Kyle Schmid as Robert Morehouse in Copper. Photo copyright of the BBC.
In 2007, TV and feature film actor Kyle Schmid sunk his teeth – figuratively speaking, of course – into the role of Henry Fitzroy, a vampire with a conscience in the Lifetime TV supernatural series Blood Ties. A few years later, he bared his fangs once again, this time as another vampire named Henry in the US remake of the British TV series Being Human.
A few months ago, Schmid stepped back in time a 150 years or so to 1864 New York and delivered a solid and memorable performance as Robert Morehouse, a Civil War veteran and son of a wealthy Manhattan businessman in the hit BBC America police drama Copper. The actor cut a dashing figure in his period costume, but at one point thought he might end up wearing another character’s togs.
“I was working on Being Human in Montreal when I received the Copper script to originally read for the role of Detective Kevin Corcoran,” recalls Schmid. “The script was edgy and the people involved were legends, so I knew it was something that I really wanted to pursue. I sent an [audition] tape to New York, and about a week later I had a meeting with [series co-creator/executive producer] Tom Fontana. Although Tom and I got along wonderfully in the room, it became clear that I didn’t quite fit the character of Corcoran.
“Disappointed, I returned to Montreal, but luckily my tape made its way to Cineflix and BBC America, where [president of Cineflix studios and an executive producer on Copper] Christina Wayne saw something special in it and envisioned me for the role of Robert Morehouse. Thank God for her wonderful imagination. One week and one meeting later with some of the Canadian producers, I was told that I’d be flying to New York to test alongside Tom Weston-Jones [Kevin Corcoran] for BBC America.
“Having no idea that I already had the part, I eagerly asked if there was any direction I could take in the room from [New York casting director] Alexa Fogel. She laughed and said, ‘Kyle, you’ve already got the part.’ I was shocked; I thought she was kidding. This was the type of show I'd always wanted to be part of. I was so happy and speechless. I jumped up and down and probably embarrassed the heck out of myself in front of the six producers in the room. It was quite the fantastical process.”
It was not long before the actor joined the rest of the Copper cast and crew on a Toronto soundstage where the culturally diverse worlds of the 1860’s poor, immigrant Five Points neighborhood policed by Corcoran as well as his fellow officers and the influential Fifth Avenue surroundings familiar to Robert Morehouse had been meticulously reproduced. Needless to say, Schmid was suitably impressed from the first time he stepped on-set.
“Looking back, I think what sticks out most for me is that the whole reality of it all hadn’t truly sunk in yet,” he notes. “The first few weeks were like falling through the rabbit hole and into Wonderland. The grandeur of the sets, wardrobe and everything else was intimidating to say the least. Working with everyone was an absolute pleasure right from the beginning. We hung out on and off-set and cared for one another with such respect.”
At the time of this interview [late September 2012], the actor had finished shooting an episode of a new CW series and was preparing to fly overseas for a work-related appearance.
“I just did a guest-star spot on Arrow playing Ace, one of the notorious Royal Flush Gang,” says Schmid. “It was a fun job that allowed me to visit Vancouver, which brought back many fond memories from Blood Ties. This weekend, I’m heading to London, England to take part in the Raindance Film Festival where Dark Hearts, which is a film I completed last year, has been nominated for Best International Feature.”
Steve Eramo
As noted above, photo copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
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