Syfy Upfronts 2013 – Adam Copeland talks Haven’s fourth season

Everytime I interview a member of the Haven cast/production staff, I leave with a massive crush. In season one, it was Charles Ardai. Season two, it was Emily Rose. In season three, Eric Balfour. And, now, verging on season four, I’m on the edge of coping with crushing on Adam “The Edge” Copeland (see what I did there?). I can’t wait to interview the Teagues brothers. In our interview he came across as incredibly genial, gentle and charming. I’m going to have to watch old WWE footage, because it’s hard to remember he’s a former wrestler for the most performative league known to man. Although I’ve seen an “edge” in past conference calls/interviews, for the most part he comes across as incredibly interior and cogitative in his Haven press tours. However, the true reason I enjoyed talking to Adam during the SyFy upfronts is because he’s clearly a fan of the show.

If you haven’t caught Haven‘s third season, the finale is a total whiskey tango foxtrot. Long story short, Audrey and Nathan have a son together (based on Nathan’s Quantum Leap roll in the hay with Audrey’s former self, Sarah). Vince heads up the Guard. Nathan shot Agent Howard (keeper of the atemporal barn AND Audrey). Audrey’s some type of energizer bunny whose emotions keep the town safe every 27 years before her love batteries run down and require recharging. Audrey disappeared with Duke and her son into the barn leaving a bleeding Nathan behind while comets destroy Haven proper. Yea. Exactly. WTF.

When I grabbed four minutes with Adam on the purple carpet, he seemed as entranced with the WTF  moments as any fan. He particularly came alive when discussing the plot points and what’s next for the Haven crew. When doing red carpets, it’s easier for me to rock a sound recorder, but this time around, I wished that I’d carried a video camera just to capture his facial expressions. If you watched the finale and felt your face doing various contortions in shock and surprise, Adam’s face magnified that times ten. Surprisingly, unlike most actors breaking into a new genre, Adam doesn’t want to play to type. Yea, he’s a big guy who could break most weaklings in half, but he doesn’t want to play that the rest of his life. In Haven, he enjoys his character’s “tenderness” and wants to push himself craft-wise and outside his range to see what he’s capable of.

I’m always hesitant on directly complimenting actors to avoid seeming disingenuous. However, Adam’s Dwight portrayal surprised me. When they introduced his character in season two, I had no idea who he was, but I enjoyed the character. When they brought him back in season three, I cheered. I always believe acting is a craft you hone over decades of experience. And, you can tell, when you watch certain actors, who spent decades training and who hasn’t. Every now and again, an actor hits the scene with raw talent that you can’t immediately tell s/he hasn’t had years of acting like Person of Interest‘s Kevin Chapman, 30 Rock‘s Grizz Chapman or Haven’s Adam Copeland.