« February 2012 | Main | April 2012 »
Actress Erin Way.
Production begins this week in Toronto on the second season of Syfy’s super-powered original drama series Alphas starring David Strathairn, Malik Yoba, Warren Christie, Azita Ghanizada, Ryan Cartwright and Laura Mennell. Joining the cast this season is Erin Way (Detroit 187, Private Practice) as “Kat” the newest addition to the team of quirky superhuman investigators. Alphas is produced by Universal Cable Productions and BermanBraun Television. The season will consist of 13 episodes and is slated to premiere on Syfy in July 2012.
Alphas follows a clandestine group of ordinary people whose unique neurological condition equips them with extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Led by preeminent neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Lee Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn) this unlikely team takes on cases the CIA, FBI and Pentagon are unwilling or unable to solve and go head-to-head with many of the criminal Alphas released from the Binghamton facility in last season’s finale episode. When the series debuted last summer, it became Syfy’s most-watched original scripted series premiere in two years. Overall the show averaged 3.3 million total viewers during its first season.
Erin Way joins the ensemble as “Kat,” a mysterious, free-spirited young loner whose Alpha ability allows her to pick up any skill at a glance. The downside to her condition, which has plagued her for her entire life, is that her memories are short-lived and her experiences fade away after a short amount of time. Becoming a member of the team provides a purpose and direction for Kat and working with Dr. Rosen may help her reclaim her lost past.
Way became familiar to television audiences playing the offbeat “Wendy Chapin-Lowmeister” on the ABC drama Detroit 187. Her previous television credits include Hawaii Five-0, Private Practice and Girlfriends. In film, she has worked with directors Joe Dante, Ron Howard, Bryce Dallas-Howard and Mark Ruffalo and can be seen this summer in the features The Collection, Not That Funny and Donnby.
Bruce Miller (Eureka) joins Alphas this season as Executive Producer and Showrunner. Executive Producers are Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein for BermanBraun and Zak Penn. The series was created by Zak Penn and Michael Karnow.
Actor Graham Greene.
Syfy has announced that Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves) will join the cast of its upcoming drama series Defiance. Greene will portray Rafe McCawley, a self-made success who owns and operates the largest mine in the territory. However, Rafe’s status as the richest and most powerful human in the town of Defiance comes with a price, as he struggles to navigate both familial and political alliances in this precariously assembled new world.
Greene joins previously-announced Grant Bowler (Nolan), Julie Benz (Amanda Rosewater), Stephanie Leonidas (Irisa), Tony Curran (Datak Tarr) and Jaime Murray (Stahma Tarr) in the groundbreaking series that will unite scripted television and Massive Multiplayer Online Gaming (MMOG) for the very first time. Set in the near future, Defiance introduces a completely transformed planet Earth, inhabited by the survivors of a universal war. Forced to co-habitate, the disparate group struggles to build a new society among the devastation. The dramatic tapestry of the series and the intense action of the game will exist in a single universe where their respective narratives will inform one another and evolve together into one overall story.
Defiance is a visionary enterprise in collaboration with Trion Worlds, with the Syfy series and Trion’s multi-platform shooter MMO poised to debut simultaneously. The pilot, slated to commence production this April in Toronto, is directed by Scott Stewart (Legion, Priest), and written/executive produced by Rockne O’Bannon (Farscape), Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Caprica; Hellcats) & Michael Taylor (Battlestar Galactica). Kevin Murphy serves as showrunner. Defiance is produced by Universal Cable Productions.
Graham Greene’s screen debut was in 1983 in Running Brave, but it was his Academy Award-nominated role as Kicking Bird in the 1990 film Dances with Wolves that brought him stardom. This role was followed by appearances in such films as Thunderheart, Benefit of the Doubt, and Maverick as well as the TV series Northern Exposure. Greene also acted along-side Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in the 1995 film Die Hard with a Vengeance, and played a death row inmate in the Oscar-nominated The Green Mile.
In 2005, he re-emerged as the potential love interest of a pre-operative transsexual woman in Transamerica. 2007 saw Greene playing leading roles in the Stratford Festival productions of the Merchant of Venice and Of Mice and Men. Most recently, Greene has appeared in the feature films The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Casino Jack, Valley Of The Sun, Gunless, Man On The Train, Black Forrest, Chasing Shakespeare and a recurring role on the CBC TV series Being Erica.
Arthur (Bradley James) and Gwen (Angel Coulby) reunited - finally! Photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises.
Thirteen episodes of sorcery and swordplay, dragons and demons, bewitchings and betrayals comes to a head this Friday when the fourth season of Merlin culminates in an exhilarating season finale entitled The Sword in the Stone, Part 2, premiering Friday, March 30th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST only on Syfy.
For cast members Colin Morgan (Merlin), Bradley James (Arthur) and Katie McGrath(Morgana), the fourth season has been filled with memorable moments for both the actors and viewers. Morgan is particularly enthused about developments for the title character, who has gone from the King’s servant to his best friend and closest adviser. The fourth season presented some frustrating speed bumps in that relationship as Arthur’s traitorous uncle Lord Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) wielded far more power and influence over the King than Merlin would have seen fit.
“After Uther (Anthony Stewart Head) died, there was an interesting transition within the characters as Arthur put family over friends,” Morgan recalls. “That was a difficult transition for Merlin to overcome. One of the key elements in the finale is Arthur seeing his uncle for who he is, and positively reflecting on Merlin’s valued friendship. Arthur always knew Merlin was a good friend and a trusted guy, but to realize he’s loyally been there the entire time is a big revelation for Arthur and certainly paves the way for where we’re going in Season Five.”
Arthur (Bradley James) once again risking his life for Camelot. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises.
McGrath’s Morgana has experienced a true roller-coaster ride in Season Four, initiating one coup of Camelot after another before finally succeeding – if only for a few brief moments. “I loved it when you see Morgana sitting on the throne after she has taken Camelot,” McGrath explains. “The difference in her body language and attitude and her presence is miles away from her coronation in Season Three, and even further away from what it had been in earlier years. I think it shows how far she has come and how much she has changed throughout the series.”
The entire series has changed, observes James – for the better, in his estimation. “We’ve gradually gotten closer to the legend, which requires us to get a little bit warped, because the legend is really quite dark. That shift has been fantastic. It’s what the show has needed, and what we have needed as actors because it has really kept our interest alive and provided us with a lot of new fun and challenges.”
Filming has begun on Season Five in Wales and France, and the cast is anxious to see what’s next for their characters and the series. But what do they hope is on the horizon?
Isolde (Miranda Raison) and Tristan (Ben Daniels) help defend Camelot in the Season Four finale. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises.
“Merlin revealing his magic is definitely going to be the ultimate test for Arthur and Merlin, and I think it might be explored in the fifth season,” Morgan says. “The levels of trust between friends is one thing, but Arthur’s distrust of magic is something that runs longer than he and Merlin have been friends. It will take much more influence and much more work to break and to overcome. Certainly we’re entering into that territory, but it’s never going to be an easy task for Merlin. Still, it has to happen sooner or later.”
Underscoring just how strong all of its characters are, McGrath adds: “I'd like Camelot to realize that Morgana has a point. The persecution is unjust, and that magic has a place in the kingdom.”
Merlin co-creator and executive producer Johnny Capps also offers a tantalizing possibility of things to come: “I think,” he says, “the return of Mordred would be very interesting.”
Stay tuned.
As noted above, all photos copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
FOX has renewed the hit series Bones for its upcoming eighth season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.
“Over the past seven seasons, Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan and the incredible Bones cast and crew have redefined the traditional crime procedural with an irreverent and adventurous sensibility and I’m really happy to have this distinctive, fan-favorite on our schedule for another season,” Reilly said.
Bonesreturns with seven in a row, all-new episodes on a new night and at a new time beginning Monday, April 2nd @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST. In the first of these episodes, The Prisoner in the Pipe, the remains of an escaped convict are found in a residential sewer, but an examination of the sewer pipes indicates that the murder occurred within prison walls. When Brennan (Emily Deschanel) insists on solving the crime – despite Booth’s (David Boreanaz) pleas for her not to overexert herself – the expectant couple experience a very untraditional arrival of their baby daughter.
During the upcoming eighth season, Bones will celebrate its 150th milestone episode.
Colin Morgan as Merlin. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises.
SPOILER ALERT!! - With Camelot firmly in the grasp of Morgana and her reign of terror, Merlin must go to extraordinary measures to restore Arthur’s faith and prove to the young King that he was truly born to rule in the second half of the thrilling two-episode Merlin season four finale, The Sword in the Stone, Part 2, premiering Friday, March 30th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST on Syfy.
Arthur (Bradley James) has seen his kingdom overthrown by Morgana (Katie McGrath) and the powerful Southron warlord Helios (Terence Maynard) – and discovered his most trusted uncle Lord Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) has deceived him. Now, Arthur has lost the ability to believe the people of Camelot would ever follow his lead. But Merlin (Colin Morgan) guides Arthur to one the most iconic symbols of the Arthurian legend to prove his worth: The sword in the stone.There, Excalibur awaits, and Arthur may be able to embrace his destiny.
The sword in the stone has been handled with Merlin’s now-familiar mix of intrigue and ingenuity – interpreted, as so many elements of Arthurian lore have been, with a unique perspective. When Arthur and Merlin find Excalibur, they share a moment of awe – and the look on their faces, notes Colin Morgan, was genuine.
The sword and the stone. Photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises.
“We really felt the importance of the moment,” Morgan says, recalling being on location in Wales to film the scene. “It’s one of those images that we have read about for so long – we have them so ingrained in our heads – that there’s something really stirring to have it right there in front of you and to act it out.
“I think our fans will find the scene an intriguing, interesting take on the legend,” he adds. “Bradley and I were both genuinely aware that it was a very iconic moment, and we realized it was such a very special thing to be part of – and that made it one of the most fun days of filming during the entire season.”
It’s an example of the intricate, iconic pieces of the Camelot legend that need to fit perfectly within the world that has been created for Merlin, says co-creator and executive producer Johnny Capps. In addition to Excalibur and the stone, those elements include the Arthur-Gwen-Lancelot love triangle, Morgana’s siege of Camelot, Merlin’s rekindling of Arthur’s complete trust, and Arthur’s realization of his true destiny.
Morgana (Katie McGrath) and Helios (Terence Maynard). Photo copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises.
Capps says that plotting the path and scripting the details for incorporating those elements led to healthy debates between him and co-creator and executive producer Julian Murphy. “Arguing is sort of an essential for creating, and it comes from a place of passion for the show,” Capps explains. “But I do think we have the most ridiculous arguments: We had a morning where we completely fell out because we were arguing over the qualities of pixie dust.
“It’s not because we don’t like each other, it’s because we have strong, passionate feelings about the show. The thing about creating and making shows is that it’s incredibly personal. I think the more passionate you argue about something, the better it becomes – because you make sure that idea is watertight by arguing it and having large conversations. You make sure the concept or the story line or the characters will absolutely work. It is absolutely part of the creative process,” Capps says. Then he adds, with a laugh: “So we argue … and then Julian always admits that he’s wrong.”
As noted above, all photos copyright of Shine Ltd. and FremantleMedia Enterprises, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
(L-R) - GHI's Paul Bradford and Barry FitzGerald at the controls of the plane in Peru. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
As a published author, photographer, explorer, world-traveler and team leader on Syfy’s popular paranormal reality TV series Ghost Hunters International, you never know where Barry FitzGerald might turn up. In the show’s third and current season, he and his fellow teammates have continued to travel the globe in order to prove or debunk local paranormal claims.
In the season opener, Temple of Doom, the GHI team journeyed to two locations in Peru, the first being Chavin to investigate a pre-Incan, sacred stone hiding an extraordinary secret. From there they traveled to Lima to see if they could communicate with the ghost of a famous matador who was killed during a bullfight at the Plaza de Acho.
“As a singular case, the bull ring in Lima was OK,” says FitzGerald “Unfortunately there wasn’t much to report. The biggest obstacle for us came up in Chavin and the Incan ruins high up in the Andes. We had to fly into that [location] on a small plane, which at times was going sideways, and the turbulence was extremely severe. Once we landed we were already at 11,000 feet, and when you began to move you could feel that there was a lack of air and your body was trying to compensate.
“We then jumped into pickups and began our climb up over the top of the mountain ranges. It was both staggering and beautiful. There was also hardly anyone to be seen. Once we cleared the towns and moved into the mountains it was just complete desolation, but it still had a certain beauty to it, which I was in awe of.
Road to Chavin. Photo by/copyright of BarryFitzGerald.
“That case itself threw a spanner into the works because it wasn’t your typical ghost case. The stone, the Lanzone itself, presented a noise or type of frequency that we didn’t expect. It was absolutely amazing to see a stone that for all intents and purposes was dead – there was nothing going on with it – but the moment we criticized the priests, that’s when the stone kicked into life and began producing this vibration.
“When I got back home I was speaking with some friends of mine, who said to me, ‘Barry, you’ve heard that vibration before.’ The aborigines actually used a device called a bullroarer, which they spun around their heads, to produce the same vibration in order to contact their sky gods. It was just fascinating to see that continents apart, there appears to be a common knowledge, buried or otherwise, when it come to communication with these higher spirits or gods if you want to call them that.
“While I was in Peru I took the opportunity to explore the land of the Nazca and flew over the lines that are drawn on the desert. It was also my first time seeing a UFO at the coastal city Chincha, although I’m not going to say that what I saw were little green men and a flying saucer,” he notes with a chuckle. “What I did see, though, and I was told this might happen, were objects rising out the sea and flying over the city. I was very surprised I must say at whatever I did see. In fact, I went one step further and actually managed to photograph it coming out of the water and flying over the city. Honestly, I have no idea what it was, but it left me stunned for quite some time wondering what on Earth I did just witness.
“So there is something really bizarre going on in Peru and those Incas were really tapped into something two or three thousand years ago that we’ve forgotten. It was fascinating just to be able to scratch the surface and see what was hiding underneath.”
Behind-the-scenes at the haunted bull ring. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
From Peru, GHI moved on to Italy, specifically the Italian Alps, to investigate The Fort of Fenestrelle, known as “The Great Wall of the Alps.” It is believed that one of history’s most famous prisoners, “The Man in the Iron Mask,” was held there and is the cause of a great deal of paranormal activity. FitzGerald and his colleagues had to clear a rather large physical hurdle in order to get to the actual fort.
“That was one hell of a climb,” he says. “I thought Peru was bad, but this one really put us through our paces. It’s a four-thousand step climb up to that fortress, which is just staggering and some of the team were having serious problems with the various staircases. You can do the climb in about two-and-a-half hours, but that’s just the steps. There are also areas where there are no steps, but just a steep hill. So you have to climb the hill as well as the steps. We didn’t discover that, though, until we started to ascend to the top.
“Something bizarre was definitely going on there, and I did mange to experience some unusual things happening at the top of the fortress and away from the areas that had been redeveloped. That location is, of course, also where Susan [Slaughter] had the stones thrown at her. It was interesting that after we filmed the [episode] reveal, our client was able to see the shadow move along the top floor of the barracks. I must admit that my own eagle eye never let that one pass. I brought it to the team’s attention and everyone asked me how on Earth I’d managed to see that.
Paul Bradford climbing the steps to the Italian fortress. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
“It was great that we were able to capture that shadow moving because it was a place that none of us ever would have gone to. It was just too dangerous, yet whatever this was it was moving very fast along the top floor of the officers’ barracks. This is also the place where I heard footsteps running away whenever I raised the French flag in the fortress. Funnily enough, after the reveal, the client’s son came up to him and said, ‘Dad, don’t you remember there was a photograph taken of that building and there was something unusual about it.’ Again, at that stage we had already shot the reveal, so unfortunately we missed out on that, but it would have been a nice touch to have added that piece of information.
“We weren’t able to uncover the identity of The Man in the Iron Mask, but I am sure that there is something very strange happening at the higher levels of that fortress which really warrants further investigation.”
The Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves in Belize was the next port of call for the intrepid GHI team, where the Crystal Maiden’s spirit is believed to be trapped. “It was a sad story,” says FitzGerald, “and I’ve been contacted by people from all over the world who’ve been asking, ‘Are you sure she was a sacrifice?’ We were told that that was the case, but we really don’t know at this stage because of the way she was laying on the ground. It seemed unusual, and she was brought to the very back end of the cave system, which would have been almost impossible to get up, to. In my opinion if you wanted to hide a body, that would be the best place to do it. However, they say she was sacrificed to the Mayan Gods of the underworld. It wouldn’t surprise me considering what I’ve uncovered in Malta and the over 30.000 remains, which suggests there were sacrifices to these gods of the underworld.
“The tunnel system that we explored in this episode was incredible,” he continues. “Most times we were up to and sometimes over our chins in water, and as you’re walking through these tight passages you can’t help but wonder, ‘Is there going to be a flood? Are we going to survive it?’ At one point, Scott [Tepperman], Susan and I were lured deeper into the cave system by something responding to our calls. When I later questioned the guide about it at the reveal, he said that his grandfathers had told stories about these voices and how such things would lure people off into the cave system and lead to their demise. When I asked him what would have happened had we continued to follow the voices, he said, ‘You would die.’ He was that point-blank – it will kill you.
The Landzone Stone in Peru. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
“We arrived at a certain section where the cave floor dropped off into the water and we couldn’t see around the corner. Whatever this thing was it was at the other side of the corner, but safety wouldn’t have allowed us to go any further. So there was something else I have to say down in that Mayan underworld that shared that cave with us that night, and the strange thing was whenever we turned around and started making our way back, it stopped calling. It was an eerily creepy place, but yet it had this profound beauty inside with different natural sculptures and stalagmites and stalactites.”
This same episode also featured a trip to Queaux, France to investigate the Chateau De Fougeret. “The lady there was having some problems and was very worried, which brought us back to basics,” explains FitzGerald. “It brought us back to helping a family out rather than a lot of our cases having to do with big castles and ‘Avant-garde’ hauntings. This lady was truly terrified for her family and deeply concerned that she might lose her daughter, who had already become ill.
“The house itself has a huge history that dates way back. You could even see that within the basement itself. You went down into the chateau basement, and then you went down into, I think it was a 1700s basement. Then you descended further into a medieval basement and it just kept going down and down. We also discovered a doorway that was blocked by sand. We began poking at that to see if we could uncover what was behind it, and the recording device was thrown back at our feet. There was something else down there as well and that we could not account for. It only understood French, and never responded to English.
“Although there was something going on down there, there was nothing to be afraid of in the main part of the chateau. This woman’s daughter was fine and they’ve gotten the all-clear to start renovating. I wish them all the best and, in fact, they’ve been in touch since our investigation to invite me over for the summer. I said that if I went back, I’d like to bring along a pick and shovel and find out what’s behind that door. They told me that I’m more than welcome.”
Barry entering the Mayan underworld. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
Belize was once again the locale for the next episode, Sacrificed Mayan Spirits, in which a man was being tormented by spirits haunting the Mayan Ruins of Cahal Pech. “This was my first time ever being in Mayan ruins of a Mayan city, and to be there at night as well was remarkable,” says FitzGerald. “The jungle was right there at our fingertips, and just the opportunity to understand their culture was fantastic. It’s just completely different to ours.
“Of course, then there was the bloodletting ritual, which caused quite a stir. A lot of people were saying that it was Satanic and it would conjure up demons and everything else. In fairness, Satanic in the reference of that is a subletting of Christianity, and Christianity had nothing to do with the Mayan culture. What we did that particular night was cultural and certainly not a Ouija board-type experiment. This is something done by the Mayans to contact their deities and ancestors, and in certain parts of the world it’s still practiced today.
“I think I was misunderstood by some folks’ point of view, and we had already seen that our client had had some results from that [ritual] and it would have been a mistake for us not to have examined it at some point in order to see if we could understand what was going on. Nothing really came out of it, though, so we left it and moved on. Again, it was interesting to see that culture and the way that its people approach the whole spirit world. Their spirit world is mixed up within their modern day life, whereas with us now in the West, we’ve got a religion that is separate, really, from our business life and everything else. In the Mayan culture it was very much interconnected; everything was connected with spirituality, religion and their belief systems, and certainly this was brought out as well within their rituals, and, again, it was a cultural ritual as opposed to some sort of voodoo-type thing. But I think it was mistaken by some for being the latter, which is regrettable.”
The haunted bull ring. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
Last week’s GHI episode, Ghoul’s School, took the team to American Samoa to investigate an abandoned all-girls school. It is believed that the spirit of a Samoan chief resides on this property and in the past had possessed and killed schoolgirls. “I think it’s great that we’re able to explore all these different cultures as well as belief systems, and I feel American Samoa lived up to that,” says FitzGerald. “When we called out to these spirits for proof of their existence, these insects began chittering, and then we heard what sounded like a freight train coming along the valley wall. The sound passed by us and traveled around the back of the valley wall, which you can’t hear in the recording on the show, and up the other side of the valley. It was totally bizarre.
“When we spoke with the natives of Samoa, they recognized that sound straight away. They explained it was their deities’ way of contacting them and communicating. It was a great learning experience for us to not only understand such things but experience them, too. It helps broaden our horizons. Then, of course, when we challenged these spirits, the heavens opened and we were soaked out of the place. I must say that location really had its moments. It was a fantastic place and there were a lot of weird things going on with shadows and everything else. Let me also add that Paul [Bradford] is very scary with a machete,” he jokes, “so I kept a fair distance away and gave him his space as he was cutting down the jungle growth.”
In this week’s penultimate season three episode The Rise of Frankenstein, airing Wednesday, March 28th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on Syfy, GHI visits the Fortress of Antwerp in Belgium to find out whether or not a spirit is still guarding the fortress. The team also checks out a 16th century Italian villa where it is believed Frankenstein author Mary Shelley may have conducted experiments to help a man determine if his ancestor is still guarding the property or if the presence being felt is something far more ominous.
Frankenstein's Villa, Italy. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
“With this episode we were trying to find if there were bodies hidden underneath this villa,” says FitzGerald. “The villa’s history stems a ways back, and we were even looking at Roman ruins underneath the villa. These apparitions had appeared to some folks and frightened the life out of them, so it’s a fantastic case with lots of adventure.
“We then did two cases in Canada [Hell’s Gate, airing April 4th@ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on Syfy], one of which was at Hell’s Gate [Boston Bar, British Columbia]. This was a railway where I believe it was something like six people in ten who worked on the railway died trying to put down this run of track. A number of entities had been reported there and were supposedly interfering with quite a lot of the machinery and such, so we went there to check things out and see if we could find anything. I’ll just tell you that some unusual video footage is going to be brought forward which shows that at least one of the spirits hasn’t left,” he teases.
“The other Canadian case was at a fortress [Lower Fort Garry in Winnipeg]. The English had originally set it up on behalf of a huge trading company and there were tales of a suicide, a hanging and other deaths, with much of the history seeming to have stemmed from and was brought across from Europe.”
Tunnels inside Italian fortress. Photo by/copyright of Barry FitzGerald.
Writing-wise, So My House is Haunted….Now What?, FitzGerald’s second book co-written with friend and former GHI team member Dustin Pari, was recently published. He is currently working on his next book, In The Midst of Gods. ”It takes me outside of my comfort zone and away from ghosts and into another area of investigation which is global,” says FitzGerald. “I find myself in the pursuit of this phenomenon and I’m being led into areas which potentially could have ended my life.
“I have some more research to do, but I’m already about three-quarters of the way done writing the book. It’s a fantastic read and as a reader it takes you out of your comfort zone as well and poses some really interesting questions that you have to answer for yourself. So it’s a challenging book, again, not only for me to write because of the places I find myself in, but also for the reader because it brings up some topics that will potentially shake their foundations.”
This October, FitzGerald will be taking on yet another challenge, a very personal one, when he hikes up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on behalf of the worldwide charity Oxfam.
“Oxfam’s target this year is to feed one million people, and this year there are going to be 15 million people around the world going hungry, “he says. “It’s important for me to give something back and this is a charity that stood out for me, so to help and raise some funds for them, I’m climbing Kilimanjaro, which is the largest freestanding mountain in all of Africa. It’s a six-day climb. I start off in the jungle and by day six I’ll be in the snowcaps right at the very top, provided I don’t suffer from extreme altitude sickness and things like that. Having seen the way that my body reacts to altitude in Peru with GHI I think I’m going to be OK. There will be days that I’ll be hiking for 17 hours, so it’s going to be physically, mentally and spiritually exhausting, but it’s all for a good cause, and hopefully I’m able to give someone, even if it’s just one person, a chance.”
Steve Eramo
As noted above, all photos by, (courtesy), and copyright of Barry FitzGerald, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
