The voice of Belle from Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Interview with Paige O’Hara
Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven
From the 1937 release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog”, Disney has constantly enthralled us with the world of color and fun. There isn’t anyone in the world that doesn’t know of Disneyland and Mickey Mouse, let alone the rest of the gang.
In 1991, Disney once again opened up a life of animation that the world could never have seen coming. “Beauty and the Beast” came to the screen and the world rekindled their love of Disney once again. With the lovely and headstrong Belle to the growly and headstrong Beast, the story spoke to viewers.
So much so that “Beauty and the Beast” earned Disney six Academy Award nominations and two Oscar wins for Best Original Song and Score in 1992.
Now, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced that its masterpiece “Beauty and the Beast” will be released on Blu-ray high-definition on October 5, 2010. But, before you take it home perhaps you want to see it on the big screen just one more time as Disney brings it all to theatres for two evenings only with a sing-a-long at the end of September!
The lovely voice of Belle belongs to the equally lovely Page O’Hara. Paige has also had quite a ride along with her counterpart. A Broadway, opera and appearances on concert stages as well as recordings. Paige made her debut playing Ellie May Chipley in the 1983 revival on Broadway of “Showboat” with Donald O’Connor. She also starred as Fantine in “Les Miserable” and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” both on Broadway.
Internationally she has done “South Pacific” in Australia, “One Touch Venus” and “Mack and Mabel in Concert” in London. As she continued to perform her stops included The Hollywood Bowl, The Boston Pops and The Turrin Opera House in Italy.
Recently she has taken to Vegas to do a special guest star in the “Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular”, appearing as a guest with Robert Goulet in “The Man and His Music” and now performing in the hit musical “Menopause the Musical” at the Luxor.
Without further adieu, here is my conversation with the enchanting voice of Belle herself, Paige O’Hara talking about her role as Belle, its creation, how it has become an intricate part of her life and, what her stage projects are now.
Hi Paige, is so nice to meet you. You are absolutely lovely!
Oh thank you so much Jeri, that is so sweet! Hey, I heard you saw “Menopause the Musical”, that’s fantastic!
Yes, I saw it a few years ago when it came to San Diego. From the title I knew I was going to love it. I got to the theatre and there are fans on the seats. I knew from then on everything was going to be groovy because I had my fan!
Well you have to come see me in Las Vegas for “Menopause the Musical”. You have to see my company. It is the quintessential company.
Is it a big stage production?
This is Vegas, it’s at the Luxor in a big theatre and it’s a big theatre company. I get to play the Soap Star. I love her; she’s such a pistol and such a pain. I take narcissism to another level – the complete opposite of Belle.
How did you get into all of this?
I’ve been in theatre now, well, forever. With “Menopause the Musical” I just got a phone call. They heard I was in town and I didn’t audition because the breakdown said I had to be a size 8 or over and I wasn’t. But they said for that part it didn’t really matter. You know the part where she says “I use to be a size 2”? Although she is, in her mind she’ll never be thin enough. It’s actually very funny when I say it “she’s a size TWO” (with flare). The other gals look at me funny and the Power Woman looks like she wants to slug me. It’s very funny and the audience just howls. So it’s a big transition and the girls start to love me and beauties only skin deep after I start to do my “Please Make Me Over” (one of the numbers in the show). They actually treat me with such love in the next scene, it’s very touching.
I have to tell you I loved the music so I can see you absolutely playing this role.
I modeled my role after Sally Field in SOAP DISH.
Is that not one of the most guilty pleasures that film? SOAP DISH, it’s a riot.
Oh, absolutely.
Okay, so now we have to get back to Disney.
Yes, I guess so.
So when you first knew you were going to do “Beauty and the Beast”, and going to do the voice of Belle, tell me about that, everyone is going to want to know the history.
I went through a long process of auditions actually. There were 500 women up for the role. I just had a gut feeling that it was my part. I was dating my husband at the time and the final week of the auditions was my birthday. He proposed to me on my birthday and two days later I got the phone call saying I got the role of Belle for “Beauty and the Beast”. It was quite a week.
How did you react to that?
I think I understood what was going to happen because of my friendship with Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel) and what “The Little Mermaid” did for her. I was such a fan of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman that, to create a role with them alone I didn’t have any idea it would have gone to the level it has, so many years later.
You’re an icon but in a strange way no one on the street would know it!
Isn’t it crazy? No on knows until you talk. Sometimes little kids will hear me talk and say ‘are you Belle?’
So tell me about the tea party at the Disney story in Fashion Valley (San Diego, California)?
It was so fun, a lot of great people showed up. Some of the merchandise is gorgeous. They have a new Mrs. Potts and Chip done in China. It’s absolutely gorgeous and the Mirror and Cogsworth, beautiful. The people were so great.
How is it to go back and see all that and know its still such an attraction to kids and adults alike?
The demographics are off the charts. It makes me feel so good. I still get so much mail and I’m still working with ‘Belle’ on so many projects. In fact I’m still recording; I’m recording this week with interactive toys, CD ROMs, Leap Frog toys and all kind of things. So she’s never really far away from me and I understand what affect that has on people who love “Beauty and the Beast”.
She is a huge part of your life.
Yes, I have to maintain her voice, which is my voice. The film and she is still a big part of my life.
And now you have a line of artwork called BELLES BY BELLE, tell me about that!
Disney Fine Arts signed me as one of their artists, they only have thirteen. They saw one of my Belle pieces. I’ve been painting since I was 13 years old; I feel my originals were never that good. I always copied Sargent, Turner and in my last twelve years I started to do my oils with DiVinci. I’ve been really into DaVinci so I painted several of the women of DiVinci. They saw a couple of my pieces and said we want you to sign with us and as of tomorrow it should be on their website DisneyFineArt.com. They should be putting out my new paintings to be seen and if you sign on to they are going to do a giveaway.
What are you doing specifically – only Belle?
I’ve done Belle and Beast in the ballroom, which is called “First Date” and has sold out already. I have “Belle’s in Love” where she is out standing by the tree. I think my newer ones are better because I’ve been painting more often now. I love “First Date” but I think the ones that are coming out tomorrow called “Daydreams of Belle in the Meadow” where she’s looking up at the dandelion. Belle’s all mine, I drew her and I did “Belle in the Bookshop” with her on the ladder. I also did “Belle in the Ball Gown”; you’ll see it on the site. They are going to let the fans voted on which three they want next. I really took DiVinci in the velvet drapes, the gown and to make her look more realistic.
According to my notes you have defined a generation at Disney. I’d freak out if someone said that about me.
It says that? Really? <laughing>
My notes say, “Beauty and the Beast” helped define Disney animation for a new generation as the second film in the ‘Disney Renaissance’…” Is that not amazing? You have helped to define a generation!
“Beauty and the Beast” totally opened everything up, not only Disney’s mind, but also all the other studios minds that this is a huge success. Nominated for an Oscar, won the Golden Globe, they made a gazillion dollars and people are in love with this. It made it valid. Jeffrey Katzenburg had been brought in to do feature films and made him in charge of animation telling him “make it happen”. Jeffrey Katzenburge, Peter Snider and Ashton and Don starting with “Little Mermaid”. “Beauty and the Beast” just took animation to a higher level.
Yes “Little Mermaid” did well, but what was it about “Beauty and the Beast” that just hits the mark? People who know “Little Mermaid” are happy but get seriously jazzed about “Beauty and the Beast”. What do you think caused that explosion?
A lot of it is the classical romantic story, the way they wrote the characters. The original “Beauty and the Beast” was always told in a dark way.
Very Poe-ish.
Exactly! But they found a way to bring romance and a sense of humor to it. Let’s not forget I really think Ashton and Menken were the Rogers and Hammerstien of that brief time. Because of Howard passing away it didn’t last as long as we hoped. I really believe the genius of that combination really made the difference, especially for Howard at his peak. He knew he was dying and I think it was his best writing. By the time “Beauty and the Beast” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, Ashman had already passed away.
This was more of his swan song and he gave give it his all with such beauty.
Absolutely, and I think that’s a very big key to the success of it. I think it’s also the story the way they brought in the humor. It’s a classic. Belle was the first heroine that was a bookworm, odd, out of place and she wanted adventure. Of that era she was ahead of her time. Her whole life wasn’t about trying to find a man and get married. She saw right through Gaston.
Belle is scared but very strong.
Yes, scared but strong. She gave up her life for her father. The role model aspects of that for children are huge. I am thrilled that they actually took some chances in the way they animated her. Initially the draws James Baxter had she was so perfectly beautiful, she was gorgeous. I think he realized in order to get kids to identify with her they had to tone her down, pretty but not perfect.
I know your working on “Menopause the Musical”, but what else are you doing? You have the art; you have Belle and what about Paige?
I have been working on a new project for the last two years. It’s in the writing process and called “Judy the Musical”, about Judy Garland. A gentleman wrote it for me, it’s an original score and two of her songs are in the play. I grew up idolizing her.
My mother did as well and introduced me to her music when I was very young.
Oh really? Me and my Mom too. See, it reaches a lot of us!
I just have to tell you, it’s really weird … I’m here talking to you and I hear Belle!!
I know! I tell you though, I identify with Belle because as a kid I was odd. I was into Gershwin when everyone else was into Led Zeppelin. I was into Sargent and Turner and they thought I was nuts!
Well, I didn’t see anyone odd in front of me. Actually, I saw this very lovely and very lively woman who has defined herself musically and with her art to keep a beloved Disney character alive to the young and young at heart.
It has been such an honor to spend time talking with Paige, laughing and believing that dreams do come true – so keep wishing upon that star and remember “Beauty and the Beast” will be released on DVD Blu-ray on October 5, 2010!
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry. The Diamond Collection represents Walt Disney Studios most prestigious animated classics. These titles represent the highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking, state-of-the-art impressive bonus content and include unprecedented levels of interactivity made possible by Blu-ray technology. The collection will be many of Disney’s most treasured animated classic titles to be released through 2016.
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS
An interview with director Sarah Smith
Jeri Jacquin
Movie Maven
Opening in theatres November 23 from Sony Pictures and director Sarah Smith comes a beginning to the holidays with the animated story of ARTHUR CHRISTMAS. What a great way for the entire family to spent time at the movies! With the cast that includes James MacAvoy as Arthur, Hugh Laurie as Steve, Jim Broadbent as Santa, Imelda Staunton as Mrs. Santa and Bill Nighy as Grandpa-Santa, ARTHUR CHRISTMAS offers something for everyone. Another great way to find out more about ARTHUR CHRISTMAS is by talking to the director and co-writer of the film Sarah Smith.
Good morning Sarah thanks for taking the time. Tell us a little about ARTHUR CHRISTMAS since you are one of the writers along with Peter Baynham?
The movies shows how it can really be done to deliver two billion presents to one hundred million children around the world in one night in our modern contemporary world and what is would really take to do that. It shows what really happens even though it has this amazing military operation something goes wrong. Santa’s slightly incompetent son has to go out and try to fix it in the last couple of hours before dawn. The first part of the movie shows the huge high tech operation and how it takes an army of one million field elves who work in teams of three and they have 18.14 second to get into every child’s house past the sleeping parents and the dogs to deliver the presents. They are traveling with Santa traveling in a huge four mile wide state-of-the-art sleigh that’s a bit to the scale of the ship in “Independence Day” with kind of an Amazon warehouse inside with all the presents being sorted. Underneath the ice in the North Pole there is a gigantic control room made of ice with ten thousand elf work-stations and all the elves have all the information of the child’s sleeping habits, where the squeaky floor boards are, and what kinds of pets they have.
And the other idea of the film?
The other idea in the movie is that Santa is part of a dynasty that is a bit like the royal family. There have been many Santa’s over the years and the father passes the role down to his son. We meet the Santa family and he has a lovely wife, he has a slightly grumpy old father who sits in a corner saying ‘well in my day I only needed eight reindeer and an elf’. He has an extremely cool son, who is the mastermind of this amazing operation called Steve, and the youngest son is Arthur and he’s a little bit incompetent but he loves Christmas and he works in the mailroom answering the children’s letters. When something goes wrong and one child is missed, Grand-Santa and Arthur set out in the old original sleigh with descendants of the original reindeer to deliver the last presents before dawn.
I notice you’re the writer and director of the film, that’s a heavy task.
It is, well I co-wrote it with my long time friend and collaborator Pete Baynam and we spent two years working on the script before we even went into production. For a long time it was just that task trying to get the story right. It’s a huge sort of epic adventure on a very, very big scale and we worked and worked the story before anyone else came on board.
What made you decide to direct it as well; you’re only the second female director to do an animated feature?
I started buying this idea when I was trying to help this build up. The idea came from Pete and Pete and I started working on it together, I fell in love with it. It became our kind of joint baby so full of our humor and sensibility that I was more and more in love with it and eventually I told Pete and Dave that I want to see this project all the way through. I come from a back ground as a director and I’ve never just done development. They were bold and brave and kind enough to support me in doing that and learning as I went as to what it would take to make the movie.
Tell me about the technology in making the movie?
We made the movie with Sony Image Works as our partner. Sony Image Works is one of major effects facilities in the world in terms of the work they’ve done in special effects. Also they have made three animated movies. There are all sorts of challenges in the movie but not always the ones you would think. Building a huge ice control room was a gigantic challenge because it’s a very complex thing to render ice. Light bounces and refracts off it an all sorts of complicated ways plus it was a gigantic set with an enormous amount of detail in it and you see ten thousand elf characters that are controlled by computer crowd programs. Plus there was motion graphic on the screens all the way around the control room. So there are multiple, multiple technical challenges in that one set and some of the shots could take up to a day per frame to render when it was finally completed using gigantic numbers of computer processes to actually render these shots.
So it is quite intense?
Yes, but sometimes it’s the simplest things that are hard. In fact one of the biggest technical challenges of the movie was Arthur’s jumper and doing cloth simulation to show a heavy fabric like that and it was really, really hard to do convincingly. I had my heart set on this big chunky terrible Christmas jumper and it took months of work to and make that work and technically look right. There are other things that use to be hard in CG like water which now you just say ‘I want an ocean’ and they say ‘fine, how big do you want the waves?’ In R&D it was very ground breaking when it was done in “Finding Nemo” but now everyone has developed systems like that so its an easy thing to do. You never quite know what can trip you up and be the difficult thing.
I see you had Alexei Nechytaylo as your Art Director. How was it work with him and getting the look you wanted for ARTHUR CHRISTMAS?
I absolutely love Alexi he’s fantastic. I think he’s a huge talent and a bit of a renaissance man I have to say. I think one of the things that is most successful in the movie is the work between the art department, and Alexi in particular, and the texture department. They have textured the world beautifully. If you see the old original sleigh and the leather seats and the beautifully polished wood with the violins and such and the dashboard with the slightly aged brass - that work was conceived by Alexi. He painted and pulled together all those textures developed by the texturing team and it makes the movie so rich and makes you feel like you want to put your hand in the screen to touch those things. He’s a terrific talent. He also designed all the graphics of the North Pole. So he came up with the whole look that is the equivalent to Microsoft or Apple’s operating system of the North Pole and what it actually would look like. It has menu instructions like on the Christmas trees that he actually designed the whole of that so it really would look convincing. Like on every elf computer was some part of the North Pole’s operating system
I read that you had the production team involve their children in doing all the pictures and letters on Arthur’s desk?
That’s right. You want those things to feel authentic. It doesn’t really work for adults to sit there and write a convincing letter to Santa we just asked all the kids to do it and we just used all their artwork.
Whose idea was that?
I guess the art department. They wanted this movie to be authentic.
What made you decide on the military theme for Arthur?
We wanted to design the whole thing to make it really feel like what would it take to do this job. We saw it as a giant army whose mission was delivering teddy bears. There is something funny about the incredible seriousness of little soldier elves types who desperately want to get that teddy bear to that child. Also, we kind of drew on a mixture of things. When designing the S1 we looked at things like the star ship Enterprise, Star Trek but we also looked at stealth bombers and the latest military technology and what those aircraft looked like and try to incorporate some of that in our design. We also looked at UPS and Amazon and their sorting system and how the presents might be around conveyer belts. Then added jokes on top of all of that as well, the S1 comes complete with cup holders, oxygen masks and an air bag as well. This even though they travel twice the speed of sound. We have all sorts of gadgets in the movie. They have scanners that scan a child’s face that can tell you if they are naughty or nice, the stocking gun that fires the appropriate amount of stocking fillers put in each child stocking. We have little hand held devices like little mobile phones that tell the elves where they are, and the plans of the house on it to get past sleeping parents. Things borrowed from everything from the military to Mission Impossible to mountaineering all different kinds of sources really to try and make it feel like the world children know today.
I love the HoHo300, it looks like an ipad!
There is actually the Ho-pad as well. It’s a slightly larger version.
You have James MacAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton – a view Harry Potter alumni there. How was it working with a cast like that?
They are a wonderful, lovely benign cast. They are all, as you say, absolutely stellar talent on their own and delightfully many of the cast, know each other very well. When I was lucky enough to get them into one studio there was a lovely atmosphere between them. We actually recorded the family Christmas dinner with all them in one room. That was another kind of joy and sparkle to the process. All of them were very patient and loved the project and we worked with them over the course of two years coming back to record different bits of the movie. Each of them have a different style and approach so they really were a delightful team to work with.
When it’s all said and done, what is your favorite scene in ARTHUR CHRISTMAS?
I think, though perhaps it might not be the most exciting scenes but I love two even though you asked for one. I loved the scene early on in the movie when Santa gets trapped in a child’s bedroom with his head on a toy that has a ‘try me’ button that would go off if he raises his head. Its sort of like Christmas ‘Hurt Locker’ really. That was a huge amount of fun to write and make. When we finally thought about it being like an unexploded bomb they have to defuse it, they all get incredibly serious about it even though a terrible things is going to happen if its going to start singing Ole’ McDonald has a farm. Everybody gets intense with beads of sweat running down as their trying to cut the wire. That was hugely good fun. But I also love the scene at the very end of the movie where the whole family comes together and we try to create a moment of Christmas magic that the whole movie builds towards and I love that scene most of all I think.
Thank you so much for sharing all the wonderful insights of ARTHUR CHRISTMAS.
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS has everything a holiday film could want including some of the most amazing high-tech military gadgets avaliable to Santa. The S1 is enormous: large enough to cover a city while the 3-Elf teams descend into homes and leave presents for the children. And fast: it travels at 10,368 km/h or 0.92 million miles per hour, 8.4 times faster than the speed of sound.
If that isn’t enough there is the X-Drop Elf backpack carries by all Mission Elves, the Grapplesuck G-6 Access Gun for getting into high windows, the Night-Cut X1225 Laser-Guided Scissors to be used only by the Gift-wrap Battalion. The mighty military might of Santa’s workshop also has Night-Vision Info Specs that allows the elves to see into dark houses and avoid pitfalls like sleeping dogs!
So if you think getting anything past Santa – you won’t be able to with the upgrades made to the workshop for efficiency and naughty detection abilities!
There you have it, some secrets as to the making of ARTHUR CHRISTMAS with all the gadgetry and fun that makes Christmas the most exciting time of year. ARTHUR CHRISTMAS in Real 3-D opens November 23rd in theatres. Take the family and begin the holidays with Arthur and the Santa gang!
Magic Beyond Words:
The J.K. Rowling Story
Jeri Jacquin
Movie Maven
Available now on DVD from LIFETIME television, director Paul A. Kaufman and Commotion Pictures comes the author’s story behind the tale of the boy who lived with “Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story”
This film tells the story of Joanna (Poppy Montgomery), a young woman who has always had a dream of becoming a writer. Going to school and college the dream never died within her. Joanna’s mother, Anne (Janet Kidder) continued to inspire her daughter.
Taking job after job, it becomes quite clear that what Joanna needs to do it follow her heart. She does in one sense as she marries Jorge Arantes (Antonio Cupo) and begins again to write. But the marriage is short lived because of domestic violence and Joanna leaves with her child to start again.
She soon realizes that life with a child living on the dole in England is not as easy. Trying to put her life together, Joanna puts pen to paper and finished her book HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSPHER’S STONE sending it to publishers. Rejection after rejection is sent until it finds a publisher who sees something special in her words.
One step leads to another as J.K. Rowlings and Harry Potter becomes attached and also become one of the greatest stories told to kid and adults.
FINAL WORD: Montgomery is sweet as Rowling. Her reminiscences that lead her to create Harry Potter are endearing and fun to watch. Knowing the little details makes the film even more fun to watch. From the magical incantations, to the name Weasley it was easy to see why Rowlings enjoyed writing her stories.
Montgomery herself has begun her own television series UNFORGETTABLE. Starring as a police office with a very good memory – every moment is embedded into her memory. For seven seasons, Montgomery played FBI agent Samantha Spade in the CBS Drama “Without a Trace” along side her costar Anthony LaPaglia.
Taking the story from Rowlings childhood beginning is a fantastic way to learn the story of the author who has enraptured and captured so many fans to the names of Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, Ronald Weasley and the Weasley family, to Dumbledore, Professor McGonnagle, Professor Snape and Tom Riddle aka Voldemort.
Taken from the unauthorized book by Sean Smith, this film is fun to watch and a DVD that all Harry Potter fans should add to their collection.
Other cast include: Emily Holmes as Diane Rowling, Marie West as Aine, Lisa Norton as Jill, Paul McGillon as Peter Rowling, Evan Bird as Ian Potter and Wesley McGinnes as Sean.
TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowlings Story” three and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. It is a delightful story and told very well. Any young writer who watches this film can find inspiration. Rowlings may never have believed her dream would come true in such a way, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that – she dreamed at all!
In the end – only a strong author could of created a boy who lived!
Operation Belvis Bash
Jeri Jacquin
Movie Maven
Every once in a while I am privy to screen a film that is out of the ordinary. Even more once in a while I see a film that is out of the ordinary and makes me laugh!
This is true of the film “Operation: Belvis Bash” a campy comedy that has a very, very huge twist – it comes true! It is the story of Belvis Bash (Alexander Loy), a singer who finds himself in a lull and looking for the next big gig.
Enter Major Emile Hickory (Mark Metcalf) a slightly off centered military man who wants Belvis to come and entertain the people of Afghanistan. Along with Belvis comes a bevy of performers like the “Jewtastic” Samuel Stilman (Corey Feldman), an Afgan drummer Samir (Walid Amini) and theatrical singer May Summer (Noelle Locke).
But not is quite all as it seems as Bash, Summer and Stilman are kidnapped by The Iron Sheik (Khosrow Vaziri) in Afghanistan. A trusted member of the group has betrayed them and now all may be lost.
It is up to Bash, or is it?… to stop the terrorists from winning!
FINAL WORD: Anyone who knows me also knows I love campy films! It is a chance to watch a film without psychoanalyzing and tearing it apart piece by piece to find some deeper hidden meaning or moral agenda. Okay, maybe I did that a little for this film but giggled the whole time I did it!
Loy as Bash has managed to reach out musically and his seriousness is sweetly genuine. From beginning to end, even in the madness however, Loy is in total control. He had to be with all the hats he wore on this film as writer and director. Bringing his music into the film with the like of “Kabul Wobble”, “What He Said” and “Nice and Pretty” are great additions to the film.
Metcalf has always been one of those faces that remains stuck in my head. By this I mean every time I see him I regress to the awesome Twisted Sister 1984 video “I Wanna Rock”. The character of Hickory has that vibe about him and it totally works in the film.
Locke is absolutely delightful as May and, to make things sweeter, has a lovely voice. Her relationship with Belvis is charming and totally cheesy, but in a good way. Amini was interesting as Samir to which I can only say without giving too much away, “well played sir, well played!”
For total awesomeness here I have to give a shout out to Feldman. He was ridiculous, funny, offensive, funny, sharp and finally, totally unexpected. What a fantastic way to show his acting ability and, again without giving anything away, prepare to be blown away.
Other cast include: Frank Stallone as Alfons Logoluso doing a hysterical rendition of Les Mis, Daniel Baldwin as Namco Douglas, Larry Thomas as Hamid Bin Al-Sheib, Quinn Gonzales as Javert, John Michael Laurin as Omar, Steve Fite as Corporal Parker, Daniel Bridges as Specialist Mackenwitz, and Cynthia Manous as the Dreamworks Secretary.
TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “Operation: Belvis Bash four tubs of popcorn out of five. Why not five you ask? I don’t want my opinion going to Loy’s head, he needs to stay focused for another Belvis adventure!
The music is rockin’, the comedy is a rollin’. There is a lot being said here in the way of politics and the views are quite plain. That being said by mixing it with comedy it allows the viewers to get the point yet not take it so seriously!
It’s hard to talk about a film without wanting to tell the viewer everything, but, in this case it would take away from the total fun of the film. It’s a wild adventure of twists and turns where the guy with the guitar gets the girl and a few other surprises he wasn’t counting on!
In the end – with his music he was just trying to create solidarity!
Channing Tatus as a Roman Soldier Looking for Family Redemption
Opening in theatres this Friday from director Kevin Macdonald and Focus Features comes a film based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel in “The Eagle”. Tatum plays Marcus Aquila, a Roman soldier trying to prove his worth and redeem his family. His father, and 5,000 soldiers disappeared in Scotland and along with them, the emblem of Rome – the eagle.
Marcus, along with his slave Esca (Jaime Bell) venture into dark territory where Marcus must trust someone he has no reason to trust. The journey takes them both into new territory as they come to grips with the road ahead of them.
The film also stars Donald Sutherland and Mark Strong and in a recent interview with actor Channing Tatum, I got an opportunity to ask him about his role, what it took, and his co-stars:
Hey Channing, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today, I really do appreciate it. I’ve seen the movie and I really do like it!
Oh you did? That’s great, that means a lot to me coming from a woman.
Especially one that loves Roman-Gladiator movies right? I love “The Robe”, “Demitrius and the Gladiators”, “Spartacus”, that era of film.
Oh yea, I mean Kevin (McDonald) gave us some of those movies to watch.
Is that what brought you to the role?
First off, “Gladiator” and “Braveheart” were my “Star Wars” growing up. I think “Braveheart” came out in my 11th or 12th grade year of high school. I’m not a history buff by any means but history was my favorite class. Then Kevin McDonald was my number one draw. From “Touching the Void” even, I don’t know how he even did that movie because it’s basically a reenactment but it feels like a theatrical film. When you can do that so well and on top of that show a relationship so well between two people. Look at “The Last King of Scotland”; he walked the line on that relationship to make it so incredibly tense. They cared about each other in a strange way, you cared about their relationship in a strange way but you are entirely terrified for one of them and scared of the other. He does friendship, especially between two males very, very well. Those are the two things that probably drew me to the part the most. Then the fact that I really, really wanted to run around and ride horses, play with swords…
And wear the great outfits?
Yea!
The whole film, your either climbing a mountain or climbing a hill in these elements? How physical was that for you?
I guarantee as hard as it was in the movie it was ten times harder and most of it was off screen. Try being shivering cold and wet all day, for 13 hours. Go sit in a bath with ice in it and see how long you can sit in it. Jaime and I had to do it more times than I want to remember.
The times you were behind the horse and you fell, how much was real? I thought it looked pretty real?
Everyone one of them! I can’t take the full credit. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Scotland but its peat moss and spongy so it wasn’t all that bad. They chopped it up to make it a little better but every once in a while you hit a rock buried under their and that doesn’t feel so good. It doesn’t hurt as bad as it seems if you know how to fall right. I’m pretty good at falling by now.
You’re a pro at it by now!
You’re not kidding; it’s like break dancing its just graceful falling.
Working with Jaime Bell and Mark Strong, how was that? Mark’s role is very small but important?
I love that these guys play such quiet, strong, reserved intelligent guys, their actor’s actors. Then off camera they are such cut ups, including Donald Sutherland. He jokes and clowns around more than anybody on the set. The minute they say, “rolling” he’s right into the scene. For the most part everybody was jovial. To be frank, I could not have been more blessed to learn from better actors. Jaime by far is the probably one of the best, if not the best young actor that I’ve ever worked with. Donald’s been doing it longer than I’ve been alive and I’ve learned so much from him. Even commitment wise; not commitment to the character but the commitment to wanting to be better at every take. He still loves what he does and he wants to be better and better every time and that’s a cool thing for a young actor to see. Mark you can’t ever recognize him from character to character. That’s insane, that’s so crazy. He doesn’t play or look the same twice. It’s such a real testament to who he is. He’s very free and to see him drop into a serious character makes me think ‘he’s so talented’. Like Donald, he plays everything with such a twinkle in his eye like he’s in on a joke. That can be so useful, it can go so many different ways. He can play a psychopath with that twinkle your like ‘oh he knows something I don’t’ and then play a father with that same twinkle and its like a good thing that he knows something I don’t. It’s just a jack-of-all-trades type personality and not all people can do it – but he can. Even in a scene, he really brought more to the character than what was on the page.
Okay, so we have to say, there are no females in the cast?
It was a big question, even more me to take the part and audition for the part. It’s a very oddly structured movie and even more so in what we shot. They changed a little bit of the structure before hand. It’s just a male driven film and that was Kevin’s decision. He wanted to make a different film and I think he made a conscious decision to make this just a relationship story between two people that comes from opposite sides of a line and understand each other. A girl was actually in the novel if I’m not mistaken. I think it would have confused the story. She wouldn’t have been there for the whole middle part of the story. In this story it’s about two people, if anything, hate each other and don’t understand each other. By the end of their journey through hell respect each other and love each other and go through hell again with each other.
Did you and Jaime enjoy the story flip?
Yes, we did. I was thinking I should have been meaner to him.
There was that twinkle in his eye where he was enjoying it.
I told him I should have been meaner. I told him I should have done something crazier to him. He got to push me around.
In the scene where you say “when I get a chance I’m going to kill you” and he turns away from you, for ten seconds you think he’s going to bust out laughing as if “the jokes on you!” but instead he keeps a strong straight face.
He’s so good; I hate him for being so good. I truly hate him for being so good!
Can you tell us about the training for the film?
I’ve done a lot of marital arts in my life. Kung-fu mainly from like 9 to 13 and then I kind of fell out because we moved but I’ve picked it up in the last two or three years. A good bit I kind of knew but not the swordsmanship. Between the dance and the martial arts and growing up in Alabama with a lot of horses in front of me. I had a good bit of casual experience with a few things, except for chariot races which ended up on the cutting room floor and wasn’t relative to the film. We trained a lot; we trained for about 3 and half weeks from 9 to 9 with all different stuff. Wake up at 9, go to costume fitting, then training, then horse riding, then chariots, then four to five hour rehearsal with Kevin.
Any bodily damages?
I got burned during one of the river scenes and they poured boiling water down and forgot to dilute it. They burnt me but there isn’t any nerve damage or scarring. I’m pretty sure I broke something in my hand but here it is two years later and it’s getting back to normal. I’m telling you, the guys that lived back then had to be the hardest individuals on the planet. We did two takes where we were losing the light and the cameras were roaming and it was malay. We were doing the turtle in front of the fort and we put on two full mags, there was two or three cameras running at once. A full mag is like ten minutes or so. They yelled action yelling ‘hold the circle’ and they had people running at us.
The turtle maneuver in the film was great!
It was a blast. I had my head down pushing against the helmet and cut the bridge of my nose. There were people all over pushing. I can’t imagine what these guys actually went through when it was done for real. I’ve given it so much thought. After that five minutes I was ready to actually die. Your wearing a breastplate that you can’t take a full breath
SONS OF ANARCHY
Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven
Sons of Anarchy
Interview with David Labrava
It is no surprise to anyone that SONS OF ANARCHY is my favorite show, bar none, on television. Created by Kurt Sutter, SOA (as its known) is about a motorcycle club in a town called Charming. The SONS have been around a long time and can trace their roots back to Ireland. Currently led by President Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) and Vice President Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), this season is filled with cartels, hits and break away from the club.
The last episode entitled “Hands” was one of the roughest I have seen yet and wasn’t the only one as the Facebook and Twitter boards lit up with comments about the show. This episode has Clay pitted up against his wife Gemma Teller Morrow (played by the amazing and Emmy Award winning Katey Sagal) and Jax finished the triangle.
Recently I spoke with cast member David Labrava who plays the role of Happy in the SONS OF ANARCHY to try to get a general idea of where the story line was heading, how he came to be Happy and where he sees his career heading.
Thanks for joining me today David. Lets jump right into it. In the information I have about you it seems you’re a writer as well as an actor and director. Which do you prefer?
I love writing. I think writing and directing go hand in hand. I’ve been writing and getting published since 1990 and I kind of fell into the acting, which is a lot, lot of fun. I enjoy acting, but I’m definitely pushing towards directing.
How did the role of “Happy” come about for you?
I got hired to be the technical advisor and when Kurt Sutter came up to my area to get some technical advice on the motorcycle club world, I showed him that I was the man for the job and I wrote scripts and I asked him to let me have a chance when he cast the show. I got cast on the show and then he gave me a real chance to write and here I am.
Last night’s show was intense. How did you feel watching Clay and Gemma go at it, how did that come about?
I think its been culminating for quite some time. I think in my personal opinion if we just stay on the show level, I think Clay should keep Gemma a little bit closer since she is complicit from the start. Like if you’re following the show, they supposedly killed J.T. together and now Clay is pushing her to the outside and Gemma is no dummy. She’s been around the block, so I thought that the fight scene was right on time. It’s right where it should be.
Do you think it was a risk to show that much violence?
Not at all, violence sells.
I agree with that but that kind of violence? Do you think that you’re going to be getting some hits for that?
No, I think if you follow the internet I think the entire viewing public, they really want Clay dead which makes for great television. That’s the A story, it’s Clay and Jax, and Clay and Gemma and how evil can Clay really be, which seems to have no boundaries.
I have to tell you, there were people dropping jaws everywhere after that show.
Oh yes, I really enjoyed the end too. You got all these people with history, Gemma and Unser grew up together, and with Clay they have history. It’s prime time for everybody, because everybody wants Clay dead and Gemma wants him dead by the hand of a Son, her son, its going to be interesting as it comes to an end.
Lets talk about the creative process, how much leeway are you able to incorporate in terms of your own ideas?
Writing a TV show is totally different than writing features or just what I started doing is writing features. You write a little bit more organically. You start from the beginning to the end, beginning, middle and end. In the TV world there’s probably at least 25 points that have to get carried over from episode to episode to make the show work. It’s an incredibly creative process to sit in that writers’ room with six other people and pitch ideas and pitch ideas until you have a great story and Kurt comes in. He is an incredible writer and you pitch ideas until everybody gives feedback and everybody signs off on it. Then you move away to write the dialog and fill in the blanks on the show.
We haven’t seen much of Happy but what are his thoughts with the problems the club is facing and will we see Happy more towards the end of the season?
I think Happy is getting a little bit more vocal, but like in the club, there are all kinds of members, every kind you can imagine. Some guys are basically just soldiers, which is Happy, he’s there, he’s a soldier. He’s not an officer. He doesn’t desire to be an officer. He’s there to just make things happen for the club. On the show production level like Happy, I as an actor couldn’t be in episode ten and sit in the writer’s chair behind Peter Weller and do the writer job. So it was very important for me to learn that aspect of it, but I know I’m pretty certain Happy will be in the rest of them.
Seeing how things are with SAMCRO, which member would you say Happy respects the most or least respects the most and why?
No question Happy relates the most to Jax. You will see it sort of near the end. You’ll see little moments between those two. I have to say Happy respects everybody but there’s a lot of emotion, it’s a lot of expression. You watch people, like if you watch closer, you could see the faces of the actors on the show, they’re all like, especially Chibs, they’re getting in deep with this cartel and they know it. That’s not who they are. You have to watch closely because Happy doesn’t have a lot of dialog, but if you watch closely, he’s watching Juice. It’s painfully apparent to Happy that Juice is a rat. Juice has really screwed up with a lot of things going on and Chibs and Happy, some people are looking at him very closely. I have to say on just a member level, Happy is basically just a soldier. He’s not going anywhere. He’s not looking for a way out. He has no escape plan. This is his plan, to be in the club and that’s it.
Have you tried acting before or was it just an accident that this came about?
I actually, it seems like the Hollywood thing sort of found me a couple of times because I wasn’t living here trying to do all this. I’m an artist, I’m a tattoo artist and I went to school to paint and that sort of thing. I started writing and getting published and I have to say I think every American kid grows up dreaming about being in the movies. That’s completely normal for us. But I mostly wanted to be a writer in my life and then I got taught the script writing program and I got a chance to act and I have to say the acting is extremely fun, extremely vital. It’s an incredible crew that I work with. They all have a great appreciation for film. Those people that you see, we do movie trivia all day long, like Ron Perlman knows all the way back to black and white films. I enjoy the acting. I didn’t plan on that. It sort of fell into me and I’m having a lot of fun with it. But I’m definitely moving towards directing because I’m naturally a writer. I think a good director edits, writes, and has acted a little bit. He’s done a little big of everything and that’s what I’m trying to do.
Do you want to star in the stuff you write or direct it?
I sold my own show to the network last year, which now we’re shopping around to cable and FX is very good to me to allow me to do that. I also finished a feature film with a sequel we are shopping around now. I might put myself in a cameo in any of those movies, but mostly I want to be behind the camera.
Tell us a bit about how you feel about motorcycles and how that came about?
I was riding dirt bikes when I was a little kid. I got my first Harley Davidson when I was 17 years old. It was a frame with wheels and a tank on it with all the parts in a box. I got it for a great deal and six months later my mother is telling me to get it out of the living room. I have to build this outside; it’s stinking up the house. This is just what you go through if you are this person, you go through years of having motorcycles that’s been more in the garage than out on the road. It just takes a long time. It’s like you get bit by the bug and it won’t go away.
When people think of bikers they think of these rough and rugged guys who want to be in a gang, stereotypically speaking. What is it about that culture that makes you want to come together?
First of all, I never think it’s a gang, because the gang is a street gang. If you know motorcycles you know the difference between a club and a gang. I know the government likes to differentiate the clubs from the gangs, but it is really a motorcycle club and it’s kind of like the Army. Everyone is your brother. You have to love everyone, but there are so many guys, some of them really become your true friends. Everyone is your brother and we definitely have to be that kind of person. Some people are loners and some people identify with being in a group. They identify it and if you identify it, then you’ll find us and you’ll find a way to become one of us.
Is there anything special you had to do?
You have to be there. I have to say of the big clubs, all of them are run basically a little bit different. I’m in a very democratic club and you basically have to be there. You have to show your support. You have to show us that this is what you want to do and it can take a few years to do that. But it isn’t like what you might think. It is nothing like the mob. It’s a motorcycle club and they do defense fund parties and they go on runs together and camp out. I’m sure it gets painted to be something way more vicious than it really, really is but in any group, I don’t care if it’s the Girl Scouts or the Lion’s Eye Bank, there’ll probably be some bad apples. Some good apples too, just like there are some guys who do nothing and some guys who do everything.
You have mentioned that Happy’s calling is killing people and he sleeps well at night. Is there a back-story you can tell us?
I remember when Kurt explained to me why I was called Happy. I asked him ‘why didn’t you call me Psycho?’ and he was like, “No, because your name is Happy, you’re an assassin for the club and you’re never happy. It’s like ironic’. It’s like I explained before, Happy is just a soldier. I look at Happy, he’s got his aunt and he has his mom, but the real family to Happy is that club. Those are his brothers. That’s his little world. He’s there to do whatever. He is an assassin for the club. This is a TV show, you know what I mean, and his character is this guy who’s like, he’s ready to do whatever for the club, whatever it takes. He’s gotten very good at it through time, that’s why he does lines like I’ll do this and I’ll do it very well and they know he will. Like in the beginning when Clay said, these guys are not killers. That’s why they’re having problems with the cartel. Like gun dealing is the extent of their ambitiousness and that’s why they have a guy like Happy. Although Clay has really emerged as evil personified for sure he has. It’s Happy’s calling to do whatever it takes that the clubs needs, which is a lot of time killing people.
Tell us about your fans and what your seeing about the show?
It have to say its very strange, I pretty much get recognized at least once a day. It’s a very popular show. I grew up a lot in Europe. I don’t know if you know this show is bigger in Europe than even here. It’s huge. It’s quite different. I live a pretty private life and now I get recognized and fans are so appreciative that it’s truly overwhelming. They are wonderful.
How are fans in your home state of Florida, get recognized?
A lot and my mom is so proud, which is the ultimate best part of all of this that I make my mother proud. She stuck by me. I haven’t been a walk in the park, but yes, it’s definitely cool to make the people that know you your whole life, I didn’t see this coming. You’re making the people in your life very proud, that’s totally exciting. I speak to my mom all the time, so it’s very cool.
Your working with some pretty awesome actors, have they helped or have you learned from them?
Both, I learn by watching anything I do and these guys are wonderful, Tommy Flanagan, Ron Perlman (Clay), Charlie Hunnam (Jax), all of them. These people have extended themselves. It’s exactly as I told Kurt when I asked him to let me have a shot at being on the show, I said I write and that means I can see. When he writes and he acts, he does everything, actually, but if you write and people ask me what acting school did I go to, I say I went to the school of let’s pretend. It started when I was nine. Tommy and Charlie, these guys have helped me extensively. These are great actors. They have practiced their craft to the fullest and they’re great at it and they give me great input and I’m so very appreciative.
I was thinking when you were talking about how popular this is overseas; the series has been hinting the last couple of shows about the Irish. Where is that going?
I have to say you probably just have to watch to see where it’s going. But it’s pretty apparent we’re trying to do a deal with these guys. We just keep getting in pitfalls trying to be the middleman between the Irish and the cartel and I think it’s culminating to come to a head of something very exciting really soon.
You are dealing with almost three different groups and the Irish that has to be hard to keep up with?
It is. It’s quite interesting when you’re trying to write the next episode and think three or four episodes down the line where this is really going. Kurt has a clear vision, which helps incredibly when your sitting in the writer’s room with five other people and the show runner has exactly clear vision. We work with a different director every time. We’ve worked with some incredible directors, but when Kurt is directing, it’s fantastic because it’s his vision. He sees exactly what he wants to see and it’s perfect.
I was going to ask, he seems like a very intense person.
He’s wonderful. I’m not just placating that, but it makes the job easy when somebody knows exactly what they want to see and exactly what they don’t want to see and exactly how it should go and the tone of the scene and every bit of it. It makes the job much easier. There is no guessing game involved and that’s good. It’s a tough thing to run a show and to work with all kinds of egos and different people and different opinions and it’s just a hard thing.
Especially for such an intense show.
Yes, exactly.
Do you see him as a mentor?
Without a doubt, he is my writing guru. He has helped me immensely. He has given me incredible breaks and I’m so appreciative. It’s no joke.
Thank you for your time David, we look forward to SONS OF ANARCHY next week and sincerely are on the edge of our seats to see the outcome of the season! SONS OF ANARCHY can be found on FX on Tuesday nights.
American Horror Story
Interview with the stars Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton
Jeri Jacquin
Movie Maven
It is no secret that I am a total FX viewer! The programming is some of the best on television with shows like “Wilfred”, “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, “The League”, and my ultimate high is creator Kurt Sutter’s offering of “Sons of Anarchy”.
Just when I thought ‘how can it get any better!’ FX bitch slaps me with creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s mind-blowing show AMERICAN HORROR STORY. If these two names sound familiar perhaps its because they are also the brainiacs behind such hits at the monster TV hits “Glee” and “Nip/Tuck”.
If you haven’t seen AMERICAN HORROR STORY (and I beg to ask ‘why not!’), it is the story of the Harmon family who have recently moved to town. House shopping they come across an old house that has a certain, well killer charm, and after being told someone died in the house – of course, they buy it.
Using the home as his office, Ben Harmon played by Dylan McDermott, is a psychiatrist who is starting his practice over again. The move was mainly to try and save his marriage to Vivien played by Connie Britton who is now pregnant. Along with their teenage angst filled daughter Violet, played by Taissa Farmiga, the family settles in – or is it unsettling in?
Not helping matters is next-door neighbor who welcomes them with her Southern voice, poise, and charming hospitality. That is mixed with snappy one-liners and a wicked ipecac cupcake is none other than Oscar winning actress Jessica Lange as Constance. Also in the mixing bowl is her daughter Addy (Jamie Brewer), who seems to have a skeleton key of her own to the Harmon house.
The house quickly introduces itself to the Harmon family and it isn’t always in a good way. Last week’s episode of AMERICAN HORROR STORY was the highest rated and is tracking to be the most watched series in the networks history for any first year show.
I’m going to stop here because, in the spirit of Halloween, FX is going to replay its episodes starting Monday at 10:00 p.m. so all the new-untouched ghouls and goblins can catch up on Thursday as Part 2 of the Halloween episode airs!
I was so thrilled to get a chance to speak with the stars of AMERICAN HORROR STORY Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton about their roles, their scare issues and to see if I could get any hints about the rubber man!
Good morning and thanks for taking time to talk to me Dylan and Connie.
Dylan: Thank you for doing it.
Connie: Yes, thanks so much.
Well, lets dive right in! How much of the characters back-story did you know going into the series?
Connie: Actually I didn’t know very much. What was fun is that I felt it was being created as we were going forward. It feels constantly as though we are going into back-stories and discovering who these people are which to me is really fun and adds to the mystery of the whole thing.
Dylan: It unravels as we go. I don’t think we know exactly where we are going. Its fun to get a script and realize that ‘oh, I didn’t realize that about myself’ in character. That’s the best part of the show.
Connie: Yes, it is.
Can I ask if there is going to be a next season?
Connie: What do you know Dylan? <laughing>
Dylan: We are never quite sure of the next episode never mind next season. We are flying by the seat of our pants. It’s all discovery here. I don’t think we know.
Connie: I don’t know if Brad and Ryan know.
Dylan: Right, right.
Connie: Which is really fun!
Dylan: Exactly!
Connie: It’s an evolution and it feels like we really do watch this thing come to life and its really fantastic.
Connie, I know you have a horror film aversion, but why do you think it’s growing so fast week-to-week?
Connie: I attribute that to Ryan and Brad. You know about my aversion to horror, when we were shooting the pilot I was very unclear about what this was going to look like. What I think is so brilliant about what Ryan and Brad do is that they have a very distinct vision that is so outside the box of anything that we’ve ever seen before and they have such a great talent for bringing that into fruition. Audiences whose natural inclination wouldn’t be to watch a show like this are really drawn to and really appreciate being challenged and seeing something they haven’t seen before.
Do you think the story is about the Harmon’s taking on the evil or getting through it?
Dylan: I think it’s a little bit of both. When I met with Ryan, Brad and Connie originally we had talked about how this really is a show about a fractured family and what infidelity can do so people. I think it’s a metaphor for all the horror of being in a relationship and in a marriage and all that stuff. The horror of it is really the metaphor of this marriage and the house. I think it’s a little bit of both.
This is intense show! So, was there anything uncomfortable in the script and you tried to change it or do you have the power to do that?
Connie: I think we have a lot of power over it but I also think the things about the script that make me uncomfortable are what make it interesting to me as an actress. Listen, I wasn’t comfortable with the rubber man in the pilot and I was convinced that the rubber man was going to go. Again, I’m always amazed that Ryan and Brad can come up with something that I think is going to be hideous and awful. I’ve grown to really trust them to create it in a way that is interesting. I kind of keep my mouth shut at this point.
Dylan: After masturbating in the pilot, I mean what else is there? I couldn’t be uncomfortable again.
Of all the back stories about the house the Harmon’s live in, what are your favorites so far? (NOTE: I’m editing this answer as not to spoil the storyline for new viewers)
Dylan: I love Jessica and her whole story and where she’s going and to see Addy this week was so powerful and her dragging her to the house. I thought that was a great story line. For me, her having a young lover and having kids is such a great back-story and I’m interested in what’s going to happen to her character.
Connie: I am too. I kind of love how it all sort of evolves each week. I love that there are so many ghosts in the house that we have no idea and could never count them. They create this culture and this community in this house that we have stumbled upon. I think that’s really fun and how we are watching these human people stumble on this crazy world.
Dr. Charles, the creator of the house, will his story come up more?
Dylan: I don’t think we are sure. We get the scripts and discovering it for the first time ourselves. That’s really in Ryan and Brad’s heads.
Connie: We have shot episodes since the ones that you have seen where he is there. So you will see him a little bit more.
Working with Oscar winning actress Jessica Lange, that has to be amazing and she is great on the show, how is it?
Connie: It’s really amazing! As Dylan was saying she is so incredible and such an incredible person. She’s a lovely, approachable human being and beyond that. I did a scene with her yesterday and I kind of going back and forth between how she makes me feel better than I could ever be. Also, I catch myself stopping and watching her in a scene, which, of course, I really shouldn’t be doing. It’s really extraordinary because she’s almost this mythic creature but yet also just very approachable and real and really lovely to work with.
I have to ask, have either of you had a paranormal experience or don’t believe in it?
Dylan: For myself I had one in 1989 and I don’t believe in this stuff at all. I’m kind of cynical in that way. I was in Louisiana doing a movie in a car at night with others and the headlights washed over this ghost like figure around midnight in Louisiana. I don’t know if that’s specific to Louisiana or not. I saw this and they saw this ethereal being suddenly and we didn’t say anything for like two minutes. Then we talked about it. That’s the only time in my life that I actually saw something. I had never seen or felt something like that. I have to say I did have a real experience and that’s the only time I’ve had that.
Connie: I also am not a big believer in ghosts. I don’t walk around in fear of ghosts but I definitely had an experience with ghosts in Italy. I was staying at this really amazing old Tuscan villa and I woke up in the middle of the night and heard all kinds of moving around like furniture moving and voices. I thought some plumbing must have exploded or something must have happened. I asked them about it the next day and they said nothing was happening. It then it came out that they were aware that the house was haunted and they told me all kinds of stories about various Tuscan ghosts that they’ve experienced while they were there. I never ever can sleep at night when I stay there.
One of the things I love about the show is how it goes between comedy and horror and drama. How do you play the scenes that are funny?
Dylan: I think that Connie and I try to keep it as real as possible because we are the most grounded part of the show. I think it’s really important so that it doesn’t become a freak fest. Mostly we try to keep it grounded in reality so people can be rooted in something, rooted in the family. Every once in a while I’ve had to put on the rubber suit myself at times.
Connie: That’s always a big laugh.
Dylan: So that’s always fun to put that on. I think you have to just go with it, there’s no parachute in this show, there’s no net. We are all in this together. I think that’s what makes it so much fun is that everybody is making the same show here. We are all going for it and that’s why I think its working.
Connie: When I first read the pilot and talked to Ryan about it, I thought it was very serious and dark. I was talking to my cousin about it and he said ‘oh if it’s a Ryan Murphy show then there’s definitely going to be tongue and cheek!’ I said, ‘oh no, no, not in this show’. I have come to discover that it’s a trademark of their shows. What I found is what Dylan was saying; we are the grounding characters of the show. What is fun to me is that I find that I can play the scenes very straight and real but they become comedic because of the way it’s written. The best comedy is the kind you don’t have to work very hard at. It just sort of happens.
Jessica gets so many great biting lines in the show, has she ever made you crack up?
Connie: All the time! She’s funny and she’s playing it so real too. That’s another thing I have taken in line from her because she’s having such a good time with it. Going into it and playing it for real but just having fun in this crazy world it just brings the comedy out. The scene I was playing with her yesterday she actually was talking to one of the writers and she said, ‘I want more comedy!’ I think she really loves to play that and that makes it such a fun role and makes such a fun show.
The mythology created on the show is so incredibly twisted, how do you handle these plot lines and keeping everything straight. Has it been a challenge?
Dylan: I think that’s the great thing about this show is the complexity of it. Most of the time people are aiming so low on television. They are trying to reach that common denominator, especially on network television. When you see a show that is too ripe and rich with all these storylines and all these questions. It’s like a puzzle every week with people trying to figure it out. I have a friend texting me all the time saying ‘Is this true? Is this happening?’ They are trying to figure out the story and I think that’s why people are intrigues by the show. It’s not so easy to figure out. People are smart and people really want to have something to watch that is interesting and intelligent and this show offers that. A lot of television just doesn’t offer that, its too easy. It’s the complexity of the show that makes it stand out.
You also have been working with a lot of talent like Zach Quinto in this past week’s episode. Can you talk about the great actors that are in, are there more?
Connie: Every week we have somebody new who is amazing. They have all been so great, Zach Quinto was so much fun to work with. Who else Dylan? We have to mention Dennis O’Hare who is regular who is so incredible.
Dylan: It’s like a pool of actors we have on this show is really top notch and I’m always blown away by the work that’s being done. It’s just incredible and I think Connie is doing the best work of her life too. Every time we come to work there is another actor that is upping the game and we all have to be on our A-game as well. That’s what makes it more fun because that’s what you want; you want to be better as an actor. Having these actors, as Connie was saying, makes you a better actor.
Okay, I’m just going to ask the million-dollar question, what and who is the rubber man?
Connie: You know what, we can’t answer that question.
Dylan: It’s about the rubber man right.
Is there a story we need to know?
Connie: If we answer that question it would ruin it for you. That would be no fun for you.
