SciFiAndTvTalk

Tom Hopper, Rupert Young, Eoin Macken & Adetomiwa Edun - Q & A with Merlin's Knights of the Round Table

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table (L-R): Tom Hopper (Sir Percival), Eoin Macken (Sir Gwaine), Sir Lancelot (Santiago Cabrera), Bradley James (King Arthur), Adetomiwa Edun (Sir Elyan) and Rupert Young (Sir Leon). Photo copyright of Shine Ltd./FremantleMedia Enterprises.

In Arthurian legend, the Knights of the Round Table were among King Arthur’s most trusted and noblest of soldiers. Courageous, loyal and of good humor, they fought beside their king whenever duty called and did not hesitate to undertake the most dangerous of missions with him in the name of Camelot.

The same is true in the BBC’s hit fantasy series Merlin. At the end of the show’s third season, the-then Prince Arthur had not only his personal servant – and unbeknownst to him, sorcerer – Merlin fighting by his side against the dark forces controlled by Morgana, but also the newly formed Knights of the Round Table.

Seeking revenge after being ousted from the throne, Morgana sacrificed her half-sister Morgause at the start of this season and unleashed hellish beings called the Dorocha on the innocent citizens of Camelot. Once again, Sir Lancelot, Sir Leon, Sir Percival, Sir Gwaine and Sir Elyan took up arms and stood with Arthur and Merlin in battle against these creatures. Sadly, Lancelot made the ultimate sacrifice to save the day. Season four is sure to hold further new and even more dangerous adventures for our heroes.

Last week, after finishing a London TV interview and before leaving for an awards ceremony, actors Rupert Young (Sir Leon), Tom Hopper (Sir Percival), Eoin Macken (Sir Gwaine) and Adetomiwa Edun (Sir Elyan) spoke on the phone with me as well as other journalists about working on Merlin. The following is an edited version of our Q & A. Enjoy!

What do you enjoy most about your role on Merlin?

Tom Hopper:  We do quite a lot of physical stuff, including fighting, and we get to look cool with a sword, which is always a great deal of fun.

Adetomiwa Edun:  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, and we've got a couple of good ones (fights) in mix in this season.

(L-R): Rupert Young, Tom Hopper and Eoin Macken during a photo shoot for UK's Gay Times magazine. Photo by Leigh Kelly and copyright of GT/Freemantle Media Enterprises.

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’d heard about it so often.

AE: I also watched Merlin before being cast. In fact, I actually watched all of the first three seasons.

Rupert Young:  I had a couple of days before my audition, so I tried to watch as many episodes as I could. And since starting work on the show, I've watched it even more. My mom makes me (he jokes).

TH: We all now watch the show because we're all narcissistic (he jokes).

Could you all perhaps tell us a little about your initial audition for Merlin and being cast in your respective roles?

TH: When I heard I was going in to read for Sir Percival, I just did a lot of research about the character. However, when it then came to actually playing the role, my research didn’t come to much avail insofar as what they (the show’s producers/writers) chose to do with the character. Their take on Percival is slightly different.  When it comes to my audition, it’s probably the same as it was for the rest of the boys in that you’re sent a script, you read through it with the director, and if you’re right for the part, they'll make you the offer.

RY: When I first auditioned, I was up for two parts, Sir Leon, which I now play, and the other was another knight, who was actually killed. Luckily they cast me as Sir Leon, otherwise I’d no longer be employed. I was only meant to be in a couple of episodes, but then they kept bringing Sir Leon back. So I’ve kind of developed the character with the writers, and that’s been quite exciting.

EM: I just sent a tape of me topless in a bed, and that was my audition (he jokes).

Adetomiwa Edun as Sir Elyan. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd./FremantleMedia Enterprises. 

Can you tell us a little bit about some of the acting challenges you’ve found working on the show, and also how have you seen your characters grow and develop since you first began playing them?

RY: To answer the second part of your question, what's been quite lovely with the group of us working together is that we’ve managed to bring our off-screen relationship to our (Merlin) characters. It’s been quite fun to see the show’s writers finding and developing that group dynamic.

AE:  Personally, one of the challenges I found is shooting in Wales. Although I love all the stuff that we film in the forest, it can get quite cold, and I'm definitely solar-powered.

I thought you guys did a terrific job in Merlin’s season four opener. What sticks out most in your mind about the two-parter and what you enjoyed most about working on it?

RY: Well, we were shooting on 35-mm, so everything looked bigger and better. When it comes to the work itself, it was us coming back together after being away from each other for a few months. It was also the first time that the Knights of the Round Table were really huge in the story line.  So it just felt much more exciting from day one.

EM: I think what was fascinating about the season opener was the fact that it was a much darker tone than the previous seasons. It also had this great big quest feel to it and, as Rupert said, it was all of us together and going on an adventure. And with the Dorocha, which had a lot of special effects, we (as actors) didn't really know what was going on, which kind of lent itself to what was happening with our characters. We couldn’t see the Dorocha and didn't know what was happening, so our confusion was genuine and that was really great.

AE:  The scale of the first two episodes was massive. We shot in some fantastic locations that were really evocative and added to the experience of shooting it, which was a lot of fun.

 Behind-the-scenes (L-R): Rupert Young, Tom Hopper and Eoin Macken. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd./FremantleMedia Enterprises.

Was it tough filming with those special effects involving the Dorocha?

RY: I think what's quite interesting is when you're filming those types of scenes, you don't actually know what you're trying to attack.  So for example, somebody will tell you to attack from all sides while looking in this general direction and holding a torch, but you’re to do it with nothing (in front of you).  It's not until you actually watch the episode that you go, “Oh, wow, that’s actually quite scary."

EM: Acting is about reacting.  You need to react off someone doing something to you. The Dorocha don't really give you anything back, so it was hard to act with them.

Eoin, as the feisty bad boy, your character of Sir Gwaine seems to have friendships both with Arthur (Bradley James) and Merlin (Colin Morgan), and they're kind of different.  So I was wondering how Gwaine would describe his friendships with each of them.

EM: I think that the initial friendship with Arthur was actually more of a competitive relationship that became a friendship through respect. Initially, Gwaine as a character didn't have any time for Arthur because he was royalty.  Merlin, however, was more respectful towards him and they became friends much quicker. But as it developed this year, I think Arthur and Gwaine became much stronger friends, as Arthur did with all the knights, through the virtue of them fighting side-by-side in battles. Merlin and Gwaine haven't been as strong friends-wise because Gwaine doesn't know what actually Merlin does in terms of his magic.

 Eoin Macken during the GT magazine shoot. Photo by Leigh Kelly and copyright of GT/FremantleMedia Enterprises.

Rupert, your character of Sir Leon's been with Arthur for a long time and, for the most part, has seen Merlin as Arthur's servant. Now things have kind of changed, like when you guys joined together and were being subversive when Morgana was on the throne. So I was just wondering if Sir Leon’s picture of Merlin has changed.  Will they become friends?  Will they interact?

RY: I think because Merlin has been around and always at Arthur's side – as has Leon, in many ways – they’ve grown to like each other.  However, there's always that status.  So my character is always going to have a slightly higher status than Merlin.  He and all the knights can enjoy a joke with Merlin and have a laugh with him, but there's always a line, although not as much as with Arthur and Merlin.  So there’s respect there, but Merlin 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.

Rupert Young during the GT magazine shoot. Photo by Leigh Kelly and copyright of GT/FremantleMedia Enterprises. 

Tom, we’ve been provided with these beefcake-type photos of you and some of the other knights.  Can you tell us where that photo shoot came from?

TH:  Oh, the Gay Times shoot, right? We did a magazine shoot earlier this year to promote the series, and we were asked by this magazine to dress in, well, not a lot, with swords and shields, but make it kind of a fashion piece as well.  I think GT is quite a popular magazine here in the UK, so the (Merlin) producers thought it would be a good idea for us to do that.

Tom Hopper during the GT magazine shoot. Photo by Leigh Kelly and copyright of GT/FremantleMedia Enterprises. 

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?

TH: 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.  I think it's more about the knights being there for him on that journey. Potentially next season there may be more about the knights, but for now the show is more about them being on Arthur’s side and there for him.

AE: Adding to what Tom was saying, this season is quite epic and it focuses on the overarching theme.  Through the evolution of a slightly different Camelot, there are issues raised by Arthur's relationship with Guinevere (Angel Coulby) and things of that nature are sort of in the foreground. You do get glimpses of the knights, but you see them primarily as agitators in the formation of this new sort of Camelot.

And for each of you, what was your favorite scene to do?

EM:  My favorite scene personally is one between me and Rupert. We have a really great scene coming up in, I think, episode seven or eight. It’s an episode that mainly focuses on the knights, so I'm sure the fans will look out for that one because we're pretty brilliant in it.  The scene was quite interesting because there’s a lot more conflict among the knights in terms of creating a different dynamic to our relationship. So I enjoyed that scene with Rupert in the forest which got quite heated.

AE:  Tom and I did a little bit in the season opener where we’re rescuing the children from the Dorocha, which was quite fun.  And then following on from what Eoin said, I think that, if I may call it the knights' episode, has some really nice interplay between us all four of us, which was a lot of fun to do.

TH:  Certainly my favorite has to be saving the kids with Adetomiwa in this season’s opener.  That was a lot of fun. And saying again, I think the knights' episode, which is, I believe, episode eight, was a lot of fun for the four of us to do, and we also got a peek at or hint of something to come.

RY: Mine is the same as everyone else’s, the knights’ episode. I think our characters developed a bit more in that one with the conflicts, as Eoin, said, and it was the most fun to shoot.

 King Arthur and his knights. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd./FremantMedia Enterprises.

I was wondering what kind of feedback do you get from fans about your characters?

TH: It's varied, really.  Three of us are on Twitter and you get kind of mixed feedback, in that there are some girls and guys that, I guess, have an attraction towards them and then there are some fans who just want to know every single fact about the show.  I think they know more about the show than we do. Generally, the feedback is good.  It seems like we have some very kind, loyal fans, which is nice.

AE:  Yes, it's really nice.  It seems that this show has a very supportive family, which is awesome.

EO: Tom was being very literal when he talked about being on Twitter, in that we really do have interaction with the fans, and I think they’ve been great. Being on Twitter and so forth allows you to engage with someone, and as a result I've actually learnt an awful lot more about 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.

RY:  I think that's the amazing thing about the fans of the show is that it’s all age groups. There are a lot of children, but the age goes up to 80.  It's a family show, so it’s been interesting just seeing that dynamic and those people around the world who love and know the show.  It's terrific to be a part of that.

EO:  It's been genuinely fascinating because Merlin does have such a wide-reaching fan base.  It hits all demographics and you do get viewers from all over the world, which is great because you get to see how different people have their own subjective take on it.

As noted above, all Gay Times magazine photos by Leigh Kelly and copyright of GT/FremantleMedia Enterprises and all Merlin photos copyright of Shine Ltd./FremantleMedia Enterprises, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Phil Morris Voices The Villainous Role Of Vandal Savage In Justice League: Doom

Vandal Savage as voiced by Phil Morris in Justice League: Doom. Photo copyright of Warner Bros. Animation.

Easily recognizable to sitcom viewers as the hilariously slimy lawyer Jackie Chiles on Seinfeld,and renowned throughout the fanboy realm as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter on Smallville, Morris is splitting his time this February celebrating his latest triumphs.

Morris is a NAACP Image Award nominee in the category of Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Love That Girl!  While he prepares for the awards ceremony and all of its requisite celebrity gatherings, Morris is also making time to attend both the New York (2/13) and Los Angeles (2/16) premieres of Justice League: Doom.

The consummate nice guy, Morris shifts to a darker, villainous approach for Justice League: Doom as he reprises his Justice League animated television series role as the immortal Vandal Savage. Morris is one of nine actors returning to the booth to record their original roles.Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated Justice League: Doom arrives February 28th, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViiolet™ Digital Copy.

Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains – orchestrated by Vandal Savage – discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel,” and scripted by the late Dwayne McDuffie.

Morris is more than just an actor with a tendency to perform in fanboy-centric productions – he is a devout fan of the genre and its comic book origins. His comics collection exceeds 20,000 and includes gems like a 1948 “Captain America,” issues 1-18 of “Silver Surfer,” the first 20 Barry Windsor-Smith issues of “Conan,” and many of the original run of the “Fantastic Four.” “It goes back pretty far,’ Morris says. “I collect to this day.”

Prepping for the onslaught of reporters’ queries on the red carpets on both coasts prior to the premieres of Justice League: Doom, Morris welcomed the opportunity to answer a few questions about Vandal Savage, comics collecting, and the possibility of someday voicing his Smallville character Martian Manhunter in an animated form. Read on …

What’s the mindset of Vandal Savage, and what’s been the joy of playing this role?

PHIL MORRIS: Vandal Savage is an immortal who has been around the human species for all time. He’s extremely intelligent – he’s incredibly evolved because of contact with a meteor that landed in his village. And he’s always trying to overthrow the world. His vision is that the world should be his, as many of these despots feel. But he feels that because he’s lived so long, he’s entitled.

I love Vandal. I played Vandal for the Justice League series a few times, but this is a little bit of a different take on Vandal. Back on the series, he was more of a smooth criminal – he was more nuanced, he had more style. Now, I guess, he’s just had it. He’s kind of approaching things as if to say “I don’t have time to play with you.” He has no more guile left in him. He’s straight, no chaser, which makes him much more dangerous, much more evil, and much harder edged, especially in my vocal performance.

And I love this script. Dwayne (McDuffie) really made it a walloping good romp for the Justice League players. And then Vandal is a bit like the Lex Luthor of the show – it’s his mastermind, his ideas, his design that almost or does bring the world to its doom. You’ll have to watch to see. Vandal is very much the thrust of the evil of this show. That’s fun to play.

What’s it like for you to be recording with all these original voices from the series again?

PM: It’s great to have these actors back in these roles, but that’s the magic of these animated projects. I think one of the things the DC/Warner Bros. people do very well is get the right people for the job, from the top down. From Bruce (Timm) and Andrea (Romano) all the way down to the cast – and they take pains to make sure that everything is as accurate as possible because they know that, as fans, we’re watching and we’re listening and we need to be served. And they serve us very, very well. They give us some of the greatest vocal talent in the business.

You say “we” – and that collection of 20,000+ comics at home attests to your love for this genre. This is more than just work for you, right?

PM: It feels as though I’ve been doing homework on these characters since I was 7 years old, and I loved being able to tell my mother that I’m finally making my comic book collection pay off. Actors use whatever reference material is at hand to flush out their characters, and in that I have been a comic collector for so long, I don’t have to go too far to relate to the process of the villain or hero in this universe of comics. I fee-+

l like I am one of the rank and file who has gotten lucky enough to embody these characters. It’s a pleasure and an honor.

Which way do your comic book tastes venture these days?

PM: It’s interesting because they always ask the question: “Is it DC or Marvel?” If you’re a real comic book fan, you had to pick a side. You couldn’t go down the middle. As a younger comics reader, I liked Marvel a lot, because Marvel reflected African Americans sooner than DC did. I think that gave me a little bit of an affinity for them. But now in my more mature years, it’s all about good story telling, and I find DC tells great stories and has great, solid characters. They have probably my favorite character in Batman. So I’m much more interested in the continuity of the universe – I was an artists guy before, relating to the pictures and the artistry. That really thrilled me. Now it’s about the concepts and the writing. I’m always looking for a good yarn.

I like reading Garth Ennis, J. Michael Straczynski, Mark Waid, Jeff Loeb … guys like that. The writers have become fantastic – they have taken what society is and spun it on its ear. It’s not really kid stuff anymore. Kids can still invest and enjoy the books, but so can adults. Mark Millar. Ed Brubaker. There are a lot of great comic writers out there right now, and the world of comic books is much better for it.

You played J’onn J’onzz /Martian Manhunter on Smallville. Would you like to transition that role to voiceover for animation?

PM: Carl (Lumbly) did one helluva job as Martian Manhunter for the Justice Leagueseries, and he hasn’t lost a step for this film. I don’t think he’s going to give up the role without a fight, and I have a total respect for Carl and his performance. It would be wonderful to do J’onn J’onzz as an animated character, as I did on Smallville. We’ll see. They keep me busy over here.

You’ve recorded a full library of characters for animation, including many in the super hero realm. What character does your inner geek still crave to voice?

PM: I’ve been doing a voice for the Black Panther, but I’m not playing the Panther. They got Djimon Hounsou, and he’s terrific. But I would love to play the Black Panther. I wanted to play Green Lantern in this film. I’m an African American actor, but I don’t want that to matter at all. I think you should be able to close your eyes and voice any character, whether he’s African American or Anglo or Latino or Asian. That’s what I love about these great characters. I’d love to do the Silver Surfer, too. But for DC, I’d love to do a version of the Batman. I know Kevin Conroy IS Batman, and I love Kevin to death. But I think every actor who knows comics and loves comics would jump at the chance to do Batman. I think each of us would want to bring his own take to that darkness, to that inner turmoil that is Bruce Wayne. So it would be Batman. Kevin, I love you, but give me a one-off!

You frequently work in both the live-action and animated worlds. What’s your favorite part of doing voiceovers?

PM: The best part of working in voiceover is the people you work with. I was very surprised when I first came into this world that the actors were so talented. They weren’t just people who did funny or clever voices. They are very intelligent, well-read, well-spoken, funny actors, and you get into that room and they cut it up – and THEN they go to record and they’re suddenly the most evil or heroic person on the planet. Then in between takes they’re jokey, jokey, jokey. Their wit and their imagination is unparalleled. I really have a great time working with whomever I work with from the voiceover community.

As noted above, photo copyright of Warner Bros. Animation, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis), Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire), Gina Holden (Flash Gordon), Shannen Doherty (Beverly Hills 90210) & Tinsel Korey (The Twilight Saga) Star in Upcoming Syfy TV Movies

Tinsel Korey (The Twilight Saga) and Shannen Doherty (Beverly Hills 90210) become embroiled in two dark takes on the increasingly popular fairy tale genre – the first ever Syfy Original Movie Double Feature – while Gina Holden (Flash Gordon) is trapped on a deadly deserted island, in a special three-pack of February Saturday Original Movies.

In Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island, premiering Saturday, February 11th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST, a group of travelers become stranded on a mysterious island. Confronting vicious pirates, terrifying creatures and an active volcano, they must find a way to escape. The movie, a production of K2 Pictures, stars Gina Holden and Mark Sheppard (Supernatural).

Black Forest, starring Tinsel Korey and Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire), tells the chilling story of tourists lost in a magical forest, who battle evil fairy tale creatures plotting to kidnap one of their babies and slaughter the rest of them. A production of UFO Films, Black Forest airs Saturday, February 25th @ 7:00 p.m. EST/PST.

Shannen Doherty and Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis) star in Gretl: Witch Hunter, premiering Saturday, February 25th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST. Twenty years after his encounter with the witch, a grown-up Hansel returns to the haunted forest, seeking revenge. But there's a surprise waiting -- his sister Gretl (who he thought had been killed) is the witch's protégée. Gretl: Witch Hunter is a production of Vesuvius Productions and distributed by Sony Pictures Television.

Sci-Fi Blast From The Past - Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica)

Grace Park as Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii on Battlestar Galactica. Photo copyright of Syfy.

In today's Sci-Fi Blast From The Past, Hawaii Five-0 star Grace Park talks about playing two versions of her character of Lt.Sharon "Boomer" Valerii on Battlestar Galactica.

On the old Battlestar Galactica it was always easy to tell the good guys, the humans, from the bad guys, the robot Cylons. However, on the re-imagined version of Battlestar it’s far more difficult. There are Cylons who are exact replicas of human beings, and in many cases there’s more than one copy. That’s true of Lt. Sharon “Boomer” Valerii, a human Cylon. One version of her has been serving aboard the Battlestar, while a duplicate has been pretending to be on the run from the Cylons on the planet Caprica. They may both look identical but there are differences, as actress Grace Park, who plays the Boomers, explains.

“The version onboard the Galactica was uploaded with a program of friends, family, a complete memory of her childhood and growing up, etc,” says Park. “So she has this chip in her head that made her think she was human, but every once in a while in season one it would go into sleep mode. That’s when Boomer’s Cylon programming would take over and make her do some not-so-nice things. She’d then ‘wake up’ and have no memory of what she had done.

“Meanwhile, the Boomer on Caprica has always known exactly who she is and what her purpose was. Her goal was to get Lt. Helo [Tahmoh Penikett] to fall in love with her, but along the way she inadvertently fell in love with him and then became pregnant. Yes, that’s what the Cylons wanted, but they never expected that her feelings for Helo and their as-of-yet unborn child would make her turn on her own people. This Boomer wants to survive as a family with her child and, I’m assuming, Helo.

“It’s been a challenge so far playing two versions of Boomer because I’ve had to make them similar and yet give them differences that would allow viewers to look at them and think, ‘Yes, they’re different people.’ It was tough at first but I think this [second] year I’ve become much better at it. Thank God, because I have a feeling we’ll be introducing more copies of Boomer and I’ll have to do more than just give them each a new accent or a twitch,” jokes the actress.

When Park first auditioned for the 2003 Battlestar miniseries it was for the role of Petty Officer Dualla (which ultimately went to Kandyse McClure). The actress was then asked to fly to Los Angeles to read for the part of Lt. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace.

“I was one of the first three people to arrive for that audition,” she recalls. “There was Katee Sackhoff, a blonde, another actress who I believe was Hispanic and had dark hair, and me, a Korean. We all looked at one another and were like, ‘Wow, they really don’t know what they’re looking for.’ More actresses began arriving and each of us went in and did our thing. Ultimately, it came down to me and Katee.

“By that afternoon they still hadn’t made their decision, so they sent us home and said they’d let us know. I went home and began chewing my nails in anticipation until one day when my agent finally phoned. I found out that Katee had been cast as Starbuck, and I’d gotten the role of Boomer. Naturally, I was happy, but also a little bummed. I thought, ‘Boomer, I don’t want to play her.’ I didn’t even remember her because I was so focused on the Starbuck character. However, lo and behold I’m now Sharon ‘Boomer’ Valerii and I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

In the Battlestar miniseries, Boomer and Helo are among those pilots helping evacuate human survivors from Caprica after the Cylons invade the planet. Because only so many people can fit aboard their Raptor, a lottery is held to decide who goes and who waits for the next ship. Helo gives up his seat to Dr. Gaius Baltar (James Callis) and Boomer must take off and leave her friend and colleague behind. Working on those scenes, and the days leading up to their filming, are especially memorable for Park.

“One of the first scenes I actually shot for the miniseries was a kissing scene between Boomer and Chief Tyrol [Aaron Douglas] in the Galactica tool room,” she says. “For some reason I was a bit unfocused that day and after a couple of takes, the director [Michael Rymer] asked me to try a little harder to concentrate on the work. I said, ‘Yes, of course,’ and then I asked him if he could maybe give me a gauge of where he felt my performance was at that day. Michael was totally professional and courteous when discussing my work, but what he told me was a bit of a blow. However, it was the best thing he could have done for me.

“For the next two weeks I absolutely hated Battlestar. I didn’t want to go to work or be on-set. Then suddenly one day I finally managed to wrap my head around the problem and, boom, everything was making sense to me. The following morning we began filming the lottery scene and I was so excited. The work itself just seemed really succinct and I felt like I was hitting the nail on the head in terms of my performance. We spent two days on-location shooting those scenes and they were absolute joy for me.”

The Boomer flying the Raptor makes it back to the Galactica and in the first season of Battlestar she carries on with her duties onboard the ship as well as her romance with Chief Tyrol. On Caprica, the Boomer there convinces Helo she came back to rescue him, but the Cylons now have her Raptor. While trying to evade capture and find a way off the planet, they make love and Boomer later tells Helo she’s pregnant. Boomers’ relationships with Helo and Tyrol go in very different directions as the show’s first year draws to a close.

“The Caprica Boomer is completely manipulative with Helo. However, I honestly believe that she has real feelings for him,” explains Park. “Of course, the whole pregnancy thing is completely unexpected on Helo’s part, but nonetheless he wants to do right by my character and take care of her and their baby. Sadly, with Tyrol, suspicion as to whether Boomer is, in fact, a Cylon drives them apart. There’s a clash of prides and a hurt of not wanting to open up to each other and really surrender to what’s going on. That pain still lingers and they haven’t as yet really resolved their relationship.”

Helo learns that Boomer is a Cylon in Battlestar’s two-part season one finale Kobol’s Last Gleaming, while the Galactica Boomer reveals her true identity when she attempts to assassinate Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos). Needless to say, both Boomers lives change a great deal this year beginning with the show’s season two opener Scattered.

“There’s going to be more heartbreak for the Galactica Boomer this time around,” explains Park. “If you’ve seen Scattered you know she’s been thrown in the brig. She could be tossed out an airlock next, or perhaps be dissected and then used for study. No matter what it doesn’t look good for her, and although she’d previously been in deep denial about her origins, now everything is out in the open. So this Boomer’s head is pretty much on the chopping block, but the thing is she didn’t have any awareness of what was going on and the fact she’s really a Cylon. That’s what seems so heartbreaking to me.

“With the Caprica Boomer, the dynamic between her and Helo has changed because Starbuck is now on the planet as well. So Helo is split as to where his loyalties lie. However, Boomer steals Starbuck’s ship and takes off for a while. She eventually comes back, but the problem is now that her Galactica version has been outed, everyone on the ship knows she’s a Cylon. The Caprica Boomer starts running into other members of the Galactica crew and must go to great lengths to convince them to keep her alive.”

Prior to the Battlestar summer hiatus, Park shot an episode and some scenes involving the Caprica Boomer that proved especially challenging acting-wise. “In this story, my character is experiencing pregnancy problems,” says Park. “I’ve never been pregnant in real life, so I did plenty of research in order to help me imagine what it feels like not only to carry a child inside you but also if that baby’s life is somehow threatened.

“At one point, Boomer is on an operating table and screaming like mad. I read the script, did that scene, and I put everything I had into it. By the last take my throat hurt from all the screaming, but I still felt as if I had missed something. Boomer’s situation is a desperate one and I wasn’t sure if I’d brought that out in my performance.

“The director, however, was pleased with the final take, but I would have loved one more crack at it. As an actor you always think of something more you could have done in a scene once the cameras have stopped rolling.”

Given how important her character has become in the Battlestar story, Park couldn’t be happier to be playing Boomer. “It’s one of the most challenging roles on the series, and a rewarding one for me,” she says. “The miniseries and the show’s first season were like a ‘nest’ for me and I felt like I was nurtured as an actress. Now this year I feel like I can fly and I’m so grateful for that.”

Steve Eramo

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

Being Human's Sam Huntington And Kill Bill's Vivica A. Fox To Appear On Syfy's Face Off - 02 - 08 - 12

Face Off host McKenzie Westmore and Being Human's Sam Huntington. Photo copyright of Syfy.

Actress Vivica A. Fox (Independence Day, Kill Bill) and Being Human’s Sam Huntington make a special appearance in an all-new episode of Syfy’s acclaimed reality competition series, Face Off, airing Wednesday, February 8th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST.

For the Foundation Challenge, the ten remaining contestants are tasked with creating an original trauma makeup featuring wounds that may have been inflicted by a werewolf.  Sam Huntington brings his expert perspective to the challenge, having worn a tremendous amount of special effects makeup in his career, including his role as a werewolf on the hit series Being Human, currently in new episodes Monday nights at 9/8c onSyfy.

Face Off judge Patrick Tatopoulos and guest Vivica A. Fox. Photo copyright of Syfy.

When the contestants head back to the lab they are shocked to find exotic plants and animals in their work space – including a 600lb black bear, a rhinoceros, a leopard and poisonous dart frogs to name just a few. For their Spotlight Challenge, the contestants are paired into teams and asked to select one animal and one plant to serve as inspiration for an original hybrid creature that is not only beautiful but also deadly.  The team challenge adds even more drama as one team clashes over the design of their spider-inspired creature, leading up to an emotional confrontation on the Face Off reveal stage. 

Actress Vivica A. Fox lends her expertise as a guest judge to critique the contestant’s work at the reveal, offering an on-point judging style and unique perspective as an actress very familiar with the world of special effects and the integral role it plays in entertainment. 

McKenzie Westmore and Sam Huntington. Photo copyright of Syfy.

Face Off is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination that allows them to create amazing works of living art.  Judging the Face Off competition are some of the most renowned names in the SFX world -- three-time Academy Award winner Ve Neill, famed special make-up effects artist Glenn Hetrick and director/creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos. Together, they make a panel that is tough, smart and direct. The series is hosted by actress McKenzie Westmore, whose father, award-winning make-up artist Michael Westmore, is part of the legendary Westmore feature film and TV make-up artist family.

The Face Off artists are whittled down week by week as they compete to outshine their competition.  The winning SFX artist will earn$100,000 in seed money to help encourage their special effects career, a year’s supply of Alcone make up products, a Reinvented 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid and the coveted exposure to help launch a career.

As noted above, all photos copyright of Syfy, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!   

Battlestar Galactica's James Callis Guest-Stars This Week On Merlin (Syfy US) - 01 - 27 - 12

James Callis as Merlin's Julius Borden. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises.

SPOILER ALERT!! - For four seasons, he played the traitorous Gaius Baltar on Battlestar Galactica.  This Friday, James Callis brings his acting talents to the international hit series Merlin, playing the equally unscrupulous Julius Borden.

In his first scene in this Friday’s episode, titled Aithusa, Callis comes face to face with the man who was once his character's mentor – fittingly, court physician Gaius (Richard Wilson). Once the pupil of Gaius, Borden left Camelot during the Great Purge, but in the darkness returns to Camelot looking for the third part of the Triskelion – an ancient object that promises to reveal the location of the last dragon egg.

Despite a stern warning from Gaius, Merlin (Colin Morgan) offers to help Borden if it means he can fulfill his obligation as the Last Dragonlord to ensure the survival of the species.  But the task turns deadly when Merlin realizes exactly why Borden wants the egg. Although the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah (voiced by John Hurt), figured prominently in the first season of Merlin, in the last two seasons his primary function has been to give advice to Merlin and help him in times of greatest threat.  It was Kilgharrah, for instance, who cautioned Merlin that “your determination to see goodness in people will be your undoing.”

In Aithusa, however, the Great Dragon assumes a much more prominent role in the story.  In the last two seasons, Merlin “has shown his separation, his independence from the Dragon,” says actor Colin Morgan, who plays Merlin. “At the beginning of Season One, the Dragon was a confidante, someone Merlin needed help from.  Slowly and slowly, they grew apart, and the Dragon’s motives became slightly unclear, so there has been a question of trust between them.”

And yet, Kilgharrah and Merlin are inextricably linked, Morgan says. “As Dragonlord, Merlin can always command the Dragon, which is a great quality.  What’s going to be interesting to see is if Arthur ever meets the Dragon – what his reaction would be.”

While the Dragon doesn’t meet King Arthur (Bradley James) in Aithusa, he does meet a new character … though just who (or what) that is remains to be seen.  Viewers will discover the identity – and his or her role in Camelot. Aithusa (Season Three - Episode Four) airs Friday, January 27th @ 10:00p.m. EST/PST on Syfy.

As noted above, photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Chiller TV Set To Air Two New Projects In March And April

Chiller kicks off a packed year of original programming with the announcement of airdates for the first two all-new projects of 2012.  The original special Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies will premiere Sunday, March 11th @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST, while Chiller’s second original movie, Brian Keene’s Ghoul, will premiere Friday, April 13th @ 9:00p.m. EST/PST.  Ghoul’s airdate announcement comes hot on the heels of its successful screening at Slamdance headquarters in Park City, UT this past weekend.

Based on the acclaimed novel by horror maven Brian Keene, Ghoul is a coming-of-age story exploring the darkness that lurks inside small-town life.  It is the summer of 1984 when a teenage couple goes missing among the gravestones of the local cemetery.  Twelve-year-old Timmy (Modern Family’s Nolan Gould) and his best friends, Barry and Doug, have grown up hearing stories about a sinister ghoul that haunts the cemetery and they begin to wonder if the horrific legend might actually be real. Timmy and his friends are forced to put their friendship to the ultimate test when they dig up long-buried secrets, facing their personal demons as well as the one hiding underground.  Ghoul is written by William M. Miller and directed by Gregory M. Wilson.  Andrew van den Houten and Robert Tonino (The Woman) will serve as producers for MODERNCINÉ. 

In Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies, Chiller investigates the terrifying factual stories that inspired some of the scariest horror movies of all time, including Silent Hill, The Amityville Horror, The Mothman Prophecies and Poltergeist, through exclusive eyewitness interviews and reenactments of actual events.  Paranormal investigator Katrina Weidman (Paranormal State) travels with three of her friends into the dark recesses of the unknown to uncover the buried secrets behind these four iconic films. Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Moviesis executive produced by Larry Landsman and John D'Auria for AEP Media.

Sci-Fi Blast From The Past - Kaley Cuoco (Charmed)

Kaley Cuoco as Billie in Charmed. Photo copyright of The WB.

In today's Sci-Fi Blast From The Past, the beautiful and talented Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory talks about getting in touch with her magical side and playing a witch named Billie in Charmed.

Everyone at one time or another gets tired of the same old daily grind, even witches. In the season seven Charmed finale Something Wicca This Way Goes, the Halliwell sisters faked their own demise when vanquishing the demon Zankou along with the all-powerful Nexus. The three sisters wanted the mortal world as well as the demon world to believe they were dead so they could begin new lives without the burden of being The Charmed Ones. However, not long after the start of the show’s eighth year, they discover it’s not that easy to let go of their destiny, including their responsibility to protect innocents. That’s where a budding witch named Billie, played by new series regular Kaley Cuoco, comes in.

“Basically, Rose McGowan’s character of Paige is the one who discovers Billie and becomes her teacher,” explains Cuoco. “She and her two sisters, Piper [Holly Marie Combs] and Phoebe [Alyssa Milano], are like, ‘We’re tired of fighting demons. This girl [Billie], however, is really into it.’ That said, my character’s idea of magic is snapping her fingers and fixing up her bedroom. Billie doesn’t realize that witchcraft is a serious thing and that it’s not self-serving but rather to be used to help people.

“She ends up moving into the Halliwell house and the sisters begin training her to be a real witch. Billie is like their shadow and watches their every move. She’s learning as she’s going along and she messes up more often than not, so half the time the sisters want to ‘kill’ her,” jokes the actress. “Billie is such a neat character and a fun one, too. I’m a comedian at heart, and this role allows me to do some comedy because Billie is always getting into trouble. She’s turning into the lighthearted character in the show and that’s been a joy to play.”

Born in Camarillo, California, Cuoco broke into the business at the age of six working after school as both a child model and in TV commercials. She later appeared in small roles on Northern Exposure and My So-Called Life as well as in the made-for-TV movie Quicksand: No Escapebefore making her big screen debut opposite Denzel Washington in the 1995 feature film Virtuosity.

“That was awesome,” enthuses Cuoco. “Here I was, this little girl on a movie set with all these big actors. I remember Denzel Washington taking me for a ride in this convertible that I thought was the coolest thing on the planet. I had a blast. To me, it was like playtime. Yes, I had to do my schoolwork, but otherwise in between scenes I was busy running around eating all the food at craft services and just being a kid. At that age it’s kind of a surreal experience. It’s not until you get a little older that you understand what it is you’re actually doing, In fact, a few years after I did this film, my parents sat me down and explained to me, ‘This is a real job. If you want to keep doing it you have to take it seriously,’ and I said, Yes, I want to keep acting.’”

In 2002, Cuoco became a familiar face to TV audiences when she was cast as the eldest daughter, Bridget Hennessy, in the late John Ritter sitcom 8 Simple Rules…for Dating My Teenage Daughter (a.k.a. 8 Simple Rules).”That show was a life-changing experience for me,” she says. “It was the best comedy lesson I’ve ever had. I got to play not a dumb blonde but one who said funny things and wore trendy clothes. As for John Ritter, he will always be one of the most important people in my life. I’ll never forget him and think about him every day. That first season there wasn’t a moment when my stomach wasn’t hurting from laughing so hard while working with John. He loved us all so much. 8 Simple Rules was and will forever be John’s show. He put us on this path and after he died it was like, ‘You guys have to finish this journey now.’”

This past May, 8 Simple Rules ended after a three-year run on ABC. Coincidentally, Charmedexecutive producer Brad Kern had been planning for a while to bring the character of a young college student/witch into the series, and the actress he had in mind to play the role was Cuoco. “The Charmed producers called and asked if I’d be interested in being on the show,” she recalls. “I had two meetings in two days and was immediately taken with the idea of this character who kicked butt and fought demons.

“I phoned my agent’s office and said, ‘I really want this part.’ They got in touch with the Charmed office to tell them and in 15 minutes it was a done deal. Four days later I was doing a photo shoot with the girls, so it was somewhat of a whirlwind. When I arrived at work that first morning I was nervous, but then I found out I was just doing scenes by myself, and that made me feel a little more at ease. The next day I worked with Rose, Alyssa and Holly and we had such a fantastic time. They’re so nice and so is the crew. Everyone has taken me in and made me feel like a member of their family.”

Like her onscreen persona, Cuoco is getting used to being part of the Charmed world. “It’s quite a difference from shooting a sitcom. My call-time is 6am, which is tough for someone like me who is not a morning person,” laughs the actress. “We also film at a much slower pace. One scene we did yesterday took almost six hours to shoot because there were six of us in it and it required a number of shots. Also, there’s not much time for rehearsal, so you really need to know your lines before you walk onto the set. My biggest challenge, though, has been the dialogue. It’s like speaking another language. I’m talking about demons, vanquishing spells, etc. At first it was tough to remember my lines, but I’ve gotten better, thank God.

“Since this role is also a very physical one, I’ve been taking kickboxing classes and doing all sorts of training in other disciplines to make sure I get all the action stuff right,” continues Cuoco. “They’ve been letting me to do some of the stunt work, which has been great. A few weeks ago I was in a harness and doing flips off the backs of chairs in a movie theatre. My stunt double was there and she performed the more complex moves, but I did some of the front flips and landings with the harness on.

“In the episode we’re currently filming, my character has to kick someone in the face, and then a girl opens a door and hits Billie right in the face. We filmed the latter scene yesterday, only I thought it was a rehearsal. They put a doorstop behind the door to scare the crap out of me. I’m standing there with Rose McGowan and the director says, ‘Rolling and, action!’ All of a sudden this door comes towards me and I go flying backwards. It didn’t hit me, but it frightened the living daylights out of me. They decided to roll on because they figured my reaction couldn’t be more realistic, and they were right. When we watched the dailies it looked very convincing. I can’t wait now for the audience to see it.”

After spending the first few eighth season Charmed episodes under the watchful eyes of just the Halliwell sisters, Billie gets to train with another member of the family. “The next script we’re doing is with me and Brian Krause who plays Leo, and who I think is just adorable,” says Cuoco. “In this story, the girls get fed up with Billie, so they ask Leo to take her to Magic School and spend some time training her. In fact, Billie and Leo end up saving his and Piper’s son Wyatt from demons, so it should be a lot of fun.”

Prior to starting work on Charmed, Cuoco finished shooting an upcoming independent film, Farewell Bender. She’s also the voice of Brandy in the Disney Channel animated series Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, and in the fall can be heard as one of the characters on Fox ’s new Bratz cartoon show. “Now Charmed is keeping me very busy and I couldn’t be happier,” says the actress.

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

Being Human (UK) Returns To BBC America's Supernatural Saturday - 02 - 25 - 12

Lenora Crichlow as Annie. Photo copyright of the BBC.

SPOILER ALERT!! - Award winning and acclaimed original series Being Human returns to Supernatural Saturday for its fourth season. In an old B&B in a sleepy seaside town, there lives a vampire, Hal (Damian Molony) a werewolf, Tom (Michael Socha) and a ghost, Annie (Lenora Crichlow) determined to live a normal human life while fighting off evil and bringing up a baby. But out there, lurking in every corner of society, there are vampires ready to rid the world of its humanity. The Old Ones are on their way and it’s up to our heroes to fight for the right to live in peace. Not only are there vampires to seek revenge on, there’s also a malevolent ghost on the loose and someone’s trying to expose the existence of werewolves… Not to mention all the diapers that need changing. Seaon four of Being Human premieres Saturday, February 25th @ 9:00 p.m. ET/PT as part of BBC America's Supernatural Saturday.

Damian Molony as Hal. Photo copyright of the BBC.

Michael Socha as Tom. Photo copyright of the BBC.

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

Second Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversay Special Airs Next Month On BBC America

L-R: Patsy (Joanna Lumley), Bubble (Jane Horrocks), Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) and Jean Durand (Lindsay Duncan). Photo by Jack Barnes and copyright of the BBC.

SPOILER ALERT!! - Comedy sensations Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley reprise their celebrated roles as Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone in the second of three all-new Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Specials. In this specials, French film legend Jean Durand (Lindsay Duncan) wants to sing, so the ladies book the Royal Albert Hall, but discover Durand can't sing. Eddy's (Jennifer Saunders) two clients (Emma Bunton and Lulu) deem her hopeless, but Durand appears to pull it off as Saffy (Julia Sawalha) is upset by her own hypocrisy. Absolutely Fabulous airs Sunday, Febuary 12th @ 11:00 p.m. EST/PST following the 2012 BAFTA Film Awards on BBC America.

L-R: Emma Bunton (as herself), Eddy (Jannifer Saunders), Lulu (as herself) and Jean Durand (Lindsay Duncan). Photo by Jack Barnes and copyright of the BBC.

As noted above, all photos by Jack Barnes and copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!