Hugh Dancy at the 2015 SD Comic Con (Photo by Richard Chavez)
Hugh Dancy was in LA for the Television Critics Association’s panel for his new HULU series, The Path, and of course Hannibal was still on the minds of Dancy and the television critics in attendance. Immediately after the show was cancelled by NBC following its third season, there was talk that Hannibal would be picked up by Netflix or some other network. Nothing has come of those talks yet, but fans and the stars of the series are still holding out hope.
Asked if his character, Will Graham, would have taken a backseat to Clarice if they’d gotten to do Silence of the Lambs, Dancy replied, “I don’t believe so. I think, first of all, we didn’t have the rights to Silence of the Lambs. Bryan had pitched to me…not pitched but described to me in a kind of overview what he wanted to do with a fourth season had there been one and it was fantastic. It was really a complete restart in a way without describing it because, who knows, god knows maybe some way we’ll get to do it in the future. I would love that. But it took us back to the first season in a very unexpected way, but made total sense of that cliffhanger ending. I mean, it seemed justified. And it was born out of a part of one of the books so it was still coming out of that universe, but it wasn’t the Clarice part of Silence of the Lambs.
Dancy hasn’t given up on the idea of a fourth season of Hannibal. “I just think that if I keep saying it, it might happen,” said Dancy, laughing. But, he hasn’t heard any recent news about the show being close to being picked up by any outlet. “Not that I know of for sure. I know there were conversations. I know it was complicated for lots of reasons that I was probably like very, very late to the party to know about. The fans honestly were better informed than I was about a lot of stuff. But all I can say is I know that Bryan’s very busy, Mads [Mikkelsen] is busy, I’m busy right now but I know that all of us would, I think, happily come back in the future if we could.”
There were also rumors of a new Hannibal movie, but Dancy says he doesn’t know anything about that. “I think we would be very happy to return in some capacity. I think the idea of a movie is really interesting. Obviously one of the things that we did on the show, Bryan did really, was that very languorous, very image-rich storytelling. How to fit that into a movie, I’m not sure. But as I was saying, the version of a fourth season [Bryan] described to me maybe would work well in that capacity. I just know that I’d like it to happen in the future. It’d be great.”
Ivana Baquero stars in ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ (Photo Credit: MTV)
Ivana Baquero is a huge fan of fantasy books and films, and so taking on one of the lead roles in MTV’s The Shannara Chronicles was a perfect fit for the fantasy fan. Baquero plays Eretria in the TV series based on Terry Brooks’ bestselling book series, with MTV now airing episodes on Tuesday nights at 10pm ET/PT.
In support of The Shannara Chronicles first season, we chatted with Baquero to find out who Eretria is and what viewers can expect when they tune in to check out this fantasy action-adventure.
Ivana Baquero Interview:
What goes through your mind every time you get into character as Eretria?
Ivana Baquero: “She’s definitely got two sides to her. For one, she’s this sort of gruff, even a bit selfish, quite a badass girl but on the other hand, she’s really vulnerable. She hasn’t been taught to be compassionate, to love, to be affectionate. I get to balance those two things and I always had that in mind when I got into character because I didn’t want people to think she was one thing or she was the other thing. I wanted it to be a round character where you could empathize with her decisions.”
What do you like the most about Eretria?
Ivana Baquero: “I love that she’s so resourceful because she had to basically learn how to survive on her own. She does come from a Rover clan. They’re a nomadic group of thieves that roam around the Four Lands. She lives with them and her dad, Cephero, he’s the leader of the group. Nevertheless, she’s had to basically learn how to fend for herself and survive and learn how to use weapons. I really admire and love that about her and that’s one of the coolest parts I think about the character. I was really excited that I got the opportunity to work on that stuff and learn how to fight with weapons, horseback ride. I would say that side of her is my favorite.”
What are some things you don’t like about her?
Ivana Baquero: “I don’t like to judge my characters when I play them, but in saying that, without judging her, I do think many of the decisions she makes are probably not the right ones. Especially on how she acts in front of Wil and what she has to do to survive. Some of those things I might like less, but she is learning, at the end of the day, and she doesn’t know any better so I can’t really judge her for that. So we’ll see what happens with Eretria.”
What new training did you have to do for this role?
Ivana Baquero: “Most of the things I did were new to me. All I knew was horseback riding before I started the show. Other than that, we learned how to use weapons. That included swords, in my case daggers, whips and also we got to do a lot of personal training. Besides classic exercise that included learning how to box and how to fight I learned a lot of things like self defense. It was super interesting. I just felt so empowered after every day. I felt like I could basically defend myself and be a bit of a badass myself. We went through a lot of training. We learned so many things.”
Had you read the books before the audition?
Ivana Baquero: “No, I hadn’t read the books before. I didn’t actually know about the books. It’s funny, in Spain they were published ages ago when these books originally came out. Then they never got reprinted so there weren’t any more books left at all in Spain. It was missing. Obviously once I got cast, I read the books. Even though the show is an adaptation, I still wanted to know what Terry Brooks had created. I was very interested because I myself am a big fan of Tolkien so I love those kinds of fantasy worlds. It was just a lot of fun. It didn’t feel like work.”
What were some scenes from the book you couldn’t wait to do?
Ivana Baquero: “You know, to be honest it was a little bit of everything. I’m a really big sucker for fantasy. I love all of that stuff. I’ve always said as a joke I wouldn’t mind being a tree in Lord of the Rings, if I could just experience the whole thing and just be there. If anything, I was looking forward to horseback riding because that’s something I love doing anyways. I was very looking forward to that.”
How do you like New Zealand?
Ivana Baquero: “I love New Zealand. It’s such a wonderful place. It’s got everything and people are so welcoming. They’re so nice. And obviously the land itself is so beautiful and you get the best of both worlds. You’ve got cities but then you’ve got the most amazing, beautiful nature. It’s so beautiful and I love exploring it.”
Are you more of a nature girl or a city girl?
Ivana Baquero: “It’s funny that you ask this because I’ve always considered myself a city girl and ever since I did Shannara it’s sort of changed for me. I’m starting to really appreciate nature even more and I feel at ease in it. It makes me feel so relaxed and so at peace when I’m able to discover these amazing places. So, I would say I’m actually more of a nature girl now.”
AMBERLE (Poppy Drayton), WIL (Austin Butler), and ERETRIA (Ivana Baquero) in ‘The Shannara Chronicles’
The three main characters aren’t just automatically a team and instead cross paths, split up, and cross paths again. Does that continue throughout the season?
Ivana Baquero: “It does for a bit. There’s definitely a lot of back and forth in the beginning and a lot of time spent with each character individually so you get to bond with each and get to know about each. Eventually they end up teaming up to go on this quest to save the world, so you’ll see how they come together as the show goes on rather than having them separately shown.”
It’s interesting they don’t just jump right into this as a team and instead the trust has to be earned.
Ivana Baquero: “Totally. And I think the love triangle also adds a lot to that because you never know. That seems to be an arc throughout the show. I definitely agree with you and I think it makes it richer and more interesting, rather than have them just automatically together.”
You said you’ve always wanted to do fantasy. Have you also wanted to do action?
Ivana Baquero: “To be honest, I’d never thought about action. I love the genre, too, but I’d never done action before. I’ve done a lot of drama, fantasy, scary movies, but I’d never done action. It was so much fun to do. I think it’s probably one of my favorite genres at the moment. Every day is like a new adventure and every day you get to learn new things. It keeps you on your toes and it’s really, really cool. And in this show you have the best of both worlds because you’ve got the action and then obviously there’s a lot of character development and a lot of things you can do with your character too. It was really such a great opportunity.”
Are the complexities that fans loved in the books present in the show? They won’t be toning any character down?
Ivana Baquero: “They are not toning Eretria or I think anyone else down. They are very faithful, I think, in that regard. Terry Brooks is always overlooking the project so I think there’s none of that. Speaking of Eretria in particular, she always keeps her edge. All of the characters grow into being even more fierce and into really wanting to go on this quest and fight for what they think is right. So by any means it’s not toned down. The stakes get higher and higher as the show goes on.”
Looking back on your experience with Pan’s Labyrinth, what do you see when you watch that film now?
Ivana Baquero: “It’s strange but it got to a point after watching it so many times that I can see it as a different person. And also because I was younger and I looked different, when I watch the movie I’m not thinking it’s me. It’s just like this different person in the screen, which in a way is good because it helps you watch the movie in a more relaxed way and appreciate different things in the film rather than just look at yourself and go, ‘Oh my god I did this.’ It’s special and beautiful in that way.”
STX Entertainment’s action drama Free State of Jones has released an official trailer along with the movie poster and new photos featuring Matthew McConaughey. Written and directed by Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville), the cast also includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell.
The Plot:Free State of Jones is an epic action-drama set during the Civil War and tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.
Dominic Sherwood as Jace Wayland in ‘Shadowhunters’ (Photo by Vu Ong / ABC Family)
Freeform (formerly known as ABC Family) is set to premiere the new fantasy series Shadowhunters starring Dominic Sherwood and Katherine McNamara on January 12, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT with an episode titled ‘The Mortal Cup.’ The series is based on Cassandra Clare’s bestselling The Mortal Instruments books and centers on Clary Fray (McNamara), a teenager who suddenly discovers there are demons and other dangerous creatures living among humans and that Shadowhunters (human-angel hybrids) are charged with hunting them down. Sherwood stars as Jace, a powerful Shadowhunter who introduces Clary to this dark and dangerous world.
At the 2016 winter Television Critics Association press event, I sat down for a one-on-one with Sherwood to discuss Shadowhunters, playing Jace, and learning the mythology created by author Cassandra Clare.
Exclusive Dominic Sherwood Interview:
When you say a line like, “I’m the best chance you’ve got,” do you feel like a hero?
Dominic Sherwood: “Yes and no. There are a few lines in the pilot that are laden with meaning that come into fruition later on in the series. There’s a certain arrogance to Jace so him saying, ‘I’m the best chance you’ve got,’ I think he just like saying it and he likes being the hero. But, yeah, it makes me feel like a hero, but also you’ll understand why later on. They’re not meaningless lines.”
Could you imagine Stallone or Bruce Willis saying something like that?
Dominic Sherwood: [Laughing] “Absolutely, yeah.”
Your character has a lot of the mythology to explain. Did it feel like a mouthful?
Dominic Sherwood: “Yes and no. Yeah, it did and then as I read the book and I understood it more, I was able to put myself in that place where I get it, especially for Jace because it’s nothing to him. It’s just how he was raised. A ‘stele’ to you and I is a pen, and it’s no different than me or you describing a pen because he just understands what it is and how it works.
It’s a mouthful to start with and then as your knowledge grows, it becomes easy.”
Were those sections harder to memorize than others because you have to be careful to get it exactly right?
Dominic Sherwood: “We had to get it exactly right. We also have conversations with the producers and the directors about the phrasing and how you pronounce certain words. Some of them, they were written down in the book but that’s up to someone else’s interpretations on how these words were pronounced. We had to be careful that it was very unified and we all said the same things. But they weren’t any harder to learn because once I got my head around it, it was everyday language.”
How does the sword feel in your hand?
Dominic Sherwood: “It feels great in my hand. It feels fantastic. They designed it for me so it was my grip-size and it was made for me in particular. I feel very good with it. And, also, whenever I have a free moment I’m practicing with it. Jace has been doing this his entire life so I have to look like I’m very comfortable with this sword. We get all these different kinds of sword training and fencing so you just feel comfortable with this weapon in the same way a soldier in Iraq feels comfortable with his M4.”
How heavy is the sword?
Dominic Sherwood: “Not as heavy as you would think, actually. Not as heavy as you would think. The light – the blue glow – is a practical effect on set so every now and then the device that lights it up comes loose and that feels very strange because I get used to the weight of the sword and then something feels different all of a sudden and I have to give it to props because I don’t know what I’ve done to my sword. But, they’re not overly heavy.”
Did you spend any time with Cassandra Clare?
Dominic Sherwood: “We did. She came a few times which is wonderful and she seemed very happy with everything, which is great. And then we did some press at New York Comic Con so we got to meet her.”
What questions did you have for her about Jace?
Dominic Sherwood: “It wasn’t so much questions as it was just like, ‘Please be happy with what I’m doing. You created this character. I really, really hope that you are enjoying your experience.’ She came quite late – not late in the process, she’s been very active throughout – but she came to the set in like episodes four or five so we were like four episodes deep at that point. So if she came to set and was like, ‘I hate everything,’ it would have been too late. I just wanted her to be happy with what we’ve done and she seemed to be very, which was good.”
What was one thing from the books that really helped you with Jace?
Dominic Sherwood: “His arrogance is constantly replayed in the books. I’m actually quite like an insular person. I like to kind of keep my thoughts and my feelings inside me a little more so becoming this kind of arrogant person… It’s in the books and with the lines in the books, and the different physical attributes he has for that – he’s always playing with his stele and that’s something I do in the series. It wasn’t great for me because I’m quite clumsy and I dropped it and broke – I think I broke 13 all together. That’s what we counted them as, which isn’t great. But things like that, the intricacies of Jace helped me make a more rounded character.”
What was a scene from the book that you couldn’t wait to film?
Dominic Sherwood: “The slapping scene. There’s a slapping scene where Clary hits Jace for the first time, and I was excited to film that.”
Did it live up to your expectations?
Dominic Sherwood: “She’s a lot stronger than you would think! She’s a very small girl but she’s got quite a slap on her. So, yeah, it did. It absolutely did.”
What are you looking forward to doing in season two?
Dominic Sherwood: “In season two we expand our world a little more. In season one we’re predominately in New York. We are a couple of other places, but mostly it’s in New York. From what I’ve heard, the rumors I’ve heard from the writers room, we go a little further afield in season two. I’m excited for that.”
Where are you shooting for the New York scenes?
Dominic Sherwood: “In Toronto. We shot the series in Toronto.”
If the setting moves in season two, will Toronto still be doubling for other cities?
Dominic Sherwood: “I don’t know. Here’s the thing: it’s so clock and dagger, they’re not telling me anything. I don’t know. I love to travel as well, it’s one of my other passions so hopefully they’ll fly me all over the world. That would be great. ‘We’re shooting this scene in New Zealand.’ ‘Lovely! Let’s go to New Zealand for a week.’”
As soon as you were cast as Jace did you start hearing from fans?
Dominic Sherwood: [Laughing] “Oh yeah. I heard a whole bunch from the fans, which was fantastic. I don’t think I read one negative comment that day which was so overwhelming for me. You kind of expect, especially for something that already has a fan base, you almost expect it to be like 50/50. 50% great comments and 50% of them hate me, and that wasn’t the case. I feel blessed, honestly, that people have accepted me into this well-loved character.”
Did you reply to any of those comments?
Dominic Sherwood: “I reply as much as I can. I’m not very good at the Twitter machine and the Facebook. I’m a little like a grandpa in that way; it kind of frightens me. I try and reply and if someone says it’s their birthday, I’ll always try and say happy birthday if I can. I got a message from someone the other day who said they were being bullied and I put it on my Twitter. I put my opinion on bullying on my Twitter because it’s unacceptable and I know it’s something that affects a lot of people. I wanted to share my opinion with the world. But, yeah, other than that I always feel like someone’s going to ask me what happens in episode 13 and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, this happens…’ and then I’d be like, ‘I shouldn’t have said that because I’ve given away the entire season.’ It’s safer for me to kind of keep it in my head.”
Which scenes did you audition with?
Dominic Sherwood: “We auditioned with a scene where we bring Clary into the Institute for the first time and she wakes up in the infirmary. That was it. That was my audition scene. That was all I did was just that one scene.”
Did you see The Mortal Instruments movie?
Dominic Sherwood: “I did. I did see The Mortal Instruments movie.”
Before or after this?
Dominic Sherwood: “I saw it before and then I watched it once again afterwards for kind of a stimulus and like learning different things about the world and the terms and stuff.”
Do you feel privileged to have the whole season to do the story?
Dominic Sherwood: “Massively so. I think the story, especially the books, they very much lend themselves to a TV show. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for them to film a movie and to try and fit all of this mythology into a movie. I can’t imagine. They did a very good job but I feel blessed we have 13 episodes to try and fit all of this mythology.”
Did that Jace do a good job?
Dominic Sherwood: “I think so. Jamie Campbell Bower, I think he’s a great guy. He’s very good-looking and he’s got the long, wavy hair. Yeah.”
What are you going to do between seasons?
Dominic Sherwood: “I don’t know yet. We’ll see. I’ve been inundated. I had a little time off when we finished season one. Me and my girlfriend got a puppy so I’m trying to deal with raising a puppy. And then I went back home and I had some time off. I came back here two days ago and I’m straight back into press. When press dies down, I can try and figure out what’s next and read the 15 scripts that have been sitting on my desk for two weeks.”
What’s your puppy’s name?
Dominic Sherwood: “Her name is Boo and she’s a Chocolate Lab. She’s a maniac. [Laughing] She got me up at 7am before I had to come here, which is great.”
Showrunner Ronald D. Moore pictured in 2015 at an exhibit of costumes from the first season of the STARZ Original Series ‘Outlander (Photo by Matt Sayles / Invision for STARZ / AP Images)
Starz’ Outlander panel at the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles featured the series’ lead actors Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, writer/executive producer Ronald D. Moore, and author Diana Gabaldon. The foursome fielded questions from members of the television media anxious to learn about season two of the critically acclaimed – and now People’s Choice Award-winning – series. Outlander‘s has been well received by fans of Gabaldon’s bestselling book series, and Moore and Gabaldon have developed a real collaborative working relationship that ensures the TV series will remain as faithful as possible to the novels.
“From the beginning, I went to Diana, I spent a weekend with her before I sold the project and talked about the process of adaptation, ideas I had at the primeval stages of the project. She was always very generous with the material and spirit of, ‘I know there’s going to be changes and you’ll do right by us.’ Since, it’s still been very positive,” explained Moore. “I send Diana outlines and scripts and script changes and cuts and dailies. She’ll see things and ask questions. We can use her as a sounding board. If we made this change, what’s the butterfly effect of that down the line of the books?”
Gabaldon’s appreciative of being given an active role in the process of bringing her characters alive on the screen. “It’s been great from my point of view. They’ve included me to an amazing extent. When we first wrote the contract, my agent said, ‘They’re making you a consultant. This is a way of paying you more. They may use you, they may not. They may be paying you to stay away, which is what usually happens,'” said Gabaldon. “I was very pleased they wanted to talk about things.”
In fact, Gabaldon’s involvement in the second season has expanded a bit from season one. “I actually wrote one of the scripts for season two. It’s way different than writing a novel, for sure. It was deeply entertaining to be on set while that was being shot. I knew things flexed but to see why things flex, an actor pulls out their sides and says, ‘I can’t say this.’ Or it’s too long and they slash it,” explained Gabaldon.
Asked if her participation in the series has added to her work load of writing, Gabaldon replied, “When I started writing Outlander I had two full-time jobs and kids. Time expands to fill the work available.”
Gabaldon’s response to a question about whether her involvement in the series will keep her from making the deadline for her next book generated a lot of coverage immediately after the TCA Q&A wrapped up. She was asked if Outlander the series would slow down her writing in a question that specifically mentioned George R.R. Martin missing deadlines. Her response has blown up on the internet, however she didn’t call out Martin; the person asking the question offered Martin as an example. “Unlike George, I write no matter where I am or whatever I’m doing,” replied Gabaldon. “He admits it himself. He likes to travel and he can’t write when he travels. Everybody’s got their own writing mechanism. As I said, when I began writing I had two fulltime jobs and children. I just wrote in any moments I had. I have a couple hours in the middle of the night I can count on when things are quiet and that’s my main writing time, but I will write in the middle of the day.”
Gabaldon’s editors ask her when she believes she’ll be finished with a book, and it normally takes six weeks from when she finishes writing to get it published. “They call me when they think it’s close, ‘Do you have an estimate?’ I say I have an estimate, but it’s going to be wrong. It’s always going to take longer. Do they listen? Never. Next thing I know it’s listed on Amazon.”
Sam Heughan pointed out that he’s seen her writing on the set while filming was underway and Gabaldon explained, “I could on the inside scenes because there’s a long stretch where they turn things around while you’re sitting there. When it’s outside, no, because you’re standing in ankle deep mud for 14 hours. I can do things in my head but can’t actually write.”
After the TCA panel was finished, I asked Moore if we’d be seeing Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe age this season as they do in the books. Moore confirmed it will happen, but not in season two.
– You can check out our coverage of Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe’s portion of the Q&A here.
During BBC AMERICA’s presentation at the 2016 Television Critics Association event in Los Angeles today, the network announced more Doctor Who is on the way in the form of a ‘companion’ series. Titled Class and set in contemporary London, the new series comes from author Patrick Ness (A Monster Calls) and will be a BBC AMERICA co-production. The Doctor Who team of Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin are executive producing the eight part series which will debut later this year.
“I’m astounded and thrilled to be entering the Doctor Who universe, which is as vast as time and space itself,” stated Ness. “I can’t wait for people to meet the heroes of Class, to meet the all-new villains and aliens, to remember that the horrors of the darkest corners of existence are just about on par with having to pass your exams.”
BBC AMERICA also announced Prey starring John Simm, Philip Glenister and Rosie Cavaliero will kick off its six episode run on February 25, 2016 at 10pm ET. The thriller was created and written by Chris Lunt and will, according to the network, play out as two three-part stories. The first three episodes are directed by Nick Murphy (The Awakening) with Lewis Arnold (Humans) directing the second set of three.
Details on Prey: “In the first three episodes, John Simm is Detective Constable Marcus Farrow, a man on the run, who will do things he never thought possible to clear his name for the sake of his family. The second story stars Philip Glenister as prison officer David Murdoch whose life spirals out of control when he receives an unexpected phone call threatening the life of his pregnant daughter. Rosie Cavaliero is Detective Sergeant Susan Reinhardt, a recurring character tasked with catching them.”
Grammy winner Adele will also have her own special airing on Valentine’s Day at 10pm ET. Adele: Live in London will feature songs from her latest album, 25, and some of her earlier hits. “This is the music event of the year,” said Graham Norton, host of the special. “This opportunity to spend an hour with Adele, her music and her stories is a truly rare treat. If I wasn’t hosting this special I’d be sad at home watching it!”
“With each of these shows we aim to cut through the noise and provide the innovation and originality our fans have come to love and celebrate,” said Sarah Barnett, President BBC AMERICA. “We’re excited about a fresh twist on the Doctor Who universe, an unconventional take on the crime drama that keeps you guessing at every turn, and an audience with the fabulous Adele.”
Cliff Curtis as Travis and Ruben Blades as Daniel Salazar in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ _ Season 2 (Photo Credit: Richard Foreman / AMC)
AMC’s announced Fear the Walking Dead will kick off its 15 episode season two on April 10, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT. The network will be splitting up the season, airing seven episodes beginning this April and then airing the remaining eight later this year.
Filming on season two is taking place at Baja Studios in Mexico.
Season one was the highest-rated first season in cable history. The season one cast included Kim Dickens as Madison, Cliff Curtis as Travis, Frank Dillane as Nick, Alycia Debnam-Carey as Alicia, Ruben Blades as Daniel, Mercedes Mason as Ofelia, Lorenzo James Henrie as Chris and Colman Domingo as Strand. Showrunner Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, and David Alpert are the executive producers.
The finale of season one found Madison, Travis, and the rest of their group hiding out at Strand’s oceanfront estate. As the situation around them worsened, Strand and the survivors prepared to sail away on his yacht, “Abigail.”
Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe were on hand, along with executive producer Ronald D. Moore and author Diana Gabaldon, for the 2016 Television Critics Association Starz press event in Los Angeles where they did their best to answer questions about season two without giving away spoilers. Of course, the definition of ‘spoiler’ varies greatly, depending on whether or not you’ve read Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling book series. Season two will be following the events in Gabaldon’s second book of the Outlander series, Dragonfly in Amber, with the pregnant Claire (Balfe) and her husband, Jamie (Heughan), in Paris attempting to stop the battle of Culloden by infiltrating the Jacobite rebellion.
Season one found Jamie often in danger and having to physically defend himself. That changes a bit in season two says Heughan. “I would say the danger in Paris and Versailles is less physical of the swords and weaponry. It’s more politics and back-stabbing and poison. It’s more hidden. There’s a lot more politics at work and more danger,” explained Heughan.
Jamie’s traumatic experience at the hands of Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) will affect him in season two, but it definitely isn’t the focus of the season. “I think time is a great healer but ultimately he puts his whole soul into this mission about changing history,” said Heughan. Heughan went on to tease a “great revelation” that will bring him back to the old Jamie. “Whether or not that still lives with me, I thoroughly enjoyed that. Myself and Caitriona, we both love any scenes that are kind of dramatic, that we can get our teeth into and stretch our acting abilities. I thoroughly enjoyed those episodes and look forward to more challenges.”
Now that they’re into their second seasons playing Jamie and Claire, Heughan and Balfe have found much to admire about these particular characters. Asked what it is he admires about Jamie, Sam admitted he’s been surprised by season two. “Season one was about discovery, about a young man growing up and finding his place in the world and in a relationship. Season two was about finding a side of the character I never knew was there. He’s playing someone else. He’s learning to be deceptive, and he does it very well. He’s good at most things but there’s a side to him I didn’t know. He’s still traumatized and struggling with what happened to him. There’s not a darkness but a side to him I didn’t know existed. What do I admire about him? I guess his humor and his just buoyancy. He has a natural ability to keep going no matter what’s wrong. I guess also his just absolute dedication to Claire is admirable and inspiring.”
Balfe says her experience is similar to Heughan’s. “In some respect similar to Sam, Claire last year, last season, it was a very reactionary season. There were events that happened one after another and she was in survival mode, so she was just reacting from one thing to the next. The difference this season is there’s been time to be in one place and contemplate. I feel things are sitting with Claire a lot more. She has time to consider her place and how she feels. It’s been a really amazing discovery in that way.”
“In a lot of respects, I feel I’ve gotten to know her a lot more. We have such a long journey to go with these characters, I’m really looking forward to playing these next phases. People know Briana comes in and how that is to be a mother. I really admire her resilience and her intelligence. I would love to just ask her what her thoughts are being in all these different places and times, how she sees humanity, having that conversation with her and her drive for her career. It would be a very interesting dinner I think. Probably a very drunk dinner,” said Balfe, laughing.
And what would Heughan ask Jamie? “Is he a natural ginger? Does he dye his hair once a month?” joked Heughan.
Adding new characters to season two will affect the dynamic between Claire and Jamie, particularly with the addition of Fergus (played by Romann Berrux). Commenting on the new additions to the Outlander cast, Heughan said, “We have some fantastic new characters coming in. The French actors brought in a new dynamic, a new world. There’s new enemies, new allies. We have Dominique Pinon, Stanley Weber… We have this young boy who plays Fergus and he brings this great dimension to Claire and Jamie. He’s sort of their surrogate son. It’s nice to see Jamie and Claire play father and mother. It brings a new dynamic to their relationship.”
And while at the TCAs, Balfe also talked about the differences in costumes from season one to season two. “Obviously I think Terry [Dresbach] will agree with me that I don’t know if we’d call the Scottish clothes necessarily fashions. They’re very practical clothes. It was a palette that was very muted and fabrics that were practical and earthy. Once we went to Paris, Terry was given freedom to make the most incredible, beautiful pieces. We have very rich fabrics, gorgeous colors. It looks amazing, it’s so sumptuous.”
“We believe the provocative world created by Steven, Lodge and Amy, coupled with an absolutely mesmerizing performance by Riley Keough in the lead role will make The Girlfriend Experience difficult to turn off,” said Albrecht. “Providing binging access to the entire 13-episodes to STARZ subscribers, along with the traditional weekly episodic premiere schedule, allows us to accommodate all viewing appetites.”
The Plot:
The Girlfriend Experience follows Christine Reade, a second year student at Chicago-Burnham Law School and a new intern at the prestigious firm of Kirkland & Allen. Working hard to establish herself at the firm, her focus quickly shifts when a classmate introduces her to the world of transactional relationships. Known as GFEs, they are women who provide “The Girlfriend Experience”—emotional and sexual relationships at a very high price. Juggling two very different lives, Christine quickly finds herself drawn into the GFE world, attracted to the rush of control and intimacy. The series also stars Paul Sparks, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Kate Lyn Sheil.
Sam Heughan can be forgiven for not remembering what day it is and what city he’s visiting after traveling through a handful of countries between December 18, 2015 and Starz’ Outlander press event at the Television Critics Association gathering in Los Angeles, CA on January 8th. Grabbing a few minutes with the talented Scottish actor who’s won over a legion of fans with his performance as Jamie Fraser in the critically acclaimed, award-winning series, Heughan tried to recall all of the time zones he’s recently passed through. “I can’t even tell you,” said Heughan, laughing. “Yeah, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, America…”
Fortunately, Heughan’s a fitness fanatic who can handle traveling, but he joked about the toll it’s taken on his body. Asked if he’ll be wearing new back prosthetics in season two, Heughan said, “I think I need a new body, to be honest. Back prosthetics? Actually we’re using the same ones, the same company.”
Speaking of keeping in shape, fans of Outlander have joined with Heughan in Bear Strength’s My Peak Challenge launched during season one of the series. The goal of My Peak Challenge is to support and motivate people into both reaching peak fitness levels as well as achieving personal goals, all while raising funds for charity. Bloodwise (formerly The Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research organization) is the charity nearest and dearest to Heughan’s heart, and through My Peak Challenge and the support of Outlander fans worldwide, including a special Peak Posse group that auctions off one-of-a-kind Outlander-inspired baskets full of autographed memorable and other items to support the cause, the first fundraising campaign was a huge success.
The second My Peak Challenge has just launched and Heughan promises those who take up the challenge again (or for the first time) have a lot to look forward to in 2016. “We’ve created a 60-day workout fitness routine that’s going to be like daily videos and nutrition advice,” said Heughan.
Asked if he’d like to get his Outlander co-star Caitriona Balfe involved, Heughan said he’d absolutely love to.
As for his own personal bucket list of physical challenges, Heughan said he’d put climbing Everest at the top of that list. “That would be awesome. I don’t think I’ll ever get up there, but I’m going to be climbing Kilimanjaro this year.”
Keeping our talk completely season two spoiler-free, Heughan discussed the most talked about scenes from season one: the prison rape scenes involving his character and Tobias Menzies as Black Jack Randall. “It was very tough. It was pretty intense. I really wanted to do it justice. It was filmed over about a two week period. They were pretty long days because of the prosthetics, the mud, the blood, and the gore. It was about four hours in the morning of makeup and in the evening a couple of hours to take it off. But I think to Tobias and I really went for it. We rehearsed the scenes well with the director and the writers. We were just fortunate that they were such great scenes to play.”
“I knew we were making something pretty graphic and pretty intense, but it’s in the book. You’ve got to understand why Jamie is affected and what happens to him. The whole physical side, Jamie can deal with that. But it’s the mental thing, the sort of the loss of his will and betraying Claire as well is certainly something that’s hard for Jamie to live with. People’s reaction to it? That’s what we want. We wanted people to be shocked by it and to be shocked by what Black Jack Randall has done to him,” said Heughan.
