First Mutant's Mutant X Warehouse

Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Karen Cliche (Comics Waiting Room)

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:50:53 GMT

Comics Waiting Room: Karen Cliche

AISLE SEAT EXTRA: KAREN CLICHE
Karen Cliche Could Beat You Up and Take Your Lunch Money… But She’d Give It To A Good Cause. Honest.

It sounds like the plot to a movie: young girl, enthralled by the stage and doing drama productions in school, takes a traditional teenager job in order to make a few bucks. But one day, she serves a Big Mac to the right person and… boom! She’s on the road to a modeling and acting career that will make her an international star. While it might seem like you’ve seen that on a lonely afternoon of watching LIFETIME, actress Karen Cliche lived it. And now she’s kicking ass, taking names, and saving the world… one young girl at a time.

I caught up with Karen during a break from filming the Sci-Fi Channel’s new FLASH GORDON series. She plays Baylin, a bounty hunter from Mongo who’s deadlier than Lindsey Lohan behind the wheel of a car. She had been shooting until 5 a.m. the afternoon we spoke, but you wouldn’t have known it; she was charming, energetic, and full of excitement about her current role and her charitable work. Fatigue? Not in this actress’ vocabulary.

MM: How did you get involved with FLASH GORDON?

KC: One of the writers, James Thorpe, is someone I’ve worked with before (YOUNG BLADES, ADVENTURE, INC.) and he brought me up to the producers. I auditioned for Dale, actually. Then I sent in a tape for Baylin and was cast, and started filming soon after.

MM: Baylin is described as a bounty hunter from Mongo. What does a bounty hunter from Mongo do? Do you have special weaponry or a new fighting style for the role?

KC: When I’m introduced, she’s working for Ming. Baylin was orphaned at a young age and winds up in her position, but she’s not a bad person. She’s someone who does what she has to do to survive. I carry an “IP”, which is a laser-type gun that knocks people out, and a foot-long knife. It’s all very physical. But I didn’t have to do a lot of training, thanks to my background and work in other shows (like MUTANT X and ADVENTURE INC.). Here, I only average about a fight an episode, compared to ADVENTURE INC. where I’d average three. This is down for me! (laughs)

MM: You’ve worked all over, but you were born in Canada (in Quebec), and now you’re back filming in Canada (Vancouver). Does that make you feel more comfortable on the set?

KC: Oh yes. I’ve been lucky to stay in Canada for much of what I have done. I’m in love with Vancouver; it’s one of my favorite cities. And it’s such a great city to shoot in: it has forests, landscapes… they sub in great for Mongo. And that cuts down on the green screen time.

MM: What kind of a relationship do you have with sci-fi?

KC: I’ve done a lot of sci-fi, which I love. I tend to prefer comedies, actually, but the more I play regular human roles, the more it almost becomes boring! Actors want to stretch their imaginations. “How do I play an alien?” It’s fun and exciting.

MM: Following up on that, looking at your credits list, you’ve done a lot of genre work in general. What makes you comfortable with these types of roles?

KC: Genre stuff came to me naturally, mainly because I like to be challenged. I’ve played a vampire, musketeer, aliens… playing something that doesn’t exist let’s you play. You also want the audience to enjoy it. I hope to do genre stuff for the rest of my career! Also, on set when shooting, actors root for the fans because we know what they want to see. It makes the job easier when we know.

MM: When you’re working on an effects-heavy project, what do you need from a director in order to make it interesting for you?

KC: With FLASH GORDON, the pilot uses a lot of green screen, but there’s not a lot on the show itself. It’s easier and better when you’re walking through real sets. Everybody works hard to create a reality- you want the real thing. But when you have to fake it, you hope there’s a director explaining exactly what you’re supposed to see. Shapes, location… But on some other projects in my career, the information has been bad, and the project hasn’t come out as well as you’d hope. What it all comes down to is using your own imagination and acting skills. Again, with FLASH, it’s (mostly practical), including all real makeup.

MM: You’re very smart, and at one point early in your life, you went to university to study psychology. If you had completed your degree, what do you imagine you’d done with it?

KC: My end goal was always to help people, especially disadvantaged women and children. To be a good actor, you have to be a good observer. What greater platform could you have than in having one where you can get people to listen to you? Acting has helped things work out perfectly for me. (She could have used her degree and helped people in that way, too, but) any of us who have that (larger) platform… if you can use it…

MM: On that subject… you’re very charitably inclined. Talk a little about your work with organizations like World Vision and others, and how people can get involved.

KC: I work with several organizations helping disadvantaged women and children all over the world. Issues like sexual slavery, child prostitution… when you open your eyes, there’s a lot of injustice and horror going on around us. I’m devoted to doing what I can. Through World Vision, I sponsor two young girls in Asia. One of them, her village just became self-sufficient for the first time, which is proof that it works. I’ll be sponsoring a young Indian woman next. I also support Equality Now, which focuses on sex slavery and sex trafficking. Anything I can do to help change the status of women around the world, I’ll do. You can see a list of all the groups I support at my website.

With that, we wrapped our interview. Karen did mention that next year the cast anticipates being at Comic-Con for the first time, which drew a slyly sinister laugh from me. Her response was to ask me why everyone laughs like that when she tells them that, which got a good laugh out of us both. It was a pleasure to chat with her; not only is she one of the toughest women gracing TV screens these days (and how on Earth did she never find her way into a GALACTICA episode- she’d fit in so well!), she’s also one of the most compassionate. A winning combination, indeed.

Marc Mason

Mutant X Interviews Transcripts: Howard Chaykin

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:58:36 GMT

SciFi Wire 2/01: Howard Chaykin

Mutant X To Have An Edge

Howard Chaykin--executive consultant on the upcoming syndicated TV series Mutant X--told the Comics Continuum Web site that the show will be more than a superhero series. Chaykin is a veteran of both comics and TV and recently signed on to the Tribune Entertainment series, which premieres in October.

"If you know comics, you know my stuff," Chaykin told the site. "You know that I'm not interested in doing ground-level, mass-market, mainstream stuff. One of my jobs has always been to maintain the cutting edge in comics. I think I've done a pretty good job with that. And we'll do the same thing here, I think. One of the reasons I'm doing [Mutant X] is because of what I bring to the table, which is a long-standing career in comics and a long-standing career in television."

Chaykin said designs for the show's characters are in the beginning stages. Shooting of Mutant X will begin in June in Toronto.

© SciFi.com

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Chick Reid (Nicole Carter)

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:10:18 GMT

The Peterborough Examiner 2/2/08: Chick Reid (Nicole Carter in "Blood Ties"

Warkworth actors

Chick Reid and Tom McCamus aren't exactly new to Warkworth but the actors, formerly from Toronto, think it's time to spend one summer at their century farmhouse in this Northumberland County community. The area isn't exactly foreign territory for Reid. Her parents Nan and George Reid live in Ennismore. She has a sister in Peterborough. They also have a cottage south of Dummer Lake.

Reid has played major roles for seven seasons at Stratford, four seasons at Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake and was a core acting member for four seasons at Theatre Plus Toronto. Her Broadway credits include Much Ado About Nothing and Heartbreak House. She has appeared at the famed Actors' Theater of Louisville, Kentucky.

McCamus has starred in Canadian theatres. In the CBC film Waking Up Wally he played Wayne Gretzky's father struggling to recover from a stroke and won a Genie Award for his performance in I Love A Man In Uniform. He was nominated for Long Day's Journey Into Night with William Hutt and Martha Henry.

Reid said they met New Stages artistic director Randy Read through mutual colleagues and in turn Read asked them to read at his presentation of The Goat at the Showplace Peterborough lounge on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

If they were performing at Stratford this summer, they would have already rented a house there and be there through the end of October.

"It's important for actors to work in other places," said Reid about not being in Stratford this year. "We decided it was time to stay at the farmhouse."

Reid and McCamus moved to Warkworth in the fall of 2000. "We had been looking for a move, to leave the city, and I breed dogs (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers). When we drove down to Northumberland we were taken with the topography.

"It was time to live where we wanted not dictated by work."

They have become involved in the community, including the Warkworth Service Club. Both will be seeing duty in March at the annual maple syrup festival at the Sandy Flats Sugar Bush.

McCamus will be working the sausage grill while Reid said she will be serving.

"We've had issues," she said with a laugh, saying organizers won't trust her with a flipper (spatula).

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Lauren Lee Smith (Macleans)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:40:01 GMT

Excerpt from Macleans.ca 11/18/05: Lauren Lee Smith

Newsmakers of the Week: IF SEX SELLS, LIE WITH ME SHOULD MAKE A FORTUNE

LAUREN LEE SMITH didn't need much of a wardrobe for her film debut, Lie With Me(in theatres Nov. 18). Her character Leila spends a lot of the movie naked and having remarkably realistic-looking big-screen sex -- often with David, played by Eric Balfour.

"I don't plan on playing a girl addicted to sex again anytime soon," says Smith, 25, when asked if she's worried about being typecast. "That could sort of screw me."

Director Clement Virgo -- who adapted the film from the erotic novel written by his wife, Tamara Faith Berger -- straddles the fine line between art and porn. Smith says having a small crew on set made the intensely intimate moments easier: only Smith, Balfour, Virgo and a camera- and soundman were there when the most explicit scenes were shot.

"The camera guy was literally in bed with us," says Smith. "It was sort of like a threesome."

© Macleans.ca

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Non-MX Article Transcripts: Lauren Lee Smith (Vancouver Film Critics Award)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:29:51 GMT

The Alternative Film Guide 2/7/06: Lauren Lee Smith

6th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards - 2005

The 6th Vancouver Film Critics Circle winners were announced at Main Street’s Heritage Hall on February 7, 2006.

(”*” denotes the winner in each category)

Best Film:
* Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Good Night, and Good Luck.

Best Canadian Film:
* C.R.A.Z.Y.
It’s All Gone Pete Tong
Water

Best Foreign-Language Film:
Kung Fu Hustle
* Paradise Now
Downfall

Best British Columbian Film:
Eve and the Fire Horse
* It’s All Gone Pete Tong
A Simple Curve

Best Director:
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck.
David Cronenberg, A History of Violence
* Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain

Best Director of a Canadian Film:
Michael Dowse, It’s All Gone, Pete Tong
* Deepa Mehta, Water
Jean-Marc Vallée, C.R.A.Z.Y.

Best Actor:
Terrence Howard, Hustle and Flow
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
* Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Best Actor in a Canadian Film:
* Marc-André Grondin, C.R.A.Z.Y.
Paul Kaye, It’s All Gone, Pete Tong
Kris Lemche, A Simple Curve

Best Actress:
* Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Laura Linney, The Squid and the Whale
Charlize Theron, North Country
Naomi Watts, King Kong

Best Actress in a Canadian Film:
Arsinée Khanjian, Sabah
* Lisa Ray, Water
Lauren Lee Smith, Lie with Me

Best Supporting Actor:
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giammatti, Cinderella Man
* Terrence Howard, Crash

Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film:
* Michel Côté, C.R.A.Z.Y.
Tygh Runyan, The French Guy
Michael Wilmot, It’s All Gone, Pete Tong

Best Supporting Actress:
* Amy Adams, Junebug
Catharine Keener, Capote
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain

Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film:
Beatriz Batarda, It’s All Gone, Pete Tong
* Danielle Proulx, C.R.A.Z.Y.
Vivian Wu, Eve and the Fire Horse

Honorary Awards: Babs Chula, Larry Kent, Alan Scarfe

© Alternate Film Guide

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Victoria Pratt (Maclean's Magazine)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:07:36 GMT

Maclean's Magazine 4/17/00: Victoria Pratt, on Whoosh!

Victoria Pratt fights mutants for fun
From Maclean's Magazine (Canada), 4/17/2000, by Anthony Wilson-Smith with Shanda Deziel

Science-fiction babes draw huge followings: TV characters Xena the Warrior Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Agent Scully (The X-Files) all have cultish fans. Now, Chesley, Ont., actress Victoria Pratt is confronting such a world with her role as Sarge on Global's new sci-fi series Cleopatra 2525. "The Cleopatra cast went to a convention of Xena fans the day our show premiered," says Pratt, 29, "and people were already there in our costumes. That's dedication."

After appearing on two episodes of Xena, Warrior Princess, Pratt -- who has a kinesiology degree from York University in Toronto -- was offered a part on Cleopatra. The show's stirringly novel premise is that the title character went in for breast-enlargement surgery in 2025 and woke up 500 years later in the presence of two futuristic female warriors who, clothed in rubber outfits, battle mutants. Naturally, the newly augmented siren joins in. "We are three strong women taking on enemies of the future," says Pratt. "I don't think I could fight 20 mutants in chinos and button-down shirt. I have to be in my rubber pants."

© Maclean's Magazine

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Victoria Pratt (Times-Picayune)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:04:17 GMT

Times Picayune 2/1/00: Victoria Pratt, on Whoosh!

A ROSE AMONG FAMOUS THORNS; OUR MAN AT NATPE BRAVES THE WILDERNESS THAT IS A TV INDUSTRY CONVENTION
01-31-01. From The Times-Picayune, 02/01/2000, by Chris Rose:

...[Jerry] Springer. Now this guy's a trip. He works the floor like a politician himself. He greets everyone, slaps backs, shows up early and stays late. He is a walking photo op, and he loves to schmooze other celebrities. And women. Working the floor, he stalks around like a cross between an autograph hound and a hunting dog.

This boy is Grrrrrl Crazy!

He approaches the cast of " Cleopatra 2525, " three young and telegenic actresses in costumes that are a cross between "Barbarella" and "Land Before Time."

"Hi, I'm Jerry Springer, " he says to them, all smiles and arm-around. They joke that he should come on their show and break up the fights. "I'll break it up if you all start fighting right now," he says and I swear he laughs just like Woody Jenkins.

" Cleopatra 2525" is a syndicated show that premiered last week. The plot centers on a 21st century stripper who goes in for breast implants, slips into a coma and wakes up in the 26th century, 2525, to be precise. There, in the future, she fights evil, or something like that.

Jennifer Sky is the actress who plays the stripper Cleopatra and I ask her about the show's concept. "It's a catchy starting point for the show," she says. "A catchy way to get me into the future."

Indeed. "It's a McGuffin," says co-star Victoria Pratt. We all look at one another and realize nobody knows what a McGuffin is -- not even Pratt -- but we think it's a television industry term for "catchy starting point."

"Don't ask me," Pratt says, shrugging. "I have a kinesiology degree."

The more time you spend at this convention, the looser your grasp on reality becomes.

© The Times Picayune

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Non-MX Article Transcripts: John Shea (A New Life)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:42:42 GMT

Roger Ebert 3/25/88: John Shea

A New Life
BY ROGER EBERT / March 25, 1988

Cast & Credits

Steve: Alan Alda
Jackie: Ann-Margret
Kay: Veronica Hamel
Mel: Hal Linden
Doc: John Shea
Donna: Mary Kay Place

Paramount Presents A Film Written And Directed By Alan Alda, And Produced By Martin Bregman. Photographed By Kelvin Pike. Edited By William Reynolds. Music By Joseph Turrin. Running Time: 105 Minutes. Classified PG-13.

Be careful what you ask for. You might get it.

- Old saying In an early scene of "A New Life," a wife presents the case against her husband: "You leave home at 7 o'clock in the morning and you get back home in time for the 11 o'clock news, which you watch." Their marriage has been over, she says, ever since their daughter left for college. Now she wants out. Her husband protests that he loves her, to no avail. She wants a divorce so bad she even lets him have the Knicks tickets.

Time passes. Wounds heal. She enrolls in school. He makes money in the stock market. Neither one of them finds anybody new. One day, she suggests that they bring each other to a singles' party. He agrees.

What the hell. At the party, he gets into a fight and leaves early. She meets a handsome younger sculptor (John Shea) who seems recycled right out of the Alan Bates role in "An Unmarried Woman." A little later, the husband has an anxiety attack that feels like a heart attack, and when he goes to the emergency room and feels the hands of the woman doctor on his body, his heart goes hippity-hop.

And that is the setup for "A New Life," Alan Alda's slice of life comedy about divorce and relationships. The ironies are easy to spot.

Alda's ex-wife (played by Ann-Margret with luxurious sensuality) wants a man who will pay attention to her, and she gets more than she bargained for - an obsessive, compulsive control freak. The Alda character just wants to find another woman he can love, but he gets more than he bargained for, too. The doctor he eventually marries (Veronica Hamel) doesn't want to simply love and be loved, she wants a baby, and her biological clock is ticking. And so Alda, to his intense confusion, finds himself a father again, in his 50s.

"A New Life" shows us two new lives, or even four, depending on how you count, and that's a refreshing change. This genre of movie usually follows only one of the partners after the split-up. In its willingness to give equal billing to the Alda and Ann-Margaret characters, however, it rushes ahead into their adventures as newly single people, and that creates a question that overshadows the whole movie: Why did they split up in the first place? We believe her when she says her workaholic husband spent all of his time on Wall Street. But we can see throughout the movie that this man and this woman are better suited to each other than to the new partners they so hopefully embrace. What's the problem? Why is Alda incapable of altering his lifestyle for his wife of 25 years, only to change everything - even becoming a new parent - for his second wife? The movie doesn't avoid this question, it just never answers it.

The real answer may be that there is no story if the couple stays together. All happy families are alike, but only an unhappy family is interesting at the box office. What we get, then, is a series of interesting scenes, well-acted, sometimes funny, sometimes exciting and sometimes very moving - but all of them unnecessary. Take, for example, the movie's emotional high point, when Alda is at last able to overcome his squeamishness to be with his second wife when she delivers their baby. This is a powerful scene, but it still leaves one question unanswered: Why are they married to one another? What's best about the movie are its many moments of close observation, which are easy to identify with. After Alda develops a crush on Hamel, for example, she plays slightly hard to get, and when she finally agrees to go to a Knicks game, he lets out a whoop of glee.

(Is part of his joy inspired by the knowledge that he will not have to miss the game for the date?) The breakup of the relationship between Ann-Margret and the possessive sculptor is dramatized in a scene where she boards a plane for a conference in Washington, only to find him in the next seat. "I thought I'd come along," he says. "Isn't this a great surprise?" The look on her face is indescribable.

Other good moments are provided by the relationship between Alda and Hal Linden, as his business partner and best friend. Linden is an unreconstructed male chauvinist bachelor, still chasing skirts at 50, utterly convinced that marriage is a jail and men are the prisoners. He has lines so cheerfully sexist that they peal with the ring of truth. A parallel relationship between Ann-Margret and her best friend (Mary Kay Place) is not quite so entertaining; their conversations run more toward sincerity than cynicism.

Like "Four Seasons," his debut as a writer-director, "A New Life" is Alda's version of various rites of passage. His ambition is not to bring anything new or revealing to his subject matter, but to see it as it is. If you told him you recognized all of the characters, that would be a compliment. The result is a little hard to evaluate. Alda's purpose is to show us fairly typical people going through fairly typical things. They live, we watch. On that voyeuristic level, the movie works.

© Roger Ebert

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: John Shea (Backstage)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:19:16 GMT

Backstage 2/18/00: John Shea

FACE TO FACE: John Shea - Playing a Wounded Idealist
By Simi Horwitz
Publication: BackStage
Date: Friday, February 18 2000

In Nancy Hasty's play "The Director," a work that could easily be dubbed, "The Theatre's Heart of Darkness," actor John Shea plays the title role, a tyrannical, borderline personality, who truly believes he is creating cutting edge theatre. Totally disarming (he admits he is a bastard), he manipulates his hapless actors into playing a series of horrific acting exercises that become progressively more deranged and ultimately spin out of control.

Still, Shea will not concede that Peter, his alter ego in "The Director," a play that opened Off-Broadway, at the ArcLight Theatre, Feb. 15, is an abuser (to use current jargon). "Yes, he believes the end justifies the means. But I'm not sure you can call someone abusive if that's not his intention. And I don't think Peter is a sadist, although he flexes his muscles with impunity.

"I see him as a wounded idealist, doing whatever he has to do to fulfill his artistic vision," the 50-ish Springfield, Mass., native emphasizes. "I believe he is gifted. He gets his actors to be real. But his problem is one of degree. It's all or nothing. He has no room for compromise. He is an adrenaline junkie, but has no self-regulator. He can never hold his companies together [indeed, he is working as a janitor] and has no idea why. He has backed himself into a corner. He's crying out for help."
Having cast Peter, a bonafide brute, in a poignant light, the intense Shea-with whom we meet at the ArcLight Theatre before a preview performance-acknowledges that he (Shea) has been traumatized by teachers and directors that resemble Peter. "There's nothing worse than being at the mercy of these people who can fire you from jobs or expel you from school. They browbeat you so much you clam up, and the creative juices shut down.

"I did not use them as the models for this role," Shea remarks. "But they taught me what I didn't want to be as a director. To me, a good director is one who creates an atmosphere of trust where actors feel free to fail without fear of being belittled."

Directing and Acting

Shea is thinking a lot about directing recently and not simply because of his current role. Although, he is best known as an actor-he has appeared in all media and rolled up a host of awards-he has launched a career as a film writer and director.

His next film project, "Junkie Priest," based on the complex life of Father Dan Egan has special meaning to Shea. After all, the beloved priest-one of the first in New York to create halfway houses for junkies and prostitutes-died only hours before our meeting of a massive cerebral hemorrhage at age 86. He had become Shea's personal friend. "I really hoped he would live to see the movie."

Shea points out that he is drawn to dark, complicated, and contradictory characters that "I can both identify with and not identify with. That's the challenge. Like Peter, I understand what it's like to have a vision and then try to make it happen. I don't identify, however, with his bullying methods. I know when enough is enough."

Shea prepares for his nightly emotional rollercoaster by "carefully re-reading the play before each performance. I do physical and vocal warm-ups and yoga. I also crawl around behind the stage sweeping and cleaning up. I want to go onstage feeling proletarian and unwashed."

Onstage, his private exercises continue. "When the play starts, I'm reading the Chinese Book of Changes [the audience can't see that]. Peter is searching for answers. I believe he has just read, "Don't Waste Time on Trivial Pursuits,' when there's a knock on his door and the playwright enters. He sees her presence as part of a fateful design and everything flows from that."

Unusual Beginnings

The son of a teacher-cum-principal-cum-school superintendent, Shea recalls having dual ambitions as a youngster; indeed, he was torn between becoming-improbably enough-an artist or a priest. "I went to Catholic school, I was an altar boy, I spoke Latin, and thought being in an order was very brave. At the same time I painted, wrote poetry, and played the piano. I also played track, football, and baseball."

Shea gave up the idea of joining the priesthood during a summer in Nantucket, his senior year in high school. "I discovered sex, drugs, and transcendental meditation." At Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine-he was admitted on a debating-football scholarship-he majored in political science, thinking he'd serve as a diplomat. "I liked the idea of being paid to travel."
The turning point occurred in his sophomore year when he played Benedick in the college's production of "Much Ado About Nothing." He was hooked and switched his major to theatre. "For me, theatre was the perfect synthesis of everything I had done up until that point."

Following graduation, Shea was accepted as an M.F.A. acting student in Yale's School of Drama and after one year of "hating it" moved into the directing department. For starters, he recalls, the most interesting teachers at Yale-like the late novelist Jerzy Kozinski, set designer Ming Cho Lee, film critic Stanley Kaufman, and film directors Arthur Penn and Sidney Lumet-were not available to the acting students. "The acting students' lives were totally prescribed and studying with those artists was not included."

More serious were some of the acting teachers Shea encountered. "I was tortured," he says frankly. "One of the instructors, in particular, was malicious and sadistic. I wanted to leave. Robert Brustein, who was the dean at the time, didn't want me to leave. He said he'd make a deal with me. It was OK with him if I majored in directing as long as I continued to act for him in the Yale Rep and the Yale cabaret. And I did."

Still, when Shea graduated Yale-directing degree in hand-he launched his career as an assistant director at the Chelsea Theatre. His stint at the Chelsea serendipitously brought him back to acting. Indeed, it's the stuff of fairy-tales.
"I was helping to cast the play, "Yentl,' and part of my job was to read with the actors who were auditioning," Shea remembers. "Director Bob Kalfin who was watching me read finally said, "I think you are my lead,' fired me as his assistant, and 500 actors later, I was cast in the part and headed to Broadway."

For his Broadway debut, he earned a Theatre World Award. More stage work followed, including A.R. Gurney's "American Days" (Drama Desk nomination), "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination), and most recently, "How I Learned to Drive" (with Molly Ringwald). Among his 35 films are starring roles in Costa-Gavras' "Missing," and Alan Alda's comedy, "A New Life." On TV, he starred in "Baby M" (for which he garnered an Emmy) and in "Kennedy," starring Martin Sheen, among many other TV productions.

Shea has been one of the fortunate few, working steadily as an actor for the past 25years-plus. Still, there have been some dry periods, not that he didn't put them to good use, returning to writing and directing.

Creative Energies

"I was living in L.A. and for six months, there was a creative downturn [translation: he was unemployed as an actor]. What do you do with your energies when you're not acting?" he asks rhetorically. "When I started writing I had a reason to get up each day, and for the first time, I was not at the mercy of some producer. Yes, once you start submitting your scripts (or films) you are at the mercy of others, of course. But at least during the writing phase, you're in control of your day-to-day destiny."

He stresses that he doesn't write just to give himself parts, although the kind of scripts he likes to write are also the kind he enjoys acting in. "Certain themes interest me: love, death, loyalty, betrayal. And I find myself wanting to write about characters who have to run an emotional gauntlet in order to achieve a bitter truth at the end."

His first feature film, "Southie," which he co-wrote and directed, went on to win Best Independent Film at last year's Seattle's Film Festival. Distributed by Lion's Gate, "Southie" describes a family reunion, awash in dysfunction, at a wedding in Boston's South End. As noted, Shea's next film, which he wrote, will direct, and star in is "Junkie Priest" " I never became a priest. But now I'll play one."

At the moment, however, his thoughts are focused on "The Director" and his hope that it will talk to audiences from all walks of life, not only those in the arts. "Tyrants who believe the ends justify the means can exist in any business: the exacting doctor in a teaching hospital or the bottom-line-oriented corporate chairman."

Having said that, he admits the guru in the arts is treading a more delicate balance than the businessman precisely because the arts are a grayer, more ambiguous area. Unlike the business tyrant in search of the bottom line, the director's response to whether the actor is scoring is subjective. And his disciples are in a heightened state of vulnerability. After all, their beings are on display. The emotional risks are greater, Shea acknowledges.

"When you put yourself in the hands of a director like Peter, you're sublimating yourself, and have to trust it's for the greater good. You obviously hope it will open career doors and, if nothing else, make you a better actor. But you may not always be sure. As a result you can easily find yourself in a whirlpool of hope and insecurity."

Considering Peter, Shea says, "He is a controversial and ambiguous figure. I hope audiences will see that he can be well-meaning and mad, doing the wrong things for the right reasons, and the right things for the wrong reasons. I hope that at the end when the actors abandon Peter, the audience wonders if they'll come back. I believe they will return."
What a bone-chilling thought! q

"To me, a good director is one who creates an atmosphere of trust where actors feel free to fail without fear of being belittled."

John Shea

© Backstage

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MX Article Transcripts: 8/15/02 4RFV.co.uk

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:49:54 GMT

4RFV.co.uk 8/15/02

Cheerful Scout produces 'Mutant' menus
15 August 2002

A 3-Dimensional DNA strand is just one of the many striking features on the DVD menus for US sci-fi drama series 'Mutant X'.

The menus were created and designed by Cheerful Scout for The Contender Entertainment Group and appropriately suggest the feel and tone of the show.

The 'Mutant X' series stars John Shea (Lex Luther from 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman') as a billionaire scientist who provides sanctuary to mutants. After 50 years of genetic experimentation, the resulting mutants are being hunted by people wanting to exploit their superhuman abilities.

In keeping with the title sequence for the show, as well as the plot of the series, Cheerful Scout¹s DVD menu designs for Mutant X play on images of chromosomes and DNA and were created by Cheerful Scout¹s Creative Director Peter Litten.

The DNA strand was created using Cinema 4D, the main graphics and chapter points using After Effects and Photoshop, and the footage within the boxes was edited offline on Media 100 and edited online and composited using 844/X.

The Mutant X DVD is scheduled for release on September 23rd 2002 by The Contender Entertainment Group on its Kult TV label.

(GB)
4RFV.co.uk

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: John Shea (Bates)

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:37:12 GMT

Bates University: John Shea

John Shea '70: Actor, Freelance

Known for playing Bobby Kennedy in the Kennedy television mini-series, John Shea, '70 has gained much experience across the Broadway/Hollywood spectrum. Shea considers his performance in the motion picture Missing to be his best work and in fact, turned down many roles thereafter. "They [the roles] weren't worthy successors," he explained. "I existed that way for many years. Then I realized I may only get to make one great film in my life. It doesn't happen very often."

Shea's track record also includes starring in the sitcom W.I.O.U., as well as in the film The Windy City. He additionally earned the Emmy Award for his performance in the mini-series Baby M.. In retrospect, though, Shea expressed unhappiness with the role he portrayed. "Hollywood will typecast you in a beat," he cautioned. "It's part of the Hollywood reality."

Elaborating on this concept, he distinguished theatre from film and television. "Theatre is like mountain climbing. It's not something you can do everyday, but when you do it, there's nothing like it," he commented. However, unlike the stage, "Hollywood is a commercial reality," explained Shea. "It's how you combine business and art without compromising your artistic values. It's a matter of whether or not you can sell tickets to survive," he added.

A drama and speech major at Bates, Shea attended Yale Drama School for three years. He felt that the "psychological difference" between Bates and New York City was too intense. "I needed more training," he stated. "And New Haven was the perfect bridge."

After Yale, Shea acted in various Broadway productions. Preparing for the male lead in Yentl, he once disguised himself to study the lifestyle of rabbis in Brooklyn. "I had to transform my Yankee wasp personality to a Hasidic Jew. That was the play that convinced me that acting was a fully satisfying, creative experience," affirmed Shea.

Since his beginnings with Broadway , Shea has acted in approximately 20 films throughout the world in countries such as Mexico, England, Spain, Germany and Israel. He advised young performers to be prepared for the "hard truth, business side" of acting. He emphasized the will and ability to "juggle" roles. "You always have to keep them guessing," said Shea.

by Beck Shoenfeld: from Career Compass, Vol. 1, No. 17

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MX Article Transcripts: 9/30/01 Zap 2 It

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:17:06 GMT

Zap 2 It 9/30/01

TV Feature Story Monday, Oct. 1
(Sunday, September 30 10:00 PM)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -

"Mutant X"
Syndicated, Check Local Listings

You know those ads from the dairy farmers whose tagline is "Ahh, the power of cheese" ? They'd be a good fit on "Mutant X."

The syndicated sci-fi offering was the subject of a lawsuit earlier this year in which 20th Century Fox sued producer Tribune Entertainment (whose parent company also owns Zap2it.com), claiming "Mutant X" too closely resembled Fox's "X-Men" movie. This shouldn't be too surprising, since Marvel Enterprises -- home to Marvel Comics and the long-running "X-Men" comic book series -- is also one of the producers of "Mutant X."

The series does, in fact, tell the story of a group of young mutants who fight evil while trying to find their place in a world that fears them. See, they're creations of a secret government project called Genome X, and the project's former chief scientist, Adam (John Shea, Lex Luthor from "Lois & Clark" ), has formed Mutant X to fight the evil that lurks within Genome X.
Of course, the nefarious head of the project, Mason Eckhart (Tom McCamus), wants none of that and launches a program to round up the "anomalies."

The cheese factor -- Eckhart bears a striking resemblance to Andy Warhol -- and the bad-funny dialogue are there, as you might expect from a syndicated show. If you like that sort of thing, "Mutant X" is a perfectly pleasant way to use up an hour.

© Zap 2 It

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MX Article Transcripts: 10/14/02 Zap 2 It

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:13:32 GMT

Zap 2 It 10/14/02

'Mutant's Standing By
(Sunday, October 13 10:00 PM)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -

Sure, "mutant" isn't exactly a complimentary label, but the powers that go along with it can be pretty cool. Ask Victoria Pratt and Victor Webster, who play Shalimar Fox and Brennan Mulwray on the syndicated series "Mutant X."

Shalimar's blend of human and animal DNA makes her super fast, very agile and kind of cat-like. Brennan can generate electricity with his own body -- enough so that he send bolts of it shooting from his fingertips.

Want to know more? You have until 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Oct. 16 to send Victor and Victoria your questions. What's their favorite power? What's their favorite episode? What's going to happen in Season Two? Zap2it will pass them along and they will answer their favorites.

Keep checking our Features section to find out what they said.

© Zap 2 It

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MX Article Transcripts: 5/13/02 SciFi Weekly

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 05:54:08 GMT

SciFi Weekly 5/13/02

On Screen: Mutant X Season Finale

A new villain is in town, the mutants' powers are mutating further, and things will never be the same

Mutant X

"A Breed Apart"

Starring John Shea, Victor Webster, Victoria Pratt, Lauren Lee Smith, Forbes March

Directed by Brad Turner

Written by Howard Chaykin

Syndication

Premieres the week of May 13

By Kathie Huddleson

Mutant X winds up its first successful season in syndication by introducing a new villain. In "A Breed Apart," a young woman runs through an empty building trying to escape her pursuers. Just as the woman is about to be captured, Mutant Xers Shalimar (Pratt) and Brennan (Webster) seem to come out of nowhere to save her.

However, they soon discover they are going up against other powerful New Mutants, and when Brennan's power suddenly catapults him into the air, the two retreat, having to leave the woman behind. Adam (Shea) soon discovers that Brennan's power is changing. In fact, all the New Mutants are having a "growth spurt" that has increased their powers, but in unpredictable and strange ways.

At Genomex headquarters, Mason Eckhart discovers Gabriel Ashlocke (Michael Easton) has escaped. Mason orders his people to recapture or kill him. Gabriel is Patient Zero, the first and most powerful New Mutant ever created, because he has multiple powers.

Gabriel was imprisoned as a child and through the years he has developed a following. Now the members of the organization known as The Strand are ready to follow him without question. The Strand's mission is to become an alternative to Mutant X, a place where New Mutants can go to find "their rightful place in the world."

When Adam discovers that Gabriel has escaped the Genomex, he knows it means trouble for Mutant X as well. Adam was there in the beginning and he understands what Gabriel really is: a sociopath who believes he's a god. Now, after years spent in a GSA-induced coma, Gabriel is more than ready to take what he believes is his rightful place in the world, especially if it means destroying Mutant X and taking over the GSA.

Eye candy of consistent quality

Mutant X has enjoyed a wonderfully successful first year, sparring continually with Andromeda for the distinction of top syndicated weekly hour. In the season finale, "A Breed Apart," the storyline takes a turn, sparking big changes that will continue into next season.

New villain Gabriel Ashlocke, played by Easton, looks to stir up some good trouble for the Mutant Xers, while the character Eckhart is put into stasis so actor Tom McCamus can take a break to do some theater. Next season will see both characters back as they share the villainous bad-guy duty. Since Eckhart is a wonderfully droll villain, it's terrific that the writers discovered a way to keep the character while bringing in some fresh blood.

With the addition of a new powerful villain come stronger powers for the Mutant Xers. As the characters get to explore their powers, it should all lead to bigger badder battles for next season.

Easton, a sci-fi veteran from VR.5 and Total Recall 2070, fits in nicely as the new hot bad guy and is a good addition to the cast. The rest of the regulars, led by Shea, are typically solid, with Pratt and Webster finally getting a chance to explore the attraction between their characters.

Fans of Mutant X should enjoy this big finale. Just like the series, "A Breed Apart" offers pleasant eye candy, plenty of action and very little depth. Mutant X does what it does well. It entertains.

After a big battle over the show's title at the beginning of the season, Mutant X has proven it has its own story to tell and has little, if anything, in common with the X-Men. OK, it might be nice if Mutant X delved a bit deeper into its subject matter, but then it would be a different series. The stories, writing and the tone of the show are all nicely consistent, and few series can say that these days.
— Kathie

© SciFi.com

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MX Article Transcripts: 3/3/03 Zap 2 It

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:34:42 GMT

Zap 2 It 3/3/03

Fox, Marvel Settle 'Mutant X' Lawsuit
Monday, March 03, 2003
10:00 PM PT

Marvel Enterprises and 20th Century Fox have settled a lawsuit over the syndicated TV series "Mutant X."

The suit, which Fox filed nearly 2001, claimed that the show bore too close a resemblance to Fox's "X-Men" movie to be a coincidence. The studio also filed claims against producers Tribune Entertainment (a division of Zap2it's parent company) and Fireworks Entertainment.

Fox and Marvel say they have now "amicably settled their differences," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The suits against Tribune and Fireworks, however, will continue.

In the suit, 20th Century Fox claimed that "Mutant X" violated the studio's exclusive rights to the "X-Men" characters, featured in a hit 2000 movie and a sequel due in May.

In August 2001, a New York judge ruled that the show's producers had violated Fox's rights to "X-Men" by using the title "Mutant X," but didn't force the title to be changed. The judge also turned down Fox's request for an injunction that would have stopped production of the series.

"Mutant X" was recently picked up for a third season. It reaches about three-fourths of the country's TV homes in syndication.

© Zap 2 It

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MX Article Transcripts: 1/30/03 Zap 2 It

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:32:19 GMT

Zap 2 It 1/30/03

'Andromeda,' 'Mutant X' Picked Up
Thursday, January 30, 2003
10:00 PM PT

The syndicated action series "Andromeda" and "Mutant X" will both return for the 2003-04 season.

Tribune Entertainment, which produces both shows, has been pleased with the performance of each series. "Andromeda" can be seen in close to 90 percent of U.S. households, while stations that air "Mutant X" cover 76 percent of the country.

"'Andromeda' and 'Mutant X' are two of the top-performing first-run hours in syndication," Tribune Entertainment president and CEO Dick Askin tells The Hollywood Reporter. "Station general managers are readily renewing both series."

Andromeda," which stars Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules" ) as captain of a spaceship who, after being frozen in suspended animation for 300 years, works to free the universe from the grip of evil rulers. It will enter its fourth season in 2003-04.

"Mutant X" is assured of a third season. It follows a group of genetic mutants who fight for justice while avoiding those who would exploit their abilities.

Tribune Entertainment's parent, the Tribune Co., also owns Zap2it.

© Zap 2 It

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MX Article Transcripts: 8/21/01 Zap 2 It

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:30:49 GMT

Zap 2 It 8/21/01

20th Century Fox Continues the Fight Against 'Mutant X'
Tuesday, August 21, 2001
10:00 PM PT

Twentieth Century Fox isn't ready to give up the fight over "Mutant X." The studio filed new motions Tuesday (Aug. 21) in court seeking to prevent Tribune Entertainment (a branch of the company that owns Zap2it.com) from using "Mutant X" as the title for an upcoming syndicated action series, according to Variety.

Fox's move comes more than a week after a U.S. District Court judge ruled that Tribune's use of the title violated Fox's rights. Despite the judge's ruling, he did not force Tribune Entertainment to change the title. Fox says it had the option of seeking a permanent injunction or monetary damages if Tribune continued to use the it.

In the first suit, the studio had sued "Mutant X" producers Tribune, Marvel Enterprises and Fireworks Entertainment, arguing that the series bore more than a passing resemblance to its 2000 "X-Men" movie. Fox had also filed an injunction calling for the court to halt production on the series, which the judge turned down.

"Fox is confident that it will ultimately prevail," says the studio said in a statement.

Tribune execs were unavailable for comment. "Mutant X" launches the week of Oct. 1.

© Zap 2 It

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MX Article Transcripts: 8/9/01 Zap 2 It

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:28:54 GMT

Zap 2 It 8/9/01

'Mutant X' Just Sounds Like 'X-Men,' Court Rules
Thursday, August 09, 2001
10:00 PM PT

Mutation has never been so coveted.

A legal battle which arose between 20th Century Fox and Tribune Entertainment (a branch of the company that owns Zap2it) over the syndicated series "Mutant X" caused both parties to claim victory Thursday (Aug. 9), reports Variety.

New York District Court Judge Allen Schwartz turned down an injunction filed by Fox to halt production of Tribune's "Mutant X" series. At the same time, he ruled that Tribune's use of the "Mutant X" title violated Fox's rights -- but stopped short of forcing Tribune to change the series' name.

Fox had sued "Mutant X" producers Tribune, Marvel Enterprises and Fireworks Entertainment, arguing that the series bore more than a passing resemblance to its 2000 "X-Men" movie. The producers then counter-sued.

The U.S. District Court "overwhelmingly ruled in our favor [and dismissed] all of the significant claims against Tribune," says Tribune Entertainment president and CEO Dick Askin. "We have always believed that there are no actionable similarities whatsoever between 'Mutant X' and the motion picture 'X-Men.'"

At Fox, VP of litigation Ted Russell argues that Tribune had already altered the nature of the show, which will launch the week of Oct. 1, following his company's complaint. Russell also says that the court said that Fox had the option of seeking a permanent injunction or monetary damages if Tribune continues to use the show's title.

His slightly comic-book-villain-esque warning: "If Tribune and Marvel decide to use the title 'Mutant X,' they do so at their own peril."

© Zap 2 It

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Rocco Matteo

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:10:38 GMT

Excerpt from Lives of the Saints Press Kit: Rocco Matteo

Production Design

‘Immigrants are part of the national fabric of Canada, which makes our drama distinctly Canadian,” points out Martinelli. "Six-hundred thousand of those immigrants originated from Italy, making Toronto the largest Italian-speaking community outside of Italy. LIVES OF THE SAINTS is an Italian Roots,” she exclaims. “Jerry Ciccoritti is the perfect director because he’s had similar experiences as well. We have so many Italians that are working on this show who have gone through similar experiences; they’re bringing out their scrapbooks,” smiles Martinelli.

Concurs Ciccoritti, “Every single department has an Italian, which gives authenticity to the project. Memories were unlocked such as for the scene when Teresa arrives in Canada with her suitcase, the contents – a big ornate gold brocade bedspread – were recollected by the Canadian Italian production designer, Rocco Matteo.”

The story of LIVES OF THE SAINTS takes place in two very different worlds—the superficially idyllic village of Valley del Sol in Italy juxtaposed to the cold rural environment of Ontario," says Matteo, the Production Designer for the Canadian shoot. The early part of the film takes place in Italy where the pink stone village of Macerino in Umbria doubles for Valle de Sol. Set on a hill, the view of the landscape is green, soft and beautiful. Explains Matteo, “Italy represents the central dichotomy of Christianity, the Garden of Eden, green and beautiful. But there are very stringent rules to protect this Garden of Eden. And if you don’t fit into those rules, you could be cast out, as is Cristina. It’s a nice place to live and a hard place to leave, but you will if you have to.”

He observes, “The real crisis of this movie is that the nicest places have the most difficult rules to live by. The rules are there to defend the faith and protect the image of the place at all costs. You must not bring shame or dishonour on the family, even if it means lying and hiding the truth.”

“Lives of the Saints is a landscape picture,” says Matteo. Whereas Italy has shorter condensed distances, in Canada everything is spread out and far away. “We’re treating the seasons as a metaphor. As the family struggles to come to terms with their issues, we’re in winter mode, and working on a resolution to come out of the cold and the dark and into the light. It coincides with the Christian identification with seasons that after Christmas, we come out of

the dark and into the light. It’s not until Mario’s death that the suppressed issues of the family are brought out and are confronted. This allows us to move on from cold winter mode, the dark brown landscape where nothing is growing, and start to see evidence of progress on the farm as we explore a seasonal change.

“Images of Vittorio and Teresa working on the farm bring into focus their history of having worked the land in Italy. The toil associated with ‘cultivation’ shows us a rekindled hope of a better way of life that they might attain,” says Matteo.

The colour palette of cool blues and browns is everywhere, with the exception of Rita’s orbit. “When we encounter Rita in Toronto, we see someone whose had a chance to develop a personality outside of this family, who has her own sense of style, illustrated by warmer colours. She’s been developed as somewhat emblematical of that era when young people were trying to find themselves outside cultural limitations that their parents had imposed on them,” explains Matteo.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER (Canada), ROCCO MATTEO is responsible for designing the Canadian segment of LIVES OF THE SAINTS, filmed in Ontario.

Most recently Matteo art directed reshoots on My Big Fat Greek Wedding and worked as production designer on Seven Arts/Fireworks’ feature film 1-60. He designed the Showtime features Freak City, The Phantoms and The Wharf Rat and the television productions Cheetah Girls, for Disney; Chasing Cain: Face, directed by Jerry Ciccoritti for CBC TV; 22 episodes of Mutant X, 88 episodes of La Femme Nikita in addition to the pilot and four episodes of Disney/Atlantis’ Flash Forward.

As an art director, he worked on the films Rebound, Gotti, The Scarlet Letter, The Stupids and Indian Summer. Among his television credits are Shock Treatment, RoboCop, Matrix and J.F.K. Reckless Youth.

Born in Toronto of Italian immigrant parents, Matteo graduated from University of Toronto with a degree in architecture. He studied at Ontario College of Art for a year and worked for a few years at design firms before becoming a freelancer, executing drawings for opera and theatre sets. From there he segued into film.

© Lives of the Saints

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Happy 2008 from The Mutant X Warehouse!

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:47:43 GMT

From our family to yours, Happy New Year!

Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Forbes March (Soap Opera Weekly)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 16:00:45 GMT

Excerpt from Soap Opera Weekly 4/3/07, on Soap Zone

Forbes on Film

Don’t ask Forbes March (Nash) what he really thinks of the latest film fare. He’ll tell you the unvarnished truth. Hannibal Rising, hated it. The Number 23, bomb. But The Departed rose above the ranks to both astound and disgust him, in a good way. “It made me feel ill, it was so good. Scorsese and brains on the wall! If it makes you feel good, there’s something wrong with you.”

–Soap Opera Weekly, April 3, 2007

© Soap Opera Weekly

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Forbes March (Soaps In Depth)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:59:48 GMT

Soaps in Depth 1/30/07, on Esprit Libre

Baby, You're the Greatest!

Four-mounth-old son Peter isn't the only baby in the life of One Life to Live's Forbes March (Nash) these days.

"They are great kids," raves the star about Carly Simon and Sam Malone Wolfe, who alternately play the role of Jessica and Nash's daughter, Bree. "I try to hang out with the kids a bit before we shoot, so I think we've worked together enough that they recognize me now."

And according to the actor, there's one key element in getting a very young co-star involved in a scene. "The thing is getting kids to look at you while you're talking," March explains. "There are so many distractions on set that the kids are looking around at all the other things going on. But as long as they're looking at you, they'll react to whatever you do!"

So far, the actor's work has paid off in his scenes with the tykes, but March gives them all the credit. "Oh, they have a great temperament," enthuses March. "And they're fantastic little actors."

© Soaps In Depth

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Forbes March (Soaps in Depth)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:58:57 GMT

Soaps In Depth 1/16/07 E-mail Update: Forbes March, on Esprit Libre

Bosom Buddies

As ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Forbes March (Nash) easily explains, just because Nash and Antonio have been spending more time together that doesn't necessarily mean they're fast becoming friends —... yet. "Nash has consistently found himself in situations where he's had no other solution," March says, "and Antonio has come forward with an offer, which Nash has resentfully accepted. Maybe Antonio is doing this for his own self-centered reasons, and it's a power play. But at the end of the day, Nash needs the job."

So can March ever see his character becoming chummy with Jessica's husband? "Nash has a begrudging respect for someone who has continually done good things for him," March offers. "But [the word] 'friend,' I wouldn't use."

Soaps In Depth 1/16/07: Forbes March, on Esprit Libre

Too Cold for Comfort

Will a snowbound Jessica and Nash put Antonio's marriage in a deep freeze?

While the temperature outside quickly drops this week on One Life to Live, things begin to heat up between Jessica and Nash when the two take shelter from a snowstorm. But as Bree's parents strip down and huddle together in order to keep warm, will their natural instincts overtake them...just in time for Antonio to show up?

Winter Wonderland
Nash seems to pick the worst possible time to show Jessica his vineyard, as the two find themselves getting stuck in his car when it begins to snow. "They idle it out of gas," says Forbes March (Nash), "then go looking for a cabin in the hills because Nash drives this way all the time and knows where some cabins are. He gets lost halfway up the hill but finds an abandoned coal mine. So they go into it to seek shelter from the wind and snow."

But things quickly go from bad to worse when the cave's entrance gets blocked by collapsed snow! "Once they get trapped, they pretty much fight the whole time," previews Jessica's portrayer, Bree Williamson. "It's this weird up and down rollar-coaster ride: They have this normal conversation, it escalates into a fight, and either he or she feels bad, so then there's an apology. But there's sexual tension throughout it."

The Good Husband
One pair that experiences a different kind of tension is Claudia and Antonio. And Capricorn's owner isn't too happy when he finds his singer drunk. "He's developed a relationship with Claudia over the months and cares for her well being," explains Kamar de los Reyes (Antonio). "So he wants to make sure she gets the proper care that she needs and talks her into going back to rehab."

Antonio soon realizes, though, that another woman in his life might be in need of help, too -- his wife, Jessica! "He's aware that there's a snowstorm and he's definitely concerned," says de los Reyes. "The first thing that goes through his mind is, 'She's not calling me back; something must be wrong.' But the second thing is, 'Well, at least she's with Nash, and he's not going to let anything happen to her.'"

But doesn't Antonio know what might happen between the two, given their hot-and-heavy past? "He knows the history between Nash and Tess," de los Reyes points out, "but there's no history between Nash and Jessica.

"She told Antonio to trust her," adds de los Reyes about the time Jessica stopped her wedding to speak to Nash. "She asked, 'Trust me, please, give me this one.' And unconditional love is trusting that person not to lie to you. So, that's what he's doing."

Cheek To Cheek
Nash, meanwhile, feels that he and Jessica need to do whatever they can not to freeze to death, so he suggests undressing and using body heat to warm up. "Taking off their clothes is the only way that they will survive in that cave," explains Williamson. "That's why Nash instigated it. And if not for him, they'd die because it's freezing and they're soaking wet."

March does understand, however, that even an innocent act of survival can mean so much more. "Everything that happens between them is tempered and underlined by all this incredible amount of drama that's happening here," he offers. "These two people couldn't buy a chocolate bar at the corner store without there being tension!"

Things reach a boiling point when Nash gets delusional, and Jessica moves in to save him. "He's saying things and going in and out of consciousness," says Williamson, "so there's a moment where she tries to give him mouth to mouth. But he actually starts kissing her, and that's what makes her get up and put her clothes back on."

The Forecast is Hot!
After searching for his stranded wife, Antonio finally finds the fully-clothed pair in the cave. But that doesn't mean that Jessica will be in any rush to tell her husband what she had to do with Nash to survive. "At that point, it's understandable," considers Williamson. "Why would she tell Antonio? They're fine, and [telling] would just be like another knife in his heart; it's more information than he needs to know."

And Antonio is just thrilled that the two are still breathing! "He's completely unaware that something's happened," says de los Reyes. "They are clothed and, for the most part, just acting like two people who are freezing together in a cave."

But March realizes that it's just a matter of time before something even more sizzling happens between his character and Jessica. "Nash is discovering that he has feelings for her," the actor explains, "and it's pretty obvious that Jessica has feelings for him. One or two weeks after the integration, she admitted to Nash that she fantasized sexually about him.... A girl tells you that she's had fantasies about having sex with you, you know you're in like Flynn!"

© Soaps in Depth

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Forbes March (Soap Opera Weekly)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:57:11 GMT

Soap Opera Weekly 10/31/06: Forbes March, on Esprit Libre

Jessica to Nash: Beat It

As Jessica and Antonio's wedding day approaches this week on One Life to Live, Jessica worries just which alter will make it to the altar.

Not only will Nash be at the wedding, he's in it -- thanks to Antonio asking him to be a groomsman. "She was surprised by that," admits Bree Williamson (Jessica). "Antonio didn't consult her. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing."

Jessica tracks Nash down and pleads with him to bail out. "She says, 'Just don't be there, because I can't handle it and I don't think you can either,'" previews Williamson. "She doesn't want any reminder of her feelings for Nash."

Which is exactly why Nash will be there, tux and all. "At that moment," offers his portrayer, Forbes March, "it ceases to be about the wedding. It's about the fact that she comes to him and he's obviously still under her skin. Nash is a scallywag. That he would have an effect on her is far more interesting than any wedding, marriage or birth. He starts pressing her buttons."

And Jessica keeps pressing his. "He's trying to get his head around the fact that Tess is gone," sighs March. "'Wait, Tess isn't gone, Tess is back. But she doesn't love me.' That's the tragedy for Nash."

Which should make the "Does anyone object?" part of the wedding very interesting.

© Soap Opera Weekly

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Non-MX Interview Transcripts: Forbes March (Soaps in Depth)

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:56:24 GMT

Soaps In Depth 10/24/06: Forbes March, on Esprit Libre

Can Nash Forget About Tess?

It would be a gross understatement to say that One Life to Live's Nash hasn't reacted well to Jessica and Tess' integration, which effectively eliminated his lady love. So will he be able to move on with his life? "He is trying to let go of Tess," shares Nash's portrayer, Forbes March, "but then Jessica is always around -- and she's Tess, no matter what anybody says!"

Things are getting so bad for Bree's daddy that he's resorted to hitting the bottle, something that hasn't boded well for those around him. "[The writers] are throwing Nash over the edge," March points out, "and don't know what they are going to do with him. And that kind of works, because Nash doesn't know what he's going to do with Nash, which makes it all kinds of interesting."

But while Nash's fans are hoping that he can pull himself together, is that even possible with something like Jessica and Antonio's wedding on the horizon? "Yeah, I think that would just be so much fun for him," says March sarcastically. "Nash doesn't know what he wants, but he doesn't want to love, or have feelings for, Jessica."

Suddenly, Claudia's seeming like the perfect drinking buddy.

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