SciFiAndTvTalk

Todd Masters - Master Of His Domain

Effects guru Todd Masters.

What do the feature films American Mary, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Star Trek: First Contact, The Haunting in Connecticut and Slither as well as such TV series as True Blood, Six Feet Under, Fringe and Stargate SG-1 all have in common? If you said Todd Masters, you are correct. Over the years, this multi-talented and always busy artist, designer and FX (effects) creator has lent his considerable skills to numerous projects on the big and small screens.

Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary this month, his company, MASTERSFX, has studios in Los Angeles, California and Vancouver, British Columbia, both of which Masters spends a great deal of time at overseeing the design and creation of all creatures great and small. From a young age, such imaginative expression fascinated him, and he was determined to become part of that creative outlet.

“As far back as I can recall, I enjoyed entertaining in one form or another,” says Masters. “I’ve been told that as a child, I did some outlandish ‘effects,’ from a plate of noodles on my head to talking to the neighbors’ dog, that kind of stuff, and like the fat kid in [the 2011 feature film] Super 8, I took my dad’s camera and filmed the neighbors. I did my own stunts – and forced the other kids to do them, too – and shot, edited and created basic gags, including making squibs out of fireworks. I loved filmmaking and from the time I knew what the term meant, I’ve loved FX as well.

“I eventually learned that I could animate my actors, probably since the day that my neighbors stopped showing up at my door to do my ‘bidding,’” he jokes. “Being a fan of the old Rankin/Bass animated shows, like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Little Drummer Boy, I realized that these types of stories required no actors, or so I thought, and was mesmerized by how it was done.

“Later I discovered Ray Harryhausen, Jim Danforth, Frank Frazetta, Bradford Obie, Tom Savini, Craig Reardon, Rick Baker, Steve Johnson, Will Vinton, Barney Burman, and, of course, Dick Smith. I was so eager to learn from these modern-day Frankensteins that I ended up contacting each of them, and, fortunately, some of them replied back. It turned out there were legions of kids like me around the country, writing letters and sending images of our basement monsters. Some of these former kids are now my colleagues and associates in the business.”

Spurred on by the careers and interest of those who he strived to emulate, Masters began to make inroads towards what would one day become his livelihood. “I was an eager and highly-motivated Seattle kid, and somehow found time in-between school, homework, chores and my parents’ boat trips, to be a graphic designer,” he recalls. “I ran print shops as well as edited the school newspaper and annual. Somehow I think there was more time back then. I also began sharing the movies that I’d made as a kid to local film companies, and eventually was hired by a little animation house in a crummy part of town. Fortunately I was a big kid with a deep voice, so no one bothered me, and my employers even thought I was in college.

“My gig at this place along with a few other local shops gave me a look into the business, and a resume.  Eventually after showing people enough of my semi-OK quality work, a few of my Los Angeles contacts said. ‘Well, if you were in town, we’d probably hire you.’ With a little luck, and not being accepted into art schools, I made the move to Los Angeles and started working almost immediately on Big Trouble in Little China and Poltergeist II.

“When I rolled into town in the midst of the 80’s, it was really busy with genre classics. My eyeballs were sucking up everything I could. Everywhere I looked there were amazing artists, many of whom really influenced me. Some of my earliest gigs included Predator, Night of the Creeps, Lost Boys and Dead Heat. My boss at the time, Steve Johnson, gave me Women on Death Row [from the producers of Faces of Death] to do, as he was too busy. Talk about on-the-job gore training. Funnily enough, one of the first projects I worked on in my own shop, Return of the Swamp Thing, was something that Steve Neill subbed out to me. We had an amazing crew and made some fun stuff, including most of that show’s lab monsters. We really haven’t stopped since then.”

In 1987, Masters made the leap and founded the aforementioned company MASTERSFX. Like all new business endeavors, this one had a few kinks that needed to be ironed out. “Some of the initial hurdles had to do with learning business 101, although my earlier experiences helped me there,” he notes. “Otherwise, there have been many other challenges as far as growth, and the balancing of art and commerce. Traditionally, artists are more right-brained and the biz is more of a left-brain thing. Keeping both lobes firing at the same time, keeping clients satisfied, creating unique, consistent art and keeping talented artists steadily employed is my life’s challenge.

“As always, there’s the practical time for something to be built compared with a clients’ constant need for it ASAP. That’s the bane of the commercial artists’ essence. I once asked Steve Johnson what makes for a long-lasting career as opposed to just one-job, and he simply said,’ Don’t screw up.’ That’s basic yet necessary mantra, and our mantra of ‘better and different’ keeps us focused. That sounds like a Macintosh ad, but we really try to make everything unique in some way and push the work to be as good as possible. That’s not always easy, but we’ve been very fortunate to have the best people on our team.

“Artists who just seem to become their best in the thick of it is really what it’s all about. A lot of artists can make good looking make-up effects art, but few can do it with a smile and within the challenges of movie-making life. Another thing I had to learn was how to respect time. I think I woke up this year and realized that I’ve been near the same pace for around 30 years, working on several projects at once, with many artists, clients and challenges. Strangely enough, though, I’m more into it than ever before. Our teams keep evolving as well as our techniques, and I’m still thrilled to produce something that makes people react.

“It’s a fascinating challenge when your beloved hobby becomes your career. You can easily watch your personal art expression slip away doing someone else’s ideas, unless you continue to evolve, Nowadays it’s difficult to stop everything, pick up a tool and sculpt. Running the studios of several creative alchemists and this amazing art is the best gig. I’ve been very fortunate to keep it going for so long, but really it’s a blip. We’re just getting interesting, and growing up. We have digital labs to augment our practical [effects] with compositing and integrating CG [computer-generated image], etc. It’s amazing how far we’ve come.

“There are always challenges, though, that’s why it’s called ‘special’ effects. You’ve got the schedules, the communications, the task of creating something that’s believable, organic and often a large part of the story and doing that under studio demands and constraints. It’s never truly easy, and each project has its challenges. Again, though, we have an incredible group of artists that really know how to pull it off, and should be saluted more often. Dan Rebert supervises our LA shop, Mark Viniello is our amazing coordinator, Kim Harmon and Stacy Scofield run the works…in Vancouver, Sarah Pickersgill and Werner Pretorius supervise the art, and Nicholas Podbrey is our chief coordinator. Lori Sandnes and Jason Ward coordinate, and we have great artists in both facilities.”

Looking back on all the TV shows and movies he has worked on, what are some of the standout ones for Masters? “Tales from the Crypt always sticks out for me and the many crazy years trying to make those little movies,” he says. “People still ask me about that HBO series. It was a wonderful training ground for me and many members of our team. There were ridiculous demands and horrible hours, but somehow it was a great accomplishment and fun to watch on occasion.

“It also taught us some essentials as far as doing the mad television pace – prepping/shooting/wrapping at the same time – and cemented some terrific relationships with incredible artists and filmmakers, many of whom still work with us today. When I bump into TFTC alumni, we immediately go into an odd kinship, like comrades of the crypt or sharing a foxhole in a fantastic battle. Ah, the good old days.

“As for other films and shows that really stick out for me over the years, there’s Look Who’s Talking, Dan O’Bannon’s The Resurrected, Star Trek: First Contact, Demon Knight, Six Feet Under and, of course, our more recent work, like from Slither on, including True Blood, Fringe and Falling Skies. We’re also looking forward to the forthcoming American Mary with the Soska sisters [producers/writers/directors Jen and Sylvia], Scott Derrickson’s Sinister, and our Look Who’s Talking bud, Amy Heckerling’s new comedy Vamps, all due this fall.

“Our Vancouver studio is in process of delivering a few aliens for season three of Falling Skies, while also working on some other television shows including Arrow and Rogue as well as another feature film. On top of that, we’re moving to a bigger shop – yikes! The Los Angeles shop recently wrapped The Munsters pilot and the fifth season of True Blood. Currently they’re working on Fringe as well as starting on season six of True Blood in addition to some other stuff that I can’t discuss at the moment.”

The best effect is always one that does not take over a story, but rather helps tell it. When an audience is laughing out loud, scared out of its wits or just caught up in the moment, Masters knows that he and his team have done their job.

“This really is the best art form in my opinion,” he says. “Aggressively, our art connects with the audiences’ emotions. Unlike nearly everything else, it combines the greatest challenge of creative skills: painting, sculpting, performing, graphics, model-making, filmmaking and visual effects, all of which keeps me very engaged and buzzing along. Replicating life and making imaginary characters seem believable – it’s like being a Doctor Frankenstein, but with a better kit. Thank you, I’ll have another 25 years,” enthuses Masters.

Please note, all photos above courtesy/copyright of MASTERSFX, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Doctor Who's Arthur Darvill Talks Season Seven

Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) takes a closer look at the Doctor's oldest adversary in "Asylum of the Daleks." Photo copyright of the BBC.

Having joined Doctor Whoin the fifth season, Arthur Darvill's character of Rory Williams became a regular character in season six and is now set to make his departure alongside onscreen wife Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) in The Angels Take Manhattan. Here in this fourth and final BBC America press interview, he shares his favorite moments, monsters and how you can make Karen scream!

"The great thing about Doctor Who is that it always tries to better itself and that has really happened this season," says Darvill fondly. "It feels like a movie! What is fantastic is that the Daleks are actually scary in Asylum of the Daleks.  It was quite an odd experience being on set that day, not only because of all of the Daleks, but because there was generally a lot more people on set as they were so excited about what was about to happen.

"Such an amazing title, but to be honest I wasn’t sure how they were going to do it, getting Dinosaurs on a Spaceship!  But that episode is made extra special with Mark Williams playing Rory’s dad. He is absolutely hilarious, so lovely and just a funny guy," recalls the actor. With one of the biggest sets ever built to house the prehistoric creatures, Darvill notes, "The dinosaurs were huge. Going on set was like walking in to a massive aircraft carrier."

With Amy's and Rory’s relationship in a slightly sticky situation in Asylum of the Daleks, how did Darvill find that to play? "Every relationship has their rocky moments," he explains, "but it was quite fun to play out a problem in their relationship and it shows a different side to both of their characters and makes them more real.  I think that was an important side to show.

In episode 3, A Town Called Mercy, we see The Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions in a western themed setting where Amy Pond gets her hands on a weapon. "I am always terrified when Karen picks up anything," jokes Darvill. "Of course, there was a guy there to make sure it wasn’t loaded. But Karen is better at these things than she pretends to be, even though she looks like she is made of spaghetti!

"I am a huge fan of westerns. My dad and I used to spend Sunday afternoons watching them, so it was kind of like living out a boyhood dream, filming in Almeria where so many westerns had been shot."

Along with Karen Gillan, Darvill makes his exit in The Angels Take Manhattan, but before we get to that heartbreaking ending there is glimpse of Amy's and Rory's everyday lives in The Power of Three, a side to the couple that hasn’t previously been explored. So what does the actor think about his exit? 

"Just brilliant," he enthuses. "I was really happy to go out in an episode with the Weeping Angels.  They are a relatively new monster, but [executive producer] Steven Moffat immediately made them a classic. I think they are one of the scariest villains within Doctor Who and this episode is very creepy."

Are there any other monsters that Darvill favored? "The Silence were pretty good. They look scary, and along with the Weeping Angels they have a psychological effect. Steven is good at writing those types of enemies and making quite terrifying television."

We know Matt Smith is fond of pranks on set, but did Darvill also torment Karen? "During down time on set if there was a lull, a great way to entertain yourself was to tell Karen that a moth was flying around her head. She would literally go mad, flinging her arms around and screaming. It was hilarious! She hates anything with wings!"

"It is such a big family," says Darvill, talking about what he will miss the most about the show. "But Matt, Karen and I still chat every few days and meet up when we can.  The great thing about Doctor Who is that you get to work with the best of the best. It has been such a fantastic adventure and I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the ride.

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

Alphas' Malik Yoba - A Force To Be Reckoned With

Malik Yoba as Bill Harken in Alphas. Photo copyright of Syfy.

If you happen to be one of the bad guys, you do not want to get on the wrong side of Bill Harken.  This former FBI agent with a commanding presence – and impressive biceps - knows how to handle himself in a tight spot. It also helps that he is an Alpha, one of a group of human beings that possesses superhuman abilities. Bill is able to activate his endocrinal “fight or flight” response at will, giving him advanced speed, strength and endurance. The downside to this power is the physical toll that it takes on his body.

Fortunately, he has learned how to better handle such stress since coming to work with Dr. Lee Rosen. Together with a small group of Alphas, Bill tracks down and apprehends others like them who are misusing their powers. In season two of the hit Syfy series Alphas, Dr. Rosen and his team have been fighting Stanton Parrish, an immortal Alpha who has gathered together his own group of superhumans in order to achieve his own agenda. Bill’s special abilities along with his leadership skills have been needed more than once in such a battle, which has kept the actor who plays him, Malik Yoba, busier than ever.

“This season, and probably unlike any other show I’ve worked on before, the episodes have all been running into each other in my mind, which feels a little weird,” jokes Yoba smiling, taking a break in-between scenes while on-location in Ancaster, Ontario with the rest of the Alphas cast and crew filming the season two episode Alphaville.  “We had an overnight shoot to film an action sequence for the season opener [Wake Up Call] while we were working on the fourth or fifth episode. I had gone out of town, flew back to Toronto, started work at nine o’clock that night and finished at ten the next morning. When I got home I Tweeted that in my 20-plus year career I’ve never worked harder.

Bill (Malik Yoba) confronts some intruders in "Alphaville." Photo copyright of Syfy.

“Because this is such a physical role, up to this episode or maybe the one before it, I’ve been sporting make-up bruises as a result of Bill being in some sort of fight or having gotten beaten up. It’s just the nature of the beast, though. We usually have two [film] units going at the same time because there’s a lot to cover. So in terms of the action and physical aspect of filming this year, it’s been quite exhausting. With some episodes I’ve really had to rely on the director or script supervisor to remind me where we’re at, because, again, it’s like telling one long story. That being said, with this particular episode, although I’m still working eight days, I’m kind of light scene-wise, so it’s been a nice little break for me.

“It’s been great, though. As a cast and crew we’re all extremely proud of what we did last year and we’re really working hard to maintain the integrity of that this season.”

In Alphas’ season two opener Wake Up Call, our heroes are trying to deal with the aftermath following Dr. Rosen’s (David Straithairn) surprise announcement to the world at the end of last year that Alphas exist and are living amongst the population. With Rosen imprisoned, Bill Harken and Cameron Hicks (Warren Christie) are still working for the Department of Defense and rounding up rogue Alphas. Meanwhile, the rest of the team is scattered and dealing with personal issues. They regroup when one of their own is threatened, and that then leads to an even bigger and more dangerous Alphas-related crisis unfolding.

Bill (Malik Yoba) and his teammates come to Gary's (Ryan Cartwright) rescue in Alphas' season two opener "Wake Up Call." Photo copyright of Syfy.

“You could have called the second season opener Alphas Gone Wild because there are all sorts of Alphas out there in the world, some of which Bill and his teammates take to a place called Binghamton, this sort reform school for Alphas,” explains Yoba. “In this episode, the inmates try to run the asylum so to speak. For me and my character, once again, we started off shooting a scene where I’m being dragged by my feet across the floor and I get beaten up. The idea was to start season two off with a bang, and I think we did just that.

“At the end of the first season finale [Original Sin], there’s that last moment where we’re watching television and my character goes, ‘Wow, the bastard actually did it,’ when Rosen reveals that Alphas exist. I played that moment as, ‘Jeez, I’m kind of impressed he did that,’ but the reality is that afterwards everything went awry. Part of what we played up is the tension between Rosen and Bill, and they have to earn each other’s trust again. By now, episode six of season two, which we’re currently shooting, the two of them are kind of back on the same page. In the real world, David Strathairn and I have a good rapport. Also, chronologically, David is the elder statesman and I’m the second oldest of the group, so there’s even a bit of a hierarchy in the characters that we play, and it’s good we’re able to show that.”

Yoba had the opportunity to take his performance to a whole other level when his character infiltrates an underground Alphas fight club in the aptly named season two story Alpha Dogs.

Bill's (Malik Yoba) Alphas abilities are put to the test in "Alpha Dogs." Photo copyright of Syfy.

“I knew about this episode before we began work on season two,” says the actor. “Luckily I train throughout the year, and I let my trainer in New York, who’s a former Golden Gloves champ, know I had this episode coming up. My trainer here in Toronto used to be a kickboxing champ, so we tried to incorporate that into my training regimen as well.

“When we were filming this episode, there was one moment on-set where I actually said to Warren Christie, ‘I think I’m going to cry,’ because I was so tired. However, that was one of those times where I sort of looked at it as metaphor for life. At the end of the day, particularly in this business, it’s a tremendous thing just to keep getting up and fighting for your goals. This is without question the most physical role I have ever played in my life, but at almost 45 years old, I’m thrilled to still be able to do it, and the goal is to get even better in every way as I get older.

“So this episode was a challenge, but definitely a welcome one. Nick Copus directed it and I love working with him. He directed us last year, and although I’ve never worked with [director/producer] Danny Boyle, I have read his book, and he’s like a windup doll in the way people describe his sort of overwhelming enthusiasm for the job. That’s kind of like working with Nick. He looked at [director] David Fincher’s film Fight Club and used that as an inspiration for Alpha Dogs. Something else that’s interesting about this episode is that after the case is solved, Bill goes back and starts using the fight club as a way to manage his Alphas abilities and help keep them under control.”

Nina (Laura Mennell) and Bill (Malik Yoba) in "If Memory Serves." Photo copyright of Syfy.

Alpha Dogs also introduces audiences to Kat (Erin Way), a young loner and Alpha whose brain functions allows her to instantaneously pick up any skill. She helps Bill infiltrate the fight club and is subsequently taken in and befriended by Rosen and his team. Yoba has enjoyed seeing his character’s friendship with Kat develop over Alphas’ second season.

“I’m always looking for new [acting] challenges, and if they don’t exist I try to create them,” he notes. “We finished shooting an episode last week and my opening scene was with Bill and Kat. It’s me sharing a story with her, and the director, who was a first-time director on Alphas, kept asking me to redo the scene. I thought, ‘Wow, I think this is the hardest I’ve been pushed so far this year,’ in terms of finding the truth of the moment, because my instinct was to not make such a big deal out of it. My character was recounting a story and trying to encourage Kat, but the director wanted me to really go there in my mind and paint a picture.

“So sometimes you can have those types of acting challenges, which I love. As far as character stuff, the challenges this year have been more about wanting to be consistent, because when you have new energy come into the show, they might not have considered everything that we’ve thought about, worked on or established relationships between characters. In that case, it’s about maintaining the integrity, as I mentioned before, while still being able to grow and evolve from where we’ve been.

Rachel (Azita Ghanizada), Bill (Malik Yoba) and Cameron (Warren Christie) in "Need to Know." Photo copyright of Syfy.

“For instance, when we first meet Dr. Rosen in season one, we’re his patients. We don’t understand our powers and his job is to help us understand them. Fast forward to the beginning of season two, and the assumption is that we’ve had more time to understand them. However, Rosen has been away from us for eight months and we’ve reverted back to some of our old habits. So it’s about bringing us back to center as individuals and then together as a team. Whatever the challenge, you do not want to get lazy as an actor. During the hiatus you may have been off working on other projects, but you want to then make sure to come back to who you are on this show. So far so good, though. I haven’t heard any complaints,” says Yoba with a chuckle.

With only a handful of episodes left before Alphas’ season finale, there is no telling where Bill Harken and his colleagues will end up. Hopefully, it will be the prelude to a third year of the show, which would be quite a landmark for Yoba.

“This is number 11 for me in terms of series work, and this is only the second show [the other being New York Undercover] I’ve done out of 11 that has been renewed past its first season. So I’d like to take a moment and thank everyone out there, including all your readers, for their support.

“As we all get older, we have families and lives, and the reality is we’re human. We’re not Alphas in real life, and it’s good to be able to do what you love as well as take care of your family and have some consistency in this business, which is difficult.  When you’re working on a TV show that is renewed, you start to feel like a professional golfer who wins a tournament. It’s a big deal, so here’s hoping for another win – or more.”

Steve Eramo

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

Syfy Digital Launches Vuguru's New Original Series Nuclear Family

For the first time ever, Syfy Digital will launch a digital original series exclusively on Xbox 360® via their Syfy App. On October 1, all 20 episodes of Vuguru’s sci-fi drama Nuclear Familywill premiere on the Syfy App on the Xbox LIVE® entertainment platform, followed by simultaneous premieres on Syfy.com, Hulu, VOD, Syfy’s mobile and tablet apps and Syfy’s new Roku channel starting on October 15.

Nuclear Family, Syfy Digital’s third original series following the highly successful Riese and Mercury Men, stars Corin Nemec (Stargate SG-1), Kinsey Packard (Sleeper Cell), Ray Wise (Mad Men) and Sharon Lawrence (Desperate Housewives). It tells the story about a family’s struggle to survive in a lawless society ruled by a savage clan led by The Man, while desperately searching for their missing child, lost in the apocalyptic chaos following a mysterious mega-explosion.

Independent studio Vuguru developed and financed the series from creator Kyle Rankin (Project Greenlight, The Battle of Shaker Heights, Infestation) who wrote and directed. Nuclear Family was produced by Jaime Burke (The Pact, The Millionaire Tour), and executive produced by Clay Kelley, Jesse Albert (The Bannen Way) and Rankin. 

Primeval: New World Premieres in October on Canada's SPACE Channel

The heroes of Primeval: New World: (L-R) Ken Leeds (Geoff Gustafson), Angelika Finch (Miranda Frigon), Dylan Weir (Sara Canning), Evan Cross (Niall Matter) Mac Rendell (Danny Rahim), Toby Nance (Crystal Lowe). Photo copyright of Bell Media/SPACE Channel.

Prehistoric creatures are about to invade Vancouver with the premiere of the highly-anticipated SPACE original series, Primeval: New World. Sinking its teeth into SPACE’s fall lineup beginning Monday, Oct. 29 at 10 p.m. ET, the series stars a flock of genre luminaries, including Niall Matter (Eureka) and Sara Canning (Vampire Diaries). The North American spin-off of the UK Primeval TV series follows a specialized team of animal experts and scientists who discover dinosaurs and other dangerous predators emerging onto the streets of modern-day Vancouver through anomalies in time, and features guest star Andrew Lee Potts as Connor Temple from the original U.K. series. Featuring over 70 visual effects shots in each of the 13 one-hour episodes, the monster of a series will also include 16 land, sea, sky, and sandcreatures created by Atmosphere Visual Effects, supervised by Mark Savela (Stargate Universe).

Leading up to the premiere, fans can fulfill their curiosity about the new series through the official, soon-to-launch, Primeval: New World website featuring an episode guide, cast bios, behind the scenes content, and more. Users can also download high quality visual effects from the series and insert themselves into the dino-action via green screen. A mobile action game is also set to unleash before the premiere, and will take fans inside the series via their IOS devices, as they defend the streets of Vancouver from dinosaur attacks. Users can inhabit a team member and work to capture creatures and rescue civilians. Episodes of Primeval: New World will also be available online at SPACEcast.com following their premiere.

In Primeval: New World, while investigating temporal anomalies, a Special Projects Group battles prehistoric creatures. Led by Evan Cross (Matter), an enterprising inventor and visionary hero, the team is comprised of predator attack expert and specialist in animal behaviour Dylan Weir (Canning), security specialist Mac Rendell (Danny Rahim, East Enders), and physics prodigy Toby Nance (Crystal Lowe, Smallville). Ange Finch (Miranda Frigon, Heartland), Evan's oldest friend and business partner, keeps things afloat while Evan and his group track the escapee dinosaurs, with the overeager help of Lieutenant Ken Leeds (Geoff Gustafson, Hot Tub Time Machine), head of the government’s decommissioned department for investigating alien life and other mysteries.

On board this season as directors are sci-fi queen Amanda Tapping (Sanctuary), Andy Mikita (Stargate Universe), Martin Wood (Sanctuary), and Mike Rohl (Smallville).

Based on the original series produced by Impossible Pictures, Martin Wood (Sanctuary, Stargate: Atlantis) and Gillian Horvath (Young Blades, Highlander) are executive producers. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Star Trek: Enterprise, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World) are creators. Gillian Horvath, Peter Hume (Charmed, Flash Gordon), Jon Cooksey (The Collector, The Outer Limits), Sarah Dodd (Flashpoint, Arctic Air), Katherine Collins (Endgame), Dennis Heaton (Call Me Fitz), and Judith and Garfield Reeve-Stevens are writers.

As noted above, photo copyright of Bell Media/SPACE Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Q & A with Ariel Winter (Batman: The Dark Night Returns, Part 1)

Actress Ariel Winter.

The past Sunday night, the young actress was on stage at the Emmy Awards along with her cast of Modern Family to claim the prize for Outstanding Comedy Series, and the following night she walked the red carpet at the premiere of her new animated film, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1.

Winter gives voice to the first female Robin, Frank Miller’s stroke of genius for his landmark comic book story. She joined co-stars Peter Weller and David Selby on the red carpet at the Paley Center in Los Angeles on Monday, September 24, for the West Coast premiere of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1. Also on hand was a quartet of filmmakers: executive producer Bruce Timm, director Jay Oliva, writer Bob Goodman and dialogue director Andrea Romano.

Now in her fourth season as Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, Winter has already carved out quite a career in her brief 14 years. On the big screen, Winter has been seen in films as varied as One Missed Called, Speed Racer, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and A Thousand Words. Anchored by a recurring role as Lucy Moore on ER, Winter’s television career includes guest roles on Criminal Minds, Nip/Tuck, Monk, Jericho, Bones, Crossing Jordan and The Ghost Whisperer.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 represents Winter’s second foray into animated DCU entertainment. Winter provided the voice of the savvy 10-year-old Princess Perdita of Vlatava, whom Oliver Queen races to protect in the DC Universe Animated Original Short, Green Arrow. She reprised the role for an episode of Young Justice. The actress has been particularly active in animation, providing voices for films such as ParaNorman, Ice Age: the Meltdown, Over the Hedge and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, and TV series like Phineas and Ferb and The Penguins of Madagascar.

In many ways, Winter is a spunky teenager with equal amounts of smarts and sass. She is honest at every turn. So you know her answers were fun when Warner Home Video sat down to discuss Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 …

Imagining many of your fans are experiencing Batman: The Dark Knight Returns for the first time, describe your character Carrie Kelly’s place in the story.

Ariel Winter: Carrie is sort of a street kind of gangster girl who lives in this shady part of Gotham City. She’s always dreamed to meet her hero, Batman. One day she’s walking with her friend Michelle, and they get mugged by the Mutants – but Batman saves her. So she then sets out to be Batman’s partner in crime, er, crime-fighting. And eventually, she succeeds and becomes Robin.

How do you see Carrie’s sense of Batman?

AW: I think Carrie feels super ecstatic when Batman includes her in his little facade of Batman and Robin. She feels so honored – it’s a really big deal for her. I think she’s not really not just a crime fighter, though – she’s kind of like his daughter. She really cares for him, and he really cares for her. They’re like family.

Are there similarities between Ariel Winter and Carrie Kelly, and how did that help/hinder getting into character?

AW: Carrie and I share a lot of characteristics. We both like crime fighting. We both like Batman. We would both blow off school for crime fighting. (giggles) Actually, no, I would do my school during the day and then crime fight at night.

It wasn’t really hard getting into Carrie’s mindset because I’ve always wanted to play the sort of Tomb Raider, kick-ass role where the girl is really the brains behind the power. So I was excited when I got to do it. I just devoured the script. I was surprised. It was pretty violent. I read it and I saw some of the things and I was like, “Woah! That is so cool.” I’m a big fan of that action, thriller sort of thing, so it was exciting for me to read.

How important to you is being the first female Robin?

AW: It’s really cool to be the first female animated Robin. There’s been so many amazing boys, but I think I can just bring something new that the fans have never experienced. So I’m really honored to be part of such a fantastic project.

Female empowerment really is important to me. I’m a big nerd of the books from the 15th century and 16th century, when the men had all the power and the women had none of it. So to have Robin be a girl is cool because it gives girls a chance to know that they can do everything boys can do, and even better. No offense (laughs), but it’s true.

Are you into comic books?

AW:  I’m an avid reader, so anything I can read is awesome. I go into comics stores and I can be in there for hours. It’s truly amazing when you open a comic book, because you’re immediately sucked in from the first line. The writing, the graphics, the artwork – it makes you feel like you’re inside the story.

You’re 14 and acting all the time. How do you balance acting with education?

AW: You have to be really smart to be an actor. It’s not just saying lines. You have to know the thoughts behind each line, to know what you’re saying. So I think it’s very important to get an education. And I won’t be going to college for acting or film school – I will probably go to college for medical research because it’s something that really interests me. I always tell kids that you’ve got to have something else to fall back on. Acting is my first love – I hope I can do it for the rest of my life. But I’m going to go to college and get a degree in something else. I really feel school is important.

All Batman: The Dark Knight Returns photos copyright of Warner Home Video, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Haven's Lucas Bryant - Trouble Shooter

Haven's Lucas Bryant. Photo by Adam Secore and copyright of Syfy.

At first glance, Haven appears to be your typical sleepy seaside town. From its picturesque main street to the spectacular views from the local lighthouse, it seems the ideal place to live, especially when it comes to crime. Nathan Wuornos, who recently took over as chief of police from his deceased father Garland Wuornos, and his fellow officers must have very little to worry about in terms of violent crime or similar offenses, right? That might be true if not for the “Troubles,” a supernatural affliction that affects some of the townsfolk and puts them and others in danger.

The Troubles returned two years ago, and since then Nathan, with the support of Haven’s newest resident and ex-FBI agent Audrey Parker, has tried to help The Troubled and keep them safe from those looking to hurt them, run them out of town, or worse. In Haven’s second season finale Sins of the Fathers, the town’s dead come to life in order to seek revenge and complete unfinished business. Audrey is subsequently abducted and Nathan confronts Duke, who he believes is responsible. A fight breaks out and a gun is fired. As tension mounted onscreen, actor Lucas Bryant, who plays Nathan, has only fond, and slightly soggy, memories from filming this episode.

“First off, I got to work again with my buddy, Nick Campbell, which is such a joy,” says Bryant, taking time for a chat after finishing work for the day on the penultimate episode of Haven’s third season. “He plays my father, the chief, and we hadn’t seen him for a while. Thankfully, by some Haven magic, his character could reappear and did so for last year’s finale, which made it all the more special. I’ve probably said it a million times before but I don’t mind repeating myself – Nick is a fantastic man as well as an incredible actor and a pleasure to have on-set

Chief Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant) in season three's "Stay." Photo by Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy.

“We filmed the scene where Nathan first sees his deceased dad in the picturesque cemetery here in Chester [Nova Scotia]. It’s a pretty neat place with this iconic tree right in the middle of the cemetery, and on that day we had this lovely setting sun, which made for just a beautiful setting and memorable experience. So that definitely sticks out in my mind.

“Something else I’ll never forget about this episode has to do with the weather. Last year it rained a lot in Nova Scotia; I think the final number on the show’s production report was that it rained something like 67 out of 91 shoot days. Even for Nova Scotia that was a pretty terrible summer and very wet, but miraculously and for some reason it never stopped us. We never had to shut down or got held up by the weather. The production team could always swap scenes around and we would carry on.

“With this episode, however, it was the first time that there was a huge thunder and lightning storm going on while we were shooting the sort of climax scene. All the ‘ghosts’ were there along with the hostages that Reverend Driscoll’s [Stephen McHattie] people were holding, and we had to shut down because of the pouring rain. We were all hanging out in the woods under tarps trying to wait it out, but finally we couldn’t do anything more. That was the first time out of all those rainy days that we actually shut down. It was still kind of a cozy experience, though, because it was the end of the season and we were all snuggled in there.”

Nathan (Lucas Bryant) and Audrey Parker (Emily Rose). Photo by Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy.

Once production wrapped on Haven’s second season finale, the show’s cast and crew filmed the 2011 Christmas-themed story Silent Night. “That episode existed sort of out of time with the rest of last year’s storyline,” explains Bryant. “In some countries it was screened in the middle of the season, whereas in the States, it was shown after everything else had aired. So there was some confusion about whether or not it was a continuation of season two. It didn’t really make sense in the timeline, but I think in some country it probably did because the story was innocuous enough that it didn’t mess with anything.

“That being said, that’s what it was, a Christmas special, so it had its own character, its own life, and wasn’t necessarily in keeping with the rest of the show. We were therefore allowed to have some extra fun with it, and the people in Chester, I think, especially enjoyed having Christmas decorations and people in Santa suits all around town in the middle of August. So that was a blast because it was this sort of alternate reality absurdity that we were in.  

“We had just finished shooting the finale, so it was almost like a weird kind of working vacation/farewell/little love poem to the community. It was a lot of fun. It was also freakin’ hot,” says the actor with a chuckle. “So you get the rain, you get the calm, and then the following day it’s sweltering. It sounds like I’m complaining a lot, doesn’t it, but I’m not. As they say in Nova Scotia, if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. It always turns out to be true, but it never ceases to amaze me. I can never get it through my head that it can be that extreme.”

Duke (Eric Balfour) and Nathan (Lucas Bryant) square off in "301." Photo by Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy.

In Haven’s third season opener 301, Nathan and Duke (Eric Balfour) mount a search for the missing Audrey (Emily Rose), but their efforts are hampered as the town experiences some of its most bizarre goings-on yet. Unlike the previous year, stepping back into the Nathan role was a far less daunting prospect for Bryant.

“I felt much more trepidation as far as coming back to shoot the second season opener,” he says. “I wondered if I still remembered what this guy [Nathan] was like. I was a little concerned about that because I had been off being myself for a number of months, and I consider myself somewhat of a different person from Nathan. However, as soon as we shot the first scene I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, there he is,’ and I just sort of fell right back into it and the character.

“Coming back this year, I guess maybe I’m more confident, or maybe I’m just more of an idiot,” jokes the actor, “but I wasn’t really that concerned about it at all. And the weird thing is, because of scheduling issues, we ended up filming episode two [Stay] before we shot the season opener. So it wasn’t so much that I was concerned about being able to portray Nathan again, but more keeping track of what supposedly had already happened in the third season opener, which we hadn’t shot yet.

Duke (Eric Balfour) and Nathan (Lucas Bryant) team up to find Audrey in "301." Photo by Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy.

“So it was just a matter of doing a little bit of extra homework. As far as episode two, it was directed by Shawn Piller, who’s our executive producer and the boss of everything around here. He’s a great director as well as producer and a good friend, so that made it even easier, I think, for everyone to get back into the swing of things with him.”

When it comes to policing Haven’s streets and dealing with the Troubled, no one is better equipped than Nathan, especially since he, too, is among the afflicted. He is unable to physically feel anything, with the one exception being Audrey, whose genuine desire to help the Troubled appears to make her immune to the problems they cause. So far, her touch is the only one that Nathan can feel.  Not surprisingly, their relationship has grown and developed a great deal since she first came to Haven. Nathan is definitely not the man she first met, and Bryant hints that more layers of his character will be peeled back this year.

“I think Nathan has come a long way this season,” he notes. “He’s more comfortable in his role as chief, and confidently stepping up and making strong leadership decisions much more ably. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but his relationships with Audrey and Duke are very different this year and tested.

Nathan (Lucas Bryan), Duke (Eric Balfour) and Audrey (Emily Rose) make an ominous discovery in season three's "Over My Head." Photo by Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy.

“Nathan has always been a reserved guy and somewhat isolated, but in season three that’s even truer, and I think we get to see new sides of him that even he didn’t necessarily know existed. A certain thing happens to him this year that puts him in a much more dangerous place than he’s even been before. So there were times in season three when I was doing things that seemed almost very un-Nathan-like and that I questioned. Those things end up having their reasons, though, which we learn later on, but at the time it was sort of an act of faith on my part to trust that those reasons would be revealed. That was rather challenging, but looking back now over the course of the third season, it all does make a kind of sense in the end. So it’s been really exciting for me as an actor to get to push my character that little bit further.”

Haven plays host to several new recurring characters this season. Will Nathan have much to do with these fresh faces? “Yes, he does,” says Bryant. “Dorian Missick plays a character named Tommy this season, and with whom Nathan has a lot of interaction. He’s a fantastic actor as well as a great guy and we had a blast. Bree Williamson plays a character named Claire, who Nathan definitely has a lot of interaction with, as he also does with Kate Kelton’s character of Jordan. As I was saying before, there are new sides of Nathan and these new characters bring out some of those new sides. So it was fun to have these new dynamics in his relationships with people and all the actors were wonderful to have on the show.”

Although Bryant has to be slightly cryptic, he is still able to talk a bit about one of his favorite season three Haven episodes. “There’s an episode that may or may not involve time travel or something of the sort,” teases the actor. “That was a pretty cool episode to shoot. I haven’t seen what it’s ultimately going to look like, but seeing it on the day as far as the stuff we were shooting and the production values, it was amazing.

Jordan (Kate Kelton) and Nathan (Lucas Bryant). Photo by Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy.

“Our incredible art department pulled out all the stops as did hair, make-up and wardrobe. We shot a period piece of sorts and it felt like a film. You could say it’s a Back to the Future-type of deal where Nathan is interacting with different people that he knows from his life in the present, but they don’t necessarily know who he is. I don’t know if that was vague enough without giving too much away, but this episode, which I think is number nine, is really incredible.”

The actor spent most of the hiatus between seasons two and three of Haven with his wife and their family, but he did devote a little bit of time to working on a new project. “I shot a TV movie in Calgary called Merry In-Laws. It was directed by a good friend of mine, Leslie Hope, and I play a character who’s the son of Santa Claus. She encouraged me to be a total wing-nut and I happily obliged,” he says with a laugh. “It’s a weird and wonderful comedy and it was a blast to do.”

All new TV shows start out as blank slates. From there it is up to the writers, directors, actors, etc, to come together and create a story as well as characters that viewers look forward to spending time with each week. All those involved in Haven have succeeded in doing just that, and Bryant is confident that fans are going to be pleasantly surprised by season three.

Nathan (Lucas Bryant) is caught up once again in The Troubles during season three of Haven. Photo by Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy.

“We just finished shooting episode 12 today [Monday, August 27^th, 2012] and we start work on the season finale tomorrow,” he says. “That script has been changing over the last couple of days, but the most recent incarnation, in fact, all the incarnations have been incredibly exciting and largely revealing. In general, I think this whole season has been bigger, better, faster, more dangerous, with bigger stakes, higher production values and extremely ambitious episodes.

“Seeing how it’s all going to end, it’s pretty thrilling, and I was just thinking today, with all that’s happening this season, I don’t know where we’re going to go from here. God willing there will be a season four. I’m very hopeful and a little bit confident about that, and I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead because I think we’ve blown the top off this season.”

Steve Eramo

As noted above, all photos by Adam Secore or Michael Tompkins and copyright of Syfy, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Warehouse 13's Joanne Kelly - The Brave, the Bold and the Beautiful

Warehouse 13's Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly). Photo copyright of Syfy.

Becoming trapped in Lewis Carroll’s mirror, aged way beyond her years, swapping bodies with a coworker, traveling back in time to 1961 – over the past four years, such extraordinary experiences and many more have become part of Myka Bering’s everyday life. As an agent for a top secret U.S. government facility, it is her job to help recover and neutralize historical Artifacts that possess powers making them dangerous to the general public.

This particular line of work is not without its risks, which Myka is well aware of. Both she and her partner, Agent Pete Lattimer, have teetered on the edge of death more than once, and towards the end of Warehouse 13’s third season, fellow agent Steve Jinks was, in fact, killed in cold blood while on an undercover assignment, Although this tragic situation was reversed this year and Steve brought back to life thanks to an Artifact, finding his lifeless body in the episode Emily Lake was unsettling for Myka as well as the actress who plays her, Joanne Kelly.

“That was a difficult scene to shoot, I think, for everyone,” recalls Kelly. “It was just upsetting. Usually the show is very light, and that day was not what I would call a light day work-wise. I also have to say that Allison Scagliotti [Agent Claudia Donovan] and Eddie McClintock [Pete Lattimer] did such wonderful work that day. I was so proud of them.

(L-R): Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) and Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek). Photo copyright of Syfy.

“With Emily Lake, the other thing that sticks out most in my mind is Jaime Murray’s transformation as H.G. Wells. She did such an incredible job, and, although it’s related to another death scene, I think her line, ‘I smell apples,’ is one of the most beautiful ‘buttons’ to a scene that we’ve ever done on this show.”

H.G. Wells sacrificed her life in order to save Myka, Pete and Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) when the Warehouse was destroyed in the show’s third season finale Stand. Using a keepsake left to him by a former colleague-turned-archenemy, Artie was able to locate an Artifact that he used in Warehouse 13‘s season four opener A New Hope to turn back time 24 hours and prevent the destruction of the Warehouse. The search for this particular Artifact took our heroes overseas, and the story had plenty of twists and turns for the show’s cast to deal with.

“It felt a little bit schizophrenic this year stepping back into Myka’s shoes, especially the opening of A New Hope and all the time travel stuff,” says Kelly. “It was just a mentally tricky episode to shoot as far as trying to keep track of everything. For example, there’s the scene with the watch and where we’re talking about time. It was quite a challenge trying to make sense of that and make those leaps of logic.

(L-R): Pete (Eddie McClintock), Artie (Saul Rubinek) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) are on the hunt for an Artifact in the season four opener "A New Hope." Photo copyright of Syfy.

“As actors, the breadth of exposition can sometimes be hard to get through, but with the help of the writers and everyone collaborating, we managed to skip our way through it quite readily. I feel that speaks to the depths of our writing team to write a way out of that corner as well as the talents of the actors to find lighter moments and, again, work our way out of that corner. From there, we were able to start a linear narrative from the sort of destruction that you saw beforehand.

‘One of my favorite scenes this year is actually from the opener where my character says, ‘People die all the time, and sometimes even it’s people we care about.’ I specifically remember that scene as being quite hard for me to do. It was very emotional, but, again, it’s one of the moments that I especially like from season four.

“When it comes to Myka, I saw last year as more of a personal journey for her. This season, she’s a little bit lost in a way. I think they all are, with the Warehouse being destroyed along with the deaths of Steve [Aaron Ashmore], Mrs. Fredric [CCH Pounder] and H.G., and then turning back the clock on all of that. The biggest challenge with season four has been trying to make sense of all that chaos, and I think that’s merged with what the characters are trying to do as well. The storylines have been very complex this year and we’ve had to stay on our toes when it comes to keeping track of everything.”

Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) check out the local gym in "Second Chance." Photo copyright of Syfy.

Myka and her fellow Warehouse agents never know from one day to the next where in the world their work will take them in their ongoing search for Artifacts. However, one thing that they can always count on is one another.

“I’m going to repeat myself somewhat here, so please forgive me, but I think in season four there’s an immense sense of loss, frustration and kind of grasping at straws in an effort to figure out how to work through all this fallout,” muses Kelly. “Our characters separate as a family, and yet still have each other’s back. People oftentimes in the fallout of tragedy have different ways of coping, as you see in the season opener, with Claudia’s use of anger, Myka’s use of logic, Pete’s use of humor, and Artie’s use of gruffness and keeping everyone at arm’s length.

“Ultimately, though, there’s not a feeling of mistrust, but of even greater trust, if that makes any sense. In past seasons we’ve seen lack of communication unfold in a way that divides our characters. However, in season four, amidst it all, they become even closer. These people know one another well enough now to trust as well as honor each other, and it’s taken four seasons for all of them to get to that place.”

Myka (Joanne Kelly) in season four's "There's Always a Downside." Photo copyright of Syfy.

In addition to another escape by a scheming Alice from Lewis Carroll’s mirror (Fractures) to a mysterious malady causing people to rust from the inside out (Second Chance), Warehouse 13’s fourth season has had our heroes hunting for an Artifact that induces hallucinations (An Evil Within) as well as a pipe once owned by naval officer/explorer Richard E. Byrd that can control the weather (Personal Effects).

“An Evil Within was very challenging for me,” says Kelly. “That’s always the case when you’re acting with green screen and nothing is in front of you. The more Sci-Fi it gets, I find the more difficult it is as an actor to make sure that the human colors are there. We jokingly call it ‘schmacting,’ but I think all the actors on the show work extra-hard at scenes like that in order to bring a sense of realism to them. It requires a great deal of imagination, and at times you kind of fall on your sword because it’s really hard to not feel silly and to commit 100% to what’s happening.

“So that can be quite a mental exercise. Also, Myka doesn’t respond as flippantly to things as some of the characters do. She’s more of a realist and serious, and I try to bring that out. I really work on her with an emotional naturalism in those types of scenes. Sometimes it would be easier for me to just do a joke, but that’s not the way that either Myka or I work. Besides, Eddie’s the funny one, and he’s very, very good at it, thank God.

Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) try to avert another Artifact-related mishap in "Personal Effects." Photo copyright of Syfy.

“With Personal Effects one of the things I remember most is what a nice guy [guest-star] Brian Smith is. He’s just lovely and an incredibly strong actor. Brian handled his scenes with aplomb. Again, that’s touching upon what we talked about earlier as far as trying to bring moments of emotional realism to a story that is fantastical and could easily become kind of trite. I think as actors we all look for those human moments to help ground those types of scenes.”

Taking a break from helping save the world, Kelly worked on two new projects during the production hiatus between seasons three and four of Warehouse 13. “I filmed this beautiful little movie in Kentucky and played a character that’s very different from Myka and not based in the Science Fiction world,” says the actress.  “It’s a small independent called Land of Tomorrow, and it’s the story of a mother’s journey with her children. Kimberly Levin wrote and directed the piece and it was truly a passion project for her as well as everybody else involved. It was such an amazing experience. The film is currently in post-production and I’m really excited about it.

“I also co-produced and starred in a play in Toronto in the off-time called Proof by David Auburn. I co-produced it with the Red One Theatre Company, and they do theatre shows in non-traditional spaces, so we built a 40-seat theatre in a loft. That was also an amazing experience that I was so proud of helping put together.”

Myka (Joanne Kelly) and Pete (Eddie McClintock) in "Fractures." Photo copyright of Syfy.

It was four years ago that audiences were first introduced to Myka Bering and the world of Warehouse 13. Initially, she wondered whether or not she was right for the job, and, in fact, suffered a loss of confidence at the end of season two. Myka got back on the proverbial horse, though, and has continued to prove herself a valuable member of the team and important part of the Warehouse family. She is not quite the individual she once was, personally as well as professionally, and Kelly could not be happier.

“I think the challenge acting-wise is to keep it fresh and not let everything become old hat or rely on old tricks,” she says. “A character can become stale in four years unless you constantly and consistently try to suss out all the boundaries and changes and create a real journey with him or her. That’s especially true when it comes to your character’s onscreen relationships. With Pete’s and Myka’s relationship, Eddie and I work hard at keeping that moving, dynamic, human and not one-note.

“You have to really think about things in a way that allows your character to grow, or in some cases shrink, as human beings do. Sometimes we grow as people and other times we forget those lessons we’ve learned along the way and have to relearn them a little bit. Four years is a long time, and I’ve certainly changed a lot in four years and so has Myka. I hope that my portrayal of her continues to reflect that changing growth and non-growth that we as human beings experience.”

Steve Eramo

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

Grimm's Sasha Roiz - The Beast Within

Actor Sasha Roiz. Photo by/copyright of Marc Cartwright.

As a commanding officer in Portland, Oregon’s police department, Captain Sean Renard took an oath to uphold law and order and protect the public. Unknown to his coworkers, he is also a prince and member of one of the ancient Royal Seven Houses. The captain has an allegiance to his people as well as his own agenda as far as their ongoing power struggle with the other Royal Houses. As of late, his two worlds have been clashing more and more, forcing him to tread carefully.  The producers of NBC’s hit police procedural fantasy drama Grimm needed to find just the right actor to walk that tightrope, and they succeeded when casting Sasha Roiz as Renard.

“It was near the end of the casting session when I got the job,” recalls Roiz. “They [the producers] had already cast, I believe, Silas Weir Mitchell [Monroe], Bitsie Tulloch [Juliette Silverton] and David Giuntoli [Detective Nick Burkhardt], followed by Russell Hornsby [Lt. Hank Griffin] and Reggie Lee [Sergeant Wu]. Then I came in.

“At first I wasn’t sure if I was even right for the role. In fact, I think originally they wanted Renard to be played by an older actor and, perhaps, someone more ethnic. However, sometimes with casting it’s a combination of the producers’ initial idea along with the actor coming in and then finding a middle ground because they happen to connect with that actor. They like the energy that the actor is bringing, combined with, of course, their vision for the character. So I’m very glad it worked out the way it did and that I ultimately got the role.

Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) in Grimm. Photo copyright of NBC.

“Shooting the Grimm pilot was a tricky one for me in a sense that they were working on it for a month or so, but I really only came in for a few days here and there because I didn’t have that many scenes in the pilot. It’s always difficult to kind of jump in and feel like you’re part of the production when you’re so minimally involved, but again, what jumped out at me was the fact that from the producers to the crew to the cast, everyone is so sensational, warm and modest. That made it very easy to get on with everyone and that continues to be true this second season. I honestly believe that’s part of the reason for the show’s success, the fact that we genuinely like each other and that there’s not a drop of ego. We’re just all very grateful to be here and able to make a show like this.”

In the Grimm pilot, homicide detectives Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin investigate the brutal murder of a local college co-ed. Their case coincides with the arrival in Portland of Nick’s Aunt Marie, who reveals to Nick that the two of them are descended from a long line of profilers called Grimms. They are responsible for protecting the human race from Wesen, a centuries-old species of supernatural creatures that only Grimms can detect. As the show’s first season unfolds, Renard’s connection to the Wesen world, including that some of these creatures work for the Royal Houses, is slowly revealed to audiences.

“This is someone who has been burdened with a tremendous secret, and at the same time is burdened with tremendous responsibility as well,” explains Roiz. “Renard not only oversees the policing of the city, he also sort of oversees the subterranean underground goings-on of the Wesen world and is trying to get that under control, too. I often describe him as a man who never sleeps. He’s probably consumed with one maneuver or another and trying to maintain his hold on power, which is tenuous at best, especially now. We’re seeing that there’s a power grab coming from his family in the old world because of Nick and the source of power that being a Grimm commands.

(L-R): Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby), Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) and Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz) review the facts of a case in the Grimm pilot. Photo copyright of NBC.

“I particularly like the element that they brought in this season of Renard being a bastard child [he is the bastard son of a royal and a Hexenbiest, a Wesen], which is a classic trope. From Shakespeare to modern day, it’s a fantastic device by which to further inform viewers about a character, and in the case of Renard, in his pain and sense of being a pariah. It lends itself so well to this character, who is incredibly ambitious and determined at any cost, and you can understand why. So that’s really helped me a lot with regard to my performance.

“One thing that has sort of evolved naturally with this role and the dialogue is a stillness, which is really unnatural for me. I’m kind of neurotic,” jokes the actor, “and by that I mean the way that I think and move is very physical. For example, I use my hands a great deal when I speak. That’s just me, and with the character of Renard it’s all about stillness as well as listening, observing and thinking, because, again, he’s always calculating. It’s a constant chess game for him, so having to really control myself and be incredibly specific about the words I speak along with the movements I make and the energy the character exerts is quite a challenge. Renard has nothing to prove, and with that stillness comes, I believe, a great sense of command and authority.”

As a Grimm, Nick possesses a wealth of knowledge as well as a large arsenal of weapons, potions and ancient keepsakes, including a key. This key is one of seven that once belonged to seven knights and ancestors of the Grimms who worked for the seven Royal families in the 12th century. It is part of a map that leads to a treasure containing an artifact that, if possessed by the seven families, would allow them to rule the world. Not surprisingly, Renard wants the key and needs to keep Nick safe in order to procure it.

Nick (David Giuntoli) and Renard (Sasha Roiz). Photo copyright of NBC.

“From the beginning, people have been speculating about Nick’s and Renard’s relationship,” says Roiz. “However, it’s not really a matter of whether or not my character likes him, but that Nick serves a purpose, and as we discover, he serves a very important purpose. In many ways, Renard is going to build his power with help from Nick. He has been a tremendous bit of luck for Renard. Nick kind of landed in his lap, and with this Grimm, my character is hoping to achieve the ambitions and goals that he’s set out to accomplish.

“Renard desperately needs Nick at this point In time. Nick doesn’t realize, of course, how many times Renard has saved his neck, and will continue to do so as long as he continues to serve this purpose. As we see in season two, though, a lot of people are realizing the potential of having a Grimm at your side, so they’re coming for him and, in turn, my character, so Renard needs to hold onto Nick tightly.”

At the end of Grimm‘s first season, Juliette is poisoned by Adalind Schade (Claire Coffee), a Hexenbiest with a score to settle with Nick, and ends up in a coma. Only a kiss from someone pure of heart will awaken her, and in the season two episode The Kiss, Renard secures a potion that will transform him into such a person. After drinking the potion, to which he has a violent reaction, the captain visits Juliette at the hospital and wakes her. Like his fellow castmates, Roiz could not wait to get back to work and start filming the show’s second season.

(L-R): Adalind (Claire Coffee), Catherine (Jessica Tuck) and Renard (Sasha Roiz) in "Love Sick." Photo copyright of NBC.

“I was very excited,” he enthuses. “As with any show, season two definitely demonstrates a real support and confidence from the network as far as us being renewed. In turn, we’ve received quite a bit of what I consider to be creative freedom and been able to delve into the mythology a little deeper as well as further explore the characters. So for me it was thrilling because whenever we touch upon the mythology, I’m featured somewhat more and get to learn more about Renard together with the audience.

“The season opener [Bad Teeth] and The Kiss were chockfull of mythology and incredibly intense. I really feel we’re doing some of our best work yet this year and the scripts are coming in with such, again, intensity and the stories are quite unrelenting. I loved the first two scripts, especially the reveal involving Renard. I didn’t even know that he was a Wesen until the producers told me during the production break between seasons one and two. It was a complete surprise, but a neat one and, like I said, it helped further inform me about my character.”

What was it like for the actor to film the scene where his character drinks the potion that will allow his character to cure Juliette? “It was great,” says Roiz. “We initially shot the whole scene and then re-shot one segment of it, which was the actual drinking of the potion. Everyone, including the network, felt that we had waited so long for this character to reveal himself, so let’s linger on that moment and really enjoy it. We wanted to make it different from other [Wesen] morphs because Renard chooses to look in the mirror and reveal his true self.

Captain Renard (Sasah Roiz) in season two's "The Kiss." Photo copyright of NBC.

“That is such a wonderful moment and I wanted to play it as someone who really despises that part of himself. It’s a shameful side, so it rarely comes to light, and as the audience is clearly aware of, Renard isn’t someone who loses control or reveals that side of himself – it’s so rare even for him – so when he does, I think he just wanted to examine himself. I loved that moment. I wanted to touch the scars and look at myself in the mirror before Renard shakes it off and regains control. Of course, he does everything but that. In fact, he goes totally out of control and they allowed me go wild. We had our stunt coordinator on-set, but he pretty much let me do what I wanted. We made sure not to hurt anyone, including myself. It worked out really well and was a lot of fun to do.”

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel and raised in Montreal, Canada, Roiz studied at England’s prestigious Guildford Conservatoire. Upon returning to Montreal, he began to hone his craft onstage, eventually earning a nomination for his performance at the “Masques Awards” (Quebec’s Theatre Award). The actor spent a number of years in Toronto working in feature films and TV before venturing to Los Angeles to pursue more work in front of the camera.

“I discovered this [acting] very late,” notes Roiz. “I ended up in theatre school at the age of 25, so I didn’t start working until 10 years ago as an actor once I finished theatre school. Growing up, though, I was always into the arts, everything from painting to drawing to music. I played in a band for years before I was an actor, so anything creative always drew me. I don’t know if it was acting that I fell in love with, but it was certainly movies and great performances. When I was in my teens I used to watch all the great films and became curious about how these talented actors like Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman transformed themselves onscreen.

Sasha Roiz as Sam Adama in Caprica. Photo copyright of Syfy.

“So that was the trigger when I started thinking about acting, but I didn’t really have the courage or motivation to do it until I was older. I also grew up in a very classically immigrant family where you didn’t have that many options as far as a career. You had to fulfill your parents’ wishes, but that had to come to a head at some point, and I’m glad it did and so were my parents. It took me a little while, but I feel coming at it from a slightly more mature place has really worked wonders for me.  I don’t think I had the maturity or maybe the inner strength to pursue this type of work any sooner in the way that it needs to be pursued.”

The Day After Tomorrow, Land of the Dead and Man of the Year are among Roiz’s film credits. On TV, he has appeared in a variety of made-for-TV movies as well as guest-starred or had recurring roles on numerous shows including Mutant X, Show Me Yours, NCIS, CSI: Miami, The Mentalist and Castle. Prior to Grimm, the actor played Sam Adama in the Sci-Fi series Caprica and Marcus Diamond in several episodes of Warehouse 13.

“Sam was very special for me on Caprica,” says the actor. “That was my first TV show after having come down to the States, so it was quite exciting for me and I got to work with a tremendous pedigree of people, from Ron Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson as executive producers, to the cast, which was stellar, and the crew, who were amazing. It was a phenomenal experience, and in addition to that, Sam Adama was a groundbreaking role, certainly in the Sci-Fi realm if not just in television in general, where you had a gay, married, monogamous mobster, hitman uncle.

Warehouse 13's Marcus Diamond (Sasha Roiz). Photo copyright of Syfy.

“He was such a layered character and I was very pleased with the work that we did. I was also very disappointed when the series didn’t get renewed because I thought it was really finding its legs in the second half of season one. I think we left an impression, though, certainly out there in the genre world, and I still meet and hear from fans of the show.

“Warehouse 13 was another great experience where I had this fantastic opportunity land in my lap and they offered me the role. It gave me the chance to go back to Toronto and connect with this tremendous group of people. It often reminds me of the Grimm set, because everyone on Warehouse 13 adores one another and enjoys their time working with each other. [Executive producer] Jack Kenny is in charge of an amazing cast and crew, so I had an easy time of it. In fact, I was so sad to leave, and had it not been for Grimm I think I probably would have carried on with that show a little longer just because we were all having such a good time together.”

Earlier this year, the actor attended the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas for the premiere of the upcoming independent Sci-Fi thriller Extracted. “It’s my first leading role in a film and we were lucky enough to get it featured at the South by Southwest Film Festival,” he says. “After I finished shooting that, I worked with Jane Espenson again and made a little cameo appearance in her web series Husbands. It’s getting a lot of buzz and I was happy to support some friends of mine on that project.”

Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) in Grimm. Photo copyright of NBC.

With season two of Grimm just getting started, Roiz promises that fans have much more to look forward to. “As I was talking about before, now that we’re in our second season, we have a lot more freedom, and part of that allows us to delve into the mythology and really let the characters breathe. As you’ve seen, we’ve been pretty relentless so far. From episodes one to two to three, to Hank learning about Nick’s role as a Grimm, we’re letting it all fly, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

“There’s greater involvement for me now, too, because we’re finding new ways to interweave the characters so that we don’t paint ourselves into a corner and have them just repeating their functions. So you’ll see a lot of changing dynamics as we move forward and I’m very excited about that.”

Steve Eramo

As noted above, all Grimm photos copyright of NBC and Caprica/Warehouse 13 photos copyright of Syfy, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Kandyse McClure (Battlestar Galactica) Guest-Stars on Syfy's Alphas (US)

Actress Kandyse McClure.

Kandyse McClure (Battlestar Galactica’s Anastasia “Dee” Dualla) returns to Syfy, guest starring in an all-new episode of the hit-series Alphas on Monday, September 24th at 8PM ET/PT on Syfy. 

McClure plays Agnes, an attractive but dangerous Alpha with the ability to see into people’s minds, but her ability comes with a painfully high cost. In Monday’s episode, The Devil Will Drag You Under,Agnes dives into Hicks’ (Warren Christie) mind to uncover the real motive behind his sudden defection. Meanwhile, Dr. Rosen (David Strathairn) and his team uncover Stanton Parish’s (recurring guest-star John Pyper-Ferguson) growing plot to cause a massive, deadly blackout.  Thwarting that threat will come at a high personal cost no one is prepared to pay.