Interview: ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ star LL Cool J on doing his own stunts and his ‘bromance’ with Chris O’Donnell

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:44 — 5.3MB)

LL Cool J is like a blast of energy when you’re around him; like a human dose of Red Bull. He was so enthusiastic about his work and life that I couldn’t help but get pumped up and smile at everything he was saying.

LL is currently starring in NCIS: Los Angeles as Special Agent Sam Hanna, a former Navy SEAL who now works in the undercover unit of NCIS in LA. At the beginning of this season, he and co-star Chris O’Donnell are are in eastern Europe to rescue Hetty (Linda Hunt), who is trying to convince the Comescu crime family that Callen (O’Donnell) is dead.

I talked to LL at Comic-Con about the bromance he has with O’Donnell, how his character is still a bit of a mystery and how he feels about doing his own stunts.

Follow LL on Twitter!

NCIS: Los Angeles airs on CBS, Tuesdays 9/8c

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes [There is some irritating noise that goes on throughout the interview, I apologize]

Your partnership with Callen is pretty well established by the first episode.  How did you guys create that amongst yourselves?  Did you guys create a back-story?

LL Cool J: Well, we didn’t create a back-story. I mean, you know, the back-story obviously, you know, Shane is dealing with that but I think that’s about just chemistry in general.  I think when you get in a room with people that you like to talk to usually there’s a vibe or there isn’t, you know? You can’t create a vibe.  The vibe is there.  You go on a blind date, either the vibe is there or it isn’t.  So, we just kind of clicked.  The chemistry is there.  The energy is there.  It made it easier, you know?   Read more

Interview: Chris O’Donnell talks ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ and more!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:35 — 3.8MB)

NCIS: Los Angeles is one of those shows that fit you like an old shoe. You watch it and you immediately like characters and their stories and have no problem spending an hour with them. In fact, you welcome it.

The casting of stars Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J helped with the success of hit CBS show that is always in the Top 10. The chemistry between the two is undeniable and is definitely a reason why people keep tuning back in.

Chris plays Callen on the show that starts its third season tonight, right where last season finale left off. He talks about his chemistry with LL (or Todd as he say’s in the interview), if they created a backstory and his advice to actors.

And if you want to hear something hilarious, check out the audio interview. It was a roundtable interview at Comic-Con and there is a guy who tells Chris that Batman and Robin “has been praised as the best one of the four.” The guy was totally serious or trying to kiss some major butt but Chris, laughing, says, “that’s not true!” Check it out if you have the time.

Follow Chris n Twitter!

NCIS: Los Angeles airs on CBS, Tuesdays 9/8c

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes

Well, you’re on the beach when you start off this new season?

Chris O’Donnell: We are.  It’s funny.  We literally picked up right where we left off last season where I’m kneeling in the sand and I turned around there is this little boathouse behind us, I took a picture of it, put it on Twitter, and within minutes, there were so many responses.  Everybody knew exactly where we were just from. I said nothing I just put a picture out there and fans know.  They watched it so closely.  It’s amazing.   Read more

Interview: Michael Steger on ’90210′, How He Got His Start and Bad Auditions

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:07 — 8.4MB)

90210 just started its fourth season and the kids from West Beverly High School are growing up. Some are headed to college and some are going right into the world to make a name for themselves.

Michael Steger’s character, Navid Shirazi, is doing the latter; taking over his father’s porn business (man, if my dad had a porn business….) and trying to make it into something legitimate.

I talked to Michael recently where he said that Navid is basically a 19-year-old kid “trying to find himself.” We talked about his time on the show and how he dealt with the new showrunners, how he got his start and one particularly bad audition.

Follow Michael on Twitter!

90210 airs on the CW on Tuesdays at 8/9c

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes

You have new show runners this year. When that happens, how does that work?  Do they call you and talk to you about your character, or so it more like, “This is the direction we want to go?”

Michael Steger: Well, we were always kind of, you know, a bit nervous because we didn’t know what to expect, but they all made appointments with us. We had like an hour-and-a-half meeting about character and it was great because, you know, they mentioned that they were really big fans of the show, that they really didn’t want to change it. They just wanted to continue it and add on to it because they really dug what Rebecca [ ] did the past few seasons. So it was a seemless transition where they wanted to continue the exploration of the character.  Read more

Q & A: Nick Offerman on ‘Parks and Recreation’, Ron Swanson and his love of ‘The Ballet’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:38 — 19.0MB)

After what I thought was a sluggish first season, NBC’s Parks and Recreation has now become one of my favorite TV shows thanks in no small part to Nick Offerman.

In one of the funniest conference calls I’ve ever been a part, I talked to Nick and Co-creator Michael Schur about the show and the upcoming season. When asked what he loved about his character, Nick said that he loves everything about it. “Every time I’m handed a new script,” he says, “I feel like a largemouth bass at a nightcrawler convention.”

After giving my condolences for Lil Sebastian (which they greatly appreciated), Nick talked about his preparation, what makes Swanson so loveable and his penchant for ‘the ballet.’

If you love the show and want some serious laughs, listening to the full audio interview is a must!

Click the audio link above or download from iTunes

Parks and Recreation premieres on Thursday, September 22 at 8:30/7:30c

First of all, I just wanted to say, rest in peace Lil Sebastian.

Michael Schur: Amen.

Nick Offerman: Amen.

Nick, how do you prepare for a scene because you’re so freaking hilarious and I’m sure what you kind of disregard as not good enough in your preparations is like my idea of perfection?

Nick Offerman: Well, I’m still in a moment of silence for little Sebastian. Just a second. All right, I’m ready. I – you know, I think – I don’t know. I don’t think I’m particularly special. I think that I’m just so lucky that my writing is so good that my main focus is to stay out of the way of the writing. If I had a bad tendency it would be to add something hilarious.

Maybe, what if I make a really funny face when I look at this poster of breakfast food and then I say, it’s clobbering time. And then I think, no, you know what, I’m just going to do what they’ve given me. And so, you know, if there’s a lesson to be had for the readers of the DailyActor.com it’s stay out of the way of the script. Don’t have the ego to think you need to add a little dash of Nick. Trust the great writing. Whether it’s (Checkoff) or Mike Schur.   Read more

Q & A: Maria Bello on ‘Prime Suspect’ and Finding the Perfect Hat

On September 22nd, NBC is premiering it’s new drama, Prime Suspect, based on the critically-acclaimed British television series of the same name.

Prime Suspect was a huge hit on the BBC, airing between 1991 and 2006 and starring Helen Mirren. In this version, NBC, Maria Bello stars as the ‘tough-as-nails’ Detective Jane Timoney (it was Jane Tennison in the U.K. version), who is an “outsider who has just transferred to a new squad where her new colleagues already dislike her.”

The show was developed for American audiences by Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives, NYPD Blue) and director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Hancock, the upcoming Battleship) and also stars Aidan Quinn, Brian O’Byrne (Flash Forward and the under-rated An Everlasting Piece) and Kirk Acevedo (Fringe).

Even though it may seem like Bello may have some big shoes to fill, it sounds like the only thing similar to the British version is that they have the same first name, they’re both detectives and they’re both women. Which I think is a good thing.

I talked to Bello and Cunningham in a Q&A about the show, the challenges of playing Timoney and how to find the perfect hat.

Prime Suspect premieres on September 22 at 10:00/9c on NBC

Maria, was it important to you that this be Prime Suspect as opposed to any other police show you could have done?

Maria Bello: I didn’t really care what the title was when I read it. I like to say that Alex and I are (jaying) together. It was such incredible writing and I hadn’t read a woman like this on television before who was so complex and strong and quirky and self possessed and just knew I wanted to do this show. It could have been called, you know, Arlington. I don’t know.   Read more

Q & A: Kate Mulgrew “Once you find what you love you must honor it with the discipline”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:00 — 10.3MB)

Kate Mulgrew is probably best known to as Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, but did you also know that she’s a true theater lover who starred in the Broadway revival of Equus? Along with that and her impressive TV work (Mrs. Columbo, Ryan’s Hope, Mercy) she’s also a sought after voice over artist that’s been featured in cartoons and video games.

She’s currently starring on SyFy’s Warehouse 13 for a 4-episode guest arc and is a series-regular on Adult Swim’s NTSF:SD:SUV::, a send-up of CSI/NCIS/24-type shows written by comedian Paul Scheer.

I talked to Kate in a conference call where she was absolutely wonderful. She discussed her work on Warehouse 13, the ending to Star Trek: Voyager, her career advice to actors and what playwright she would love to tackle in theater.

Warehouse 13 air on SyFy, Mondays at 9/8c

NTSF:SD:SUV:: airs on Adult Swim, Thursdays at 12:15 ET/PT

For the full interview, click onto the audio link above or download from iTunes

Going back – let’s say if we went back to the beginning of your career; Shakespeare on stage, Ryan’s Hope, of course Voyager, and now  the comedy and action sci-fi — I mean would that surprise you?

Kate Mulgrew: It would surprise me. I mean you’re asking me, if I had looked into that crystal ball when I was 18 years old?

I saw myself as, of course, the next Sarah Bernhardt or the – preferably the next Eleonora Duse. I thought I was going to be a very, very strictly legit dramatic actress.

And the beauty of life is that we don’t have a crystal ball. We’d all shoot ourselves I think if we did. It unfolded in a mysterious, unexpected, and in many ways a remarkable way. I think I’ve been blessed with, one could argue, three iconic roles.

I think Mary Ryan, to start a career playing an iconic role is a great blessing. And the fact that she developed into these other characters was a further enhancement. So I think I’ve had the career I was meant to have. I certainly loved to act every inch and step of the way.

And if I may say this for posterity, I’m having more fun now than I ever have before. You shed a lot of stuff at my age. And when you’re younger the ambition I think is probably one of the key ingredients. And when you’re older, the key ingredient is simply joy. So that’s where I am right now.   Read more

Interview: Alan Tudyk talks ‘Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,’ his career and more!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:11 — 11.8MB)

If I were casting something, the first person I’d want to call would be Alan Tudyk. I wouldn’t care what the genre or setting of the script is, if it was an alien, animal or human, it wouldn’t matter. The guy can play anything.

Tudyk is one of the most versatile actors working today. Check out his work as Hoban “Wash” Washburne in Firefly and Serenity and Steve the Pirate in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Once you’ve finished with that, watch him in 3:10 to Yuma or 28 Days. The list of great performances go on and on.

He also did motion capture work as the robot, Sonny, opposite Will Smith in I, Robot, voice work in animated features like Ice Age and Rango, starred on Broadway in Spamalot and was the best part of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

His newest role is Tucker in the hilarious horror comedy Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. Directed by Eli Craig, the movie is about two rednecks, Tucker and Dale (Tyler Labine), who are mistaken for backwoods killers by a group of vacationing college kids. The film is out now on VOD or coming soon to a theater near you.

He is by far one of the most interesting people I’ve ever interviewed and I could have talked to to him for hours. After you read (or listen) to the interview, you’ll see why. He talks about Tucker and Dale, how he got his start acting and how he thinks his character Gerhardt in 28 Days is the same character in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

For the full interview, click onto the audio link above or download from iTunes.

I’m glad this film is finally getting out there.  I saw it back in April and I loved it.

Alan Tudyk: Cool.  Thank you man.

One of the biggest laughs in the film was when the guy jumps into a wood chipper and you look at him and say, “Are you alright?”

Alan Tudyk: [laughs] Yeah.   Read more

Q & A: Jane Lynch on Hosting the Emmy Awards, ‘Glee’ and What Would Happen If All the “Hoopla” Went Away

With Jane Lynch hosting the 63 Primetime Emmy Awards, might we see some of her Glee castmates?

“I bet there will be an appearance,” she said in a conference call to promote her upcoming hosting duties. “I’ve pitched a couple of ideas for the Glee cast.”

Lynch, nominated herself for Supporting Actress in a Comedy, said that since she’s the host, “It’s almost a relief not to have to think about having been nominated. My nerves will mostly be focused toward doing the show.”

She also talked about the upcoming season of Glee and if she would do anything different early in her career.

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18 at 8 PM ET/5PM PT on Fox.

Last year at the Emmys obviously one of the big hits was the opening number with you and Jimmy Fallon and the whole gang.  At this point, are you able to confirm any sort of follow up to that in your version of the Emmys?

Jane Lynch: Follow up, no.  I mean I think we started it from scratch and we didn’t try to follow up on anything from last year.  But I’m pre-taping something right now for the Emmys, and I don’t want to tell you what it is.  It will spoil the surprise.

And then as far as “Glee,” I was just wondering—back at TCA Kevin Riley said that he sees this season as really going back to basics.  Is that anything that you’ve seen in the early scripts?

Jane Lynch: Yes.  I think what he was talking about is sticking to the story lines of our regular characters, because you know we had a great season last year but we did kind of go all over the place with guest stars and had a lot of fun with that.  And we’re kind of honing in on these stories of these kids, especially in light in the fact that several of them will be graduating at the end of the year.

You know with graduation looming ahead it’s not just about working for regionals, sectionals, then nationals—I think it’s actually sectionals, regionals nationals—it’s kind of about what these kids are going to be doing with their lives.  So it’s pretty interesting, but a lot of fun.  Read more

Interview: Malin Akerman, Lake Bell and Erinn Hayes talk Children’s Hospital

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:12 — 9.1MB)

Here’s the last of the Children’s Hospital interviews I did at this year’s Comic-Con.

I talked with Malin Akerman, Lake Bell and Erinn Hayes and I kept this my last because it was incredibly hard to transcribe! The back and forth banter was quick, funny and writing it down just didn’t capture the spontaneity of the interview.

I’d listen to the audio portion if you want to get the full feel of the interview. There was a lot of things I couldn’t include here because most of it would look ridiculous in print.

From talking about having each other’s children, their outrage at Rob Corddry for not inviting them to go to Brazil to film a 10-second-scene and having their characters die and come back to life, the conversation was definitely a highlight.

Children’s Hospital airs on Adult Swim at midnight on Thursdays. 

For the full interview, click onto the audio link above or download from iTunes.

Children’s Hospital is not the kind of show where you go, “What is my arc?”

Lake Bell: None, there’s no logic.

Is that a challenge as an actor or is it more freeing?

Erinn Hayes: It was awesome.  All you have to do is show up and be like, “what am I going to do today?”  You don’t have to think about it or like do a whole lot of prep other than, like, what’s going to make this the funniest for this particular episode.  Read more

Interview: Megan Mullally and Ken Marino

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:31 — 8.6MB)

Megan Mullally and Ken Marino star in Adult Swim’s Children’s Hospital. The show, which was just renewed for another season, features Marino as Dr. Glenn Richie and Mullally as Chief in the medical drama parody. 

Megan got on most of our radars playing Karen on Will & Grace but she’s also been on Broadway (Grease, How To Succeed, Young Frankenstein) and other hit shows like Party Down and plays a recurring character on Parks and Recreation.

Ken has been involved in so many great comedies over his career; The State, Wet Hot American Summer, Party Down and Role Models to name a small few.

This was the first time I’ve talked to either of them and they were probably my favorite interview at Comic-Con. Both were just flat-out funny and just really warm, nice people.

We talked about Children’s Hospital, a Party Down movie, female body parts and more! Check out the full audio interview, because it’s hilarious!

Children’s Hospital airs on Midnight, Thursdays on Adult Swim. 

For the full interview, click onto the audio link above or download from iTunes.

Before we talk about Children’s Hospital, is the Party Down movie going to be the new Arrested Development movie or do you think that it’s actually going to come together as the point?

Ken Marino: The script for the Party Down movie is basically, it feels, it read like the next episode of Arrested Development, so yeah, we’re going to do the Party Down movie we will be playing…

Megan Mullally: I’m playing Maybe.

Ken Marino: Yeah and I’m doing [Jeffrey] Tambor’s part.  So, it’ll be good.  Read more

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