SciFiAndTvTalk

Idris Elba Talks About BBC America's Luther

Idris Elba as John Luther. Photo copyright of the BBC. 

This is the first of five BBC America press interviews with the cast and crew of Luther, the new BBC America six-part psychological crime drama premiering Sunday, October 17th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST. This interview shines the spotlight on series leading man Idris Elba, who plays Detective John Luther.

A brilliant detective tormented by the darker side of humanity, John Luther shines a light into the hearts and minds of psychopaths and killers, and the shadowy spaces of his own soul. A BBC America co-production starring The Wire’s Idris Elba (Russell "Stringer" Bell), Luther is a gripping, psychological thriller driven by a brilliant and emotionally impulsive detective. A self-destructive near-genius, Luther might just be as dangerous as the depraved criminals he hunts. In each episode, the murderer’s identity is known from the start, focusing the drama on the psychological duel between predator and prey.

Idris Elba provides some insight into Luther's world: "Luther is a modern spin on the maverick detective, an unorthodox, intellectual guy, but also passionate about his work and about the cases that he fights for."

In terms of his character Idris explains: "Luther can't help but get emotionally involved in his cases and, as a result, when we first meet him, you realize quickly he's been working on one case far too long. What we see as the series continues is a man trying to get back into his stride and back on top of his game.”

“He is a compassionate man who believes in his job. He has a good understanding of human beings and the psychology of human beings, especially those that do wrong. You see a man who is fantastic at solving crime, fantastic at risk assessment and fantastic at figuring out why you did it, then you see him stumbling when it comes to dealing with his personal life."

Luther's marriage to human rights lawyer Zoe (played by Indira Varma) is falling apart, but Luther believes if he does the right thing he can win her back. "His attempt at dealing with the break-up of his marriage is a crash-course for disaster. His marriage is on the rocks – a result of him being too passionate about his work and his wife and not being able to sustain the relationship. Knowing Luther the way I know Luther, I think he's dug himself deeper into his work because there's been something missing from their relationship for a long time."

In terms of getting into the mind of a detective, Idris explains how he prepared for the role. "I met with a senior murder detective, who also advised on the drama. He gave me an insight into his working life, how long it took to get where he is in the force and the things he has seen. We talked about what life as a detective is really like - we discussed Luther's behavior, the expected protocol for a given situation. I had to know the rules to plan how Luther breaks them. I didn't really go on any field work or anything like that. It's not that type of story. It's more about the character."

Luther's team of detectives include Detective Chief Inspector Ian Reed (played by Steven Mackintosh), Luther's colleague and best friend. "He's definitely seen the best and worst of Luther, and these guys are absolutely loyal to each other – they've got each others' back, no matter what. Steven Mackintosh is fantastic as Ian Reed – very, very strong and very vulnerable and believable."

Also part of the team is the young, idealistic Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley, who requests a transfer specifically to work with Luther, such is his reputation. "Warren Brown, who plays Ripley – he's not going to like me saying this – but he is Luther's Robin to my Batman. Warren is a great actor and also brings a fresh-faced, unburdened energy. There are really wonderful moments where Luther does something that is completely not text book, which throws Ripley for six, but, like Batman and Robin, they stick together."

As for the script, written by Neil Cross, Idris says: "It was a page-turner for me. I kept reading it, I couldn't put it down. I fell in love with Luther – he's a complex man, which is interesting, dramatically speaking. I wanted to play a character that challenged me and challenges the audience and I think we have that with Luther."

In each episode, the audience discovers early on who the murderer is, so the drama is not in the mystery "who did it" – it is in watching Luther work out how to catch the killer. "There is plenty of tension just watching Luther's mind work – he is an intense fellow. My character does his own thing throughout, but you as an audience will sit there thinking: 'Should he be breaking the law to get there?' It puts the audience in a unique position. My character has something of the fantastical about him, he wants to solve the crime at any costs – he's like a super-hero and he never changes his clothes!"

On being back in England, Idris says: "I love being here. It's great working in America and so far I've been very privileged in the roles that have come my way. Although I'll continue to work in America, London is still home and British television drama still sets a benchmark for the world, so Luther was a unique opportunity for me.  I think we've done something special with Luther, creating a new kind of hero for a contemporary audience."

Talking of super-heroes, Idris has just finished filming on Thor, directed by Kenneth Branagh, bringing to life one of Marvel's best-loved comic book heroes.

As noted above, photo copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week On Law & Order: UK - 10 - 08 - 10

Senior Crown Prosecutor James Steel (Ben Daniels) attempts to work his way through a morally complicated legal dilemma this week on Law & Order: UK. Photo copyright of Kudos, Wolf Films and NBC Universal. 

SPOILER ALERT!! - The death of a teenager, brutally beaten, leads DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and DS Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber) through a tangled web of family loyalties. But the killer’s lawyer Bea McArdle (Dervla Kirwan) argues that he was genetically predisposed towards violence, therefore not responsible for his actions. Can James Steel (Ben Daniels) defeat a case that could allow many more killers to go free? Episode 2 airs Friday, October 8th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America.

As noted above, photo copyright of Kudos, Wolf Films and NBC Universal, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Stargate Universe's Brian J. Smith Talks About Murder On The Orient Express

Brian J. Smith (as Lt. Matthew Scott) on Stargate Universe. Photo by Art Streiber and copyright of The Syfy Channel.

From an alien spaceship traveling through the deepest regions of outer space to a steam train en route from Istanbul to England, actor Brian J. Smith has had the chance to experience two extremely different fictional worlds over the past year. Currently, he is working on season two of the Syfy Channel's Stargate Universe, playing Lt. Matthew Scott. During the hiatus between the show's first and second seasons, Smith took on the role of Hector MacQueen in a TV adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, a feature-length episode of the long-running ITV Poirot TV series starring David Suchet as the legendary Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

"It was the second time that this story has been done for TV [the first being a 2001 made-for-TV movie]," says Smith, happily taking time to chat in-between takes on SGU's Vancouver set. "I believe they [the show's producers] had wanted to do it for a while, and then a script that they felt was really good finally came along.

"It's funny, I keep becoming involved in franchises, first SGU and now Poirot, that all of a sudden when I come to them are trying to do things a little bit different. What I understood about this TV movie is that they wanted it to be real and gritty. Even though it's set in that specific art deco time and the glory days of the Orient Express, they still wanted the characters to come across as real human beings as opposed to standard or stock murder mystery characters.

"And they sure did take a big departure. The [1974] feature film has a sense of fun and in some ways is like [the board game] Clue. It has almost an element of camp to it, whereas this one does not at all. I mean, this version of Murder on the Orient Express is very dark and doesn't shy away from the disturbing reality of a group of people that have come together to kill someone and how they justify it in their minds. Then on top of that, of course, is how they might try to justify it to someone who has caught them red-handed."

In Murder on the Orient Express, Hercule Poirot boards the Orient Express for home after solving an important case in Palestine. Traveling in the compartment next to him is Samuel Edward Ratchett (Toby Jones), a man hiding a very dark secret. He was once known as Cassetti, a fugitive from the U.S. who, five years earlier, kidnapped three-year-old American heiress Daisy Armstrong. Although a large ransom was paid, Cassetti killed the little girl and fled the country. This tragedy caused further grief and loss for the Armstrong family, all of which could explain why Poirot finds Ratchett/Cassetti stabbed to death the following morning. Among the suspects is Smith's character, Hector MacQueen. Ratchett's secretary and an aspiring actor who was enamored of Sonia Armstrong. Sadly, she died from shock after hearing of her daughter's murder.

"I think most people will remember that Anthony Perkins played Hector MacQueen in the [1974] movie, but the character in our version is closer to the Hector MacQueen that Agatha Christie wrote," notes Smith. "It's interesting to compare him to Lt. Scott on SGU; Hector MacQueen is extremely intelligent, highly educated, speaks fluent French - in fact, he is probably fluent in a couple of languages - and comes from a very, very wealthy family.

"Hector has a very famous lawyer father who was destroyed in the Armstrong case, and yet my character somehow manages to get himself employed by this man, Ratchett, who he wants to kill. So there's a cunning to Hector and a sharpness to the way his mind works. He's fiercely emotional as well. Hector has been wronged, and whereas Lt. Scott is out for redemption, this kid is out for revenge. Again, though, he comes from a very emotional place, and is also very much a child of the time that he grew up in. So Hector carries himself in a different way. He also thinks differently and has his own very distinct rhythm.

"It was fun to do a period piece, put on those clothes, be in those surroundings and try to get into someone else's skin for a little bit. The Scott role starts to feel very comfortable after a while and I'm able to jump in and out of him as I need to. So it was great to show up on another set and be 'scared' out of my wits as an actor starting out in a new role."

Philip Martin, whose credits include Wallander and Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act, directed Smith and the rest of the Orient Express cast. "Philip was among those instrumental in making this very dark version of Agatha Christie's story come to life," says the actor. "He wanted to explore the visceral, almost tribal or animal-like nature underneath the social customs, politeness and pretense of some of the characters. Philip was interested in the 'raw animal' lurking below all that, so the murder scenes were quite graphic and disturbingly done.

"He is just incredibly intelligent and reassuring. Philip was always watching and looking out for you and your performance. Conversely, if he wasn't getting what he needed, Philip wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted out of you as a performer. Philip met with each of us individually for lunch or whatever before we began filming so that we could talk about our character and come to a common understanding of where we wanted to go with it."

The actor expresses similar accolades with regard to Poirot leading man David Suchet. "He is amazing," says Smith. "We had a read-through of the script in London before filming began and he said to us, 'I just want to warn all of you that when we're shooting, I have to be Poirot. It doesn't work for the character or the show if I'm walking around dressed up like him, but still talking like myself.'

"You could talk with David on-set, but he would respond the way Poirot would. He went around with that familiar shuffle that his character has, and being very polite and reserved. At the same time, David is also a beautiful human being, very, very smart, extremely warm and sweet. He will come up to you and ask how you are, where you're from, etc.

"David was very, very kind to me, and generous. He's like a big kid having fun. I don't know how many times I heard him say, 'I'm the luckiest man on Earth because I'm able to be an actor and do this for a living.' For a young actor like me to hear that is cool. It's the same on SGU with Robert Carlyle, Louie Ferreira, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ming-Na. They have a joy as well as humbleness and gratitude about being able to 'play' and make a career out of it."

Steve Eramo

Aa noted above, photo by Art Streiber and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Eureka's Christopher Gauthier - Pillar Of The Community

 
L-R: Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) and the unflappable Vincent (Christopher Gauthier in the Eureka/Warehouse 13 crossover episode, "Crossing Over." Photo by Eike Schroter and copyright of The Syfy Channel. 

If you grew up watching TV between 1982 and 1993 you might remember a sitcom whose locals hung out at a place where "everybody knew their name." Well, the characters in the Syfy Channel's hit dramedy Eureka also have their own little oasis, Cafe Diem, where the same thing holds true. It's ebullient proprietor, Vincent, has a Ph.D. in Molecular Gastronomy and can whip up anything your little heart desires. Nothing pleases him more than a satisfied customer, and actor Christopher Gauthier, who plays Vincent, can certainly attest to that.

"My character started out as somewhat of the town nurturer or 'den mother,'" notes Gauthier, chatting during a break in filming on Eureka's Vancouver set. "Vincent is also a tool to get people into a social environment outside of Global Dynamics and their whole Sci-Fi world. And I've always thought of Cafe Diem as being a stable home away from home for everyone, not unlike the bar on [the TV show] Cheers.

"Over the past four years, Vincent has continued to act as a pillar as far as, again, being that nurturing guy, and I love playing that. I mean, he hasn't developed too much in the sense of character, the exception being an episode such as [season one's] Purple Haze where he became mean. Otherwise, nothing much has changed for Vincent or me on the show, and I mean that in the best possible sense of the word."

The actor made his first Eureka appearance back in 2006 in the show's pilot episode. From the very beginning it was obvious that he and Cafe Diem were the perfect combination, like peanut butter and jelly, so it might surprise some fans to learn that the show's producers were initially looking to cast someone very different from Gauthier as Vincent.

"If you've seen me you know I have the long curly hair, the big sideburns and all of that," he says. "When they had the casting call for the Eureka pilot, they were looking for, I'll use the term metrosexual, was sort of what they were after with Vincent. So when I arrived at the audition it was basically a bunch of guys who were wearing half-tops and skintight jeans, and there I was in my plaid shirt. If they were going for another look, then I gave them the antithesis of that, so it was really funny.

"As each actor came out of the audition room, they commented, 'Tone it down,' or don't be too eccentric, let's say. When it was my turn, I just did my thing and they [the producers] were like, 'Perfect.' They loved it, and I think it was probably the juxtaposition of my burlyesque physique mixed with some effeminate tones," jokes the actor.

"So that whole process was fun, and then from there we filmed the pilot, which was incredible. It was shot in Nanaimo [British Columbia] and we used helicopters and tanks as well as rode around on segways. It was exceptional. I knew then that Eureka was going to be something special and it's turned out to be just that."

Whether you are a local or just visiting, Vincent prides himself on giving everyone who walks through the doors of Care Diem the best service possible. When it comes to his regular customers, he knows all their likes and dislikes as far as food and drink, as well as enjoys friendships with some of the establishment's more familiar faces.

"Vincent has this ongoing thing with Sheriff Carter [Colin Ferguson] in that he bastardizes my character's food," says Gauthier. "He'll come in and Vincent will put out this elaborate meal and Carter will ask for ketchup. However, I think my character finds that quite endearing and at this point he's totally used to it.

"He also has a good rapport with Deputy Jo Lupo [Erica Cerra]. Vincent knows how she likes her coffee and stuff like that. He probably has the most affinity, though, towards the sheriff's daughter Zoe [Jordan Hinson]. She ended up working in the cafe for a while and Vincent feels a real paternal sense towards her. I think he just loves pretty much everyone in town."

Given that his character is such a gastronomic guru, is cooking something that also excites Gauthier? "You know what, I wish it did, but it doesn't at all," he admits. "After four years on this show, you figure I might have taken up come culinary pursuits. I do every once in a while, but my wife is just so good at it that I leave it to her for the most part. I did buy [chef/TV personality] Tyler Florence's book Tyler's Ultimate, which is a show on the Food Network, and I made the French Onion Soup recipe. It was a damn fine French Onion Soup, but it was a four-hour endeavor. So I figured if that was cooking, you know what, I'll just leave it to the people who know how to do it and won't take four hours doing it," says the actor with a chuckle.

Although Vincent pretty much sticks to his nurturing/hosting duties in most Eureka episodes, the show's writers do occasionally get him out from behind the counter, allowing Gauthier the opportunity to further stretch his acting muscles.

"In [the first season episode] Alienated, Vincent, Jo Lupo, Fargo [Neil Grayston], Taggart [Matt Frewer] and Spencer [Shanyn Solberg] get together to watch an alien movie that Spencer downloads from a satellite," recalls Gauthier. "The satellite is, in fact, a tool for making people paranoid, and the five of them end up kidnapping a U.S. senator [Garwin Sanford] who they believe is an alien. That was a neat episode to shoot.

"Another good one was Right as Raynes. It was a little meatier acting-wise and there were some scenes with Vincent and Zoe that really showed my character's nurturing side. So far, though, the very best [Vincent] episode for me is one that I previously talked about, Purple Haze. That story was so cool because I got to be a complete jerk. Vincent is always so nice and cordial and paternal, but in this episode I smashed a plate over someone's head and we all got thrown in jail. That was a real hoot to do."

Longtime Eureka fans know to expect the unexpected each week with the show, and this year has been no less surprising. In the fourth season opener Founder's Day, five characters take a trip back in time and then return home to the present, only to an altered timeline. While change is sometimes a good thing, it still takes getting used to.

"When I heard about what they [the producers/writers] were planning to do this season, my first instinct was to be a little scared," says Gauthier. "After all, you don't know exactly how it's going to affect things, including your character. Like I mentioned before, I've got sort of a cozy little thing going on where Vincent is this pillar, and I didn't want to disrupt that too much. Having said that, it was exciting at the same time. Who knows where it could have gone for me. Thus far things have remained relatively unchanged for me and Vincent, and there's a sense of relief that came with that, along with a sense of maybe wishing that some little things would have changed with my character."

Out of all the fourth season Eureka episodes shot so far, Gauthier especially enjoyed working on a one-off Christmas episode that will air In December. "I had a ball," he enthuses. "There are some great scenes with me, Neil and Jordan that we had a lot of fun with.

"Each of the episodes has been so different this year, and from my character's perspective, because he sort of lived through the alternate timeline, Vincent doesn't notice any of these changes. However, from my perspective it's been awesome to watch these changes unfold. It's been a blast to be a part of this season, and the writing is just insanely good. The balance between the dark elements and the comedy combined with the character development is terrific, and on top of that we're getting to reestablish these characters with all this new development."

Growing up in Armstrong, B.C., Gauthier was in elementary school when he saw saw a local theater production of Sing A Song of Sixpence, and began thinking about becoming an actor. He latered trained at the Vernon School of Speech and Drama and made his professional debut onstage. "I was around 20 years old when I decided to take the plunge and came to Vancouver to give it [acting] a try," says the actor. "It was slow going at first, but things began to pick up and it's just been great."

Agent Cody Banks, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Edison and Watchmen are among the actor's feature film credits. On the small screen he has appeared in a variety of made-for-TV movies as well as such series as Cold Squad, DaVinci's Inquest, Psych and Smallville, first playing a LuthorCorp technician in Delete, and then later guest-starring in two more episodes as Winslow Scott a.k.a. Toyman.

"The LuthorCorp role was just a small thing that I read for, and then to play Toyman I had to audition all over again," says Gauthier, "but they didn't label the role as the Toyman at the time. It was just a guest-star spot so as not to give anything away to the folks who were auditioning. They had actually offered me another smaller role prior to Toyman, and I'm so glad I didn't take it because then I couldn't have done this one.

"I like meaty, meaty parts and I dove right in with Toyman. The hospital scene I did with Justin Hartley, who plays the Green Arrow, was a little brutal. I'm not that agile of a person, so the pained look on my face was probably real. There wasn't much acting involved there," he laughs. "Another scene that stands out for me is one from the second episode I did [Echo] where my character gets shot in the leg. That was really cool and very intense. There was also the scene where Tom Welling [Clark Kent/Superman] is holding Toyman over the edge of the nightclub roof and is about to drop him. My entire Smallville experience was a blast. It really was."

Gauthier's other genre roles include Walter "The Adjustor" in Sanctuary's Hero, and Ronald Reznick in the Supernatural episodes Nightshifter and Are You There, God? It's Me...Dean Winchester. "I was really nervous going into Sanctuary," says the actor. "It was my first real guest-starring role that I had been offered, and it was sort of right up my wheelhouse. The character I played in Supernatural was similar as far as being nerdy, meek, cordial and all that.

"I had a such a good time on Sanctuary, and I'm actually going to be in the fourth episode of the show's [upcoming] third season. I think it was the earnestness of the Walter character that I enjoyed playing the most, especially when he gets his superpowers. For a bungler, Walter is convinced he's doing such a good thing, you know, and again, playing his earnestness was wonderful.

"With Supernatural, that was fun because I tend to be cast in a lot of comedic roles, and the Ronald Reznick character sort of got me away from that, although he is funny and, I think, produced a sense of comic relief. There again there was a sense of earnestness with him. For Ronald to be a conspiracy theorist and then have it justified and validated like that was just amazing. I really adore playing characters that possess such love and innocence, and I think it's one of my most memorable roles yet."

Along with his second Sanctuary guest-spot, the actor recently filmed Health Nutz, a short TV comedy movie for Canada's Aboriginal Peoples Television Network in which he plays Doc Joe Dang. "Other than those two projects, I've just been continuing to have fun on Eureka," says Gauthier, "and I'll say It again, it's been such a blast this year. I think it's the best season yet and the show deserves all the kudos that it's getting."

Steve Eramo

As noted above, photo by Eike Schroter and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week On Law & Order: UK - 10 - 03 - 10

Cast of Law & Order: UK (left to right) - Freema Agyeman (as Alesha Phillips), Ben Daniels (as James Steel), Bill Paterson (as George Castle), Harriet Walter (as Natalie Chandler), Bradley Walsh (as Ronnie Brooks) and Jamie Bamber (as Matt Devlin). Photo copyright of Kudos, Wolf Films and NBC Universal. 

SPOILER ALERT!! - When a body is found at a London hospital, DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and DS Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber) investigate an emotionally charged death. But can they and Crown Prosecutors James Steel (Ben Daniels) and Alesha Phillips (Freema Agyeman) bring the person responsible to justice? U.S. series premiere Sunday, October 3rd @ 10:30 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America.

As noted above, photo copyright of Kudos, Wolf Films and NBC Universal, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Undercovers' Boris Kodjoe And Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Boris Kodjoe (as Steven Bloom) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (as Samantha Bloom) in NBC's Undercovers. Photo by Art Streiber and copyright of NBC. 

From acclaimed writer/producer/director J.J. Abrams (Star Trek. Fringe, Lost, Alias) and executive producer/writer Josh Reims (Brothers and Sisters, What About Brian) comes Undercovers, a sexy, fun action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world's most dangerous partnership.

Outwardly, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Vacation, Soul Food, Resident Evil: Afterlife) and his wife, Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Doctor Who, Bonekickers), are a typical married couple who own and operate a small catering company in Los Angeles with help from Samantha's easily frazzled, handful of a sister Lizzy (Mekia Cox, 90210, This Is It). Secretly, the duo were two of the best spies the CIA had ever known, until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired.

When fellow spy and good friend Leo Nash (Carter MacIntyre, American Heiress,Nip/Tuck) goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss and agency liaison, Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, Deadwood, Jericho), to locate and resue Nash.

With assistance from resourceful CIA field agent Bill Hoyt (Ben Schwartz, Parks and Recreation, Bronx World Travelers), whose professional admiration for Steven isn't hard to miss, the pair is thrust back into the world of espionage, disguises and hand-to-hand combat. Following leads that take them to cities spanning the globe, Steven and Samantha quickly realize that perhaps this supercharged, undercover lifestyle provides exactly the kind of excitement and romance that their marriage has been missing.

Undercovers, which airs Wednesday @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST on NBC, had its premiere on September 22nd. The week before, series leads Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw spoke with myself as well as other journalists about the show. The following is an edited version of that Q & A. Enjoy! 

This show looks very, very exciting, and I have to imagine it's a very, very tiring show to make. Do you do a lot of the stunt work yourselves, or do you work together in tandem with the stunt people?

BORIS KODJOE -We work closely with the stunt team, but I would say we do 99% of our own stunts. The only time they jump in is when there’s a time conflict, meaning when we work on two (filming) units and have to get a lot of stuff done. So, for example, if there’s a wide shot of a guy climbing on top of a truck or something, that can be done by somebody else, they'll take care of that. But I must say that Gugu is quite the action hero on, like, 5-inch heels.

GUGU MBATHA-RAW -We were just doing some stunts last night actually. So yes, it's very action-packed and we pretty much do most of our own stunts.

Why do you feel like you should do the stunts? I mean, because you don't have to a lot of the time, so why is it important to you, or to both of you?

GMR - I think, you know, if you can, then it’s better for everybody, really. It helps the continuity of the story as well as helps convey the intention, and it’s fun.

BK - And it makes it easier for the director to cut back and forth.

A lot of this show's success is going to be based on the chemistry between you two, which I think you have tons of. Were you concerned, though, about that going into the project before you guys actually got in front of the cameras?

GMR - We were fortunate enough to audition together which was great because we got a chance to work with each other beforehand. Also, the scripts themselves are full of such brilliant dialogue. Josh Reims and J.J. Abrams have created a really great rhythm and banter between all the characters.

BK - We both grew up in a similar environment in Europe, so we have that in common in terms of mentality and just sensibility, so it's easy to get along with one another.

Your characters speak a number of different languages on the show. How many languages do each of you actually speak?

GMR - I speak little bits of everything, but I don't speak anything other than English fluently. But Boris is much more talented in that department.

BK - I just speak a couple. I speak, obviously German. That’s my mother language, and French was the second one, and then I learned Spanish when I was traveling. And the last one, I guess, is English.

But Gugu has an amazing ear, and that’s really what it takes. When you have an ear for melody, it’s much easier to not necessarily acquire a language skill completely, but at least know how to sound like a native. And we have native speakers of those respective languages on-set that basically talk to us and read our lines for us so we can mimic that. Otherwise it would be impossible because literally in every single episode we speak one or two different languages or speak using accents. So it’s a great challenge but fun at the same time.

What initially attracted you both to your respective roles in the show?

BK - It'’s sort of like somebody asking you if you'd like to play a round of golf with Tiger Woods. I mean the whole project was just a dream project to be involved with, starting at the top with J.J. and Josh, two such accomplished writers and creators who put this all together. And then with NBC backing it, all the way down to the script and our roles, it was a no-brainer right from the get-go. And to be able to play a James Bond-like character who goes from action to comedy to drama to romance all in one scene, you never get to do that as an actor, especially on TV where usually roles are pretty one-dimensional, you know. If you play a lawyer, you play a lawyer for six years. So that is probably the most enticing element to the whole thing -- that we get to play roles within roles every day as we go along with these episodes.

GMR - I agree. I mean initially, you know, it was the opportunity to work with J.J. Abrams when we first saw the pilot script. And I was really thrilled to read the script because it was just so fast-paced, action-packed, and exciting and had such charismatic, multi-faceted characters to play with, which is wonderful. There are so many different tones and different ways that we can work, you know, physically and with the accents and the romantic scenes as well as the action scenes. So, yes, there’s a greal deal for an actor to do.

Both of you are veterans of the stage, so I wanted to know what the biggest differences you've found between television and the theater?

GMR - I'd just come from doing a show on Broadway when I had the audition for the pilot. So I was very fresh in the theater. For me it’s all about the actual process in terms of the time that it takes and how in the theater you have control and it’s all done consecutively, whereas we shoot all of our scenes out of order and the pace is very fast. Both require stamina and the acting part is always the acting part. So it’s really just how it’s pieced together that’s different.

BK - It’s funny actually. A little bit of trivia for you; Gugu and I performed on the same Broadway stage a year apart. We were in the same exact theater on Broadhurst, where I did Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2008, and she played Ophelia in Hamlet in 2009, which is kind of funny. But to me, the biggest difference is the interaction with the audience, because every night you feel a different kind of energy, which empowers you tremendously. That's something that adds to your overall feeling on the stage, whereas in TV it’s just very different because obviously you have the energy of your co-star, but usually there’s no audience around.

What sort of insight has J.J. Abrams given you into each of your characters?

BK - I think one of the great things about J.J. is that he sort of provides you with the general idea of the scene and the direction, and then he let’s you go, which is an amazingly empowering feeling to get, when a director trusts you to make choices. And he’s definitely that. He’s absolutely encouraging and empowering. And so is Josh (Reims), you know? And they work really closely together, and Josh and J.J.’s writing just provides that sort of road map. Then you get to bring on or bring in your own sort of personal tweaks and facets to the character.

I know you're currently (mid-September) shooting episode eight; can you tell us a bit about what we'll see as this season unfolds?

BK - Well, obviously you have the relationship between our two characters and them going back into the Secret Service. But you also have a bunch of great characters around them that provide tremendous - not just synergy, but also other, you know, secretive sort of story lines. For instance, Leo Nash, their partner in this, happens to be an ex-boyfriend of Samantha's, which adds a little bit of tension here and there along with a little bit of competition. And then Samantha’s sister also has a very colorful background and past that she’s trying to overcome. First and foremost, though, Samantha and Steven both have a whole load of secrets that they have not discussed with each other, because they made a pact not to talk about the past.

So as the episodes unfold, there’s certainly a lot of secrets and sub-stories and background that comes out as these two people, go on their trips and solve these problems and issues on the CIA stage, which sort of adds to just to the tension between the two of them as well.

Was the audition process really long for the two of you? Did they take a long time to make sure the chemistry between the two of you was right? And how did they know? And how did you know the chemistry was right, if there was a way?

GMR - Well I think we had quite different audition processes. For me, it probably took several auditions. I was in New York when I made an audition on tape. Then a couple of days later I was flown out to Los Angeles to meet with J.J. We did a work session and then I had an audition at Warner Bros., followed by another audition for NBC. So it was quite a convoluted process with other actors where they were sort of mixing and matching different characters. And on top of that I was reading initially for both the sister, Lizzy, and Samantha.

BK - Yeah, it’s always stressful when you do those kind of camera tests and work sessions and everything. So it’s sort of a blur, you know? I started back in, I think, late November or the beginning of December when I met with Josh and a couple of other producers. Then I got to meet J.J. and did a work session with him, and then you have to go through the network and the studio. I met Gugu, I think, the first day I came in. We went through the process, we got more familiar with each other and ended up auditioning in the end.

You also have to trust J.J.’s vision. I think he saw something in us individually and us together that led him to believe that the show would work. J.J. told me later on that he wouldn't have done the show unless he found those two characters, and those characters would be perfect. So that was a great compliment.

What makes J.J. Abrams so special?

BK - I think he’s one of the few filmmakers and producers in Hollywood that enjoys complete creative freedom. When you've earned that, I think it gives you wings to create, to be innovative and to be daring, and to be out there and to listen to your heart. And he certainly does that. I think that gives J.J. such tremendous power and strength to create such amazing projects.

When you’re somebody with a project that's  been sort of controlled by networks and studios, and there’s 28 people on the set looking over your shoulder at all times, it makes it pretty hard to be free. And J.J. has certainly earned that right, and he’s produced, you know, time after time. J.J. is like a kid in a candy store, too. He really loves what he’s doing. He comes to set every day with a huge smile on his face, and he never settles. In the end, he always gets what he wants. And that’s what makes him so special.

As noted above, photo by Art Streiber and copyright of NBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!