tell these stories?

Kim coming from not just a series POV, but specifically the story of some 8 secrets.

For Casey Anthony, Robyn -why was it important for you to tell these stories? Or your story.

Kim Clemons:  For us it was important to tell this story because really, because Robyn.  Robyn’s story is amazing. And what this series does is it really humanizes prison inmates, and you know when you learn the backstories of some of these people who have been incarcerated with the famous person that everyone cares about, their stories are equally as fascinating and so we like telling those stories in addition to the ones that everyone is tuning in for. But, you know, kind of in the process, really gleaning, the stories of our cellmates and wanting the audience to root for them and you will want to root for them once you once you get through each episode.

Moderator: What about you, Robyn?

Robyn Adams: Well, I will tell you I’m definitely the underdog. So in in my opinion it’s…everything is always a struggle, right? So, and it doesn’t matter who you are or your position in in this world. You know where the hierarchy of which you may stand. Going through this walk of life has been extremely difficult and then it took learning to stand on your own two feet again and become an independent person and start from scratch with nothing because at that point you have no work history, you have no references to give…so to be able to bounce back in, become my own success story and be in, play…that part of a leader for other people in a positive way, means the world to me.  And I’m so grateful and thankful that I’m able to do that with some people and be their mentor. It’s possible, it’s possible to come out of the prison system and be an absolute success in in rise to the top. So, in my opinion all that matters is that you you’re able to learn how to pick up the pieces along the way and rebuild and start mapping out. You know you have to be your own architect and start mapping out your future from day one, and that’s exactly what I did.

MORE INFO:

The Lifetimes Summer’s Secrets programming slate kicks off with Cellmate Secrets on Friday, June 4th and features new Rip from the headline movies starting Memorial Day, May 31st including new originals, Gone Mom: The Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos on June 5th, Soccer Mom Madam on June 6th, Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story on June 12th, Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer on June 13th, Secrets of a Marine’s Wife on June 19th and Doomsday Mom on June 26th.

Preview and more Info

ANGIE HARMON 
JOINS NEW LIFETIME UNSCRIPTED SERIES 
CELLMATE SECRETS 
DEBUTING FRIDAYS DURING NETWORK’S FIRST ANNUAL SUMMER OF SECRETS
FOLLOWING ENHANCED VERSIONS OF
LIFETIME ORIGINAL MOVIES
source-234230010032R_TD
Los Angeles, CA – April 22, 2021 – On the heels of last year’s hit special, Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets, the network announces the new six-episode doc series Cellmate Secrets, which revisits some of the most infamous stories of headline grabbing criminals as part of Lifetime’s Summer of Secrets line up.  Angie Harmon (Rizzoli and Isles) will narrate the series, which reveals new insights and information as former friends, guards, cellmates and lovers give first-hand accounts of their time with the famed felons and defendants.   Many of the episodes for this season of Cellmate Secrets will air following enhanced versions of Lifetime Original Movies that followed these true stories.
“Angie, true crime and Lifetime are a perfect fit together,”  said Amy Winter, EVP, Head of Programming, Lifetime and LMN. “We know our audience devoured the stories when they were playing out in headlines, but now we can go even deeper to reveal more about those infamous stories.”
This season will reexamine the high-profile case of Casey Anthony, now nearing the 10th anniversary of when Casey was acquitted for the murder of her daughter Caylee,  as well as the story of Joyce Mitchell, the woman who aided two convicts in their escape from prison in Dannemora, NY.  Cellmate Secrets will also delve into the inner lives of  convicted killers Drew Peterson, Chris Watts, Susan Smith and Shayna Hubers.  Cellmate Secrets will air Fridays at 10pm ET/PT starting June 4th, following enhanced encores of Lifetime original movies centered on them including Prosecuting Casey Anthony and Drew Peterson Untouchable – both which starred Rob Lowe.  Other movies include New York Prison Break: The Joyce Mitchell Story and Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer.
Angie Harmon is a talented actress and model, who has appeared in numerous tv series and films over the years. She is best known for her roles as Detective Jane Rizzoli on the series Rizzoli & Isles and Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael on Emmy-Award winning drama Law & Order. Rizzoli & Isles airs weekdays on Lifetime (check your local listings).
Lifetime’s Summer of Secrets will feature new movies starting Memorial Day, May 31, including new originals, Gone Mom (June 5), Soccer Mom Madam (June 6), Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story (June 12), Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer (June 13), Secrets of a Marine’s Wife (June 19) and Doomsday Mom (June 26).
Cellmate Secrets is produced by AMS Pictures with Andy Streitfeld serving as Executive Producer, Kim Clemons Showrunner, Brad Osborne Creative Director, Allison Willoughby Producer, Amanda Metz Production Manager.  Amy Winter, Brie Miranda Bryant, Nicole Vogel executive produce for Lifetime.  Mioshi Hill also serves as executive producer.
JUNE 4
Prosecuting Casey Anthony (Movie) – 8pm ET/PT
Cellmate Secrets: Casey Anthony– 10pm ET/PT
Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award nominee Rob Lowe stars as Jeff Ashton, the Florida prosecutor in the controversial Caylee Anthony murder trial and author of the best-selling book “Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony”, upon which the movie is based. The film reveals Ashton’s inside story of the true crime drama that captivated and then shocked the nation when Caylee Anthony’s mother, Casey, was acquitted of killing her daughter, despite what many thought to be overwhelming evidence of guilt. Prosecuting Casey Anthony is executive produced by Rob Lowe, Alison Cross, Jean Abounader and Michelle Manning. Peter Werner directed the screenplay by Alison Cross. The film is produced by Fox Television Studios. Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony is published by HarperCollins.
Cellmate Secrets: In 2008, two-year-old Caylee Anthony was reported missing by her grandmother and when Caylee’s mom, Casey was questioned, she made up stories about the babysitter kidnapping her daughter and she was arrested for lying to authorities and charged with first degree murder. In 2011 Casey was eventually found not guilty of the murder of Caylee and was released with time served.  In all new interviews, Casey’s former cellmate and friend Robyn Adams shares how Casey lured her into a deep friendship when Casey first arrived in jail.  Prison guard Silvia Hernandez also reveals how she risked her job to help facilitate the secret meetups between the two and she details how her life was ruined because of her involvement with the ladies.

 

JUNE 11
Drew Peterson: Untouchable (Movie) – 8pm ET/PT
Cellmate Secrets: Drew Peterson – 10pm ET/PT
Based on a true story about charming Chicago-area police officer Drew Peterson’s (Rob Lowe) fall from grace after the mysterious disappearance of his fourth wife.  Peterson seemed virtually “untouchable” in more ways than one when it came to his womanizing ways, having been married three times before landing the eye and affection of Stacy Cales (Kaley Cuoco).  As Peterson’s relationship with Stacy blossoms, his relationship with third wife Kathleen Savio (Cara Buono) unravels in a bitter divorce — until Kathleen is inexplicably found dead.  Soon after making Stacy his wife Peterson’s jealousy begins to strain their marriage.  When Stacy suddenly disappears, Peterson insists that she left him for another man but in the wake of her disappearance, new questions are raised about Kathleen’s death and her case is re-opened, drawing national media attention to Peterson.  Produced by Sony Pictures Television, Drew Peterson: Untouchable was executive produced by Judith Verno and produced by Kyle Clark and Lina Wong.  Mikael Salomon directed the movie from a script written by Teena Booth, based on the book, Fatal Vows, by Joseph Hosey.
Cellmate Secrets: In 2007 Chicago-area police officer Drew Peterson’s fourth wife Stacy disappeared, but he remained free for years until his third wife Kathleen’s body was exhumed and he was charged with her murder.  In all-new interviews, viewers will get a behind the scenes look at Drew Peterson’s relationship with his ex-fiancé Christina Raines and her father Ernie Raines. Drew proposed to Christina while his fourth wife Stacy was still missing and while Drew was the prime suspect in Stacy’s disappearance, Christina moved into the home that Drew shared with Stacy.  Ernie did everything he could to separate Christina from Drew, but the couple stayed together for almost three years and broke up after he went to prison.  The special also includes new interviews with Drew’s girlfriend while in prison, Nicole Speakman.  Nicole met Drew when he was in the media for Stacy’s disappearance and their relationship became serious after he went to jail for murder. Nicole and Drew were pen pals and she would travel to visit him, until they broke up after she began to suspect that he murdered Stacy and he became very dominant.
JUNE 18
New York Prison Break: The Seduction of Joyce Mitchell (Movie)– 8pm ET/PT 
Cellmate Secrets: Joyce Mitchell – 10pm ET/PT
Inspired by the true story that gripped the nation, the movie tells the story of a prison staffer who helped two convicts escape, leading to a fatal manhunt. When Joyce Mitchell (Penelope Ann Miller) a married mother of three, meets convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat while running the tailor shop at the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Richard and David immediately set their sights on her as the perfect pawn for their escape plan. Flattered by their attention, Joyce is easily seduced by the prisoners, and soon agrees to help them break out. Wrapped up in a fantasy that men were in love with her, Joyce goes along with them when they suggest killing her husband so they can all run away together. At the last second, Joyce decides she can’t go through with the plot and a massive statewide manhunt for Richard and David ensues culminating in a deadly takedown and her own conviction. Produced by Mountainair Films, the film is executive produced by Judith Verno and Frank Von Zerneck. The movie is directed and written by Stephen Tolkin. David Manzanares co-produces, and Ron Schmidt is the line producer. The film is distributed by Sony Pictures Television.
Cellmate Secrets: Joyce Mitchell is the former prison staffer who helped two convicts escape, leading to a fatal manhunt in upstate New York. It was later revealed that the convicts Richard Matt and David Sweat seduced Joyce and convinced her to participate in their elaborate scheme.  Former Inmate Erik Jensen, who worked with Joyce in the Clinton Correctional Facility’s tailor shop, reveals how Joyce’s incredible need for attention left her open to being manipulated by Richard and David.  In a sit-down interview Erik describes tactics that inmates used to manipulate guards and he details the techniques that the two convicts used to convince Joyce to help them escape.  Pam White, Joyce’s supervisor, recounts how she saw red flags long before anyone else and how she eventually left her position when her complaints were silenced.  Kris Mullady, a Corrections Sergeant who oversaw security operations outside the building during the time of the escape, recounts the events that led up to the escape and the behaviors of those involved, including those of Joyce.
JUNE 25
Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer (Movie) – 8pm ET/PT
Cellmate Secrets: Chris Watts – 10pm ET/PT
When Chris Watts (Sean Kleier) tearfully pleaded to television cameras for the safe return of his missing pregnant wife Shanann (Ashley Williams) and their two young daughters, dark secrets loomed just beneath the surface.  As the story spread, hearts went out to the distraught father and husband, who appeared to lead a charmed life.  But days later, after failing a lie detector test, Chris confessed to brutally murdering his family and slowly revealed the horrific details of their deaths. Friends and family were left reeling, looking for answers as his double life and secret affair came to light. Brooke Smith portrays CBI agent Tammy Lee, who helped to bring Chris Watts to justice. Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer is produced by Sony Pictures Television. Judith Verno/Peace Out Productions serves as executive producer. Michael Nankin directs from a script written by Barbara Marshall.
Cellmate Secrets: In 2013 Chris Watts brutally murdered his pregnant wife and his two small children.  He left his wife in a shallow grave and he put his daughters in two separate oil tanks. Chris tearfully pled for the return of his family in front of news cameras, but later confessed and it was revealed that he was having an affair with his co-worker.  Chris still receives an overwhelming amount of fan mail behind bars and when his cellmate Dylan Tallman responded on his behalf to a fan letter from Christa Richello, it was the beginning of a close and intimate relationship between the trio.  Christa, a clinical psychologist, is adamant that Chris Watts is innocent and she’s currently writing a book with Chris and her now fiancé Dylan.  In all-new interviews Christa sits down with cameras and delves into her relationship with the two men, including that the cellmates are so close they consider themselves brothers, although some suspect that there’s more going on with the two men.  The documentary crew also sits down with Cheryln Cadle, who became intrigued by Chris over the course of his trial and began exchanging letters with him and eventually met him in-person, where he allegedly revealed more to her than he did to the FBI.
*ENCORE AIRINGS*
JULY 2
Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret (Movie) – 8pm ET/PT
Cellmate Secrets: Jodi Arias (enhanced encore)– 10pm ET/PT
Based on the disturbing murder trial that captivated the nation, Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret tells the story of Jodi Arias (Tania Raymonde, Lost), a seductive 28-year-old found guilty of killing her former lover, Travis Alexander (Jesse Lee Soffer, The Mob Doctor), who was found nude in his home shower with a slit throat, 27 additional stab wounds and a bullet to the head. Jodi pled not guilty and contended she killed Alexander in self-defense.  Her subsequent trial was grand theater, dominating the cable news networks as she testified in her own defense and offered explicit insight into the sex, lies and obsession that led up to Alexander’s murder. This is a special encore airing of the movie, as part of the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Lifetime Original Movie.
Cellmate Secrets: Seven years after being convicted of first-degree murder, new disturbing information comes to light about Jodi Arias and the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander as her former cellmates and closest confidants give firsthand accounts of their time behind bars with the murderess.  In an exclusive double interview, Tracy Brown and Donavan Bering reveal details and shocking information that they heard directly from Arias, including a bombshell new theory about the night of Alexander’s murder. Through cryptic personal never-before-read letters and rare disturbing works of art, Brown and Bering recount stories of how Arias used her sex-appeal and manipulation to coerce them and others into becoming loyal followers that would do her bidding in and out of jail. Bering also delves into how Arias cultivated a devoted fanbase to run her social media and gather more fans.  As Brown and Bering shed new light on Arias’ case and clear their consciences, they reveal a picture of a woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.  Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets is produced by AMS Pictures with Andy Streitfeld serving as executive producer, Kim Clemons producing and Brad Osborne directing.  Mioshi Hill and Gena McCarthy executive produce for Lifetime.
JULY 9
Cellmate Secrets: Susan Smith – 10pm ET/PT
Susan Smith was convicted of murdering her two young children by sending her car into a lake while her sons were strapped into their car seats.  The case gained national attention when Susan told authorities that her car, with her sons inside, had been carjacked by a black man.  Now Susan’s former cellmates Stephanie Hulsey and Christie Smith are giving new insights into Susan’s life behind bars, including detailing Susan’s prison love life and how she manipulated other cellmates into securing her drugs.  Christie reveals how she helped Susan have sexual encounters without getting caught and both Stephanie and Christie discuss other self-destructive habits that Susan has picked up behind bars. Alfred and Elizabeth Rowe, who had their lives turned upside down by Susan, also sit down together for the documentary and painfully recount Alfred’s inappropriate relationship with Susan and her manipulative tactics.
JULY 16
Cellmate Secrets: Shayna Hubers – 10pm ET/PT
On October 12, 2012, Shayna Hubers shot and killed her boyfriend Ryan Poston, claiming that it was self-defense.  As the trial went on, it came out that she would text him over 100 times to his one response and it was later revealed that after being alone in the interrogation room she said aloud “I did it. Yes, I did it. I can’t believe I did that.” For the first time since her trial, cameras sit down with Holly Nivens, Shayna Hubers’ former cellmate.  Holly details how Shayna manipulated her into believing that she killed Ryan in self-defense, but then later revealed new motives and details about the murder. The doc also includes an interview with her former inmate Cecily Miller, who discusses Shayna’s behavior after being arrested, including her constant need for attention and how she never expressed remorse about killing Ryan.  And the documentary crew sits down with Carissa Carlisle, Ryan’s cousin and former friend to Shayna.  Carissa reveals how just a few months into the relationship Ryan wanted out and she gives new insight into the lengths Shayna would go to get in contact with Ryan after he blocked her.
ABOUT AMS PICTURES
AMS Pictures is a creative media company located in Dallas, Texas. Our passion for unique storytelling and uncompromising quality have made AMS a leader in the production industry for close to 40 years.
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.

 

 

Cellmate Secrets graphic for our press panel

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Interview with Annabeth Gish and Warren Christie

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

 

Warren Christie and Annabeth Gish of "Gone Mom" on Lifetime

Interview with actors Warren Christie and Annabeth Gish, producer Ilene Kahn Power, and director Gail Harvey of “Gone Mom” on Lifetime by Suzanne 5/9/21

This was one of a number of different video interviews we did this day with actors and others from upcoming Lifetime movies this summer. It was very exciting to watch the movies and then speak with the stars and creative minds behind the films. I thought this one, “Gone Mom” was one of the best of the films.

I’d spoken with Warren twice before, in 2011 (for Syfy’s “Alphas”) and 2014 (for a Hallmark movie), but seeing his handsome face on Zoom was much better. I wish I had more time to ask more questions, especially about his recent guest-starring role as Bruce Wayne (albeit a copy) on The CW’s “Batwoman.”  Annabeth Gish is a great actress who’s been acting since she was a child. You can see her in the upcoming Netflix horror series “Midnight Mass” later this year.

Moderator: Hi everyone, so our first panel today is Gone Mom: The Disappearance of Jennifer Doulos.  Please welcome stars Annabeth Gish and Warren Christie, executive producer Rachel Stockman, Ilene Kahn Power and director Gail Harvey. Hi everyone, our first question is for Annabeth and Warren. Were you familiar with the Dulos case prior to your involvement in the film?

Annabeth Gish: I certainly was. I live here in the States, and I have a lot of friends on the East Coast. And yes, I was very much aware as a mother um, of the story, yes I was.

Warren Christie: I wasn’t.  I didn’t really know a lot about it, so to see it start to unfold and really get into the details of it was obviously incredibly shocking. I don’t know how else to put it.

Moderator: We have a first question from Jamie from Sci-fi magazine. I see there are titles are cut off a little. Go ahead Jamie.

Jamie Ruby (SciFi Vision magazine):  Hi, Jamie from SciFi Vision.  Hi guys, this question’s for the actors. What was it that first attracted you to the roles that made you know that you just had to play them?

Annabeth Gish: Warren, you wanna go or you wanna go ahead yeah.  Well for me there were multiple reasons not the least of which is that Jennifer would have been my peer. When I was at Duke, she was at Brown. We’re both the exact same age.  I’m a mother, and I think there’s a real resonance to understanding that this kind of domestic violence can occur in any social strata.  Whether you’re privileged or not.  And I think the story of loving someone and then being surprised with who they actually are is a common one.  So, I was, I was.  I wouldn’t say I was eager. It was, it was stressful to take on the role, but I wanted to embody this part.

Moderator:  Thank you, our next question is from Suzanne.

Suzanne Lanoue (TVMEG):  Morning. It’s great to talk to you all.  Warren, what was the most challenging part of doing this role.

Warren Christie:  Oh um, well, obviously there’s a lot of duality to what’s going on, and I think to make sure that we told the story properly with as much authenticity as we could so… (that’s my dog).  You know you take on responsibility with this when you’re talking about real people, and for me that was the biggest thing.  And obviously I wouldn’t say….Annabeth, and I were both on the same page with wanting to make sure this story was told properly and she’s so incredibly talented that you know, and so open to what was going on that.  We kind of talked early on and made sure that we both felt safe and comfortable, but wanted to make sure that we told this thing in a kind of raw backdrop so that we made sure that the story was told properly.  So yeah, it’s hard sometimes you know.  When you have to go to a certain place and do certain things, but like I said, working with Annabeth was such a treat that we we just made sure that we did it with as much heart as we possibly could.

Suzanne Lanoue:  Thank you and Annabeth, when you were working with the actress who played Audrey, I’m sorry I don’t know her name, did you work together to try to get a bond ahead of time with before the movie?

Annabeth Gish:  Uh Laura Harris? Um, she was phenomenal and easy to work with and the whole entire cast as in in general Ilene and Gail, our producer and director, did an amazing job of gathering real actors who wanted to bring an authenticity, as Warren said to this.  And it was imperative that the friendship between Jennifer and Audrey was real and it was not false at all, Laura and I were immediately….we became quick and close friends.

Suzanne Lanoue:  Yeah, it came over very well.  Thank you.  I enjoyed the movie.

Annabeth Gish:  Thank you.

Moderator:  Thanks Suzanne.  The next question is from Lisa.  Just a reminder if you could put your hand down after you’ve asked your question.

Lisa Steinberg (Starry Constellation):  Thank you.

Moderator:  Lisa, I believe you’re muted.

Lisa Steinberg:  Sorry about that, thank you guys so much for taking your time to chat with us today. Did either of you come to a conclusion of whether or not you really felt that Dulos was guilty or not?  Or do you try not to judge the characters that you’re portraying?

Annabeth Gish:   Warren that’s to you.  That was a good question.

Warren Christie:  You know, I.  I wouldn’t want to comment on it too much, and I think it’s really important.  (barking dog). Oh hi.  That’s my dog by the way.

Annabeth Gish:  He thinks Fotis is guilty

Warren Christie:   yeah yeah don’t we all?  I think it’s, I think it’s important to to tell this story properly to not go in judging it.  You know I have my own feelings after the fact and during obviously, but I think more importantly it was, it was not judge his character, tell this story like I said in a raw manner and as honestly as we could.  And on a bigger scale, tell the stories Annabeth touched upon earlier that we wanted to highlight, unfortunately, domestic violence.  We wanted to make sure it was not something that was controlled by socioeconomic factors like we wanted to show that sometimes from the outside, these perfect lives aren’t so perfect.  So for us it was a bigger scale just telling this particular story, but hoping that it resonates, you know, on that larger scale.

Annabeth Gish:   And to add to that, one of the most important elements of this story is a love story.  You know, I mean, Fotis and Jennifer had a love story that that spanned time and they had five children, so there was obviously a lot of love and chemistry and they were both really charismatic beings, and so I think as much as we all, again, this is a group effort, um we really wanted the tone to be about love and not so much about horror you know.  I mean clearly it’s a horrific accident that happened were tragedy but but there was a love story at the at the core of it.

Moderator:  Thank you, our next question is from Rick.

Rick Bentley (Nexstar Media):  Warren, two quick questions.  These movies have taught us to immediately suspect the husband and when you play a role like that, you have to make a sort of, you know, have doubts is it in the process in your voice and the body language.  How do you get that across?  And secondly, why do you think we are so fascinated by these kind of stories?

Warren Christie:  Well, as far as telling the character, you know I’m, my responsibility comes to telling the story that’s been written in this particular thing, and what’s on the page. Um, and so you go about that again without judging the character, but but trying to create and fill in the blanks of what we don’t know.  Um, you know it’s no different than telling any other story.  The thing is, you have an added responsibility because you’re talking about real people and in certain things real time.  Um, on a side note, I think people are so gripped by these stories because and this one in particular, as I mentioned earlier, you know you’re talking about a family that looked like they had it all. They had that thing that we would all you know want to try and get on paper and so to see them behind the scenes what was going on and the abuse and the different things like that and then how it tragically ended, I think that’s what grips people.  You know when you see people that have it all or that thing that we aspire to possibly have, and then you realize you pull the curtain back, and that’s not really what it is.  I think that’s what hits with people, and I think that’s what opens up and draws people in these type of stories.Warren Christie and Annabeth Gish of "Gone Mom" on Lifetime

Moderator:  Thank you, our next question is from Jay, and then we’ll have one more question after Jay and then that’ll be it for this panel.

Jay Bobbin (Gracenote):  Hello.  Thank you. Annabeth, you have done so much in your career in so many genres.  Was true crime, something you especially wanted to get into at this point in time or was it this story specifically for you?

Annabeth Gish:  Oh it was absolutely the story specifically for me, and also that it was being told consciously through a female lens with Gail as our Director, and Ilene as our producer, and we had a female DP and a female editor as well.  Um, I know Rachel is also a producer. You know, I think it was just really for me it was a beautiful opportunity for me to explore this topic. And it was, it was hard to do, but I’m so glad we did it together with this female gaze.

Jay Bobbin:  Thank you.

Moderator:  Thank you Annabeth and speaking to what you were just saying, this was a majority female lead production.  How was that like on set?

Annabeth Gish:  It was awesome.  I mean it was awesome and and yet we had many male crew members as well. It was just it was just. It was lovely. I can’t say more.   Gail and Ilene can probably speak to that too.

Moderator:  yeah, of course yeah, yeah.

Ilene Kahn Power:  I can speak to the fact that we had actually more than half were females on this show.  We qualified for the Sundance and Women and Film Reframe stamp that really goes for gender parity and we felt that the you know that that having that mojo behind it really helped to make the movie what it is and with Annabeth and Warren as the lead and Gail directing, we feel we really achieved it.  And we we had so many challenges doing this movie under covid that there were there was Amy, our DP, Annabeth, Gail and myself, who burned sage frequently on this movie, and I’m gonna have him stay it worked.  It worked so we feel really blessed about that and we’re thrilled with the support that we’ve gotten from Lifetime and about telling this story that’s still evolving.

Annabeth Gish:  I will say there was a sensitivity that is just inherent when when you have a female director you know um and just people behind the camera who are coming at it honoring Jennifer’s story.

Gail Harvey:  Yes, and we got very very lucky to have the most amazing casts.  It’s one of those movies where everything just kind of fell together and you know and we were all I think not to sound too spiritual, but like we were all feeling that we really wanted…that Jennifer was there and we were telling her story with her. So I want to thank everybody because I think it’s a very important story.

Moderator:  Absolutely, and Rachel, anything that you would like to add?

Rachel Stockman:  And I would just say I think that this movie will connect to a lot of women. Um, I know a lot of women have connected to this story.  They’ve known someone, a family member or friend where this may have happened or that family member has suffered some kind of violence and it’s the story of Jennifer and she really was part of….uh her memory was part of how we put this film together.  But I think it’s really special in that it kind of goes beyond that too and has a larger message um in Jennifer’s honor.

Moderator:  Thank you so much.  We’re very much looking forward to this film.

Moderator:  Thank you to all of our Gone Mom panelists and stay tuned for the next one.

Video Watch the movie  Trailer

MORE INFO:

Summer of Secrets Press Day – Wednesday, May 19

Amy Winter (EVP of Lifetime Programming): I am excited and I want to thank you for joining us today for our very first summer of secrets press day. Only Lifetime can bring you a season full of twisted tales based on true crime. A season filled with stories that had people saying, “you know what – that sounds like a Lifetime movie.” Before we dive into your questions for our seven panels today, I’ve got even more secrets to share.

Do you know what today is? It’s actually Harry and Meghan’s 3rd wedding anniversary. And we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to reveal who is starring as the lovely couple in the third movie of our franchise, Harry and Meghan: Escaping the Palace.  Taking the crown as the newest Duke and Duchess of Sussex are Jordan Dean and Sydney Morton. We just started production on Monday and can’t wait to spill the tea when it debuts this fall.

And I know it’s not even Memorial Day yet, but we always have holidays on the brain and we’re already filling Santa’s sleigh with some goodies for this year’s It’s a Wonderful Lifetime holiday movie slate. Some of our favorite talent like Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Kelly Rowland, Jana Kramer and others are back and this year we have Reba McEntire in her own holiday movie filming now in Nashville.

But wait, there’s more. I’m excited to give you all an early present with a glimpse at the incredible cast for two of our upcoming holiday movies. Who doesn’t love a good reunion for the holidays? We are excited to start off the festivities. With some fancy footwork this year, by taking you all back to High School Musical days with alums, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman in a Christmas Dance Reunion. The music, the dance, and the romance are the perfect way to start off this year’s late.

I’m also revealing another trip down memory lane starring a BUNCH of amazing folks all in one movie. Blending Christmas directed by Marla Sokoloff and starring Haylie Duff, Aaron O’Connell, Beth Broderick, Telma Hopkins, Jennifer Elise Cox, Greg Evigan, and remember when I said “bunch?” This movie also stars Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, Susan Olsen and Robbie Rist who you all remember from the iconic TV show The Brady Bunch. We hope everyone is reunited with family and friends for the holidays. It’s nice to bring these loved ones back together.

And if you feel like the Holidays are just too far away, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. After all, my last name is Winter, so I like to bring the season whenever I can to tide you over, we’re going to indulge all those holiday fanatics with our first ever Summer of Santas where over 8 holiday titles from our Christmas past will be available on VOD along with twenty movies that will be available on the Lifetime Movie Club app all during the month of July.

Speaking of the Lifetime Movie Club app and getting back to today’s main event, I also wanted to mention that on May 28th we will be releasing an exclusive new movie on LMC titled Deadly Misconduct. So no matter what platform you watch Lifetime on, our Summer of Secrets are ready to be revealed.

Okay, so I’ve shared a lot and I did hope to reveal one more big secret, but it’s hidden in the attic, so you will have to wait a bit more for that one to be unveiled. So let’s get to the panels, starting off with a gripping true story that captured nationwide attention. The tale of Connecticut mom Jennifer Doulos, whose disappearance rocked her small town. This is Gone Mom.

LIFETIME KICKS OFF FIRST ANNUAL
 SUMMER OF SECRETS
WITH SIX NEW ORIGINAL MOVIES INSPIRED BY TRUE STORIES
FEATURING ALL STAR CASTS
 
GONE MOM STARRING ANNABETH GISH AND WARREN CHRISTIE
PREMIERES SATURDAY, JUNE 5
 
SOCCER MOM MADAM STARRING JANA KRAMER
PREMIERES SUNDAY, JUNE 6
JENNIE GARTH AND ANWEN O’DRISCOLL
STAR IN LEFT FOR DEAD: THE ASHLEY REEVES STORY
PREMIERING SATURDAY, JUNE 12
 
SECRETS OF A GOLD DIGGER KILLER STARS JULIE BENZ
PREMIERING SUNDAY, JUNE 13
 
SECRETS OF A MARINE’S WIFE 
STARS SADIE CALVANO
PREMIERING SATURDAY, JUNE 19
 
DOOMSDAY MOM STARRING LAUREN LEE SMITH AND MARC BLUCAS
PREMIERES SATURDAY, JUNE 26
LINDA PURL AND PATRICK DUFFY ALSO STAR
FOUR ADDITIONAL ACQUIRED TITLES WILL AIR DURING THE SLATE
LOS ANGELES, CA (April 1, 2021) – Shhhhh… there’s a lot to uncover this summer with Lifetime‘s first annual Summer of Secrets programming slate with the announcement of six new original movies, debuting this June. Four acquired titles will air during the slate as well. Gone Mom, starring Annabeth Gish (The Haunting of Hill House) and Warren Christie (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce), is based on the true story of missing Connecticut mom Jennifer Dulos whose husband later committed suicide after he was charged with her murder. Jana Kramer (One Tree Hill) takes on the role of Anna, a suburban mom who runs an elite escort service for the high-powered men of New York in Soccer Mom Madam. Jennie Garth (90210) and Anwen O’Driscoll (American Gods) lead Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story, based on the true account of 17-year-old Ashley Reeves who is attacked and abandoned in the woods and must fight to regain her life. Julie Benz (Dexter) stars as convicted murderer Celeste Beard in Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer, while Sadie Calvano (Mom) stars in Secrets of a Marine’s Wife. Doomsday Mom stars Lauren Lee Smith (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Marc Blucas (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), and focuses on the Lori Vallow saga, an Idaho mother whose two missing children lead authorities through a web of death and deceptions as they try to uncover the truth of their disappearance. Linda Purl (Happy Days) and Patrick Duffy (Dallas) also star.
“Off the success of our Ripped from the Headlines slates, we are doubling down on what women love on Lifetime for our first annual Summer of Secrets slate.” said Amy Winter, EVP and Head of Programming, Lifetime and LMN.  “These stories captured our collective attention and are the perfect kick off to the summer with the stranger than fiction moments and revealing secrets that had everyone talking.”
A top 10 cable network with W25-54, Lifetime recently grew 13%, marking its strongest quarter growth in nearly 20 years.  As the leading producer of television movies, Lifetime continues to dominate the original movie space, with the top two movies in all of cable with Wendy Williams: The Movie and Salt N Pepa for 2021.
Source: Nielsen Live+3, (000s), as noted with A25-54, W25-54, A18-49, W18-49; 2021 Calendar YTD =12/28/20-3/21/21, Original Movies Only (Excludes all theatricals and acquired movies on all nets, excludes mini-series)
GONE MOM
PREMIERES SATURDAY, JUNE 5 at 8/7c
GM_02112021_EA_0146_V1
Annabeth Gish
Based on a true story, Gone Mom details the story of Jennifer Dulos (Annabeth Gish), the wealthy, Connecticut mother-of-five who mysteriously vanished on May 24, 2019.  Jennifer believed she had found her Prince Charming in Fotis Dulos (Warren Christie), but by the time of her disappearance, their marriage had all but disintegrated and the estranged couple was engaged in a contentious custody dispute. After she disappeared without a trace, after dropping off their children at school, police turned the spotlight on Fotis, who claimed Jennifer staged her own disappearance ala the film, Gone Girl.  Despite his assertions, investigators charged Fotis with murder in January 2020 but just weeks later, Fotis committed suicide, still claiming his innocence. To this date, the body of Jennifer has not been found.
Produced by Lighthouse Pictures for Lifetime, Gone Mom is executive produced by Dan Abrams, Ilene Kahn Power and Rachel Stockman.  Gail Harvey directs from a script written by Gregory Small and Richard Blaney.

Warren Christie and Annabeth Gish of "Gone Mom" on Lifetime

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Primetime TV Review: Girls5eva

Posted on by Eva Diaz

TV Review!

“Girls5eva” Review on by Eva 5/17/2021

I thought this show sounded interesting so I thought I would watch it. A one-hit wonder girl group from the 90’s makes a brief come back because famous rapper Lil Stinker decides to use a part of their song in one of his rap songs. The ladies get the group back together to do the Tonight Show because Jimmy Fallon thinks its a good idea for the ladies to sing back-up for Lil Stinker ( Jeremiah Craft) when he appears on the show. The appearance goes well and since the ladies haven’t done much since the group split ip, they decide to make a comeback because people still want to hear them sing.

The cast includes Sara Bareilles (Dawn Solano), Paula Pell (Gloria Mcmanus), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Wickie Roy) and Busy Phillips (Summer Dutkowsky) have great chemistry together and really seem like good friends who have not seen each other in a long time and are trying to reconnect with each other. What I enjoyed most about the show where cameos by people like Jimmy Fallon and Dolly Parton will appear in a future episode. The show also has great music which sounds like it comes from the 90’s but is written for the show.

I think this show is a bit corny and uses the F Bomb when it really doesn’t need to do so. The show is already funny so useless profanity isn’t needed in the show. I think if you grew up in the 90’s, you will love the show but if you didn’t grow up in the 90’s the show won’t make any sense to you.

I give this show a 4 out of 5 stars. It is worth watching if you just want to watch some good mindless television. You can binge all eight episodes on the weekend or watch them one at a time when you need a break from the stress of life.

MORE INFORMATION:

Peacock Original comedy GIRLS5EVA will premiere Thursday, May 6. All eight episodes will drop at once on Peacock.

· When a one-hit-wonder girl group from the 90’s gets sampled by a young rapper, its members reunite to give their pop star dreams one more shot. They may be grown women balancing spouses, kids, jobs, debt, aging parents, and shoulder pain, but can’t they also be Girls5eva?

· The series stars Grammy(R) Award-winner and Tony(R) and Emmy(R) Award-nominated singer Sara Bareilles, Grammy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Renée Elise Goldsberry, Emmy(R) winning “Saturday Night Live” mainstay and comedy icon Paula Pell, and New York Times Best-Selling author, actor, activist, writer and host Busy Philipps.

· Meredith Scardino serves as creator and executive producer for the series. Jeff Richmond, Tina Fey (Little Stranger, Inc.), Robert Carlock (Bevel Gears), David Miner (3 Arts Entertainment), Eric Gurian (Little Stranger) also serve as executive producers. Girls5eva is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

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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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Review of “The Bad Seed”

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Review!

The Lamptons of "The Bad Seed" on Sundance Now

“The Bad Seed” on Sundance Now Review by Suzanne 5/1/21

This is a five-part drama from New Zealand. It aired in 2019 but is new to us here in the U.S.  A woman is murdered in an affluent suburb, Remuera (near Auckland). Most of the show centers on two brothers, Simon and Ford. Simon is a respected doctor with a family. Ford is his brother, who hasn’t amounted to much. Simon is having an affair with another woman who lives nearby, and the murdered woman was his patient. Also, Simon’s family has donated money to a politician who appears to be the next Prime Minister. He’s popular, but his wife is not.  The two brothers grew up in a horrid family and have worked to overcome their pasts.  Now that’s threatened by this murder investigation.

Like most of these types of dramas, everyone has a big secret. First they tell us, little by little, about the characters and the secrets, and then it will show us the investigation. I hope it won’t be too disappointing. It’s off to a good start, judging just from the first episode. I definitely want to see what happens next.

MORE INFORMATION:

AWARD-WINNING NEW ZEALAND DRAMA SERIES THE BAD SEED ABOUT DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY WITH DARK SECRETS PREMIERES EXCLUSIVELY IN U.S.

All 5 Episodes to Stream Beginning Thursday, April 29

There are deep-rooted secrets in every family. Based on a series of books by award-winning New Zealand author, Charlotte Grimshaw, The Bad Seed tells the story of two brothers who have raised themselves from the desperate days of their early childhood, only to have their newly ordered lives begin to fall apart when one becomes a suspect in a murder and the police investigation draws the household into a hurricane of scandal. All five episodes of The Bad Seed will be available to binge on Thursday, April 29 via Sundance Now and the AMC+ streaming bundle.

Simon Lampton (Matt Minto, Shortland Street, The Blue Rose), a respected obstetrician, has a lovely home in Herne Bay with two daughters and a beautiful wife, Karen (Jodie Hillock, The Inland Road): a well-organized mother and pillar of their community. Older brother Ford Dean O’Gorman, The Hobbit, Trumbo), once estranged and still rough around the edges, is staying in the spare room and appears to be the only outward disruption to Simon’s controlled life. But Simon has a secret– he’s having an affair with a beautiful young woman from one of Auckland’s seediest suburbs. When Julia Stevens, the Lamptons’ neighbor, is murdered in her own home, Detective Marie Da Silva (Madeleine Sami, Super City) starts focusing on the Lampton household, and Simon’s attempt to cover up his affair begins to unravel his carefully constructed life.

To add pressure, Roza Hallwright (Chelsie Preston Crayford, Underbelly), the wife of the soon-to-be next Prime Minister (Xavier Horan, West Side), has decided to make the Lamptons her best friends, ostensibly because Simon has contributed funds to her husband’s campaign, but she too has a secret that involves the Lamptons. As Detective Da Silva digs further, Simon’s world starts to crumble. But it’s going to take more than spadework to uncover that this fall from grace is no accident, rather a careful unpicking by someone Simon thinks he can trust.

The Bad Seed was produced by South Pacific Pictures for TVNZ 1, New Zealand. The series won for Best Script: Drama at the 2019 NZ TV Craft Awards.

Episode Synopses

Episode 1 – Simon Lampton is a successful obstetrician who looks like he has the ideal life, but everything begins to unravel when neighbor and former patient, Julia Stevens, is brutally murdered and Simon’s dysfunctional childhood comes back to haunt him.

Written by Sarah-Kate Lynch and Joss King. Directed by Helena Brooks.

Episode 2 –Simon begins to lose it emotionally as police pressure intensifies and his personal life crumbles. Ford helps and hinders his brother and Roza courts the Lampton family before dropping a

bombshell on Simon.

Written by Sarah-Kate Lynch, Joss King and Michael Beran. Directed by Mike Smith.

Episode 3 – Roza finally confesses her secret to David. Karen’s had enough of Simon’s lying and kicks him

out. Ford and Simon are forced to confront their violent father.

Written by Sarah-Kate Lynch, Joss King and Michael Beran. Directed by Caroline Bell-Booth.

Episode 4 -Karen and Roza declare war. Roza has an emotional breakdown and overdoses. Simon is

suspected of the murder of an investigative journalist and Ford manipulates Simon’s misfortune.

Written by Sarah-Kate Lynch, Joss King and Michael Beran. Directed by Caroline Bell-Booth.

Episode 5- Simon has a realization about the murder but can’t convince the cops. Roza has a double

celebration on Election Day.

Written by Sarah-Kate Lynch and Joss King. Directed by Mike Smith.

About Sundance Now:

AMC Networks’ streaming service Sundance Now is for culture craving TV watchers looking for their next series to obsess over and offers a rich selection of original and exclusive series from engrossing true crime to heart-stopping dramas and fiercely intelligent thrillers from around the world, all streaming commercial-free. Exclusive new programs are added every week. Sundance Now has exclusively premiered several distinctive, critically acclaimed Sundance Now Original Series, including supernatural thriller A Discovery of Witches; glamorous thriller Riviera starring Julia Stiles; critically acclaimed French spy thriller crime drama The Bureau; and Swedish period drama The Restaurant, as well as Sundance Now Exclusives, such as British true crime thriller Des starring David Tennant; Australian drama Upright starring Tim Minchin; and Australian psychological thrilled The Secrets She Keeps; and riveting true crime series The Suspect, The Dakota Entrapment Tapes, No One Saw A Thing, and Killing for Love.

Facebook: @SundanceNow – Twitter: @sundance_now  – Instagram: @sundancenow

About AMC+:

AMC+ is the company’s new premium streaming bundle featuring an extensive lineup of popular and critically acclaimed original programming from across AMC Networks’ entertainment networks and a number of the company’s targeted streaming services including Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, which feature content such as Riviera, Creepshow, A Discovery of Witches and Boyhood. Currently available to Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV channels, Roku Channels, Comcast Xfinity, DirecTV, DISH and Sling TV customers, AMC+ features a continually refreshed new library of commercial-free content, including Mad Men, Gangs of London, The Salisbury Poisonings, Orphan Black, Portlandia, Soulmates and The Walking Dead: World Beyond, among many others.

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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.

Poster for "The Bad Seed"

Interview with Jesse Soffer and Jason Beghe

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Jesse Soffer and Jason Beghe of “Chicago PD” on NBC

Interview with Jesse Soffer and Jason Beghe of “Chicago PD” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

These two are the stars of their show, but they’re humble. It was a pleasure to speak with them and listen to them answer all of the questions.

Here’s the video version of it.

Question:   You guys are doing a great job. The show’s been on for quite a long time now. Are you sort of settling into your characters, or, this year, when people have been looking at police officers a little differently, has that changed your approach at all to how you play your character?

Jason:   Jesse? Or do you want me to [go]?

Jesse:   No, it hasn’t changed my approach at all. We were actually just talking about this. I think our show does a good job of portraying everyone as a human being. Whether or not you’re on the right or wrong side of the law, whether or not you’re on this side or that side of politics or have an idea, everybody’s human. So, no, my idea of Jay hasn’t changed, but everything is growth. You know, “what’s going on in current events?” If we’re playing the reality of it, and we’re truthful, then cops today are seeing things in the news and they’re hearing discussions and they’re having to think about it. So, obviously, that’s going on with Jay; that’s one point that’s going on with everybody. So, that would be the only way that it’s changed the way you absorb the information around you.

Question:   Well, Jason, your cop actually started out as a bad cop and then transitioned to being more upstanding.

Jason:   Well, I’m not sure if that’s a question, but I can also just say that, the first day I showed up on Chicago Fire, producers, they said to me, the first thing they said was, “Oh, you’re a bad guy.” And I said, “No, I’m not.” And, of course, they showed and portrayed, wrote him as a bad guy. He was doing a lot of bad things, but for me to play it, you rarely come across a bad person who thinks they’re a bad person. He’s just a person, and he’s doing what he thinks is right. We come up with solutions to cope.

Remember, he attacked Casey in the beginning, because he’s trying to protect his son. I don’t know if you have children, but he might go pretty far. To keep your child – I mean, my son was going to go to jail and be in an environment with people who I put there, and he probably would have been raped to death. And yes, he did something bad, but was that justice? Voight certainly thought not, and he was willing to go to great lengths to protect his son. From Casey’s point of view, he is a bad guy. From his son, Justin’s view, he is a loving father.

So, the thing that’s interesting is that nobody is one thing or another, and the more we get to know people, I think, the more we are able to understand them and therefore love them. That, to me, is what’s interesting about life and playing a character for this long, that you get to understand that people – there’s always something there; there’s something to love. We’re not one thing or another. Things change in moments, and he’s having a hard time right now. He’s not a guy big on self reflection, and he’s being forced to [reflect]. It’s difficult, and I think his knees may hit the ground this season, but he’s a strong guy. I think that to be who he is, I imagine his knees have hit the ground in the past, and those are the moments where you either stay down on the canvas or you get up, and you’re recreated and better. I find that fun, and it keeps me interested, both personally, and also artistically, playing the guy.

Suzanne:   Hi. It’s great to talk to both of you. Jesse, I used to watch you on As the World Turns, so I’m big a fan.

Jesse:   Oh, man.

Suzanne:   That was a while ago. And I went on all of the One Chicago Facebook groups and on Twitter, and I got quite a few responses. People want to talk to you guys. So, Jennifer wanted to ask Jesse; she’s heard during two different interviews that you wanted Jay to go skydiving, and she wanted to know if you had gone skydiving, and if you liked it.

Jesse:   I don’t know who this Jennifer is, but I will tell you right now, she’s a liar, because I have never once said that I wanted to go skydiving. If I did, maybe I was on drugs when I said it. I’d love to see the tape.

Jason:   I doubt that he said it.

Jesse:   Show me the tape. Prove it to me. There’s no way I said it. So, no, I don’t want Jay to go skydiving. I don’t need to have an episode about that.

Suzanne:   Maybe she was playing with me.

Jesse:   Yeah, maybe.

Suzanne:   Sorry about that.

Jesse:   No, you’re fine.

Suzanne:   And let’s see, another Jennifer, who goes by Jen, wants to know, Jason, we noticed that Sam and Voight are trusting each other now. Can we expect a romantic involvement?

Jason:   You know, it’s funny. That’s, I think, the third time I’ve been asked that.

Jesse:   This is clearly a thing. This is a thing.

Jason:   And I just find it – I have to turn the question back on the question. I mean, I understand it, but just because you’re trusting somebody, and granted, she’s probably one of the most attractive people you’ve ever put on a television screen, but trust and connection and love doesn’t always mean sex and romance.

Suzanne:   On TV though, it kind of does.

Jason:   Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Maybe I like that, that it that it doesn’t have to be that, and I also think that – this is just me personally, [but] I don’t think there’s much sexier than mystery. I don’t want to get too poetic, but on the great romantic poem, Ode on a Grecian Urn, [there are] these two lovers that are painted on this urn, and they’re at that moment where they’re about to kiss, and the whole thesis is that’s the best moment, not the kiss, and not the lovemaking, but that’s where all the energy is. So, I tend to think that I’d like to keep it there, but we’ll see. I wouldn’t throw a fit if I was forced to kiss her, Nicole Parker.

Suzanne:   Thank you. Thank you guys.

Question:   You guys have been on for like, seven, eight years now, and as actors – because I’ve felt that, especially in theater, repetition can make it boring or can make it more interesting. Has the character at times, does it become boring? Or, how do you keep it interesting and fresh? And the biggest thing is, do you have more control over the narrative in any way, because you have played the character for so long, by talking to the writers and EPs to contribute to the storytelling? Jason, you can go first.

Jason:   Yeah, I’ve never gotten bored. If I did, I probably would either quit or get fired. Just like my [character], I hope I don’t get bored, [as] Jason, either. I mean, I’ve got a lot to work on. I’ve got a lot to grow and change, and so does Voight, and he also loves his job. His job brings surprises and new things every day, and he likes doing it well. It’s a puzzle to solve, and the stakes are high. He makes a difference, so he’s engaged. That character, he’s growing and changing all the time. It’s not like you get the character, just like it’s not like you’ve gotten yourself, and you’re done. You know, it’s a work in progress, and same with him. And I think in my relationship with Voight is like a relationship. I learned from him; he learned from me. Then, you play the scene and see what happens. It’s exciting. It’s exciting.

Question:   [Have you] talked the writers and EP in terms of conducive stories now?

Jason:   Oh, yeah. Absolutely. We have a very collaborative environment, particularly with Ricky now running the show.  And I’m highly respectful, and he’s amazingly good. All our writers are, and if I don’t understand something or agree, it’s not like I go, “You’re wrong.” I say, “Help me understand.” And there may be a thesis and an anti-thesis, but there’s always a synthesis. We work together, because they don’t want me to do something that I don’t understand or don’t believe, and they’re the ones who are helping me discover, leading me in the direction where I continue to create and discover who Voight is and who he is becoming.

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

MORE INFO:

Jesse Lee Soffer

Det. Jay Halstead, “Chicago P.D.”

CHICAGO P.D. -- Season: 5 -- Pictured: Jesse Lee Soffer as Jay Halstead -- (Photo by: James Dimmock/NBC)

Jesse Lee Soffer stars as brash young police detective Jay Halstead in the hit NBC drama “Chicago P.D.”

Born in Ossining, N.Y., Soffer’s acting career began at age 6 when he landed a Kix cereal commercial. He made his feature-film debut two years later opposite John Goodman and Cathy Moriarty in “Matinee.” Soon thereafter, he was cast as Susan Sarandon and Sam Shepard’s son in the family drama “Safe Passage” and as Bobby in both “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “A Very Brady Sequel.”

Continuing to work with some of the biggest names in the industry, Soffer starred as a runaway-turned-sleuth in the television movie “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,” opposite Lauren Bacall, and then worked with director Richard Shepard in AMC’s longform presentation of “The Royale.”

In 1998, Soffer was cast as a series regular in the ABC comedy “Two of a Kind,” starring Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. When it ended, he returned to the East Coast and took a role on the CBS daytime serial “Guiding Light.”

After four months on the show, Soffer decided to focus on his studies and put himself through the Gunnery Boarding School in Connecticut. Upon graduation, Soffer realized that he still yearned to act and quickly landed a major contract role on the CBS daytime drama “As the World Turns.” His portrayal of troubled youth Will Munson earned him three consecutive Daytime Emmy nominations for outstanding younger actor in a drama series in 2006-08, as well as a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for outstanding younger lead actor.

Soffer made his return to the big screen in Davis Guggenheim’s independent film “Gracie,” playing the son of Elizabeth Shue and Dermot Mulroney, and also appeared in the film “In Time.” In primetime television, Soffer had a co-starring role in the Fox series “The Mob Doctor” and had guest roles in series including “CSI: Miami,” “The Mentalist” and “Rizzoli & Isles.”

Jason Beghe

Sgt. Hank Voight, “Chicago P.D.”

CHICAGO P.D. -- Season: 5 -- Pictured: Jason Beghe as Hank Voight -- (Photo by: James Dimmock/NBC)

Jason Beghe stars as Sgt. Hank Voight, leader of the Chicago P.D. Intelligence Unit in the NBC drama “Chicago P.D.”

Beghe was born and raised in New York City, where he attended the prestigious Collegiate School.

Beghe portrayed a quadriplegic in the George A. Romero film “Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear.” He later appeared as a police officer in the film “Thelma & Louise” and played Demi Moore’s love interest in “G.I. Jane.” Other feature-film credits include “X-Men: First Class,” “The Next Three Days,” “One Missed Call” and “Atlas Shrugged: Part II.”

On television, Beghe’s recurring roles include “Chicago Fire,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Californication.” He has guest-starred on countless series, including “Last Resort,” “Castle,” “NCIS,” “CSI: New York,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Finder,” “Prime Suspect,” “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” “Picket Fences,” “Chicago Hope,” “American Dreams” and “Cane.”

Beghe lives in Los Angeles.

From multiple Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf and the team behind the hit series “Chicago Fire,” ‘Chicago P.D.” is a riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department’s elite Intelligence Unit, combatting the city’s most heinous offenses – organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.

At the center of “Chicago P.D.” is Det. Sgt. Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), who is at ground zero against the war on crime in Chicago.  He will do anything to bring criminals to justice.

Hand-picked as the head of the unit is Voight, who has assembled a team of diverse detectives who share his passion and commitment to keep the city safe. They include Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), a brash young detective who previously saw active military duty in Afghanistan; Officer Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), who has proven herself valuable to the team after being brought up from patrol on several past cases; Officer Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), a quick-witted cadet plucked from the police academy; Officer Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins), a charismatic patrolman who was brought upstairs; and Det. Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos), the newest member of the team with killer instincts, humor and smarts. After going head to head with Voight, the two find a mutual respect for one another and see the value in working together.

Desk Sgt. Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) runs a tight precinct with tough love, although she lets her softer more vulnerable side shine through from time to time.

In addition to Wolf, executive producers include Rick Eid, Peter Jankowski, Arthur W. Forney, Derek Haas and Eriq La Salle.

“Chicago P.D.” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.

Please visit the official show site at: https://www.nbc.com/chicago-pd.

For the latest “Chicago P.D.” news, videos, and photos, please like on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/NBCOneChicago

https://twitter.com/NBCOneChicagohttps://www.instagram.com/nbconechicago/

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Jesse Soffer and Jason Beghe of “Chicago PD” on NBC

Interview with Alice Braga

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Alice Braga of “Queen of the South” on USA Network

Interview with Alice Braga of “Queen of the South” on USA Network by Suzanne 3/23/21

It was great to speak with Ms. Braga. She was very chatty and kind.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

Here’s the video version of it.

Question:  …Can you talk a little bit about such a wonderful show with such a strong female character coming through? [What] has the journey been like, and what do you want to tell other female storytellers who want to tell stories like this? It [has] such amazing, powerful characters.

Alice:   Yeah, it was very, very powerful. Thank you for what you said about my work and myself; I really appreciate [it]. I mean, since I read the book, I thought it was a very powerful character to play. I absolutely love the journey that she goes through the book. It was decided to not follow the book and create a new journey for her for the show, but I always tried to portray that character from that journey. And I thought it was very interesting to have a [female], and especially Latina, being the leader of the cartel, and trying to create that, without falling into the stereotype of being just a villain or someone that is just mean, but trying to create an arc that goes different ways and meet different characters. And a lot of people die in the cartel world, so, so many [ways] that it could happen. But it was nice. I always try to honor what Arturo Pérez-Reverte wrote for this character, and kind of understand how she would respond to the situations that were created. And I feel that having characters that are empowered in that sense, it’s very interesting. It is a character that doesn’t victimize herself; it is a character that [is] trying to survive. And through that, even if she’s the anti-hero, because she’s, of course, the drug dealer and all that, she’s the heroine of her own life, because she is the girl from Culiacán. Even though all odds with the situation that she was put in, she kept on thriving, and she kept [her] focus on survival. So, I think it was a very interesting, powerful journey to face as an actress.

[crosstalk]

Suzanne:   Hi, thanks for being here today. It’s great to talk to you.

Alice:   Thank you, Suzanne.

Suzanne:   I went on a bunch of social media sites and asked your fans for questions. There’s one who really gave me a lot of questions named Brenae; I’m not sure how she pronounces it, but she wanted to know if you and the cast did anything special on your last day of shooting?

Alice:   We did actually. We all got together. We were all tested, and we were all connected all the time, because of COVID. It’s kind of like our little NBA bubble, because we’re literally going from my house to the set and set to my house, because it’s such a crazy environment with COVID. We had to be very strict with what kind of lifestyle we were having, and all of us were very committed and very devoted to the show. We just had a drink together, actually, with a few people from the crew and the show runners and our makeup artists and the hair stylists that have been with us since season one. We got a couple of tequila, a couple of Japanese whiskey, and a lot of hugs and a lot of cries, even though was COVID. We were all tested, and we were trying to stay away from each other, but it was very emotional. It was beautiful. But yeah, we got together, everyone.

Suzanne:   Thank you. That sounds really great…

Question:   You’ve played this character for quite a while now. How is it leaving her behind? And this show is going to have a second life in streaming now. What would you say to get people in the door to take the whole thing in?

Alice:   It’s very interesting, because before, I’ve done – Queen of the South was my first TV show. I’ve never worked on television before. I’ve only done films, and the work that you do in films, you get connected to the story, you do the work, and then, after that, you wrap it up, and that character is alive but on that moment forever. With the show, you kind of put it aside for a couple of months, and then you revisit. So, you’re always going back to it. And that was my first experience with that. The heartbeat of the character is still alive, even though if you’re going away for a little bit, like on offseason, you’re doing a film; you’re doing a play or something else. So, it’s been a big part of my life for the past five years. So, definitely, when we said, “It’s a rap,” it was very interesting.

I remember calling Hemky Madera, the actor that plays Pote, to look at me, because I said, “It’s the last time you’re gonna see me with the part [unintelligible] and wearing all white and all that.” And we hugged each other. We were like, “Oh, my God, it’s been six years of our lives together.”

And I feel very happy, and, of course, emotional, but very happy that we were able to complete the journey, to have five seasons, to be able to finish, because there’s so many shows that end up being canceled, and at least we were able to finish the total journey that we were there to do. And I’m definitely going to miss her, but it’s wonderful to be able to complete that path with her, especially being my first TV experience. I’ve never thought it would last that long. So, it’s been a true honor.

And for whoever is streaming now, I really hope you enjoy the ride, because there’s so much action; there’s so much drama. There’s so much intensity and so many different characters that come and go, because the drug dealer world is this kind of world that there’s so much to explore. I really hope they tune in, and they enjoy the ride. It’s quite a ride for a girl from Culiacán to become the drug lord that she becomes.

Question:   I interviewed your executive producer right before the show started, and he said he was standing in his backyard, and there was a billboard for Queen of the South that he could see, and it was his proudest moment. Did you have kind of a moment like that?

Alice:   Absolutely. I think when I started feeling the responses from the fans. I remember I was doing a show in Italy last year – not last year, 2019. Well, 2020 is a blur for everyone, right? It was kind of like a blur, but when I was filming in Italy, I remember walking, and I walked into vinyl store. And the guy was just watching a game, and he looked at me, and his reaction seeing me, I could see that he couldn’t picture why I was in the tiny town in Italy in his store. He literally flipped, and that reaction for me – I remember, oh my god, I’m so thankful to be able to play a character that has been seen in a way from people all over the world from Italy to Brazil to South Africa, receiving messages from the Philippines, all over the world. I think when you do that – we do it for the fans, but when you see that more than one nationality connected to it, it really fills my heart, especially like being represented and playing a Mexican in an American show. That’s the world that I believe in, that we should all communicate and tell stories to each other.

Question:   …What was the biggest takeaway for you working on this show that you would like to carry forward and further your storytelling journey?

Alice:   You mean as the character or as Alice Braga?

Question:  As an actress, and as an executive producer…hopefully you have power to create more stories, or at least help create the kind of stories do you want to tell. What are you going to take from this?

Alice:   Yeah, absolutely. I feel like it’s been a true honor to be able to – like I was saying, this was my first TV show. I’ve never done TV before, not even in Brazil. We do a lot of telenovelas soap operas, [but] I’ve never done it before. So, to be able to not only jump on board and be included, [but to] be the lead of a TV show in the United States being Latina, it’s been an honor and a great experience, and also being able to executive produce, meaning having an input in the character’s journey and what is her journey and where she’s going, and being included in that conversation has been an honor. And I feel like representation really matters, not only in front of the camera, but behind the camera. That’s why it’s great to have Latinas like [unintelligible]. She’s half Cuban; her mom is Cuban. Ben Lobato, he’s Latino as well. I think It’s important for us to have more and more and more writers, directors, executives, that are of color, because that’s the only way that we see ourselves in front of the camera. So, it’s not only about hiring actors, but I think it’s also changing the perspective of the business to have more people of color, both behind and in front of the camera. Like I was saying, that’s the future that I hope [for], and that’s the world that I want to live in, for sure.

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

MORE INFO:

Alice Braga

Teresa Mendoza, “Queen of the South”

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH -- Season:2 -- Pictured: Alice Braga as Queen -- (Photo by: Dennis Leupold/USA Network)
In her television debut, Alice Braga (“City of God”) stars as Teresa Mendoza in USA Network’s newest drama, “Queen of the South.”  This adaptation of Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s best-selling novel, La Reina Del Sur, follows Teresa’s journey as she learns the tools of the trade and positions herself as the leader of the very drug cartel that had her on the run.

The Brazilian born actress received critical and international recognition for her stirring performance in “City of God,” which helped catapult the film to multiple Golden Globe® and Oscar® nominations.  A multiple-award winning actress, Braga received best actress awards at Miami International Film Festival, International Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro and Verona Love Screens Film Festival for he role in “Lower City”; at Brazilian Film Festival of Toronto for “The Milky Way;” at Paulinia Festival for “Blindness;” and at Punta del Este Film Festival for “Cabeça a Prêmio.”

Next, Braga will be seen in Kieran-Darcy Smith’s “By Way of Helena” co-starring opposite Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth.  She will also appear in Stuart Hazeldine’s “The Shack,” alongside Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer and Tim McGraw.  Braga was last seen in the Neill Blomkamp’s futuristic drama, “Elysium,” opposite Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley.   Additional recent film credits include Walter Salles’ “On the Road” alongside Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams and Garrett Hedlund and based on the book by Jack Kerouac; Mikael Hafstrom’s thriller “The Rite” opposite Anthony Hopkins; Miguel Sapochnik’s thriller “Repo Men” opposite Jude Law and Forest Whitaker; as well as Nimrod Antal’s science fiction film “Predators” opposite Adrien Brody.

In 2008, Braga had three films. “Blindness” in which she re-teamed with director Fernando Meirelles and starred opposite Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo; as well as David Mamet’s “Redbelt” which followed the life of a Jiu-jitsu master, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and co-starring Emily Mortimer; and finally Wayne Kramer’s film “Crossing Over,” in an ensemble cast led by Sean Penn and Harrison Ford.  Prior to this, Braga starred in the blockbuster success film, “I Am Legend,” opposite Will Smith.

Other film credits include Heitor Dahlia’s “Drained” (O Cheiro do Ralo) opposite Selton Mello; Eric Eason’s “Journey to the End of the Night,” featuring Mos Def and Brendan Fraser; Carlos Bolado’s “Only God Knows” (Sólo Dios Sabe), opposite Diego Luna; as well as the riveting drama “Lower City” (Cidade Baixa) about the dangers of a love triangle.  For her performance, A.O. Scott of the New York Times hailed Braga as “one of the most forthrightly and powerfully sexual screen actresses in the world.”

Braga is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH tells the powerful story of Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga), a woman who is forced to run from the Mexican cartel and seek refuge in America, and her eventual rise to power over her own drug trafficking empire. The original drama series is based on the global best-selling novel “La Reina Del Sur,” by internationally acclaimed author Arturo Pérez-Reverte. The literary page-turner also yielded a popular super series for USA’s sister network, Telemundo.
Facebook: /QueenOnUSA
Twitter: @QueenOnUSA
Instagram: @QueenOnUSA
Hashtag: #QueenOfTheSouth

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Alice Braga of “Queen of the South” on USA Network

Interview with Ryan Eggold and Jocko Sims

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Ryan Eggold and Jocko Sims of “New Amsterdam” on NBC

Interview with Ryan Eggold and Jocko Sims of “New Amsterdam” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

These guys were very nice and interesting to listen to during our press junket. They’re clearly enthusiastic not only about their jobs, but about life in general. They have a lot of compassion for what we’re all going through this past year. I hope you enjoy the interview!

 

Transcript below!

Jocko Simms and Ryan Eggold of "New Amsterdam" on NBC

Question:   So, congratulations, guys, the season’s been fantastic. So far, a lot of drama, as expected on the show, but tell me, you guys are shooting in the middle of the pandemic, and you’re telling stories of the pandemic. Is there anything new that you discovered, Ryan and Jocko, in the process about the pandemic as first responders that you weren’t aware of, and how did that move you?

Ryan:  Well, for me, I think just in the process of imagining what this experience must have been like to be a frontline worker and be inundated with patience and overwhelmed, and the system being overwhelmed not having enough supplies, not having enough masks, not knowing exactly how to treat this virus, trying every day to figure out what’s the best treatment, and wrap your head around this thing, and just in the process of having to imagine that and having makeup, you know, put the lines on and sort of try to embody that emotional experience, it just makes you think about the reality of it and the incredible sacrifices made, the incredible amount of work and dedication and sleepless nights that this must have been for so many frontline workers. It just doubled my respect for them, which was already enormous, but, yeah, just an incredible feat of heroism on a daily basis, really, and here Jocko and I are getting to sort of pose as these amazing figures, but it’s really incredible what they’ve done.

Jocko:  And for me, much the same. You know, we have our frontline workers that we actually work with on set, and we were able to keep in touch with them throughout all of this horrible process. After a while, you start to become numb to all of the news and everything you see, but, for me, what was interesting is seeing that first episode of this season, that first…five minutes. It was, in a sense, a reset and another eye opening experience for me, down to the details. I remember seeing [Janet Montgomery] on set, when they had the red marks from the makeup on her face, and I went, “What’s that for?” They said, “From the mask.” And as small as that was, it kind of just was heavy on me to realize how many hours per day that the frontline workers had to wear the masks to protect themselves as they risked their lives to save our lives. So, it was quite impactful once the show got started, and I was able to see that in a different light.

Suzanne:   Hi, guys, thanks for coming here today.

Ryan:  Hey, of course.

Suzanne:   I just was taking some classes last year and one of the guys in class — he’s a huge, huge fan of your show. He’s guy in his 20s, so getting all the demographics there.

Ryan:  That’s awesome.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I’m behind on the show a little bit. So, I asked some of your fans on Facebook, and Missy wants to ask Ryan, do you have a particular person you use for inspiration in this role?

Ryan:  Certainly. I mean, perhaps it sounds a little obvious, but the role is based on Eric Manheimer, who Jocko knows as well, who wrote this book about his experience at Bellevue and is an amazing guy. He’s very forward thinking, very friendly, very down to earth, very human, very warm. He always wanted to be in touch with the patients, in touch with the other doctors. He didn’t want to sit upstairs behind some desk and make calls. He wanted to get out there and wear scrubs and say, “I’m here. I’m a doctor. Even though I’m the medical director, I’m not just a bureaucrat; I want to roll my sleeves up.” So, [I had] many, many interesting conversations with him about his views on health care and a lot of the red tape that he’s had to go through to get patients care. Sometimes things sort of seem obvious, but there’s so much in the way, and I think that’s really what our shows has become about. It’s about, how do we cut through all that junk and actually get people cared for and help in a real way? So, he’s definitely a big inspiration.

Suzanne:   Okay. Yeah, your signature line there, “How can I help?” that’s pretty much everything in a nutshell, right?

Ryan:  That’s right.

Suzanne:   And, Jocko, what has been the most interesting story that you’ve had to film that you’ve liked?

Jocko:  Oh, my goodness, that’s a tough one. I think I would say the most impactful for me have been Episode Four, I think, of season two and Episode Six of season two that were centered on the health of African Americans. Particularly, because, historically, many of us tend to not be favorable towards the healthcare and healthcare system for many obvious reasons that we’ve been able to learn about. So, those episodes were great. I got to go to Atlanta and speak at Morehouse College, the Medical College there, and show an episode. Ryan, it was a great episode with you with the guys out there playing basketball in a barber shop. It was great to bring that quirkiness in there, and they just really, really responded well to it. But any episode that sort of impacts my community, and any community, for that matter, is the one that’s memorable for me.

Question:   …Your show this year, more so than many other shows, really leaned into the pandemic and showed all sides of it, and, you know, a lot of the sort of horror of it. Were you concerned at all about doing that? Because there’re some people that are looking at television as escapism right now, and they don’t want to see it, but I will tell you, I have heard from viewers that they really like it.

Ryan:  Yeah, I think that’s a great question, and I think that was the question that David Schulner and Peter Horton were asking themselves and everyone who’s writing and making this show, you know, “How sick of it are people?” How much do they want to share that experience? I think, ultimately, our show is trying to tap into, you know, as Jocko was just saying, some of the realities of healthcare and some of the social issues that lead people to the hospital, some of the inequities, all these things. And I think, in an effort to keep the show honest, we had to reflect this experience that we’ve all been living through, and obviously the incredible hard work of our frontline workers, but the toll that it’s taken on them, on the patients, on the hospital system, on everyone. I think, ultimately, we’ve made a real effort to even find moments of humor and moments of joy and moments of lightness amidst that, because in any tragic, difficult situation, you have to. So, I think it’s about finding that balance, and, I think, at least when I watch it, as a viewer, I find myself appreciating sort of sharing that experience, relating to that experience of something that I’ve been through. You know, I, like everyone else, was in quarantine for months and months and months, wondering what the heck’s going on, and I even had this thing months and months ago. So, I think, ultimately, you got to be honest and try to try to relate that experience to everybody and connect in that way.

Question:   Did it take a toll on you guys playing that role?

Jocko:  For me, my character, he says in Episode One or Two of the season that he only experienced three deaths at his hospital in San Francisco, and much the same, I wasn’t a part of that opening montage. I haven’t dealt a whole lot with COVID, but kudos to the writers, to David Schulner and our wonderful writing staff, for number one, being able to have the foresight and the knowledge to know exactly where to put that needle. Because they wrote this so long ago, by the time we were airing, I mean, I think that we originally thought or planned that we would be airing sometime in October and November and it turned into March, so kudos to them for not hitting people over the head with a pandemic. Because we’re still dealing with so many different issues, as Ryan mentioned, and we have a lot more to cover as the season progresses.

Question:   Did it change your your process as an actor? I mean, I know, there were a lot of precautions on set and that kind of thing, but I just wondered if any of this changed your process internally?

Ryan:  I don’t know about you, Jocko. I don’t think it changed my process in terms of how I approach the material that the writers have written and interpret that and then try to tell that story, but it did make me ask questions of some of the folks on our set who are frontline workers, or talk to my sister who’s a nurse, or Eric manheimer, who our show is based on, just the real people who’ve really been doing it and just try to pay homage to that in a way that is authentic and fairly reflects that expat experience. So, I think there was an authenticity that – I don’t want to speak for Jocko, but that we all were aiming for and still are aiming for. And I think in terms of process, it just involves talking to the real folks and getting their real thoughts and their real experiences. Then, of course, I think incorporating our own experience with isolation, quarantine, the emotional toll, all that stuff, we’ve all been living that. So, that’s all there.

Question:   And how about you Jocko?

Jocko:  Much the same. I echo what he said on that. It didn’t much effect my approach. I was happy to be back and get back, and even in the fun moments, the light moments, I’m picturing the audience seeing these things, and I’m like, “I know it’s gonna lift a lot of people’s spirits out there.” So, [I’m] just excited to be back and doing what we do.

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

MORE INFO:

Ryan Eggold

Dr. Max Goodwin, “New Amsterdam”

NEW AMSTERDAM -- Season:3 -- Pictured: Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
Ryan Eggold stars as rebellious medical director Dr. Max Goodwin on the NBC hit drama “New Amsterdam.”

Eggold is also known to many for his role as Tom Keen on the NBC drama “The Blacklist.” His other television credits include the A&E miniseries “Sons of Liberty,” FX’s “Dirt” and HBO’s “Entourage.”

Eggold recently stepped behind the camera to write, direct, produce and compose the film “Literally Right Before Aaron,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was originally based on Eggold’s award-winning 2011 short of the same name. The film follows a young man who attends the wedding of his ex-girlfriend. Cobie Smulders, Justin Long, John Cho and Kristen Schaal star.

On the big screen, Eggold played a supporting role in Spike Lee’s award-winning “BlacKKKlansman.” He can next be seen in Eliza Hittman’s new drama “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” which screened at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Other film credits include So Yong Kim’s “Lovesong,” opposite Riley Keough and Jena Malone; Gabriele Muccino’s “Fathers and Daughters,” opposite Amanda Seyfried and Aaron Paul; Tyler Perry’s “The Single Moms Club;” Megan Griffiths’ “Lucky Them,” opposite Toni Collette and Thomas Hayden Church; “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” with Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy; and Chris Lowell’s directorial debut “Beside Still Waters.”

On stage, Eggold starred in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” opposite Alec Baldwin and Laurie Metcalf, at the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall in East Hampton, N.Y.

Born and raised in Southern California, Eggold is a graduate of USC’s theater program. When he’s not acting, he plays in his band as a musician and singer. He’s looking to turn his attention to writing and directing more content in the near future.

Jocko Sims

NEW AMSTERDAM -- Season:3 -- Pictured: Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

Dr. Floyd Reynolds, “New Amsterdam”

Jocko Sims stars as Dr. Floyd Reynolds on the NBC drama “New Amsterdam.”

Sims is an actor, writer and producer with roles in numerous film and television projects, including “Dreamgirls,” “Jarhead” and 2014’s summer box office hit “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

Sims’ first series was a lead role opposite Dennis Hopper in the Starz original series “Crash.” For five seasons he starred as Lt. Carlton Burk in the TNT network hit “The Last Ship.” Sims portrayed Robert Franklin during Showtime’s second season of “Masters of Sex” and he has recurred and/or guest-starred on several television series, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Franklin & Bash,” “Castle,” “NCIS,” “Burn Notice,” “CSI,” “Bones” and Showtime’s “I’m Dying Up Here.”

As a writer and producer, Sims is currently developing a comedy movie with producers Jamie Neese and Jason Neese (“Umbrella Academy” and “Dear White People”) and has various TV series in development as well. His hobbies include producing music and managing music artists, and he loves cooking as demonstrated on “Home and Family” and “The Steve Harvey Show.”

Originally hailing from Texas, Sims graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in theater. He currently resides in New York.

Medical director Dr. Max Goodwin is committed to solving systemic health care issues at the hospital. Add in the grieving of his wife’s death, his responsibilities as a single father and his cancer still lingering in the rear-view mirror, everyone around Max must wonder how long he can sustain this impossible load. But “How can I help?” is not just Max’s catchphrase, it’s his reason for living. As long as he’s helping others, Max is able to find hope in the most hopeless of places.

While navigating their own personal journeys – Sharpe’s career shifts, Bloom’s reuniting with her mother, Reynolds’ departure, Frome’s struggle with body image and Kapoor’s upcoming grandchild – the doctors also strive to play out Max’s “How can I help?” mantra.

“New Amsterdam” is inspired by Dr. Eric Manheimer’s memoir “Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital” and his 15 years as medical director at the hospital.

The cast includes Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, Freema Agyeman and Jocko Sims, with Tyler Labine and Anupam Kher.

David Schulner and Peter Horton executive produce along with Michael Slovis, David Foster, Aaron Ginsburg and Shaun Cassidy. “New Amsterdam” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Pico Creek Productions and Mount Moriah.

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Ryan Eggold and Jocko Sims of “New Amsterdam” on NBC

Interview with Steven Weber and Brian Tee

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TV Interview!

Steven Weber and Brian Tee of “Chicago Med” on NBC

Interview with Steven Weber and Brian Tee of “Chicago Med” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

This was one of my favorite interviews from the past few months. I just love Steve Weber. He’s one of my favorite actors, and he not only complimented my kitchen, but my youthful looks (I’m actually about the same age as he is).  It was great fun to speak with both actors. It seemed like if the moderator hadn’t told us to get to our questions and stop wasting time, we all could have just chatted there for a good while.

Here’s the video version of it.

Suzanne:   Well, it’s great to talk to you guys. Steven, I’ve been following your career ever since Wings. So, I’m a big fan.

Steven:   Wow, so, since kindergarten?

Suzanne:   You’d done a lot since then. I always want to call you Brian.

Steven:   You can call me Brian, but then –

Brian:   It’ll be confusing.

Suzanne:   So I went on all the One Chicago Facebook groups and Twitter and asked people for questions who watch it more than I do, because I’m behind all the time. And a woman named Anya wants to know, Steven, what does Archer have against women?

Steven:   I don’t think he has anything against women, but he’s from a different generation, you know, where he assumed his role in this kind of, I guess, patriarchal narrative that’s starting to unravel in real life, thankfully. He’s an old school guy; he’s a man, you know, the way men used to portray themselves, but he doesn’t have anything against women, but he’s triggered. He likes his place and his power that he’s been able to wield over the years, and he’s losing that. He’s losing his hold on that.

Suzanne:   Okay, thanks. That was a weird question. So, thanks.

Steven:   A very strange question.

Suzanne:   And so Brian, do you think Ethan and April will have a long-lasting relationship?

Brian:   I don’t know. I actually hope so. Personally, I think that relationship was incredibly wonderful and dynamic in its own right. And at some point, maybe down the line, Ethan and April will rekindle their relationship, but for right now, I feel like they got their own personal problems to attend to, especially with the [unintelligible] situation. So, that’s the first and foremost problem to deal with at the time.

Suzanne:   All right, thanks.

Brian:   Thank you.

Question:   Steven, you’ve come on to a show that’s been on the air for a while now. I wondered how that felt stepping in with this group of people that has worked together for a while, and Brian, did you have any hints for him and stepping in with the ensemble?

Steven:   I mean, I guess the metaphor or analogy I use is it’s like jumping onto a moving train. I like to think that – well, first of all, all the actors in the production have been incredibly welcoming to me. Clearly, that’s an indication that they’re so bored with each other, that they need a shot of adrenaline in the form of TV’s Steven Weber, but everybody’s been incredibly welcoming. And, look, there’s definitely a learning curve. I had a couple of days there when all the medical jargon basically was just all consonants, and teeth were flying out of my mouth. It was a little bit of adjustment period, but that’s part of the journeyman actor life, so it’s cool.

Question:   And Brian, did you give him any hints or any direction?

Brian:   No, when Steven Weber walks on to a set, you don’t give Steven Weber direction or hints about anything. I think, actually –

Steven:   You look away. You don’t make eye contact.

Brian:   Exactly. No, I was actually there to learn more than anything else, but I will say, in those medical parts that are extremely difficult, even for myself, and I’ve been on this thing for six seasons, it does get easier as you go. But if your muscle is not used to those things, you’re speaking a different language; you really are. And it wasn’t necessarily coaching or anything like that, it was just hinting, like, “Listen, we’ve all gone through that.” That is the biggest learning curve, and we’re still learning –

Steven:   You’re definitely talking about that one day I had, man. [I said] “[unintelligible] pancreatitis.” I’m apologizing. He’s like, “Hey, man. Don’t worry about it. We got this.”

Brian:   We’ve all been there. It’s all par for the course. I know exactly what you’re going through.

Question:   …Brian, you guys were one of the shows that came on pretty early during the pandemic…You play the infectious disease expert on the show…because you were playing a character like that, did your family reach out to you to understand early on during the COVID days, thinking this imposter syndrome of being an actor? You can be honest about it. The second thing, how did you prepare for everything that’s going on, and did you learn anything new in this process that you did not know while preparing for working during COVID and managing that ward?

Brian:   I will say, first, I’m learning constantly. I feel like there’s always something new and dynamic to kind of approach a particular character, especially someone that works in the field of medicine. I do get certain questions and calls from random people, if not my relatives, that I somehow know medicine, and I don’t. And I quickly like transition into them asking an actual real doctor. So, I won’t answer any of those, but I feel like in relationship to the experience that we’re dealing with COVID, I’ve recently told the writers and producers that when you’re in that particular element, because I’ve known my character for so long, but yet I personally am experiencing COVID like everyone else is, there is this essence that already existed in me. So, the scenes that you’re seeing, I feel like I’m kind of art imitating life a little bit in that particular sense. So, the connection between COVID and Ethan Choi is already there, because the connection between Brian and COVID had already existed.

Question:   Steven, you are playing a character that comes in with a lot of history with Brian’s character, but we haven’t seen it. How do you prepare? What kind of off-camera work do you do? Like, are you talking to the writers to prepare material, or do you do it yourself? How do you prepare? Because it’s there; the chemistry and the attention is there, so how do you prepare for that?

Steven:   Well, when they came to me with this particular character, it just so happened that there are aspects of him that I had already developed a great interest in, having to do with the military and also the effects of post traumatic stress, and this is something that we talked about early on. So, that was fantastic. I didn’t necessarily have to drum up things out of the blue, because as I say, it’s an interest of mine. It’s a personal interest. My father suffered from it. I’m involved in a great organization called New Direction for veterans, and they deal with people with PTSD. So, that was there, and, clearly, they’re writing to that.

As for whatever chemistry I have with with Brian, I can’t account for that, but we definitely hit it off instantly, and maybe by virtue of the material, which is actually quite personal and demands a kind of vulnerability. Luckily, I’m with a group of actors who understand what that means. You know, there’s no egomaniacs on the staff; everybody’s there to make a show, and the best way to do that is to welcome people and to make them feel safe enough to be creative and be vulnerable on the set.

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

MORE INFO:

Brian Tee

Dr. Ethan Choi, “Chicago Med”

CHICAGO MED -- Season 3 -- Pictured: Brian Tee as Dr. Ethan Choi -- (Photo by Nino Munoz/NBC)
Brian Tee stars as Dr. Ethan Choi, a former Navy flight surgeon and a tireless, yet impulsive doctor who brings his battlefield skills to the front lines of Chicago’s busiest ER, on the NBC drama “Chicago Med.”

Tee is best known around the world for his starring role as lead villain DK, the Drift King, in “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” directed by Justin Lin. On the big screen, Tee was a lead in the summer hit “The Wolverine,” starring Hugh Jackman and directed by James Mangold. He played Hamada, the head of park security, in the box office smash “Jurassic World” and starred in Michael Bay’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2” as iconic villain Shredder.

Tee romanced audiences opposite Anne Heche in the Hallmark movie “One Christmas Eve” and starred in the series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2” as Liu Kang. He was the lead in Lifetime’s “The Gabby Douglas Story,” playing inspirational coach Liang Chow, and also appeared in Justin Lin’s comedy “Finishing the Game.”

Tee gave a memorable performance as Jimmy Nakayama in the drama “We Were Soldiers,” opposite Mel Gibson. On the comedy side, he was featured in “Austin Powers: Goldmember,” alongside Mike Myers, and “Fun with Dick and Jane,” with Jim Carrey.

On the small screen, Tee was a series regular in Starz’s “Crash” and recurred on the hit NBC series “Grimm,” CBS’ “Hawaii 5-0” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” Tee has guest-starred on many series, including “Lucifer,” “Zoo,” “Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “The Lottery,” “Legends,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Burn Notice,” “The Good Guys,” “C.S.I.,” “Dark Blue,” “Bones,” “Lie to Me,” “Jericho,” “Entourage,” “The Unit,” “Wanted,” “Without a Trace,” “JAG,” “Family Law,” “The Pretender” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Internationally, Tee starred in the Korean-American romantic indie feature “Wedding Palace” and was the lead villain in Korea’s action film “No Tears for the Dead.”

On the theater side, Tee earned strong reviews for his lead performance in “Snow Falling on Cedars” at the prestigious Hartford Stage.

Tee is a 2020 NAMIC Vision Award Winner, Best Performance-Drama for “Chicago Med.”

A Los Angeles native with a mixture of multiple Asian descents, Tee is proficient in both Japanese and Korean and holds a bachelor’s degree in dramatic arts from the University of California, Berkeley. His muse is his family, including wife Mirelly Taylor, and daughter Madelyn Skyler, who are his life’s love and inspiration.

Steve Weber from IMDB

This Queens-born actor has certainly proven himself adept at everything from quirky comedy to flat-out melodrama earning TV stardom in the early 1990’s and maintaining a strong foothold on stage, film and TV in its aftermath.

Steven Robert Weber was born on March 4, 1961, to Fran (Frankel), a nightclub singer, and Stuart Weber, a nightclub performer, and Borscht Belt comic and manager. He was already appearing in television commercials by elementary school age. He later studied at the High School of the Performing Arts in New York and graduated from New York State University. The fair-haired, fair-skinned actor worked a series of menial jobs during his salad days as a struggling thespian (custodian, elevator operator, singing waiter) until earning his break on TV in a presentation of one of Mark Twain’s stories. Quickly making his film debut in the popular comedy The Flamingo Kid (1984), he nabbed a running role on the soap opera As the World Turns (1956) a year later. On the set he met first wife Finn Carter, another co-star on the daytime drama. Steven stayed put for a year then went on to gain recognition in more offbeat and/or prestigious productions on film and prime-time TV. He played a rock star in the thoroughly offbeat foreign-made film Angels (1990) and showed real command as John F. Kennedy in the epic miniseries The Kennedys of Massachusetts (1990).

That same year TV stardom came his way with the sitcom Wings (1990). Co-starring with Tim Daly as Brian Hackett, the looser, goofier more aimless half of the brotherly team who co-owned a one-plane, Nantucket-based airline, the actors’ chemistry, not to mention a terrifically eclectic supporting cast, kept the show on a steady course for seven seasons. Easily typed now as a genial, lovable loser type, Weber faced the prospect of severe pigeon-holing. So during the show’s off season, he started showing up in more serious roles. He suffered at the hands of the deranged Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female (1992); appeared in a second chiller with The Temp (1993); and made a cameo in the highly depressing, award-winning Leaving Las Vegas (1995). His flair for comedy shone in is straight-man role as Johathan Harker in the critically acclaimed horror spoof, Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) He truly impressed both critics and audiences alike as the complex title character in Jeffrey (1995), a gay romantic film comedy, and then completely defied all odds by starring in an epic TV-movie version of Stephen King‘s horror classic The Shining (1997), seizing the role inherited from Jack Nicholson and brilliantly making it his own while earning a Saturn award for his chilling efforts.

By the time “Wings” came to an end in 1997, Weber had divorced his actress/wife Finn Carter (they had no children) and married actress/TV executive Juliette Hohnen on July 9, 1995. They have two children, Jack and Alfie. He and Laura Linney were selected to play the TV-movie leads in the popular A.R. Gurney theater piece Love Letters (1999). While other TV series comebacks have fared less well, including the short runs of The Weber Show (2000) (which he produced), The D.A. (2004), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006), Happy Town (2010) and Chasing Life (2014).

Steven bounced around solidly in other venues. In 2002, he joined the cast of the smash Broadway musical “The Producers,” taking over the nebbish Matthew Broderick role. In 2004, he went to London to appear on stage with Kevin Spacey and Mary Stuart Masterson in “National Anthems.” Other plays over the years have included “Throwing Your Voice,” “Something in the Air” and “Design for Living.”

Steven has remained quite productive into the millennium with recent film outings in Sexual Life (2004), The Amateurs (2005), Inside Out (2005), the title role in Choose Connor (2007), Farm House (2008), My One and Only (2009), A Little Bit of Heaven (2011), Son of Morning (2011), the comedy Being Bin Laden (2011) in which he played Osama Bin Laden, Crawlspace (2012), Kiss Me (2014), Amateur Night (2016), A Thousand Junkies (2017), The Perfection (2018) and Allan the Dog (2020). Seen even more prolifically on TV, he has graced such popular shows as “The D.A.,” “Will & Grace” (as Will’s brother Sam), “Monk,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Hot in Cleveland,” “Parenthood,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “This Close.”

The actor continues to play a stream of comedic and dramatic recurring roles on such TV programs as Without a Trace (2002), Brothers & Sisters (2006), Dallas (2012) (the New Generation), Murder in the First (2014), Helix (2014), iZombie (2015), House of Lies (2012), NCIS: New Orleans (2014), Ballers (2015) and Get Shorty (2017) and more recently appeared as a regular on the mystery series 13 Reasons Why (2017) and comedy series Indebted (2020). In addition, he has given voice to a few animated programs including Ultimate Spider-Man (2012), Avengers Assemble (2012) The Bravest Knight (2019) and Puppy Dog Pals (2017).

From Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf (the “Law & Order” and “Chicago” franchises), “Chicago Med” is an emotional thrill ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city’s newest state-of-the-art trauma center and into the lives of the courageous doctors, nurses and staff who hold it all together.

Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) balances the stress of being an emergency medicine physician with his complicated relationship with Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto), a specialist in emergency pediatrics. Newly widowed, Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) remains the Sherlock Holmes of psychiatry. Former Navy flight surgeon Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) brings his battlefield skills to the front lines of Chicago’s busiest ER, the go-to place for victims of the city’s gun violence. Work and personal life intersect with him and April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta), a smart, bold and intuitive nurse with the ability to adeptly tackle the most harried of circumstances in the hospital. Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson), the venerable head of the city’s largest hospital, is under intense fiscal scrutiny to preserve the bottom line while continuing to ensure that all patients receive nothing short of quality care and compassion. Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett), the charge nurse and eyes, ears and brain of the ER, is skilled and confident but finds herself dealing with profound family issues of her own. Recent addition to the ER is ace surgeon Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains), a New Orleans-raised surgeon whose breezy manner hides a tragic past.

Together they will confront Chicago’s most critical medical cases and challenging ethical dilemmas with courage, compassion and state-of-the-art treatment. Inspired by ripped-from-the-headlines cases, “Chicago Med” will weave cutting-edge medicine with the personal drama that comes with working in such a high-intensity environment. Through it all, familiar faces from “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D” will intertwine with Chicago’s finest medical heroes.

Dick Wolf, Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, Stephen Hootstein, Derek Haas, Arthur Forney, Matt Olmstead, Michael Brandt, Michael Pressman and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.

“Chicago Med” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.

Please visit the official show site at: https://www.nbc.com/chicago-med.

For the latest “Chicago Med.” news, videos, and photos, please like on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/NBCOneChicagohttps://twitter.com/NBCOneChicago

https://instagram.com/NBCOneChicago/

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Steven Weber and Brian Tee of “Chicago Med” on NBC

Interview with Eamonn Walker and David Eigenberg

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TV Interview!

Eamonn Walker and David Eigenberg of “Chicago Fire” on NBC

Interview with Eamonn Walker and David Eigenberg of “Chicago Fire” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

These guys were a lot of fun to speak with. I interviewed David back in 2016 as well. I hope you enjoy this short interview as much as I did!

Here is the video version of it.

David:   We have some good Fires coming up. Boden’s gonna hop up on the front lines and steal things from me.

Question:   So, David, you’re alluding to the fact that the cast gets just as impatient as the fans, as far as Brett and Casey, just move this train long.

Eamonn:   Amen.

David:   Yeah, I mean, I find it interesting that their characters are so, you know, distressed at times about things, and you root for them in a certain way, and but their characters are very specific. Some people in life can’t pull the trigger, so to speak, in a amicable loving way, but it’s an interesting scenario. I’ve had friends like that, and I’m a “jump in” guy. I met my wife, Mary, I was 38, but I knew I was gonna marry her when I met her. She didn’t.

Question:   What about for Boden?

Eamonn:   Boden’s glad to be getting out of the office and getting some action, because Severide and Jesse’s character have been turning around and making out that he’s some old firefighter now. So, he’s grateful to be getting out there all of a sudden, whether I take it from David’s character or not. I don’t know about that, but there’s a lot of Boden in his office, and it’s about time that he came out of it.

You know, there’s the episode that went out recently with Mouch and Boden having a moment together to recognize how long they’ve been firefighters for. That moment really touched me, and I’m saying I would like more of that, because that experience is one of the things that I find grounds not only the show, but grounds to all of the characters, that these people have been doing it for a long time. Christian [Stolte] did that great speech, which really moved me when he was doing it, and I was in the room. He was saying, “They were looking at me. Most of the time, I feel invisible, because of my age, because of this, whatever, and there were these young guys that were looking at me and listening to me.” And I was like, “Right. I really feel that,” and I would like more of that with he and I. So, I’m putting that out so the writers can hear that.

Question:   I’ll forward the little tidbit along to him. Make sure they get the message.

Eamonn:   Thank you.

Question:   This feeds right into what you were talking about. So, both of you have been on this show, is it eight years now?

Eamonn:   Nine.

Question:   Nine, I mean, almost a decade

Eamonn:   Nearly.

Question:   So, I’m sure you have some shorthand with each other in this that you feel sort of comfortable in your character in a certain sort of way, but is it still really challenging to you, as an actor, to find new facets of your character to put out to the audience?

Eamonn:   I don’t know if we look at it as in terms of putting it out for the audience, because that’s the showrunner’s job, but what we do find with each other is we challenge each other at work in a way that you’ll never you’ll never get to see it. So, David will come up to me, or I’ll go up to him – and, you know, we were having a discussion yesterday. We really want the scenes to work. We really want the scenes to matter, the length and the depth of the subject matter, of all different subject matters that can be held within the fire department. We’re still challenging each other to be the best we can be, and the fact that we are doing that nine years later, it speaks speaks volumes. So, the audience will never get to see that, but I can guarantee you that when we’re in the middle of a scene and David has got that look in his eye, I’ll turn around and go, “Go again.” He’ll go, “Really?” [I’ll] go, “Yeah, go again.” And you’ll go, “Right. Claire, one more.” That tells me who we are, and that’s nine years in.

David:   Yeah, we all do play deeply off of each other. I was working with Joe [Minoso] yesterday, and what Eamonn says also goes for us, but there’s just a thing that we all want each other to succeed. There’s no pettiness here, and not that there’s a lot of that in this industry, but there is really a will for all of us to succeed and do well.

And the characters, you know, we’ve been aging on the show. Like there aren’t a ton of shows a go long distance. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been aging in dog ears here, the weather and stuff, but I think that the writers have changed some of the writing from time to time, or we see it differently sometimes, and I find myself making adjustments into it, and that does keep it interesting for me.

Eamonn:   The thing is, we care. We care about each other, and we care about the job still because of the love of the people that are here and the family that we have. So, that’s never going to go away. I know that now.

Question:   We have found new respect for first responders, and you guys have been on this show for so long. How did the pandemic hit you in terms of, you know, as characters who understand more about these first responders, and how was it getting back into it while we’re in the pandemic? Did [you have] any new experiences and new stories, any new feelings?

David:   I don’t know if it’s tied into the fact that first responders, the real ones, they have a vulnerability. I mean, they’re throwing themselves right out there and into it. And this is not a statistical reality, but there’ve been quite a few real firefighters in healthy shape that have gotten hammered by COVID, and I wouldn’t say they’re long haulers, but they’ve gotten hit pretty hard. And you – appreciate it’s not the right word, but, you know, you respect the choices that they’ve made, the decisions in their lives, and the depth of the character that they have in reality to take care of people. This is a new reality and a new vulnerability. So, it impacts us as people to see them, to be around them, and to have compassion for them, because some of them have been taking it on the nose. So, I don’t know if that answers you completely, but that’s something that we’ve been around and with.

Eamonn:   For me, when it first hit – we’ve been living with it for a year now, and so we’ve all gone through the emotions of COVID and learning to live with it. On one level, we’ve all got kind of emotional, mental fatigue of being with it. But when it first hit, I don’t know if you remember the worry and the fear of not knowing what the hell this was or how it was going to impact our lives. None of us thought we’d be here a year down the line, but because of our relationship with these first responders, and that’s police, firefighters, [and] paramedics, we knew that they still had to do their job. We knew they would still go and do their jobs because of the type of men and women that they are.

So, when we closed down, and we all went home, there was a certain amount of safety for us as actors, but the people who work with us on the show who were firefighters and policemen and paramedics, we knew they would be going out there in the middle of COVID.

So, I know, for me, I was worried; I didn’t know who I was going to see again, and that impacted me a lot. So, when we came back in September after however long off, I was grateful to see people who I knew who had been going. I also had been reading a lot and knowing that some firefighters and first responders were getting sick; I knew some had died. I was grateful to the people that we had come to know and love over the years that we’ve been doing this work [with] were still here, but we’ve lost some people along the way.

So, yeah, it’s changed everything. Our lives are all going to be very different. There’s no two ways about it. Whatever we consider to be normal is not going to be normal again. We know that now, but we’re very grateful that we were able to come back and work, but life isn’t going back to what we think it’s going to be. It’s going to be new.

Suzanne:   Hey, guys. I went on all of the Chicago P.D., Med, Fire Facebook groups that had over a thousand people; you guys are so popular. I asked if anyone had any questions, and I got a lot, but Christy wants to know what your least and favorite things are about working in Chicago.

David:   I’ve always loved this [city]. This is a scrappy city, and it has a lot of grit, and I highly value it. There’s weather here; it’s a tough city. I spent 25 years of my life in New York City. My family’s roots are all from New York City, and it’s another tough city, but Chicago has a grit that’s very different than New York even. There’s a beautiful part of their hearts and their souls that you get to be among and with, and my life now is in Chicago. My kids are Chicago kids, and I love being here…

Eamonn:   Yeah, it’s just the people; the people make Chicago. So, I’m saying the same thing as David is saying; it’s got everything here. It’s got the food; it’s got the music. It’s got blues. It’s got all of that kind of stuff, but every other city has that, but it’s the nature of Chicago people that makes Chicago. They’re straightforward people. They say what they mean.

David:   I’m not a hater, so there’s nothing I really hate. There’re things that are harder in this town, but every city has its own ups and downs, but there’s nothing to really hate here. You know, there’s certain elements of humanity that I don’t appreciate or even sometimes despise, but that’s not necessarily endemic in Chicago. There’s a great concern for humanity here. So I really appreciate it.

Eamonn:   There’s an underbelly in Chicago that we all know about, and I know that the the media sometimes picks up on or just puts it out, and when I go back to London, I know that’s part of the stuff that they pick up on, but I know London really well. There’s an underbelly to London that will freak you out, and I come from that part of London. So, for me, there’s nothing unusual here. It’s all fantastic when you get to know the people, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and it’s the people that make Chicago.

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

MORE INFO:

Eamonn Walker

Battalion Chief Wallace Boden, “Chicago Fire”

CHICAGO FIRE -- Season: 6 -- Pictured: Eamonn Walker as Wallace Boden -- (Photo by: John Tsiavis/NBC)

Eamonn Walker stars as Battalion Chief Wallace Boden, a fireman’s fireman, in NBC’s drama “Chicago Fire.” As chief of the firehouse, it’s Boden’s job to look out for the lives of the men and women who are the courageous firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51.

Walker is a compelling performer known for his depth, integrity and ability to give life to the most layered of characters. He credits Sidney Poitier’s performance in “In the Heat of the Night” as the inspiration that led him to become an actor.

Born in London, he is perhaps best known in the United States for his portrayal of Kareem Said, the Muslim leader on the critically acclaimed HBO series “Oz.” His work on this show earned him a Golden Satellite nomination and a Cable Ace Award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series.

On the big screen, Walker received stand-out notices for his performance as Howlin Wolf in “Cadillac Records,” opposite Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def and Beyoncé Knowles. He also has given memorable performances in such films as “The Messenger,” opposite Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton; “Lord of War,” opposite Nicholas Cage and Ethan Hawke; “Duma,” Carroll Ballard’s critically acclaimed film; “Tears of the Sun,” opposite Bruce Willis; Laurence Fishburne’s “Once in the Life;” the psychological thriller “Legacy;” and M. Night Shamaylan’s “Unbreakable.”

Moving seamlessly between film and television, his numerous TV credits include the NBC series “Kings,” the Jerry Bruckheimer series “Justice” and the award-winning BBC series “Moses Jones.” He portrayed a modern-day John Othello in the BAFTA and Peabody Award-winning adaptation of London Weekend Television’s “Othello” and Tom Fontana invited Walker to portray the sympathetic killer in the “Homicide” finale, the two-hour teleplay “Homicide: Life Everlasting.”

Other credits include a special arc on “Lights Out,” “ER,” and the miniseries “The Governor” and “Supply and Demand.” He also appeared in the BBC’s groundbreaking Martin Shaw series “Inspector George Gently” and the Cinemax series “Strike Back.”

Walker was nominated in 2005 for a Drama Desk Award for his Broadway debut as Marc Antony, alongside Denzel Washington and Colm Feore, in “Julius Caesar” at the Belasco Theatre. He later performed to sold-out audiences as the first black actor to portray Othello at the historic Old Globe Theatre in London.

Walker co-founded the Flipside Theatre Company in London and starred in their production of “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.” He also appeared in London’s West End and in plays on such venerable stages as the Citizens Theatre, the Royal Exchange and the Hampstead Theatre.

Walker starred in Chicago’s famous Steppenwolf Theatre for the company’s 2016 premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ “Between Riverside and Crazy.” Walker was nominated for a 2016 Jeff Award, which celebrates excellence in Chicago Theatre, in the category of Best Actor in a Principal Role. The same year he also won the Black Theater Alliance Sidney Poitier Award for the same play performed at Steppenwolf Theatre in the Best Actor in a Drama or Comedy category.

Walker resides in both Los Angeles and London.

David  Eigenberg

Christopher Herrmann, “Chicago Fire”

CHICAGO FIRE -- Season: 6 -- Pictured: David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann -- (Photo by: John Tsiavis/NBC)
David Eigenberg stars as Christopher Herrmann, a seasoned firefighter and salt-of-the-earth family man, in NBC’s drama “Chicago Fire.” Herrmann co-owns and operates one of Chicago’s favorite pubs, Molly’s.

Eigenberg is known to film and television audiences for his former role as Steve Brady, the good-hearted husband and quintessential New York bar owner in the Emmy Award-winning series “Sex and the City.”

His film credits include “See You in September,” “The Trouble with Romance,” “The Mothman Prophecies” and “A Perfect Murder.”

Eigenberg’s selected television credits include “Justified,” “Criminal Minds,” “N.C.I.S.” and “Law & Order: SVU.”

A member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York, Eigenberg has performed in numerous Off Broadway plays. On Broadway, he received his break in 1990 playing a hustler in the original cast of John Guare’s “Six Degrees of Separation,” directed by Jerry Zaks at Lincoln Center. He also starred in the original cast of “Take Me Out,” directed by Joe Mantello, which was awarded the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Drama League and New York Critics Awards for Best Play.

Eigenberg served in the United States Marine Corps for three years. He is married and living in Chicago with his wife and two children.

From renowned Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order” brand) and co-creator Derek Haas, the writer behind “3:10 to Yuma,” comes season nine of the high-octane drama “Chicago Fire,” an edge-of-your-seat view look at the lives of everyday heroes committed to one of America’s noblest professions. The firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51 risk their lives week in and week out to save and protect the citizens of their incredible city.

The family inside Firehouse 51 knows no other way than to lay it all on the line for each other. Capt. Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) leads the Truck Company and brash Lt. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) runs the Rescue Squad.

The firehouse also includes Battalion Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), a fireman’s fireman. As chief of 51, Boden keeps his house running smoothly and his firefighters prepared to overcome all adversity. Paramedic Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) returns alongside seasoned veterans Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and Randy “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte) as well as resourceful firefighter Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo).

Completing the team are dependable squad member Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso), daredevil Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende), engine newbie Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) and the newest addition, paramedic Gianna Mackey (Adriyan Rae).

Executive producers are Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Todd Arnow, Andrea Newman, Michael Gilvary, Michael Brandt, Reza Tabrizi, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski.

“Chicago Fire” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.

Please visit the official show site at: https://www.nbc.com/chicago-fire

For the latest “Chicago Fire” news, videos, and photos, please like on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/NBCOneChicago
https://www.twitter.com/NBCOneChicago
https://www.instagram.com/NBCOneChicago/

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Interview with Eamonn Walker and David Eigenberg of “Chicago Fire” on NBC

Interview with Norbert Leo Butz and Scroobius Pip

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Norbert Leo Butz and Scroobius Pip of “Debris” on NBC

Interview with Norbert Leo Butz and Scroobius Pip of “Debris” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

This is a good series, and it was great to speak to these two fine actors again. They’re very entertaining in the video. I hope you enjoy it!

Here’s the video version of it.

Question:   …Both of you have some really interesting characters. Talking to you first, [Norbert], about your [character]. He comes off as very dubious and secretive from first episode on, and then we discover more and more. There is a lot of distrust, or some distrust, at least in government and stuff and all that. How did you prepare for a character like this, and how do you still work on making a character like this relatable, or at least people have empathy towards somebody like him?

Norbert:   Was that for me or for Scroobius?

Question:   For you.

Norbert:   Yeah, oh, thank you. Yes, he is a secretive guy. I knew almost [nothing]. What intrigued me about the project [is], I think, I’d never done science fiction before, and I’d never played somebody working in like, intelligence, government intelligence, or special ops, or this kind of level of spying.

So, I started with the script. Joel Wyman was really, really helpful. He’s really well schooled in this whole world.

I found a couple of books that were really, really instrumental in helping me. I think the first one was [Surprise, Kill, Vanish ] by Annie Jacobsen. It was a really invaluable book to me. It is specifically about special ops services during the early days of the war on terror or sort of just post 9/11, and that’s when Maddox would have been coming through the CIA as a soldier himself, probably working in it. That was a really important book to try to start to get into the mind of number one, just what technically the job is. Maddox is in an interesting field; he is in government, so he does like geopolitical stuff on a world stage, trying to infiltrate other governments’ special ops forces.

So, there’s this government spying part of it. There’s a science part of him. He definitely comes from some sort of tech background or IT background with his specialization and all that kind of stuff. So, he was probably recruited from MIT or something like that.

Then, there’s this other part of him that’s a soldier. So, he’s not somebody who’s afraid of – he’s somebody that can use a semi automatic military weapon and has been in bunkers and jungles and Central America fighting dictators and busting drug lords. So, an interesting guy, kind of brains and brawn, if you will, and that was an interesting.

And now we find him sort of in his middle-aged, less of a soldier, and a mentor to Bryan. He would have recruited Bryan, that’s Tucker’s character, into the CIA Special Forces.

So, [Surprise, Kill, Vanish], and then a couple of other books. I just thought it was interesting to try to get into the mind of these guys who spend so much time in extreme situations under extreme duress. The methods that they use to bring their heart rates down, focus their minds, it’s a very unique type of person cut out for this kind of work, and it’s been really, really interesting to work on in that respect.

Question:   …How do you – in a character like this – avoid falling into the bad guy trope?…[like] he’s buying black market debris?

Norbert:   That’s a great question. You know, Pip is playing our bad guy heavy, and I’m on the US good side, but here’s the thing. In this world, it’s kind of what I was saying before, the morality is a very fluid thing. In this world, people do terrible things in the moment, awful things for an end that justifies the means. So, that ability to kind of be dualistic in your morality is part of the guy.

Scroobius:   And for me, with Anson, it was believing in him in many ways. One of the things that me and Joel hit it off about was the belief that if there was this new technology coming into the world, there would be people who don’t trust it in the hands of the government, so [they] want to do all they can to stop that.

And I read a great book and was lucky enough to talk to a journalist called Souad Mekhennet. She was the journalist who uncovered the identity of Jihadi John, and she did a lot of work with extremists and people who’ve been radicalized, because her belief is the only way to defeat that is to understand it, rather than to try and bomb it off the planet. That will always cause more people to be radicalized. You know, that’s just a never ending cycle. So, her approach has always been to try and understand it. So, having had conversations with her, it was easy to get into that mindset of, this is a guy who believes he’s the good guy. He doesn’t think he’s the bad guy. That made it easy to to avoid those more obvious tropes, I hope.

Question:   Yep, thank you so much, guys. You guys are amazing in this show. I love it. Thanks.

Scroobius:   Thanks, man.

Suzanne:   It’s great seeing you guys again. I’m really enjoying the show. You’re on my DVR, so I’ll watch it forever.

Scroobius:   Perfect.

Suzanne:   Before this show, were either of you already science fiction fans in general? Or, specifically, had you watched Wyman’s previous show, Fringe, which is kind of similar to this one?

Norbert:   I can answer that very, very quickly.

Scroobius:   Go on.

Norbert:   No, I don’t know much science fiction and never ever saw Fringe, even though I had a really good friend on it, actually. So, it’s definitely my first foray into sci-fi, and it’s not even a genre that generally attracts me usually, which is kind of one of the reasons that it excited me about it, a whole new world for me to kind of get into. Go ahead, Pip.

Scroobius:   For me, I didn’t catch Fringe, because it wasn’t as immediately available in the UK, as we’re seeing with Debris. The question I get asked the most is, “When is it going to be in the UK?” And it will be at some point, I’m sure.

But yeah, I am a sci-fi fan, and that’s one of the things that excited me as I read each episode, because there’re episodes where, obviously, the show has the feel of Fringe or X-Files or The Outer Limits even, but each episode has its own feel. There’s one coming up that made me think of Primer or Time Crimes, and there’re ones that feel like Cocoon, and all sorts of other stuff. So, it’s great to have this show that can emulate so many areas of sci-fi rather than just being [one thing]. It’s a bit like X-Files, but not, kind of thing. It can jump into so many areas of the genre. So, yes, it’s exciting.

Suzanne:   Okay, great. And you both have extensive musical backgrounds. I don’t suppose we’re going to get to see you sing on the show, either of you?

Norbert:   You never know.

Scroobius:   The big reveal could be that the season finale is a musical battle between Norbert and myself. That’d be a hell of a crazy episode.

Norbert:   We should get that, Scroob, one episode where the debris just makes you turn into just a rock and roller. The debris just makes you turn into, you know, Freddie Mercury.

Scroobius:   Joel has done musical episodes before, right? I think. So, again, I think that’s gonna be – Let’s get to season two, and then we can take it there.

Suzanne:   There are plenty shows where they have that musical episode. I think it started with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Scroobius:   Yeah, exactly.

Suzanne:   Maybe before that.

Scroobius:   The Buffy one comes straight to mind. Yeah.

Suzanne:   All right. Thank you, guys.

Scroobius:   Thank you.

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

MORE INFO:

When wreckage from a destroyed alien spacecraft scatters across the Western Hemisphere, it soon becomes apparent the pieces are messing with the laws of physics, changing lives in ways we can’t comprehend. Two agents from different continents, and different mindsets, are tasked to work together to recover the debris, whose mysteries humankind is not quite ready for.

The cast includes Jonathan Tucker, Riann Steele, Norbert Leo Butz and Scroobius Pip.

Creator and showrunner J.H. Wyman will write and executive produce alongside his company, Frequency Films. Jason Hoffs, Jeff Vlaming and Samantha Corbin-Miller will also executive produce.

“Debris” is produced by Frequency Films and Legendary Television in association with Universal Television.

Norbert Leo Butz

Craig Maddox, “Debris”

Norbert Leo Butz stars as Craig Maddox on NBC’s upcoming sci-fi drama, “Debris.”

Butz is an award-winning actor whose talents span across television, film and theater. He most recently starred in the critically acclaimed Netflix series “Bloodline,” the FX series “Fosse/Verdon” and on Broadway in “My Fair Lady.” He also starred in “Mercy Street” on PBS and Danny Boyle’s FX series “Trust,” and had starring roles in ABC’s “The Deep End” and the CBS miniseries “Comanche Moon.”

On stage, Butz won his first Tony Award for his performance as Freddy Benson in the Broadway production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” and earned his second Tony and a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Carl Hanratty in “Catch Me If You Can.” He additionally appeared on Broadway in “Big Fish,” “Dead Accounts,” “Enron,” “Speed-the-Plow,” “Wicked,” “Is He Dead?,” “Rent” and “Thou Shalt Not,” for which he garnered Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics’ nominations.

Butz’s film credits include “Better Living Through Chemistry,” with Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde; Daniel Algrant’s “Greetings From Tim Buckley”; “Luce,” opposite Octavia Spencer and Kelvin Harrison; “Disconnect”; “The English Teacher,” with Julianne Moore; “Higher Ground”; “Fair Game”; the animated “Wonder Park”; and “Dan in Real Life.”

His self-penned album, “The Long Haul,” was released in 2019.

Butz received a BFA from Webster University and an MFA from Alabama Shakespeare Theatre.

Scroobius Pip

Anson Ash, “Debris”

Scroobius Pip stars as Anson Ash on NBC’s upcoming sci-fi drama, “Debris.”

Pip is an actor, spoken-word poet and hip-hip recording artist. First gaining recognition as one half of the hip-hop duo “Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip,” he has since made the transition to television. Pip was most recently seen in the independent mystery feature “Kill Ben Lyk,” as well as the British wrestling comedy “Walk Like a Panther” with Stephen Graham. He was also seen in the FX series “Taboo” and Kurt Sutter’s series “The Bastard Executioner.”

Pip is originally from Essex, England.

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Norbert Leo Butz and Scroobius Pip of “Debris” on NBC

Interview with Victoria Park

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Victoria Park of "The Flash" on The CW

Interview with Victoria Park of “The Flash” on The CW by Suzanne 4/23/21

Victoria was lovely to chat with. I’m such a huge fan of the show. I was a bit nervous and fan-girling. She was sweet and didn’t seem to notice my geekiness. I’m enjoying the show and can’t wait to see the rest of this season!  I hope you enjoy our interview.

Here’s the video version of it.

Suzanne:   We haven’t seen that much of your character since she came back from the Mirrorverse. Do we get to see more of you soon?

Victoria:   Yes. Camilla will be returning very soon, and I think there’s been like a little bit of explanation where she’s been, but she’s kind of been assessing her life and coming down from the the craziness that was the Mirrorverse and focusing a lot on her art. So, that’s what she’s been doing, but she will be. She will be back very soon.

Suzanne:   Okay, good. And what was it like doing that mirror reality those, sequences?

Victoria:   Yeah, it was super fun, and it was fun to play another version of myself and to play someone who isn’t necessarily evil, but is just like a little different from Camilla. And wardrobe was really fun. We got to go into some different wardrobe than Camilla usually wears. She wears a lot more like black and a lot more like edgy hardcore stuff. So, it was fun to explore.

Suzanne:   Oh, cool. And was there a lot of green screen in those segments?

Victoria:   No, not really. I didn’t ever have to play with like both versions at the same time. So, yeah, so I got to just play both parts at different scenes.

Suzanne:   Okay, great. And it seems like almost everyone in Team Flash gets a superpower at some point. Do you think that Camilla might get one?

Victoria:   I would love for Camilla to get a superpower at some point. Yeah, I think she’s the only person who hasn’t, because Iris doesn’t have powers, but she gets them at some point and then loses them. So yeah, I would love for that to happen. But who’s to say?

Suzanne:   What would you like your superpower to be if you could choose?

Victoria:   I think it would be really cool too. There was a there was a villain last – I mean, I wouldn’t want her to be a villain, but there was a villain last season that had like light power so she could become invisible whenever there was light, or she could choose to be visible or invisible whenever there was light. So, I think that’d be really cool.

Suzanne:   All right, I had posted on Facebook, to see if anybody – There are a million Flash fan groups there, and I posted there and on Twitter to ask if people had questions. So, that one came from someone named Isabella. So, she’s be [happy] that you answered her question. So, you came in at season five. Were you nervous joining a group of people that already worked together for so long?

Victoria:   Yeah, for sure. It’s always kind of like when you’re joining a show that’s been together for so long, like the first day of school and you’re the new kid and everyone else already knows each other. So, I was a little nervous for sure, but everyone was so kind and made me feel so welcome. Carlos [Valdes], especially, made sure. He was like, “Is everyone being nice to you? Do you feel comfortable?” So, it was a really good first day, and I felt comfortable just from the very beginning.

Suzanne:   Oh, that’s good. He seems like he’d be a nice guy.

Victoria:   Yeah, he’s the best.

Suzanne:   Good. They seem like a really fun group. Who would you say is the funniest of all of them?

Victoria:   Oh, my goodness, everyone is so funny in their own way. I mean, I would say like most outrageous would definitely be Tom [Cavanagh], but Grant [Gustin]’s actually really funny, and he’s really fun to work with. It’s funny when you have a super serious, emotional scene, and then he switches right back into when the cameras are not rolling, like fun dancing and cracking jokes and stuff. So, it’s really fun to work with everybody, but the boys are definitely the funniest.

Suzanne:   And many of the cast are good singers as well as actors. Can you sing?

Victoria:   I can sing a little bit, not good enough to be on Broadway, but, yeah, I grew up singing and it was always my first love.

Suzanne:   Okay, well, maybe they’ll do another musical episode and you can join it.

Victoria:   I would love that.

Suzanne:   Yeah, that sounds fun. Is there anything you can tell us about what else we’ll be seeing in season seven? Anything at all?

Victoria:   I mean, I obviously can’t give any spoilers, but I will say that every season I get the scripts, and I read them, and we get [them] ahead of time, so it’s really exciting, and I would say that this season, I was surprised more times than I’ve ever been. So, I would just keep looking forward to more twists and turns and surprises that The Flash always gives, but this year I was the most surprised I’ve been.

Suzanne:   Okay. And what did you do during the pandemic, before The Flash started filming again?

Victoria:   March to September when we couldn’t be filming, yeah, it was hard. It was really hard to not be working and to be away from people, but it was a good time to – I got a lot of time to like work on myself. I feel like, for this show, especially, we go for nine months, sometimes ten months of the year, and it’s just, we’re constantly working, and we’re in a city that we don’t live in. So, to have time to kind of step back and breathe and be with my family and my husband and my dog was was super, super nice. You know, obviously, [I’m] very excited to come back to work, but it was a nice vacation that I normally would not get. So, yeah, I try to see the bright side.

Suzanne:   Right, right. I understand completely. And was it difficult to get used to filming with the new COVID rules?

Victoria:   Yeah, it was. I mean, we got used to it, and there were, obviously, a lot of hiccups where we’re like, “Okay, this is working, and this is not working.” I think the biggest thing that I would miss is just, I’m a very friendly, warm person, so when I get to set, I get to set early every day, and I hug everybody. So, I really miss being able to hug people and just be standing right next to someone and talking to them instead of ten feet apart or whatever. So, it’s definitely taken some gotten used to, but I’m really grateful that we’re able to work at all and that we got to put the show out there.

Suzanne:   Right, we all seem headed in the right direction for change.

Victoria:   Yeah.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I didn’t grow up in a huggy family either. I can get used to hugging, but it’s not my natural thing. So I’m like, “Yeah, I’m fine with that.” Yeah, I need a t-shirt that says that.

Victoria:   Yeah, “Please as before hugging.”

Suzanne:   I’m still social distancing for like, ever. So, have you ever heard anything about plans for season eight, such as more crossover episodes?

Victoria:   Oh, I haven’t really heard anything about season eight. We’ve just been really focusing on season seven. I’m sure the writers and Eric [Wallace] already know where they’re going with season eight, but I’m not privy to that kind of information, so I will not be able to give any spoilers.

Suzanne:   Right. Is there anything else that you can tell us about what’s coming up on this season that’s not like a big spoiler or anything?

Victoria:   I mean, there’s a lot of – I feel like this has kind of been happening since the crossovers kind of changed all of the universes into one universe, but there’re a lot of people who come back, and they’re not who they were before, or there’re storylines that are mixed up, so you’ll get to see more of that, which I really love. If you’re a fan of the show, and you are a fan of the comics and you know who people are, and then they come back as different people, it’s just really exciting to watch.

Suzanne:   Oh, that’s good. Yeah, I love the show. I’ve watched it since the beginning. I love superhero shows anyway, but I grew up reading The Flash comics.

Victoria:   Oh, awesome.

Suzanne:   I know you can’t say, but I hope Tom Cavanagh gets to come back, because he’s one of my favorites.

Victoria:   I feel like with The Flash it’s like anybody who leaves, they’re never really fully gone. You know, there’s always an opportunity for them to come back.

Suzanne:   Well, I think that’s one of the best things about having such a large ensemble cast is that people come and go all the time.

Victoria:   Yeah, for sure.

Suzanne:   Did you have any time to work on other acting projects while you were filming or during the pandemic?

Victoria:   Yeah, not during the pandemic; kind of everything really shut down. So, we weren’t even really auditioning or anything like that. That’s why it was so crazy, because, normally when we’re working, when we have downtime, we’re auditioning for other projects or working on other projects. This time, it was like, we couldn’t work on anything. So, yeah, that was that was a big change, for sure. Then, other projects that I’ve been working on, I haven’t really gotten the chance; The Flash keeps me pretty busy. I’ve been trying to kind of supplement it with projects that I’m working on myself, like directing, but the pandemic really put a stop to everything. So, I’m hoping now that everything’s kind of going again, we’ll be able to work on some other things.

Suzanne:   Okay, great. So, have you directed before?

Victoria:   I actually went to school for cinematography, and I picked up directing again right before the pandemic; we filmed something. It premiered at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival early this year. And I’m currently working on a project that is in early, early pre production, a documentary that hopefully we’ll be able to film in the fall. So, hopefully, I’ll be able to say more then.

Suzanne:   I think everybody’s thinking the fall things will be back to normal.

Victoria:   I know. It’s already April; it’s almost May, and I’m like, “Ooh, fall’s gonna be here pretty soon. We got to ramp it up.”

Suzanne:   So, you don’t have anything else coming out right now, but you might have [something then].

Victoria:   No I don’t.

Suzanne:   Yeah, that’s fine. That’s good enough, right.

Victoria:   Yeah. I mean, it’s great. Yeah.

Suzanne:   I love how they’ve taken your character – When you first started, you were just working in a coffee shop, and they gave given her so many different things to do.

Victoria:   Yeah.

Suzanne:   She’s been involved in the team, and you said she’s an artist. She’s got so many things going on.

Victoria:   I know; she does. She wears a lot of hats, but it’s great. I love that they just keep bringing her into different situations in different teams. It’s really fun.

Suzanne:   Yeah, and she’s working at [The Citizen], so that’s great. Aside from your Flash cast, do you have any actors or actresses that you would love to work with If you could choose?

Victoria:   Oh, yes. I mean, so many. It’s like, “How much time do you have?” I mean, I would love to work with Steven Yeun. My husband and I have been watching The Walking Dead, we loved Minari. So, I mean, he’s probably number one on my list right now. And there’s a bunch of directors I’d love to work with; I thought Nomadland was fantastic. To have such a prolific director be a Chinese woman, an Asian woman, that’s, super exciting to me, so I’d love to work with Chloé [Zhao]. I mean, I’ve got a long list of people that I would love to work with.

Suzanne:   Have you seen Invincible? That also stars Steven Yeun.

Victoria:   No, I haven’t.

Suzanne:   It good, and it’s a comic book show; it animated. It’s on Amazon.

Victoria:   Yeah, several people have recommended it to me.

Suzanne:   Yeah, it’s good. I don’t know if you saw The Boys; it’s similar.

Victoria:   I did, yeah.

Suzanne:   It’s similar to that.

Victoria:   I loved The Boys. Yeah, I loved it.

Suzanne:   It’s a cartoon, so it’s not as as in your face, but it’s just as violent.

Victoria:   Okay, well, I love The Boys.

Suzanne:   Expect that. I was a little shocked at first. I’m like, “Whoa.”

Victoria:   Yeah, I was warned beforehand, so I think I was prepared for it, but, yeah, it is very violent.

Suzanne:   Yeah. So, were you a comic book fan at all before joining The Flash?

Victoria:   You know, I actually wasn’t. I mean, I grew up with all boys. My brother, my husband, they’re all very much into comics, so I was kind of like peripherally into it, but then after The Flash, I feel like I’ve definitely delved in a little more, and when all of the Marvel movie started coming out, like being interested in, “Okay, like, what were the comics that started this all?” So, I feel like I’ve slowly become more into it, but before The Flash, I wasn’t really into comics at all. So, this has opened my eyes to the [unintelligible] world.

Suzanne:   That’s good. Well, you were lucky, because you got to be a normal person growing up. You didn’t grow up with geeks. Like, I have three older brothers, and they were all really into comic so I had no chance whatsoever.

Victoria:   Yeah, yeah. But it’s a great world and a great community. So, I’m happy to [be] now.

Suzanne:   Actually, my three older brothers were on the original San Diego Comic-Con committee when they started. My mom typed up the first program.

Victoria:   That’s very cool. That’s very impressive.

Suzanne:   I was like eight or nine. It’s impressive for [them].

Victoria:   Cool. I love it. It’s cool.

Suzanne:   Oh, it’s fun; it’s something notable, you know?

Victoria:   Yeah.

Suzanne:   So, I had two more questions from fans, one from Victor, who asks, “Who your favorite comic book character is?” He did not specify Flash or not Flash. So, I’ll leave that up to you.

Victoria:   Okay. I’ll keep it to my show, I guess, but I think, I don’t know if it’s because my character is paired with Cisco, but I love Vibe. I think Vibe is so cool. His powers are awesome. He’s super smart. Yeah, I think Vibe is probably my favorite character.

Suzanne:   And somebody named Keats wonders how you got the role? I think they mean, tell us about your audition process.

Victoria:   Yeah, I mean, I got the audition from my agent, just like just like any other, and went to the audition, and I just felt like even from reading the original script or audition sides that I got, I just [was] like, “Man, I just feel like I’m really this character.” Like I felt really confident about it, which I don’t always feel. I went to the audition, got a call back, I think within an hour, and went back for the call back. Then, it was like days later I was already on a plane to Vancouver, so it moved very quickly. So, I didn’t really have time to sit with it or process just how great it was that I got this role until after I was already on set. And after I finished shooting my first episode, I was on a plane back to LA, and then I was like, “Man, I’m on this awesome show, what a blessing.” So, it was a whirlwind, but I’m super grateful.

Suzanne:   And is your family based now in LA for the most part when you’re not shooting?

Victoria:   Yeah, most of my family’s in LA. We’re originally from Chicago, but my whole family has slowly made the migration to warmer weather, and we all live in LA now.

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

MORE INFO:

Victoria Park in "The Flash" on The CWVictoria Park Co-Stars in CW’s “The Flash”

April 12, 2021 – Actress Victoria Park is a recurring cast member on the popular CW superhero series, “The Flash.” Known for her role as Kamilla Hwang, the current season of “The Flash” ends soon, and we wanted to give you the opportunity to interview Victoria.

Victoria has trained with Diana Castle (The Imagined Life), Anthony Meindl, Margie Haber, Playhouse West, and the Upright Citizens Brigade. She landed roles in a few short films before guest starring in popular TV series such as “Proven Innocent,” “Revenge,” “The Middle,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “CSI: Cyber,” and “2 Broke Girls” to name a few. Victoria played Gaby Cho on the critically acclaimed show “Sweet Vicious” on MTV and landed a leading role in the feature film “Everything Before Us.” She has frequently appeared in Wong Fu Productions, including their five-part web series “Yappie.” Recently, Victoria’s projects include Amazon’s “Too Old to Die Young” and the feature film “Plus One” which recently won the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Victoria was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She studied film production at Northwest University, then made the decision to move to Los Angeles to pursue her love of acting full time.

Victoria resides in Los Angeles and loves getting lost in the great outdoors. She is proud of her Korean-American heritage and is a self-proclaimed “foodie”.  She also loves her cats, denim and really bad puns. She volunteers with CASA and has worked with World Vision in Uganda and Child Hope International in Haiti in an ongoing effort to “pay it forward.”

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Victoria Park in "The Flash" on The CW

Interview with RJ Mitte

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

RJ Mitte of "Triumph" - photo by Bobby Quillard

Interview with RJ Mitte of film “Triumph” by Suzanne 4/27/21

RJ has a great energy that not only comes through in his acting, but in this interview. He’s a nice young man with much intensity and positivity. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. Make sure you catch his movie, which comes out tomorrow in theaters. It will be available on VOD June 15th! It’s a very entertaining and inspiring film. I’m sorry I said “Cool” so many times….

Normally I don’t interview actors solely about their movies, but most of the actors in this movie are those I’m familiar with via their TV series. RJ Mitte played Walter White, Jr. in “Breaking Bad.” Terrence Howard starred in “Empire” and “Wayward Pines.” Colton Haynes was a regular on both “Teen Wolf” and “Arrow.”  Johnathon Schaech played Jonah Hex in “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” among many other roles. Grace Victoria Cox  has been in many series, such as “The Society.”

Here’s the video of our chat!

Suzanne:    I watched your movie last night, and it was really good. I enjoyed it.

R.J.   Thank you. Thank you so much.

Suzanne:   It’s very inspiring, and I hope a lot of people get to see it.

R.J.   I hope so too.

Suzanne:   So, how much did you do to prepare for your role?

R.J.   I did a lot of training in the midst of the role. We had a couple months before doing a lot of physical training and getting ready for the moves and a lot of choreographed wrestling, so we made sure that it was right, because this is first and foremost a wrestling movie, so it’s very physical. People, when they hear wrestling, they don’t think of of Greco-Roman style wrestling. They think of like WWE and all those types of [wrestling] and [unintelligible] and different types of that style, and they don’t realize how intense Roman style, Greco style wrestling is. It’s very physically draining and mentally draining, and it’s really, to me, one of the pinnacle strengths in sports when it comes to sheer willpower and you’re wrestling someone of equal strength to you that you’re [unintelligible]. It’s really a power struggle. It’s an immovable force meets an immovable object type of mentality. Yeah, it was a lot, but I like physical stuff, so it was a great opportunity for me.

Suzanne:   Yeah, you you went from, at the beginning the movie, you were this kind of skinny guy, and at the end you’re this sort of big hulking mass. Did you have to change your diet? Bulk up? What did you have to do?

R.J.   A little bit both. I mean, really, I just worked out. I’m fairly lazy right now, so my working out hasn’t been so much, but with that project, I just really kind of worked out. I was focused on what I was eating and then just kind of how I held myself, really, when it came to the project. It was really about distribution of weight and the way that I walked. The way that my character held himself and held his arm and the type of foot placement and gating made a very big difference. And this is loosely based on a real person, Michael Coffey, and he was a part of the set. He was a writer and then part of on the set. So, I really used his mannerisms and his body movement to try to utilize and match it on par with Mike the character.

Suzanne:   Okay, that must have been helpful.

R.J.   I mean, it came in handy. If he didn’t like something, it came in handy. You definitely knew.

Suzanne:   That’s good. Yeah, that’s a rare opportunity probably for most biopics or things that are based on real people.

R.J.   Yeah, well, usually those people are deceased, right? They’re not there, or they’re not really a part of the project. So, it was quite nice to have a biopic with the artist there that it’s about.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I bet. And had you met any of the cast and crew before you were on set, before you started this thing?

R.J.   Yes, I did. I met a lot of the producers; I knew some of the producers beforehand, because I worked on them with other projects, and I carried one of them with me to this project as well. Then, I met some of the others in passing, but really got to know everyone during the production.

Suzanne:   Oh, cool And had you ever done any wrestling before?

R.J.   I hadn’t; this was my first time. I had done martial arts, like karate, jujitsu, and some other stuff of that nature, but [this was] very different, very different techniques, very different forms. Even the rules and type of skills are night and day from other martial arts and other sports like that.

Suzanne:   Oh, cool. So, I guess you answered my next question. It was whether you played any other sports, but you did martial arts.

R.J.   Martial Arts and soccer and quite a few other things. I’m a big believer in the sports. I think everyone should have played a sport at least once in their life, a team sport, because it really, definitely builds camaraderie and mental mental stability and strength in numbers, and it’s a great opportunity. I’m a firm believer of that.

Suzanne:   Cool. And where was the film shot?

R.J.   So, we shot the majority of it and now outside Nashville, Tennessee, where it was kind of based. Then, we shot the teaser and some pickup scenes in Los Angeles.

Suzanne:   Okay, and how long did it take to shoot?

R.J.   So, the first more than half of it, we shot pretty much everything except for like a handful of scenes with Terrence [Howard]. We tried [to shoot] everything but Terrence’s stuff in three months, and then four years later, we shot the rest of it.

Suzanne:   Wow.

R.J.   So, we had a massive hiatus.

Suzanne:   Was that because he was busy, or…?

R.J.   Well, actually, it was originally cast with a different character. Originally, we had a different entity, and Terrence wasn’t involved, and [we had] some other stuff with the production. We had to halt production and were able to utilize the project and come back to it. And this project almost didn’t get made, to be honest.

Suzanne:   Okay, what happened?

R.J.   Many different things. Producer, error, and [we] no longer have those producers [as] part of this project. And just timing. We couldn’t find the right coach. We couldn’t really – just logistics, a lot of logistics, a lot of bureaucracies and different aspects of industry life initially halted the project. Then, when you halt a project, it takes takes time and money to start back up. Then, we had to go and get investors and new funding and restructure the film. You know, it’s one of those things where it’s like, “Is it gonna come back?” You do a project, and you’re like, “All right, well, we still have, like, more than a quarter of the film to shoot.” You’re like, “Okay, well, yes, yes, yes, we’re going to film it; we’re going to film it; we’re going to film it,” but then you hear that for like 20 years. And luckily, we were able to come back and finish the film, and now we have this great project.

Suzanne:  

Cool. So, how is it working with the Terrence?

R.J.   Great, you know… Terrence was great. Johnathon Schaech and Grace Victoria Cox and Colton [Haynes], you know, we had such an interesting lineup of actors. And everyone who was a part of it was just so behind this film and believed in this film so much to make it happen. It really was a unique and humbling experience to be able to create this film and have the support that we did behind this film.

Suzanne:   Great, and what do you hope the film achieves?

R.J.   I hope the film achieves entertainment. I really think that’s the overall goal. I hope people are entertained when they watch this film, that they can take something away from this film, be it great or small, but really, first and foremost, enjoy it.

Suzanne:   Yeah, good. It’s enjoyable. And was it mostly filmed before the pandemic?

R.J.   Oh, yeah, we shot two years ago.

Suzanne:   That’s when you finished it?

R.J.   Two a half years ago. That’s when we finished it. And then five years before that.

Suzanne:   That’s a long time. You’re like an old man now.

R.J.   Yeah, I was 21, 22 when I started it; I’m 28 now. I’ll be I’ll be 30 soon. So, I very happy that we have this film out before I turned 30.

Suzanne:   Yeah. So, you said you’ve been traveling during the pandemic. So, there was never a time when you were just like stuck at home bored or wondering what was going on? That’s great.

R.J.   No, I mean, most of my work, when it comes to philanthropic and community outreach and development, when a pandemic or something like this happens is usually when I get the busiest. This is a time where people need moral support; they need they need industry meters; they need helping hands. My job right now, through the foundation, is an everyday job where it’s online, yes, but then it’s also a lot of in person information and kind of guiding through it, because it’s a community development project. So, it’s construction and all kinds of other things.

Suzanne:   Oh, tell us about the foundation.

R.J.   So, it’s called the Roy Frank and Joann Cole Mitte foundation. We focus on elder care, education, disability services, youth development and aging in higher ed as well. We have a scholarship and grant program. Right now, we only have around 12 applicants on scholarship at the moment that we’re reviewing, but at any time we have 12 to 30 students, but right now, we restructured the grant program to focus on this community development build in Brownsville, Texas. So, that’s been the focus of the grants for the past four years. So, we’ve given money in donations to many charitable organizations, primarily focusing in Central and rural Texas. So, being in philanthropy and philanthropic endeavors are something that are a very big part of my life, and I was very happy to be able to link this movie to a charity, which is actually called United Cerebral Palsy nationally based out of Central Florida, and we actually gave points of this film to that organization. So, they’ll get money in perpetuity.

Suzanne:   That’s great.  So, do you have any other acting projects coming out that you can tell us about?

R.J.   I do. I have another one called The Oak Room. It’s on VOD right now in the US; we just got released in the UK. It’s a Canadian film, but we haven’t released in Canada yet. So, we’ll be releasing Canada soon. And that’s a story, in a story, in a story, in a story narrated by a story, and it’s a very unique film, and I’m very excited to be a part of that. [I’m] really focusing on getting Triumph out there. I’m just supporting that wholeheartedly. I have another film that I’m in the middle of production on – we got halted by the pandemic – called Issac. We’re gonna be coming back to that, possibly next month, but, really, we’ll see how that goes. You just never know. And then I’m just looking for new projects, looking for other things. I work with the Film Commission in South Texas and am doing some stuff there. So, I’m doing a lot of community outreach and leadership.

Suzanne:   You sound busy.

R.J.   I work every day.

Suzanne:   That’s great. And who would be your role models in life?

R.J.   My grandparents were very big role models to me. One was a marine oil worker guy and the other one was a coach, businessman type mogul and was in a wheel chair, was fully paralyzed on this left side from a stroke in the early 90s and could only say, “Shit, damn, and 123,” but very big role models, both of them to me, and my grandmothers as well. They taught me a lot, and I definitely still look up to them today.

Suzanne:   What about your acting role models?

R.J.   I didn’t really have any acting role models. It wasn’t really something that I was pursuing when I started [in] this industry. There’re a lot of actors I respect very much, but I’m kind of one of those people that most of my role models are deceased, so they can’t let me down.

Suzanne:   That’s true. That’s true. So, two of your co stars have played superheroes on The CW and your character mentioned superpowers in the movie. What is your favorite superhero?

R.J.   Oh, I’m a Batman guy. I’m a Batman-Joker guy. Yeah, I always thought he was a great character. Yeah, so, Batman, Green Lantern, the whole Justice League vibe, I enjoy that. Spawn. I don’t know if you know Spawn.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I’ve heard of it.

R.J.   Cool.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I grew up with comics, but I don’t remember if Spawn might have been after my time, but I stopped reading in the early 80s.

R.J.   Late 90s. Yeah.

Suzanne:   I heard of [it]. I think there was a movie, wasn’t there?

R.J.   Yes, there was a movie. It’s like, he’s kind of like a devil, but he’s like a good devil. But, yeah, I like super [heroes]. I’m a big fan of the the superhero franchises. So, yeah, I like comics. I used to read a bunch of comics.

Suzanne:   Cool. And do you watch the ones on The CW? Were you familiar with your costars’ work on those shows?

R.J.   I am. I am familiar with Arrow and some of the other CW stuff. I actually auditioned for a couple of superhero shows. Didn’t get the parts, but definitely was an honor to be able to audition for them. And yeah, I enjoy them.

Suzanne:   And Johnathon played…Jonah Hex.

R.J.   Jonah Hex. Yeah, I really liked him as Jonah Hex.

Suzanne:   And that comic I definitely read. I remember that. He’s great in it.

R.J.   I’m a big western guy. I’m a big western guy. So, I loved Jonah Hex, and then, I thought he was great on The CW. Yeah, he’s such a character. Johnathon is such a wealth of knowledge and talent, and out of all the actors I worked with on Triumph, he was the one that I’m the closest to.

Suzanne:   Cool. Well, he played your dad; that makes sense.

R.J.   Yeah, he was definitely a great father figure in them and was a tremendous individual to have on set. He definitely raised the vibration high.

Suzanne:   Cool. Is there anything else that you’d like tell us about the movie or your role in it?

R.J.   Yeah, [I’m] just very excited that it’s out; this was a labor of love. It’s based on real events. And, you know, people, the whole team, really cares about this project and believes in this project and in really pushing forward for it. So, we’re very excited to be able to share it with everyone, and I hope everyone enjoys [it].

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

MORE INFO:

RJ Mitte Biography

Best known for his portrayal of Walter “Flynn” White Jr. for five riveting seasons of AMC’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning dramatic thriller “Breaking Bad,” RJ Mitte is an actor, advocate and philanthropist who has carved out his niche in Hollywood by breaking down stereotypes and changing people’s mindsets with his easy going demeanor and positive outlook. As Walt Jr., referred to by fans as “The Breakfast King,” Mitte acted as the cerebral palsy afflicted son of Walter (Bryan Cranston) and Skyler White (Anna Gunn). As Walter continues his descent into drug manufacturing and trade, Walt Jr. finds himself torn between his father’s deceit, his mother’s protectiveness, and his own developing sense of independence as a disabled teenager. Walter Jr.’s cerebral palsy on the show was embellished, as he had to learn how to walk on crutches and slur his speech to create a more dramatic version of his own disability.

At the age of three, Louisiana native Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but that has never deterred his drive to succeed in television and film. A chance encounter with a casting director led to his move to Los Angeles and Mitte quickly landed roles on various shows such as “Weeds,” NBC’s “Vegas,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and co-starred on ABC Family’s primetime hit show “Switched at Birth,” until being cast in his life-changing role on “Breaking Bad.” Mitte has since made his way to the big screen, starring in multiple indie films in the past few years, including DIXIELAND, starring in his first non-handicapped leading role and TIME SHARE, winner of Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting in 2018.

Never one to shy away from an opportunity to take his talents to new avenues, RJ was thrust into the global spotlight as the celebrity face and model of GAP International’s “Lived in Spring” campaign; with his image appearing on mediums such as billboards, buses, and life-sized posters in cities across the world from Tokyo to the US,. He has since cemented himself as a face to know in the fashion world after walking in Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, Berlin and New York City for Vivienne Westwood, soPopular and Ovadia & Sons. He’s also a member of Kenneth Cole’s “Courageous Class;” for talent recognized for using their platform for advocacy and creating social change.

Throughout the years, Mitte has been an inspiration to his peers around the world by championing his cerebral palsy in hopes of removing the stigma associated with disabilities. In order to bring awareness to his own issues with bullying and prejudice, Mitte has engaged in public speaking and serves as the official Ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and partners with Shriners Hospitals for Children to spearhead their #CutTheBull campaign to advocate on anti-bullying measures. He’s also involved with SAG-AFTRA as a committee member of the union’s IAPWD (I Am a Performer With Disabilities).

Inspired By Screenwriter Michael D. Coffey’s True Story
TRIUMPH
STARRING TERRENCE HOWARD, BREAKING BAD’S RJ MITTE, COLTON HAYNES, JOHNATHON SCHAECH,
GRACE VICTORIA COX
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
OPENS IN CINEMARK THEATERS APRIL 30TH, 2021
AND ON VOD THIS SUMMER
Synopsis:
Inspired by a true story, a bright and determined high school senior strives to be a wrestler despite having cerebral palsy. Going to extreme lengths, he crushes obstacles and inspires others along his journey to prove his abilities.
Directed By: Brett Leonard
Written By: Michael D. Coffey
Starring: RJ Mitte, Terrence Howard, Colton Haynes, Johnathon Schaech, Grace Victoria Cox
Produced By: Massimiliano Musina, Michael Clofine, Michael D. Coffey
Executive Produced by: Terrence Howard, RJ Mitte, Jonathan Bross, Mira Howard, Raz Winiarsky, Tyler W. Konney and Gabrielle Tuite
Distributor: Relativity Media

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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RJ Mitte of "Triumph" - photo by Bobby Quillard

Interview with Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" on NBC

Interview with Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee of “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” on NBC by Suzanne 3/23/21

This was a day full of many NBC and Syfy interviews, but this was the most fun and relaxed of all of them. These two are great and funny. We had a good time. I hope you enjoy it! This is a fabulous show.  It’s so funny that Andrew used to be a computer programmer and engineer, when he’s one of the few characters on the show who’s NOT one of those! That’s hilarious.

Suzanne:   Do we get to see you singing and dancing a lot more in the rest of the season?

Andrew:   Yeah, we do. We get to see a little bit in seven. We get to see a little bit in episode eight. So, seven is coming up this weekend, then eight we have a little bit, and then in nine. This one (Alice)’s got some really sweet stuff, and in ten we both have some fun stuff.

Alice:   Yeah. We definitely sing and dance in more.

Suzanne:   Are you allowed to tell us any of the songs?

Andrew:   Well, I guess. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think it really matters.

Alice:   Does it? I don’t know.

Andrew:   I don’t think it matters, actually – for the next episode, anyway.

Alice:   Yeah, yeah, do the next one.

Andrew:   I sing the song “Drift Away” in the next episode. Yeah, and then after that, I don’t think we can say.

Alice:   There’re some throwbacks in there.

Andrew:   Yeah. There’s some really good stuff.

Alice:   Yeah. Yeah.

Andrew:   We all get to sing some cool stuff for sure.

Suzanne:   Yeah, that’s what’s great about the show; you get all different kinds of songs, recent, old, and all of that.

Andrew:   How often – do you do you always recognize the songs, or are you like, “I don’t know that one.”

Suzanne:   I’m older than I look, so I don’t recognize all the new ones so much. I know all the old ones.

Question:   …[This] may be a hard question, but free to answer [how] you feel, but in the spirit of the events of this past week, the Asian American community, you’ve been active for a while and worked. What’s your thoughts on Asian American stories? You know, in terms of the prejudice that’s faced, because we don’t see that as much on screen I feel as much as we see…This is a reality in which eyes are opening now. So, any words on that, and how’s your experience been?

Alice:   Yeah, totally. I mean, I think it’s very complex, because, yeah, there’s obviously a lot more. I mean, obviously, Asian stories are important, that’s the bottom line. I feel like our stories need to be told, and it’s a lot better. I think things have gotten a lot better in Hollywood and stuff, but I do still feel like there’s a lot more room for growth and more room for other stories, but I think it’s important that we’re being seen, and we have visibility and the more we can, [the better]. I always think there’s room for more. So, yeah.

Question:   …[You] left computer engineering…Can you talk a little bit about that transition? I’m sure you’ve been asked a lot, but I’m always curious to hear that in person from a person like you. How is that transition and what does it mean for you to be on this show? This is a huge, huge thing for you.

Andrew:   Yeah, well, I started acting as a kid, and then, when I went to college, I don’t really know what I was thinking exactly, except that I was like, “Oh, I think programming is fun.” I think I was actually fairly good at that part of computer science; the rest of the parts were really difficult for me. I don’t think I had quite the quite the brain for it, but the programming I was good at, and I enjoyed that.

I did that, and then I actually got a job at Adobe. The guy hired me and told me that he was going to hire me, but he was certain that I would go to LA and pursue an acting career, because he could tell based on my resume from before that. He hired me, and I was like, “No, no, no, I’m gonna come work for Adobe.” Then, I did exactly what he thought I would do and did not take the job and went to LA to continue acting.

So, I don’t think it was ever really anything that I was really seriously going to pursue. I just really liked it. I still think it was a good thing in terms of training my brain to think in a certain way, or explore how to think in a certain way.

Then, doing the show has been, for me, just really wonderful and exciting, because it’s the combination of a lot of things that I’ve done that I love to do, which is, musicals and singing and dancing and acting, and getting to do that all together on camera is kind of an amazing thing, and getting to be around all these incredibly talented people in this way. It’s just been so, so fun and satisfying, and like getting to watch her do her numbers, it’s just awesome. It’s just awesome. I feel so appreciative for getting to do this.

Question:   This is such a unique genre for television. We haven’t seen this in a long time, a show that combines narrative and singing and dancing, and I’m just curious, as actors, do you find that you put more work into your character when they’re speaking or when they’re singing and dancing?

Alice:   Yeah, I feel like it’s probably different for everyone, because I –

Andrew:   She can roll out of bed and sound amazing. That’s true.

Alice:   No, that’s not true. Singing and dancing for me, yeah, that’s definitely my comfort [zone]. In those areas, I’m like, “Okay.” It’s more acting sometimes where I’m like, “What’s my character really doing and stuff?”

Andrew:   I probably should put more energy into the acting, [laughs] but I’d say I put more energy into the singing and dancing, just because it’s always a challenge. It’s always a song that’s harder for me than something that I’ve never done before, a style of music that I’ve never sung before. It’s always a style of dancing that I don’t know how to do, and it always just takes a lot more.

We get together sometimes on the weekends and rehearse if we’re doing it. Like, we’re working on a dance a dance right now. It’s like, we have to get together outside of work to figure out how to do it and help each other, basically.

So, I’d say, definitely – and also, when you’re doing the dance numbers, a lot of them are done in one take. So, if I mess up a scene, they can cut around it; we do another take. But with the dance numbers, if you don’t get it right the whole way through, you’re done. So, the pressure is a lot more, is a lot higher, I’d say, on the musical numbers.

Alice:   The dancing is like, for sure – like having Mandy Moore, it’s so cool.

Andrew:   Yeah.

Alice:   Those rehearsals are so fun, but they are challenging. We’re doing stuff that we normally wouldn’t, but it’s so fun.

Andrew:   It’s also just really fun, so maybe that’s why we all feel this way and spend a lot of time. It’s almost sad when you only get to do like three takes if it actually goes really well. They’re like, “Okay, we got it,” and you’re like, “But I just worked for weeks trying to get this great. I want to do more. I want to do more.”

Here’s the video!

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

MORE INFO:

In its second season, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” continues to explore the feelings we keep buried on the inside, the human impulse for connection and the undeniable healing power of music and dance. Following a tragedy, Zoey (Jane Levy) and the Clarke family begin to recalibrate and navigate their new normal. As she finds herself in a new dynamic at work and in her love life, Zoey’s musical powers will continue to both awkwardly complicate and inform her worldview as she attempts to rediscover joy and connect with those around her.

The series stars Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar and Mary Steenburgen.

Featuring inventive musical performances set to hit records from a variety of genres and time periods, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming in its freshman season.

Austin Winsberg writes and executive produces. Kim Tannenbaum and Eric Tannenbaum, Paul Feig, David Blackman, Daniel Inkeles and Sam Laybourne also serve as executive producers. Dan Magnante, Jason Wang, Samantha McIntyre, Emily Fox and Robert Sudduth serve as co-executive producers with Michele Greco and Mandy Moore serving as producers.

“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” is produced by Lionsgate and Universal Television (a division of Universal Studio Group) in association with the Tannenbaum Company, Feigco Entertainment, Universal Music Group’s Polygram Entertainment and Zihuatenejo Productions.

Andrew Leeds

David, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”

Andrew Leeds stars as David on NBC’s “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

Leeds can most recently be seen opposite Reese Witherspoon in Apple’s “The Morning Show” and opposite Bill Hader in HBO’s “Barry.” Prior to that, he recurred for two seasons on Epix’s “Get Shorty” and starred in the film “Office Christmas Party.”

Other television includes a series regular role on the ABC sitcom “Cristela,” a four-season arc on “Bones” and guest starring on “Veep,” “Silicon Valley,” “Modern Family,” “Shamless” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

As a writer, he has written pilots for various networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, USA and Showtime.

Leeds first appeared on Broadway in the musical “Teddy & Alice” and soon after appeared as Gavroche in “Les Miserables.” He next starred on Broadway in the musical “Falsettos.”

A member of the main company for the Groundlings, Leeds graduated from Stanford University with a degree in computer science. He splits his time between Los Angeles and New York.

Alice Lee

Emily, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”

Alice Lee stars as Emily on NBC’s “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

In film, Lee was most recently seen sharing the screen with Jillian Bell in Amazon’s “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Other films on her resume include Netflix’s “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, “Wish Upon,” Jack, Jules, Esther & Me” and the upcoming “Dream Years.”

On the small screen, Lee had a season-long arc on Facebook’s “Real Bros. of Simi Valley,” “Take Two” and Hulu’s “Gap Year.” She recurred on the award-winning web series “Control Alt Delete,” the YouTube Red series “Sideswiped,” Freeform’s “Switched at Birth,” MTV’s “Faking It” and Disney Channel’s “K.C. Undercover.” Guest appearances include Amazon’s anthology series “Electric Dreams” “Splitting Up Together,” “Two Broke Girls,” “Grandfathered,” “Son of Zorn” and “The Mindy Project.”

Lee, a Chicago native, attended an open call while she was a student at NYU and was immediately cast in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of “Spring Awakening.” She then went on to be in the original company of Julie Taymor’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” and starred as Heather Duke in the cult-classic Off-Broadway musical “Heathers.”

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Andrew Leeds and Alice Lee of "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" on NBC

Interview with Olli Haaskivi

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

 

Olli Haaskivi

Interview with Olli Haaskivi of “Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+ by Suzanne 4/14/21

This was a very fun Zoom interview! Olli is very personable and easy-going. He’s done a lot of different shows, so we had much to talk about.

Suzanne:   So, tell us about your audition process for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Olli:   Yeah, it was, it was pretty straightforward. I made an audition tape in my apartment in New York City, right where I’m sitting right now, with a sort of fake audition scene that had no identifying details; there were no specifics to it. It was a version of what you ended up seeing in the series, but very generalized.

So, I made the tape, and I, for some reason, was in a bit of a time crunch making the tape. I don’t know if it was due immediately or what. Maybe I had something else going on, but I sent it off pretty quickly and really didn’t feel great about it. I sort of felt like – I remember waking up the next morning thinking, “You know, that was a really good opportunity, and I don’t know that what you said was good enough.”

I didn’t hear anything for about a month or so; it took a little while, which is kind of uncommon. Usually you hear within a couple of days that there’s maybe some interest, or maybe you’re in the last two people they’re considering or something like that. There’s usually some sort of medium step between auditioning and getting the job, and this was just radio silence for about a month.

Then, out of the blue, I got an email saying that I got the job and that I was going to have to go shoot pretty quickly after that.

Also, I didn’t know what the job was when the audition came in. It just said it was for Untitled Marvel Project Number Five or something like that. So, when I got the offer, it wasn’t an offer for the Falcon and the Winter Soldier; it was an offer for Untitled Marvel Project Number Five, and it took a little while before anyone told me what I had gotten myself into.

Suzanne:   Well, I assume you knew by the time that you shot it.

Olli:   I didn’t. The person who sent me the script pages, the official script pages, I emailed them back and said, “Is there anything you can tell me about?” I didn’t know if it was a film; I didn’t know if it was a TV project, and they very graciously filled it a little bit.

Suzanne:   Oh, that’s good. Do they say, “Don’t tell anyone or we’ll send someone to kill you?”

Olli:   Yeah, truly, they’re not. I’m used to that with some projects that I’ve been a part of, but Marvel is obviously a whole other level of security.

Suzanne:   So, when you generally audition, do you usually feel like you did a good job, and then you get the part? Or how is it usually?

Olli:   I mean, there’s no one formula, which is freeing in a lot of ways, but it’s also can be maddening. I’ve auditioned for things and felt like I really nailed it, and sometimes people clap and cheer in the audition room, and that doesn’t mean you’re going to get the job. Then, this Marvel job also feels like an example that you can feel terrible about what you did and still end up with a job. I think that it’s so easy for actors to want to micromanage every second of their audition and get very sort of detail obsessed, and I certainly am guilty of that often. But, usually, the thing that gets you a job is something totally out of your control. It’s just some sort of intrinsic part of your essence, or just your face is the kind of face that the writer had in mind while they were writing that part or something. I think, usually, the thing that seals the deal is not in your control, as much as you might want to think it is.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I guess you would have to just after a while just start to say, “Oh, well, next project; let it go. Don’t worry about it.

Olli:   You’re always doing your best, and you don’t always have a lot of time sometimes. It can be 6pm and you get eleven pages that need to be taped by noon the next day. So, I’m always doing the best that I can in the time that I have, but sometimes it’s frustrating to feel like, “If I only had one or two more days, that really could have settled into something.” But hopefully there’s another audition a couple days later. Then, you dust yourself off and continue hoping for the best.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I don’t know how you guys do this. I mean, the closest thing a non-actor can relate to is a job interview, and you’re just constantly interviewing for jobs over and over. I understand. So, what was the actual shooting like? Tell us about that.

Olli:   It was such a blast, especially, because it was my last big job before the pandemic shutdown, and I’m so thankful that my last job before that was such a phenomenal experience. It’s such a warm and wonderful experience and also a gigantic experience. I think it might be a little while before we have massive sets like that with everyone able to co-mingle and not have to stay far apart wearing face shields. It was really wonderful.

You never totally know what you’re getting yourself into when you show up for a couple days of shooting something, because you really can feel like a guest in the house. I’ve said this analogy before, but it always sort of feels to me like you’re trying to jump on board a moving train but not attract attention and not stick out for not knowing where you are or what you’re doing. I’ve mostly had really great experiences guest starring on a lot of shows and recurring on a lot of shows, but you still never know. You can show up on a day where everyone is tense for some reason, and you still have to figure out how to perform your best, even though you don’t know anybody, and you’ve never been there before.

So, I definitely always show up wondering what the mood will be, what the style will be, and this at every single turn was so welcoming and so inclusive. I think everybody on the set was so excited about the show they were making. And what’s even more remarkable than that is that they were excited to include a new person in that excitement. Because if you think about it too, my sequence is me and the stars of the show. It’s me and Anthony (Mackie) and Sebastian (Stan) and Daniel (Brühl) and Emily (VanCamp). They could have very easily sort of been in their little group over there and then [been] sort of like, “It’s cute that you’re here, but this is sort of our thing,” which happens sometimes, and that’s fine, but they really brought me into their circle. These are people that have been working together for a decade now in a lot of cases, and they made me feel like I had been there with them the whole time. I can’t say enough about how much I love those guys.

Suzanne:   Yeah, nice. Anything you can tell us in particular about shooting your your part? I mean, fun things or interesting things.

Olli:   Yeah, I mean, it links back to the previous question, but the thing I think about a lot is that right before we started shooting, we’d had a rehearsal day, which is almost completely unheard of. So, we had time, a full day, before we started shooting. We had time to sort of talk it out and walk through some blocking ideas and really sort of calmly and methodically talk through it, which is unbelievably rare. Usually, you’re trying to rehearse something as fast as you can; shoot it as fast as you can.

Then, I showed up to shoot the next morning, and before we started shooting, Anthony and Sebastian came over to me. They said, “You have the harder job in this sequence Do you want your close ups to be first or last?” which was mind blowing to me, because that recognition, first of all, that you have the heavy lifting here, “How can we help you?” is gigantic. It also means they had a conversation prior where they coordinated with one another, that they were going to do that. They probably ran it by Kari (Skogland), the director. It was just a level of kindness and a level of them sort of being good hosts. That was really phenomenal, and I don’t think I’ve ever – I’ve worked with a lot of great directors; I’ve worked with a lot of amazing actors, and I’m 99% sure that’s the first time anyone has extended that kind of generosity. I think that’s really, really special.

Suzanne:   How long did it take to shoot your scenes?Olli Haaskivi and Anthony Mackie in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" on Disney+

Olli:   I don’t fully remember. I think we shot for three days, but the final day was basically just devoted to the gunshot and the explosion. So, we had a day or a day and a half where we shot the bulk of it and then came back the next day for the special effects stuff.

Suzanne:   And you said it was right before the pandemic, or was it in 2019?

Olli:   It was… it was right before Christmas. 2019. I mean, it was really only almost a year and a half ago now, but it also feels like, you know, four decades ago at this point.

Suzanne:   Yeah. I imagine all the special effects and all the stuff they have to do afterwards takes a long time.

Olli:   Yeah, I mean, that show looks stunning. It’s so beautiful. I’m really in awe of those editors and those special effects people. What they do is extraordinary.

Suzanne:   Oh, it’s amazing. I’m sure by now that they must have it down to a fine science they’ve done so many of these things. Were you a fan of Marvel movies, comics, or TV shows before this?

Olli:   I was a fan from afar. I had so much respect for what they’re able to accomplish, like we’re saying, especially in the effects department. I had seen a couple of the films, but I was not a person that like ran out to see the new one every single time, but the ones I did see – you know…your hair is blown back just sitting there just going, “How in the world did they do that?” But I saw Black Panther, and I believe I saw the last Avengers film, but I’m not completely sure, to be honest.

Suzanne:   You must have been confused if you only saw the last one.

Olli:   Yeah, and I think that’s kind of why I hadn’t seen that many of them, because I was sort of intimidated by how much history there is and how much to keep straight. So, when I would see something and kind of jumping in the middle, I would go, “This is so amazing. I have almost no idea who these people are or what’s happening.” So, I also really had felt intimidated showing up to shoot, because I did as much research as I could, and there’s a lot in that scene that, you know, the scene told me almost everything I needed to know, but I didn’t want to reveal the depth of my complete lack of knowledge.

Suzanne:   Now did you go back and watch the movies after this?

Olli:   I haven’t. No. I know that so many people during their sort of lockdown quarantine watched all of them in order, but I think I was busy watching things that I’ve already seen and loved that I knew would just be comforting.

Suzanne:   Yeah.

Olli:   Yeah, not require too much thought.

Suzanne:   Well, you definitely saw the best one when you watched Black Panther. That’s probably the best superhero movie ever. I mean, they did such a fantastic job with that one, and it’s closer to the comics. I mean, just everything.

Olli:   Oh, interesting.

Suzanne:   It’s just fantastic, but also, actually, the ones that relate to your show, the Captain America movies, are really good. Then later they sort of segue into the Avengers movie. So, if you just watched the Captain America and Avengers movies, you probably do have all of the background that you would have needed for this show.

Olli:   Now, I mean, having first hand experience with how amazing those people are and how hard they work, I just want to go watch my friends now.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I can understand that, but I don’t think there’s really a bad Marvel movie, at least in the in the recent ones, the ones from the last decade, but they vary, but it depends on who you ask. I kind of like these things, but I grew up reading comics.

Olli:   Oh, cool.

Suzanne:   I have three older brothers, so that’s why.

Olli:   Amazing. You didn’t have much of a choice.

Suzanne:   They’re all total geeks, and I’m not saying anything that they wouldn’t say themselves. And you were on Manifest for a while too, right?

Olli:   I was, yeah.

Suzanne:   Do you still watch that or keep in touch with those people?

Olli:   I do keep in touch with some of those people. Melissa (Roxburgh), who’s the lead of that show, left in New York City the same day that I arrived back, and so we were sort of hoping that we’d be able to see each other, but we literally just missed each other, but I talk to Melissa pretty regularly.

Jared Grimes, who I did a lot of things on that show with, who plays Adrian, he and I are in touch.

I’m in touch with some of those writers. Some of the writers reached out watching The Falcon in the Winter Soldier, which was really sweet.

Suzanne:   Oh, that’s nice.

Olli:   Yeah, it was so nice to hear from them. There are so many great people that work on that show, and that in particular is a great crew. So, I’m excited. I haven’t watched anything from their new season yet, but I am excited to.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I think they’ve only had a couple episodes so far.

Olli:   I think so. Yeah, I think they’ve only had two.

Suzanne:   Yeah, I interviewed some of them a few weeks ago, so, yeah, they seem very nice.

Olli:   Oh, nice. Who did you talk to you?

Suzanne:   Well, we had two separate ones. One was Melissa, and Matt.

Olli:   Yeah, Matt’s so great.

Suzanne:   …So, you have a certain amount of loyalty to the shows that you’re on. even though you’ve left them? And, you know, the people on them, would you say?

Olli:   Yeah, and I think it’s the knowing the people that creates the loyalty, because, you want to see what they’re up to, and you want to see how the story continues to unfold and all of that. Yeah, a good set run by good people makes you feel like you’re part of the gang forever, and so, yeah, there are definitely things that I’m now just a fan of, even though I was a part of it for a period of time.

Suzanne:   That’s good. You gotta find a show that where they’re not going to kill you off so quickly.

Olli:   I agree with you. I would love [that]. I am on the market for that exact thing.

Suzanne:   And you said you watched some of your favorites during the pandemic. Can you tell us what some of your favorites are?

Olli:   Sure. I mean, I’m still in the middle. I’m very slowly working my way through Veep again, which is just the best. Every single person on that is phenomenal. I found Better Things to be really comforting during this period of time, Pamela Adlon’s show. And there are some new things I’ve watched. I mean, I thought I May Destroy You was unbelievable. One of my best friends is the lead of High Town, so I was thrilled to watch all of that as fast as I could. But yeah, something about this time has – you know, we’re all sort of limited – at least I feel like I’m limited in the amount of new things that I can take on. I just want to watch something comforting.

Suzanne:   Well, actually, one thing I forgot to mention, we were talking about all the Marvel stuff. A really great show that came before yours was Wandavision.

Olli:   I watched that.

Suzanne:   Oh, you did watch that? Because that one you don’t really have to have seen the movies much.

Did you read any of the background stuff about the shows like the Easter eggs they put in for fans and stuff like that?

Olli:   A little bit. And I’m sure you know, there are so many amazing videos on YouTube where people do just deep dives into that stuff, and I think Marvel and Disney Plus did such a good job. I can’t remember what the series is called, but but they put out such nice little sort of background videos for –

Suzanne:   Right, yeah.

Olli:   They did for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier too.

Suzanne:   “Legends,” I think it’s called.

Olli:   Yes, yes, yes. And that’s so smart of them, and they’re so well done. And I’m a longtime diehard Kathryn Hahn fan, so I watch whatever she decides is worth her time. I’m happy to watch. So, I would have watched Wandavision, no matter what.

Suzanne:   Yeah, she was great in that. And the thing about her was that, from the beginning, you know that something that’s going to be with her [is going to be good], because she wouldn’t have done it to just have this little bit part.

…Do you have anything else coming out that we should watch for?

Olli:   No, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was sort of my finish line. I did an episode of Social Distance, Jenji Kohan’s quarantine series that came out at the end of last year, which I loved. So, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Social Distance were sort of the two things that were hovering around.

And I just got back to New York yesterday, and I’m enthusiastically auditioning for whatever the next job may be. I’m excited to find out.

Suzanne:   I read that your father was a soccer star and that your grandfather was also a player. Did you ever play?

Olli:   I did play a little bit. I suffered from the expectations of having a father like that. I mean, I really enjoyed playing, like in the backyard with my dad. That was really fun, but anytime it was more organized than that, there was always some sort of like, “I bet you’re really good at this” or something like that from a coach, which made it much less fun. You know, when you’re in second and third grade, that’s not what you want to hear. I mean, tennis was a little bit more the sport that I played a little more seriously for a while, but, yeah, I mean, I couldn’t deal with that weird sort of expectation when playing soccer, because my dad is and was phenomenal at it. So, yeah, very few people can measure up to that much less, you know, a third grader.

Suzanne:   Well, thank you, and I hope you book some more things we can see you in.

Olli:   Thank you. I hope so too.

Here is the video version of it.

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

MORE INFO:

Olli HaaskiviOlli Hasskivi appears in the latest episode of “Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Olli plays the name on everyone’s lips this week, Dr. Wilfred Nagel. He is the doctor responsible for the super soldier serum, having reverse-engineered Dr. Abraham Erskine’s (Stanley Tucci’s character in the franchise) serum. This was a pivotal episode and character for the series as the hunt for the super soldier serum is in full force, and Dr. Nagel comes face-to-face with Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Daniel Brühl (Zemo), Emily VanCamp (Sharon Carter) and Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier) in his lab, who all want to know the truth.Olli Haaskivi and Dr. Nagel

For reference, Olli is a very talented “actors actor” based in NYC. He is chameleon who can truly play any role he feels passionately about (including teachers, a doctor, a villain, a waiter, etc. – you name it!) His film and TV credits include: “The Deuce”, “The Sinner”, “Manifest”, and “Oh Jerome, No,” plus the films Motherless Brooklyn directed by Edward Norton, The Miseducation of Bindu directed by Prarthana Mohan, and Nancy directed by Christina Choe. Olli has appeared in the off-Broadway premieres of Bella: An American Tall Tale (Playwrights Horizons), Who’s Your Baghdaddy? Or How I Started The Iraq War (Actors Temple), and The Rafa Play (Flea Theatre).

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Olli Haaskivi

Interview with “Van Helsing” stars

Posted on by TvMegasite Admin

TV Interview!

Nicole Muñoz, Jonathan Scarfe and Tricia Helfer

Interview with Nicole Muñoz, Jonathan Scarfe and Tricia Helfer of “Van Helsing” on Syfy by Suzanne 4/12/21

This was a very fun Zoom call with the actors of this Syfy show. I’ve enjoyed watching them on “Van Helsing” and in their other shows as well. It was great to chat with them. This last season of the show is very exciting. I hope you can watch it and enjoy it as well!

Question:   How do you relate to Jack as a person? How do you get into that character and follow her through, I guess, season four and into season five?

Nicole:  I was just saying before, I have some similarities. I think Jack has really helped me grow as a person, and in terms of offering me some inner strength and some confidence, Jack’s stubbornness and tenacity are things that I think come decently naturally to me.

So, at least a fun thing about Jack this season is we kind of get to see a bit more of her humor, which, you know, it kind of is coming out just because of the circumstances. And I do think that I kind of get to put a little bit more of my personality into Jack, this season. And she’s a little bit less on edge. She’s kind of come into a bit more of “this is the reality that we’re dealing with, and now we’re gonna go forth and push on.”

Jonathan:   Oh, I was just saying that Jack has to like find her alpha this year, big time. So, that was, I think, pretty fun for Nicole.

Nicole:  Yeah, and Jonathan helped me with that, immensely. Yeah. It was a lot of “what would Jonathan do?” “What would Axel do?”

Question:   I posed it to Nicole how she relates to her character Jack, and it was sort of open to everybody, how they relate to their character. So, Trisha, how you relate to Dracula, but also how you relate to Jack and how you relate to Nicole, on and off set.

Tricia:  It was definitely a lot of fun getting to work more. I mean, I was only in two episodes last season. In the first episode, Jack and, well, Keeya (King) – I keep saying your names wrong – Violet…were basically knocked out the whole time. So, it was a real treat to get to kind of work with everybody more.

I can’t say I necessarily relate to Dracula myself, but similar to what Nicole said…I do play a lot of very strong characters, and in person, I’m a little bit of an introverted goof. I can come off as cold, because I’m shy quite often. So, it allows me to really kind of just be something that I’m not in my own life. So, sort of learning – I can’t really say I learned much useful from Dracula that would be legal in our society, but certainly playing her does give you a sense of confidence and just sort of a take charge mentality that hopefully I can kind of take that into my own life at some point. Lost our voices a few times, though didn’t we, Nicole?Van Helsing poster season 5

Nicole:  A few, yeah. Thanks Jon.

Tricia:  It’s Jonathan’s fault.

Question:  I’m going to alter my question a little bit so Jonathan can add to it too, but my question was, we don’t really even know if what the Dark One said to them about Vanessa not being their mother is true. I’m kind of still wondering that, but this season, at least at the beginning, you too definitely, I’d say, [since last season] have different interactions and relationships since they’re not, you know, [in the same place] as where they were last season. So, can you kind of talk about how that relationship between the two of you is going to continue this season and change? And then Jonathan, your relationship with – well, you probably don’t really have one with Dracula, but maybe with Jack.

Jonathan:   Yeah.

Nicole:  Wanna try to work around spoilers.

Question:  Just kind of how those relationships will evolve this season.

Nicole:  How my relationship with Dracula evolves this season?

Question:  Yeah.

Nicole:  Is that kind of the question? I would think definitely –

Jonathan:   No [unintelligible] for COVID protocols, it starts there.

Nicole:  Yeah, I think we definitely get to know each other, maybe more than we would have wanted to this season, our characters. I think spoiler-wise, I’m gonna stay very far away from this question, but I do think that Jack gets some answers. Some she likes; some she definitely doesn’t. It’s kind of the feeling of the floor coming out under you, or the rug coming out under you.

Tricia:  For me, Dracula didn’t really know much about anything going on. She’d been in the Dark Realm. So, she’s kind of at the end of the season coming into the world, and she definitely has her confidence shaken a little bit. I mean, she maybe had a little bit too much of an ego, and again, not giving away spoilers, but she starts to question who she can trust and things like that along the way. And throughout her relationships – interactions, not relationships – interactions with the Van Helsings and the other characters in the show – It’s hard to say without spoilers – She comes to realize they’re more of a formidable foe than she maybe gave them credit for. So, if anything, I could say there’s maybe a little bit of a more of a respect for them than she would have thought at the end of season four. Did that give away too much, Jonathan?

Jonathan:  No, I mean, I think that – we were talking about this earlier – I think the writers did an amazing job, but it was, I mean, to not spoil things, but to try and pique some curiosity for the fans, is that, you know, a couple other things you get to discover this season is not just the origin stories of Dracula, which are totally unique to the show; they’ve completely invented their own version of what that would be, but also the origins of the Van Helsings, where they came from, how they evolved, and like how intertwined the two are in a particular way. So, that’s all fully revealed by the end of the season, and I think it’s like the most fun thing about the season, personally, so I’m really excited for fans to check that out and see how they respond to it.

Question:   …Let me just congratulate you all, I mean, five seasons finally coming to an end, which is like, hard to believe. So, let me just ask you all a pretty generic question, Nicole, I’ll start with you, then, we’ll go to Jonathan and Trisha. It’s been five seasons; it’s coming to an end. So, first up, how excited are you that these final episodes are coming out and we get to see the Van Helsings and the Dark One come head to head? Then, of course, how are you feeling? A little nostalgic given the fact that the shows come to an end?

Nicole:  I’m excited to see the reaction of the viewers once they get to watch the final few episodes. I also think the first few episodes of this season are going to be pretty revealing and very exciting to watch the reactions. I will definitely be looking on Twitter this year and reading what everybody has to say about this season, because, I mean, if I’m this excited, everybody’s gonna be even more so when they watch, because I already know what’s about to happen. But just reading the scripts even was a very fun thing to do, and I like rifle through them so quickly. I can only imagine what that feeling would be like for you, Jonathan, being in this thing for five years, because I only hopped on in season four. What do you think?

Jonathan:   Yeah, well, you know, it’s like all things, like this show, you bring it; you’re grinding it out, and there’re ups and downs and the challenges that you kind of face, and then you turn around and five years have gone by, and the thing’s coming to a close. Yeah, you do get definitely a little bit nostalgic thinking, “Oh, gee whiz, this is it. This is goodbye to all these people that have become kind of family and his character that’s kind of become a second skin.” So, yeah, it definitely had a little melancholy to it, for sure, when we came to a close.

Question:   Right and Trisha, let me ask you the same question. What should fans expect on this final season?

Tricia:  Well, knowing that it was the final season, we had the liberty of being able to follow the mythology from the four seasons prior and really give a conclusion to it. So, we faced a lot this year, like the entire world did, so some alterations were made along the way but not affecting the story, which is great. I think with the first three episodes with the origin story of Dracula and how the Van Helsings meet this character, I think is really going to set it up for the rest of the season, because stuff that happens there and stuff the audience will come to learn is really what drives a lot of the rest of the season to its ultimate conclusion, which I think leading up, I think it the last couple of episodes also really ramp up to this, you know, something’s gonna go down. And, you know, being part of it for really only one season, just briefly introduced in season four, of course, it would have been fun to play longer for me, but I understand what Jonathan’s saying then, it’s a little melancholy when you’ve been on a show for five years or something, and it’s like your second skin. When you’re first playing a character, you’re figuring it out and whatever, and then, by season five, you can just go on set and know who the character is. You almost answer in the character’s voice without even thinking about it. I didn’t necessarily have that with Dracula with only being in the one season, but, boy, did I get some fun stuff to play with.

Question:   …You were doing a series that, although it was a supernatural pandemic, it was still a virus like pandemic kind of thing, and you’re doing that for, well, I guess three and a half seasons, four seasons, and then all of a sudden, you’re living through a real pandemic. Did that change your perspective in any way in your characters, in your performance? Did you have maybe more understanding of people who are like hiding inside? So, how did COVID affect your characters is what, I guess, I’m trying to say.

Jonathan:  Well, I mean, yeah, I’d had all kinds of resonance in terms of that, you know, what isolation feels like, and we had just come back from shooting the first three episodes before the initial shutdown happened, and then there was a big question mark as to whether we’re gonna be able to get back to work. Then, we were lucky enough to be able to do that. I think we were one of the first shows back in Vancouver working with all the new COVID protocols. The company did an incredible job setting those up, and there’s a lot of pressure on them being the first show back not to screw it up. So, we’re happy that we didn’t, but…other than the stress that might have been visible in everyone’s eyeballs, I don’t know how much it impacted performance, but it certainly resonated.

Tricia:  I mean, I don’t think it necessarily affected my character per se.

Jonathan:   They didn’t care.

Tricia:  I mean, it did affect shooting for me, because, like Jonathan said, we did the episodes in Slovakia, and then literally all flew home just before the lockdown happened. So, there was a lot of stress for everybody. I really give credit to the production team and studio and network and everything, for getting back up and running as quickly as they did. For me, it really only altered filming in terms of changing schedules. I mean, so many things had to be changed, because you want to have less people on set at a time and less interaction and things like that. So, all my stuff that I had left was consolidated into the very end of the shooting. So, you guys all started shooting way early, and I was down in Los Angeles. So, they all started shooting way earlier, and then, when I came in, it was quarantine, obviously, government quarantine, and then fast and furious shooting everything I had for the rest of the season all in, you know –

Jonathan:   All in a row. Exactly.

Tricia:  All in a row. So, it was –

Jonathan:   Like episodes three through thirteen, all your scenes, all the time, nothing but for the final three weeks of shooting.

Tricia:  It was like a lot to do in the Slovakia episodes, and then nothing, and just sitting there twiddling my thumbs in LA going, “They’re shooting; they’re shooting.” I’m like, I felt so left out of it, but I’m so proud of them for getting back and then just being fast and furious at the end. But, I mean, Dracula is sort of like an enigma. I don’t know she’s – I’m babbling, but it sort of did, without giving away too much, Dracula was sort of feeling a little bit on edge toward the end. So, there was maybe a little isolated that we haven’t seen of her aside from being locked in the Dark Realm. I guess she was locked in the Dark Realm for a long time. That would have been very isolating. Maybe I could have related to that a little bit. I didn’t put too much into it at the time, though, because just everything so new with you just trying to do a good job trying to keep everybody safe and have fun with the character at the same time.

Tricia:  Trying to remember to take your mask off when they say, “Rolling.”

Question:   That happened?

Jonathan:   Oh, yeah.

Nicole:  Sometimes it did, yeah.

Tricia:  Yeah, it happened more than once, because everybody’s in masks. It’s like the first time you put on a mask, you feel really bizarre, but then when everybody around you has a mask on, and you take your mask off, you actually feel bizarre.

Nicole:  And we even incorporated masks into some of our costumes for a little bit there. I think, character-wise, yeah, it may be a little bit of a stretch, but it must have had some sort of impact just having been isolated. I also came back from Slovakia, and then we isolated for a while, and then they started filming. It was like that feeling of, “I miss everybody, and I can’t wait to see everybody.” Then, once we started filming again, it made those scenes of reunion or scenes with some intimacy in it just that much more important and impactful. And that like yearning for it was more already at the surface and more accessible, I guess, as an actor.

Tricia:  I don’t think Dracula gets to hug anyone, but it was like, if you got to hug anybody on set, you’re like, “I’m not letting go!”

Nicole:  Yeah. It’s like, “Jack, don’t let go.”

Suzanne:   I really enjoyed the three episodes they let us watch… that was great. Without spoilers, obviously, do you think that fans will enjoy the ending?

Tricia:  I do. I was the most excited I’ve been about the show in ages was when I read those first three skip scripts for this season. I thought “Wow.” I had no idea how the writers were going to try and figure out a way to bring the thing to a conclusion, and I think they exceeded all expectations and in terms of what they came up with. So, I’m really excited to see the fan reaction to it.

Nicole:  Yeah, the first three episodes play out of like a mini movie, and, yeah, I think it’s going to be very satisfying for everybody to watch, and it’s going to be quite the launching board for the rest of the season.

Tricia:  That’s exactly what I was just gonna say, Nicole. It’s a launching board for the rest of the season. So, even though they are like a little mini movie and set in Transylvania, where the rest of the season isn’t, it really does set up what the characters are going through, and knowledge and experience and questions to figure things out. But the following episodes are really where all the mythology from the first four seasons really gets layered into the very end, and there’s a nugget at the very end in the finale that I just think is so fun…that I think is just going to have some fans drop their chins to the floor.

Question:   This is for the entire cast. How would you describe season five in three words?

Jonathan:   Season five in three words, wow. “Big questions answered.”

Nicole:  “The final season.”

Tricia:  …I want to look up my notes for the other day. What did I say?

Nicole:  Had I done my press homework, I would have actually had the answer to this.

Tricia:  Family is one of my words. Family, [resilience], and teamwork? I’m trying to stay away from like bloody and gashy and death.

Jonathan:   Jaw freaking dropping.

Here is the video version of it.

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

MORE INFO:

Van Helsing is set in the near future, where vampires have risen and taken control. Vanessa Van Helsing is humanity’s last hope, as her unique blood composition gives her the ability to turn vampires human. With this secret weapon, Vanessa becomes a prime target for the vampires. Van Helsing comes from the producers of Fargo and Hell on Wheels. Jonathan Lloyd Walker serves as showrunner.

In the fifth and final season of “Van Helsing,” Vanessa, Violet, and Jack will risk it all to finally bring an end to the Dark One once and for all. The Van Helsings must figure out ways to escape and evade the various obstacles in their path to prevent them from their mission, leading to an epic final showdown between the Van Helsings and the Dark One. Who will win the battle between light and dark?

Jonathan Scarfe

Axel, “Van Helsing”

VAN HELSING -- Season:1 -- Pictured: Jonathan Scarfe as Axel Miller -- (Photo by: Brendan Meadows/HELSING S1 PRODUCTIONS/Syfy)

Multiple award-winning actor Jonathan Scarfe stars as Axel, a Marine ordered to guard the body of Vanessa Van Helsing.

Scarfe, a seasoned actor, producer, director and writer with over 20 years of experience, has been nominated six times for the Gemini Awards (the Canadian Emmys) and won twice for his work in “The Sheldon Kennedy Story” and the mini-series “Above and Beyond.” He is also the recipient of two Leo Awards for his work on “Hell on Wheels” and “Love on the Air.” As a director, he wrote and shot the multiple award-winning short film “Speak” with his wife Suki Kaiser.

In 2012, Scarfe embarked on a two-and-a-half-year sailing odyssey, entirely off the grid, with his wife and two children. The trip would ultimately encompass a circumnavigation of the North and South Pacific oceans and over 18,000 sea miles.

Nicole Muñoz was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She began her acting career at the age of four. With over fifteen years experience Nicole has garnered over 40 credits including beloved shows such as Once Upon A Time, Supernatural, The 100, Defiance and a lead role in SYFY’s Van Helsing.

Tricia Helfer is a Canadian cover girl model-turned-actress who has developed her resume beyond the catwalk to include many diverse roles highlighting her versatile and natural screen presence. Best known as the face of the series, and for her Leo award-winning lead performance as the humanoid, Cylon ‘Number Six’ in the critically acclaimed Syfy series, Battlestar Galactica (2004), Helfer has since gone on to book leading roles on a wide variety of networks. Tricia currently stars in FOX’s “Lucifer”, switching gears from the role as Lucifer’s mother Charlotte, to an attorney by the same name.

Prior to “Lucifer,” Tricia was recurring in season two of the Playstation & Sony Picture TV series, “Powers.” Just before that, Helfer also played the lead of the Syfy channel’s original miniseries “Ascension” co-starring Brian Van Holt. In early 2014, Helfer starred as the lead of the ABC series, “Killer Women”. The Sofia Vergara-produced series followed beautiful badass Molly Parker (Helfer), in the notorious Texas Rangers frontier patrol, as she pursued justice despite being embroiled in a continuous fight for her peers’ respect.

Born in Donalda, Alberta, Canada, Helfer launched her modeling career at age 17, and erupted into an international superstar after winning the Ford Models’ Supermodel of the World Contest in 1992. Her modeling credits include appearances in high-end ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Givenchy, and Dolce & Gabbana as well as covers for national publications such as ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Flare and Vogue.

In 2002, Helfer turned her focus to acting, moving to Los Angeles and quickly earning a guest star spot on the second season finale of “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation.” The following year she earned her break with “Battlestar Galactica,” achieving a remarkably fast and successful transition into acting. During her hiatus from “Battlestar Galactica,” Helfer portrayed the legendary Farrah Fawcett in NBC’s film, “Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie’s Angels.” She furthered expanded her portfolio by starring as ‘Stephanie Jacobs’ opposite Dennis Hopper and Billy Zane in the independent feature “Memory,” and later starred alongside LeeLee Sobieski in another independent, “Walk All Over Me,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Helfer returned to the small-screen in 2008, joining the cast of the USA Network’s hit series, “Burn Notice” for a multi-episode arc. The next year she filmed recurring guest spots on the award-winning CBS comedy, “Two and a Half Men,” while appearing on Fox’s crime shows “Chuck,” and “Lie to Me.” In 2010, Helfer booked a series regular role on the ten-episode arc of Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Dark Blue,” starring opposite Dylan McDermott and went on to do a variety of terrific roles on series such as “Suits,” on USA Network, “Key and Peale,” “The Librarians,” “Community,” “Chuck,” “Jeremiah” and “Franklin & Bash,” among others.

In addition to her vast array of television roles, Tricia starred in the film, “A Beginner’s Guide to Endings,” with Harvey Keitel, Scott Caan, and JK Simmons and ;ater, went on to star in “Authors Anonymous” with Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. Next up, is another lead role in thriller, “Isolation” co-starring Luke Malby, a film that will portray the true events of a couple vacationing in the Bahamas. The getaway quickly spirals out of control, forcing the couple into survival mode.

Adding to her impressive resume, Helfer has done prolific voiceover work in mega-hit video game franchises including, playing the roles of Commander Veronica Dare in Halo: ODST, EDI in Mass Effect 2 and 3, Sarah Kerrigan in Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, for which she won the 2010 VGA for Best Performance by a Human Female, as well as in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. She also showcased her voice talent in animated productions, “Green Lantern: First Flight,” a Cartoon Network TV movie, on Disney XD’s “The Spectacular Spiderman”, and on Disney XD’s TRON: Uprising.

In addition to acting, Helfer continues to support as many causes as she can, as she strongly believes in giving back. Tricia supports the Humane Society of United States, Best Friends Animal Society, AmFAR, PETA, Kitten Rescue and Richmond Animal Protection Society.

Tricia, who has dual citizenship in the US and Canada, and resides in Los Angeles.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Tricia Helfer, Jonathan Scarfe and Nicole Muñoz of "Van Helsing" on Syfy

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.

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Young Rock cast members

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