Victor Webster as Continuum's Detective Carlos Fonnegra. Photo copyright of Shaw Media/Showcase.
As a detective with the Vancouver City Police, Continuum’s Carlos Fonnegra has always known that a certain degree of danger went along with his job. Never in a million years, though, did he expect to be fighting time-traveling terrorists from the year 2077. Members of a group called Liber8 have come back to the present day in order to change the future and stop major corporations from eventually taking over and running the world.
A Vancouver CPS (City Protective Services) officer, Kiera Cameron, from 2077 also traveled back in time with Liber8, and she and Carlos spent the show’s first year trying to stay one step ahead of Liber8, but they were not always successful. In the season one finale, End Times, the terrorists detonated a bomb in downtown Vancouver, leveling an office tower. The second season opener Second Chances picks up not long after that, and with our heroes still chasing after Liber8. For actor Victor Webster, who plays Carlos Fonnegra, it was a chase he could not wait to pick back up.
“I really enjoyed watching the entire first season and seeing how things came together,” notes Webster. “It did a wonderful job of showing the directions of all the characters and how Carlos fit into the puzzle. That, in turn, allows you as an actor to come back to the second season with a fresh view on your character. So it’s been really fun to implement all these ideas I have in terms of where Carlos is headed this season. It’s intimidating as well because everyone did such a great job last year, so with season two, you knew you had to bring your A-game to the table.
“As far as Carlos’ and Kiera’s [Rachel Nichols] relationship this year, my character’s story is so intertwined with Kiera’s, that giving away any of it would be giving away what’s going to happen for the entire season. I can say that they [Continuum’s producers/writers] have plenty in store for the fans in season two, some really mind-blowing things, too. Carlos and Kiera continue on their journey of figuring each other out and taking their relationship to another level with many influences from outside sources.
“We’re incredibly fortunate as actors that this show’s writing staff constantly challenges us with amazing relationship beats and emotional beats to play,” continues the actor. “They’ve written a number of those relationship rollercoasters into the second season, so you’ll watch Carlos experience a whole gamut of emotions as well as struggles and then get to witness how he overcomes them. Season two has a ton of action, but more than that, it has a ton of fantastic character moments. Each of our characters further grows this year and is fleshed out in some neat ways.”
When Kiera Cameron first arrived in 2012 Vancouver, she used her futuristic tech along with more contemporary computer systems created by a tech-minded teenager, Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen), to “infiltrate” and become assigned to a local Vancouver police unit. This particular division is headed up by Carlos’ boss, Inspector Dillon (Brian Markinson), for whom Kiera ends up working. Carlos has the utmost respect for his commanding officer, and Webster expresses similar praise when speaking about the actor who plays Dillon.
“Well, first of all, Brian Markinson is an amazing guy and one of the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” he says. “Brian is lighthearted and fun, but when he goes into Dillon mode he’s a force to be reckoned with. He is so serious and commanding a presence as well as a remarkable actor, so again, it’s a pleasure to work with Brian. As I mentioned, all the characters get further attention developmental-wise, and Dillon, in particular, experiences quite a few changes and deals with a lot of adversity. Carlos has to then deal with the inspector’s issues at the same time he’s facing issues of his own.”
“They’ve written this very intricate storyline that weaves through the entire precinct and involves everyone including Kiera, Carlos, Inspector Dillon, Nick Lea’s character [Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Agent Gardiner] and Jen Spence’s character [Detective Betty Robertson]. So audiences are going to see all of us interacting onscreen in some very surprising ways,” hints the actor.
Even with all the futuristic technology she brought with her, there are times when Kiera resorts to old-fashioned methods when facing off against a member of Liber8. The same is true of Carlos; he has no problem using his fists when faced with a life and death struggle. In real life, Webster holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has taught as well as competed in a variety of martial arts. Given his physical prowess, the actor relishes the chance to put some of those skills to use on Continuum.
“Carlos has some crazy fights this year, including one that was especially brutal and tough to shoot because we shot it in a very small and confined space,” explains Webster.
“I remember Terry Chen [Liber8 member Curtis Chen], Rachel and I shot this epic and, again, brutal fight sequence last season, and what you saw onscreen was only half the fight. I’d love if the entire thing showed up one day as a DVD extra or something because it was just insane,” says the actor with a chuckle.
“They gave us plenty of time to film that fight, which was great. Usually with a sequence like that, you get three or four hours to shoot it. As far as prep, we’ll sit with our stunt coordinator, Kimani Ray Smith, who goes over the rough choreography with us. He and I have developed a terrific working relationship where Kimani knows that I’ve been doing stuff like this for a long time, and that makes it easy to collaborate with him. Kimani has some amazing ideas and we’re able to create these incredible fights. He is one of the best guys I’ve worked with in the business, and what’s so cool about these fights is that they fit properly into the storyline. The action isn’t there just for the heck of it; it means something.”
Whether it is a tense moment or a quiet exchange between their two characters, Webster is nothing but complimentary when asked about working with series lead Rachel Nichols. “She is such a joy all the time,” he says. “She’s so connected and always in the moment, which really brings out the best in me acting-wise. We get along so well in real life, too, and I think a lot of that just comes across on the screen. Rachel is very much like her character of Kiera, in that she’s very driven, very focused, honest and sharp as a whip.
“It’s funny, I don’t know if it’s just because I’m working with a bunch of fellow Canadians or what, but Simon Barry created Continuum and he along with [executive producer] Pat Williams put this whole thing together with people they’ve worked with over the years and who they love. This is a reflection of all that chemistry and it works. Nobody has an issue with anyone, from the crew to the cast. So it’s not like going to work, but more like hanging out with your buddies and making magic.”
During the hiatus between seasons one and two of Continuum, the actor had the opportunity to work on a few other projects. “I did an episode [The Light in Black] of another Canadian TV show called Cracked where I played two different characters, one of which was a loving, doting uncle, and the other, a cold-blooded killer,” says Webster. “I also worked on an episode of the TV show White Collar [Gloves Off] and a movie called Ragin Cajun Redneck Gators, which is kind of a comedy/horror that’s currently in post-production.”
Steve Eramo
Season two of Continuum is currently airing Sundays @ 9:00 p.m. on Canada's Showcase Network and Fridays @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST on Syfy in the States. As noted above, photo copyright of Shaw Media/Showcase, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
Comments