Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings and Matthew Rhys as Philip Jennings in ‘The Americans’ (Photo by Michael Parmelee / FX)
FX’s critically acclaimed dramatic series The Americans kicks off season three on January 28, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT with Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell back as Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings, Russian spies living in America. The Americans is, deservedly, one of the best-reviewed television series, and at the TCA winter press event Rhys talked about his character’s motivations, disguises, and Phillip’s relationship with Martha (played by Alison Wright).
Interview with Matthew Rhys:
What do you think Phillip really thinks of Martha? Does he have any real affection for her?
Matthew Rhys: “I do think he does. I think with each season and obviously the onset of…the longer this goes on, I think he’s a man of great humanity, Phillip, and I think he becomes far more painfully aware of the manipulation of this woman’s life and her feelings. And the deeper it becomes, the sort of harder it becomes. And that’s thing, it’s that juggle between mission mandate and human interaction.”
Last season when they had that conversation about kids, do you think that Phillip/Clark would want to have kids with Martha if only it were a real relationship?
Matthew Rhys: “Yes. I think very specifically – this is my own backstory – Phillip targeted Martha because she’s a lonely person. I think the manipulation of that is a cruel thing to do. Yes, in a real relationship, I’m sure he would want to give her what she wants.”
Do you think now he would have any qualms about killing her?
Matthew Rhys: “I think he would have huge qualms. I think it would be an incredibly difficult thing for him to do.”
But he would do it if he had to?
Matthew Rhys: “It’s the offset of what’s the greater risk. If it’s her turning him in, which would ultimately lead him to incarceration and separation from his kids, then yes. The kids is the benchmark. If it’s a threat to their life, then yes.”
Regarding the philosophical differences between Elizabeth and Phillip, do you think she sees it like she’s a part of an elite team and they should give their kids the chance to also be a part of something this important?
Matthew Rhys: “Yes, because as much as she’s trying to tell him that [Paige] should know who we are, there’s an enormous breakdown in communication that that is never communicated. Her language is incredibly specific as toward recruiting her, that’s why there’s a huge breakdown in this relationship. Also, I don’t think Phillip wants anyone to indoctrinate her; she should make her own decisions. And the fact that she’s found solace in family and something like the church isn’t a shock because they are absolutely absent parents. So he doesn’t blame her for that; she’s on her own path. It may not even last a year, but she should take that path herself.”
Do you have a favorite disguise?
Matthew Rhys: “I do. I call him Fernando. He has a mustache and long hair, and sometimes a goatee. Sometimes he’s in janitor clothes.”
Which one takes the longest?
Matthew Rhys: “Clark’s about an hour and a half because the wig needs a lot more attention. There was one veteran, an Army veteran I did, who had huge hair and a huge beard. That was about two hours.”
Which one makes you feel the sexiest?
Matthew Rhys: [Laughing] “Fernando makes me feel sexiest. I kind of have him as a Spaniard and I don’t know why. Like a flamenco teacher.”
Doesn’t Martha ever run her hands through Clark’s hair? Don’t the neighbors ever think that for travel agents they sure are running around a lot at night?
Matthew Rhys: “There are those questions that have been posed. But, yes, in the second season, Martha admitted that she knew he wore a wig. I would like to see more of an explanation and for her to ask him why he wears the wig, you know? But it was kind of moved on a little quickly.”
Have any Russians ever criticized the show or offered you advice?
Matthew Rhys: “There’s only one Russian who’s ever come up to me. He was in Central Park and he just wanted to say how much he enjoyed the show. That was literally about it. I wanted to quiz him a bit more but he said it didn’t make him pro or against anything. He just said as a human story it interested him.”
This season has an episode involving EST. When you read it in the script – or did any research on it – did it make you think, “Oh, you crazy Americans?”
Matthew Rhys: “Listen, there are equally as many, many, crazy groups in the UK. But the research that we did on EST, I was like, ‘What?!’ It’s insane. They sat there in their pajamas and no watches.”
And this season has a Kama Sutra sex scene. What was your reaction to that script?
Matthew Rhys: “You know, any sort of sex scene there’s usually a big gulp that comes with it. But the sex in their relationship is just an enormous part of it, in an entirely different way than it is with Elizabeth. So, Phillip realizes it’s a large appetite of Martha’s that needs satisfying so it’s one part of the many pieces that he needs to maintain in order for its smooth running.”
Was it as physically difficult as it looked or was there some movie magic?
Matthew Rhys: “Oh, it was difficult. We had to stand on one foot. We tried a few of those and I’m like, ‘I don’t even know how they did this.’ It’s one of the most uncomfortable things you could try. I don’t actually recommend it.”
How was taking a break from The Americans and doing Death Comes to Pemberley?
Matthew Rhys: “It was so great. The luxury in this job is the variety. You’re playing a Russian spy one month and then you’re playing Darcy the next.”
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Gotham, and Empire have all earned renewal orders by Fox. The network’s confirmed Empire and Gotham have received season two orders while Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be back for season three.
Fox says their new drama series Empire starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson is the “only new broadcast drama this season to grow from week one to week two.” The series features music by Timbaland and was created by Oscar nominee Lee Daniels (Lee Daniels’ The Butler) and Emmy winner Danny Strong (Game Change).
Gotham starring Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue has been averaging 10.6 million viewers over its first season. The series is based on the DC Comics characters and focuses on Gotham City before the emergence of Batman.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s second season has grown in viewership by 17% over its first season, so the news of a third season order doesn’t come as any surprise. The half-hour comedy series stars Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher and was created by Michael Shur and Dan Goor.
The cast of Fox’s Scream Queens has expanded by four. True Blood‘s Joe Manganiello, Glee‘s Lea Michele, Zombieland‘s Abigail Breslin, and Masters of Sex‘s Keke Palmer have signed on to the comedy-horror anthology series which will premiere this fall.
The foursome join previously announced cast members Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts in the series from Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story), Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan and Dante Di Loreto. Fox also announced Ariana Grande will guest star in a recurring role on Scream Queens.
The first season of Scream Queens will be set at a college campus that’s rocked by a series of murders. Season one will consist of 15 episodes.
Saturday Night Live‘s Kate McKinnon does a mean Justin Bieber, and the January 17, 2015 episode hosted by Kevin Hart gave McKinnon another shot at playing the Bieb. Bieber’s recent Calvin Klein ads provided McKinnon and SNL plenty of juicy material to skewer and in the skit, McKinnon’s Bieber is a whiny, immature kid who flexes his unimpressive muscles and keeps pointing out his tattoos.
Dancer/actress Julianne Hough (Safe Haven) and Vanessa Hudgens will star in Fox’s Grease: Live set to air on January 31, 2016 at 7pm ET. According to the network, Hough will play the sweet and innocent Sandy and Hudgens will take on the role of the bad girl, Rizzo.
The live musical event will be executive produced by Marc Platt (Into the Woods, Wanted).
“Grease is one of the most treasured and favored pop culture phenomenons of our time,” stated Platt. “It’s fun, it’s endearing and we are so excited to reimagine this iconic story with a shared entertainment event suited for today’s audience.”
“Grease is one of the movies that made me want to be an entertainer, and I have literally been waiting my whole life to play Sandy,” said Hough. “My siblings and I watched it and played it out over and over when we were kids. This is my dream role and performing it live on television will be one of the most thrilling opportunities I’ve had in my career so far.”
And Hudgens said, “Being Rizzo is something I’ve never imagined, and I love that because it will be a new challenge. She is such an iconic character that continues to transcend generations. I cannot wait to bring her to life on live television. I’m going to be a Pink Lady!”
Train will be hitting the road this summer in support of their seventh album, Bulletproof Picasso, kicking off a 40+ city tour in Sacramento, CA on May 21, 2015. The San Francisco band will be joined on their Picasso At The Wheel Summer Tour by The Fray and Matt Nathanson, with the tour set to finish up in Quincy, Washington on July 25th.
In addition to announcing the tour dates, Train revealed the music video for their latest single, “Bulletproof Picasso,” will debut on January 23rd and will feature The Walking Dead‘s Emily Kinney and Reid Ewing from Modern Family.
Picasso At The Wheel Summer Tour 2015 Tour Dates with The Fray & Matt Nathanson
May 21 – Marysville, CA at Sleep Train Amphitheatre
May 22 – Mountain View, CA at horeline Amphitheatre
May 23 – Los Angeles, CA at Hollywood Bowl
May 24 – Chula Vista, CA at Sleep Train Amphitheatre
May 26 – Phoenix, AZ at Ak-Chin Pavilion
May 27 – Albuquerque, NM at Isleta Amphitheater
May 29 – Dallas, TX at Gexa Energy Pavilion
May 30 – The Woodlands, TX at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
June 3 – Pelham, AL at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
June 5 – Atlanta, GA at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
June 6 – Tampa, FL at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
June 7 – West Palm Beach, FL at Cruzan Amphitheatre
June 9 – Charlotte, NC at PNC Music Pavilion
June 10 – Raleigh, NC at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
June 11 – Hershey, PA at Hersheypark Stadium
June 13 – Virginia Beach, VA at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
June 14 – Camden, NJ at Susquehanna Bank Center
June 16 – Wantagh, NY at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
June 18** – Bangor, ME at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
June 19 – Saratoga Springs, NY at Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 20 – Mansfield, MA at Xfinity Center
June 21 – Uncasville, CT at Mohegan Sun
June 23 – Toronto, ON at Molson Canadian Amphitheater
June 24 – Darien Center, NY at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
June 26 – Bethel, NY at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
June 27 – Holmdel, NJ at PNC Bank Arts Center
June 28 – Bristow, VA at Jiffy Lube Live
June 30 – Burgettstown, PA at First Niagara Pavilion
July 1 – Clarkston, MI at DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 2 – Cincinnati, OH at Riverbend Music Center
July 3 – Tinley Park, IL at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
July 10 – Nashville, TN at Bridgestone Arena
July 11 – Maryland Heights, MO at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 12 – Noblesville, IN at Klipsch Music Center
July 15 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH at Blossom Music Center
July 17 – Kansas City, MO at Starlight Theatre
July 18 – Englewood, CO at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 19 – Salt Lake City, UT at USANA Amphitheatre
July 21 – Stateline, NV at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys
July 22 – Boise, ID at Taco Bell Arena
July 24 – Ridgefield, WA at Amphitheater Northwest
Luke Treadaway stars in ‘Fortitude’ (Photo Courtesy of Pivot TV)
Luke Treadaway stars alongside Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon, Richard Dormer, Christopher Eccleston, and Sienna Guillory in the dramatic series Fortitude premiering on Pivot TV on Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT. The cast of the series took part in the 2015 TCA winter press event in Los Angeles, and in addition to participating in a press conference to promote the show, Treadaway sat down for a one-on-one with me to discuss the thriller set in Iceland.
The Plot: “Fortitude is a place like nowhere else. Although surrounded by the savage beauty of the Arctic landscape, Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth. There has never been a violent crime here. Until now.
In such a close-knit community, a murder touches everyone and the unsettling horror of this crime threatens the future of the town itself.
Sheriff Dan Anderssen is the local Head of Police. Dan leads a world-class search and rescue team but now finds himself investigating the brutal and shocking murder of a British research scientist. And he is forced to work alongside DCI Milton Caldwell, a British detective who’s just flown into Fortitude. As the search for the killer proceeds and the list of suspects grows, each cop finds compelling reasons to mistrust the other.
And as the endless summer nights give way once more to the Arctic darkness this apparently idyllic community struggles to make sense of the murderous terror that’s been let loose in its heart.”
Interview with Luke Treadaway:
How did this show come to you? Did you audition for it?
Luke Treadaway: “I did. I went to who wrote this script which I thought was standout from everything. It’s such a unique and original vision of a place. The characters and the world of the show was just so complete and such a really interesting idea, I thought. I went along and met Sam [Miller], the director and producers and had an audition and got it.”
What appealed to you about Fortitude?
Luke Treadaway: “I think having read the script and it was a really fantastic script, and then hearing who else was going to be involved. The opportunity to work with such an incredible international cast of people that you know, and some actors that you’ve known all your life and looked up to. I found it incredible seeing Stanley [Tucci’s] face and Michael [Gambon’s] face on that board. What an honor to work with them. It’s like being picked for Manchester United to play on such an incredible team of people. And then obviously there’s a lot of younger cast as well, people you’ve seen in great stuff. I think everyone felt incredibly excited and honored to be a part of it.”
How long is your character going to be a suspect?
Luke Treadaway: “You’ve seen the first two, yes? I think by that point they’re starting to have inclinations that it could be… I think actually within the first opening double-billed, I think there’s already an inclination that it’s not him but they’re not prepared to release him until they find another suspect. I think that’s right. They’re starting to looking pretty quickly. I mean Vincent gets interviewed and I think it’s pretty clear straight away that he’s not behind this gruesome murder so they start looking elsewhere but I’m kept in custody for awhile.”
Is he aware of how deep he’s in?
Luke Treadaway: “I think pretty much, yeah. Let’s put it this way, he feels pretty deep in it straight-away and it’s a terrifying thing to have arrived in a new country where you don’t know the people. You don’t know the systems of how they work and you’re instantly taken to a prison cell and not given a phone call to a lawyer. I would personally find that probably one of the most scary things to happen to me, so, yeah Vincent’s terrified.”
As an actor, you must have a lot of crime shows coming your way. Did this seem different right away?
Luke Treadaway: “Yeah, I think it starts in that very much in that way. It’s a thriller and you have this murder that’s happened. There’s definitely an element of a crime being committed and then therefore police being involved. But already off the bat it’s such a different setup because you’ve got the police force who’ve never investigated a crime before. When the murder happens, they don’t know where the white suits are. They’re trying to find where the guns are kept. You’re already starting on a different way. I think if you’re sensing in the first who is the menace, unease, and intrigue and confusion of where it’s quite going to go, I think that people will be satisfied with the twists and turns and directions.
I think it goes from starting out as a thriller and centered around a crime to then the secrets of the town and the people that are unlocked by the investigation that’s going on. There’s a sort of environmental aspect to it, that kind of ecological mystery that is so incredibly dark and unsuspecting that you don’t see it coming in any way. I think that would really shock people and push their boundaries of what they find comfortable to watch. That’s a good thing.”
How cold is it actually where you’re shooting?
Luke Treadaway: “It was like zero to minus ten maybe at times, I think. Most of the characters most of the time had appropriate weather gear for what they were shooting. We weren’t having to do the thing where you’re shooting a scene on the beach and pretending like it’s warm, but it is really freezing. Most of the time we were well dressed for it so it was okay.”
How many episodes is the series Fortitude?
Luke Treadaway: “12.”
Have you ever done a project that long before? Have you been to other series?
Luke Treadaway: “No, I haven’t. It was a first. It’s really interesting to be able to play someone over such a long period of time and to get to really invest in a character in the world, and to be surprised each time a new script came out. You didn’t know where it was going so that was new experience and really exciting.”
Is Fortitude the first thing you’ve done that’s so mysterious that it’s hard to talk about?
Luke Treadaway: “Yeah, I’ve never had to do interviews where I’m careful about giving stuff away so much. I suppose there is an element of evasion with any project. You want the audience to feel the same things that you had when you first read a script and you have a shock. As much as you want to give people enough to excite them and interest them, enough they’re going to watch it, you don’t want to take away the pleasure of the excitement of finding things out as it goes along. Yeah, I want to make sure that we preserve that element of surprise, definitely.”
What did you learn from working with Stanley Tucci?
Luke Treadaway: “He’s just a beautiful human being – gentle and kind and generous and hilarious. As an actor, just very free and open to finding the scene on the day. I think he’s a really wonderful actor to work with.”
Was there a detailed backstory for Vincent available to you?
Luke Treadaway: “There wasn’t a huge amount. There’s wasn’t a sort of entire biography there for me. I sort of had to do that myself and that’s part of the preparation for it. I just had to go away and concoct a version of events that have led up to Vincent arriving in Fortitude, and it was that was open to interpretation I suppose.
As the series went along, there would be other things that you find out that maybe could’ve clashed or could have complemented that in different ways and that you just have to work with that, really. It’s different to them. It’s different in seeing the play in one piece or the film in one piece and knowing exactly what’s going to happen. It calls for a slight flexibility maybe in your knowledge and understanding of the character, but that’s exciting.”
Where did you decide he’d come from before?
Luke Treadaway: “He’s a scientist. He’s come out there to study the effects of the chemicals in the sea and in the arctic ice that are causing dramatic changes in behavior of the polar bears. He’s come out to study with Christopher Eccleston’s character. It’s like going to the surface of the moon, really. To be able to go and study in a place where there there is permafrost and there’s the ability to unlock mysteries from 10,000 years ago because of the way they’re been preserved in the ice. It’s very exciting for the scientists. He’s decided to go out there and he’s a very adventurous spirit, I suppose, to go and choose to take yourself off to a remote, bleak arctic town and to research there when you could be sitting in London and doing stuff there.”
Do you go back as far as to figure out where he’s done his schooling and how he got into science?
Luke Treadaway: “Yeah, I came up with a version of events that filled him out as a person for me so I knew what was happening and how much of that is sort of revealed in the show…for me, you need to have those thoughts for your private consumption, really. We’ll see. We’ll see more probably it will come out about him in the second series as well about his background.”
Where was Fortitude shot?
Luke Treadaway: “It was shot in Iceland and London.”
Iceland? Have you ever been before?
Luke Treadaway: “Not before, no. I’m privileged to have, I think, nine or ten weeks in all over the course of the shoot going out there. I can only speak highly of the place. It’s a beautiful place, beautiful people, and I thoroughly recommend everyone going.”
What was the nightlife like in Iceland?
Luke Treadaway: “The nightlife in Iceland is interesting. For half of the shoot, it was nighttime the whole time. It was dark for the first three months when we’d go out there, it’d be dark the whole time. We had our own nightlife which was the whole cast being able to – really lovely – being able to stay in the same hotel and have dinner together each night. Being able to socialize together was really lovely because often if you’re working from home, then obviously most people will be going home at the end of the night. It was really nice to be able to hang out together.”
So you got to hang out with people you didn’t necessarily get to have scenes with?
Luke Treadaway: “Exactly. So, take someone like Micheal for instance who I think I only shared maybe one scene with him, possibly. We had the unbridled joy of sitting down with a cup of tea in a morning and hearing his story of auditioning for Laurence Olivier in 1954 for the National Theater Company. I think that’s the right day, I’m not sure. It’s absolutely gold, brilliant.”
Have you shot any other films before since Fortitude that are still to come out?
Luke Treadaway: “Since Fortitude? Wait, hang on, let me get my dates in order. Unbroken has just come out, that’s still on, that’s around, that’s out. Since Fortitude, I’ve shot of The Hollow Crown which is I think two of them, then we shot with Tom Hiddleston where they did Henry IV, I think. And I’ve just done Richard III playing the Earl of Richmond opposite Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III. We shot that a couple of months ago, I think. So, that was great. I had to learn to ride a horse and then learn to ride a horse in medieval armor with a sword and to charge into the Battle of Bosworth and fight with Benedict – so it’s very fun, yeah.”
As an actor, do you have a passion for Shakespeare?
Luke Treadaway: “When I see it, I sometimes feel passionate about it in a positive way. Sometimes I feel like it’s a really hard to tell plays that everyone has seen before a million times or knows, often knows, and to tell it in an exciting, original way and to give people the experience that they have when they’re watching a new play. I think it’s a real challenge as actors, as directors, in every part of the puzzle. When it’s done well, it can be beautiful and he is obviously, I don’t need to say this, it’s an amazing series and come out as really special. I think the Richard III that we filmed I think will be really wonderful with Benedict at the heart of it. I look forward to seeing it.”
Did you get a chance to meet Louis Zamperini before he passed?
Luke Treadaway: “I didn’t unfortunately, no. I wish I had. I feel like I got a sense of the spirit of a man from talking to people who had met him and from reading the book. I could tell from experiencing what it would have been like to been a man in those prisoner of war camps with my character through that story.”
Were you based on a real person who was with Zamperini?
Luke Treadaway: “I think I was actually the only one who was sort of slight combination of two different officers that were there at time. Again, it was a situation which was an interpretation of it and being able to invent my own backstory, I suppose.”
Zachary Levi is returning to series TV with a role in the NBC miniseries Heroes Reborn, as just announced by the network. Levi and Jack Coleman are confirmed as part of the cast of this new limited series that marks a return to the world of ordinary people who find out they have superhuman abilities. The official announcement lists Levi’s character in Heroes Reborn as “undetermined.”
Heroes writer/executive producer Tim Kring is back for the miniseries. James Middleton and Peter Elkoff are also on board as executive producers.
“One of my first, and fondest, memories of joining the NBC family in 2007 was having the pleasure of getting to know Tim Kring, and the cast of Heroes. I was a fan of their collective work and always thought it was such a fantastic and fun world they got to play in,” said Levi. “With Heroes Reborn, I’m honored to have the opportunity to bring more of that world to life, and excited to help in offering the fans of the franchise an epic new installation of a series that made such a huge impact on entertainment.”
Levi’s credits include the starring role in Chuck, Tangled (as the voice of Flynn Rider), and Thor: The Dark World.
Karine Vanasse has been stirring things up on ABC’s Revenge for two seasons as Margaux LeMarchal, and playing a strong character who demands to have her input paid attention to has been a refreshing change for the Canadian actress. Vanasse took part in the TCA winter press day for the popular TV show, and I had the chance to sit down with her briefly to discuss her work on the series.
– Warning: Make sure you’re caught up on season four before reading any further. There is a major spoiler in this Q&A that has to do with the mid-season finale, “Atonement,” which aired on December 7, 2014. You’ve been warned.
Interview with Karine Vanasse:
How do you feel about this season thus far?
Karine Vanasse: “Revenge is really going strong this season and the fans are really involved in what’s going on. Since Daniel Grayson’s death before, it kind of changed, reinvented every characters’ trajectory. It’s great to see that after four years the fans are still as devoted and passionate.”
Moving forward characters will want revenge for new things.
Karine Vanasse: “Yes, and they’ll want revenge for different reasons. New characters want revenge also. What’s really delicate for Emily (played by Emily VanCamp) this season is that guilt of having done all of this for years and then finding her dad. She did it all of it for him and finally he’s not more grateful than that. What did she do it for then? And then Margaux, my character, she arrived in the Hamptons, very fresh, and started a relationship with Jack and then slowly lost her dad, Daniel was killed, and now that she knows that Emily was really the cause of all of this, she’s unhappy.”
You know what they say about revenge is that you should dig two graves. Is that coming true for Emily?
Karine Vanasse: “I think it is. People see that, we can feel how hurt she is – especially with Daniel’s death. When does it stop? That’s the question: when does it stop? I think my character is like, ‘This has to stop!’ and so she’s going to do everything. But by doing everything, she’s not stopping herself either so it’s kind of a circle of revenge. It always starts with revenges, and I guess it hasn’t stopped for anybody.”
How has the show changed your life?
Karine Vanasse: “I’ve never been on a TV show for two seasons. Pan Am was only one season, when I was working in Canada it was only one season. So being back on the show for a second season is great. You see the work you’ve done and how influenced and inspired the writers have been to create new things that they maybe didn’t think of writing for you at first.
And on that show, they trusted me with lots of anger and with a really strong character, which I’ve never played before. I’ve always played a sweet, gentle, goodhearted character. And now I’m playing a woman who’s not afraid to say no, who’s not afraid to stand up and say, ‘No, I don’t agree with the situation.’ It’s actually really fun.”
Is there anyone on the cast who you are particularly close to?
Karine Vanasse: “Some actors do more scenes together. Like right now I’m doing lots of scenes with Madeleine Stowe which I love because last year I had almost no scenes with her. So it’s good because I feel like you get to discover new actors each period. Last season I had so many scenes with Nick [Wechsler] who plays Jack. The first half of this season all of my scenes are with Daniel (played by Joshua Bowman), so I guess eventually all of my scenes will be with Emily I’m guessing.”
Were you following Revenge before you got the part?
Karine Vanasse: “Yes, because I was on Pan Am and they started the same season. So I watched it and kept watching it for the second season also. I knew all the backstories.”
What were they originally able to tell you about Margaux when you first got the part.
Karine Vanasse: “They offered it to me and I didn’t even know if I would be there for more than eight episodes. They didn’t really know. I knew she was French; I knew she was coming to the Hamptons to start a new magazine. That was about it. That was about all I knew about that character, and that she was kind of the feminine counterpart to Daniel.”
How has the fan reaction been to Margaux?
Karine Vanasse: “When you play a character who challenges the lead, especially this season, of course some fans are going to be like, ‘What?! Get her out! She’s not nice with Emily.’ When I was with Daniel and before that Jack, they were like, ‘No! Jack belongs to Emily. No! Daniel belongs to Emily!’ And that’s the kind of reaction you want from audiences anyway. You want them to react. If they don’t react that’s not good news, actually.”
Is it fun to be the character who stirs things up and who some viewers see as bad?
Karine Vanasse: [Laughing] “It’s more fun that I thought. Yes.”
What’s been particularly fun for you?
Karine Vanasse: “My voice. I think to be so strong about what she sees. I don’t have that voice myself so I surprise myself with where it goes sometimes.”
A scene from ‘Paddington’ (Photo Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)
“Perhaps you’d like an English name?” asks Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins). “An English name,” replies the talking bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw). “Paddington,” exclaims Mrs. Brown as she, along with her two children and her husband, prepare to take the young Peruvian bear who they found at a train station wearing a tag that reads “Please take care of this bear, Thank you” home with them for just one night in the family film, Paddington.
After suffering a tragedy, the young Peruvian bear with a passion for all things British travels to London in hopes of finding a new home. At first things aren’t going well at all for Paddington, with everyone ignoring him and just going about their business. But when Mrs. Brown sees the cute bear standing in front of the Lost and Found, she just can’t resist talking to him. Realizing he has no one in London to stay with, Mrs. Brown convinces her husband, Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville), to let the bear stay with them for just one night.
Wanting to make a good impression and hoping to win over the Brown family so he might live with them and become a member of their family, Paddington tries to get acquainted and situated but only ends up causing one disaster after another. The over=controlling and accident-obsessed Mr. Brown is determined to get rid of Paddington fearing he causes too many hazards for his children. But when he sees both Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) and Judy (Madeleine Harris) laughing and beginning to like the adorable bear, he slowly starts to reconsider.
Just when it seems Paddington might actually have a new family, a new threat surfaces when a museum taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) hears about some of the bear’s latest antics in the city and decides he would make a perfect addition to her collection.
Cute, funny, and occasionally silly, Paddington is a lighthearted, family adventure film that is sure to have the audience wanting their own Peruvian talking bear to take home. The film has marvelous CGI visual effects, and especially impressive is the bear itself. The interactions between the live actors and the CGI bear are first-rate, as is the overall look of Paddington. Ben Whishaw does a great job in providing the voice of the bear, bringing the little guy to life and giving him just the right innocent and curious personality. Hugh Bonneville is extremely comical and at times tender as the over-protective Mr. Brown who at first wants nothing to do with the strange bear but eventually ends up risking his own well being to save Paddington. The biggest laughs in the film are when these two characters are on screen together.
The one subplot which does not belong and at times makes the film just a bit too dark for young members of the audience is the taxidermist stalking and hunting Paddington to make him an unwilling permanent resident of her museum. Fortunately, the director and writers kept a cartoonish and wacky feel to these scenes effectively minimizing the dark subject matter.
Endearing, sweet, and zany, Paddington is a delightful, goofy adventure that is sure to entertain young children and their parents as they watch an adorable bear trying to find a new family all his own.
GRADE: B-
Paddington is rated PG for mild action and rude humor.
