CliqueClack » Brittany Frederick https://cliqueclack.com/p Big voices. Little censors. Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:00:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 Sullivan & Son star Vivian Bang talks the art of the sitcom https://cliqueclack.com/p/sullivan-son-vivian-bang-interview/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/sullivan-son-vivian-bang-interview/#comments Thu, 11 Jul 2013 12:30:29 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=11231 Sullivan & SonThe star of TBS's Sullivan & Son chats about shooting in front of a live audience, the secret of the show's bar and what she loves about acting.]]> Sullivan & Son
The star of TBS’s Sullivan & Son chats about shooting in front of a live audience, the secret of the show’s bar and what she loves about acting.

With all the leaps and bounds being made in television, the traditional sitcom has become a bit of a lost art. TBS’s Sullivan & Son is a half-hour comedy that sticks pretty closely to the mold, including shooting in front of a live audience at Warner Brothers Studios every Tuesday. Star Vivian Bang – who plays Susan Sullivan, the sister of lawyer-turned-bartender Steve Sullivan – recently chatted with me about working in front of the audience and what she enjoys most about acting.

It’s just like doing a live performance or a live stage show.

“Not only do we shoot in front of a live audience but we have two separate shootings,” explained Vivian, pictured above with her TV husband Ken Jeong (Community) and TV brother Steve (Steve Byrne). “First with one group of audience [members] and that one, we hardly stop. We do it as if it’s like a play, so we get like the rhythm of the show. Then in the evening, we have another brand-new audience. And for that one we have a little bit of leeway to stop.

“It’s neat because you kind of have this momentum and this rhythm going. It’s just like doing a live performance or a live stage show. You’ve got that weird pressure but also that extra energy. It’s so neat to get this like immediate approval.”

And once all the filming is done for the day, the faux Pittsburgh bar gets to see some real use. “The bar actually is a functioning bar,” revealed Vivian. “One time Vince Vaughn was there and it was like 3:30 [in the morning] and we were all about to leave!” It’s not uncommon to see the Dodgeball and The Dilemma star on the set: Vaughn serves as one of Sullivan & Son‘s executive producers.

Vivian is a television veteran, who’s appeared in episodes of Better Off Ted, House, Monk, Numb3rs and Sex & The City, and she likes the unpredictability of her chosen career. “Of course I love working,” she enthused. “You never know what to expect. You just don’t know. Every day it’s kind of like a new thing. It’s so rare to do this, to act and to be someone else and to play and have other people that are going to pretend with you.”

What does she watch when she’s on the other side of the equation? You might be surprised. “I love that show Girls. I think Lena Dunham is super-smart. I love like Mad Men. I love Homeland,” Vivian told me. “I love actually more serious things than comedy. I just have this natural rhythm for either tragedy or comedy.”

But there’s one comedy that gets her approval: “Oh, and I love The Mindy Project,” she added.

You can see Vivian in new episodes of Sullivan & Son every Thursday night at 10 PM on TBS.

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Photo Credit: TBS
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You should know about Front of the Class https://cliqueclack.com/p/front-of-the-class-movie/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/front-of-the-class-movie/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:00:53 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=6716 Front of the ClassIt's a beautiful Hallmark Hall of Fame movie that will capture your heart and provoke your mind: here's why you should know about 'Front of the Class.']]> Front of the Class
It’s a beautiful Hallmark Hall of Fame movie that will capture your heart and provoke your mind: here’s why you should know about ‘Front of the Class.’

I should open this column with a disclaimer: I’m not a fan of Hallmark TV-movies. In my past experience, I’ve found them to be flicks that beat me over the head with their intended message, while the actual film itself leaves something to be desired. I say that, however, to prove how great Front of the Class is; not only do I enjoy this movie, but I would venture to put it amongst my favorite films of all time. And it drives me just a little bit crazy when someone tells me they’ve never heard of it.

It drives me just a little bit crazy when someone tells me they’ve never heard of it.

Originally aired in 2008 and based on the book of the same name, Front of the Class tells the true story of Brad Cohen (played perfectly by James Wolk, who went on to his breakout role in FOX’s Lone Star the next year), a man with Tourette’s Syndrome who was determined to become the supportive teacher he never had, no matter how much adversity was placed in his way. As strictly a piece of entertainment, it’s a good one. While there’s no doubt that Brad is going to succeed – this is still a Hallmark movie, after all – the flick holds the audience’s interest because it’s not about whether or not he becomes a teacher. It’s about how he is a remarkable person with, not in spite of, his Tourette’s. That’s something bigger than the usual Character A achieving Goal B.

The movie has a cast that handles the material with respect and doesn’t overdo it. It’s surprising to note that this was James Wolk’s first major role, because he certainly doesn’t act like it. He does a remarkable job of connecting the audience with Brad. He’s got the charisma and charm that Wolk would become known for in Lone Star and USA’s Political Animals, but he’s also adept when it comes to Brad’s frustrations and vulnerabilities. There’s a scene where Brad hits his lowest point, and it’s absolutely gut-wrenching, because Wolk has made us truly fall in love with this man, and we feel what he must feel at that moment. His portrayal of Brad’s tics and twitches comes off as something natural rather than consciously acted, and that also holds true for Dominic Scott Kay, who plays the younger Brad. They’re as spot on as you could ask for.

Patricia Heaton (The Middle), Treat Williams (White Collar) and Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy) make up the supporting cast as Brad’s parents and girlfriend respectively, and they are all equally three-dimensional. They’re not just there to serve Brad’s story, but they all have parts to play and points of view as well. Unlike many flicks of this type, Front of the Class feels completely well-rounded.

It also doesn’t come off as preachy like many Hallmark TV-movies, which is ironic because the message it conveys is one that more people could use to hear. Speaking from experience, the common perception of disabled individuals is that our conditions, whether it’s Tourette’s or something else, are a problem to be overcome. While that’s oftentimes the case, it’s also not entirely true. One thing Brad Cohen’s story elucidates is that any difference – not just a disability – can also provide certain strengths, if we allow ourselves to look at them that way. Part of what makes Brad a great teacher is his Tourette’s, and what it’s taught him. He wouldn’t be the same without it. It’s a seemingly minor shift in thinking, but it can make a world of difference.

That brings me to the biggest reason that I wish more people would see Front of the Class. James Wolk is one of my favorite actors, and there are lots of inspirational movies in my collection, but what makes this tops in my book is that it gives an authentic portrayal of what it actually feels like to live with a disability every day. It’s easy to recount events, but it’s very hard to express the emotions we struggle with: the insecurities, the self-doubt, the determination. This movie does that. Every time I watch it, I can’t help but start crying, because I’ve been there. And the fact that Brad Cohen has been there gives me comfort in return. Front of the Class is a Hallmark movie that gets it right. It’s not only a great flick, but it’s a film that says so many things that need to be heard, no matter who you are.

Front of the Class is available on DVD and also occasionally airs on the Hallmark Movie Channel; check your local listings for upcoming showtimes. For more information on the real Brad Cohen, you can visit his website.

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Photo Credit: Hallmark
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You should know about Jason Clarke https://cliqueclack.com/p/jason-clarke-zero-dark-thirty/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/jason-clarke-zero-dark-thirty/#comments Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:40:47 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=6365 Jason Clarke in Zero Dark ThirtyHe co-stars in Academy Awards' Best Picture nominee 'Zero Dark Thirty' as CIA agent Dan Bradley: here's why you should know about Jason Clarke.]]> Jason Clarke in Zero Dark Thirty
He co-stars in Academy Awards’ Best Picture nominee ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ as CIA agent Dan Bradley: here’s why you should know about Jason Clarke.

In Zero Dark Thirty, you’ll easily spot Jason Clarke hunting for Bin Laden alongside Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain. He’s impossible to miss.

As veteran CIA operator Dan Bradley, the Australian actor serves as a sort of mentor and later, valued contact for Chastain’s Maya Lambert. Dan is one of the first characters we meet in the film, and although he eventually takes a back seat to Maya, he never fades away. That’s because Clarke is one of the sharpest actors working today. Not only does he have the physical presence to be the guy you absolutely do not want interrogating you, but he takes Dan on an arc of his own, creating an empathy for the man as he goes. There’s an interest in what happens to him even when the story is no longer about him. It’s a head-scratcher that Clarke didn’t pick up a supporting-actor Oscar nomination himself.

His performance, however, isn’t a surprise to anyone who has had the pleasure of watching Clarke on the small screen over the last several years. His first major US role was as ambitious Rhode Island politician Tommy Caffee in Showtime’s original series Brotherhood, which ran for three seasons starting in 2006. It certainly didn’t look like it was his first time in the lead. He was fantastic at peeling back the layers of Tommy, revealing to the audience that the so-called ‘good brother’ was as flawed as everyone else. Yet even when he did things that were absolutely infuriating — and there were a few — Clarke’s performance made it so you never stopped caring about him. Tommy never lost his humanity, for better or for worse. Brotherhood was a brilliant series all the way around, and one heck of a way for an actor to make an arrival.

During and after Brotherhood, Clarke appeared in supporting film roles — including working with Michael Mann for Public Enemies and Oliver Stone in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps — but he returned to the small screen in 2011 when he nabbed the starring role in FOX’s The Chicago Code. Playing no-nonsense Chicago detective Jarek Wysocki, Clarke was dynamite. He was a revelation. All of the superlatives used to describe his character were believable because of how he played the part: always confident, with a passion for the city he was sworn to protect and the willingness to punch back on its behalf. At the same time, Clarke again showed us his character’s vulnerabilities. Jarek was undoubtedly a hero, but he was what heroes really are: flawed, not always right, and having to deal with what it takes to fight the good fight. He was as raw and real a protagonist as TV could ever ask for.

It’s no wonder why Clarke has come to the attention of big-name directors like Mann, Stone and Zero Dark Thirty‘s Kathryn Bigelow. He’s a veteran actor who has honed his talent and it shows. He is the entire package: intimidating physicality, but underneath that great talent, especially in finding the heart within any given role. Conflicted politicians, reckless cops and tough-guy government agents are all parts we’ve seen before, but never quite the way Clarke has played them. Each of his characters has been distinct, and every role he takes is somehow memorable. That includes when he’s playing second-string to a deserving Oscar nominee. With its high profile, Zero Dark Thirty should give Clarke the widespread notice that he deserves.

Clarke will next be seen in Baz Luhrmann’s new version of The Great Gatsby, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. Zero Dark Thirty is in theaters now.

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Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures
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Smash season 1 DVD review: lights, camera … and development https://cliqueclack.com/p/smash-season-1-dvd-review/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/smash-season-1-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:56:55 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=6160 SMASH Season 1Season one of 'Smash' started strong but didn't always hit the high note. The DVD edition is pretty much the same: good, but missing that little extra something.]]> SMASH Season 1
Season one of ‘Smash’ started strong but didn’t always hit the high note. The DVD edition is pretty much the same: good, but missing that little extra something.

Season one of NBC’s Smash was an interesting animal. It started strong as one of the network’s most promising pilots, but like many Broadway shows, had its trials and tribulations before it got to its finale. As season two is just around the corner on February 5th, the first one is now out on DVD. The DVD set for Smash is as good as the actual season itself: it has its strengths but it, too, has some room for improvement.

If you didn’t catch the series when it aired, a quick evaluation: season one of Smash is very much a first season; you can see the cast settling into their characters and the writers trying to come up with the next idea, perhaps moreso than other TV shows. There are some things which are great, and as we know now, there were a lot of things that didn’t quite work, because the show got a new showrunner and a cast overhaul during its hiatus. (Which makes watching this DVD set a little different – you’re looking at a version of the series that doesn’t much exist anymore.)

Jack Davenport chews the heck out of the scenery as director Derek Wills.

Here are some of the things that did work: the show brought Jack Davenport back to TV, and he chews the heck out of the scenery as director Derek Wills. He’s a wonderful actor and it’s great to see him in a part that lets him play against his usual type. One can never argue with Anjelica Huston. Broadway veteran Megan Hilty brings her stage presence and great singing chops to the role of Ivy Lynn, although the material she’s given gets a little melodramatic as the season goes on. And Katharine McPhee is plenty charming as Ivy’s competition, wide-eyed newcomer Karen Cartwright, though count me in the camp of folks that don’t necessarily see Karen as the phenom the show wants us to believe she is (yet). There are some good actors here, who get to do huge musical numbers every week, and there’s something really fun about that.

The DVD version of Smash is likewise both good in places but also missing a few things that would’ve made it great. Most importantly, the transfer of the episodes is solid, in both picture and audio quality. It’s not demonstration disc-quality, but it’s a step above broadcast, and should make fans of the show very happy. (To answer the inevitable question: there is no Blu-Ray release planned.)

The selection of special features, once you remove the near-obligatory deleted/extended scenes and gag reel, is very limited. There are two featurettes: one that examines the aforementioned interesting cast, and the other which spotlights the show’s composers and choreographer. The first essentially doubles as the standard ‘making-of’ piece, as it also talks about the origins of the series. There’s actually about as much with the producers as there is with the actors in the less than eight-minute clip. The second is just over seven minutes, and it’s interesting enough, but also feels too short. There’s also an Ultraviolet digital copy of the season, if you’re into that sort of thing.

This is a set that really should have more bonuses, but is likely limited because of all the changes that must have been going on while this release was being developed.

This is a set that really should have more bonuses, but is likely limited because of all the changes that must have been going on while this release was being developed. One imagines that it’s hard to wrangle cast and crew for commentaries when some are departing and new folks are coming in. As much as I’d love to hear why the writers chose to do A instead of B, or grasp what led up to some of these bigger creative decisions, this DVD set isn’t going to shed any light on that – and that’s perfectly understandable for the same reasons that it’s disappointing.

For those of you who loved season one of Smash, you’ll be content with this set, if only because the episodes are handled with care. Yet this production is definitely crying out for a showstopping number.

Disclaimer: This review is based on a complimentary copy, provided to CliqueClack, solely for the purpose of this review.

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Photo Credit: NBC
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Happy birthday, Robert Patrick https://cliqueclack.com/p/robert-patrick-happy-birthday/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/robert-patrick-happy-birthday/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2012 15:00:57 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=3345 Robert Patrick in The X-FilesOne of the industry's hardest-working actors turns 54 today. From 'Terminator 2' to now, a tribute to his awesomeness from a lifelong fan.]]> Robert Patrick in The X-Files
One of the industry’s hardest-working actors turns 54 today. From ‘Terminator 2′ to now, a tribute to his awesomeness from a lifelong fan.

Robert Patrick turns 54 today. This slightly bewilders me, as I still remember being traumatized as a child by the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and nine years later, counting on him to protect me from super soldiers during the final two years of The X-Files. I was a Robert Patrick fan not that long after I was out of the womb, so this calls for some sort of a celebration.

The T-1000 had that unnerving tone of voice and that downright almost violating glare….

The first movie I ever saw was Terminator 2 in 1991, and my first movie memory involves being terrified of the liquid metal guy. I was five (and before you start jumping on my parents, they didn’t know I’d snuck into the room). The T-1000 had that unnerving tone of voice and that downright almost violating glare and I had nightmares that it was going to kill me instead of John Connor. At the same time, though, I was intrigued by the fact that something I knew wasn’t real was having a very real effect on me. (To this day Terminator skeletons still make me uncomfortable.) It was my experience with the T-1000 in Terminator 2 that got me interested in entertainment and made me a Robert Patrick fan.

In the intervening two decades, I’ve seen just about everything Robert has done, and I do mean everything. Ask my friends about how I made them go see Spy Kids with me just because he had a bit part in it. There’s an honestly subpar direct-to-video flick called Perfect Assassins that’s a guilty pleasure of mine as it co-stars Robert and my high school crush Andrew McCarthy. And although I can’t watch it without laughing at his hair, I do own a copy of Double Dragon.

While the projects he’s in haven’t always been keepers, his performances are.

The truth is, while the projects he’s in haven’t always been keepers, his performances are. No matter if it’s villain or hero, comedy or drama, every role he plays still registers somehow. I know that when I see his name in the credits, I can expect at least something that I’m going to remember, even if it’s screaming at my TV because I rented Mexico City only to see him get killed off in less than five minutes.

You’re probably wondering why I went for the picture from The X-Files at the top of this article instead of something more recent, and that’s because I love Special Agent John Doggett most of all. It was Robert’s casting that got me to watch X-Files in the first place, and so I’m a bit biased, but Doggett was the FBI agent I wanted on my side. I loved that he was tough but not cold, strong but also equally vulnerable, and even occasionally witty. I had as much of a crush on that man as you can have on a fictional character. Beyond that, though, I enjoyed watching Robert get to play that role over a prolonged period of time, seeing how the character grew and changed, and all the things I got to learn about Doggett along the way.

I was ready to let The X-Files go after the train wreck that was most of Season 9, but even so, it broke my heart to leave that character behind when the show was cancelled in 2002. I still think about Doggett today, pretending that he’s still with the FBI and continuing to do all sorts of heroic things. I also think it’s pretty cool that the man who played my favorite science-fiction villain is the same one who played my favorite science-fiction hero.

In more recent history, Robert played Colonel Tom Ryan on the CBS military drama The Unit, and I loved what he did there even as sometimes I loathed his character. Now he’s teamed up with Unit creator Shawn Ryan on ABC’s Last Resort, and I’m just glad that I get to see him on my TV again — this time with Andre Braugher, who is also an incredible actor. Every time those two are in a scene together I get chills; that’s just too much awesome for one show.

But beyond all that the Robert Patrick that I’ll remember most fondly is the man himself. Two decades after that moment in my family’s living room, I met him when he was moderating a talk with Hal Holbrook last year. I nervously wandered over, thanked him for all the fond memories, and snapped a picture with him. That was all I’d ever hoped for. To my surprise, when the talk was over, Robert approached me and my friend, shook our hands and thanked us for coming. He told us that he was just going over toward the bar if we wanted to join him. “Did Robert Patrick just invite us to hang out with him?” I asked my friend in disbelief.

And that was how I spent the next hour – just me, Robert Patrick, and three of my friends, standing at the bar, talking about everything from The X-Files to that time he was on Hell’s Kitchen. I was honored that he was so generous with his time and that he cared so much about what we had to say. I’ve gotten a few compliments in my day, but Robert Patrick telling me he liked me is always going to rank near the top of the list. It was honestly one of the best nights of my life. Even as the five-year-old in me still worried, just a bit, that he might kill me.

There’s so much that I have to thank him for, whether it’s getting me interested in movies, or the performances that I’ve enjoyed literally as far back as I can remember, or the fact that he made a childhood dream come true and then some. Even after almost a thousand words, I don’t know how to sum up how great Robert Patrick is, so I’ll just say this: Happy birthday, Robert. I hope that your special day is as awesome as you are.

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Photo Credit: FOX
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Allison Janney tackles a tough subject in WIGS short Celia https://cliqueclack.com/p/allison-janney-wigs-interview/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/allison-janney-wigs-interview/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:00:46 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=2779 Allison Janney WIGSThe 'West Wing' star addresses women's rights in the new web-only short, and talks about her interest in projects with purpose.]]> Allison Janney WIGS
The ‘West Wing’ star addresses women’s rights in the new web-only short, and talks about her interest in projects with purpose.

As White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg on NBC’s The West Wing, actress Allison Janney played a very strong woman. Today, in the new web drama Celia, she’s a doctor dealing with a situation that would challenge even the strongest lady.

Part of the WIGS line of YouTube original programming, Celia sees the title character (Janney) surprised when her friend’s teenage daughter Hannah (Dakota Fanning, The Twilight Saga, Steven Spielberg’s Taken) appears in her exam room and says that she’s seeking an abortion. What’s more, Hannah hasn’t told the father of the child or her own mother – a longtime friend of Celia’s – about her intention to terminate the pregnancy. Celia must decide how to advise Hannah, and if she informs the seventeen-year-old’s parents about their daughter’s situation.

In a recent phone interview, Janney explained that her work in projects like Celia and The West Wing is her way of “being political without being political” — choosing projects that have something to say. In the case of Celia, the scene prompts a discussion on women’s reproductive rights — specifically those of teenagers — without providing a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer.

Beyond Celia‘s message, there were also things that intrigued Janney about the project from an artistic point of view. She said that she wanted to work with her co-star, Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga, Steven Spielberg’s Taken), and appreciated the fact that the piece focused solely on their two characters. Although Hannah’s mother is referenced, only she and Celia appear in the piece written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment).

Unlike many of the previous WIGS pieces, Celia is a short film, not episodic – there’s only one installment, and viewers are dropped immediately into the situation between Celia and Hannah, which takes place entirely within the confines of the exam room. It’s an efficient and yes, thought-provoking piece of storytelling.

In addition to her work on Celia, Janney and several of her West Wing colleagues, including Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff and Joshua Malina, recently reunited in-character for a “Walk and Talk the Vote” PSA to encourage voting on the nonpartisan section of the ballot in November and support Bridget Mary McCormack (sister of West Wing and In Plain Sight star Mary McCormack) for the Michigan Supreme Court. It’s an affectionate nod to the many “walk and talk” scenes popularized by Aaron Sorkin’s TV series, while getting out an important message about voting. (You can view the PSA here.)

The Emmy-winning, Tony-nominated actress also appeared in Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and said she wouldn’t rule out a guest spot on his current show The Newsroom; in fact, she was approached about appearing in the show’s first season, but things didn’t quite come together.

The year before The West Wing, Janney had a supporting role in the 1998 flick The Object of My Affection as Constance Miller, the second wife of Sidney Miller (Alan Alda) and stepsister to Nina (Jennifer Aniston). Playing Alda’s wife was an interesting experience for her, she explained, because she had gone to school with Alda’s daughter Elizabeth. Alda would later appear on The West Wing as the recurring character Arnold Vinick.

Celia is the latest of the WIGS series, which focuses on providing web series aimed at a female audience, and has attracted a sizeable list of TV and film talent. Past WIGS series have included Georgia, starring Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Harold Perrineau, Lauren featuring Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars) and Jennifer Beals (The Chicago Code), and Serena with Jennifer Garner and Alfred Molina.

Celia premieres today on the WIGS YouTube channel. You can check out the trailer in the video below, which also includes the final episode of Maura Tierney’s WIGS series, Ruth & Erica.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLZ9ODSgp5A

Photo Credit: WIGSCO, LLC
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Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Harold Perrineau take to the web with new WIGS series Georgia https://cliqueclack.com/p/mary-elizabeth-ellis-harold-perrineau-interviews/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/mary-elizabeth-ellis-harold-perrineau-interviews/#comments Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:30:45 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=786 02 Wigs_GeorgiaThe 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' actress and 'Sons of Anarchy' actor chat about what it's like to make a series for YouTube.]]> 02 Wigs_Georgia
The ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ actress and ‘Sons of Anarchy’ actor chat about what it’s like to make a series for YouTube.

Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Harold Perrineau are well-known to TV audiences, but their next project is taking them online. They’re the stars of Georgia, the new comedy series from writer-director Marta Kauffman (Friends) that’s the latest series on WIGS — a YouTube channel for original scripted programs that’s attracted the likes of Jennifer Beals, Stephen Moyer, and Jennifer Garner. Georgia debuts its third episode today; you can visit the WIGS YouTube channel to check out all the installments.

In Georgia, Ellis (best known as The Waitress from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) plays the title character, a yoga psychotherapist looking to bring calm into both the lives of her patients and her own. Georgia’s fiancee is Michael, played by Perrineau (who’s guest starring as Damon Pope in the current season of Sons of Anarchy). I recently caught up with Ellis and Perrineau to ask them about the differences between traditional television and web TV, their favorite parts of Georgia, and the people who make them laugh.

What interested both of them in jumping on board for the project? “There were so many things I enjoyed about this project, but my favorite part was the wonderful people involved,” Ellis told me. “I got to work with Marta Kaufman, Harold Perrineau — who I’ve had a crush on since Romeo and Juliet — Jason Gedrick, Nancy Carell, Mark Povinelli, and Rusty Schwimmer as well as an awesome crew and producers.”

Likewise, Perrineau appreciated the people he got to collaborate with. “The highlight for me was finally getting to work with Marta Kauffman,” he said. “We’ve been friends for years, and I loved her work for even longer. Also, I got to meet the fabulous Mary Elizabeth. That was absolutely fun.”

Other than the medium of delivery, Ellis explained that there are some differences between a series you’d see on television and one that’s made for YouTube.

Other than the medium of delivery, Ellis explained that there are some differences between a series you’d see on television and one that’s made for YouTube. “I think there was more creative freedom for Marta in this format because there weren’t as many ‘cooks in the kitchen,’ as they say. There are usually so many people from the studio and network giving input that projects have a tendency to get diluted from the original vision. The fact that Marta wrote and directed made her vision more accessible and clear, I think,” she said. “We, the actors, also had an opportunity to talk the characters out in a way there is not always time for on a conventional set.”

The quality of what they could do wasn’t hampered because of the format. “The sets, hair and makeup, costumes, all of the behind-the-scenes stuff was not really different from any set I’ve worked on — very professional and safe,” she said. Added Perrineau, “Because the budget is a little different, some of the amenities are different, and some of our crew’s ability to move quickly is different, [but] the work is still the same.”

In fact, for Ellis, “My biggest challenge was a personal one. I had a four-and-a-half-month old baby at the time, so I was balancing breast feeding, lack of sleep, and debating whether to bring him to set or leave him at home during the days,” she confided. “It was a very kind set for those challenges, though. I truly appreciate the support I was given from our wonderful producers, who were both mothers, as well as Marta and even the daddies in the cast and crew. I think the transitional phase I was in at that time in my life helped inform my approach to Georgia’s transitional phase, which is the heart of the film to me. ”

With Georgia, the story unfolds over relatively brief installments (episode two is about nine minutes long) so the actors have to build their characters differently than they would with a conventional twenty-two minute comedy. In my previous interview with Ellis, she discussed being a writer as well as an actress, and that’s further informed how she approaches material when she’s acting. “I try to be very respectful of the writer’s words. I always ask if the writer is alright with a little improv here and there,” she explained, “because I know the process of sitting and working so hard to come up with just the right words [and] rhythms.”

Likewise, Perrineau took a similarly collaborative approach. With the role of Michael, “Development of the character really came from conversations with Marta, and what we both decided we’d like to see on screen.”

The size of the episodes aside, the character development definitely came through in the finished product.

The size of the episodes aside, the character development definitely came through in the finished product. “I’m excited about Georgia because, although it is a comedy, there are also dramatic things going on in Georgia’s life so you really get a sense of her as a whole person. Georgia is one of the most fleshed out characters I have played in a while. The piece was exciting for me because of that,” said Ellis. “I also really enjoyed playing a yoga healer because I love yoga so much in my own life and respect what it can do to help people in their lives.”

Photo Credit: WIGSCO, LLC

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Sam Stern, in brief: Martin Starr teases Adult Swim’s NTSF:SD:SUV https://cliqueclack.com/p/martin-starr-interview/ https://cliqueclack.com/p/martin-starr-interview/#comments Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:30:22 +0000 https://cliqueclack.com/p/?p=837 martin-starr2Funnyman Martin Starr gives us a look at his computer-wielding character on the Adult Swim parody series 'NTSD:SD:SUV', which is now in its second season.]]> martin-starr2
Funnyman Martin Starr gives us a look at his computer-wielding character on the Adult Swim parody series ‘NTSD:SD:SUV’, which is now in its second season.

Martin Starr doesn’t say too much when talking about his character on Adult Swim’s NTSF:SD:SUV – after all, that’d be a breach of national security. Starr plays Sam Stern, the tech expert for the super-secret National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle, on the comedy that parodies the glut of TV procedural dramas. Each episode is only fifteen minutes long, so Starr has mastered getting right to the point.

He calls the gig “Pure enjoyment. The feel on set is a lot like making a sketch comedy show.” Who amongst NTSF‘s hilarious cast is his favorite to work with? That’s something he’s happy to declare. “Kate!” he declares, meaning Kate Mulgrew, who dropped by for a chat last month. “The rest of ‘em are okay but Kate wins by at least one million fun points.”

Starr is relatively tight-lipped when it comes to spoilers. “I believe that part of the beauty of watching a show, finding out what’s going to happen,” he says. “But I will tell you that I got divorced and remarried three times this season. In my personal life. Was that the question?”

I do get him to talk about this season’s third episode, “Sabbath-tage,” which sent him out into the field to take on a terrorist who decided to attack San Diego on a Saturday. He tells me that the best part of the Sam-centric episode was “Working with the immensely talented Alison Brie. We almost got married,” he quips. “Dodged that bullet.”

“… working with the immensely talented Alison Brie. We almost got married,” he quips. “Dodged that bullet.”

He’s got a short list of oddball things he’d like to see Sam do next: “Skydive, be the only male at an orgy full of sexy villainesses, skateboard on an airplane, turn back time and fight crime as a baby,” he says. These are not all that implausible, given that past episodes have included Mulgrew’s character Kove getting her own podcast and the city of San Diego being destroyed.

Given that NTSF parodies crime procedurals and action flicks in equal measure, I ask him to name his favorites in either genre. “True LiesFace Off.  It certainly isn’t as amazing as I remembered as a child but it is still pretty amazing.  I mean Woo!  John Woo!” he says, adding that he’s a fan of actor Matt Bush.

When it comes to his other work, Starr tells me that his small role in 2008s The Incredible Hulk opposite Edward Norton was “a fantastic experience,” but doesn’t have a favorite role on his resume. Instead, he advises fans just to “keep thy eyes open; I’m not quitting anytime soon.”

“Keep thy eyes open; I’m not quitting anytime soon.”

And with that, those are all the secrets I can get him to give up. If you want to find out more about Sam, you’ll have to tune into NTSF:SD:SUV, which airs at 12:15AM tonight (or technically, Friday morning) on Adult Swim.

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Photo Credit: Adult Swim
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