Grant Bowler Signs For Defiance
GRANT BOWLER SIGNS ON FOR LEAD IN SYFY’S UPCOMING EPIC SCIENCE FICTION SERIES, DEFIANCE
Bowler to Play Jeb Nolan in Groundbreaking Series Set to Unite Television and Online Gaming for the Very First Time
Syfy has inked actor Grant Bowler to star in Defiance, a groundbreaking science fiction series that will unite television and massive multiplayer online (MMO) gaming for the very first time. The visionary enterprise is in collaboration with Trion Worlds, with the Syfy series and Trion’s multi-platform shooter MMO poised to debut simultaneously.
The announcement was made today by Mark Stern, President of Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head of Original Content for Universal Cable Productions, which is the studio for the project. “Grant’s charismatic charm and his depth as an actor make him the perfect anchor as we build the ensemble for this sweeping adventure series,” said Stern. “We’re very excited to have him join us on this incredible journey.”
The New Zealand born Bowler is well known for the recurring role on Ugly Betty (2008) as Wilhelmina Slater’s love interest, Connor Owens, and for the role of Cooter, the leader of the werewolf biker gang in the HBO series True Blood (2010) and Captain Gault in ABC’s Lost (2008). Bowler’s other notable roles include movies such as Atlas Shrugged (2011) and Killer Elite (2011). He will next be seen in indie movie, City of Gardens (2012). Bowler is represented by Don Buchwald & Associates / Fortitude in USA and Sue Barnett & Associates in Australia and managed by Untitled Entertainment.
Penned and executive produced by legendary sci-fi TV writer Rockne S. O’Bannon, (Warehouse 13, Alien Nation, seaQuest DSV and Farscape), Defiance will be directed by Scott Stewart (Legion, Priest). It is slated to commence production April 2012 in Toronto.
Set in the near future, Defiance introduces a world where humans and aliens must learn to live together on an exotic new Earth that has been transformed by alien terra-forming machines.
Bowler plays Jeb Nolan, the law keeper in a bustling frontier boomtown that is one of the new world’s few oasis of civility and inclusion. Nolan is a former Marine who fought in the alien conflict and suffered the loss of his wife and child in the war. The trauma transformed him into a lone wanderer in the wilds of this new and dangerous world, bringing him to the town where his peacekeeping skills make him a valuable addition this new community.
The dramatic tapestry of the series and the intense action of the game will exist in a single universe, evolving together over time to tell an overall story that is more powerful together.
About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com ), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
About Trion Worlds
Trion Worlds is the leading publisher and developer of premium games for the connected era. Powered by a breakthrough development and publishing platform, Trion is revolutionizing the way games are developed, played and sold. Trion’s world-class team delivers high-quality, dynamic and massively social games operated as live services across the biggest game genres and devices; including the critically acclaimed blockbuster, Rift™ and the highly-anticipated End of Nations™ and Defiance™. Trion is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., with offices in San Diego, Calif., Austin, Texas, and at Trion Worlds Europe in London, UK.
Categories: Film, sci-fi, SyFy Channel, TV Series, Video Games Tags: Defiance, Grant Bowler, SyFy Channel, SyFy.Gaming
Wedneday
Editor’s Note: Thanks for your patience with this site, after a weekend of moving files and finding the right look, my move to a new host is complete. Thanks for bearing with me.
Paul Dini Podcast
A great Best Of Conversation from Sci-Fi Talk’s Radio Days as the Batman Scribe, Paul Dini 
joined Ernest Lilley and I to chat up Superman The Animated Series. Ernest reviewed a book to as he does so well.
JLA Doom At Paley Center Los Angeles
On Thursday, February 17, Warner Home Video, Los Angeles Times and The Paley Center for Media hosted the West Coast Premiere of Justice League: Doom, the highly anticipated next entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies.
The capacity crowd reveled in the action-packed film, and enjoyed a lively post-screening panel discussion moderated by Los Angeles Times/Hero Complex guru Geoff Boucher and featuring the following film.
JLA Doom Clip
Ghost Hunters International Tonite
Coming On SyFy
The Los Angeles Animation Festival (LAAF) is quickly approaching from March 7-11 and we wanted to make sure you had the dates and latest line-up for this year’s festivities.
This year’s LAAF Artistic Director is Sean Lennon and the 3rd annual event will honor celebrated animator and Academy Award® nominee,Bill Plympton for his contribution to the world of animation. The festival will screen the West Coast Premiere of “A Monster in Paris” as well as revivals of “Team America: World Police,” “The Iron Giant,” “Fantastic Planet,” “Akira,” and first animation Oscar® winner “Shrek.” Please see below for the full schedule and further details can be found online at www.laafest.com.
The Wolfpack Of Reseda
Synopsis: Ben’s life in the suburban sprawl is spent between his dumpy apartment and a fluorescent-lit cubicle that numb his dreams and aspirations. Ignoring his roommate’s warning about werewolves in the valley, he goes to the woods where he is bitten by something mysterious.
Categories: Being Human, DVD, Film, Horror, JLA Doom, sci-fi, Superman, Superman The Animated Series, SyFy Channel, Tim Daly, TV Series, Uncategorized Tags:
SyFy Gos With New Time Travel Pilot
SYFY GREENLIGHTS TWO-HOUR PILOT FOR TIME TRAVEL ACTION THRILLER REWIND FROM
Image via Wikipedia
BERMANBRAUN AND UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS
Syfy has given a two-hour pilot greenlight to the action thriller Rewind from BermanBraun and Universal Cable Productions, it was announced today by Mark Stern, President of Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head of Original Content for Universal Cable Productions.
“We couldn’t be happier to be back in business with BermanBraun. Justin Marks has created a time-travel series with an exciting innovative approach that really exemplifies Syfy’s commitment to bring compelling storytelling to life,” said Stern.
The thriller revolves around a team of military field operatives and civilian scientists who must use untested technology to travel back in time to alter past events in order to change the future and avoid a devastating terrorist attack. Justin Marks wrote the pilot and will executive produce with Tom Spezialy, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. BermanBraun and Universal Cable Productions also produce Syfy’s original hit series Alphas, currently entering its second season. Rewind is set to begin production in April 2012.
About BermanBraun
BermanBraun is an independent media company with three divisions – television, feature film and digital – which create and exploit entertainment content and advertising solutions across all platforms throughout the world.BermanBraun’s digital division has created and operates some of the most popular properties online. They include the celebrity news site Wonderwall, which BermanBraun launched in partnership with Microsoft in February 2009. The site is the primary celebrity destination on the MSN network, and currently ranks first in engagement among all competitive sites in entertainment news.The site averages nearly 14 million unique users per month. Wonderwall exceeded one billion page views for the month of December 2012. In April 2010, BermanBraun launched GLO – a site created in partnership with MSN and Hachette Filipacchi Media. GLO features an innovative design that creates a unique “digital magazine” experience for women seeking style, beauty and lifestyle content. GLO currently ranks first in engagement among competitive sites in its lifestyle categories. BermanBraun is launching three new sites with AOL in 2012 in categories of weather, pets and men.
In series television, BermanBraun produces the recently renewed Alphas for the Syfy network; Brad Meltzer’s Decoded (currently in its second season on History Channel); Junk Gypsies (to air in 2012 on HGTV); Polyamory (to air in 2012 on Showtime); and three new series to be produced with Mythbusters stars Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage for Discovery Channel (the first series, Unchained Reaction, will air 2012 on Discovery).
Categories: sci-fi, SyFy Channel Tags: Rewind, SyFy Channel, Time Travel
Dichen Lachman, New Vampire
Dichen Lachman formerly of Dollhouse join the cast of Being Human. Here’s a transcript of a press
Image via Wikipedia
conference that occurred recently. (Thanks SyFy)
Tell us about Suren and her journey on Being Human. What do we have to look forward to?
Dichen Lachman: Lots of things. Obviously I can’t tell you all of them, but she’s very interesting character and I had a lot of fun having the opportunity to play her. I mean, as an actor
obviously, playing a vampire is one of the things sort of on the list. And she’s incredibly complex, very damaged and reckless in many ways. But at the same time, she’s sort of striving to grow up and mature and be the woman that her mother would like her to be.She’s really interesting and I think you guys will enjoy watching her journey through the show because she really – Aidan’s character, it’s – she’s one of those things that just keeps sort of pulling him back into the world of vampires which she’s constantly trying to escape.So she really throws this (banter) in the works, but he’s planned.
Can you talk a little bit more about how Suren connects to Aidan’s past? I know you can’t talk a lot about it, but can you just give us an idea of, what we can expect from that?
Dichen Lachman: Well, it’s one of those I guess love-hate relationships. I mean, this had a very long history together and she’s obviously been in the ground for 80 years. So minus that. I mean, there’s sort of (bid) in Boston together and going further back, he knows. I mean, they’ve just had a very complicated past and I don’t think their relationship has ever been consummated.I think it’s just this very strong attraction they’ve had. And it’s going to be interesting them being together I think you guys will see in this modern world because she’s been away for so long underground and he’s had the opportunity to go through all these changes and change his ways.And so there’s that – her trying to understand or how far he’s come. It’s I guess when you catch up with an old friend who you haven’t seen in a really long time and you sort of end of change. Because real change as time goes. So it’s going to be – I think you’ll enjoy watching their relationship play out in the present day as well as the past because there’s these opportunities in the show to flash back which is why the show’s so great.And it’ll help you sort of understand their relationship now. So yes, does that answer the question?
I’ve seen your first episode of Being Human and to have you in the part, it seems like it’s tailor made for you. Do you know if they made any changes to the character once you were cast?
Dichen Lachman: I don’t know. I know that there’s a few people working in the writing staff that worked on Dollhouse or maybe no, one. Maybe it’s just (Lisa). But the creative, the sense of the 
show, I don’t know if they changed anything.I actually should ask them, but it was such a great opportunity and it came round and I had to chemistry read and like everyone who was there was so nervous. But when I got the (slides) and they said, they’re interested in sort of auditioning you for this part, I read them and I was like, “This is great.” like if just sometimes you read material and it just makes sense to you and I don’t know whether that’s just, because it’s meant to be or because the writing’s good and the writing is good. But I just read it and I was like, “I think I know how this girl is meant to play and I know where she sits. And I understand it.” It wasn’t like a really great leap for me to make as, as an actor as far as like, “Oh, how do I do this?” It just came to make complete sense to me. So I’m not sure if they wrote it with me in mind or whether they changed it. I have no idea, I’d love to know. I should ask the guys, but no when I read the (slides), I was like, “This is so exciting” and I was so looking forward to being able to go into those dark places. Because vampires are – they’re very interesting creatures.They play out one sort of shadow itself and you don’t get the opportunity to really do that a lot of the time, to live in that dark space constantly.So no, I’d love to know the answer to that. I can’t tell you right now, but I can say that when I read it I really responded to it and I was really excited to go in and have the opportunity to read with Sam and for Syfy. And the people who, the wonderful writers and creators of the show.
So can you kind of talk about what’s been the most challenging for you filming the series?
Dichen Lachman: The most challenging, it’s going to be so – such a basic thing. I think it was like showing the teeth with the dots so they could like the fangs extending. And wearing the black contact lenses which cover your entire eye. I mean, all of us – all the vampires you had to have them fitted. You used to dread sitting in the makeup chair having someone like put these enormous lenses in our eyes.It was very difficult and Sam and I often had conversations about how to show our teeth so they could see CGI, the fangs growing because you kind of feel like a complete (unintelligible) in front of the camera and you’re trying to raise your upper lip so they can, find the dots to make the CGI possible.That was I think one of the more difficult things because I’ve never done anything. Well, I’ve done things with CGI, but never sort of, that’s part of the performance. And when you’re performing – I mean, this is one of the things about being an actor. Sometimes it’s just very technical, it’s not sort of really craft-based.You have to be this angle and you have to raise your lip just the right amount and, you’re still trying to keep in the moment and also satisfy the needs of the effects department. That was a real challenge and it’s such a basic thing.But no, I found that one of the more difficult things and obviously, as an actor sometimes when you’re doing a show, you have – and they shoot so fast especially, on a show like Being Human. I mean, they’re all remarkable. They work very quickly. They work very hard and the actors are all incredibly good. So they’re all, they’re for each other and for the show.But when you have to reach that emotional point, sometimes you don’t always have the time to get where you need to get and there’s a lot of pressure that I put on myself to get to those places and really commit to them. And I think one of the things in television is when you’re working at that speed, you really have to have a technique.You’re like a very strong technique so that you can be in those moments truthfully for the show and for the character. That was also challenging and that’s challenging in all shows, when you have to get to the heightened emotional place. But you couldn’t be working with nicer people, more supportive. And yes, so it was definitely the 
technical aspect first and then reaching that sort of heightened emotional state.
Can you see through the contacts though? They cover your whole eye or are they just like regular contact lenses?
Dichen Lachman: There’s a tiny little hole for your pupil to see through, but it’s not very big. So your vision is limited. You can still see. It’s very uncomfortable for the first sort of 15 minutes because the things so large and so foreign in your eye. But then it’s sort of like, it settles in and you just have – your peripheral vision becomes extremely limited and you can only really see what’s directly in front of you.And I remember Sam and Kyle had a big fight scene and they wanted them to wear these contacts and they were like on the top of a building with no balcony. They’re on the roof and Sam just had to say, “We can’t do this with the contacts in. We may fall off and we can hardly see.” It was so completely dangerous. Yes so you can still see, but it’s very limited.But everyone’s so understanding and the makeup department, they’re the sweetest, loveliest people on Earth. And, they did everything to try and make you feel comfortable. And, everyone understood that it was like a thing. I can’t even imagine doing an entire film with those things in and I know people have. But yes, you can see.
Can you could talk a little bit about your experiences filming your first episode of Being Human. What was sort of like stepping into the role initially, anything that really comes to mind from that shoot?
Dichen Lachman: Well, firstly everyone was amazing. I couldn’t have been on a set with, nicer people. And Montreal which is where they shoot the show is just a really stunning city and, as most of you know it’s predominately French speaking. So, you kind of feel like you’re in Europe in a way.Stepping onto the set, obviously I was nervous. You always get a little bit nervous your first day and there were some sort of - there was a bit of tweaking to do with the character just because I only got there a few days before and we were still trying to find her voice. Like well how does someone who’s 500 years old or 1000 years old speak, especially when they’ve been in the ground for 80 years? And I had my ideas and the show runner’s had their ideas. And we were trying to find sort of that balance, what does she sound like? And yet you have mother who sounds very, specific and strong. And so does she sound like her mother exactly or is she a little bit different? And finding the voice, the accent was very tricky on the first day. But we finally, I have a lady I work with who’s amazing, a dialect coach.And we basically created after that first day because it was sort of, it was something that we just bypassed, somehow we didn’t manage to discuss. Because I assume that what I did was in the audition was sort of what I would do and then we actually had a discussion about it, but it was sort of too late to change anything.So the very next day, I worked with my dialect coach and we designed sort of an accent and a voice for her that was a little bit American, but a little bit British, sort of like a mid-Atlantusesque type accent. But not specifically. We kind of mdernized it slightly and made her a little bit more youthful.And then once we came up with her voice, I went back and I don’t know if you want to write this or not. But ADR, some of my speeches on that first day because I wanted there to be some consistency with the character obviously. I mean, that’s one of the most important things with the voice and sound because you don’t want that to take someone out of the show or getting carried away with the storyline.So yes, we went back and we ADRed over that because that was very challenging. And, “per sona” in Latin apparently means “through sound.” And you can fool people with little like tricks and people will accept things and they don’t look so good. But if something doesn’t sound right, people won’t believe it. And it’s very important for me for the characters voice to be specific and consistent and settled.So that was like one of my main priorities on the first day was communicating with Adam Kane about what they were looking for and how I felt about the character. And then bringing in Mary McDonald-Lewis who’s just so – an incredible dialect coach.To just communicate, with the show runners and with me and just so we were all speaking the same language and finding her voice because, you don’t want her to sound like she’s from, Pasadena or Brooklyn or something. You want her to sound like she’s from another world in a way, but you don’t want her to be inaccessible.So hopefully – I don’t know if you’ve all seen the second episode, but hopefully you like her sound and it’s something that, that you respond to because it was one of the things that was really important for me.
You mentioned the mother character. I wanted to get your take sort of how you see Suren’s relationship with her mother. How does that sort of play out in the series?
Dichen Lachman: Well, I mean Suren’s relationship with her mother is very complicated. She’s always let her mother down and anything she did was never good enough. And it’s sort of like, it’s one of those relationships which is very strained and there’s a lot of love there and there’s a lot of hate there, and resentment and disappointment.And you really see that as the episode sort of continue on. You really feel the tension. She can never do the right thing by her mother and so sometimes she just doesn’t even try. And then other times, she’s tries and then she fails. And it’s just a very difficult relationship. I actually have a really wonderful relationship with my mother, so it was difficult to find something personal that I connected to bring that to life.But I found other things and hopefully that really comes across and you enjoy the tension in that relationship plays out.
I was just wondering what is it you think about Being Human that keeps people tuning in?
Dichen Lachman: Well, it’s such a wonderful show and I think just people, human beings struggle with being human and just being part of society every day. I mean there’s a lot of people who feel outside of the community or they don’t feel like they fit in or they’re trying to fit in or they’re just trying to get by.And I think, even though it’s a show about a vampire, ghost and a werewolf, I think it’s very relatable. Everyone’s trying to make a relationship, work with a job and juggling, different things that come up in their day to day lives. And I think people relate to the show. And the characters are so fun and watchable and they have that balance of sort of drama, but also that lightness.And the camaraderie between the house mates is so beautiful and I think Aidan’s sort of love of – he wants to sort of serve and yet he’s sort of always pulling between giving and also satiating his hunger. And I think that’s in life – I think that’s a balance that everyone struggles with. Everyone struggles with a dark side and they’re always trying to do the right thing.We all – everyone always tries to do the right thing. We don’t always manage, but I think most people I think are inherently good. And sometimes where there are a lot of good people who just aren’t good at being a good person, but sometimes it’s a push and pull like we all have it. And I think people relate to that and it’s a beautiful show.The storyline’s are wonderful and when I first watched the whole series, I watched it all back to back and I thought I just found this really lovely balance between sort of tragedy and comedy. And usually those things go hand in hand anyway. But I think it’s that, you know. I think people just they respond to the characters.;
And what would you like to say to everybody who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
Dichen Lachman: Of me and my word? Just, I just can’t thank the people who support me and the shows that I do and the movies I try and make. Who constantly tune in to watch and support me. I can’t thank them enough, you know. I would be nowhere without the viewers and the fans and I have this very soft place in my heart for the people who enjoy my work and who believe in me because,actors we’re funny creatures. We have these enormous egos, but we’re deeply insecure. There’s an incredible paradox and a lot of the time I, will find – not all the time, but we all have our moments where we don’t sometimes believe in ourselves and we think, “Oh, I’m never going to work again and I’m a terrible actor.”But then it’s the fans, I look to them and they believe in me and they help me keep believing in myself. And it’s – and maybe that’s unhealthy. I should probably speak to a therapist or something about that. Everyone in L.A. has a therapist, but I don’t. But I do look to my fans sometimes and they give me more confidence and hope that, I’m not too bad at what I do and I’ll continue to be able to do it.And I just – I have so much gratitude towards the people who support me and who believe in me.
My first question is, how much – we know the theme of the show this season is temptation. Is Suren going to be tempted as well?
Dichen Lachman: I think there is some temptation there for her to, I think she’s just been in this world for so long and she’s so deeply entrenched in that because her mother is sort of like the queen of the vampires. I think if it’s there it’s very fleeting because she knows her fate and that’s why in a way she’s so damaged.I think the main – you’ll see more of the temptation creep in with Aidan who’s constantly being pulled back into this world. Somehow he’s always trying to escape it and he’s always trying to sort of run away from who he is and the people around him. And she’s just there, she’s like just pulling him back in and pulling him back in.And as much as he tries to resist, there’s sort of just this – I mean, I guess it all becomes relative and if you’ve been alive for 500 hundred or 1000 years, 80 years isn’t really that long. In the grand scheme of things, maybe it’s like, five years or something. The equivalent of that, in your mind. But yes, she has been a part of his life for a very long time and yes she was gone for a little while.But, she’s back and that sort of feeling with him I think even though he’s never let it really live and occupy too much space. The fact that he’s working so closely with her is making that harder and harder for him. So I think you will see her go through a little bit of that. There’s no question where her future is.And it’s a very hard thing I think ultimately for her to accept, but it’s just something that she knows. And there are things about, my character as a person, that I don’t like, but I know that I’m always going to be like that and there’s nothing I can do to change it even if it’s just a little, mundane thing. There are just some things that we can’t change.
Is your interaction with (Deena) more on a flashback basis or is it more like she’s a constant presence watching over what you and Aidan are doing?
Dichen Lachman: Yes, no I think you’ll – she is in the flashbacks. Absolutely, but their – Suren’s relationship with mother is played out, very much in the present and in her conversations with Aidan and you really understand that dynamic with the way Aidan, and Suren communicate. And how she communicates with Aidan and mother like in the present day.E
Do you know are you going to be on the entire season or do you know how many episodes you’ll be on?
Dichen Lachman: Yes, yes. Suren’s character is in seven episodes, but they’ll refer to her in the other episodes and you know.
You’ve done a lot of science fiction, fantasy, horror. Now, were you a fan of these kind of things before you started doing them?
Dichen Lachman: I love sci-fi and fantasy. It’s, for me, I – my friend, a very good friend of mine, (Max Kabalek), he always – he’s in casting. But he always says, “I’m Asian, but from the future.” So it’s sort of – it’s very hard for me to fit into like a period piece or, you know – I mean, yes in modern days, they can sort of slip me into a show here or there, but for the family involved forget about it because, I have like this sort of weird, unique alien thing going.So I’m very grateful that I guess in a way it just kind of works. Like I love sci-fi, fantasy and I kind of fit into that world because I don’t – it’s weird. People find it hard to cast me in real circumstances. I hope that changes because I’ve always loved period pieces and I love the fact that on this show because it is a fantasy, I actually get to be – I get to exist in, the 1920s and 30s.in the normal world – I mean, like I love Deadwood, but I’d never be on that show. Like I think it’s one of the greatest shows ever and if I was on that show, I’d probably be one of the Chinese hookers that they throw into the fire and that’s about all I would be doing on that show. And it’s sad because I am half, Australian and my father’s family is European and I really respond to that. I understand sort of that time and I would love to explore that, but I can’t. I mean, unless someone writes a show or a movie about one of the little people or the women who work in like in an opium den way back then or something. It’s just not going to happen. So one of the most exciting things about reading the scripts they came in with that I could be a person or a vampire at least.
But in that period and I get to be like a person that people acknowledge and not just like one of the Asian people that do something in the background. So that was really exciting and ‘ve digressed very much from your question. I don’t even know if I’ve answered it.
I always wonder why they don’t have more like Asians and Latinos and other types of people on TV. It’s weird.
Dichen Lachman: Well, I guess it’s because they weren’t like doing things of like note because they were sort of like the people that were kind of pushed down to the bottom of the thing. It was just the way it happened. I don’t think - obviously there are stories like that that are really fascinating, that occurred in those communities, but I feel like no one wrote them down.I hope something surfaces sometime soon, but at the moment, I love sci-fi/fantasy and somehow I just – thanks to Joss Whedon I guess I’ve made a little home there. And I hope I can continue to do this genre because I love it. I love it, I think it’s a wonderful place to play out ideas and opinions about the world today in a safe place, you know.
Special Thanks To The SyFy Channel.
Categories: Being Human, Horror, SyFy Channel, TV Series Tags: Being Human, Dichen Lachman, SyFy Channel
Merlin’s Knights Of The Roundtable
Transcript of recent press conference with the men who play Arthur’s Knights
So the first question I wanted to ask is what do you most enjoy about your role?
Tom Hopper (Sir Percival ): I guess we do quite a lot of physical stuff, which is a lot of fun. We do a lot of fighting and look cool with a sword, which is always a lot of fun.
Adetomiwa Edun: (Sir Elyan) Yes, I absolutely concur. I’m right behind Tom when he says it’s a lot of fun kind of getting stuck in with the action because we’ve got a couple of good ones in mix in this season.
Eoin Macken (Sir Gwaine): I concur.
Rupert Young (Sir Leon) : What does “concur” mean?
Is there anything in the upcoming episodes that the fans should be looking for that you would like them to see?
Eoin Macken: I think if fans can start the episode where Tom wears anything on his arms, that would be epic.
Which is did any of you actually watch Merlin before you got cast in Merlin?
Eoin Macken: I did because Merlin is a wonderful show and I heard about it so often.
Adetomiwa Edun: I also did watch Merlin before. Sorry. I’ve got Eoin Macken here making some extraordinary faces and it’s quite distracting.
Eoin Macken: I just want to know what episodes you watched before you were cast.
Adetomiwa Edun: I watched the whole first three seasons.
Eoin Macken: What happened?
Adetomiwa Edun: You want to go through all of it? Okay. Episode one — because ….I was enjoying it.
Rupert Young: When you auditioned for the show, you — normally — I had a couple of days so I tried to watch as many as I could. So I also watched — and since being in it, I’ve watched it even 
more. My mom makes me.
Tom Hopper: We all now watch the show because we’re all narcissistic.
Speaking of auditions, I wanted to find out if maybe you could perhaps tell us a little about your initial audition for Merlin and getting started in your respective roles.
Tom Hopper: Basically, I just did a — when I heard I was going for Percival — so first of all, I just did a lot of research and then — in character — which actually came to not a lot of avail to what they actually decided to do with the character in the show. It was slightly different from what they took on it. But yes, basically the audition consists of — and I (inaudible) this is the same for the other boys as well — is that you get your script through and you read it through with the director and if you’re right for the part, then they’ll give you the offer.
Rupert Young: When I first auditioned, I was up for two parts. One was Sir Leon, which I now play. I really was — and the other was another part who actually died another night. Luckily, they cast me as Sir Leon. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be employed anymore. And I was only meant to be in a couple of episodes and then they kept bringing me back. So I’ve kind of developed the character with the writers so it’s been quite exciting.
Eoin Macken: I just sent a video being topless in a bed, and that was my audition.
Adetomiwa Edun: I went in, I met with them — the director of the block that was I was set cast in, and — yes — I think in the offices of the producers who made the (inaudible). It seemed to have the desired effect.
Eoin Macken: I did consider before Merlin I was going to write them letters just asking to be in the show.
Can you tell us a little bit about some of the acting challenges you found working on the show, and then also maybe how have you seen your characters sort of grow and develop as you’ve been playing them out this season?
Rupert Young: I think — to answer the second part of your question. What’s been quite lovely, the group of us working together is the right combination we managed to get, the kind of relationship we had off-screen and into their characters. So it was quite nice to get that group dynamic which the writers found and also we found off-screen. So that was really fun.
Eoin Macken: I think the characters have aggressed since we began and (inaudible) written very well and then we came in and ruined it. So they might have to save it for a really solid ending.
Adetomiwa Edun: Speaking for Tom and myself when I say that I think we just agree that — (inaudible) we beg to differ. With one character (inaudible) –. Personally, one of the challenges I found is shooting in Wales, although I love kind of –All the stuff out in the forest — is that it can be quite cold, and I’m definitely solar-powered.
What in your minds specifically about the filming of the season 4 opener, what maybe you enjoyed most about shooting that 2-parter.
Rupert Young: First of all, we were — it was a new — we were shooting on 35-mm (inaudible) and everything was bigger and better and so it just — when we were filming, it was us coming back together after being away from each other for a few months and it was the first time the unit of knights were really huge. So it just felt much more exciting and it was just a — there was an excitement even from day one that it becomes to be a specialty.
Adetomiwa Edun: Also, it was — sorry. I beg your pardon.
Eoin Macken: Adetomiwa has lost his train of thought. I think what was fascinating about the opener was the fact that because it was a much darker tone than the previous series and because we had this great big quest feel and it was all of us together, as Rupert said, going on an adventure, and with the Derocha – which had a lot of special effects — it was — we didn’t really know what was going on, which kind of lends to what was happening with the characters. Because you can’t see the Derocha and we didn’t know what was happening, it kind of — our confusion was real and that was really great.
Adetomiwa Edun: If Eoin will let me speak — What I was trying to — what I was going to say was that the scale of the first two episodes was massive and we shot in some fantastic locations that were — that sort of really — were really evocative and added to the experience of shooting it, which was a lot of fun.
Was it tough with the special effects? I know there was a lot, especially with the Derocha. Was it tough filming with those special effects?
Rupert Young: I think what’s quite interesting is when you’re filming them, you don’t actually know what you’re trying to attack. So if somebody tells you attack from all sides while looking in this general direction and hold a flame, and so you do it to nothing. And so it’s not until you actually watch the episode — you go, “Oh wow, that is actually quite scary.”
Eoin Macken: Working with the Derocha – when you’re acting — acting is about reacting. You need to react off someone doing something to you. The Derocha don’t really give you anything back, so it was hard to act.
Rupert Young: It’s like working with Eoin.
Being the feisty bad boy, Sir Gwaine seems to have friendships both with Arthur and Merlin and they’re kind of different. So I was wondering how Gwaine would describe his friendships with each of them.
Eoin Macken: I think that the initial friendship with Arthur was actually more of a competitive relationship that became a friendship through respect because initially, Gwaine as a character didn’t have any time for Arthur because he was royalty. And Merlin was more respectful towards him and they became friends much quicker. But I think as it developed this year, I think that Arthur and Gwaine became much stronger friends, as Arthur did with all the knights, and to virtue of they’re fighting battles together so you’re fighting side by side. So Merlin and Gwaine haven’t been as strong friend-wise because Gwaine doesn’t know what actually Merlin does in terms of his magic, so Arthur and Gwaine would fight alongside each other, as alongside Percival and Elyan. And so we — because we have a stronger bond that way, I think, than — yes.
This series is wonderfully color-blind, and I don’t know much about British history but I think that blacks came to England at the same time they came to the US. So when you were discussing creating your character, I wonder whether you were discussing, like, playing a color-blind character or whether they were talking about just making an international type of cast — a global feel to the knights?
Adetomiwa Edun: I believe that there were some Africans in the UK certainly as far back as the middle ages at the very least. As for sort of being in this cast, I think — I don’t think there was any intention — I don’t think the thought process was to bring — I don’t think race basically was part of the casting. I was brought in to join the cast as Gwaine’s brother, but I think beyond that — I don’t — and I’m not — I don’t think the series or the show is worried about making any kind of particular statement in that respect. But I guess you might — yes. That’s what — this is what I believe, yes. I guess you could ask the producers.
I was wondering, Rupert, Sir Leon’s been around with Arthur for a long time and, for the most part, he would have seen Merlin as Arthur’s servant. And now, things have kind of changed, like when you guys were all out being subversive when Morgana was on the throne. So I was just wondering if his picture of Merlin has changed. Have they — will they become sort of friends? Will they interact? That type of thing.
Rupert Young: I think that with the relationship with Merlin is that because he’s been around and he’s always at Arthur’s side — as has Leon, in many ways — they have grown to like each other. However, there’s always that status. So I’m always going to be a slightly higher status than Merlin. So we all — I will — I think my character and all the knights — we have a joke with him, we have a laugh with Merlin, but there’s always a line, in the same way — to a point — but not as much — as Arthur and Merlin. They — there’s that respect there, but Merlin always knows his place and we’ve always got to remember that he’ll be our friend, but when he needs to be, he is still a servant.
We have — all these pictures are kind of beefcakes. Can you tell us, like, where that photo shoot came from?
Tom Hooper: Oh, the GT — the Gay Times shoot? Is that — that’s the one you’re talking about? Yes, we did a shoot for a magazine earlier this year for the promotion of the opening of the series, and we were asked by this magazine to dress in — well, not a lot — with swords and shields and stuff, but also making it kind of a fashion thing as well. So yes, we did it. I think that’s quite a popular magazine in the UK, so the producers thought it would be a good idea for us to do that. Is that a popular thing over there?
Can we expect to see more about the knights’ backgrounds or personal lives, and if not, what can we expect to see more of in the fourth season?
Tom Hopper: I think as the series goes on, there (inaudible) things that happen (inaudible) story (inaudible). I think you don’t really get to see that much about our backgrounds because this series very much focuses on the development of Arthur becoming who he’s going to be. And I think it’s more about the knights being there for him on that journey — this series. So potentially next series there may be more (inaudible). I think this series is more about us being on the side of Arthur and being there for him on his (inaudible) years.
Adetomiwa Edun: Yes, adding to what Tom was saying, I think this (inaudible) sort of (inaudible) of this season is quite epic and it focuses on the overarching theme. So like I think you can expect through the evolution of a slightly different Camelot, there are issues raised by Arthur’s relationship with Guinevere and things like that are sort of foreground. And I think you do. You get glimpses of the knights, but you see them primarily as actors in a — or agitators in the formation of this new sort of Camelot.
Eoin Macken: I agree with everything Adetomiwa said, in general.
And for each of you, what was your favorite scene to do?
Eoin Macken: My favorite scene personally was myself and Rupert have a really great scene coming up in I think episode 8 — 7? — where we’re just really interesting. There’s an episode that basically mainly focuses on the knights, so I’m sure the fans will look after that because we’re pretty brilliant in it. And the scene — it was quite interesting because a lot more conflict between the knights in terms of creating a different dynamic to our relationship. So I enjoyed a scene with Rupert which we had in the forest which got quite heated and it was fun.
Adetomiwa Edun: Tom and I did a little bit at the opening of the series which was quite fun, rescuing the children from the Derocha. That was good. And then following on again from what Eoin said, I think that sort of — if I may call it the knights’ episode — has some really nice stuff — interplay between us all — all four of us, which was a lot of fun to do.
Tom Hopper: Certainly my favorite had to be saving the kids with Adetomiwa in episode 1. That was a lot of fun. And saying again really, I think the knights’ episode — which is, I believe, episode 8 of this series — so I think for all four of us it was a lot of fun to do that though because we all got to get a peek or hint of something that was really on the story line of the episode. So that was a lot of fun.
Rupert Young: As I have said, it’s the first time we all go out — often, so there’s a — and it was just nice to — I think the characters developed a little bit in those, as Eoin said, conflicts and that was the most fun to shoot. The rest were not quite as fun.
I was wondering what kind of feedback do you get from fans about your characters.
Tom Hopper: I think it’s varied really. Three of us are on Twitter and you get kind of mixed feedback, which is some girls and guys that, I guess, have an attraction towards them and then I guess there are some that just want to know every single fact about the show. And I think they know more about the show than we do. But generally, the feedback is good. It seems like we have some very nice, loyal fans. It’s nice.
Adetomiwa Edun: Yes, it’s really nice. It seems that this show has a really supportive family, which is awesome. I think a lot of girls are very jealous of Eoin Macken’s hair. I get a lot of questions about what products he uses — Pantene Pro-V, I believe.And Head and Shoulders. Sorry.And I get asked a lot as well how I feel standing next to Tom’s arms, and I always — as I always tell people, if they’d let me get my arms out, then –
Eoin Macken: Rupert and Tom are all on Twitter so we really get interaction with the fans. Adetomiwa doesn’t know how to use Twitter. He’s not very tech-savvy, but we’re trying to teach him. And I think the fans have actually been great. And (inaudible) come to fans to have a chat. And being on Twitter and so forth allows you to engage with someone, and they’ve all said some — I’ve actually learned an awful lot more about Merlin and the show from them because, as Tom said, they do know everything about it. And when we don’t pay attention to what’s going on, they remind us.
Rupert Young: I think that’s the amazing thing about the fans of the show is it’s all age groups. You do see — there are a lot of children — that the age goes up to 80. It’s a family show and it’s — there are a lot of different people. And so what’s interesting is just seeing that dynamic and seeing people around the world who love the show and know the show. It’s (inaudible) to be a part of.
Eoin Macken: Yes. It’s been — I can say one more thing. It’s been genuinely fascinating because Merlin does have such a wide-reaching fan base. It does hit all demographics and you do get people all over the world, which is (inaudible) — but it is great because you get to see how everyone’s got a different subjective take on it from all the different (inaudible) of the world and because we all seem to be connecting with it. It’s great. Sorry. Rupert Young is just trying to distract me, but –
Can you talk about working with Bradley James and Colin Morgan?
Eoin Macken: Colin and Bradley — what’s great — what’s actually genuinely great with working on Merlin is the actors on Merlin are all of a really high caliber. They’re bringing some great guest stars and so forth like Nathaniel Parker and different people. But the actors on the show are the main (inaudible) — which is Colin and Bradley and Katie. They often (inaudible) the actors. And Colin and Bradley, in particular, are both brilliant and it is always great working with them. And as people, Colin’s Irish and Irish people are generally great, and Bradley’s British and that’s cool, too. So it’s great working with them.
Rupert Young: I think when you first set up on the show, you can see — Colin, Morgan and (inaudible) — they’re the hardest-working people I’ve met. I know it sounds like we’re sucking up to them, but they generally are brilliant. The show wouldn’t be (inaudible). (Inaudible) work that hard and they’re working flat-out for 8 months, and so they make us all raise our game. So it’s — yes, it’s a great — two great people to work with.
Adetomiwa Edun: I guess our interaction with them is — as a group, it’s slightly different, like Bradley is very much sort of (inaudible) one of the lads and we have a lot of good times with him, and Colin is just like one of the warmest, nicest sort of most generous people you’ll ever meet.
Since you guys are such a diverse group, I was wondering if you could assign superlatives to each other, like who would get — hello?
Eoin Macken: I would call Adetomiwa “enigmatic.”
Tom Hopper: I would call Rupert — as a character — as Leon or as Rupert as a person? Rupert — I would call “Baby.”
Adetomiwa Edun: Tom “Big Guns” Hopper — I think — what would I say? A good man to have in your corner.
Rupert Young: I’d call Eoin “confusing.” Did you get all that?
Do you guys think you’ll ever get a love interest or do you think that Arthur will continue to have a monopoly on the only girl in Camelot?
Adetomiwa Edun: Look, I’m sure you know the show is influenced by fan feedback.
Eoin Macken: There should definitely be more sex scenes.
Rupert Young: That was Eoin Macken.
Eoin Macken: That was Rupert Young.He does a good Irish accent apparently.
Categories: Merlin, SyFy Channel Tags: Merlin, Merlin Knights Of The Roundtable, SyFy Channel
Monday
Being Human Mama Said There’d Be Decades Like This
Lost Girl
Susan Eisenberg returns as Wonder Woman for JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM
Popular voice of Amazon Princess to appear at February 16 West Coast Premiere of all-new DC Universe Animated Original Movie
Susan Eisenberg, the beloved voice of Wonder Woman in the popular Justice League and Justice League Unlimited television series, reprises her role for the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Justice League: Doom.Eisenberg will join several of her voicecast colleagues for the West Coast Premiere of Justice League: Doom at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills on February 16.
The event is completely sold out. However, a very limited number of VIP seats are still available to fans through the Los Angeles Times/Hero Complex, as well as the Justice League: Doom Facebook page. Fans should keep their browser focused on those two pages for details of the giveaways.
The all-new, PG-13 rated Justice League: Doom will be available February 28 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and for Download. Both the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViiolet™ Digital Copy.
Eisenberg has focused her career in voiceovers for animation, video games and commercial use. In addition to her work for the past 12-plus as Wonder Woman for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited television series and the DCU films Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and Justice League: Doom, Eisenberg can also be heard in a variety of animates series, including Jackie Chan Adventures, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and The Super Hero Squad Show, as well as video games like Star Wars: The Ford Unleashed – Ultimate Sith Edition and Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. She is one of nine actors returning to the booth to record their original Justice League roles for the film, Justice League: Doom.
In anticipation of the West Coast Premiere, Eisenberg gladly offered some recollections and thoughts regarding her years of voicing Wonder Woman, including flirtations with Batman, her personal memorabilia collection, and the real reason Wonder Woman flies an invisible plane. Take a read …
What do you recall of earning the role of Wonder Woman some 13 years ago?
SUSAN EISENBERG:I can remember it vividly – because it was a big deal. It felt like a real life-changer, so it’s a huge memory for me. It was 1999, and I remember going to the call back and 
being with Andrea (Romano) and Bruce (Timm). Even the dialogue is still clear in my memory. And when I got the call that I got the role, it really had an impact on me.Most jobs in voiceover don’t make you feel like they’re going to change your life, but this one did. And in many ways, it really did. I got to work for six years on a series, and I’d never done something that long term. And I was chosen to voice this wonderful, iconic character … and through these movies, I get to continue that role. It’s been fun and kind of surprising – people obviously know Wonder Woman, but it’s wonderful when they care that much that they actually recognize and acknowledge your work as the character. I walk into other jobs and people still say, “You’re Wonder Woman, right?” That’s really a kick.
What’s special to you about playing Wonder Woman?
SUSAN EISENBERG: Wonder Woman is truly iconic. Everyone knows her. There’s something wonderful about playing a character who is recognized throughout the world. And I love her strength. I love that she stands for something and that she believes in what she believes. She’s very, very loyal and faithful and, in the beginning, I got to play her more vulnerable, and now I get to play her more adult and stronger. She’s a wonderful character. More
Categories: Being Human, Comics, Film, Lost Girl, SyFy Channel Tags:
Categories: Merlin, SyFy Channel Tags: DC Animation Video, Merlin, SyFy Channel
Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island
*Gina Holden (Formerly of Blood Ties and Flash Gordon) and go to actor Mark Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica, he also directed) talk about their version of Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island airing on SyFy in a press conference. These two underated actors have memorable performances in genre film and television. It’s a pleasure to shine the spotlight on them.
So Mark, once again you and your father are playing the younger and older versions of the same character. What was it like working with your dad on this project especially with it being your directorial debut?
Mark Sheppard: Well, I’ve actually directed him before in a short film so it’s a lot of fun to work with him. My dad is a truly gifted actor and a lot of fun to play with. But we take every chance that we can get. I mean that’s the best answer I can give you is any chance we get to work together we take it. It’s so much fun.
And there’s been a lot of film adaptations of Jules Verne’s stories and especially the Mysterious Island. Can you talk about what makes this one unique?
Mark Sheppard: Well, I’m in it, that’s one thing. I’ve never done a version of it before. Genuinely, I think it’s one of the hardest of Verne’s stories to actually bring to the screen because it’s very
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long, very complex.And I think a lot of people have tried to bring every aspect of the film together. And I think what makes this different in a lot of ways is that we’ve tried to go back and stick to the spirit of what Verne was actually trying to do.But it’s always hard to do that. It’s always hard to take such a fantastic long novel and make it into a small film piece of entertainment.I mean you’ve got to pick the best – I guess you’ve got to pick the best (unintelligible) heart of soul of the action and it – somebody’s always going to be upset, that’s the trouble with the great Verne stories is somebody’s always going to be a little upset by it. But I hope they really enjoy it, we’ve done the best that we can.
So can you both talk about how you became involved in the film?
Gina Holden: Well, I’ll go first. I actually just received a call and was sent the script. And of course seeing that Mark was attached to it I was immediately interested because I’m a huge fan of his work. And I really enjoyed the script and as soon as I was given the opportunity to be part of it and had read the script I thought it was a character I definitely wanted to play. So for me it was kind of an invitation and I definitely wanted to be part of it just seeing who else was attached to the project and being a Sci-Fi fan myself of the genre I just thought would be fantastic. So that was – for me that was what it was.
Mark Sheppard: Every film is so difficult to put together, the chance to actually complete something and take it all the way to it being seen. And it was just such a lovely group of people that came together to do this and it’s so much fun. And the more that we went into it and the further we went into the better the people were attracted to it. I mean it’s lovely.There’s a lot of fantastic people who worked on this film and it’s so much fun to do. It’s such a labor to make a film anyway but it’s lovely that we managed to do it this way. And had pretty much such a good time doing it. As hard as it was to do it was a fun time and a good memory. That’s the thing, I could rely on Gina at any given time to just give me that extra thing. I could sit and watch Gina all day on film, it makes me happy.
What did you find most challenging, the both of you?
Mark Sheppard: The weather.
Gina Holden: Yes, the weather was crazy.
Mark Sheppard: The weather was hard core. I mean we lost a lot of time to weather. We had horizontal rain and heat beyond anything I’ve ever experience. I mean I’ve been in Miami before, worked in Miami and other places, but this heat I’ve never experienced before. The humidity was incredible. And then the chiggers and the gators and the nutria rats and the flora and the fauna of Louisiana, I mean it’s a (unintelligible) place, I’m telling you. Louisiana is an adult place but it’s been an amazing the experience.But those are the challenges and making a film has its own challenges inherently. But a great crew and a lot of people that really wanted to get this thing done as best as it could be done. And the cast and crew were just fabulous. And it was just a labor of love.
Mark, any chance you can tell us if you’re going to be on Dr. Who again and if you’ll be continuing to do voice work for BBC America?
Mark Sheppard: Well, yes, and thanks to Matt Stein I’ve been doing a lot of voiceovers for BBC America, it’s so much fun to introduce some of the shows I’m actually in. This is so much fun. But what am I going to do on Dr. Who, I can’t tell you that. I mean I’d lie. I’d have to lie about everything, you know. Well, I just introduced the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne. I just got back the day before yesterday from Melbourne. We did the Dr. Who Symphonic Spectacular where we took the music of Seasons 5 and 6 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the the silence and everybody else and just had this incredible sold out – we did six performances sold out, 11,000 people. You know, the music of Mary Gold and conducted by Ben Foster. It was just the most extraordinary experience. So, I think Canton is a much loved character and probably see him again on Dr. Who. It’s the only thing I can really say about that.
We’ve just been lucky to have you both on so many Syfy shows or do you actively seek being on Syfy? And can you tell us what you most like about working with it?
Gina Holden: For me, I think I’m always looking for great Syfy projects. I’ve done a lot as everyone knows and I just think for me I’m drawn to them because of the imagination that you have to
use while filming. And I’m kind of a weirdo that way. I just love the green screen. I love the challenge of working with things not from this world and just the challenge of that is really exciting. And as crazy as it sounds, yes, even with Mysterious Island we were on this crazy location and all the bugs and all those challenges, but those are what kind of make it fun as well as weird as that sounds.So for me I’m always hoping and always excited when I get a new Syfy project because it’s really interesting and it brings everybody together in a way that’s – just different than the dynamic in a drama or something like that. So you just really have to pull together and dig deep and face your own fears as well.For me, I’m terrified of huge insects and here we are in the middle of the swamp in Louisiana dealing with these massive moths and things like that. And that’s kind of what makes it exciting because you obviously get over those challenges and – so, yes, it’s really fun.
Mark Sheppard: I agree with Gina. It’s the imagination that is involved in sci-fi and fantasy is what draws me to it. Stories, everything, I mean (unintelligible) you get these kind of stories in historical drama and it’s just so fabulous. It seems to realize itself to be some of the most exciting TV and films that are made. Sci-fi just has that ability.And yes, I love watching actors and especially directing actors looking at giant octopuses that aren’t there, which (unintelligible). It’s a tough job and I think it takes a very special type of actor to be willing to commit to these kinds of things.And I think that’s why Gina and the rest of the cast are very much loved by the sci-fi community. There’s a commitment there and there’s a love of the genre and you can tell. You can really tell.
Mark, can you tell us about what kind of – what is it like to direct Gina? And Gina, what is it like to be directed by Mark?
Mark Sheppard: Fabulous, it’s an absolute – everybody says this, it’s like, it was so wonderful, it’s such a joy, she’s lovely. But she really is so lovely. And I – myself and Dave, the Director of Photography, we just – we were just blown away. We could just watch her all day. It was just so much fun.No matter what’s biting us or what’s attacking us from the flora or fauna, the poison oak and the rats and ivy and everything else that exists, we could sit and watch Gina do what Gina does all day. She’s just fabulous, so much fun.
Gina Holden: Thank you, Mark. And I have to say about Mark, it was so much fun being directed by him. And again, obviously he has so many fans from his acting work and of the projects he’s done, but to see him step in and direct was really fantastic.And you’ll hear from actors that – when a really talented actor goes and starts directing he’s that much better just because he’s been on the other side. So we connected right away, I can say that. And I just trusted him from the start and we had a blast. And I would just understand – he would look at me and go, I kind of was thinking this.And I’d go yes, I know exactly what you mean. And we just kind of worked that way. And everyone else was fantastic as well. And we all really enjoyed working with Mark. And it was exciting to be part of his first directing – I guess his directorial debut. And it is great. He’s special, you know. I’m very proud that I got to work with him and be directed by him.
Mark Sheppard: Any time, any time.
Gina Holden: Yes, I know, I hope we get to work together soon.
Mark, with your directorial stuff here and Gina, I know you recently did some producing. For both of you, what is it like being on the other side of the camera? Does that make you stronger as an actor? Or what does that…
Mark Sheppard: I don’t know. For me it’s all part of story telling, it’s all part of the same thing. I was a musician before I was an actor. And I don’t see any difference in that either. But I think the director’s position, if you’re doing it right, I mean the time and the money and lots of things conspire against you being able to do it but the ideal situation is that you’re trying to create a place where magic can happen.And that’s a kind of sacred thing for the actors. It’s got to be a safe place where they can go and find something magical, you know what I mean? I mean it’s really, really an important thing. And we try our best and we hit that a lot of times.We had a lot of fun doing it and we hit that a lot of times. And that’s why I love being behind the camera is it’s a different kind of facilitation.
Gina Holden: And for me I agree with that and I think that there’s just not enough I can learn about the movie making process or the film making or the TV making process. It’s just why limit myself to one area. Of course, I love acting, it’s my first love, but I’m also very involved in the business side of things. I run my own company, you know.It’s knowledge is power. I love to be a part of everything that’s going on. I don’t just want to run back to my trailer and hide out. I want to be on set seeing how it’s done and learning from the whole process, absolutely makes me a better actor I believe.And it’s also just – I like knowing what’s going on. So yes, I try to make myself useful in everyway and producing for me is just another step towards learning more and more about the business and about what I do.
Gina, do you see yourself directing someday? Is that something you want to get into?
Gina Holden: I’m not sure. I’m more drawn to the producing side of things but I never say never. I just think I’m so – I still haven’t really satisfied my acting bug yet and I’m so interested in being directed and working with directors that I don’t know if I’m ready. Maybe one day, maybe one day.
Gina, I loved your work with Flash Gordon and of course on Harpers Island and I miss seeing Mark in Leverage. After acting and directing and producing, is there anything that either of you would like to try your hand at, something else in the entertainment industry?
Mark Sheppard: Catering, big catering – catering’s a big one for me. I think it’s really good.
Gina Holden: For me I think that there’s – I’m always involved in other things already. So sure, but just take it as it comes and see what happens. I’m always interested in doing lots of different things all of the time. So yes. I don’t know if that answers the question but I’m certainly open to any things that come my way.
There’s such a great repore between the two of you. Did you find it became after a bit of time working together? Or was it something that you saw instantly? I mean you said you were able to understand him as soon as – you know, as soon as he described a particular way he’d like you to perform.
Gina Holden: For me, yes, it was pretty much an instant – I just got it. I just – meeting Mark and I felt so comfortable and we just clicked. I mean I can say that from my side and I just was really excited about the passion that he had for the project.And so when he was describing things and how he wanted a scene to be shot I just really understood it. It was really nice. It wasn’t just a technical set up and get it done. It was, here’s what we’re doing and – he was right in there. He got his hands dirty so to speak and so it wasn’t just stand here, do this.It was very a collaborative effort from all of us. And it was great. So for me I loved that right away. It was just – there was no question I couldn’t ask. There was no thing I couldn’t try and it just – for me, fell into place right away and made it a really wonderful experience.
Mark Sheppard: I totally concur. I think that they were – as a group of actors, top to bottom, everybody there was very, very trusting. That made a huge different, it made a huge difference because as I keep saying in the lower budget side of making films there isn’t a lot of time to get things that are done and get them together. And weather conspires against you or things don’t go to plan, the real test at that point is do people just pull it out of the fire and give you everything they’ve got. And especially with Gina, you know, just this fantastic sense of wanting to get it to be as good as it can possibly be.And that’s a major, major thing. It’s a major, major thing. And trust is a huge element in that I think, I really think so. And I’m honored to be trusted in that way. I tried not to mess it up.
The two of you are part of the social media networking site Twitter. Why is that such an important place for you to connect with fans and even to promote the work you’re doing?
Mark Sheppard: Well, the reason I do it so nobody else will pretend to me I guess, no.
Gina Holden: Yes, exactly, me too.
Mark Sheppard: No, it’s just a lovely interaction. I do it – I’m very real about Twitter. It’s like I’m Mark_Sheppard and there are other Mark Sheppards who got there first and they’re ruing the day because they keep getting requests to speak to me so that kind of annoys them. But the fun aspect of it is I still made it so that I have to accept everybody.So I’ve had to click all these tens of thousands of times saying approve, approve, and all this. So it’s just very funny. And I read the twitters, I read the tweets, I read the stuff that’s coming in because some of it’s just fabulous. And I follow a whole bunch of people. I enjoy the brevity of it and I enjoy a lot of the wit. There’s some great people online and there’s people that I’ve worked with before and people that I want to work with. And I follow what they have to say. And it’s just – it can brighten up your day. And I read the stuff the fans write. I mean it’s always – sorry, what were saying?
I was going to say, then I have to work at getting followed.
Mark Sheppard: Well, yes, come one come all. Give it a day, I’ll accept. You know, it’s a fabulous thing and it’s nice to be able to reach people quickly in that way. But it’s so – it’s genuinely brilliant questions and some great stuff goes on. And I do actually read everything that’s written. And if it wasn’t brief, 140 characters, I probably wouldn’t be able to.
Gina Holden: I agree completely with Mark. I just think it’s a fantastic outlet and way to interact with fans. And things have changed these days. I mean I don’t want to be somebody who’s inaccessible and who doesn’t ever talk to anybody. I’ve always been so grateful for my fans. I’m just so humbled that people even want to follow me or interested in what I’m doing.It’s just a way to learn about other people and also share who you are because it isn’t just about the work or what movie I’m doing. It’s also, this is the music I like or this is what I’m having for dinner, you know. It’s just kind of the way it is these days.And so – also like Mark, I also wanted to have my own because there was a bunch of fake accounts before I ever joined. And then once I joined I realized how much I do love it and how great it’s been to get to know who’s out there watching what we’re doing. And yes, it’s fun. It’s just a way to stay connected to people and I think that’s very important in today and how things are run. I want to be somebody who’s available.
Mark Sheppard: Absolutely, I agree entirely. I think another aspect of it is the fact that the Sci-Fi audience and the fandom, real true fandom audience, is such an intelligent audience that it’s actually so much fun to read. It’s the occasional Hi Mark, I love you from wherever, which is lovely to get. I mean don’t ever get me wrong, it’s lovely to get. But some of the questions are just brilliant and some of the things posed are just brilliant because we have a truly intelligent audience. You know, it’s a smart, smart audience.And I love interacting with people that love it as much as I do. I’m a fan too. I think the other biggest problem is a lot of people think that because we have a really cool job, you know – speaking for us I guess in this way, because we have a really cool job we’re somehow different. We’re not.Gina’s already talked about the fact that she’s a fan. Fans are drawn to a particular script or drawn to a story because she’s a fan and that’s what we are. And I think the line is becoming blurred a lot between the fan and the actor and the fan and the director and the fan and the writer in that way.And I think it’s fantastic. You go to Dragon Con or Comic Con or any big conventions anywhere year-in year-out, my friends who write television and write films are all there as fans. I mean that’s a huge big deal. The line is being blurred as we go forward and the discourse amongst us is a wonderful, interesting, and educational nature. And I love every second of it.
Gina. Could you talk a little bit more about your character, Julia Fogg and how you’re similar to her or different from her?
Gina Holden: Absolutely, I love the character Jules. She’s a modern woman. She finds herself amongst a bunch of different people sort of in this Bermuda Triangle type of situation and she has to be a leader and take care of her younger sister and deal with a whole lot of adversity that’s happening around her and the challenges. And so for me, of course, I identify with that in wanting to stay strong in tough situations and just enjoy the ride. Yes, it was really fun and I always enjoyed playing strong female characters. And it was a lot of fun. And I have to give a shot out to Lochlyn Munro who I haven’t mentioned yet, he was so great to work with. And my character obviously has a lot of interaction with his character.And we worked really well together as well to get the story told and go through all of the adventures together. It was a great role for me. I’m really honored that I got to be part of the project.
Mark, is there any chance of you doing a 20,000 Leagues prequel with your character?
Mark Sheppard: I’d love to do that. I mean any excuse I can get but I’m a big fan of Verne’s which is even cooler. You know, it’s Jules Verne’s birthday. Isn’t that amazing?
Gina Holden: Yes.
Mark Sheppard: But yes, I’m just truly – as I said, any opportunity to tell a great story. I think this is one of the tougher ones. This is one of the harder ones to do. And I hope that we really did try to stick to the spirit of it because I think the scope of it is so big. I don’t think anybody can really tell the whole story.But I hope people enjoy it. I mean remembering that we are truly trying to entertain and I think we’ve done a very good job in that way. And yes, testament to Lochlyn and Gina and everybody else on this film. It was such a lovely cast.Everybody tried so hard to bring as much to it as they could. And it’s a lovely way to realize the story. There’s always the answer that- we always have Gina in mind for this situation and Lochlyn in mind for the situation.I’ve worked with Lochlyn many times over the years and he’s so much fun to play with. And yes, that Canadian continent can be real fun I tell you, it’s a bunch of people.
Now in this we see some civil war POWs end up meeting up with folks from 2012. If either of you could go and meet some people from some other time what would you – who would you want to ask questions about from their time?
Gina Holden: I don’t know, that’s a loaded question.
Mark Sheppard: There’s so many great people.
Gina Holden: Yes.
Mark Sheppard: There’s – I don’t know why – the past is truly fascinating to me in that way but I think the future actually controls me more. I’ve always thought – the time is in question, whether I go backwards or would I go forwards, and I’ve got a funny feeling that I would want to go forwards. I’d want to see how we end up or how we turn out. Maybe that’s the downside of having done Battlestar.It’s that – what did we do with it, you know, what did we do with all this knowledge? Did we succeed? Did we manage to make the world a better place? And I think I stick a lot on that.
Gina Holden: Well, I’ll quickly jump in with something, I love that Mark, that’s really cool because I’m fascinated with the future as well. But just really quickly because I got to work with Mark’s father, William Morgan Sheppard, I actually – talking to him was fantastic. I would just sit in awe while I was waiting for a shot to be set up and he’s so knowledgeable and so wonderful. I was just – I would just sit and listen to him, all of the stories he had, what an extraordinary life, an extraordinary career. And for me just – that just comes to mind because I just remember that and we’d pass a lot of time with these fascinating stories. And he was just wonderful to work with. So…
Mark Sheppard: Yes, I agree with you. I mean that’s been my experience as well. The great, you know – so many actors and wonderful people that I’ve worked with over the years and those are the treasures of it, the actual experience, you know.You’re sharing something together which is so intimate, so intimate. I mean it’s just a lovely place to find out about people and where people come from and what they are. And again, as Gina keeps saying, it’s just learning, and learning, and learning from great participants, you know.
Is there something for both you that you were surprised to learn about each other while filming this show?
Mark Sheppard: Yes, I mean it sounds so shallow but it’s not. Two things, one just how perfect she is. You get beautiful actors who – that sometimes don’t have that whole thing. She’s such a smart and funny and interesting person. And it’s this wonderful package.And then the second thing is just how much she just lights up the screen when you film her. Some people just have this lovely ability to bloom on the screen. And it’s just such a fantastic thing to watch. I mean seriously myself and David were just sitting there all the time just looking at Gina going, yes, well, we can shoot this all day, this will make our movie.So it’s just a – you know, I’m truly in love with Gina Holden absolutely, without any question. That’s what I learned, somebody who is wonderfully fascinated by the fact that she’s so much more than the sum of her parts.
Gina Holden: Thank you, I’m blushing. Thank you so much for that.
Mark Sheppard: That’s a good thing. I am to blush.
Gina Holden: Well, thank you. And for me it’s – what I was surprised about Mark or what I learned about Mark was that – well, obviously he was just so approachable and fun and a great sense of humor but what an incredible father he is and what an amazing family man he is. And that was just beautiful to see. His family was on set with us. I absolutely just adore his son.I didn’t get a chance to meet his other son but, yes, just what an incredibly compassionate father and family man he is, that was a delight. And not knowing him before I had no idea.You don’t know what people’s personal lives are and it was really a beautiful thing to watch and to see that it’s possible in this crazy business to have such a loving family and a dedicated father. That was a very beautiful thing to be around.
Mark Sheppard: Now I’m blushing.
Beyond 20,000 Leagues for which I’ve already started the Twitter campaign, Mark, are there anything – are you a particular Syfy fan of your horror shows you’d like to be on as a guest or a regular? Or a particular type of show you’d like to be on or a part you’d like to play in the genre?
Mark Sheppard: I’m just going to lie to you. I mean that’s my – my job is to lie you have to remember that. I’m not allowed to tell everybody what I’m really doing, where I really am, or what’s really going on because it’s been one of those weird journeys for me that I’ve been lucky enough to play characters that have seemed to resonated with fans and tend to come back.And people know where I am and what I’m doing or whatever it tends to spoil the story a little bit. So I’m one of those weird actors that’s taken his name off the credits more times than I think he’s kept it on.Well, we really try. It’s a lovely thing to be able to do. I love and respect the genre and I love to participate in any shape or form in what I do. I don’t know what my journey is, I don’t know what I will be doing or what I can do. I have no idea, I have no idea.And it’s thanks to fans and thanks to their support that it’s allowed me to do – you know, be able to do things like Dr. Who. I mean Moffett picked me for Dr. Who because of the other work that I’ve done that has tended to resonate (unintelligible) and these are the things that keep happening, these wonderful, wonderful opportunities keep coming up.And I do my best not to turn down any of them because they’ve tended to be so much fun and such great learning experiences for me.
Gina Holden: Yes, for me, kind of the same thing as Mark. I really don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing and that’s part of the reason I love this job. I just work as hard as I can. I audition a ton. I try to be part of, you know, any great projects and – yes, I just work as hard as I can all the time.And like I said earlier, I am drawn to the Sci-fi genre and so I get really excited when things come my way. I’ve been part of some really great things recently. And again like Mark, we can’t ever really talk about it so it seems – I feel bad that I can’t ever really say, this is exactly what I’m doing.It’s always after the fact I can go and talk about what that experience was at the time. But yes, I’m just going to take it as it comes and keep working really hard and just hope to be – yes, working and moving forward.
Mark Sheppard: What I think – what’s fabulous as well is I remember when Syfy Channel was really starting out and Gina and I have both worked extensively on the channel. And what’s really interesting is their support of our genre I think has been so incredible.It’s created a whole new way to experience these stories, you know, from the originals through the series that they either bought or the series that they’ve actually created, which is just fantastic. And such a testament to the channel itself and the people at that channel that they just keep making sure there’s a hunger for Sci-fi, you know.
Special thanks to SyFy Channel for supplying transcript.
Categories: SyFy Channel Tags: Film, Gina Holden, Jules Verne's Mysterious Island, Mark Sheppard, SyFy Channel
