Accidental Sexiness

‘Necessary Roughness’ Renewed for Season 2, Mehcad Brooks Is All Smiles!

September 15, 2011 By Miss Bee 3 Comments

Rejoice! Yes, this is our lucky day. Because we learned just tonight that Necessary Roughness is going to be renewed for a second season AND we have Mehcad Brooks photos to celebrate!

I can’t do the happy dance while typing… or wait, maybe I actually can. (Hey, multi-tasking is my second name). I won’t even get into how absolutely thrilled I am about the renewal of my new favorite show for a second season, because you got a pretty clear idea how much I love Necessary Roughness when I had the chance to share my pre-finale interview with the super bright and lively (and yes, handsome!) Marc Blucas and football superstar (and super charming himself) Terrell Owens last Friday. Let’s leave it at this: this show has a perfect combination of my favorite elements. Sports, not too much drama (except for that final cliffhanger), great lines, a great dose of wit and a decent dose of romance that doesn’t overtake the whole show.

I still haven’t recovered from that super sweet in words [what woman wouldn't want a man like Marc Blucas's character Matt to tell her he's wasted a lot of time with the wrong women and now he's ready to be with the RIGHT ONE while looking her in the eye over a romantic dinner?] and super hot in facts [hello 6' 2'' super strong Matt carrying Dani while kissing her and making her fantasies come true.. literally!] reunion between the two of them. It was long overdue and I can’t say it wasn’t worth the wait. Hell, Matt would have had me at “are you in?” last week, but I digress. Dani took a week longer but she saw the light and obviously told him they belong together and she’s just scared because well, he may be a keeper. Hello, Dr. D? You may be the therapist but here’s quick advice: you don’t bump into men like that often. Not even on TV. So waiting, buying time? Not an option. Glad you came to your senses and decided to be with Matt. Now enjoy it because we are not all that lucky! Get it? Good. Also, Callie Thorne? Dead jealous you got to film those scenes with him. And I am not the type who gets jealous. But even I have my limits.

Now, onto the main protagonist of the Necessary Roughness finale AND of the below-attached photos, Mr. Mehcad Brooks. The awfully talented (and gorgeous!) actor was in a great mood as he left the Wendy Williams show in New York today. This of course goes regardless of the gigantic cliffhanger Necessary Roughness left us with last night, with Mr. Brooks’s character Terrence “TK” King being shot by a deranged rival team fan as he went out to his favorite club to celebrate. I think we all know the show wouldn’t be the show without TK, not to mention he’s one of the lead actors, so he WILL be back, but we’re all wondering… how will that happen? And what new challenge awaits Dr. Dani to once again save TK from himself? Those questions shall go unanswered for quite a long time, as USA Network still hasn’t announced the comeback date for Necessary Roughness, but it seems like it won’t be back before next summer. I am about ready to BEG USA Network executives to reconsider this and make it come back in January, when the playoffs are actually taking place? PLEASE think about it, USA Network execs? Respectfully desperate-to-get-more-matt-and-tk-asap me. Oh and, thank you.

Good thing we have Mehcad Brooks looking like nothing can keep him from smiling to keep us entertained meantime. The fact he’s an incredibly smart and humble guy doesn’t hurt either. What? This sounds too good to be true? Well sometimes dreams do transform into reality. So take that, Cinderella! We have Mehcad Brooks!

And while we (im)patiently wait for Season 2 of Necessary Roughness, throw a smile back at Mr. Brooks!

Photo Cred: Fame Pictures

Filed Under: Celeb Life Tagged With: mehcad brooks

Necessary Awesome! Marc Blucas and Terrell Owens Talk Necessary Roughness Finale

September 9, 2011 By Miss Bee 1 Comment

I’m a firm believer that if I can get double the fun, I absolutely should. And since I’m a woman of my word, that’s what happened today, as I had the chance to talk with both the uber bright, funny and lively (and let’s not forget ridiculously handsome… sorry, that had to be said) Marc Blucas and the equally super charming football superstar Terrell Owens about the upcoming season finale of my new favorite show, USA Network’s “Necessary Roughness”. I know, it’s too much luck all at once. Though to be fair, Madame La Chance definitely owes me some more. But I can see your jealous faces and yes, I understand I deserve it. (Excuse me, my phone just rang. “Hello? Oh hi Madame La Chance. What, you’re saying you arranged for me to marry Henry Cavill next week? Well I guess we can call it even then.” THIS is how much Lady Luck owes me.)

Now, while I recover from batting eyelashes and swooning over how fantastically smart and funny Marc Blucas was and how charming Terrell Owens also was, let me sum up the basics for those who are not in the know. 1)There are going to be QUITE A FEW SPOILERS AHEAD. If you don’t want to be spoiled, DO NOT READ! (and you will miss out on Marc Blucas’s wit and on Terrell Owens’s determination to become a good actor, be warned). I’m also going to reference what happened in Wednesday’s episode, so if you haven’t watched yet and don’t want to know, go do those extra 200 pull-ups that will make you have a twelve-pack like Terrell Owens’s . Yes I said 12-pack. See below (as if I’d ever miss the chance to showcase a super fit, handsome athlete in one of my stories. Not to mention he is a majorly nice man).

More importantly, 2) if you have never watched “Necessary Roughness”, get on it now. I’m not one to recommend TV shows easily unless I really think they’re worth it, so here goes. This show may well be the first one I am so hopelessly in love with after Alias. Not that it has anything, and I mean literally anything, in common with Alias in terms of style or topic. It’s a completely different type of show and a far less dark and far less “dramatic” show than Alias. It’s your typical USA Network product (charm, wit, never over dramatic but always with great story developing) but with a bit more of an edge to it. Basically the sports-based cousin of the other new great show USA Network introduced this summer, “Suits”.

“Necessary Roughness” has the two things that matter the most in common with Alias: great writing and a fabulous cast. And I’ll give you that Blucas does remind me of my TV husband Michael Vartan when he plays Matthew Donnally on the show [Matt is the athletic trainer for the Hawks football team], so that clearly draws me in. Plus I just cannot resist the very talented Mehcad Brooks (who plays the Hawks football star Terrence “TK” King on the show) and that smile of his. What, I never said I didn’t like handsome men.

So, without further delay, let’s see what Marc Blucas and Terrell Owens had to say about the upcoming sure-to-thrill-us finale of Necessary Roughness and about Matthew Donnally and All-Pro Safety/Cornerback Kevin “The Mine-field” Minnifield (Owens’s character in the finale, who is TK’s lifelong rival). Warning: some serious swooning will follow.

Previously on Necessary Roughness: Marc Blucas’s character Matt (or Matty D, as TK calls him) swept us all off our feet and then some when he went to Dr. Dani’s (the Necessary Roughness lead character and therapist for the Hawks, played by the superb Callie Thorne) house on the day of her first wedding anniversary as an ex-wife, and after cheering both her and her mother up over dinner, he told Dani good night, only to immediately make a detour, knock on the door, plant a wet one on Dr. D’s luscious lips and then whisper in her ear “I know what I want. You let me know if you’re in.” Cue irresistible little smile and him walking away. Then we all downed drinks to recover. Then we put our TiVos to good use. I must have re-watched that scene 20 times. It was bloody perfect. I know, I know, you wonder why these men never knock on your doors. They never knock on mine either so don’t complain, we’re all on the same boat.

Anyway, Matt laid down the law for Dr. D and he did so with such determination and sexiness to it, no sane woman would ever be able to say no. But, this being TV, we will have to wait for next week’s finale to see what conclusion Dani comes to. And meantime, there will be some major quantity of football drama to deal with, as the Hawks are in the playoffs and TK finds himself facing “the Mine-field”. That’ll be enough for TK to have a meltdown, and Matt and Dani to join forces to once again save TK from himself.

Alessandra: “There is an interesting parallel in the relationship between Matt and TK and the relationship between Matt and Dani. It seems like whenever Matt and Dani are closer, Matt and TK also manage to have a closer relationship. It happened throughout the season, it happened last episode, and it’s going to happen in the finale too, as it seems Matt and Dani once again join forces to “save” TK from himself. Can you tell us a bit (without spoiling too much of course, we know you can’t) about the parallel between the two relationships and how that has events unfold in the finale?

Marc Blucas: “Good question. I’m going to cover it in general first and then get specific. What I like so much about Matt and playing a trainer is that there are two aspects to his character that I can work with. He’s part of those who manage the team so he’s got to deal with that side of it BUT he’s the trainer so that deals with the most specific sports part of it – and it so often happens that the trainer ends up having good friends amongst the players. I played both sides, so Matt is part of some of the decisions at the administrative level and he gets to call the shots and then there’s this whole other aspect that involves the athletes more specifically, and in real life the trainers spend SO MUCH time listening to athletes and talking with them, so you could always get a chance to form a friendship with a player. And that is what happened between Matt and TK. It was a natural friendship between Matt and TK. Matt and Dani often have to join forces in order to help him. In the finale they will have to do that once again because as we go into the playoff game, he finds himself faced with his worst enemy. I think that we always have that person in our head and it always messes with you and someone reacts well and someone doesn’t. Matt and Dani in the finale have to do what they can to keep TK going.”

So beware, a plate full of drama will hit our beloved TK again in the finale. And his two saviors Matt and Dani will once again work through it. Except, they will have their own personal decisions to make as well, after that scene on Dani’s doorstep that just about made me melt like butter on my warm toast. And, things may turn out to be very interesting for the two of them…

Marc Blucas: “I really try to play Matt as a straightforward type, and we all get to a point in life where we know exactly what we want and we know exactly what makes us happy. Matt is definitely at that point. He’s done playing games, both professionally and personally. And that’s exactly what happened with Matt and Dani. At the end of the day Matt and Dani only had a one night but Matt sees the potential there to develop something more and he wants to see what that will be, so he laid it out clearly for her.”

“I think the timing for Matt to tell Dani what he did last episode was right. I respect the fact that he has it very clear, “these are the things I want” and there is “this can be done and this can wait and this is not negotiable”. He’s been through that stage of being on the road, going to hotels with the guys, having fun with the groupies (or lobby hos as I now call them, it’s my new favorite expression!) [he laughs], he’s done that already, and he’s met someone that has created a spark in him that he wants to explore. That’s as far as we can go because in the end so far they’ve only had one night. I like that he has the courage to say (to her) “I have an opportunity and I want to give it a shot and jump full in, so if you’re ready to jump in the water, then let’s give it a shot”. I always say, if you’re not happy with where you wake up and where you go to bed then the rest of the day is going to get a lot more complicated. I am a big believer in “it always starts at home.” So I really like that Matt is trying to create that because he’s missing the home part in his life.”

“I don’t think Matt wants to be an athletic trainer for all his life, he wants to go to the front office and be the one calling the shots, he wants to be part of putting a team together. He doesn’t want to be stuck where he is all his life. Unlike other characters, Matt you don’t know much about, we’ve only seen little tidbits of where he wants to go so that’s going to be an interesting part to develop. He’s got both the professional side and the personal side going on. You have to have that duality. We all bring our home to work and we all bring our work to home so I’m excited to see where the writers are taking this.”

Well stick me with a fork, I’m done. Marc Blucas and the character he plays combined make up the perfect man. Can I order one to take away? Make that two, you never know. Ahem.

So, if things keep going in the direction of building a stable relationship between Matt and Dani, chances are he’ll finally meet both of “the chicklets”, of course. The chicklets being Dani’s teenage son and daughter, per TK’s own definition (hilarious as usual, but it works way better when Mehcad Brooks says it). Here is what Mr. Blucas had to say about Matt meeting Ray J (played by Patrick Johnson) and Lindsay (played by Hannah Marks). He has already met, and made quite an impression on, Dani’s mother, played by Concetta Tomei. Allow me to say, Mama Santino is possibly one of the most hilarious characters I’ve ever seen. She never fails to crack me up, even when I want to strangle her!

Marc Blucas: “It’s funny because we literally NEVER even meet on set! We’ve made that a joke. After we wrapped as we were hugging and celebrating we were saying “It was so nice working with you, congrats on YOUR show, because we’re not on the same show!” We NEVER have scenes together. So when I finally got to film at Dani’s house and meet her mother, it was literally the FIRST time I met Concetta.

Matt is a very fun, easy going type so I look forward to seeing what happens once he gets to meet the kids and be more of a presence in their life. The interest and fun would be exploring Matt being more of a disciplinarian figure toward the kids, because of him being so easy going and fun usually. It will be interesting and fun to explore all those natural emotions that come up when you introduce a new person in a home life. It’s gonna have to be a rollercoaster ride, because always happy relationships don’t make for good TV, so there will have to be that third side of the triangle, after they have been happy for a while, whether it is jealousy, tension or a conflict. So it’s gonna be interesting to see how the writers develop that for next season.”

Oh it’s gonna be very interesting for you and me both, Marc, you and me both! Speaking of, there is no official announcement from USA Network yet, but it’s pretty clear the show will be getting a second season, thanks to its excellent ratings this season. Get on it, USA Network executives, pretty please? I want to know if I am going to die a slow, painful death by having to wait a full year before Necessary Roughness is back or whether (like I think is most likely, and it better be if you have my life at heart, you hear me USA Network execs?) it will be back when Royal Pains and White Collar also resume, at the beginning of next year. Don’t think I’ll let it go, USA Network execs. I love you so much and all because you produce some of the most entertaining shows I’ve ever watched, but I won’t be happy if I’m not given an official announcement about “Necessary Roughness” ASAP! Especially since you’ve done so with all the other shows already. Put me out of this misery, please!

And now let me get back to the delicious Marc Blucas and his character. And promise, Terrell Owens is coming up, too!

Alessandra: “Matt has become the real “balance” center of the show. The theory is it’s Dani BUT truth is, while Dani can certainly help people with the bigger behavioral problems, Matt is the person who always has his feet firmly on the ground and he has the guts to give honest advice and tell people the truth when they ask him. He’s the one who most often can make some sense out of situations. Was it your idea to make him sound like the most “everyday people, common sense” character of them all?”

Marc Blucas: “It was a little bit of both. I have conversations with creators about it and about where I’d take the character on one side, and on the other I do get cast being the voice of reason often. If you ask my wife she says: “I don’t know why you’re cast as that!” [he laughs. So do I, his wife clearly knows better than casting directors? Ha!]

“I told the creators from the start I would really like to see his [Matt] character as someone who is very blunt, direct, honest and he’s done with games and all that goes with them both in his personal life and in his professional life. So it was a great opportunity to play the character exactly like that.”

“Dani is gonna go through a lot of obstacles and she’s gonna have her rollercoaster and TK is a human tornado, he’s always in trouble. So there has to be something in between there, a bridge between those two worlds so to speak, so it makes sense that Matt is that guy. It also gives Matt a fun place to go, if we’re so lucky as to get more seasons and as to have the opportunity to go on telling this story, you see a character that’s seemingly very put together and it’s fun for both the actor and the audience to see where he’ll go when faced with situations.”

And when asked what made him pick this role and come back to TV, Mr. Blucas explained how he liked the idea of playing someone he could relate to instead of making the choice of playing someone who’s the opposite of who he is, always the favorite challenge for an actor. And he then summed it up hilariously as follows:

Marc Blucas: “Hey, in the world of actors I’m a phenomenal fucking athlete! It has been a nice thing for me to come out and have them write for something that was for me, about the first part of my life and first passion that I had.”

Speaking of phenomenal athletes, here comes the one and only Terrell Owens. And get ready, because he’s VERY serious about his acting career, and Marc Blucas promises he’s got a talent that people couldn’t see coming.

Terrell Owens: “I’ve done a lot of cameos here and there and as of lately I’ve done a lot of acting. I did a comedy last year that’s hopefully gonna be hitting the theaters this fall, I did an episode of “Single Ladies”, I also did an episode of “Good Christian Belles” that’s gonna air in the fall. I’ve known Marc Blucas for a while and I’m thankful to USA and everybody that brought me on board to play and participate in “Necessary Roughness”.

I sat down with directors and executive producers and I didn’t really know what the character was gonna be like until I started reading through the script. And once I started reading through it, I started to understand his mental attitude and what he would be like. Everything is so new for me that I’m always sitting around, trying to take everything in, listen to directions and I really want to be serious about acting. When you have people like Marc and Mehcad and everyone that’s involved in “Necessary Roughness” it makes the environment that much better and it makes it so much easier doing your job. I’m trying to grasp everything that I can watching these guys act and perfect their craft. And at some point, I will be done with football, and I want to go on with acting, so USA Network gave me a big opportunity, so I thank them so much and I hope they will take me seriously going down the road.”

Alessandra: “I’ll start this by saying I’m a sports journalist and I’m European, so my experience is with professional sports here in Europe mainly, but there are many similarities in the various sports once you’re dealing with their professional level. I think Necessary Roughness does a great job at portraying athletes and their lives. Do you think this show, contrary to what many may believe because it’s TV, helps take down stereotypes about sports instead of furthering them?”

Terrell Owens: “I think it does, I think a character like TK really humanizes the person and the football player at the same time. These things go on throughout the course of a season and in people’s lives, and they never really get exposed to fans. I like where they take the show, if these things aren’t shown then people can’t have an idea what the everyday life of athletes actually is.

These are the types of things that players go through on a day-to-day basis that the fans normally don’t have a chance to see. I think that’s what’s so refreshing about the show. I can’t be more pleased with being a part of something that has been so great.

I like it, especially TK’s character, because I can empathize with some of the things he’s going through, and I know many players who have been through similar things. Football is all they have, and they eat, drink and breathe football… and that’s where TK is. I tried developing my character and the mindset of the character on the other side of TK for the finale.”

And as far as what happens to Kevin “the Mine-field” Minnifield in the season finale of “Necessary Roughness”, here’s what Terrell Owens himself had to say:

“I’ve been where TK is at so I can definitely understand what he’s going through in the finale, but I’ve seen the “Mine-field” type too, so while he’s the opposite of someone that I would play, it wasn’t too hard for me to try and get into this. I just tried to listen to the director and see where they wanted me to take the character. At the same time I tried to make the best of it.

You can’t stop me. You really can’t stop me on your best day! That’s the kind of mindset that I brought to the show [in terms of how the game was played and how “Mine-field” was behaving]. The attitude of Mine-field is that of making TK think this. You ain’t gonna do nothing today! I’m your worst nightmare! In the finale you’ll get to see me off the field too and in order not to give too much away you’ll have to tune in to watch.”

And hear this from Marc Blucas, about Terrell Owens’s acting skills:

Marc Blucas: “Some things can be taught. What you can’t teach is comedic timing and Terrell had some moments [while he was filming] when we were looking off camera and we really laughed out loud! So I think when you see it he’s gonna make you raise an eyebrow, because you won’t expect it from him.”

Well, I, for one, would never miss it! Sounds like it’s going to be one hell of a ride, and I’m always in when there’s a good story to watch unfold! And just when we thought we had heard the best that was to come, Marc Blucas cracked us all up with what was his favorite moment when they were filming the finale:

Marc Blucas: “This was our last episode and for us to be winding up the season, it feels like school is over and you’re ready for summer. And it’s nice when you have a curveball thrown at you, it’s exciting to have real athletes come and join our show that has athletics as a basis. As an athlete, for me to start my day in the Georgia Dome playing catch with Terrell Owens before I do my acting, well that’s a good day for me! [He laughs, and general hilarity ensues]. That’s the part that got me most excited.”

Well, the part that got me most excited was talking with these two super nice gentlemen today, but that doesn’t change the fact I will be glued to the TV screen next Wednesday to watch the “Necessary Roughness” season finale. And trust me, you all better do that, too. What’s not to like here? And don’t make me use Matt’s line to Dani in the pilot when she said she wasn’t interested in football! “Tight men’s asses in spandex?!” “THAT part’s tolerable!”. As is having your pinched nerve fixed by Matt, huh? Damn, I think that just happened to me, too. Oh lookie, the Hunchback of Notre Dame is coming to fix mine! Hey, we can’t all have Marc Blucas or Terrell Owens now, can we? That’ll do for me. Plus I love the soundtrack of the musical version.

And thus endeth this super long and super entertaining chat with the utterly charming Marc Blucas and Terrell Owens. Once again, do not forget to tune in for the “Necessary Roughness” season finale on Wednesday, September 14 at 10 p.m. on USA Network!

Thanks for the read lovelies, see ya next time!

Filed Under: Interviews, Television Tagged With: Marc Blucas, necessary roughness, Terrell Owens, usa

TNT Cancels HawthoRNe, Vartan Is on the Market!

September 2, 2011 By Miss Bee 29 Comments

Clearly Jada Pinkett-Smith has never watched an episode of Alias. She doesn’t know what messing with Vaughn brings about. Yes, Michael Vaughn, the awesome CIA agent played on Alias by my longtime TV husband Michael Vartan, one of the classiest and nicest actors in the business, and often one of the most underrated, too. For the record, he’s also ridiculously charming. And gorgeous. Fangirling shall now terminate. Ahem. So, Vartan’s character on TNT’s drama HawthoRNe was put in a ridiculous triangle storyline that included Latin singer (and former Jennifer Lopez husband) Marc Anthony, too.

The wreck of a story (can’t be defined in any other way) didn’t exactly sit well with viewers. Result? TNT announced today that HawthoRNe has been cancelled. “We wish all people involved and Jada in particular the best, yada, yada.” Well Jada, consider yourself lucky you didn’t get your ass kicked by Sydney Bristow (possibly the most hardcore woman spy ever on TV, played by Jennifer Garner on Alias. And Vaughn’s girlfriend on the show. She didn’t take messing with her man too well).

A lot of viewers were outraged by the storyline the show decided to go with this season. Now let me just say it out loud. While Marc Anthony certainly has his charm in terms of singing Latino, and can for sure act, there’s no way any sane woman would cheat on Michael Vartan, two weeks into their marriage, with him! Come on now! I get it that this is TV and suspension of disbelief is part of it, but there’s a limit to how much things can be stretched, even for TNT that makes “we know drama” its trademark.

A lot of viewers didn’t buy into the story at all, mainly because of how Marc Anthony’s character was written. Detective Nick Renata wasn’t popular among a good amount of fans, while Vartan’s character, Dr Tom Wakefield, garnered even more support from fans this season. A big portion of the fans was very vocal about their disappointment at both how Pinkett Smith’s character behaved (nurse Christina Hawthorne had thus far shown a decent moral compass, and that all went into the sinkerator together with the leftovers of my lunch this season) and how Vartan’s character was wronged in the situation. Yet Pinkett-Smith, who took over creative control of the show this season, didn’t listen. The show lost about 25% of its average viewership.

Just so it’s clear, I don’t think fans are in any position to dictate or request ANY story whatsoever on any show. I’m a strong advocate for “the show belongs to creators and writers first and foremost, and actors then”. The moment a producer or writer starts catering to the online audience (which is anyway a tiny, minor portion of the entire viewership), a show is toast. It becomes fanfic instead of TV show. And I don’t condone “shipper” war behavior, ever. [For those of you less familiar with it, "shippers" are those fans who are mainly focused on the story and outcome of a couple on a show, and only see the story and the evolution of the show based on said couple]. But, and this is a big but, when the hard numbers tell you that 25% of your viewers have gone buh-bye and you’re on cable, well it’s definitely time to consider a change in the direction you clearly think is the best thing after Richard Winsor dancing Billy Elliot. (Don’t believe me? Google him. And don’t say I didn’t warn you about how fabulous he is.)

Placing blame is always a sterile exercise, but in this case more than in any other I’ve seen regarding show cancellations, it is clear that those who held creative control of matters are to blame for what happened. So that means Jada Pinkett-Smith first and foremost. I get it Jada, you have friends and you want to bring them on to the show, because you can, and because they’re big names, people who are supposed to draw in more viewers. So fine, bring Marc Anthony on board. That does NOT equal “screw two entire seasons of the show that were built around Christina and Tom and their feelings for each other, and have Christina cheat on freshly-married Tom with Nick Renata.” Ever heard about grey zones? Those things can be pretty fundamental when writing a show. The grey areas are those that allow for writers to bring in a variety of subjects and slowly, I repeat, slowly, develop them to then become either black or white. What happened on HawthoRNe was that we went from full on white to total black without anything in between. And that never works on TV, unless you do it in one episode and then spend the 20 following ones explaining how we got from white to black. So, bye-bye HawthoRNe. After this disastrous last season, I’d be lying if I said I’ll miss you.

There is, however, ONE good side to this. Now you all major network executives and, most of all, you all incredibly wise and brilliant USA Network execs, please listen to me. Michael Vartan is on the market. I don’t think I need to explain how much of an asset this fabulous man is for a show that will bet on him (a decently written one, that is.) His most famous character remains Vaughn on Alias, and we know, because he told us, how much he loves shooting action and guns and how much he’d also love to challenge himself with comedy. He’s got it all: the charm, the talent, the fans. HIRE.HIM.NOW! Or you will have me on your conscience, since I won’t live without my weekly TV dose of Vartan! (So what, I can go drama queen if it’s needed).

Now seriously, I so could see Vartan fitting perfectly on USA Network’s Burn Notice (Michael Westen [Jeffrey Donovan] and Vaughn, YEAH!), or Royal Pains, or White Collar, too. (For the first time, Neal Caffrey [Matt Bomer] would have serious competition in the looks department, too.) We know how great he is at playing the CIA agent, we know he can play those charming characters that people will get to love in no time. Get on it please, yesterday! Oh and, in case (I doubt it, but hey, worth a shot) anyone from CBS sees this… blame Bob Orci for putting this idea in my mind, but Vartan would be a FABULOUS recurring guest star on Hawaii Five-0. Vaughn and McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) together? Do you have ANY idea how many women will tune in to watch that? (On top of your regular audience). Nothing else to add here. HawthoRNe is gone, Vartan is here to stay. Shirtless, possibly.

And with this, we say goodbye to HawthoRNe and its woes. (No, I’m not gonna delve into the whole Jada Pinkett-Smith and Marc Anthony matter. That’s best covered with strong liquor available, and right now I need to be sober.)

Bye lovelies, see ya next time!

Filed Under: Television Tagged With: michael vartan

Gabriel Macht Spills “Suits” Season Finale and (gasp!) Harvey’s soft side

August 31, 2011 By Miss Bee 6 Comments

Well, color me charmed. Not that I wasn’t before having the opportunity to chat with the man who puts one of the most deliciously stylish badass lawyers on our TV screens each week — on USA Network’s “Suits” — but Gabriel Macht himself just makes it impossible not to love him. Very smart and attentive to questions and details in his answers, Gabriel Macht is a man after my own journalist heart. (I may blog too, but I’m still a journalist!) And boy, do I love good interviews. And no, it’s not just because Mr. Macht was so funny and cute when he heard our site’s name. (Thank you, by the way, and my eyes are heart-shaped.)

After about 45 minutes of Mr. Macht talking about what’s it like to play Harvey, what’s ahead on “Suits”, how some James Bond got on going there, and how he felt about taking on this role, I’m positively in love. I’m still team Mike and team (he who plays Mike) Patrick J. Adams, I just love Harvey that much more now. Hey, I’m a giving woman.

So, if you are dying to have a little insight into Harvey and what’s ahead on Suits, keep on reading at your own risk because…WARNING! Spoilers ahead! And they’ll cover the final episodes of “Suits”, plus a very intriguing discussion on Harvey’s past showing up (you heard it, Harvey’s, not Mike’s!).

Before we get started, I’d like to wave hi to Matt Mitovich, who was the first in line to ask spoiler-y questions of course, and who is way too awesome for me not to wave at him! Hi, Matt!

Yeah, yeah I get it, this is not entertainment hour (or, well, is it?) I must spill the goodies now. It’s back to work. On Gabriel Macht. Well that doesn’t exactly displease me. Here you go, from the man himself, the answers to your burning questions about Harvey and Suits!

Alessandra: “Is there going to be a flashback to when Harvey was working under Jessica’s wing in the next few episodes or next season? It’s been referenced many times on the show, how Harvey had to do this and that when he was working for Jessica, and it would be a great way of showing a possibly different side to Harvey. As in, showing Harvey before he was… Harvey.”

Gabriel Macht: “I don’t know if that will happen, as in an actual flashback. I do know that in tomorrow night’s episode AND in the finale you’re gonna see a few encounters with Harvey and Jessica. [Played by the ever-awesome Gina Torres. Why HELLO, Ana Espinoza! Killed anyone today? Kicked any ass to the curb for a blouse? If you didn't watch Alias, never mind, ignore this!]. Jessica sort of saw Harvey in many ways like Harvey sees Mike, so she helped him, she also put him with the district attorney played by Gary Cole to get him trial experience. She put him with the district attorney so that he could learn the ropes. You’ll see how that sort of reveals itself. I don’t know whether we’ll see a flashback, but you’ll see how they got to where they are now and you’ll see who Harvey was in essence, in some of the scenes with Gary Cole. And you’ll see guilt and it’s a situation where he rightly feels guilty.”

“Gary Cole plays a district attorney from Manhattan [Cameron Dennis is the name of Cole's character] and my relationship with him is that I was one of his assistants back in the day. I think, if I’m correct, Alicia [Coppola, also a guest star on the next episode of “Suits”] was also one of the assistants back with me, or anyway someone we ran into often, a colleague of some sort.

Cole’s character comes back to me to sort of try and keep a past wrongdoing behind closed doors because he is seeking re-election. He buries some evidence in regards to a certain character that you’ll meet as some point. And I (Harvey) was unaware that he was burying evidence. Gary Cole’s character was Harvey’s initial mentor, he’s Harvey’s Harvey. Like Harvey is to Mike.”

“Alicia plays someone who works at the attorney general’s office, so she’s trying to end his [Gary Cole's character] re-election and she’s trying to get me to open up about him.”

And if you thought this was all, think again, because the plot thickens as Chi McBride (another incredibly smart, funny actor I had the pleasure to talk to about HawthoRNe a few weeks ago, see the interview here) guest stars in the season finale of “Suits”.

Gabriel Macht: “Chi comes in in the last episode, he’s the interim district attorney because – not to give anything away – something happens to the present district attorney. Harvey wants to right a wrong that happened when he was with the district attorney many years ago. And the only way is to bring it up to Chi in order to make a deal. But Chi really doesn’t play by the book and makes it really difficult for Harvey to accomplish his goal. So Harvey sort of met his match there. Chi is a solid, solid guy, and a terrific actor, and I really enjoyed working with him. I think those scenes are really strong.”

Expanding on that subject, Mr. Macht revealed to all of us something that may come as a shock to a lot of viewers. Harvey DOES have a strong emotional side. Or at least he does in Macht’s mind. And, those emotions are going to show up at some point!

Gabriel Macht: “I think Harvey is very emotional. I think he’s been hurt and I think he’s been broken. So I think he just built this big armor. If you look at what he does, you’ll see that he does have emotions, but doesn’t show them. So, he stands up for people behind their back. He’ll stand up for Mike, but behind his back. He’ll stand up for Louis [Rick Hoffman's evil and yet hilarious character] even, behind his back. He thinks Jessica has had his back all along and she always will, and I think he’s able to show vulnerability with her. I don’t know if it’s something I wish more than the viewers want to see it. At some point we WILL see his emotions.”

And Harvey’s emotions and his thinking about how he used to be, played right into that moment when Harvey decided to take Mike as his associate, according to Mr. Macht:

Gabriel Macht: “I think – besides from just saying the lines that they give me – that in many ways Mike (Patrick J. Adams) is, you know, a representation of what Harvey was when he was a kid. And he got a real shot from Jessica to break out of the world that he was in and get a second chance. I think there’s a huge thing to say about second chances and giving somebody a second shot. I think he’s seen Mike made a few bad decisions, but Mike’s truly a good person, he’s really bright and he deserved a second chance, and I think that’s sort of what happened with Harvey early on.

So when he saw this kid, as being a younger him, he thought this is one of the ways he can give back. I like seeing it that way, and it creates even more compassion that a lot of people feel like Harvey lacks. Thinking outside the box, the greater good, I think that’s what made Harvey do it. Not to mention he needed someone to help him and do some of his work, so he needs some kid so why not this guy? He’s tired of the Harvard graduates who come in and who are basically all like Louis, he wants someone more like him!”

Now, I’d like to introduce you all to my great question about the James Bond reference they had a couple of weeks ago on Suits (yes I’m a major James Bond fan. No, not a Daniel Craig as James Bond fan. Great guy, I just don’t like him as Bond. I’m sure you’ll all live with it.). Trouble is, we were only allowed one question each, so I didn’t get to ask it myself. But, Harvey is so Bondian in a lot of his moments on the show, and that reference to Bond girl Pussy Galore (from “Goldfinger”) just didn’t go unnoticed here! Luckily, someone else noticed and asked something similar, so I got my James Bond moment to share with all of you anyway. Isn’t that great? (What, you don’t like James Bond? Boo, hiss!). Here’s what Mr. Macht had to say when asked whether he’d play Bond if given the opportunity to do so, and how the Bond references worked on “Suits”.

Gabriel Macht: “Hey, of course! But being an American Bond, I just don’t know. There’s never been one. I worked with Daniel Craig on a BBC movie two years ago, great guy, I think he’s done a terrific job as Bond. And I also worked with Timothy Dalton many years ago. But I think that’s as close to James Bond as I will get.

I think there was a line two weeks ago where I got to put my James Bond on, and it was I think from a Roger Moore Bond and it was fun to play.”

Mr. Macht, I’d like to point out that no it wasn’t, the line was about Pussy Galore. Honor Blackman played the character in “Goldfinger”, possibly the best Bond movie ever and the one that established Sean Connery as THE James Bond! So yes, you got to work with the original James Bond’s material.

For those of you out there who are Bond mega fans like me, the dialogue was between Harvey and a woman helping him and she wanted to thank him, how can I say… that way? In public. Yeah, like that, in public.
To which Harvey said : “But then I don’t get to be James Bond”
And she countered: “What does that make me?”
Harvey replied: “Pussy Galore?”

HA! I fangirled right when it happened, because hey, that’s not as good as the original line when Sean Connery asked what the name of the woman was, but it’s still a major Bond reference and I can’t help but feel all satisfied about a show I enjoy so much having such a direct Bond reference. But, back to Mr. Macht’s reply:

“If I ever got the opportunity to play James Bond I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

I’m all for it because Mr. Macht on “Suits” really has that James Bond quality, but sorry, it has to be a Briton. And specifically, the next Bond absolutely needs to be (excuse me while I get my defibrillator, the mere mention is enough for me to just lose my senses) HENRY CAVILL. He’s the only one who is perfect for the part out there, so EON and Mr Wilson and Ms Broccoli better listen. YESTERDAY! Bond fan moment over, back to our regular programming. Swooning over Mr. Macht and wondering what Harvey is up to is now back in action.

So, what is it like to play Harvey and how did Gabriel Macht make the decision to take on a TV role after such a long time away from the small screen? Here’s what he had to say about it.

Gabriel Macht: “It’s been great to dig into Harvey’s character. I hadn’t done television for many, many years. The last series I did was “The Others” that lasted 13 epis on NBC and Steven Spielberg produced it. I just thought since he was producing “I don’t know, maybe I’ll just go and show my face.” I ended up getting it and working on it. I really liked the writing on the show, but it ended. And then I got a film, and then another film, I just started working in film and I always liked the idea of changing the character from movie to movie and I had a pretty good run with it. And then I just started to find that I was getting some great opportunities but not the best opportunities. So, I thought, there’s some terrific writing on TV so why not go back and try and do it.

Harvey is a terrific character, I love the banter, I love the wit that they’ve put into the writing. So I thought, why not seize the opportunity to really dig into a character really really deep. And I thought the idea of doing TV, and then taking a break from time to time and play another character in a film was great. And it really worked out like that.

I admire Harvey, I really think the way he’s developing is great. I had a really interesting conversation with [“Suits” executive producer and writer] Aaron Korsh and we were talking about characters in TV and film. I’ve always treated the characters in film as in the person starts out at A and ends up in D going through B and C. You gotta see the arc of that character in film. Some of the traps that I was coming into as far as playing Harvey on the show were that I was trying to “make” the character who he is too quickly in the first few episodes. So he [Aaron] explained that characters on TV grow slower in many ways. So I thought, well that’s interesting. I’m interested in seeing how that works over the next few seasons, if we’re all doing good work and people keep responding to us and USA Network keeps the show.”

“We love working with each other and we have found the right rhythm with each other. So we’re invested. There’s a difference being like “well let’s hope the show does well and this keeps going” when you shoot the pilot and what happens after that. Shooting the finale was like “Hey we’re all really proud of what we’ve done over the last few months.”

Oh, you and us both, trust me on this one. And since this depends on us, too, we better get on it. Because we do NOT want to miss our weekly dose of Harvey and Mike now, do we? So while this is the end of our chat with Mr. Macht, whom we deeply thank for his incredible charm, intelligence and wit, and for bearing with us for almost an hour of his precious time, this better be the start of a bright and long future for “Suits”. Which means? Don’t forget to tune in for the final episodes of “Suits” on USA Network on Thursday nights at 10 p.m.! The Suits finale will air Sept. 8 on USA Network at 10 p.m.!

Photo Cred: Christos Kalohoridis/USA Network

Filed Under: Interviews, Television Tagged With: Gabriel Macht, Suits, usa network

Michael Vartan Talks The Vaughn of Dr. Tom on HawthoRNe + Colombiana. Swoon Alert!

August 3, 2011 By Miss Bee 19 Comments

I will pretend I can still be my professional self while I write this, but the fangirl will have to take over soon and often. There are times when a girl has no choice but to embrace her fan girl self, and this is one of those. Because that day has finally arrived. The day when I actually get to talk to my everlasting, undying and uber perfect TV husband, Michael Vartan. Yeah, yeah, get in line, I TV married him first. I said TV married, not actually married. You seriously think if I was his wife that I’d be typing instead of messing up that super sexy constant bed hair he has? Yeah, didn’t think so. Pretty sure his adorable wife knows better than that, too.

But onto business (yeah not something I can exactly focus on right now after the “I’m all business” rush has worn out, but I gotta give it a whirl as John Michael Montgomery sings in “Life’s A Dance”). So, apparently I was not daydreaming, but actually talking to the adorably kind, funny and nice (not to mention super gorgeous and sexy) Michael Vartan earlier today, and we had a chance to chat HawthoRNe of course and how Dr. Tom on HawthoRNe has dived into the Alias of it all this season. As if I’d ever talk to Mr Vartan and not mention Alias. Not a chance in hell, considering it is possibly my biggest TV show love. He also gave us a little tidbit on his upcoming movie “Colombiana” and about fun times on the set of HawthoRNe. Because he’s THAT good.

Alessandra: “Hi, it is a great pleasure to talk to you, at last! Better late than never!
Michael Vartan: “Nice talking to you!”

(Did he just say “nice talking to you”? To me? Bring the mojitos, please, I may not make it.) Excuse me while I take a few seconds to realize I’m actually typing a conversation between wittle old me (actually not old, just sayin’) and Michael Vartan. [Janice from Friends mode on] OH.MY.GOD! [Janice mode off].

For the record, he’s this nice with everyone… but since he said it to me, well I am now batting my eyelashes and being all giggly and girly about it. Thankfully I was cool, professional Alessandra when it happened. (So what, I’ve learnt the double personality thing well from Alias.). And here are the goodies, right from Monsieur Vartan himself.

Alessandra: “If I am allowed an Alias comparison, it seems like Tom is putting his Vaughn on this season!”

(He laughs.) Comments on his laugh at the end of the piece, I gotta keep it slightly professional at least while I’m telling you all what he said.

Alessandra: “That scene between Tom and Nick, when Tom pointed the gun at him while sneaking into his car? That really looked like Vaughn, I expected Sydney and Spy Daddy to show up to get you in their car and flee!”

Michael Vartan: “That’s funny!” (he laughs again.)

Alessandra: “Seriously, you often said you missed filming with a gun and it finally happened on HawthoRNe too! Was that your idea or just a friendly request from you, or was it entirely the writers’ idea?”

Michael Vartan: “It was entirely their idea. I did joke around about that a few times and said I missed filming with a gun, but that was it. I was very excited when I read it and it’s very unlike the character to do something like that, just even buying the gun was totally unlike him… so I was really excited to see him go darker and explore a very different and very unexpected side to the character. If I had been told in season 1 that he would buy a gun and point it at people I would have laughed. But you never know what they can come up with and this season that’s what’s happening, and I am really happy about it.”

Alessandra: “Really, Dr Tom from now on should follow a mantra: WWVD, What Would Vaughn Do [side note: yes, the original is “What Would RIGGINS Do” from Friday Night Lights, but hey I'm a huge fan, so I recycled], that would help him solve things more efficiently, don’t you think? Or, would it get Tom in even more trouble than he is already in?”

Michael Vartan: “I think in this case that things will turn out differently. It’s very easy as an actor to carry a gun and go “I wanna be Clint Eastwood or John Wayne”, but in this situation, it’s very unlike the character to have it, it really isn’t his thing, so I think ultimately reason will prevail. He’ll have to find a way to make it all work and get back to a more stable situation. I think there will be some sort of balance and he will manage to find a solution for reason to prevail.”

Damn. I was really hoping to see some Vaughn go on here à la Phase One (Alias fans, two huzzahs for one of the best-ever episodes we had!). Dr. Tom has been way too nice to most so far, Christina included. Some serious Alias-style ass-kicking was in order! Especially some ass-kicking involving a certain latino star who plays a certain character, and our one and only hero. Bummer.

Alessandra: “Despite the fact Christina is the main character, fans of the show seem for the vast majority to have sided with Tom now, with the whole cheating issue on Christina’s part… did you expect that to happen? It’s quite remarkable that your character has managed to gain the affection of fans this much, and that clearly is something you managed to have because you injected life and emotion in the character.”

Michael Vartan: “Thank you! I kind of did (expect it) a little bit, every time a character does something that is socially seen as the wrong thing, people react. That’s one of the things about the show, one of the smart things that Jada did. Everyone wants to root for the hero but that’s kind of boring, and I think people are attracted to the mess of life and the dark side, so sure what Christina did was not right, but people are drawn to the dark side of her character. If you enjoy cookie cutter and Desperate Housewives then Christina’s probably lost you as a viewer but if you enjoy something darker and a bit more structured then this is the kind of thing you want to be watching. If all goes well it gets boring, you want to see drama and things getting dark and twisted and then things picking up again.”

“I really don’t think he’s given up on Christina. He’s served her papers because she cheated on him three weeks into their marriage, so there’s that, but he’s fighting. He’s tried very hard to make his feelings known, that he’s not comfortable with the relationship she has with Nick. That kissing scene at Mama Renata’s party, I was taken aback. No wonder!”

“I was very very glad to see Tom get a little bit more of an edge this season. It’s unexpected to see him going darker, but the transformation came from an extremely difficult set of circumstances, so it made sense.”

“I love the direction my character is taking. I wouldn’t say Tom has become a bad boy, but he’s gone darker and it’s a lot more fun, more layers. No one is interested in seeing people just happy the whole time, you wanna see drama and chaos so it’s fun, and as an actor I certainly prefer that.”

Speaking of, I want to bring to your attention something else he said while talking about his acting “method”, or rather “NON method”, because I feel strongly about this subject and guess what? He feels the same exact way as I do! (swoon, my TV husband and I also agree on serious stuff. Ahem.) My short version is, if you’re talented, there’s no need for “method”. Monsieur Vartan’s much more articulate (and competent, since HE is the actor, not me) remarks were these:

“People say “do you take your work home with you?” I don’t take my work to WORK with me. Acting for me is just that, I don’t really have a method at all. I just try and “imagine what it would be like to…” and I try to be as honest with that notion as I can. There are things that are a lot darker, but for the most part even in dark moments you can still have fun. I’m really not a method actor at all.”

“In terms of character preparation, if you’re lucky enough to be in season 3 of a show, if you don’t have a decent handle on your character by now then you’re in trouble…” (he laughs).

“Most important thing for me, since I’m NOT a method actor, I wouldn’t know how to do that, and I frankly don’t like it, I don’t wanna remember my dead father to do dark scenes, I just prepare step by step. You just need to know where the character is coming from and go along with it. You would not believe the number of actors I have worked with throughout the years that just get by by SHEER talent, and I’m talking MEGA stars. They could be reading the phone book and be interesting. Just know where you come from and where you’re going.”

Hear that, young actors? Listen and learn.

Alessandra: “Maybe unexpectedly the darker side has had fans side more with your character rather than with Christina. This new turn for your character has allowed you to show a different side of him and make him more “active” so to speak, not that he was passive before, but he was more easy-going? He reacted less while now he’s much more of an action kind of guy?”

Michael Vartan: “Oh you CAN say passive. Christina is so full throttle all the time that she needs someone around her who is less like that and more of the passive type, and this year for sure Tom is less passive and more active. Like you said, it’s HER show and the show revolves around her but in season 3 the writers had a little more liberty to stretch and be more colorful with other characters, too, so that’s how we got to showing different sides for them. There are things that you completely forget about characters that sometimes come up again.

For example, one day Adam (Rayner, who plays Dr. Steve Shaw on HawthoRNe) and I were hanging out on set. We were filming, the Bobbie and Steve and Tom characters, we were doing a scene together and we just busted out laughing because we remembered that the character (Bobbie) only has ONE leg and we had totally forgotten about that. Maybe next season she will grow a new leg.” (He laughs).

“You never really know what’s gonna be happening and I guess that’s the fun of showbiz.”

Alessandra: “I know this is a little off-topic but I have to ask. You have a movie coming up, Colombiana. (Opening Aug. 26 in U.S. Theaters! It’s a Luc Besson project, starring Zoe Saldana and our one and only Monsieur Vartan amongst others). I swear I haven’t seen ONE single comment from you on it, so could you tell us a bit about it and your character?”

Michael Vartan: “It’s a movie about a woman whose parents are murdered when she was a little girl and she becomes a hitman. And I play her love interest who has a hard time breaking her hard exteriors. I’ve seen the movie and I think it’s great, Zoe Saldana who is the lead is magnificent and the movie is very very entertaining. Lots of violence and action, a LOT of guns. A LOT!” (he laughs)

Alessandra: “Back to Alias times!” Le sigh. I miss it.

And I laugh. And I swoon. And so it ends. So as a side note, I don’t think I love an actor’s laugh more than I do Vartan’s. And it’s been like that ever since Alias (you’ve never seen the Alias bloopers? Get on it, because no other show has bloopers as funny as the Alias ones. I kid you not. And there’s plenty of them!). He’s got that sincere, contagious laugh. Which is why he should do more comedy, too. Hear me, producers? He would love to do it (he said so himself) so listen to the hilariously talented Joshua Malina who hired him for his comedy “Backwash” and said that “Michael Vartan was even funnier than Jon Hamm!” and give him a comedic role to sink his teeth into!

Then possibly also give him a recurring guest-starring role as Vaughn from Alias on CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” so that my dream of a shirtless Vaughn/McGarrett sandwich can come true. (hey there was a good amount of Alias writers in the H50 room in S1). I blame the awesome Bob Orci for this. Yes I’m looking at you Mr Orci. YOU suggested it to me on Twitter. Haven’t been able to rebound since.

Monsieur Vartan deserves to be on my TV screen a lot more than he currently is. Someone do something about it and quick. It is a shameful occurrence that he isn’t employed much more often and in big TV shows. He’s got the talent, the looks and the fans. Time to act upon it, or I’ll get my Sydney Bristow on, and it will be trouble for everyone! Meantime, to get your weekly Vartan fix, don’t forget to watch HawthoRNe on TNT Tuesday nights at 10/9 c! The season finale will air on August 16 at 10 p.m.!

Check out the trailer below for Colombiana, and don’t miss the steamy sex scene!

Filed Under: Television Tagged With: michael vartan

Chi McBride talks “HawthoRNe” role, discusses Chance of “House” Comeback

August 2, 2011 By Miss Bee 3 Comments

We had the great opportunity to chat with actor Chi McBride over the phone today, and we’re here to bring you the goodies! Never shy of witty remarks, McBride had to take a break from the green (literally, since he was enjoying a nice round of golfing) to talk to us today, and he gave some very interesting insight and perspective on his role as temporary Hospital Administrator Garland Bryce on TNT’s medical drama “HawthoRNe” (Tuesday nights at 10/9 c. Starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan and Marc Anthony as well this season).

Since we’re not about to miss the opportunity to dig up some spoilerish dirt, we followed up on this Michael Ausiello report from yesterday about possible shocking comebacks on “House” and we asked Mr McBride about the chances for his character Edward Vogler to return to stir up the pot at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

Interestingly, both Bryce on “HawthoRNe” and Vogler on “House” are hospital administrators who arrive and completely throw the professional lives of people on the show upside down, but the similarities between the two characters end there, according to McBride.

Alessandra: How does it feel to play these very serious roles and come to a show and throw everything upside down? This character on HawthoRNe, Garland Bryce, is similar to your House character Edward Vogler in that sense.

Chi McBride: “I knew someone was going to make that comparison sooner or later, I guess then that it’ll be you”

“I’ll say right away that the similarities between them end at being involved in the administration of a hospital, and I’ll explain.

There’s a big difference between the two guys, in that whereas one guy (Vogler) just threw his wallet around, this guy (Bryce) is a different animal. This one throws his intellect around, in terms of challenging people by throwing them off balance mentally and challenging them to do their job. He comes and shakes things up but he’s not like Vogler who just came in and threw money around in order to take over the hospital. He will always try and challenge you but he does that operating in a very different way from Vogler’s. He will push you to the limit mentally but he does that because his objective is to find the best possible solution.”

Alessandra: “There was an interesting scene in this sense in last week’s episode, when Bryce literally walked into a fountain and offered Christina water to heal, to challenge her and see if she was actually ready to go back to work, to see if she would take it, which would have meant she was ready for the job (note: Christina didn’t accept the healing water offer). That’s something Vogler would never have done, and it was a very interesting, different way of approaching the matter.”

Chi McBride: “Yes, it was and like I said this guy has a different approach. So the two characters are very different from that point of view, and you see Bryce talking to Christina or Bobbie and challenging them but like you said it’s a different way of handling things.”

Alessandra: “Without giving too much away, what are we to expect from your character in the upcoming episodes? Is Bryce going to still try and find a solution by digging into the characters’ problems, by challenging Christina and asking her questions to see if she can actually can come back and work again?”

Chi McBride “Yes.” “You said not to give too much away!” (laughs) “Ok, you want more..”

“It’s going to be very interesting… nothing is as it appears, so you can take that and think it over. You’re not going to understand how things actually end up until the very last minute of the final episode.”

Alessandra: “Well, that’s enough to get people wondering and talking, which is what we want! Seen as your character is going to be on HawthoRNe until the end of the season, is he going to interact with the male characters of the show or will he still be dealing mostly with the women?”

Chi McBride: “No, he does get to interact with the men as well. At some point there’s also a scene with the guy who is the (ex) hospital administrator in last week’s episode, so that was one, but there are more interactions coming up.

It was great to work with all of them, really. I was able to join in in the creative project and it was wonderful to work with them… great people, very professional, it was a great experience.

Alessandra: “Is there a chance we will see you back on House anytime soon?”

Chi McBride: “I don’t know what those guys are cooking up, so I couldn’t tell you right now because I don’t know but I would certainly be glad to come back if I was asked to.”

Alessandra: “I’m asking because there were reports this week that a bunch of characters may possibly be returning or have a different capacity on House because of Cuddy’s departure, and your character Vogler was one of them.”

Chi McBride: “Really? When I did that part on the show a lot of people liked it because they hated the guts of my character, it was the character people loved to hate. He was putting the main character of the show at risk, I mean the name of the show IS “House” so of course everyone hated him, and there’s only so far that you can take that.. but who knows it may be interesting to bring him back and explore the dynamic the two characters had some more. That was an interesting dynamic that they had so yeah, who knows…”

Alessandra: “Are we going to see Bryce delve more into the personal lives of the characters on HawthoRNe? Is he going to be involved in the personal part of the matter more? All of what’s happening to Christina is a consequence of her aggression, is that going to be something Bryce deals with more in episodes to come?”

Chi McBride: “He doesn’t get into their personal affairs and you won’t really get to know this guy, he’s there for one reason and one reason only. Information is power so he cares about what goes on in these people’s personal lives in terms of how that affects their jobs and nothing else.”

Sadly I didn’t have a chance to ask him about how perfect Michael Vartan is in person but stay tuned, because I will, well, uhm… ask Vartan himself soon enough how he stays so perfect and how it is to finally be back at threatening people with guns by sneaking up on them in their cars! Ah, the awesome Alias days! About time those came back! And the full kickass Vartan mode with them! Yeah I know you’re all jealous. I’m even jealous of myself right now. But I’ll get over it in time for the chat.

And don’t forget to check out a new episode of HawthoRNe starring Chi McBride as guest star tonight at 10/9 c on TNT!

Filed Under: Interviews, Television Tagged With: hawthorne

Super fit Leighton Meester back on GG Set: Did that Test Apply to Someone Else?

July 7, 2011 By Miss Bee Leave a Comment

Leighton Meester looked ready for the summer in her bright ensemble as she ran out of her makeup trailer to begin filming the new season of the hit CW show Gossip Girl in New York, New York on Thursday, July 7th, 2011.

In typical Blair-style she looks like she’s frowning upon something, or rather, she looks like she is up to something. One thing is for sure, after Dorota found that pregnancy test in Blair and Serena’s room we all wondered whose test it was but, going by how she looks in these photos, we’d say she’s anything but pregnant.

Of course, this being Gossip Girl, there can always be a twist, but seen as time has to have passed for Blair to be able to go to Monte Carlo with her beloved Prince Louis and then come back to NYC, well it would show by now.

So the vote is up: who’s pregnant at this point? Or is nobody pregnant? Because this is Gossip Girl, and misleading evidence plus intrigue is the second name of the show!