I love, love, love, love, love the Haven cast. They clearly love each other and that comes across in every single conference call and interview I (and other CliqueClack members) have done with them. There are some actors that are so awesome that you don’t even need to interview them. Just put them in a room with each other and press record. The Haven cast are a walking, talking carnival act with Eric Balfour at the helm as the unofficial spokesperson. Adam Copeland might be new to the squad and not as outlandish as the rest of the cast, but he still speaks his mind. With only two episodes left in its third season, this call covered what their characters might want for the holidays and well wishes for the Connecticut families.

At this point, Eric Balfour’s a fledgling Bruce Campbell. However, he uses his brazen charm (in place of Bruce’s brazen personality) to win over his audience. Like Bruce, Eric’s background caters to the sci fi audience. Like Bruce, Eric basically says what he thinks. Like Bruce, Eric loves playing with his audience. He couldn’t stop charming the female (and male) writers on the phone. I think we all collectively swooned every time he spoke. Hell, an entire twitter legion swoons everytime he posts to his feed. In answer to one question he kept delaying the answer with prevarications such as “I’m just saying” …  and “I think” and eventually ending with blatantly random responses like “I enjoy chitty chitty bang bang.” He only hesitated once regarding another interviewer’s question and asked if they wanted the real answer.

What’s the perfect Christmas present for Duke? “A Teddy Ruxpin.” Isn’t it odd that Duke, the lady’s man, the man’s man, and the man about town, is always alone at night? Eric thinks so. What makes Duke and Eric similar? Well, other than their daredevil charm, according to Eric, they have striking facial features, but “Duke’s nose is bigger.” Once again, I love Balfour’s wit, self-deprecating humor (while clearly knowing how pretty he is), and ability to comment on his character and odd script plot holes (‘cus, yea, what woman wouldn’t try to ride Duke’s barge pole if she had the chance?)

He’s against an Audrey-Duke hookup. He likes the “beautiful dance.” Like Emily stated in NYCC, he feels people don’t want what they get. But, unlike Lucas Bryant, he’s an advocate for bringing characters together and ripping them apart. He admitted parts of the show are “cruel” but is really excited for the coming two episodes and discussed Duke becoming a “man.”

The reason I call Balfour the unofficial spokesperson is because he covertly served as Emily Rose’s ID. Whenever Emily wanted to say something, but wasn’t quite certain about phrasing it, she handed the question off to Eric who basically stated it outright. I noticed this in our last conference call and NYCC interview as well. How is she like her character? Emily stated she’s prickly when getting to know people,like Audrey.

During the call, Adam discussed the initially temporary nature of his character. Originally the producers hadn’t  intended Dwight as a series regular. But, he did such an awesome job, of course they had to bring him on. Dwight’s backstory isn’t yet fleshed out. But, he sees the Haven gang as the Avengers. And, he’s right, when you think about it. Audrey’s definitely the Black Widow. As he stated before he loves working with the Teagues brothers and the talents of the individual actors, Richard Donat and John Dunsworth. We’ll definitely see what’s going on with Vince and Dave in the coming weeks.

Haven returns to SyFy on January 9th. Don’t miss the final episodes of the third season!

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I’m secretly crushing on Haven’s Eric Balfour. I know, I know. It isn’t that much of a secret. And, yes, I know, I share that crush with half of North America, the UK, and more. However, here’s the kicker. I’m crushing on Eric Balfour not for his pretty hair, pretty abs or pretty face, but for his pretty mind. I know! I feel like I should hang up my lady parts in shame. I got a feel for Balfour’s intelligence on the Haven conference call at the beginning of September. However, it came across three-fold in the New York Comic Con (NYCC) press room interview with Balfour and Emily Rose.

Before I get into why I’m crushing on Balfour, I have a mini-story to share. I arrived five minutes late to the Haven press room as my Person of Interest press room table went over with Amy Acker. The PR reps at the front desk handed over my name tag and suggested I start at Emily and Eric’s table because the second table was full. Now, here’s the kicker. There was only one space left. It was beside Eric. Unfortunately, there was no chair in the chair-sized space beside him. Here’s the double-kicker. There was no space for me to easily carry a chair. Both interview tables were close together with only a small amount of space for one person to squeeze through. And, as both tables were engrossed in their interviews, I couldn’t exactly ask people to skooch. So, I figured eff it. I will kneel at the table beside Emily and Eric for 10 minutes until time allowed me to grab a chair.

However, Eric Balfour wasn’t having that and offered to get me a chair after I plopped at the table beside him. At that point I felt terrible. I couldn’t let Eric Balfour fetch a chair for little old me. When I’m in the presence of people prettier than myself, I assume they’re incapable of manual labor. So, this time, with more determination, I leapt up and seized an extra chair. Luckily, the second time around, the people at my table adjusted their bodies so I had space to carry the chair over. I noticed a lot of the male actors in the other press rooms were also incredibly solicitous towards the female journalists, but it was still a nice gesture and I thank him for it.

Inexplicably, Balfour’s chair assist isn’t why I’m totally crushing on Duke Crocker’s alter ego; it’s his energy. Balfour has an incredible enthusiasm which is engaging. At NYCC, with his casual white t-shirt, loose silver necklace and inner arm tattoo, he spoke through facial gestures, hand movements and physical, corporeal shifts. It’s slightly captivating when an actor is so active that s/he not only speaks with his/her mouth, but with his/her whole body.

When he responded to my question regarding Duke’s inexplicable horror at Audrey’s mercy kill request in “The Farmer,” Emily gave him a little look. Clearly, he discussed this point ad nauseam and Emily was prepared for the accompanying physical gesticulations. “So, OK. I’m so happy to talk abut this. I read the script of that episode and went ‘I don’t get it.’ I was like ‘why is this a big deal. This make’s no sense to me. You’re wrong. Duke’s killed people before. He is a morally questionable person. This is not a hard choice.’ I was pissed. Then, Sam in his wisdom and Matt in his wisdom said ‘you missed the point. It’s about his choice.’ His whole reality right now is fighting his so-called destiny. It’s not the killing part that’s hard for him. It’s the inability to get out of the maze. The idea that he doesn’t have control of his fate that became really what the turmoil was about.” If you’re interested in seeing his full response to the question, it starts around minute 8.

But, as you can tell, Emily isn’t any slouch in the mental department. To be an actor, let alone a convincing actor, requires determination, talent, professionalism, and intelligence. Emily clearly thinks about items from an actor’s perspective and a gendered perspective.

When we begged her for spoilers she pointed out that we really don’t want her to spoil it for us. She’s right. We, as writers/bloggers/journalists/fans, like begging. We like the tidbits. We like the hints. But, we also like the utter gobsmacked feeling of surprise when something kickass happens which we experience for the first time through the show. The one thing that disconcerted me about Haven’s third season surrounded Audrey’s sudden display of fear. I still complain about the number of times professional writer Rick Castle rescues honored police detective Kate Beckett in Castle, while using her gun. Haven actually provided a heroine who always rescued her town and colleagues and rarely, vice versa.

So, this season, watching Audrey’s early PTSD and relying on Nathan\Eric for support discombobulated me, as a viewer who enjoyed watching strong female characters. However, Emily enjoyed the new development: “I love it. It was one of the main things that was presented to me when I was there sitting trying to get answers from our writers. ‘So what’s her arc this season? Where’s she going?’ And, I didn’t really get anything except for an external threat which would shake her up and she would feel was always around and how did she handle that threat. Instead of her trying to figure out the mystery of herself. How did she react when there’s something actually not just going after people that she can help, but her specifically. It happens in her apartment. It happens in a place that she’s safe right in the backyard of one of her best friends. She’s used to being protected. And, all of that’s stripped away now too. I, as an actress, love that.”

For video and photos click to the next page! Don’t forget to check out our other New York Comic Con coverage!

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Basically, everything you’d expect from a young, interactive cast and writing staff happened in the New York Comic Con Haven panel. Everyone just relaxed and let their hair down. Eric Balfour (Duke) and Lucas Bryant (Nathan) fist-bumped each other. Cast and crew all pretended they didn’t want Stephen King (whose novel started it all) on the show. Of course they do! Charles Ardai is still working his magic. The producers joked that Nathan is better looking than Lucas while Lucas casually lounged against Emily’s chair.

I always like panels and in-person interviews because you get a chance to see how actors tick. No matter how press-prepared they are, their feelings towards certain events always leak through. Emily literally glowed while describing her love of the Sarah character. Eric Balfour might be pretty, but, he isn’t a pretty boy. Mentally, he fires on all cylinders. He complimented Adam (aka the Edge) as proving a better actor than wrestler. And he meant it. Basically, if you think Edge is a kickass wrester, wait until you see him act. Speaking of Eric Balfour, why is our favorite long-haired hippie growing his hair out? To play the original long-haired hippie, Jesus, in a zombie flick.

The cast further showed their enjoyment with the audience by answering which Haven character they’d become. One of the producers identified with Nathan, the strong silent type. Charles Ardai (who I interviewed two years ago) aspires to reach Haven’s red-shirted victim infamy by dying on-screen in a gruesome manner. Two of the producers aligned themselves with the dialogue-oriented brothers, Vince and Dave Teagues. Adam Copeland (Dwight) feels Dwight is slowly morphing into Vince while declaring his unabashed love for the two Teagues brothers. Emily Rose (who I also interviewed last year) detailed her love of season one’s Eleanor Carr. And, I wholeheartedly agree. I loved seeing a strong woman who played to her personality and not her looks. And, as an avid TV-watching female, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that. While Emily loved Dr. Carr’s ability to be strange, she also respects Mary-Colin Chisholm’s longstanding career – a performance longevity she hopes she’ll share.

I enjoyed the incredible comfort the male cast members exhibited with each other. Eric thinks he could play Audrey so he would finally get to kiss Lucas. Adam joked that it’s tough controlling his character’s facial expressions opposite Lucas’s hotness. Mocking his transition from performative wrestling to scripted TV, he claimed he always wants to beat his chest and bug his eyes out whenever Lucas turned him on. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to see Eric, Lucas, and Adam in a three-way make out? I’m currently penning the 579^th fan-fiction on that. Fun fact, did you know that Eric and Lucas starred in a 2005 UPN TV show, Sex, Love & Secrets, with Denise Richards, Tamara Taylor (Camille in Bones), and Omar Miller (teddy bear Walter in CSI: Miami)? I didn’t until right now. Eric was also in Veritas: The Quest with How I Met Your Mother’s Cobie Smulders. Thank you IMDb. Is Eric Balfour the new Kevin Bacon? Maybe google will do a six-degree of Balfour separation some day (not that anyone would ever want to separate from Balfour’s abs).

Despite the light-hearted panel environment, the cast’s favorite episodes varied from the quirky to the sad. Lucas loved the creepiness of episode three, “The Farmer,” and the utter fun of episode four, “Over My Head.” One of the producers admitted that the original final scene in “The Farmer” (3.03) included more dialogue, but they kept removing lines until settling upon Duke’s wordless eyes. Most described episode seven, “Magic Hour,” as their favorite. Although Emily loved episode nine, she and Adam described episode thirteen, the season finale, as incorporating multiple emotions. All I can say to Haven fans is we’re in for a world of hurt, so get out your handkerchiefs and cross your fingers.

The panel returned to its playful vibe when the group described their ideal super powers. Emily wants teleportation (to escape TSA lines). Eric wants instant Panda Express invocation capabilities (um, Eric, it’s called a phone!). Edge wouldn’t mind rocking Colossus of the X-Men’s rock hard steel (yes, Lucas joked about the “rock hard” line). And, Charles wants mind control (to extend Haven to 11/12 seasons).

During the panel, I realized why Balfour’s fans love him. He’s giving. Eric complimented his fans for remembering roles he didn’t and for asking intricate questions that would’ve had William Shatner crying “get a life.” To the guy who asked, Duke receives super strength when troubled blood touches him. Enough said. At the end of the day, rather than getting angry at fans for following his career or for spending time learning about his characters, he’s grateful they care that much. That’s why people follow him and love him. He gives back what he receives. And, clearly, I’m a fan myself. At the end of the day I noticed I wrote Duke, Nathan, Audrey, or Dwight in my notebook, as opposed to the actors’ real names. And, I’m not-so subconsciously a fan of Lucas Bryant’s married DILF-prettiness. A lot of my notes detailed his beautiful blue eyes, well-worn leather coat, and knit hood. It goes without saying Eric is just as pretty, but let’s not pen either as the pretty boys next door. Sure, Eric was in a lot of short-lived TV shows, that I wasn’t a fan of, but he was also in 24, Six Feet Under, and Life on Mars.

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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.”

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