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Mehcad Brooks Teases TK’s Pain & Gain on Necessary Roughness

January 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Mehcad Brooks Golden Globe Awards

It’s been a whole minute since we left our favorite resident troublemaker wide receiver Terrence “TK” King joining a rehab facility on USA Network’s hit show ‘Necessary Roughness’, and the wait has been long and gruesome, but he is finally back! And I have the scoop on what’s ahead for him from the man himself. I mean, from Mehcad Brooks, whose great talent and handsomeness bring TK to life on screen.

TK will grace our screens again on Jan. 23 in the winter premiere of ‘Necessary Roughness’, at 10 p.m. EST/ 9 C on USA Network. Write it down and don’t say I didn’t tell you on time. Now, as usual, what follows is a whole round of TK and Mehcad awesomeness from the man himself, that also includes a heavy dosage of SPOILERS.

So, beware: if you do not want to know whether TK pulls off a full “I will behave and sit down and talk like in a James Ivory movie” moment, or what lies ahead for the “loveable asshole” (copyright Mehcad Brooks), stop right here and now. And miss out on all the goodies. You have been warned. TK will hit you like he does the touchdown area if you go on reading and complain about spoilers. ‘nuff said.

Just to quickly recap the situation, we left: Dr. D (the great Callie Thorne) in one hell of a personal and business mess after kissing Nico (the uber charming Scott Cohen) in what Ms. Thorne herself called “a terrible situation” (no kidding), TK re-joining rehab after escaping and seeing a friend die in his own apartment, Matty D. (the handsomely talented Marc Blucas) having a hot chick to handle as he tries to (uselessly) move on from his love for Dr. D., and Ray J. (Patrick Johnson) being busted with about a whole field of marijuana plants in his car. I’d say none of them wastes time when trouble comes a-knockin’? So, time to fix it, and TK is smack at the center of the whole mess too, as usual. But that’s why we love him, isn’t it?

“Ho, ho, ho, bitches!” . That’s TK’s locker room comeback line for you. You know I’m telling the truth, because you can immediately picture him with a little Santa hat as he enters and high fives team mates, ready to get back to practice. But is it that simple? Of course not. And let’s hear what’s ahead for TK in both the terrific winter premiere and the rest of the ‘Necessary Roughness’ season from Mr. Brooks himself. (Who was so incredibly nice as to talk to us all despite a bad cold/flu, that we hope goes away ASAP. TK doesn’t do colds now, does he?!).

Alessandra: “In the winter premiere episode, TK has many great scenes with Matty D. — as he calls him — one of which prompts him to actually be the one dispensing advice for once, rather than receiving it. While it happens in a humorous way, it could be a sign of an attitude change in sight for TK. Are we going to see more of that in the final upcoming episodes, and if so, how would you as an actor like to see that factor in next season?”

Mehcad Brooks: “When we first met TK, he had a lot of growth to do and he had to face a lot of trouble. He begins to grow up a little bit and I think that becomes very apparent after going to rehab, there’s a lot of growth that is coming up with him and as an actor that is interesting to play, because even in life we have relapses when it comes to responsibilities and new challenges, and it’s all about going through that and then make a change, so it’s interesting to have a chance to play that part.
It has to be “where does it go from here”, he has to begin putting his life together on top of his career, so yes, I think we’re going to see that next season, too.”

As far as what specifically awaits TK in the winter premiere, the bumpy road is always ahead, and new rivals are lining up.

Mehcad Brooks: “Let’s imagine the NY Hawks have hired a star wide receiver just in case TK can’t pull the car up the hill, and TK is kinda burning inside and wanting to get back on the field… but he’s lost a little bit of his touch, he’s been in rehab, and he really hasn’t been training the way he normally does, so it’s a really big transition, and I’d like to say he prevails, but you’ll have to wait and see.”

What a tease. Except, yours truly has seen the premiere and can share the following: I may or may not have decided that this new wide receiver is atop my list of “characters I would like to kick. Right there.” Make of it what you will. What, I can’t spoil the details, I need you all to tune in to watch the episode. This is one of my favorite shows, and I have zero intention of going through another nerve-wrecking “will it be renewed or will it bite the dust” month or two next season. You better get those remotes working to switch the channel to USA Network on Jan. 23 at 10 p.m., ok? You don’t want a raging Italian after you now, do you? TK’s wrath has nothing on me, I swear! Now y’all will picture me as the green-eyed monster. Oh, well.

Alessandra: “TK is never going to read nearly as much Shakespeare as you do in real life, BUT he may turn all “I’m a gentleman and I will behave and sit straight and talk right out of a James Ivory movie” in an upcoming episode. How’s that going to work out for him? Or how is that not going to work out for him? Is he really going to try and be someone else?”

Mehcad Brooks: “TK is always trying, but at the same time there’s the difference between trying and believing and doing. He learns a lesson between trying to do something and actually saying “You know what, here are my actual limitations, and this is reality and this is what I can do and how I’m going to do it.”. He’s always going to try and to do, it’s what he’s done with his career. He started, and he tried and he got where he is.

Same way you guys tried and you did it with journalism, we all understand the difference between trying and doing, and so far TK has tried but he has failed. But he hasn’t stopped and he keeps trying. It’s the difference between being child-LIKE and being child-ISH. Being childlike is not taking no for an answer and doing and doing and doing, while being child-ish is “well I’m gonna try!” and that’s it.

But, to satisfy your question, he does have a very, very selfless moment coming up in the finale.”

I will add that TK shows definite signs of change in the winter premiere, too, courtesy of a much-needed pep talk from the one and only Matty D., who gives TK love and understanding, but also tough love and ass-kicking, a language TK seems to comprehend better. And very à propos of that language… guess who’s coming back to take (or not take) the reins of daddy’s football kingdom? You guessed it, Juliette (the lovely Danielle Panabaker).

Mehcad Brooks: “They [TK and Juliette] kind of bond over the fact she kinda had an addiction too, and some other things. They just start hanging out a little bit, and one thing leads to another and then there’s an opportunity, you know, for TK to cross the line and I’m not gonna say what he does! It’s definitely a good career move for him if he does, but I think we will also be able to see how much he’s changed thanks to this storyline. And I had a great time working with Danielle, she was great!”

Well, knowing Juliette, she’d be able to make TK catch up on one month of missed debauchery in a half day, so TK better be the super improved version of himself around her, or disaster will knock on the door faster than ours truly can catch a pass. Ahem.

Alessandra: “How are TK’s relationships within the team going to change as the season progresses? We see in the winter premiere that TK finally opens up more with Matt and has more scenes with him, is that going to happen with Nico, with coach, and is there a change in TK’s relationship with his team mates?”

Mehcad Brooks: “We will see a change in that, yes. He is shown an example of bravery by one of his team mates when he comes out of the closet and TK shows him who he is as well, so he does open up a little bit, and starts to become more open about who he is.”

As far as the ever-adorable relationship between TK and Dr. D. , fear not. It is as messy and loving as usual.

Mehcad Brooks: “TK and Dani… it’s almost that buddy cop relationship between them. I think it’s a familiar relationship that people understand and want to see. You’re gonna see TK struggling with his sobriety, Dani helping him with that, Dani sort of figuring out her love life and her professional life, and TK making that MORE difficult, like only TK can do, you know.” (He laughs).

I will add, to complete the upcoming episodes picture, that there are some really great guest stars coming up. Peter Mac Nichols is going to play Dr. D.’s therapist, and he is nothing short of brilliantly sassy. If you remember him from his “Ally McBeal” days, you will see some of that weird humor come up again here. Not that he dances to Barry White or anything, but the character is incredibly insightful and entertaining. And he (figuratively) kicks Dr. D.’s ass! Which is not something we’re used to, as she’s the one who has “kicking my patients’ butts” in her resume.

Also, my Broadway crush Will Chase (whom you may have seen last season on NBC’s hit show “Smash”) is guest starring, and guess what? ROCKING, as Mr. Chase himself confirmed to me via his Twitter, complete with photo tease! https://twitter.com/WillChaseMe/status/288350024407060482

In short, a great group of episodes to wrap the season is ahead, and it’s truly worthy of your TV time. So tune in and watch, especially because after the show has been renewed for a season 3, I’d really like to see a season 4 as well, without all this “will they or won’t they renew it” drama, that even gave the cast, including Mr. Brooks, quite a fright.

Mehcad Brooks: “The biggest life lesson I’ve learnt is probably also the biggest career lesson I’ve learnt, in that no matter what it is you’re doing, and no matter how it is you may feel day to day, never take something that you love for granted. I love the show, but when you’re in the middle of things and putting in 14-hour days you kind of start taking it for granted. We had a little scare because we didn’t know whether the show would be coming back or not, and that was hard on me, and I think I just really learnt, just don’t take it for granted.”

You heard it from the man himself: you better tune in! And yours truly will be forever grateful for your help in keeping up with her need for a weekly fix of ridiculous handsomeness, courtesy of Mr. Brooks, Mr. Blucas and Mr. Cohen. And don’t even pretend you don’t see it. I know you do. I knew when nobody filed any complaint after that “like mama made him” TK appearance in the season premiere!

Well lovelies, it’s been swell. This is all for now, but fear not, I’ll be back soon with more hotness. I mean scoop! Meantime, you know what to do. Watch the Necessary Roughness winter premiere on USA Network on Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. EST!

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TK and Dr. D. Keep Going! ‘Necessary Roughness’ Gets Season 3

November 27, 2012 by 2 Comments

It’s one of those days when good TV news keep on coming. This needs to happen more often, except maybe at a slower “one piece of news after the other, no time to breathe” pace? Our weekly sports therapy fix with Doctor Danielle Santino (Golden Globe-nominee Callie Thorne), Terrence “TK” King (the incredibly talented and handsome Mehcad Brooks), Matthew Donnally (the lively and gorgeous Marc Blucas) and the mysterious Nico (wonderfully played by Scott Cohen) is here to stay for another season! Deadline.com is reporting that USA Network will renew its (awesome) football-themed show ‘Necessary Roughness’ for a third season. And another round of happy dance is in for me!

According to Deadline.com, ‘Necessary Roughness’ will get an order for 10 episodes, shortened from its first and second season 12- and 16-episode order respectively, much like other shows USA Network has already renewed, while cutting down the number of episodes for the new season. I can settle for fewer episodes, so long as nobody dares take away my weekly fix of handsome men and badass Dr. D.! You don’t want to deal with an Italian angry woman that’s been deprived of a couple of TV boyfriends at once, trust me.

I know you all are anxiously awaiting the five final winter episodes, that will start airing on January 23 on USA Network, so while you wait… I can’t give too many spoilers away. But know that TK, Doctor D., Matty D. and Nico won’t disappoint. Have they ever? I can only say there will be a comeback that impacts the Hawks and thus every other character on the show. Particularly TK, in more ways than one. Never a dull day for the King of the Hawks! And never enough for us watching all that handsomeness. I never heard complaints for the noticeable lack of shirts on Mr. Brooks this season. As the Latins said “Mens sana in corpore sano” (“A healthy mind in a healthy body”). And TK’s healthy (and then some) body is surely there, while the healthy mind… well, that’s for Dr. D. to obtain, or there would be no show!

‘Necessary Roughness’ has been steady in viewers this season, with an average of about 3 million viewers per episode, so given the good news, you guys better keep it up and not forget to watch, understood? The loyal viewership the show has is what kept it going. Worth mentioning is the fact that the viewer numbers for the show significantly increase once DVR factors in. The show’s season 2 premiere got 4.6 million viewers in Live+7. So let’s keep it up. And I say so being a major fan of this beautiful (and very underrated, in my opinion) show. It deserves a third season for the quality of writing and acting, on top of the good ratings.

Are you as thrilled as I am about the comeback of TK, Dr. D., Matty D. and Nico? Then don’t forget to tune in for the show’s winter premiere, on January 23 at 10/9c on USA Network!

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Sark Takes on ‘Arrow’! David Anders Cast as New Arrow Foe

November 27, 2012 by 1 Comment

One minute while I recollect my thoughts here, because my ‘Alias’ fan self needs to recover from possibly the most thrilling casting news I’ve had so far this season. Julian Sark is going to take his Chateau Petrousse-loving ways to the CW’s new hit drama ‘Arrow’! I get to see Stephen Amell butt heads with David Anders. Am I dreaming? Only Michael Vartan joining as Arrow’s new ally would beat this. (What, TV husband always gotta be TV husband).

So, now that I’ve stopped doing the happy dance for a couple of minutes, let’s get to the details. Zap2It reports that Anders has been cast as Arrow’s new nemesis, Cyrus Vanch. Needless to say, this will be an enemy like no other for Amell’s character Oliver Queen. Because you know, once you’re Sark, there is no way you’re less than the perfect villain. Thinking about it, Sark would get on really well with Oliver Queen, given he’s a billionaire who certainly would have a taste for stylish clothes and Chateau Petrousse. After all Sark’s “For the bubbly, of course” remains one of the best lines a TV villain ever had. And one Oliver Queen and his friend Tommy Merlyn (played by the uber wonderful Broadway talent Colin Donnell) can certainly relate to. Enough, I’m dreaming of Sark partying with the two of them already. That’s what Alias does to me, and pairing it with Arrow is an even deadlier recipe. For my coronaries, that is. But I digress.

Vanch will be crossing paths with Arrow just as he’s freshly released from prison, and of course reverts back to his criminal ways. According to TVLine, once the police can’t get Vanch’s crimes to stop, Laurel enlists the Arrow to stop the criminal – which incidentally, is exactly what Vanch wants. He’s on a mission to take down Arrow, y’all! And for a good reason: he wants to prove all of Starling City’s criminals that he’s ZE BOSS of them by eliminating their number one enemy. On the path to criminal world domination, much? Seriously, this dude already scarily sounds a lot like Sark. He better not have a Sloane behind him as well, or the going will get very tough for Oliver Queen!

I personally am looking forward to seeing Vanch face off with Arrow. Scratch that, I can’t accept I’ll have to wait till after the Christmas break to see it! The cruelty of TV programming is unbearable. Mr. Anders (who also played great villains on ‘Heroes’, ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Once Upon a Time’) is not one to ever disappoint with his villainous characters, so this will be another one to remember, that much is for sure. And going by the premise for the character, he’ll be one to remember for Oliver Queen as well.

My new favorite drama mixing up with my all-time favorite drama. Doesn’t get much better than that. Now that I’ve given you the news, I can go back to my happy dance. What, even my TV husband Vartan danced on ‘Alias’, so I’m allowed, too. And no, not ever Gangnam style. I’m for actual dancing. Classic choreography and all. Can’t disappoint Sark and Vaughn. Till next time, lovelies! And make sure not to miss a new episode of ‘Arrow’ tomorrow night at 8 p.m. EST on the CW!

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Scott Porter Talks George/Zoe and all that “Hart of Dixie” Jazz!

November 7, 2012 by 8 Comments

There are times when interviews are not quite the same as others. I had to make a serious effort convincing myself I wasn’t about to talk to number 6 before speaking with the delightfully smart and funny Scott Porter. Because you know, once a ‘Friday Night Lights’ addict, always a ‘Friday Night Lights’ addict. Particularly in the case of yours truly, who was a “Texas Forever” major fan (non-FNL viewers, forgive me and ignore. And you missed out big time.)

I may have been leaning more toward Taylor Kitsch’s character Tim Riggins (yeah well, TV boyfriend gotta be TV boyfriend. So sue me!) but I truly loved Mr. Porter’s Jason Street as well, and I never found FNL to be the same without the strong relationship between Jason, Tim and Minka Kelly’s Lyla. And the hotness that came with it. Ahem.

So, once I shrugged off all that FNL brain-washing (never happening, but let’s pretend) and realized I was instead going to talk with the ‘Hart of Dixie’ Bluebell golden boy George Tucker, I mean Scott Porter, I had the pleasure to get quite the scoop from the man himself on what’s coming up for George, and George and Rachel Bilson’s adorable doctor Zoe Hart, and all the rest of the characters we love on the CW’s hit show, created by Leila Gerstein and produced by Gossip Girl’s creators Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz.

The usual warning comes at this point: SPOILERS AHEAD! If you don’t want to know about all the hanky-panky going down in Bluebell, between George, Zoe (the beautifully hilarious Rachel Bilson), Wade (Wilson Bethel), Lavon (Cress Williams) and well, any other romantic interests that may show up, stop reading at once! You’ll miss out on what the way to happiness for George (and Zoe?) is paved with and general friendship awesomeness and upcoming events in Bluebell, of course.

Alessandra: “First off, let me say I was a major fan of Friday Night Lights, so I’ve seen your work and I am a big fan! [And thank you for giving me one of the shows I loved the most in my TV viewing life. I didn’t say this out loud because fangirling isn’t the way to conduct an interview, but still.] So after Jason Street, George Tucker is the second TV character in a row you play that is basically impossible not to root for. Would you explain to me how it is possible that twice in a row you’re not getting the girl? I mean, seriously! This has got to change. Tell me it changes, for George? Maybe around, I don’t know, Christmas? Or New Year’s Eve? He’s such a good boy, doesn’t Santa have presents for him? Like Zoe in a sock? Is that gonna happen anytime soon?”

Scott Porter: “[Laughs] George is going to find a girl but it’s not gonna be Zoe for quite some time, George is coming to grips with the fact that the “ideal match” may not be the “real-life match”. He finds someone that he’s truly happy with, that he would never have thought he would end up with. She’s very spontaneous and she brings out sides of George that he loves. And that’s what George needs right now. At the end of a 15-year-relationship with a woman, something was off and broken and he was trying to fix it, and he just didn’t know it wasn’t something that he could fix. And now he finds himself happy with someone else. With George and Zoe there’s such a high expectation on what their relationship should be at this point, that I think it’s right for both of them to wait and fix things first, before that happens, I think that’s what’s right for both characters right now.”

Now about this “new girl” George finds happiness with. (May it be short-lived. What, I want to see George with lots of girls while he gets ready for Zoe.) I can tell you she may or may not have something to do with… Wade. Just for a change. And you didn’t hear it from me. I trust y’all can keep secrets.

Alessandra: “George, while being true to himself, really seems like a different person when he’s around Zoe, and for sure a guy that’s not all that similar to the one who was engaged to Lemon (Jaime King). It’s him, and yet it’s not him. How did you manage to deliver these ‘two characters in one’ ? Was it something you specifically worked on, maybe via your different interaction with Jaime King and Rachel Bilson acting-wise, or was it something you and the producers decided before it happened?”

Scott Porter: “It’s just something that — I kinda made a choice. Jamie and I — it was a difficult position. We decided to buckle down and have characters in a relationship and we tried to make people fall in love with their perfect relationship. And I think it worked. I think some people really harbored strong positive emotions for Lemon and George being together.

I think that there’s something about Zoe that doesn’t allow George to put on a game face when he’s with her, which instead is what he had to do with Lemon. They knew there was gonna be gossip, that the town was gonna talk and had expectations, so they always had to put on a game face. When he’s with Zoe, it’s stripped down and it’s all so real.”

And I personally couldn’t agree more. There is something that ‘hits home’ in the relationship between George and Zoe, that makes me love it and yearn for it, and I know it’s not gonna happen for quite some time, but I’m ok with it. The dynamic of the show is such and the personal relationships in it are so well-constructed, that meantime I do have fun watching Zoe and Wade, and George and Lavon and other girls, navigating through their crazy Bluebell lives. But let’s hear what else Mr. Porter had to say on the matter.

Scott Porter: “I’ve heard — I don’t read message boards or anything, but a lot of people find me on Twitter and make their feelings known and tell me that “all that Zoe and George have in common is New York” and I strongly disagree. They’re two young, professional, successful, ambitious people who have very broken family relationships, and that’s a huge difference between Lemon and George as opposed to Zoe and George. The big difference there is that Lemon stayed in Bluebell because of her family while George ran from his… and Zoe did that, too! That’s a major thing they have in common. I think they connect more than some people want to see, but I also completely respect the kind of relationship that Zoe and Wade have, it’s real and it’s fun and I think that’s what makes the show so great [the juxtaposition of the two relationships and the subsequent triangle situation].”

Once again, I have to give it to Street — I mean Tucker — I mean Mr. Porter! His playing a lawyer fits right into the perfect argument he made. A quick personal thought here: I don’t understand why anyone would bother the actor who plays the dude they don’t want to see with the leading lady, to deliver comments that put down the potential couple he is a part of. Wouldn’t it be nicer to instead send positive comments to the dude you want to see the leading lady with, and leave the other fella alone, if you have nothing nice to say? Alas, that’s the double-edged sword of the internet world: people think they can say anything to anyone. Particularly when what they have to say isn’t something nice. But I digress.

I do think Zoe and George are a great pair, with a solid amount of very important elements in common. Which is why we’re not going to see them together in the short-term. Because what fun is it, if there isn’t some drama? (And some shirtless Wilson Bethel? What, you thought about it, too.) Just as long as we don’t end up with George in a wheelchair and Wade in prison after he’s professed love to Lyla… I mean Zoe, in a tearful goodbye. Yes, I’m still not over it, you evil ‘Friday Night Lights’ producers. That stuff TV-scarred me for life.

And, thinking about how Jason Street handled the whole “we sorta kinda are having an affair, oh wait we didn’t tell you, you just saw us hug from the window” news from Tim and Lyla, decking Riggins straight from his wheelchair, I couldn’t help but wonder whether George sooner or later would be less kind in his behavior with Wade, where Zoe is concerned.

Alessandra: “Do you think that all these feelings George has been harboring, and I don’t mean just for Zoe, but for Wade and the entire situation, too, will come to the surface and make George I don’t want to say blow up – that wouldn’t be George’s style – but give Wade a piece of his mind? And I say this in the best sense of the term, because that fight between you two at the beginning of the season when Lemon was over at Zoe’s and everyone thought she had kidnapped her was quite hilarious!”

Scott Porter: “I think we addressed that at the beginning of the season. George shows up at Wade’s place and says: “I put my hat in the ring and may the best man win, so don’t expect me to go away because I have real feelings for her.” So he clarified things with Wade. And I think his conflict really isn’t with Wade, it’s with Zoe.

Zoe is asking him to do a lot of things that he’s not happy to do, so his conflict is with her. I think we’ve seen it at the end of the Halloween episode, with that scene between them, when he asked her what exactly it was that she wanted from him. George says “Now you’re saying I have to go be SERIOUS with somebody?”, and she says “yes, because I am” and at that moment, George — that was a wake-up call for him. And later on in the season you’ll see George kind of just come to grips with it. He’s going to make it clear to Zoe, “Don’t come to me expecting me to drop everything just to be with you now” and I think that’s a huge step for George, him being less selfless and a little bit more selfish, it’s giving him a bit more of a backbone and it’s gonna be great for him.”

Indeed a great moment for Mr. Tucker, whenever that happens. It’s about damn time he started thinking a bit more of himself. Plus let’s face it, angry George is sexy. Just like singing George is sexy. We just need more of George being himself and thinking about himself, period. Yeah well, I’m the one who’s selfish and greedy, I like watching good-looking men on TV do their thing! But back to George and Wade and Zoe.

Scott Porter: “George knows that Wade is capable of so much more than just being a bartender at the Rammer Jammer but that’s a frustration that’s between the two of them. (nothing to do with Zoe) George and Wade have too much history behind them to let this get in the way.”

Damn, I was really hoping for another fun ‘let’s roll in the mud and hit each other’ fight between George and Wade. Oh well.

Alessandra: “Speaking of, another relationship I very much enjoy on the show is the one between Lavon and George. And they really overcame a major hurdle, because Lavon had an affair with Lemon, and yet they managed to get through that, after some initial tension, and still maintain the friendship they had before intact. Are we going to see more of George and Lavon’s interaction as the season progresses?”

Scott Porter: “I think that, George, Lavon and Brick (Tim Matheson), they realize that, like it or not, they kind of are pillars in this community, and they need to support each other and make it work, or it could get really troubling. You gotta be able to move past something like what happened with Lemon, and that’s part of George’s strength. He had feelings for another woman and Lemon had an affair with another man, [and because] that’s part of his maturity, he just decided “I’m not going to place blame on anyone”, and that’s going to be explored a little bit more as we go on in the season. Lavon/George don’t interact all that much, I think there’s a maturity to their friendship that makes their scenes great, but in the first half of the season, they kind of are in their separate orbits. We may see more of them in the second half of the season, though.”

No George and Lavon scenes for me? They’re the best! I have been spoiled by that George/Lavon/Brick great scene where we found out that Brick does have, after all, a soft spot for the golden boy, and I loved that scene so much, with Lavon making George and Brick come to terms with their angry feelings! Cruel, I say, to deprive me of more goodness like this! Yeah, yeah, I’ll live. There’s still George romance, and Wade romancing Zoe, and Lavon romancing… wait I can’t say that yet. Either way, ‘Hart of Dixie’ never fails to make me laugh wholeheartedly at least once a week, and that’s a big bonus already. Can’t have everything in life. After all I didn’t manage to go to the right Whole Foods parking lot in LA and find my TV husband Michael Vartan to make him my actual husband. His wife beat me to it. So I’m used to compromise.

Thanking Mr. Porter for his insightful thoughts on ‘Hart of Dixie’, I hope I’ll cross paths with him again soon, maybe after the Christmas break, to see where George Tucker is at and what we can expect from the second part of the ‘Hart of Dixie’ season? Till next time, lovelies!

Meantime, don’t forget to tune in for a new episode of ‘Hart of Dixie’ on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 8/7c on the CW!

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Eric Kripke Teases Major Story Secret, Plot Twists on ‘Revolution’

October 11, 2012 by 5 Comments

If you are into NBC’s new J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke drama ‘Revolution’ even half as much as I am, you’ll be left with the desire to just torture the two creators/executive producers for more answers and more episodes right now, by the time you get to the end of this story.

After hearing it all from Mr. Kripke himself, I am in fact bringing you the goodies for what’s next in the post-blackout, apocalyptic world that Mr. Kripke and J.J. have lured us into. Yes, I call him J.J.. After all I HAVE been a slave to his show writing/producing ever since “Felicity”. Long enough to define it an addiction and be on a first-name basis, I’d say, especially if we count in my utter obsession for Alias. And Agent Vaughn. Or rather, my TV husband Michael Vartan. (What, we all have a TV husband. And yes he’s mine, don’t even try.)

Particularly important in this case, because I know how J.J.’s and Kripke’s shows generate a group of very devoted, faithful (aka obsessed, just like me) fans, who keep trying to solve the plot puzzles they come up with: BEWARE… SPOILERS AHEAD. If you know anything about J.J. and Mr. Kripke, you know that “major” in their case means just a general indication of where things are going, conceived to only make us more curious about what the heck it is we’re going to see next and, in short, make us even more dependent on the drug they feed us for those 42 minutes of TV a week.

But still, there are MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. DO NOT READ if you don’t want to know anything about who will appear again in episode 7, or what major change of story there is in episode 10. Ok? Good. Captain Neville (the absolutely fabulous Giancarlo Esposito) in person will come torture you if you complain after this warning.

Before we get to the majorly spoilery part, a word from Mr. Kripke on how it happened that Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips) went from series regular to series dead character in the span of a few episodes. Not that this is anything unusual for Mr. Kripke’s or J.J. Abrams’s shows. I got used to reciting “don’t get attached to anyone who isn’t clearly someone the entire show depends on” with J.J.. Remember poor Danny on Alias? Barely had the time to appear, and BAM! Having a forever-lasting bath in his tub before we could even savor all his hotness! Anyway, Maggie lasted longer, but still bit the dust quickly and unexpectedly. And here’s why.

Eric Kripke: “Anna Lise is a wonderful actress and I love that character, it’s … I sort of have a bad habit in the shows that I run, of killing off the people that I love, and I think Maggie was one of those. We decided internally that, very early on… that it was really important to show that this world had very real stakes and it was truly dangerous, and you’re not close to hospitals, you’re not close to paramedics, you’re not close to help, so we wanted to show that. It was purely a creative decision, [made for the purpose of] giving this world a real sense of danger… we think that’s honest to the world we’re trying to create here.”

So long, Maggie. Now let’s please get to the part where I get to know who this Randall dude is and what he wants? Yeah, as if. But, there are glimpses of what’s to come in that story, too. And you guessed it, Randall dearest is smack in the middle of the biggest mystery and biggest piece of mythology on the show. Together with Grace (Maria Howell), who is his prisoner for… we don’t exactly know what reason. YET. But Grace is indeed coming back. How?

Eric Kripke: “I can’t reveal too much because she’s right in the dead center of where the mythology is [me and probably all of you: YOU DON’T SAY!]. I can say we continue to explore and expand that mythology. I think we see her again in episode 7, and we see who Randall is, this person who kidnapped her in episode 2, and we get to learn more about him.”

Pause. Now wait, he just gave away that we see who Randall is in episode 7 as if nothing was? Ok then. I was wondering if he was going to be like Rambaldi on Alias, the name we hear, but we don’t really ever understand if we’ve met him or not until the end. Now I want to jump to episode 7. Rats, J.J.. You always get me. Hooked like fish with bait. Brace yourselves, as Mr. Kripke had more to share.

Eric Kripke: “She (Grace) is in a dangerous position right now with this character Randall. Right now we’re really dropping breadcrumbs for it, because in the second half of the season Grace and Randall and what they’re in the middle of is going to become a  much bigger story.”

Hell. I bet Randall is Darth Vader himself. Just thinking about how his ominous presence created fear in a scene where we didn’t even SEE him makes me imagine he’s Darth Vader. (Now watch him be played by Danny De Vito). Although he’s definitely got company. It’s not like Captain Neville and General Monroe (David Lyons, who scarily remembers me of Sark — I mean David Anders — on Alias) are little innocent lambs. Though one of the two may have been, in his pre-blackout life. And we’ll meet Neville’s wife, Julia. Played by whom? None other than the gorgeous Kim Raver. Look, I love Esposito, but how did insurance adjuster Neville land such a gorgeous wife?! Seriously.

Eric Kripke: “What’s interesting about the black out in the show, that we want to explore more and more as it goes on, is what it transformed for so many people, and who they were in the old world has nothing to do with what they are now. There was a bit of it in the pilot, that Neville’s this violent man in the post-blackout world, but in the pre-blackout world he’s an insurance adjuster. He was pretty mild-mannered and maybe a little submissive, how did he transform into the violent psychopath he is now? Right now we’re planting Kim (Raver) for a couple of episodes, and we’ll see how she was a normal housewife pre-blackout and how post-blackout transformed her into a Lady Macbeth.”

So basically Neville has nothing on his wife, if the Shakespeare comparison is to be taken literally. And Neville turned into a killer because wife was tired of suburbia life and wanted some spice and some power? (I’m just broadly moving the Macbeth concept into Revolution world, here). Of course Mr. Kripke didn’t answer THAT question, but the fact he compared Mrs. Neville to Lady Macbeth? Quite telling, if you ask me.

Now, here comes the major revelation about episode 10. It is about the ongoing storyline with Danny (Graham Rogers) and where it’s going. And what comes next. I wasn’t kidding when I said major, so make your decision now, if you don’t want to know, skip the next part.

Of course, most likely episode 10 is the episode before the Christmas break. Which means that, if I know JJ any, it will have one doozy of a cliffhanger at the end and leave us all picking up our jaws from the floor. And waiting for a month and a half before knowing what goes on next. Can I say I hate them for baiting me like this? And for writing shows I love? Yeah, I think I can.

Back to us. We’ve been dealing with “the quest for Danny” ever since the pilot, and of course we’re right in the middle of it (quite literally, counting episodes, you’ll see why in Mr. Kripke’s comment). It’s only natural to wonder how long this is going to last and whether this will be a season-long arc, right? Well, apparently not season-long. At all. Also, apparently just a “prologue” before we get to the main chapter of the story. I’m sure y’all can imagine my face while I was hearing this. (hint: WTF? What? How? When? WHY! Gimme the new episodes now!)

Eric Kripke: “I can answer how long we can keep the Danny quest going and I can give a very specific answer to it. We can keep the Danny quest going until episode 10. And then we shake things up. They catch up to Danny in episode 10 and we climax that story, because we can’t keep that story going forever, and we never had any intention to keep that story going forever. It was only a way to introduce and bringing the audience into the world and introduce them to the characters on a nice, clean, simple storyline, kind of the prologue to a much bigger story. By episode 10 we need to fade that prologue out and move to the next chapter of the story, which explains why the show is called Revolution.”

I need a moment to recover from all this. And there’s more on Danny, and of course on his mother, Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell). And what’s in Monday’s episode.

Eric Kripke: “Everything changes when Danny finally arrives in Philadelphia which is this Monday. General Monroe now has Rachel exactly where he wants her, because she cares about her son a lot, so she will reveal things that she hasn’t revealed to him yet. But she of course is smart and heroic, and is desperately searching for a way out of the predicament that she is in.”

I’m sorry, every time I see Monroe I just picture Sark. The fact they brought in the “suit & glasses” doppleganger last episode didn’t help. (If you never watched Alias… forget it.) I truly thought I was in the middle of a Sydney Bristow torture scene. Except, strong as she may be, Rachel is no Sydney Bristow. Or Monroe would have had his ass kicked before he even realized he was holding her captive. Let’s just hope sooner rather than later it is HER turn to be set free. Either that, or just get it awwwn with Monroe, Rachel? Hubby is gone, and you know what they say: if you can’t beat them… kiss them!

And now, for the final piece of “I KNEW I was right when I went back and tried to re-read what Grace was typing on that computer screen”, your last clue, courtesy of Mr. Kripke. Were you wondering if the way the lights went off on that globe in the pilot was a clue on what caused the blackout or just a nice effect that producers liked? (As if they’d ever do anything just ‘cause on their shows. I know my chicken. But still.) Wonder no more.

Eric Kripke: “You should look for clues everywhere, is the short answer. The long answer is, what you saw in that globe shot was an accurate representation of what we are working on. We’re talking dangerously in the writers’ room about revealing that secret (what it is that caused the blackout) before season one is over, we may reveal that sooner rather than later.

For me, the longer you drag out an answer, the more pressure there is that that answer is the greatest answer ever given in the history of men, and frankly, I’m just not that smart. [Bahaha! Not only is he a great screen writer, he’s also funny!] I prefer that we answer questions quickly and then ask more questions. We designed the mythology so that, even if I do say what caused the blackout, it opens the door to a bigger, darker mystery.”

And if you thought I had more to share… think again. Yes, you’re going to be left wondering what on earth we should expect now, just like I was. Such is the life of the J.J. (and Eric Kripke) fan. Now, before we all go examine every little detail that can help us solve the puzzle, may I say this was one of the most satisfying interviews I took part to in terms of contents. And one of the most dissatisfying in terms of my phone line quality, that kept cutting me off. Hmm… were the big bad wolves of evil on Revolution messing with my phone? I’m not sure, but either way, it’s been swell. I hope you had fun reading this just as much as I had hearing it! Until next time, lovelies!

Don’t forget to check out a new episode of ‘Revolution’ on Monday at 10 p.m. on NBC!

Filed Under: Television

INTERVIEW: Will Matthew Perry’s character GO ON With a New Love Interest?

October 8, 2012 by 2 Comments

Let me apologize in advance if the beginning of this story sounds like a bunch of incoherent thoughts. You will have to excuse me for a minute while I recover from the shock. I just spoke with Chandler Bing y’all. Chandler! My all-time favorite sitcom character! I mean, I just spoke with the talented, smart and super funny Matthew Perry. About his new, brilliant comedy ‘Go On’ that airs on Tuesdays at 9 pm on NBC. But hey, when I hear that voice, I just think “Chandler Bing!”. And my inner ‘Friends’ fangirl takes over.

Not to worry, I prepare everything in advance, so I did ask what mattered about his charming ‘Go On’ character Ryan King and future developments for him on the show. I also thanked Mr. Perry for having my TV husband Michael Vartan appear on his show. He’s been so MIA from TV ever since ‘HawthoRNe’ ended, that I felt like it was a mirage when I saw him. Which it almost was, seen as it was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance. But hey, he played hockey and had a line. That’s all that matters. Ah, Agent Vaughn. Nobody brandishes that club quite like you do. (Non-Alias fans? Disregard, please. Ahem.)

As usual, here comes my warning: SPOILERS AHEAD! If you don’t want to have any idea how the season of ‘Go On’ may shape up, why Mr. Perry’s friend Lauren Graham will show up, and how Ryan King and his friends will ‘Go On’, stop reading at once. And miss out on all the fun, of course. You have been warned!

Alessandra: “It’s such a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you for giving me five seconds of Michael Vartan playing hockey, by the way. And for Huey Lewis and the News. I very much appreciated that. [What, I LOVE Huey Lewis.] Now, onto the show. It seems to have a ‘serialized’ element, so to speak, despite being a comedy, because of what Ryan is going through. And you mentioned Lauren Graham appearing and sparks flying between her character and yours. So, are we going to see Ryan go through the various phases of his grief and maybe eventually get a new love interest, or will the show just stick with the limbo he’s in now, and keep making fun of the many grotesque situations he finds himself in, due to his loss and his new group of friends?”

Matthew Perry: “The interesting thing about this show is, we couldn’t pursue any potential romances for a while because of the situation he’s in, [so we had to wait] but just like any person he’s going to grow, and move forward and do some dating and some ‘getting himself out there’ stuff. We’re talking about it right now, about a story where he’s really going to throw himself out there in the single scene, and the result of it is pretty funny. And Lauren Graham is part of that process, because she comes in and there are sparks flying, so this will show Ryan starting to move on. So yes, we will see him evolve and move on and progress throughout the show, like any person would.”

Ok, the betting pool can now start on WHO is going to be his first new love interest (other than Lauren Graham, that is). I don’t have a clue, all I know is I wouldn’t like to be her if Monica Geller ever finds out. What, it will always be Chandler and Monica for me!

Mr. Perry shared that his friend Lauren Graham will play a character from Ryan’s past, and that she will be the one with whom sparks will fly for the first time in a long time.

Matthew Perry: “Yes, my friend Lauren Graham agreed to come on the show, she plays a character named Amy who is an old college buddy of mine… there will be some sparks there, which will be the first time that Ryan has had any kind of feeling like that in a long, long time.”

Oooh. Sound juicy enough for you? Because it sure does for me. And seeing Ryan’s character evolve and then dive into the single scene is something I am looking forward to seeing, as the fun is guaranteed to abound the moment he decides he’s ready to make that step. And if that isn’t enough for you, here’s one major sports name that Mr. Perry hopes to see as a guest star on ‘Go On’. And yes, I’ve seen this guy play at Wimbledon during his last year of activity. Reminder that yours truly is a sports reporter. Though I sure as hell wasn’t when I saw this major star… I was way too young to be a journalist already! Want to know who he is? Let Mr. Perry tell you.

Matthew Perry: “My hope is that we have Jimmy Connors to come back and work with me.”

Connors and Ryan King? Hell, yeah! Though selfish me would love to see… Marat Safin? Please? And not simply for how naturally great he is at comedy and shenanigans (ever seen one of his tennis matches?), if you catch my drift. Well, there’s nothing wrong with a little eye candy here and there, especially on TV!

Something that made my undying ‘Friends’ love go on was hearing how special Mr. Perry thinks it was, and how Chandler Bing and Ryan King are his two favorite characters.

Matthew Perry: “Friends was a magical thing, no one’s gonna have anything like that ever again. Studio 60, everyone thought it was amazing, and I thought it was pretty good but it didn’t do well. Mr. Sunshine worked to a certain degree creatively, but audiences didn’t connect. And then, I realized that there was someone who could write things for me. And that’s how Go On happened.”

“If I had to pick the two characters I played that are my favorites, I’d have to say Chandler and Ryan King.
It’s ‘wearing his heart on his sleeve’ kind of people… people connect to that journey, maybe not to that openness about it. I like to say things that people normally wouldn’t say, and I think both Chandler and Ryan King do that.”

And like every good thing, the chat with Mr. Perry thus comes to an end. I will never manage to instantly connect that voice to anyone other than Chandler Bing, but I have to say I am really warming up to Ryan King, and I like him and his bizarre group of damaged friends a lot. Think you’ve heard enough to be impatient about the next episode of ‘Go On’? Then don’t forget to tune in tomorrow night, like every Tuesday, at 9 p.m. on NBC!

I’ll be back with more goodies soon, I promise. Maybe next time it will be something much more mysterious and sci-fi-esque… and that’s all I’ll say for now. Dun, dun, dun! Till next time, lovelies!

Filed Under: Television Tagged With:

Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney Preview Chicago Fire: Get Ready for the Heat!

October 1, 2012 by 5 Comments

As I had told you in the summer, there’s a lot of hotness to be expected from ‘Chicago Fire’, that will premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 10 p.m. on NBC. While the show centers around the lives and daily struggles of a group of firefighters, the hotness won’t just be of the “extinguishing a fire” kind. In case you haven’t yet, take a look at the promo and you’ll see what I mean. (Disclaimer: if you’re in the middle of the Southern California heat wave, you may need ice handy. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

Yes, that would be none other than Taylor Kinney, showing up in all his shirtless glory to go head to head with Jesse Spencer (who is fully clothed. Tsk, tsk. Equal shirtlessness opportunity, NBC!). I’d say there’s little to complain both in the talent AND in the looks compartment here. As the twosome are preparing to save lives and face danger, playing firefighters Kelly Severide and Matthew Casey respectively, they took a break from their set duties earlier today, and shared their thoughts on their new adventure and what we are to expect from ‘Chicago Fire’ throughout the season. Executive Producer Danielle Gelber also joined us, providing more scoop on the new, compelling NBC freshman drama.

The “tense” relationship between Mr. Spencer and Mr. Kinney’s characters will be central to the show, as will the daily lives of the entire team, that will also include Monica Raymund and Lauren German playing paramedics Gabriela Dawson and Leslie Shay. [The cast is completed by Charlie Burnett, playing young new academy graduate Peter Mills, Eamon Walker as Battalion Chief Wallace Boden and David Eigenberg as seasoned firefighter Christopher Herrmann.]

Speaking of, one of the two paramedics may or may not be getting into a heated (see what I did there?) romance with Kelly Severide. I suggest promo evidence #2 to verify that part. And to see how the visually pleasant aspect of the show is never left behind by producers. (Translation: yes, you get a glimpse at a hot shower scene between Mr. Kinney and Ms. Dawson in one of the promos. Don’t even pretend you didn’t notice.)

But let’s get to what the actors and Executive Producer had to say about the freshman NBC drama. As usual, I warn you: SPOILERS AHEAD! If you don’t want to know about upcoming drama on Chicago Fire, stop reading at once! Needless to say, that means you won’t have details on how awesomely well these guys get on while filming in Chicago, how firefighters became a part of their everyday life, what secrets Mr. Kinney’s character Kelly Severide may be harboring, and all that. Can’t have it all, that’s life. So, here we go.

Alessandra: “We’ve already seen in promos that there seems to be some bone to pick between your two characters, Matthew Casey and Kelly Severide, because of what happens with a team member in the pilot, or maybe just because of different approach to things? I know that in one of the upcoming episodes Casey and paramedic Dawson are in a LOT of trouble, for different reasons, and Severide kind of pulls Casey out of a very dangerous situation. Will that be a turning point for their relationship? And could you tell us a bit more about the background of your characters, and how much of it we will get to discover during the season?”

Jesse Spencer: “I think what that symbolizes, when you see these guys’ personal and professional issues, whatever they disagree on and butt heads on, it’s always thrown out the window when they work together, everything overrides. We’ll see that time and time again in the series, the premise is it’s a big messy ugly family, but when the shit hits the fan they’ll throw themselves under a bus for each other. I think that’s true of the real firefighters, when their lives are at stake they just help each other.”

EP Danielle Gelber : “Severide’s character is gonna be grappling with what happens in the pilot when he has an injury that he tries to hide from his superiors and he faces potential disability.”

Taylor Kinney: “There’s a scene during the pilot when we lose a firefighter that Casey and Severide are both friends with, they go way back. Severide gets injured during the fire and the scar reminds him of what happens, and it’s sort of a catalyst for the tension between Casey and Severide. There’s emotional baggage that follows and pursues…Casey has his own struggles and I don’t necessarily reach out, I kind of bury it down and we see the escalation of the problem with that, there’s a big story with the injury and Severide anyway, that goes on for quite a few episodes.”

Yours truly can reveal that this may or may not come to a turning point around episode 6, when a dirty cop and drugs enter the scene. And things get very complicated both for Casey and for Severide. And Dawson as well, though not for the same reasons. Hey, can’t say ‘Chicago Fire’ writers don’t equally spread trouble amongst characters here. And it’s always of the personal and professional kind, in an interesting mix of different emotions and events impacting the characters’ lives. Don’t think it will always be fires to put down, either.

Jesse Spencer: “There’s always one big action sequence but it doesn’t necessarily involve fire. There’s so many car accidents, like Danielle says. I like that stuff, it’s exciting when you don’t approach every situation the same way, ‘cause every situation is different. In ep. 3 we have a car crash in which a drunk driver is involved: a young boy is paralyzed, victim of the car crash. A corrupt police officer gets into the mix and Casey decides to get to the bottom of it. This character pursues Casey in a very threatening way, physically and mentally, and the arc goes on for quite a few episodes.”

Once again, this may or may not come to a turning point around ep. 6, per above reference. What, I told you trouble comes a knocking on everyone’s door during that hour. Whether they face it shirtless or not, I do not know. But I’d tune in and check, if I were you. Better safe than sorry, right? Ahem.

As far as the background of his character goes, Mr. Spencer thinks the writers came up with a perfect combination for his professional life.

Jesse Spencer: “Casey has a side job at a construction business. All firemen have other jobs, they all have some other sort of career. They work 24-hours shifts ant then they have 2 days off. They all need to supplement their income with another career. So every person has a side career. And Casey’s construction business was perfect for the character.”

EP Danielle Gelber : “We also tried to add another dimension for each character, there are all kinds of emotional sub-stories with respect to what Casey does as a construction worker.”

Make no mistake, these actors have been working with real firefighters since the beginning of the show, and actual firefighters are involved in their everyday life at this point.

Taylor Kinney: “We spend time with them on set and we spend time with them off set. We go out and have beer with them, we get together and have a good time and then we can show up at work and can enjoy doing that, too. We’ll ask them about “Would you use this tool in this situation?”, what’s the most efficient way to go about any given situation, and then we’ll teach them about blocking and camera position. It’s give and take. It’s like a small family.”

In fact, the show is having a special premiere event tomorrow night in Chicago, that will include actors and crew as well as firefighters.

Jesse Spencer: “We’re having a premiere for the cast, crew members and some firefighters tomorrow evening. Working around our schedule, it’s gonna be a big event, a few producers are flying in and it’s gonna be a very special event. I think there are going to be 150 firefighter guests and (a total of) 450 guests.”

EP Danielle Gelber: “We’re really doing this show to keep in mind that the firefighters [the real ones in real life] are the heroes, so this premiere really centers on them.”

As far as who is going to attend the premiere with whom, Mr. Kinney — who is dating singer Lady Gaga — says his brother will be his date, while Mr. Spencer will more traditionally go to the event with his girlfriend. Both Mr. Kinney and Mr. Spencer underlined how great the atmosphere for everyone is both on and off set, and how filming on location in Chicago provided them with a chance to get to know each other.

Taylor Kinney: “We got really lucky, coming into a show that we’re all out of town, we’re all away from our homes, to show up to work together and to enjoy each other’s company… and at the weekend, whether it’s a football game or a poker or going out to eat, everyone enjoys it, nobody is stabbing. [He laughs].”

“Everybody enjoys each other’s instrument and we all connect outside of work too, it’s a labor of passion, whether it’s delve deeper in the characters or storylines . Getting along as well as we do is just an added dimension to the show that brings more color, and hopefully gets people excited.”

Jesse Spencer: “Being in Chicago gives us a better chance, I think a lot of shows that are on location (and in such a great city, thank God) do that, it gives us a lot more opportunity to get to a place where we know each other a lot better and develop a different type of relationship.”

“When I was on ‘House’ we had a great cast and everyone was on the same boat, and there were no egos going around. I think I’ve landed on a really, really great show where it’s the same thing. Bunch of really talented people, who are looking to do a good job, and that’s it. Thank being on location in Chicago is having us really band together as actors, and get excited about playing firefighters and meeting these guys and hearing their stories. I think we’re applying to the job the best way as we can.”

So much so, in fact, that actors are doing most of their own stunts, and wearing actual firefighter gear, not costumes that are fitted to look better and make things easier for them.

EP Danielle Gelber: “The bunker gear they’re wearing, it’s really regulation gear, it’s the real stuff. I put it on. It’s not made to suit them better.”

Taylor Kinney: “In the middle of the winter, when we’re working out on location it’s gonna be good.”

Jesse Spencer: “Yeah, in summer it’s been hell, but I think we’ll be grateful in the winter. Because it’s so heavy.”

“We’re doing most of it, they’re big long tough days, I can’t deny 55 pounds of gear to take around all day going in and out of scenes — and we do it over and over and over again — is hard.”

Taylor Kinney: “Jesse was staying at 45 feet, swinging from a ladder!”

Jesse Spencer: “Yeah! and that was quite fun hanging up there. It’s really tough work when you have to lie around with all that stuff.”

“Adrenaline is really, really high, there’s so much physical suffering. It’s hard work, but it’s very, very exciting stuff.”

Both actors said the development of characters was a joint effort of both the writers and the actors, adding layers to them as filming went on, rather than the actors adding something to the characters that wasn’t in the script.

Taylor Kinney: “Because we started with a single script in the pilot, it enabled us to evolve with the character. You come in with a set of ideas in any job and it evolves as you move… but you keep your eyes open, you spend time with firefighters, paramedics and you’re able to bring that to the table, to the character, to make it much more authentic.”

“Characters are also just people dealing with demons and trials and successes, just like everybody else. Whether they have a meal together, or go to a club together, the sense of camaraderie between these people I think is really special. It’s all one big collaborative effort.”

Jesse Spencer: “I think since we did the pilot, I feel like the writers, when they write the show, they’ve really started writing for us, and helped our characters evolve in a way that suits the characters.”

And this is all I have to share with you today, after a very pleasant chat with these fine gentlemen and gracious Executive Producer! Curious to know more? I can’t share anything else for the moment (I said for the moment, good things come to those who wait!), but quite surely the first episode of ‘Chicago Fire’ will answer some of your questions, so don’t forget to tune in on Oct. 10 at 10 p.m. EST on NBC! You wouldn’t want to miss out on all the hotness now, would you? Till next time, lovelies!

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