Hanging out with the cast of White Collar
Recently, USA gave me the opportunity to go to New York and do a set visit for their upcoming series, White Collar. Along with a dozen other writers, I was crammed inside of a conference room in a Catholic elementary school, of all places, where we met with the stars of the show (Aryeh’s posted a preview of White Collar not long ago). We were able to do interviews with Matthew Bomer (Neal Caffrey), Tim DeKay (Peter Burke), Willie Garson (Mozzie) and Tiffani Thiessen (Elizabeth Burke).
White Collar is a show that’s heavy on the cool. Main character Neal Caffrey can put on a fedora with such flair that it looks as though he was either born knowing how to do it, or he spent a month in front of a mirror just practicing. But that’s what’s interesting about Caffrey: You never know which one it is. Even when he has escaped prison and is completely on the run, he looks like any other privileged New Yorker out for a weekend adventure. Although, the truth is, Caffrey grew up with nothing and spent his entire life working on making it seem like he has everything.
Jane Lynch: “Playing pure evil is delicious.”
Despite her amazing ability to play antagonistic character parts, Jane Lynch is actually (at least over the phone) a very down-to-earth, kind person. When I met the kids of Glee earlier this summer, they were unanimous in saying that they adored watching Lynch work, but often were unable to keep their laughter quiet, and cited her as a role model. “Really? That’s sweet of them,” she said, and then went on to praise the young actors in turn for their enthusiasm and dedication.
“These kids are having the time of their lives,” she said. “They’re wonderful to watch … they don’t take anything for granted.” She’s equally as effusive with her praise with the writers and producers, describing them as “always pitch-perfect.” Lynch says she’s having a great time being a regular on a show instead of constantly guest staring everywhere. “It’s lovely to have somewhere to hang my hat,” she said. “It’s nice to finally get to watch a character develop… I was looking for that.” Plus, she’s a fan of her costume of permanent track suits. “Really,” she said, “Do you know how wonderful it is to get to work and put your pajamas back on?” Read the rest of this entry »
So, what’s the big deal about The Guild? – Webisode Clack Interviews
In the world of webseries, success and popularity can be hard to find. Sure, a webseries may have a certain following, but its success may not go any farther than those dedicated fans. That’s great for the folks who write, cast, direct, and produce the series. Yet, deep down, I’m sure they’re looking for a status bump that will propel their hard work to a new, and more diverse, audience.
That’s why The Guild is a rarity in today’s ever growing world of webisodes. With a cast of honed, comedic actors, as well as corporate sponsorship, the show has surpassed expectations and become one of the most popular series on the web. With the start of their third season (which began with an August 25th release on Xbox Live, and continues on September 1 on MSN and Zune), a new music video, and the addition of Wil Wheaton to the cast, The Guild continues to grow. So, the obvious question is: why is The Guild so big? Read the rest of this entry »
Wil Wheaton talks about Leverage, Star Trek, and being an action figure
You know we at CliqueClack are big fans of TNT’s Leverage. Did you know we really like Wil Wheaton, too? So when Wil landed a guest spot on this week’s Leverage (”The Two Live Crew Job,” airing Wednesday night at 9:00) we knew we’d have to talk to him about it, and I was the lucky interviewer.
I saw the episode already, and it was amazing — so amazing that I’m crossing my fingers for a reprisal of Wil’s role in a future episode (which Wil would completely welcome).
You’ve read my interview with producer Dean Devlin (right?), where I reported an exclusive on the Wil Wheaton hockey scandal of the early ’90s. When I talked to Devlin then, he hadn’t had any contact with Wil since the hockey incident, and now here they are working together after all these years. Coincidence? I think not. I couldn’t help but think I got the ball rolling on this partnership. What did Wil have to say about this?
The Glee cast is surprised they’re such a Hot Topic
As I said earlier, the Gleek Tour kicked off in Boston (well, Natick) yesterday, and we were on-hand to talk with Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron, and Mark Salling of the cast of Glee. No Jane Lynch in attendance, unfortunately.
Something that’s been bugging me (and probably a whole lot of people) about the show is the incredible hype surrounding the show after only one episode has aired. We’ve all seen our share of shows fail horribly after an awesome pilot (for me, The Nine comes to mind), so my guard is up with it comes to Glee. When we asked everyone about any fears they had, the answer was pretty unanimous: no fear at all. In fact, they all said the show only gets better from here on out.
The cast of Glee gets an awesome wrap present
Earlier this afternoon, the cast of Glee made its first of about ten stops on its “Gleek Tour” at the Natick Mall in Massachusetts. We got to interview most of the cast in attendance and will have something on that later tonight, but what I did want to share with you was this little gem. See that picture above? Each member of the cast got that as a gift when the season (well, at least the 13 ordered episodes) wrapped in July. It’s a class ring with a ‘g’ in the Glee font, all shiny and, — I’ve gotta say — very cool looking. That’s Cory Monteith holding out his above.
What I’m wondering is how long it’s going to take before these are mass produced or at least someone figures out how to make one for themselves. Any takers? Two days? Two weeks?
Anyway, the cast of Glee, the other media and the people with FOX were very cordial and cool. Check for pictures and some snippets from what we learned later on tonight. Meanwhile, there’s another shot of the ring below.
Jane Espenson on Buffy’s Oz, Warehouse 13, Caprica and Dollhouse
It seems anywhere I turn these days, Jane Espenson has some hand in many things TV-related that I love. I was turned on to her writing magic with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, of course, but it hasn’t ended there. Battlestar Galactica fans no doubt know of her involvement with that series, and it’s continuing on with the Caprica prequel series, for example.
Once again I grabbed the ear … well, the typing fingers of Ms. Espenson to ask some burning questions I had about some new projects she’s been involved in. As it turns out, fans of hers have a lot to look forward to.
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