The Three Amigos – Haven’s Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant & Eric Balfour

I have a collective crush on Haven’s three lead actors, Emily Rose (Audrey/Lucy), Lucas Bryant (Nathan) and Eric Balfour (Duke). Just as Carla described in her SDCC interview, listening to the Three Musketeers — AKA the Three Amigos AKA three peas in a pod — interact is amazingly awesome. It reminded me of my Community conference calls with Jim Rash/Gillian Jacobs and Alison Brie/Danny Pudi. When you get a group of actors who interact well together, the energy comes across in the interview and on screen. The wryly dry-humored Lucas Bryant joked that Eric Balfour “punches like a girl,” while claiming that playing the curmudgeonly yet emotionally vulnerable sherriff helped him to find and “strap” on his “private parts.” All three joked they could see the writers on the line because they’re on a “sci-fi show” and they can do that. While I almost cried foul when Eric described himself as a nerdy science fiction fan, I realized it explained a lot about his acting choices. But, let’s be honest, no one THAT pretty is into sci fi!

The actors themselves surprised me. I know I shouldn’t be shocked when actors are self-aware; however, all three sounded incredibly smart and dedicated to their characters. During the call, Emily confessed she hates repeating herself in different interviews, which I am grateful for. As a writer, I try to pose questions that haven’t been asked before, but, sometimes, it’s difficult — especially when you just want to ask, “what happens to Nathan and Audrey?” Another item that gained my respect is Emily’s adherence to theatre exercises for building her character’s backstory. A lot of people believe that acting’s merely stating lines and looking pretty, but, if you’ve done any theatre training or taken any drama classes, there are standard drills that help an actor get in touch with her/his on-screen/on-stage self while adding depth to the actor’s portrayal. Emily described difficulty doing the standard 50-character questions that surround a character’s family life, favorite foods and favorite actions. After all, how can you describe your character’s childhood when you don’t know if your character had a childhood, let alone parents? How can you describe your character’s favorite food when it changes, depending on whose memories she cloned? Lucas admitted not knowing much of his character’s backstory or future gave him similar troubles, but he likes it because it forces him to stay in the moment as an actor.

In addition to their incredible comradarie and her usage of standard acting techniques, I liked Emily’s brutal honesty as an actress. As a woman and an on again-off again improv actor, I always hate when TV creates an unrealistic double standard for female characters contrasted with their male counterparts. How many times have you seen a female character get  punched, kicked and pushed into a wall yet  still have practically perfect porcelien skin? While describing the show’s realism and darkness, Emily’s only qualm surrounded the focus on female prettiness.  “I get frequently thrown into fights and as the lady in the show. Everybody’s like yes, she just got in a big fight but with not — no bruises on that face. Not cuts, nothing. You will look pristine at all times. So, I fight for black bruises and all of that stuff … Just let me be bloody.” Eric and Lucas chimed in begging for “just one cut.” Lloyd Segan, the executive producer on the line, tried to steer the conversation back to other questions, but I have to add in my own pleas, as well. Please, please, PLEASE let Audrey look as tore up from the floor up as the male characters after a fight. Come on now, Haven has already broken boundaries regarding writing and acting. Why not keep on that awesome path? Just one bruise, dude, I’m begging you. …

For the third season, Haven will address the continuing troubles, the pending troubled war, and Lucy/Audrey’s disappearance. New troubles will include organ stealing, mind control, and time travel. We’ll also see more Duke and Nathan team-ups (which both actors love). Nathan will kiss someone (else), but the Audrey-Nathan match-up  will satisfy fan urges. While the troubled trinity will undergo difficulties, the crux of the entire show will continue to balance on the core three. Like an angsty teenage couple, they might break up. They might fight. They might yell at each other. But, they will always love each other and they will always get back together. Duke and Nathan’s relationship especially will take a number of turns. Lucas compared it to falling in love, despite their surface nemeses, “I guess it shows many sort of love stories and Nathan and Duke are sort of arch enemies or each other’s nemesis in many ways. But, what really is under that is a great affection for each other.” Eric chimed in calling their relationship When Harry Met Sally, right after they slept together: “I like to think of Nathan and my character’s relationship as sort of like when Harry met Sally. And I think now we’re sort of in the second act of when Harry Met Sally when I think they’ve probably, you know, slept together at this point but it was a little awkward and they’re going to have to now realize how much they actually mean to each other.”