2013 San Diego Comic-Con attendees fortunate enough to get a seat in Hall H for the Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel were treated to the pilot episode of the series executive produced by Joss Whedon (The Avengers). The panel was one of the most anticipated of the four-day event, and ABC hopes the buzz that built from that premiere screening will turn the series into a hit.
The series, which is set to debut on September 24, 2013, features Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, along with a cast of newcomers to the Marvel world.
Joss Whedon’s one of the busiest men in Hollywood and a fan favorite at Comic-Con, but he took the time to sit down with us to answer a few questions as to what we can expect from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and why, despite his film commitments, he is so involved in the show.
How is constructing the television version of the Marvel universe different than a theatrical movie version of the Marvel universe?
Joss Whedon: “There’s no money! [Laughing] Well, we get to take our time with it. The more leisurely moments are the heart of the thing. We don’t have to worry about whether the world is at stake. What’s exciting about the show for me is that the world is at stake for someone. Someone is having an apocalypse and S.H.I.E.L.D. can get into that on a personal level, and not necessarily on a giant level.”
How far in advance have you plotted the story arc?
Joss Whedon: “Well, Season season is pretty risqué, I don’t mind telling you. You know, we do it the way we always do it. We know where we want to go. We have our big tentpoles. But, we leave a couple things open for us to feel our way. That way, we can see if something lands, if a relationship is working, if a guest star is interesting, or if we want to revisit something. You always want to build as you go. So, we definitely know what the big questions are and where we want to end, both in our 13th episode and our 22nd episode. We are also ready to change course, or at least change the way we’re going to get there.”
What guidelines were you given going in? Were you just asked to make a show in the Marvel universe or were you specifically asked to focus on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Joss Whedon: “The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are in the Marvel universe. They understood, going in, what we wanted to do which was use the feeling you get from the Marvel cinematic universe and even the excitement, complexity, fun and the soap opera of it from the comic books, and mix it all together. It’s also ABC and they like a story where the characters progress and have interaction, which is what I like. So, the mandate was, ‘Do that thing that you do.’ We’d like every episode to be contained so you feel like something was accomplished. But, at the same time, you want to see what happens to the characters next.”
How important is it to you to stay as involved as you can, even with everything else that you’re doing?
Joss Whedon: “It’s very important to me that it’s right. If I could not do any more work and know that everything was perfect, there’s a chance I might not, at least until I had a little bit more free time. Obviously, I’m going to be involved, but I also deliberately surrounded myself with people who know what I’m talking about and what I’m trying to do, and who are great at it. So, when I can’t be involved, the show will go forward the way it should. I will be as involved as I can be, but I don’t know what that’s going to be. Sometimes I have unlimited energy, but sometimes I’m the other guy. But, the important thing is that the show is now already bigger than just me.”
Theo Rossi as Jean Carlos 'Juice' Ortiz in 'Sons of Anarchy' - Photo Credit: Prashant Gupta/FX
Theo Rossi (‘Juice’) was close-mouthed about what we can expect from season six of Sons of Anarchy, not wanting to divulge any potential spoilers while discussing the critically acclaimed FX series at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con. But he did say that whatever Kurt Sutter decides to do with his character, and however Sutter ultimately winds up the series, is fine with him. Theo Rossi completely trusts the Sons of Anarchy creator to send the show off with a bang (probably literally).
Theo Rossi Sons of Anarchy Interview
What can you tell us about your character’s journey this season?
Theo Rossi: “Nothing. I can’t tell you anything. I’ll tell you this. Season five was super intense for Juice, obviously, with everything with Clay at the end and being really instrumental in setting things up. Everybody reaches a breaking point. I think he just wants acceptance somewhere, in something. I think the question is now that Jax is running the club how does that work out? How does Juice fit into that plan and that situation?
It’s a very different club we’re in now, and I think we get to really see that deal with Jax. Is he John Teller? Is he Clay? He wants to wear the crown, but what comes with that and how do we all fit into that? How do we all either respect that, how does it work for us? I think that for me, without saying anything – because I’m sure Kurt [Sutter] could choke me out at any time here – is it’s fascinating.
Every single script reads like a finale. Everything is like, you literally turn that last page and you’re like, ‘What is happening?! How is this all happening in one script? And we have thirteen of these.’ With me, I’ve been really lucky. Really, really, really lucky as this character to start as the funny guy and then to go to this sad, crying clown, to go to what’s going to happen to him, this kind of self-deprecating, ‘I want to kill myself,’ type deal, to now playing an entirely different side. We just really see a whole different side of Juice this year. I’m really excited for everybody to see it.”
Of all the characters, he seems to be the one who’s constantly living in fear. He hides it really well, but how is that to actually wear that mask of fear under the smile all the time?
Theo Rossi: “The clown that’s crying on the inside. I think that’s an extremely hard thing to play in that world. Not as an actor…what I’m saying is in that world, in that violent world that’s been created with Sons of Anarchy, to maintain and navigate in that world as that guy… That’s why I think like I said, there is that breaking point where everybody has to [figure out] how long can you go on like that without rebelling or losing it? That’s what I’m excited for this year. Kurt’s really, really, really good at knowing exactly what emotion comes from every single thing. There’s always a plan, and that’s what I love. Nothing goes unresolved. Nothing gets left hanging.
A lot of things have changed since Opie died. Everything’s changed for everything, for everybody. For the whole club. For the whole show. It was one of those things where when that happened, it was like a reality check as an actor and as a character. As a character it was, ‘This is a pretty violent world we’re in.’ As an actor it was, ‘We’re not going to run forever, are we?’ This isn’t All My Children, and even that got canceled. [laughing] Things happen. It’s interesting. I’m pretty excited. Every time we get a script it’s like Christmas. We get excited. Masking fear with excitement, more like.”
Can you tease next season at all, what we’re going to see from you?
Theo Rossi: “I wish I could. I just think that without saying much, it’s funny. It’s going to be here soon enough. It’s so intense. It’s so intense and at the same time there’s so much stuff being resolved, and so much stuff being brought up. It’s a very different world. We’ve got a lot of characters that have been circling with Nero and the Sheriff and Eli, and all these different things, and seeing everybody’s new roles in a way. Things have changed. It’s not the old days with Opie, Piney, Clay at the head of the table and everybody around – and Half Sack. It’s all changed. Watching it change every year is the fun part because it’s always new. It’s always fresh. I think right off the bat you start to see that.”
As Juice sees the changes happening, who does he find himself most aligned with?
Theo Rossi: “That’s what you start to see.”
Does he start to pick a definite side?
Theo Rossi: “He starts making decisions. That’s the best I can say. There are decisions being made because he can’t float anymore. He can’t wallow any longer. There’s one point or another where survival kicks in.”
Would he be ready to wear this crown if that became the situation?
Theo Rossi: “No! Unstable at best. No, absolutely not! He can barely get up in the morning. He ain’t going to be able to run a club. It’s different roles, different things. There’s soldiers and there’s leaders in this world. Juice is definitely a soldier in every way.”
But if he’s the last man standing…
Theo Rossi: “Imagine?! That would be interesting. [Laughing] My business manager would be happy. We’ll see what happens.”
What do you think the last episode should be?
Theo Rossi: “Abel should be putting on the coat and walking away. No, I don’t know. We think about that, obviously. There’s only one person that knows that, and he’s floating around this room. That’s a really interesting question. I don’t know. Series finales are the hardest thing in the world. I’ve always thought, I’m a huge fan of The Shield. The Shield is my favorite series finale ever, and I’ve seen a few of them now. I thought The Sopranos was pretty good, but not like The Shield. If you’re a fan of The Shield, you see they leave it so ambiguous for Vic Mackey. Where did he go? What did he do? Knowing that [Kurt Sutter] was a part of that makes me feel really comfortable with the way this is going to go. Every season finale has been pretty amazing.
Recently, I do a lot of stuff with the military and the Navy SEALs are down range in Afghanistan and they got all these gifts from Nike and Apple and all that, and the one gift they wanted was from Sons. I’m friends with a lot of the guys, and the one gift they really wanted, I said, ‘What’s your favorite thing?’ and they said, ‘The season three finale, with Stahl and Jimmy O and all that,’ so we sent them the script from season three signed by everybody. They literally have read it like five times. I always think, to me, that was one of the greatest finales we’ve ever had. It just shows that I’m really comfortable with however the series ends.”
Do you find that since the death of Opie and Ryan Hirst leaving the show and now that you have limited time left you’re a little more nervous when you’re reading the script to see who might leave next?
Theo Rossi: “You know, it’s part of this world. It’s what is created. I don’t necessarily get nervous about it. As long as you see me with a Mohawk, I’m all right. [laughing] See me walk in here with a giant Afro, I’m in trouble, all right? Or I’m undercover somewhere in WitPro in Sons of Anarchy. I don’t think like that. I think in the fact of the character and what he does. I’ve never trusted a writer like this, so whatever he does is cool with me. I say that, not because of our friendship, but just because between The Shield, and this, I’m cool. We’re in good hands.”
Would you be making the same choices if you were writing the character?
Theo Rossi: “I could barely write my name. I wish I could write. Would I be making the same choices? I think that I’ve been, again, I’ve been so lucky. I’m one of the few characters that, literally, has gotten to play one of the guys who have been joking around and crying, and suicidal and aggressive, so I’ve been really lucky.”
The Conjuring is the scariest movie since The Exorcist. True story: the studio sent me a doll that looks like the one from the film as part of the promotional material for The Conjuring. It was creepy-looking, but having not yet seen the film when I opened the package, I wasn’t freaked out by it being in my house. Then…that evening I saw a screening of the horror film. My immediate reaction upon leaving the screening was to call my husband and demand he gets rid of the doll before I got home.
I didn’t want it in a closet, the garage, or anywhere inside my house where I might just randomly come upon it. Of course, having not seen the movie, my husband thought I was overreacting. And to that, I say just wait until it comes out on Blu-ray, then we’ll see how he feels having that thing in our house!
Anyway, Warner Bros has just released this new video, “Possession,” with audience reactions and clips from the movie starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Enjoy.
Aimee Teegarden returns to series TV with a starring role in The CW’s Star-Crossed. The upcoming series is a sci-fi show involving aliens on Earth, focusing on a teenage stranger to this planet (played by Matt Lanter) as he attempts to assimilate into a human high school.
There’s romance, jealousy, intrigue, prejudice, and drama in Star-Crossed – and in high school – and The CW will be launching the series midseason.
The Plot:
When Emery was 6 years old, an alien spacecraft crash-landed in her small town. Whether they came in peace or with more sinister intentions didn’t matter: a fierce battle erupted as humans fought for control over their new rivals, an alien species called the Atrians. In the midst of the conflict, Roman, a 6-year-old Atrian boy, found his way to a shed behind Emery’s house, where she protected him from harm, bringing him food, comfort – and friendship.
In their brief time together, Emery and Roman forged a deep bond, but the authorities wasted no time tracking Roman down and capturing him in a violent confrontation.
Emery has grown up believing that Roman was killed that day. Ten years later, the Atrians have been acclimated to life on Earth, but they are interned in a heavily-guarded camp known as the Sector to keep them separate from humans. Now, for the first time, a group of Atrian teens will enroll in a suburban human high school, with the goal of testing the feasibility of human/alien integration. The eyes of the nation and the whole world are fixed on this historical social experiment, an endeavor fraught with suspicion and fear.
In the mayhem of the first day, Emery is amazed to learn that Roman was not killed by the authorities and is, in fact, one of the Atrian students. Their childhood bond is quickly rekindled – in a school and a society that distrusts everything about the Atrians, Emery and Roman have found each other again. However, their relationship is threatened by the small-mindedness of their respective communities and the political agendas of people in power. While the world around them rages with anger and prejudice, their bond becomes increasingly strong and increasingly dangerous.
As an epic Romeo and Juliet romance unfolds, a violent encounter between Roman’s father and Emery’s father occurs in the Sector. Can Roman and Emery’s love – and peace between the species – survive?
Aimee Teegarden Star-Crossed Interview at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
What was your first reaction to the script?
Aimee Teegarden: “I was on a plane and I started reading on the plane and by the time I landed, I was so on fire about it. I sent my agent an email and was just like, ‘This is amazing. Let’s set up a meeting. The show is going to be on forever.’ I think that there are so many amazing aspects to the show. Obviously, it’s on The CW, so it’s already open for that teen audience. It has a sci-fi element, there’s romance… It’s set in high school, but the show is not really about high school or about the aliens.
It’s really a bigger metaphor for the prejudice we have as a society currently and in the past.”
Did they tell you an entire season’s worth of storylines for this, or do they just give you the bare minimum to begin with?
Aimee Teegarden: “We shot the pilot, the very first episode, and we start shooting the rest of the season in two weeks. But, I’ve heard some rumblings about what’s going to happen throughout the first season and some storylines, but nothing has been confirmed. I haven’t got the whole scoop on anything.
Typically, as an actor, you also don’t want to know too much about what’s happening in the future unless you’ve already done it because I think you just tend to play into if you know something is going to happen, and then you already start playing into whatever it is. And I think that’s the whole point to TV is it’s suspenseful, and you don’t really know what’s happening.”
After you read that first script, were you thinking about where the story would go?
Aimee Teegarden: “I think what I really took from reading the first script, I just wanted to know more about the Atrians because I wanted to know what’s in the ship, why is the ship here, how big is the ship, how many Atrians landed on the planet? I think there are so many things… Do they have powers, do they not have powers, do some of them have powers, what do the tattoos mean, do they mean something, I’m more into that.
I’ve heard some kind of cool things. I think that between Matt [Lanter] and myself and sort of playing into that star-crossed lover aspect and between an alien and the human, I think that the idea of the two of us bridging that gap between two different beings, it’s a metaphor for so many other things.”
How was working with Matt Lanter?
Aimee Teegarden: “Lovely. He’s awesome. We almost worked together seven years ago on a movie and then the financing fell through, and then he was working on 90210 and I had been working on it – I was only on it for three episodes or something, and then he started the 90210 episode after I did, I think. We never worked together, so we’ve been passing each other along the way. When he came into read, it was like, ‘Oh, hi I know you, but I don’t really know you,’ but he is so lovely.”
You said on the panel that sci-fi was your jam. What got you into sci-fi as a kid? What do you like?
Aimee Teegarden: “What got me into sci-fi as a kid? Star Wars, definitely. I have an older brother, so I was definitely a bit of a tomboy growing up. Anything my brother was into, that was like whatever it was. Star Wars was a huge thing and then obviously Episode I, II and III came out in my lifetime. There is an awesome picture somewhere, my mother made me an Amidala costume – the red costume with the lights at the bottom of it and full head piece – I was probably eight or something like that, and she constructed this whole costume. I had a switch and I could turn the lights on at the bottom of it. It was fantastic. I wish I still had it. She papier-mâchéd it. It was the whole hairpiece thing. I went to the midnight screenings and I wore that. [Laughing] I was that person.”
Steve McHugh and Antonio Palazzola star in ‘Barter Kings’ (Photo by Richard Knapp/A&E)
A&E’s Barter Kings will be back for season three, kicking off on August 6, 2013 at 10pm ET/PT. The reality series will once again follow barterers Steve McHugh and Antonio Palazzola as they compete to make the best deals and ultimately end up with the best final item.
The Plot:
Barter Kings follows Steve and Antonio, two of the best barterers in the business, as they trade up from low-value items to items worth thousands. In the competitive industry of cashless trading, Steve and Antonio have the skills to get what they want without spending a dime. This season, business is booming and Steve and Antonio expand by opening a new store in Utah. With their apprentice and rising queen Kendall’s help back in the High Desert, this tough team is prepped and ready to do whatever it takes to cash out big!
In the season three premiere episode, Steve and Antonio are looking to trade up to a “monstrous” item for their parking lot sale. However, nothing comes easy in the bartering business, and to close this deal, someone may be taking a shot…from a taser.
Jason Sudeikis took to a rival network to officially announce his departure from NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Appearing on the July 24, 2013 episode of Late Show with David Letterman to promote his upcoming comedy We’re the Millers, Sudeikis confirmed what’s been rumored for months: he’s not returning for the 2013-14 season. His exit comes on the heels of Bill Hader and Fred Armisen’s exits, leaving producer Lorne Michaels with big shoes to fill for the 39th season of the late night comedy. Michaels will also be losing Weekend Update’s Seth Meyers halfway through the upcoming season when he leaves to host a weeknight late-show.
Sudeikis has been with SNL for 10 years (eight on camera) but when Letterman asked him how long “will a person” continue on the show, Sudeikis replied, “Well, I mean, a person can go as long as they want. I mean, Lorne [Michaels] has been kicking butt at it for 33 out of the 38 years, you know. But me, yeah, no, I’m definitely done.”
“Yeah, I’m going to leave. Yeah, I’m not coming back next fall,” added Sudeikis. However, he admitted that when it comes closer to the normal start of production on SNL‘s next season, he’ll feel the pull to return. “Yeah, you start to get that itch probably in August, where all these sketch ideas will show up and I’ll be like, ‘Well, can I make this sketch idea last 90 minutes and turn it into a movie?’ Probably not. Probably not, yeah.”
Sam Rockwell (currently seen onscreen in The Way, Way Back) and William H. Macy star in the film adaptation of Matthew F. Jones’ book A Single Shot. Jones adapted his own book for the screen, and David M. Rosenthal directed the gritty thriller, which will be available On Demand on August 20th followed by a theatrical release on September 20th.
In addition to Rockwell and Macy, the cast includes Jeffrey Wright, Jason Isaacs, and Kelly Reilly.
The Plot:
David M. Rosenthal’s white-knuckle thriller starts with a bang: a single shot, aimed at a lone deer, that hits and kills a young woman. The hunter, John Moon (Rockwell), watches her die before discovering a box of money near her body. In a desperate panic, he takes the cash — hiring a low-rent lawyer (Macy) to fight his wife’s (Reilly) divorce suit — and attempts to cover up the killing. But when he discovers that the money belonged to a group of hardened criminals, the hunter becomes the hunted in this tense cat-and-mouse struggle in the backwoods of West Virginia.
Disney’s high-flying version of Cars – Planes – is showing off three brand new clips. Featuring the voices of Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, and John Ratzenberger, Planes will open in theaters on August 9, 2013.
The Plot:
Disney’s Planes is an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.
One of the best shows that you may not be watching – FX’s Sons of Anarchy – returns for season six on September 10, 2013 at 10pm. Created by Kurt Sutter and starring Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Maggie Siff, and Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy‘s sixth season will kick off with a special 90-minute episode followed by one-hour episodes on subsequent Tuesdays.
Season five of the critically acclaimed drama averaged 6.4 million viewers and is the highest-rated program in FX’s history.
In addition to confirming the premiere date, FX has also released this official description of what’s in store on the upcoming season: “Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller (Charlie Hunnam) is SAMCRO’s new President who must face the consequences of the MC’s illicit deeds before they tear the club apart. Gemma Teller-Morrow (Katey Sagal) is Jax’s formidable mother. Clarence ‘Clay’ Morrow (Ron Perlman) is Jax’s stepfather, the last of the Original Nine and former President. Dr. Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff) is Jax’s old lady and mother of his second son.
Having framed Clay for the murder of Damon Pope, Season Six begins with Jax’s leadership uncontested, but his family life suffering from his single-minded pursuit of John Teller’s vision. Jax must find a way to keep Tara from going to prison for conspiracy to commit murder while rebuilding his club and breaking from the cycle of violence and greed that ultimately led to his best friend’s death.”
The one hour dramedy airs on Wednesday nights at 10pm.
Rachel Griffiths Camp Interview:
Could you discuss what it’s like to film on location at such a beautiful place? A lot of shows don’t make use of the environment the way that Camp does.
Rachel Griffiths: “Oh, look, it’s a really good question. Here we have long days in Camp, maybe not as long as like we used to do in Brothers and Sisters, but I would get to the end of the day and I would never feel the kind of fatigue and total exhaustion, I guess. For five years on [Brothers] I would often drive in the dark and then I would come out in the dark and drive home. It was kind of sunrise on the way in on the 101 and sunset on the way home. And you’re in these wonderful studio lots that basically kind of are in these giant vaults making make-believe. And it was absolutely a completely different experience to [be] outside. We were always outside or in an inside/outside kind of flow.
A lot of things we tried to make transitional because we could. So you would enter into a world from an outside world, have a scene and then, you know, perhaps exit. And it just was absolutely beautiful to be breathing real air. Everything you interacted with was real. You know, everything you leant against, every object you held, every door you closed was real. Every prop had a kind of reality to it. And it was interesting [because] I guess you don’t really realize the energy that you put in as an actor in that studio environment to create reality. And not having to do that was quite a different experience.
You could kind of relax and occupy the environment, feel very much that it was yours and it just kind of affected everything: your level and your pitch and you would be really reaching across actors in time and space, walking and talking. So it really was very different and a great pleasure. I love being outside. It’s my kind favorite place to be. I’m a real water girl. So, yeah, it was stunning. It was just stunning place to shoot. It’s got to be one of the most beautiful locations in the world.”
We haven’t seen you do much comedy recently or where your character gets to have a few lighter moments. How was it to actually tackle something like that again?
Rachel Griffiths: “[…]It was kind of terrifying for sure but also a real pleasure. I don’t know, it met where I wanted to be in my life right now, you know? It was kind of a return to it. Muriel’s Wedding definitely had the kind of dramedy tone. And it was kind of lighter, definitely kind of lighter with hilarious moments. So it was a bit of a return to that, but I always do love lighter shows. I was the biggest Ally McBeal fan. I’d learn a lot from Calista [Flockhart]. She would definitely take the drama when it was there but really she’s quite a unique way of keeping the kind of light and fluffy when that’s really all that’s called for.
Whereas, I think the last few years I tended to turn left always and not necessarily feel as confident to turn right. But here I felt they took a risk on me because when I first went in to meet them they’re like – you know, basically they ask you a question. They’re like, ‘You haven’t really done this.’ And I could kind of see on Peter’s face when he – Peter Elkoff flew out and met me and I didn’t really think I was what he had in mind. And we just had a great meeting and I left and they – I guess I have this quite a lot – had that thing after a meeting where people would say, ‘Wow, you’re much funnier and lighter than I had expected.’
You know, when you think of me and Brenda, you think I’d go around like torturing my husband from 8:00 am to late night. So, they call me and they really loved [me]. They loved the vibe in the room. So if that can go on screen, then I guess they were prepared to take a risk. But that’s not to say that when I first walked into rehearsal I wouldn’t think, ‘What if I’m not funny, what if I can’t do it?’ I had all those doubts. I have to say the kids really helped. They were just naturally so carefree and funny. And they kept it very light.” Rachel Griffiths as Mackenzie -- (Photo by: Vince Valitutti/NBC)Some of the younger characters on the show, and even your character Mack, are going through some big changes in their lives. Would you say that the summer camp experience can be viewed as a metaphor for transitions?
Rachel Griffiths: “I love that. I love it. You have a serious approach. I know this with my own kids just over the long summer, when the to-do list is kind of taken off the table and you’re not just meeting your deadlines and doing your homework and being shuffled from all your activities, I think it does create some psychic space where we’re able to catch up with who we are and maybe who we want to be and make those decisions really actively. It kinds of lean left or lean right. Of course, I don’t mean politically. Or, sometimes we just find at the end of the summer how kids have even grown. I don’t think that’s been true of Mac up until this particular summer.
I think, you know, the last 10 summers maybe have been very similar, a welcome, predictable time of the year for her and what she’s super comfortable kind of shepherding these young people through their often kind of great adolescence and transitions. But I guess this is her summer. It is a bit her second adolescence.”
What did you like best about going to camp as a kid?
Rachel Griffiths: “Well, you know, we don’t so much have the big camp tradition in Australia. And one [reason] is that our summers are only half the length of yours, so we’re not trying to keep our kids occupied for three months. The second thing, and you’re going to find this terrific, is that most Australians get four weeks annual leave and they take it at that time. And then they roll it into the Christmas New Year, what they call it, so they end up with sometimes five weeks. I know it’s really bad, isn’t it? It’s probably why we’re way down on the list of the world’s most productive countries.
I think so much of that camp tradition also came of getting kids out of this stinking metropolis scene of the boiling stinking metropolises and wanting our children to have a kind of a freedom and a contact with the great American outdoors of which I’m a ridiculous fan of the American landscapes and all their varied beauty. But if I guess I would say these are dense, they’re not as built up, they’re not as hot in the summer. It’s easier for us. A lot of people still have their quarter acre backyard and that need is not as important.
I went to my first family camp actually as a family. That was my first. I never did Camp America though I was thinking about it at some point. But I went to Camp Montecito up in the Sequoia National Park with the kids. We had actually a wonderful time and met these gorgeous kids. […] There was a great kind of a mix of [people]. There were some Hollywood families who were kind of going rustic and trying to get their kids away from the devices very much with camp. And I really got it, you know? They keep you running off all day and did these great things and we hung by the lake and drank Chardonnay and read novels. And then it all came together at night. I really got it. It was a very nostalgic camp and had that 1950s feel. So when they were explaining the pitch for the show, I was like, ‘Don’t worry. I know. You don’t have to explain.'”
Could you talk a bit about Raffi and Todd, the gay dads on the show?
Rachel Griffiths: “[We did] Six Feet Under back in 2000 and we made that pilot. We were really kind of groundbreaking I think about normalizing the gay family member and not the outsider. So we did just some of the kind of first TV breakthroughs. And then moving on to Brothers and Sisters, I think we had the first gay wedding on network television. Then now we’re in a kind of a lighthearted, growing American camp tradition and there we have the full gay family. And more than anything I think it’s just [that] I can’t imaging NBC would have been kind of tossing that idea around or if they would, it wouldn’t have just been a casual, ‘No, we should definitely have a gay family,’ back in 2000.
So I’m really proud to be part of I guess a kind of change in attitude towards gay families and gay marriage and also the representation of gay families and gay relationships in a very kind of normalized way. I mean I know they still [had] a guest role in these early episodes but, he should certainly become more significant. And some of the issues that children of gay parents particularly, and the marriage thing debate is still out there and we’re still saying that it’s not…some people are trying to say that it’s not an ideal situation for children to be raised in. To be following the child off that situation and her being such a beautiful girl and her being a good voice on how it feels sometimes to be the subject of any prejudice, I just think it’s a really interesting progression through the last 13 years and for what GLADD has done in representations of those issues in the media and that they just be funny [how] one guy fell in love, you know? I think it’s great.”
