Interview with Sam Hennings

Sam Hennings stars alongside Jason Lee in the TNT series “Memphis Beat” which will start airing its second season in June. Sam took time out of his busy schedule to talk with us at Movie Mikes about the upcoming season of “Memphis Beat” as well as his recent appearance as Samuel Colt on the television series “Supernatural”.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us how you first got involved with “Memphis Beat”?
Sam Hennings: Clark Johnson who directed the pilots for shows such as “The Wire” and “The Shield” contacted me after he received a copy of the pilot script for “Memphis Beat”. He was so impressed with the script that he called me directly and asked me to be a part of the pilot. The original title for the project was called “Delta Blues” and as time went on it change into what it is now. I read through the script and thought it was a terrific piece. I then found out Jason Lee was involved as well as Alfre Woodard. We shot the pilot in December of 2009 and it was picked up by TNT in the early part of 2010. Season one premiered in June of 2010 and got some really good ratings which resulted in TNT picking the show up for a second season which we are currently in the process of shooting.

AL: Can you tell us anything about the upcoming season?
SH: We have new writers this season which has brought some fresh energy to the project. We have also widened the musical palette as well. Season 1 was predominately focused on Jason Lee’s character and his love of Elvis. Season 2 will still have that element but it has been expanded to include some other musical genres. The writers have also decided to delve into more of the individual personalities of each character and we get to learn their ups and downs as well as some other details which make them who they are. The premier for season 2 is set for Tuesday, June 14th at 9 pm EST.

AL: What is it like working with Jason Lee?
SH: Jason is just terrific. I have been blessed by the TV gods! The entire cast and crew is great. We don’t have one bad egg. Jason and I came together on the pilot and on screen our characters are best friends and that has led into us being friends off camera as well. With us being friends working 12 and 16 hour days is just a blast because we get along so well.

AL: Has he tried to take you skateboarding yet?
SH: (Laughs) Yes as a matter of fact to which I quickly declined. We did buy bicycles however. New Orleans where we shoot is such a great city to bike around. Jason and I were out riding one Sunday with Giovanni Ribisi who was on the show last season. Jason can ride a bike like he’s walking and can do all these tricks and such. I thought that he makes it look so easy I asked him how to do a wheelie. He kind of explained how to do one I did a little baby wheelie and thought it was kind of cool. Jason then tells me to pull harder and I will go higher. I pulled it and did almost a complete 360 and landed on my ass! Giovanni and Jason got a real kick out of that.

AL: Can you tell us about your role on “Supernatural”?
SH: I have a friend who has directed a number of those shows and he called me one day to ask if I would play the character of Samuel Colt in an upcoming episode he was directing. I asked him if it was a western and he started to tell me that the main characters travel back in time to meet my character. I love playing western type characters so he sent me the material and I flew to Vancouver where we shot the episode and it was a real kick in the ass! I really enjoyed the project. The people involved with that show are really in tune and the cast is very nice and professional. To be honest with you I had no idea that the episode was going to get the response it did. I wasn’t really aware of the cult following the show had. Before I even made it back to Los Angeles I was receiving emails and stuff about me being on the show. The audience is really excited about the possibility of Samuel Colt returning be it in the year 2011 or being visited again in the 1860’s. We will have to see what the producers are going to do.

AL: Out of all the great projects you have been involved in is there one that stands out as a favorite?
SH: I have been asked that a few times over my career and I feel that I really have been blessed throughout my career. I kind of feel as though each project I do is like a kid. You can have four or five of them that are so different from each other but they are each so special and you love them equally however in different ways. Each project has its own special place in my make up both as a person and as an actor. I think it would be hypocritical or dishonest of me if I picked one project as a favorite. Every project I have been a part of has been special. I can tell you while I am sitting here working on “Memphis Beat” that there have been a lot of projects that have equaled it but none of them out do the high I have gotten from working with this group on “Memphis Beat”. The enthusiasm across the board has been great. I have been getting emails from people non-stop telling me how great it is to see someone in my age bracket be a part of a show like “Memphis Beat”.

AL: Other than season 2 of “Memphis Beat” do you have any other upcoming projects?
SH: Right now I am committed to “Memphis Beat” as far as a series concerns. I have had talks with a few people who are looking to start some projects however nothing has been set in stone just yet.

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Interview with American McGee

American McGee is the man behind the game ‘American McGee’s Alice” and its follow-up “Alice: Madness Returns”. American currently runs his own game development company, Spicy Horse, which is based in Shanghai, China. Movie Mikes had a chance to pick American’s brain about the new games as well as other projects he is currently working on.

Click here to read our review of “Alice: Madness Returns”
Click here to enter for a chance to win a copy of the game on Playstation 3.

Mike Gencarell: So why the 11 year wait between “American McGee’s Alice” and “Alice: Madness Returns”?
American McGee: There wasn’t really anything magic of the time between the new game and the last game.  The truth is that it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, which was also the case when we made the first game.  But this time around…I had left EA after the first game and lived in Los Angeles for a while.  Then I moved to Hong Kong, then to Shanghai.  I had to move to Shanghai and start a studio here before I thought we had the development capabilities to tackle doing a sequel.  So I called up EA and let them know what I had in mind.  They thought it sounded good so we got it started.  It really just came down to “right place, right time.”

MG: What inspired you to take the wacky world of “Alice” and turn it into a very dark psychotic world?
AM: Basically EA asked me to come up with the game concept.  I spent the years prior to working at EA working at id software, where we did all the “Dune” and “Quake” games.  I was actually tired of the whole “space marine/big brown worlds and guns” games and I had a feeling that I wanted to come up with something that would really push both the technology and the story telling.  I was driving in my car one day and this song by the Crystal Method came on.  It was called “Trip Like I Do.”  The song opens up with a guy doing sort of a monologue talking about a world of wonder.  And those words hit my brain and I started thinking “wonder….wonder….wonderland.”  I thought we could do something really fantastic with “Alice in Wonderland.”  So when I got back to my office I sat down and started thinking about the characters and Alice’s world and how it could be adapted to appeal to gamers but also maintain the appeal that the books have to such a wide audience around the world.  So out of that was born this world and this story and this take on it which a lot of people seem to think feels like a good direction.

MG: Tell us about the development for the CGI cut-scenes in the new game?
AM: We still kept it kind of old school.  We use a lot of storytelling in the environment.  It’s a lot of passive stuff so that we don’t take the player out of the game playing experience.  Then we also have the cut-scenes in game, like a lot of games do, where we’re using the characters in the world to tell some of the story.  The only thing we have that is sort of pre-rendered are the 2 ½ D motion graphic cinematics.  We just recently released one of those, which is the opening to the game.  It’s a two and a half minute long animation showing the opening of the game.  We actually ended up doing over 30 minutes of animated content like that.  It’s really cool because it suits the game really well.  It tells the story really well.  It really fits into her world.

MG: If you had to choose one thing, what did you enjoy most about doing the new game?
AM: I’d say that it’s the overall sense of pride the studio has in having delivered the game because it’s actually quite historic to see a full blown cross-console/cross-platformplay Triple A western game concept get developed from start to finish in China.  For gaming China has historically been a place that’s mainly used for outsourcing.  Even when you have companies like EA and other big studios here a lot of the creative direction…a lot of the development…is actually being done off shore, outside of China.  They’re giving a lot of the core production work to the team here.  This is the first time that, from start to finish, we built a game of this size and this caliber in China.  The whole team is quite proud of that.

MG: What was the biggest challenge in bringing “American McGee’s Alice” to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network?
AM: There were a lot of little obstacles and hurdles for the tech team to get over.  That was almost purely a tech job.  Basically on our side we had two guys, Jake and Milo, doing all the coding.  We also had a company on the west coast of the U.S.  It’s kind of ironic.  We’re in China and we outsourced the work for some of the technology to a company in California.  They did have to jump over some hurdles to get the game to fit to memory and for the interface  to come up to the standards that are required by the platforms.  But so much time has passed.  The power that is now available on the consoles is definitely up to the task of playing the game.  And it looks great.  If you play the old game now, on a console and a big screen, it’s absolute gorgeous.  The original “Alice” was envisioned as a console title early on.  There was meant to be a console version – a PS 2 version – when we finished the PC version.  It actually comes over very nicely.  At its core the soul of the game is really a console  platformed action game. It came over quite nicely.

MG: The music composed by Chris Vrenna in the first game was fantastic.  Tell us about the score for “Madness Returns”?
AM: Chris came out early on and actually consulted with our composers and sound designers here in Shanghai.  He ended up contributing one track but the bulk of the music was done by Jason Tai.  We also had a guy named Marshall Crutcher in San Francisco that did a lot of the more classical pieces that were traditionalist instruments like cello and violin.  So if you listen to the main theme of the song that was something that Marshall contributed.  But the bulk of the audio done in China was done under Jason’s direction.  Jason is Malaysian but went to school in England so he brought with him a really wide range of ability and an exposure to music from around the world.  So when you play the game and you move through the world you get a really good sense of that.  There’s a lot of diversity…a lot of variety in the music.

MG: Was it different making a multi-platform game vs. just a PC game?
AM: I’d like to say that there was something really different about it but the truth is that so many people on the team, myself included, had prior experience in console development and the technology these days allowed us to create a game that is automatically cross-platform right out of the box.  It really makes it pretty straight forward as long as you put your planning together the right way early on.  Something as a studio that we really pride ourselves on is being really good at the planning for these long term projects.  And as a result we’ve actually developed a pretty sane development process and schedule.

MG: There have been talks since 2004 about a film adaptation of”Alice.”  Now that it is back in the spotlight, do you think those ideas will be revisited?
AM: It’s largely out of my hands.  There’s a film producer in Hollywood that is in control of the rights.  That’s the destiny of the project.  But I know that he’s trying many ways to get it set up and made.  I decided a long time ago not to hold my breath when it comes to the ways and moves of Hollywood.  Sometimes things can happen ridiculously fast and sometimes it can take decades for stuff to get made.  I think we’ll all just have to wait and see if maybe the new game has an impact on getting the film to move forward.

MG: Why was the game production on “American McGee’s Oz” canceled and do you ever plan to revisit that project?
AM: It was really sad.  When I left EA we had all of this momentum because of the success of “Alice.”  I figured I’d done “Alice in Wonderland” so I decided to tackle “The Wizard of Oz.”  So we came up with some story lines and some art and started building the concept.  We had toys made, had a book deal in place, got the game deal set up…had the film rights sold.  Everything was moving along and feeling really great.  Then one year into production on the game the publisher ran into pretty significant financial troubles.  And they killed, across the board, all of the their games except for one.  They were just finishing up the MMO for “The Matrix.”  They had run out of money and they cut out work on all games except for the one they thought would make them some money back.  So we were a victim of their financial woes.  And once the game fell a lot of the other stuff also started to fall by the wayside.  When the film guys saw that the game wasn’t going to get made they cooled on the film idea.  And so forth and so on.

MG: Is that something you can now proceed on with your own studio, Spicy Horse?
AM: Right now that project is so messy in terms of the rights.  The game rights are owned by Atari still.  The film rights are sitting at Disney with Jerry Bruckheimer.  Somebody has the toy rights, somebody has the book rights.  I think today to get the momentum back and get the project moving again would just be so much work and trouble.  I think, in fact, should we decide to ever revisit “Oz” we would just start from scratch.  Because it is a public domain story we could come up with a whole new take on it and just relaunch completely from scratch.  We may do that someday but for now we have a lot of other stuff that we’re working on that’s keeping us occupied.

MG: What’s next from Spicy Horse?
AM: We just announced some news.  Actually, “Alice,” for us, was a bit of a distraction from our core business strategy, which has a lot to do with why I came to China in the first place.  And that was to be in the on-line game space.  Our first project was strictly on-line, an episodic project called “Grim.”  We just announced that we’ve secured financing that we’re going to use to self-fund a lot of original IP.  And we also just signed a deal with a company in which we’re going to take one of their existing IPs  and transform it into a 3-D free-to-play game.  So from this point forward all of our focus is going to be on making on-line multi-player free-to-play games.  These will be in 3-D.  A lot of your Facebook games are in 2-D and we want to help transition the market to 3-D.  So that’s where a lot of our energy will be going as we move forward.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Games Tagged With: ashley, eckstein, lines, marvel, talks, transformers, ...

Interview with Bret Iwan

MovieMikes has prided itself in speaking with some of the great voice talent behind many of Walt Disney’s beloved characters. From Winnie the Pooh to many of the classic Disney Princesses, our readers have asked and we’ve delivered. And if you’re talking about beloved Disney characters, there is none bigger or more known around the world then the one that started it all, Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Mouse has been voiced by four different men. Walt Disney himself provided the voice from the character’s introduction in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie” through 1947. He also provided Mickey’s voice during the 1955-59 series run of the original “Mickey Mouse Club.” Jimmy McDonald succeeded Disney and voiced the character until 1977 when he was replaced by Wayne Allwine. When Mr. Allwine passed away in 2009 he was replaced by Bret Iwan who, like Disney and McDonald before him, dreamed of being an animator long before he discovered his vocal talent. Born in September 1982, Iwan received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Ringling College or Art and Drawing in 2004. Shortly after graduation he sent off his portfolio, hoping for a job with the Walt Disney Company. While he was offered an internship at Walt Disney Imagineering he also received an offer of a full time position at Hallmark Cards. He took the Hallmark offer and soon found himself moving to Kansas City, coincidentally the city that stood home to Walt Disney’s first animation studio. As he approached his fifth year with Hallmark he learned from a friend that phone auditions were being accepted to voice Mickey Mouse. After several days of practice, Iwan called in, recorded his audition and waited for a phone call. Several weeks later, that call came and, after a few more auditions, Iwan was named the fourth official voice of Mickey Mouse.

While back in Kansas City to attend a fund raiser for the “Thank You, Walt Disney,” an organization created to help save the building that housed Disney’s original “Laugh O’ Gram” studios,” Iwan took some time out to talk with MovieMikes about his career and his unique opportunity.

Mike Smith: Since you used to live here I guess I can say “welcome back” to Kansas City.
Bret Iwan: Thank you. It’s great to be here.

MS: You studied to become an artist. What made you choose that path as a career?
BI: Early on what inspired me was watching the old classic Disney cartoons. My parents were always putting them on for me, everything from Mickey Mouse to Pinocchio. And while watching them they really caught my attention…how the drawings were coming to life. And so as early as I can remember I wanted to be an artist…more specifically I wanted to be an animator. So from grade school through high school through college that was my goal. That’s what I focused on. I didn’t quite make it there in the capacity I dreamed of but I did make it to Disney, which was a major part of that dream.

MS: How did it work at Hallmark? Would they give you the written copy for a card and ask you to design it?
BI: It worked a couple of different ways. That was one way. Other times the creator would have a specific card and a specific image in mind that they would come to us and ask us to create. And other times we would have an open brainstorm free for all! The illustrators would come up with concepts on their own or with concepts for whatever upcoming holiday they were working on at the time and then submit them to the designers for them to pick and choose from. So there never really was oneconsistent way of working. They always kept us on our toes. It was a lot of fun.

MS: What was the oddest or most memorable card you designed?
BI: It wasn’t one that I designed. I got to pose. I modeled for a card one time. I was holding two glasses of wine so it was just my hands. It was for Hallmarks’ “RED” card line (NOTE: the company’s RED card line was created to raise money. The proceeds from the cards were spent to combat AIDS in Africa.Mr. Iwan’s card caused some notoriety when a Delaware woman tried to have it pulled from shelves, claiming it promoted promiscuity). They went around the room and they chose me. I guess I had the nicest hands at the time. That was my one and only modeling job ever.

MS: What did your audition consist of to become the voice of Mickey Mouse? Did you have scenes to read, or did they just say “do Mickey happy…do Mickey sad?” Not that Mickey Mouse is ever sad.
BI: He could be. (laughs) The audition was basically a voice match. They provided an MP3 of clips from a couple of Walt’s cartoons and a couple of Wayne’s cartoons. And the audition was to do the best you could to match those voices. Walt’s clips included lines from “The Brave Little Tailor” and Wayne’s had clips from “The Three Musketeers” and also some stuff from the intro to the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” that was currently on the air. So there was a great variety from where Walt had started and where Wayne had taken Mickey.

MS: Did you ever meet Wayne Allwine?
BI: No, sadly, I did not. When I auditioned they were looking for somebody to serve as an understudy for Wayne. So I auditioned thinking I was going to get to meet him and to learn from him. Get some good tips and techniques from him. Unfortunately that didn’t happen because in the midst of the process of finding an understudy he passed away. It was somewhat unexpected. I took over about twoweeks after he passed away.

MS: I know you’ve voiced Mickey on several video games. Is there any talk of bringing Mickey back in a full length feature film?
BI: I would love for that to happen. And I know a lot of the other voice cast members would as well. I haven’t heard anything official. I have heard from my fans on Twitter that there was an interview with one of the story men at the Walt Disney Studios where he mentioned that he had pitched a feature length 2-D animated movie featuring Mickey, Donald and Goofy. I don’t know what the future is for that but I would love for it to come to fruition so I’m keeping my fingers crossed because I think that would be great.

MS: In your short time doing this, what is the most unusual or strangest thing you’ve ever had to voice as Mickey Mouse?
BI: Hmmmmmm….well I don’t know if it’s the strangest but voicing for the “Epic Mickey” video game was interesting because there’s NO dialogue in the entire game. It’s all noises and reactions. So it was strange trying to communicate a plethora of emotions and actions just by little noises. That’s probably the oddest and most challenging that I can think of.

MS: Let’s say the proposed upcoming Mickey Mouse feature comes along and they’re going to do the animation the old fashioned way. If they offered you a job as an animator would you do it?
BI: I would love to. I would love that. That would be a complete dream come true. I’d have a lot to learn…I’m by no means an expert at animation. But with that being the driving force behind my initial dream I would love to be a part of that process.

For information on how you can get involved with the “Thank You Walt Disney” organization please click here.

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Interview with Monte Hellman

Monte Hellman is returning to the role of director with his latest film “Road to Nowhere” which is being released in theaters on June 10th. This will mark his first feature film in over 20 years. He has directed Jack Nicholson in four films over the years and is known best for his film “Two-Lane Blacktop”. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Monte about his new films and his career overall.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you become attached to direct “Road to Nowhere”, your first feature in over 20 years?
Monte Hellman: Well it started with Steve Gaydos coming to me with this idea. He claims it was the first of his ideas I liked in 40 years [laughs]. He got excited by just that fact. He quickly wrote and script. We then sat down and did a little brainstorming with a couple of other friends. He came back with a second draft which successful became the basis for the beginning of the film. It did get altered along that way a little bit after that but we pretty much shot what he wrote then.

MG: Was it a difficult transition returning to the director chair? Tell us about the production?
MH: It was so easy because my daughter literally got me to work by saying “Let’s stop waiting for other people to give us permission to make movies”. She went out and raised most of the money. We thought we had enough money to make it. She sort of stumbled through after we ran out of the money and managed to at least finish the shooting part of it. Then raised more money as we went along in the post-production process. It was really all about my daughter Melissa and her getting tired of seeing “Two-Lane Blacktop” over and over again. She wanted to see another movie.

MG: How long was the shoot and where was it shot?
MH: We shot for a total of 30 days. 18 days in North Carolina. About a day or two in London. About 4 days in Italy. And about a week in Los Angeles.

MG: Did you have any involvement in the casting process for the film?
MH: Pretty much Steve Gaydos also inadvertently became the casting director. He discovered Shannyn Sossamon rehearsing a script in a restaurant. He had been in England for five years.  He was unfamiliar with her and thought she was just a student. He gave her his card and asked to have her agent to contact him. I did know who she was from “The Rules of Attraction”. I actually wanted her for a picture I was attempting to producing at that time. Steve just felt that she looked like a Monte Hellman heroine and that she also looked like the character in the movie. I did too and I thought she was good. But I had no idea how good in fact she was. I did not look at any other of her work. Every day was just a revelation.

MG: We recently spoke with Waylon Payne and he mentioned tried to explain the film’s plot, can you give us some background on it?
MH: The script was way easier than the movie. The script gave you clues to the timeline by prefacing each scene with a year date. It would either be 2008, 2009 or 2010. So that was a clue to it all. Shannyn really was able to follow that and she used that. She sort of supervised her own costumes and needed that to know where she was time wise from one scene to another. She was pretty good at it. Some of the other actors because it was not written in continuity just kind of gave up and just went along with it. That is actually a good way to do it as well because any scene is basically in terms of time is today. It is a present tense thing in that moment. When actors deal with it that way it is like the easiest way to handle it.

MG: Tell us about working with Jack Nicholson on projects like “The Shooting” and “Ride in the Whirlwind”?
MH: They were both in 1965. We shot them back to back with only a weekend in between them. Well Jack and I had just come back from the Philippines at that time. We had just done two pictures together. We were in the groove. We actually shot four movies together in the space of 12 months. It was an pretty intense time. Of course he is just so fantastic to work with. We both were going through a really intense and creative learning process. I think we both really developed tremendously during that year.

MG: “Two-Lane Blacktop” is your most critically acclaimed film, but would you consider it your favorite?
MH: Well I love “Two-Lane” and some of the other ones. I really feel that in many ways that the “Road to Nowhere” is kind of a breakthrough. I say that I feel like it is my first movie because you don’t stop learning just because you are not actually shooting. During my hiatus I think I went through a tremendous development. i feel like it is starting from the beginning.

MG: Tell us about your experience directing and writing the horror film “Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out!”?
MH: Oh “Silent Night” [laughs]. We looked at it as a way to just have a lot of fun. I actually liked the work I did. I think crucified me for making that movie [laughs] but I do not see why. I just had a great time shooting it.

MG: Do you have plans to direct again in the near future? If so what?
MH: Well I have two projects. One is another Steve Gaydos script. It is an adaptation, I do not want to say much because he is just beginning on it. There is another picture called “Love or Die”, which is a supernatural romantic thriller. It is a kind of time-bomb ticking clock movie and it is very exciting. Melissa is out right now just raising the money. Once we have a little money in the bank we will be off on another road.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: howerton5

Interview with Ashley Eckstein

Ashley Eckstein is best known for voicing the role of Ahsoka Tano in the TV series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.  The show is hitting warp speed and it enters its fourth season this Fall.  Ashley is also the celebrity host, along with James Arnold Taylor, this year at Walt Disney World’s “Star Wars” Weekend.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat about “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” with Ashley as well as her hosting for “Star Wars” Weekend and even her own clothing line “Her Universe” which is also inspired by “Star Wars”.

Check back this weekend for an exclusive giveaway of an autographed shirt from Ashley’s ‘Her Universe’ clothing line

Mike Gencarelli: So lets start at the beginning, any idea you will be where you are today when you took the role of Ahsoka Tano in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”?
Ashley Eckstein: [laughs] No, actually I had no idea. I would have called myself more of a casual “Star Wars” fan before I got the “Clone Wars” job. I watched the movies when I was a little kid but it didn’t really go beyond that. I did understand the power of “Star Wars”. I thought knew just how iconic it was. But when I once I was cast on the show. I guess I didn’t quite comprehend JUST how powerful it was and how popular it was worldwide. So, obviously after working on the show and working with Dave Filoni you just become just a hardcore fan. We really have to understand “Star Wars” to be able to do the show. I think in order really to perform our roles to the best we can. Dave really helps us with that. Dave is such a huge “Star Wars” fan. He really knows it all and we get to learn from him. We have been working on the show now close to six year and have really become much more knowledgeable and passionate fans due to that. So I definitely never imagined the position I would be in today and how “Star Wars” has also affected my life and what it means to me. It really has changed my life.

MG: What do you like most about playing Ahsoka ?
AE: I think my favorite part of playing Ahsoka is how powerful of a character she is and a role model for young girls. That has really been a dream come true for me. I worked a lot of the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon before “Clone Wars”, mostly on-camera work. I really fell in love with children and family programming. First hand I saw the impact you can have on a child’s life by doing a children/family show. So, I really tried to gear my career in that direction. “The Clone Wars” came along and I wasn’t even trying for it. Literally, my agent got a call and I was asked to come in and read. So to get the role of Ahsoka who is such a strong and powerful character for young girls to look up to to and to even be a part of it is just such an honor for me. I am not one of these actresses that say I don’t want to be a role model or I never asked for this. I do feel that a child’s role model should be somebody that is in their life on a daily basis. But I also understand that by default as someone in the public eye you are going to be a role model whether you life it or not. So it is something I take very seriously. I want to be a positive influence and through Ahsoka I can do that. I am very honored to be given the opportunity to do that.

MG: Having this character really opened up the “Star Wars” franchise to a more female audience, can you reflect on that for us?
AE: When I was growing up, I was a bit of a tom-boy. The only girl on the baseball team. I didn’t want to wear a dress. Had my hat on backwards [laughs]. Having a character like Ahsoka, I wish I would have had Ahsoka to look up to. Not every girl wants to be a princess or wear a dress. Some girls want to carry a lightsaber and pretend to be a jedi. I think it is really cool to have her character. “The Clone Wars” has kind of become the watercooler show for kids on the playground. Whether you like “Star Wars” or not, it is the show that everyone talks about. Even the girls are starting to watch it just so they are in the know. Now when the kids play it on the playground, the girls have someone they can be. They do not have to pretend to be Anakin, Captain Rex or Obi-Wan. I have so many little girls coming up to be saying “Yeah I am Ahsoka and my brother is Anakin and we play “Clone Wars” all the time”. I think that is so cool that their is a character that the girls can be. Not even just Ahsoka, there is Asajj Ventress, Padmé Amidala, Sha’ak Ti and just so many powerful females in “The Clone Wars”.

MG: What has been your favorite part of hosting Star Wars Weekend in Walt Disney Resort this year?
AE: I think it is the ability to interact with the fans, especially the kids. “The Clone Wars” sort of introduced “Star Wars” to a new generation. It is funny because “Star Wars” is the “The Clone Wars” to many kids today. Many kids haven’t seen the other movies yet. They have only seen “The Clone Wars. To have that impact on a new generation of kids to me…I can’t even fantom it. To see some of the expressions from their faces and I get a chance to meet them. It has really been an honor [laughs], I really don’t have another word for it.

MG: Tell us about your show you are hosting “Behind the Force”?
AE: Of course, I think it is a fun show. “Behind the Force” takes you on a behind the scenes look at our job as voice over artists and recording the show. The first part of the show we have a special guest, in our upcoming last weekend we have Tom Kane, who is the voice of Yoda, the narrator of the show and many others from the show. So we introduce our audience to him and I ask him a couple of questions and then our audience get a chance to ask him some questions as well. Then we go into a live demonstration of us going into the studio recording an episode. Then we audition people from our audience to be an honorary cast member of “The Clone Wars”. The person that is chosen gets to come up on stage and do a scene live with us on stage. It is really exciting and puts the audience in the studio with us and get a chance to see what it is like.

MG: How many times have you rode the new “Star Tours” this month since its opening?
AE: That is a great question [laughing]. I think I have rode it eight or nine times…I think nine times by now. It is such an amazing ride. They did such a fantastic job on it and it is almost like a completely new ride. They revamped the entire thing. I also got to do a series of videos with Disney showing the behind the scenes look on the making of Star Tours. It just awesome. If you ride with me the chances are you will get Hoth [laughs], that is the one planet I keep getting over and over. I have only gotten Naboo twice and to me that is definitely my favorite. I even got picked as the secret spy one time, which was fun.

MG: Tell us about your “Star Wars” inspired clothing line, Her Universe?
AE: Thanks for asking about that. I created Her Universe and we launched about a year ago this June. It is the first “Star Wars” / sci-fi line JUST for women. We are only for the female fans. Close to half of all sci-fi and “Star Wars” fans are women. “Star Wars” is the story of hope and that transcends gender. I got the idea a little over three year ago. Actually when I first got cast for “Clone Wars”, I did a search for merchandise for women because I wanted to buy stuff. But I really came up empty handed. I was able to find one shirt and the rest was either on backorder or sold out. There was very little for women and NOTHING for little girls. It just didn’t make sense to me. I go to all the events and “Star Wars” weekends and there are women everywhere. I was thinking “Why are you giving us nothing to buy when 85% of the consumer market is women?” I have to give LucasFilm credit because they were the first company to give me a shot. They really want to recognize their female fans. They gave me the license and trusted me [laughs]. I have always been into fashion decision, so they trusted me to design clothes and accessories for the female fans. So I am really excited about that. Disney, again, I have to give them credit that they gave us the opportunity to sell it during “Star Wars” Weekends and we have been selling five different shirts in the merchandise tent, Jabba’s Hut. I have been doing signings there also every day. It has been great. One more thing, I have to thank SyFy because we just closed a deal with them and starting in July we are coming out with SyFy merchandise for the brand and also its properties. We are starting with “Battlestar Galactica” and “Warehouse 13”.

MG: What can we expect from season 4 in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” this Fall?
AE: Sure, I can definitely tell you it is actually called Season 4: Battle Lines. It is going to take you right into the heart of the battles of the Clone Wars. They have been going on for over two years now. The war is really taking its toll on its characters. There are going to be epic battles that are going to be bigger than anything we have seen to date on the series. There is also the return of some classic characters from the “Star Wars” movies including some bad guys but also some good guys. So also look for that trend to continue and look for some really epic battles. They are really raising the bar.

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Interview with Waylon Payne

Waylon Payne is the son of guitarist Jody Payne and Grammy Award-winning country singer Sammi Smith. Waylon has grown up in the music business but is also known for his working in films. Waylon played Jerry Lee Lewis in “Walk the Line”. Waylon is co-star in Monte Hellman’s first film in over 20 years “Road to Nowhere”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Waylon about his film in the film as well as his film and music career.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you tell us about your role in “Road to Nowhere”?
Waylon Payne: I play a guy by the name of Bruno Brotherton who is an insurance investigator that stumbles onto a mystery that I still haven’t quite figured out yet. (Laughs) I don’t quite understand it but I will tell you it’s brilliant. I can’t really tell you too much about the film but, you have to go see it! I do a little bit of everything in the film.

MG: How did you become involved with the projects?
WP: My friend Connie Nelson who was married to Willie called me at home and told me Monte Hellman was looking to get a hold of me. I called him and he told me about the project and the role he had for me and asked if I would do it. I told him “Yes sir” and that’s really where it started. The rest is shrouded in secrecy. (Laughs) I drove my car up to North Carolina and we shot the film in about 28 days which was something I had never done before. It was really amazing as the film was shot with such speed and precision.

MG: How was it working with Monte Hellman since this was his first feature in over 20 years?
WP: I was very enthralled and intrigued by Mr. Hellman. I hadn’t heard much about him until I got to North Carolina. After I got there I started to learn how extensive his career was and how long he has been in the business. Now I am a rabid fan and I really enjoy the things he did with Warren Oates as well as his work on some of the Jack Nicholson films. I am a big fan of old movies and I really just dig cool shots.

MG: Tell us about working with such a great cast?
WP: They were all great! I like being an actor and getting to be a part of these things because I get to know people on an extremely intimate level. When you’re throwing yourself out there it’s real easy to get a lot of attitudes flowing around. Fortunately ever cast I have been a part of so far has been great.

MG: You first film role was playing Jerry Lee Lewis in “Walk the Line”, tell us about that experience?
WP: It was incredible! We were in Memphis for about three months and I had primarily been a song writer and a country singer. I then was thrust into the cool world of all my heroes. Everyone was very embracing and encouraging.

MG: Besides acting, tell us about your singer-songwriting career?
WP: I have been working on a few projects over the past few years. Nothing has really become solid yet as I like to let things roll around in my head until they are ready to be born. I am getting ready to start a tribute album for my mother who did an album titled “The Day I Started Loving You” back n 1974. We are going to recreate that as a tribute for my mommy.

MG: Since you come from a music background, would you always choose that over films?
WP: Right now primarily I am focusing strictly on films. I am ok from taking some time away from singing and song writing for awhile. I love doing that stuff but right now it’s not at the top of my list. It’s something I am never going to quit because I want to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry!

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Interview with Lisa Ann Walter

Lisa Ann Walter just released her first book titled “The Best Thing About My Ass is That It’s Behind Me”. Lisa has also appeared in films such as “”Bruce Almighty”, “The Parent Trap” and “War of the Worlds” to name just a few. Movie Mikes had a chance to speak with Lisa about her book and what it was like working with Richard Gere and Tom Cruise.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about your book that came out recently?
Lisa Ann Walter: The book is called “The Best Thing About My Ass is That It’s Behind Me” and it’s been described to me as kind of the best girls night out with the widest conversation you could ever have. It’s not any kind of self help book or anything its’ much more of a self maintenance type book. (Laughs) The attitude I had behind the book was that I had not only experienced but also witnessed among every American woman that it seemed like their birth right was a life time of self loathing. It seems as though woman have to be sexy until they are dead! Now you not only have to be a member of the PTA but you also have to be a pole dancer! (Laughs)

AL: What made you decide to write the book?
LAW: I live in a town I like to call “the land where prom queens go to die”. Beauty is very skewed where I live as it seems once a girl has a crown popped on her head she moves out here to become an actress. Maybe 3 out 5 make it and the rest end up in Hugh Heffner’s grotto swimming with the diseases or they are working at Denny’s. There are really just a bunch of gorgeous people out here and that is what is presented to women in America as to what they are supposed to look like. I wanted to show how hard it is to keep up with this type of thinking while still being ok with yourself.

AL: What was it like working on “War of the Worlds”?
LAW: That was probably production wise the biggest movie I have ever done. It was extremely exciting! The first day on set I got to meet Steven Spielberg and he was giving me direction for my scene and referencing Tom Cruise. I turn around and there was Tom with that “Risky Business” smile. Well after Steven was finished I told him he would have to tell me again what he wanted because I was just so taken back that I was on a set with him and Tom Cruise. (Laughs) Steven laughed and told me everything again. Tom Cruise was delightful! He was my own personal hero because Spielberg had asked me to bring one of my kids with me to be in the scene. During the scene there were so many people running and moving that my daughter got hit and had a bloody nose. Tom Cruise comes across the set after scaling this wall to check on my daughter. He was there in like 30 seconds. I don’t know how he got there so fast? He asked her what happened and then started taping it saying it was going to be for the lawsuit. (Laughs)  He also let me video tape him for my daughter’s birthday and after we were finished he reached into my purse for the camera to reshoot himself because he thought it wasn’t good enough. Tom is really a great guy. I have been lucky and had some really great experiences with everyone I have been able to work with.

AL: You also worked with Richard Gere correct?
LAW: Richard was very helpful and kind to me. I worked with him for over 3 months and within like 30 seconds of meeting him we were touching naughty bits to naughty bits. (Laughs) I was blushing from head to toe and Richard was telling me to be relaxed as I had the gig, but I knew it wasn’t true because the job really hinged on whether or not he liked me. I couldn’t believe I was meeting an Officer and a Gigolo with the ass that ate Tokyo! They made me get fat for “Shall We Dance” and I had a scene where I would lose the bottom half of my skirt and I was mortified. I actually ran off set the first time we did that scene and it just so happened that Ben Affleck was there visiting Jennifer Lopez which made matters worse as I have a lifetime of ass issues! I must have been green when I got back as Richard asked me what was wrong. Now at the time I was having trouble with my husband which didn’t help matters. So I told Richard that not only do I have to show my ass to the same guy I had a poster of on my wall when I was in high school, but also Ben Affleck and the crew for Extra was there to interview Richard. I was thinking why don’t we get every hot leading actor guy in Hollywood to come and look at my gelatinous ass! Richard was great and told me he would take care of it. Within one minute everyone was gone. Richard is just really a great guy.

AL: You have done a lot of different role in the movie making business is there one that sticks out as a favorite?
LAW: I really enjoy directing. I think I have always been a director even though I used to get in trouble for it. From getting sent out of class when I was in school to when I had a sitcom, I just wanted to be part of the process. When you are directing you get to piece the movie together into the film you want to make. I also really love to do stand-up comedy and most recently I started doing a radio show two times a week which I am really enjoying. I just really like to work and to stay busy.

AL: Do you have any other projects in the works you can tell us about?
LAW: I can’t tell you too many specifics but there are 3 projects that I am working on as an executive producer that are reality driven. I also have another project we are setting up for that is very chick centric. I am really excited for this project!

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Interview with Ahmed Ahmed

Ahmed Ahmed is a standup comedian who has also appeared in several films and television shows. His newest project is titled “Just Like Us” and documents Ahmed and several other comedians’ tour across the Middle East. Ahmed took time out of his busy schedule to talk with Movie Mikes about his new project.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about your film “Just Like Us”
Ahmed Ahmed: “Just Like Us” is a documentary film that I came up with after doing comedy shows around the Middle East. Around 2007 I toured the Middle East with a group we put together called “The Axis of Evil Tour” which was filmed and shown on television over there. In 2008 we toured there again but not as a group and we didn’t film anything. In 2009 we had a tour that lined up with the International cast and that’s when we actually decided to shoot it.

AL: So the idea came about after touring over there a few different times?
AA: I had started a company with my business partner called Cross Cultural Entertainment and under that umbrella we created Cross Cultural Productions. This would be the portion that would physically produce and put on projects. After doing this my partner asked me what my next plan was. I told him I was going to go to the Middle East and he said I had to shoot it. The timing was great and the topic was relevant so that was part of it. A couple years prior I had done a comedy tour with Vince Vaughn called “The Wild West Comedy Show” which was also turned into a documentary film. From that I sort of had an idea of how to make a documentary. Another thing that kind of brought me to making this project was when I would come back from the Middle East a lot of my friends would ask what I was doing over there. I would tell them comedy shows and they would ask which military base. I would tell them we played theaters for Arabs in English and they get it. The film came out really great and I think people will enjoy it.

AL: What was it like touring and filming at the same time?
AA: I kind of bit off more than I could chew! At first I was going to just be the host for the shows however the promoters started asking me to bring comedians. I in a way started to become a talent booker as well as being relied on to do press. I didn’t have to set up the shows but I did a lot of the grass roots work in setting everything else up and promoting. When we started to shoot that’s where I started to turn into the producer/director (Laughs) It was literally 4 days prior to leaving for the tour that my partner said we should shoot it. I didn’t think we had enough time but he was very adamant about finding camera operators which we did. Once we got back to New York we started almost immediately in post production. We set up an office, purchased the editing equipment, hired two editors and began transcribing everything. We had about 200 hours of footage that we cut down to about 72 minutes. I didn’t really know what I was getting into at the beginning but the film has unfolded into this beautiful project that has taken on a life of its own.

AL: When is the film going to be released?
AA: We did a deal with Lion’s Gate Entertainment and the film is going to be available as a digital download through places like Netflix. My company is also going to release the film independently in select theaters. We hope to get the film into about 10 cities. If it catches wind in its sails we will add more cities. We want as many people as possible to see the film.

AL: Do you have any funny stories from working with Vince Vaughn?
AA: Everyday on that tour was a funny day. It went by so fast that we didn’t have a lot of time in each city but just being a part of that tour was really inspirational and eye opening. That tour really prodded me to make my own film. There were just so many funny things that happened. I can’t think of one that really sticks out.

AL: Had you known Vince previously?
AA: I have been friends with Vince for over 20 years. He had come to a lot of the comedy shows I was involved in which exposed him to the other comedians. He then just had this idea to take it on the road and film it. It was great to be a part of that and we are actually doing some follow up shows in June.

AL: Do you have any other upcoming projects you can tell us about?
AA: The film has opened up a lot of doors. I was actually invited to attend a dinner at the White House last year because of this film and that opened up some doors for us which took us to Palestine, Syria and a few other places to do some shows. During this time we accidentally shot a sequel and we will probably start going through that material in the fall. Releases for “Just Like Us” are going to be spaced out from city to city and that will probably take us through July. I travel quite regular and have had a lot of inquiries to go to a lot of different countries that have recently opened up.

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Interview with Danielle Nicolet

Danielle Nicolet co-stars in Syfy’s latest film “Red Faction: Origins”, playing the character Tess DeLaVega.  She is also co-starring with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the upcoming film, “Ticking Clock”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Danielle about her roles in both her films recent films.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your role in “Red Faction: Origins”, playing Tess DeLaVega.
Danielle Nicolet: Tess is a very special combination of Princess Lea and C-3P0 [laughs].  She is Jack Mason’s unintentional side-kick.  She believes herself to be the smartest person in the room all the time, better much because she is. Jake, our hero, kind of can’t save the day without Tess, but Tess goes along kicking and screaming at absolutely every moment.  She doesn’t do so good out of the office.

MG: Where you familiar with the video game franchise?
DN: I have to say I am a HUGE gamer.  I am a big first person shooter player.  I have even voiced a couple of characters in different video games.  So, I am pretty involved with video games.  I have not played “Red Faction”.  I have not played “Guerilla” until after we started shooting the movie, which was kind of good for me.  When I got the script, I read it and I didn’t have any preconceived notions.  Also Tess, my character, is the only one in the movie that doesn’t have any previous connection to the past games.  My character is though connected to “Armageddon”.  It was really confirming not to have all that in my head before I got the job.  Once I got it I went out and played the games.

MG: How was it working with Robert Patrick and Brian J. Smith?
DN: [laughs] Ok, number one: Brian Smith is the nicest person I have ever known in my life.  I love him.  Number two: Robert Patrick is the funniest person I have ever known in my life and I love him.  Robert is hysterical.  He is from two towns over from where I live in Ohio. We spent pretty much the entire time in Europe together fighting over who was better: the Steelers or the Browns.  He thinks I am terrible person because I am a Steelers fan and I think he is sad and sorely mistaken to care about the Browns [laughs].  Robert is just a blast.  We have breakfast together every morning.  He is just the most salt of the earth completely grounded superstar that you will ever known.  It is like he has no idea he is ridiculously famous.  With Brian, I can say he has no idea he is ridiculously cute and that every girl checks him out no matter where we go.  He is incredibly humble and just really loves being an actor.  It was incredible for me to work with him since we are in every scene together.  We were both so committed to our characters and to this job that we were able to be real supportive of each other.  He will forever be family.

MG: What was the most difficult part of working on the film?
DN: I am sure every single actor from this movie would have the same answer.  The most difficult part was shooting this shooting this movie in Eastern Europe in the dead of winter.  The physical conditions of this movie was the hardest I have ever been in my life.  They were also though the most necessary.  The movie takes place on Mars.  Mars is not a comfortable place to live in “Red Faction”.  It has been terraformed, so you can breath the air but just because it is breathable doesn’t mean it is warmer. We shot in a place that was like the temperature that Mars is.  Our day average about 3 degrees fahrenheit.  At nighttime, it was between 10-14 below.  So we did a lot of huddling up together to try and keep warm.  All of the exterior we did in the movie were not shot in front of a green screen.  We shot all of the exteriors in this incredible cave system just outside of the Romanian boarder.  It is totally remote and a 2 1/2 drive from the nearest hotel.  It literally looks like Mars.  It has red ground, rocky and exactly like the Martian landscape.  The cave system is totally protected from nature.  So when you watch the movie, the only thing that isn’t real is if we are ever outside the sky.  The digitally took out the ceiling of the cave and put in the Martian sky.  But that is why we were freezing the whole time because our director really wanted the exteriors to be real.  He didn’t want it to seem like an entirely CGI generated film.

MG: Tell us about working with Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the sci-fi thriller, “Ticking Clock”?
DN: Working with Cuba was a dream come true.  How many times in your life to you get to ask somebody where do they keep their Oscar [laughs]. “Ticking Clock” is like a psychological thriller but once you get 10 minutes into the film you see it is science fiction.  Cuba’s character is a writer and the murder mystery he is solving in his book starts coming to life.  I play his wife, who has a real problem with what is going on with him.  I believe that he is having the issues he is having because he is drinking too much.  He can’t quite tell the difference between his reality.  I won’t give away the ending but we will find out what is real and what isn’t.  It is a really fun movie and I love my science fiction.  So I was really excited to do that.

MG: You are both equally skilled with drama and comedy, do you have a preference?
DN: I don’t want to sound like a fence-walker but seriously the thing I love to do the most of all is like the character I played in “The Starter Wife” and “Red Faction”, which is a funny character that is in the middle of a serious situation.  That is the most fun for me.  I enjoy playing that character that brings a little of levity to a very serious scenario.  So playing Tess was like being a kid in a candy store for me as an actor.  I got to spend five weeks delivering fantastic one liners and screaming when guns come around [laughs].

MG: What other projects do you have upcoming?
DN: Right now, “Ticking Clock” is obviously coming up. “Marry Me”, the mini series I did with Lucy Lu comes out on DVD in a few weeks.  I know they are also going to air it again in it entirety really soon.  So I got that coming up.  Also just also keeping my fingers crossed that there will be more “Red Faction” movies.

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Interview with Tinsel Korey

Tinsel Korey continues her portrayal of Emily Young in the upcoming release of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”. Tinsel also recently released her first single currently available on ITunes. Tinsel took time out of her busy schedule to talk with Movie Mikes to discuss “Breaking Dawn” and her venture into music.

Adam Lawton: What made you decide to get into acting?
Tinsel Korey: Growing up I was one of those kids that was always putting on sketches. I was also very artistic so it was my way of expressing myself. It all just became very natural for me. I don’t think there was ever a moment where I didn’t want to be an actor or entertainer. I was just something I knew I wanted to do since I was very young. I actually just performed live with the Acme Comedy Troop and it brought me back to my child hood when I was doing a lot of the same type of funny characters and such.

AL: Can you tell us about the process of becoming involved with the “Twilight” series?
TK: The process was fairly easy I guess from what I was told. I guess some of the other cast members had to do a bunch of call backs and auditions but mine was fairly quick. Rene Haynes the casting director for “New Moon” was familiar with me from my previous work so I only ended up having one audition in front of Chris Weitz. A couple days later I was short listed for the project. I got really lucky that it went so fast.

AL: I had read you were selected for the role out of 800 other actresses. Correct?
TK: The casting directors had told me that over 800 girls had auditioned for that role. I had no idea that so many people had tried out for the part. I think if I had known that prior to the audition it may have thrown me off a little. I just went into the audition taking it seriously.

AL: Were you familiar with the previous film and the book series prior to reading for the part?
TK: I actually didn’t know anything about “Twilight”. My younger sister is a fan of the series but I had no idea what so ever. Rene Haynes had kept me in mind for that role so she was the one who brought it to my attention. Knowing my sister was a fan I really wanted to get the movie more for her than for myself. I actually took her to the premier which was really exciting.

TK: What was your first experience like on the “New Moon” set?
AL: It was interesting because I didn’t really know the guys. I had known Bronson Pelletier from his work on “Renegadepress.com”. We had to find chemistry together which we were able to do after spending a little more time with each other. I think we really captured that family element which is present in the movie and it actually carried over off screen as well. I knew the film was a big production but at the time we were shooting “Twilight” wasn’t yet really at the caliber it’s at today. It was big just not as big. After the premier of “New Moon” the series just took off!

AL: What can we expect in the next film “Breaking Dawn”?
TK: I am probably most excited for the wedding scene and getting to see the wedding dress. I am still getting asked if I am for Team Edward or Team Jacob. It’s pretty much over! (Laughs) She picks Edward. There is a lot more action in this next film and the director was fantastic. I really hope to get to work with him again. His vision for the film was really great.

AL: Any great behind the scenes stories you can tell us?
TK: During the past shoots we had a little bit more time to Joke around but I do remember a prank we played on Kiowa Gordon. He had ordered a hot chocolate one day and then left it unattended with Bronson and I. The two of us are probably the biggest prankster on set. So Kiowa comes back and gets ready to drink his hot chocolate and I ask him if he was sure he really wanted to do that? (Laughs) He kept asking what we did to his drink so Bronson and I really milked it. After he had finished we started asking him if he was feeling anything. It was pretty funny. To this day we still haven’t told him that we really didn’t do anything to his drink.

AL: You also are a musician. Can you tell us about your first single?
TK: I just released my first single titled “Letter” which is available on ITunes and Amazon. It has kind of a bluesy Jazz Rock sound to it. People have compared my voice to Nora Jones and Jewel. Music is really my focus right now. Acting has always been in the foreground of my life and I really want music to have that chance as well. If a great acting role comes along I am totally up for it but I am not actively search for film roles as my music is the main focus for me right now. Music allows me to use my own words and music compared to when I am acting and performing someone else’s work. I think music is way more personal for me.

AL: Is there a release date for the full album?
TK: I am doing the album independently so I am currently focused on the single and finding time to shoot a video for it. I am hoping by the end of the year. The process of doing a record on your own is very different than when you have the help of a record label. I have a producer who I want to work with and I have some really great musicians involved also. On “Letter” I had help from Marcos Curiel of P.O.D. and Mark Schulman who is the drummer for Pink. Right now it comes down to finding the time to get everything done.

AL: Do you have any other upcoming projects you can tell us about?
TK: I have been doing a lot of live musical performances lately trying to fine tune my craft. I have a film called “Avarice” coming out which stars Kevin Sorbo and Jason London. The film is a Sci-Fi thriller which should be released this year. The director Matt Schilling is a visual effects genius. What we shot and how the end product looked were completely different. It was amazing. The film is getting some good buzz. I also have a movie called “Black Forest” which will be appearing on the Sci-Fi channel as well around the fall of this year.

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Interview with John Diehl

John Diehl’s career in the movie business has spanned over 30 years. He has appeared in such classic films as “Stripes” and played the Hawaiian shirt clad Larry Zito on the hit television series “Miami Vice”. Movie Mikes caught up with John to talk about some of his classic roles as well as some of his current projects.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about how you got involved with “Stripes”? and what it was like being a part of such a great cast?
John Diehl: I was just starting out in the business and at the time I was working on a  Sam Sheppard play which called for me to have a shaved head. I went to the audition with my head being shaved already and I remember nodding back and forth with Ivan Reitman. A short time later I was delivering furniture when I got a message from my agent telling me that I got the part. As far as the cast goes I never really watched TV so I no idea who anyone was. I think this helped because I didn’t have any trepidation about anything. It wasn’t until afterwards that I found out how great everyone was. My scenes with John Candy were all improv. They really liked mine and John’s characters together. It was great because I got to take that character and make him my own. I understood that character. Ivan was too busy arguing with Bill to worry about me (Laughs) so it was a great experience.

AL: You also had a part in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” can you tell us about that and what it was like working with Chevy Chase?
JD: I still lament the fact that sometime after we finished shooting I was having dinner with Harold Ramis and I asked him if we could add in one tiny part. I wanted the part of my scene with Mickey Jones where Mickey shows Clark his badge and states “I am the Sheriff” I wish I had just said “And I’m the Deputy”. I felt so bad that I didn’t come up with that sooner. I kept asking to get that put in but it never happened. Chevy is a very reserved guy and I remember we had a picture taken of us along with
some American Indians on set. For some reason he thought that I wanted a picture taken with him. Sadly the picture got left on top of an old soda machine and I always think about that. Years later I’m walking through LAX and there is all of this commotion going on. All I see is this big guy with grey hair and a bunch of reporters. It was Chevy and he recognized me right away which was really cool that he remembered me.

AL: What was it like working with Harold Ramis both as an actor and a director?
JD: Harold was really easy going. When he was directing he had a lot more stuff going on than when he was just acting. I don’t think he was smiling as much when he was directing. (Laughs) Overall both experiences were good.

AL: Can you tell us about your work on “Miami Vice”?
JD: There are a few stories that I guess kind of come together as to how I got that part. I remember going on an audition for the show which I think Michael Mann was at. I was wearing this long leather coat because I had to leave my play rehearsal to make it to the audition which really annoyed me. I just went into the audition kind of pissed off which I thought could be a good thing. One other thing that I think was part of me getting the role was I had done a small short called “Leon’s Case”. There was an article about the film that stated Brandon Tartikoff who was the head of NBC at the time saw me in that film and wanted me for “Miami Vice”. That show turned into something we never expected. It had created a lot of buzz but then slowed a little after the first few episodes but after that it really took off. Even though I got myself out of the show after about 3 seasons a move I don’t regret. Working on that show was a great experience and I got some great work from that show.

AL: What made you want to leave the show?
JD: I was miserable. I lived in New York at the time but spent 9 months of the year shooting in Miami. I didn’t mind going back and forth as I was single at the time. We weren’t making a ton of money on the show but it was more than I had ever made. I think it was just really depression that got the best of me. After the first season we were told that they were going to include more of us in the show but, I would show up to work and spend at times 12 hours in my 5 by 5 Honey Wagon just waiting to be called for my scene. There were times where I would show up and the scene would never end up even being shot. There was just a lot of stuff like that going on.

AL: Do you have a project that sticks out for you as a favorite?
JD: Right now I would have to say “Land of Plenty”. I played the male lead role with Michelle Williams. The film never really came out distribution wise but I still really enjoyed the process. I also enjoyed my theater work with Sam Sheppard where I got to work with some really amazing people. “End Game” which I did with John Larroquette was another great experience.

AL: Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
JD: I like doing independent movies lately. The money usually isn’t as good but the parts are really great! I did one called “Natural Selection” which won everything at this year’s South by South West Festival. The film is going on to some other festivals so I have some reserved hopes for that. I also am in talks to do a horror film in Montreal. One other thing I just finished up was with Bruce Campbell for a “Burn Notice” TV movie which aired recently.

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Interview with Kim Roberts

Kim Roberts is known for her role in “Saw III & IV” playing Nurse Deborah.  She also was in Zack Snyder’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead” and just finishing appearing in the TV series “Being Erica”, which was just renewed for season four.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Kim about her roles and what she has planned upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got involved with playing Deborah in “Saw III & IV”?
Kim Roberts: I auditioned just like anyone else. At the time it wasn’t a huge role. When we started filming Darren Bousman, who was directing, told me he really loved my character. He told me he was going to have all this development for my character, so he brought me back in “Saw IV”. He said “Just wait “Saw V & VI” I am going to write all this stuff for you”. As you know [laughing], in Saw V & VI”, Darren was known longer around. Deborah just kind of disappeared. So I myself cannot tell you where she went but it would have been nice.

MG: Are you a fan of the films and horror genre?
KR: Oh yeah, absolutely.

MG: Tell us about your experience working on the film “Dawn of the Dead”?
KR: It was wonderful, it really was. I think part of the reason why “Dawn of the Dead” was so beautiful was that there was a lot of love on the project. Zack Snyder, who directed it, and I actually shot a commercial with him about a year or two before this. It was a really huge project for him. He had all these wonderful ideas and passions for it. Since I worked with him before, I was happy to get the opportunity again and was rooting for him. Sarah Polley just rocks and she is amazing. Working with her is just a dream. She is one of Canada’s greatest gifts. I was really touched to do that scene with her. We keep saying [laughing] “We want more scenes together”. Even watching the film, there is a wealth of Toronto talent and also great LA talent. He just got so many great actors that are actually so are passionate about there craft and their work. Everyone wanted to do a great homage to such a classic film. I think that when you have real good artists caring about what they are doing, it just works.

MG: You have played a nurse in various TV and film projects, how do you always find yourself in this role?
KR: [laughs] It came to a point when I said to my agent, I am not doing any more nurses. I said unless it is the nurses life story I am not doing any more nurses. I think every actor has a typecast. I remember reading a quote from Jennifer Aniston that before “Friends” she was typecast as playing a waitress. The nurse just became mine. The irony about it was that when I was a kid, I said I wanted to be a doctor. My very first on camera role, I actually played a doctor. So a lot of people actually thought I was a doctor [laughs] for a really long time. But I keep saying “No, I am an actor [laughs]”, so I keep finding myself in this doctor/nurse roles. I think karma is a funny thing.

MG: With “Being Erica” renewed for Season four, can you tell us about your character and are you going to be returning in next season?
KR: Camilla was introduced in season three, as part of this whole journey that Erica was on. I don’t want to spoil it for your readers if they haven’t finished up but we find out it was quite the journey. So I am a part of a group therapy unit that is in a sense are people that all lived like Erica. At the end of the season, I am the only person from the group who graduates with her. So there is a hope that the character will come back and maybe go one to beautiful things and it will great to play her colleague. We have to see what the writers have in store for the new season. It was a blast and an honor to work on the show. My character Camilla was really fortuitous. When I auditioned it was only for one episode, then when I came on initially it was for the first six episodes but they liked the character and kept her. Again I haven’t been killed off yet so who knows?

MG: What else do you have planned for the future?
KR: The project I have coming up next is “The Vow” with Rachel McAdams, should be out next year. It was a great experience, she was so sweet to work with. I also just shot a Christmas movie, it is untitled right now but I loved it. The producers Steve Solomos and Joel Rice are so great. I love them. I think this is the fifth project that I have worked with them on for Lifetime and every time they are in town they put me in them. They do really go work and are really good guys. Right now it is called “The Untitled Santa Project” and will be on ABC Family next Christmas.

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Interview with Karen Lynn Gorney

Karen Lynn Gorney first earned attention with her role of Tara Martin on the popular daytime series “All My Children.” But it was her role as Stephanie Mangano in “Saturday Night Fever” that made her a star. As the object of John Travolta’s affection (both on the dance floor and off), she was able to pull of the rare feat of making a tough girl also appear very vulnerable. Defying conventional thinking, she took more then a decade off, concentrating on theatre and music while also teaching. She returned to the limelight in the early 1990s and has appeared in numerous film and television projects, even reprising her role of Stephanie in the “Fever” video game. While preparing for her next project Ms. Gorney took some time to speak with Movie Mikes about her career:

Mike Smith: Both of your parents were in show business. Did watching their experiences steer you towards a career in acting?
Karen Lynn Gorney: I got into acting because of my shyness. I wanted to be a songwriter like my Dad. But I was too shy to really sing my songs! So Ma said I should study acting.So eventually I sang and played guitar- I’ve recorded 3 CD’s…two of my original songs. one of song’s my dad wrote. (NOTE: Ms. Gorney’s father, Jay, was a popular composer and wrote the music for the classic depression-era song “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime.”)

MS: How did you come to get the role of Tara Martin on “All My Children?”
KLG: Many many auditions, like everything else. Just showing up time and time again.

MS: Do you still hear from fans of the show?
KLG: Oh yes. All the time.

MS: You’ve reprised the role twice. Any chance of Tara making another return to Pine Valley?
KLG: If they asked me I would do it. (NOTE: Since our conversation ABC has announced that this will be the last season for “All My Children.” Hopefully that fact will guarantee an invite back).

MS: You have a BFA from Carnegie Mellon and MFA from Brandeis University in Acting and Speech. With that kind of training how hard was it to nail Stephanie Mongano’s accent in “Saturday Night Fever?”
KLG: I have a good ear, being from a musical family. It came really easily. Dialects are fun for me.

MS: In the famous poster for “Saturday Night Fever” you are featured in a red dress. However, in the final dance competition you are wearing a white dress. Were there other dance scenes shot or was the dress altered for the poster?
KLG: We shot me in every color dress under the sun. They kept dyeing them until they settled on what you see. Red sells. I think that’s why it was used for the poster.

MS: One of the most touching scenes in “Fever” is when Tony and Stephanie are sitting by the bridge talking. During the scene, as Tony’s eyes begin to tear Stephanie kisses him on the cheek. Years later it was revealed that Travolta had just returned to the set after the death of his girlfriend, Diana Hyland. Was it tough to get “back to work?” And what moved you to give Tony the unscripted kiss?
KLG: We hadn’t stopped work for that long and John came right back into it. The character kissed him not me. It seemed the right thing to do – he looked so pitiful.

MS: Was there any talk of Stephanie returning in “Staying Alive?”
KLG: Yes, but the only character from the original “Fever” that appeared in “Staying Alive” was Tony’s mother. Stallone wrote us all out.

MS: Your father, Jay, was a successful songwriter and you yourself have written and produced several albums. Any plans to record again?
KLG: Not right now. The three Cd’s I’ve done, the “Trilogy,” seems enough for now. If I start getting HAUNTED again by words and music in my head, I’ll have to do more- but for now, I’m good. I do have a suitcase full of stuff I haven’t put together and recorded!

MS: What are you currently working on?
KLG: A new play. Starting to take meetings on it for Off Broadway.

For fans interested in ordering a CD or original artwork, or just wanting to keep tabs on her career, please visit Ms. Gorney’s web site: www.karenlynngorney.com

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Interview with Donna Pescow

As a young man growing up in the 1970s, one of the seminal films for me was “Saturday Night Fever.” No, I didn’t have the big hair or platform shoes. And while, thanks to drama and dance classes, I could cut a rug I was certainly no Tony Manero! But one of my fondest memories of the film is Donna Pescow, who played Annette, the girl who really only wanted to be liked by the boy she loved. It was her vulnerability that kept the film grounded. “Are you a good girl or are you a c*nt,” Tony asks her early on in the film. “Can’t I be both,” she replies. After “Fever” Ms. Pescow landed the lead role in the Garry Marshall produced television comedy “Angie,” earning a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. For the next three decades she has appeared regularly in both films and on television, including long stints on “Out of This World” with Burt Reynolds and on Disney’s “Even Stevens,” a role which earned her three Daytime Emmy nominations. Ms. Pescow recently sat down with MovieMikes to talk about her career:

Mike Smith: You’ve appeared in several popular daytime dramas (“All My Children,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live”). Is there something about them that keeps you coming back?
Donna Pescow: “All My Children” was presented to me as being a six week guest star. They were going to bring in the first openly gay character, which was really a fabulous opportunity for me to be in a groundbreaking role like that. I knew a lot of the people on the show…a couple writers and producers and a couple of the actors…and it was really just a wonderful opportunity for me to be a part of something so groundbreaking. I loved being a part of it. They won a couple of awards for it and, I think, opened up a real arena of something that hadn’t been explored. It wasn’t a stereotypical fluffy, fuzzy piece it was something that I thought was beautifully handled. “General Hospital” was another one that went on for a couple of months. They wanted me to do a character that was kind of like a 1940s style comedy – like Roz Russell. A fun but bigger than life kind of character. So again it was something unusual for that style of show. They asked me to do that and again I thought it would be a nice opportunity to do something different and work with some good people.

MS: You had to audition for both “Saturday Night Fever’s” original director, John Alvidsen and later, John Badham. Was there any difference in your character of Annette in each director’s vision? Did they maybe perceive her differently from one another?
DP: I don’t think so. I remember that when I auditioned for both directors I had never seen a full script. I was just starting out so I received what they call “sides,” which are excerpts from the script that your character auditions for. So I think the character was the same. What I did was I improvised a lot to get the tone of the character. Both of them were still trying to find the voice of the character. I don’t know if they were different or not but I’m sure each of them had their own specific take they wanted the actor to bring with them. There was a couple of months gap between the directors so I don’t know if the script was rewritten or not.

MS: How did the television series “Angie” come about?
DP: I got a call from my agent saying that Garry Marshall wanted to meet with me about an idea he had for a show. I was thrilled to get to meet with Garry, who is one of the funniest people on the face of the earth. And he pitched the idea – I think it may have come from another show he had thought about doing but he had tweaked it a bit – of a modern day Cinderella girl from the poor side of the tracks marries the boy from the rich side of the tracks. Now Garry pitching a story is almost funnier then the show! He has such a hysterical personality…he acts out all of the characters…I would have signed up right then and there in his office.

MS: You participated in the “Battle of the Network Stars.” I remember one year it was almost a grudge match between Robert Conrad and Gabe Kaplan. Was the competition really as fierce and competitive as it was made out to be?
DP: It’s funny that you mentioned Robert Conrad. He was there the year I was doing it. I would guess that if I’d ever joined the military it would have been very similar. He was really serious and really scary! And I was very happy that he was NBC and I was ABC because even from a distance he scared me. People were really serious about this and I was terrified because even though I was a dancer I was not an athlete (laughs). And I was so worried that I was going to let my team down and, most importantly, make a complete and utter fool out of myself. Which of course I did. I had to run the obstacle course and I think Howard Cosell said it was one of the slowest runs in the history of the games. So maybe I should take solace in that I did break a record! (laughs). It was a lot of fun but people were tremendously talented in athleticism and I just did not shine there. (NOTE: for readers who never experienced watching the “Battle of the Network Stars,” click here if you want to see the Robert Conrad/Gabe Kaplan match up I mentioned. Notice that Conrad keeps puffing on his cigarette before the big race:

YouTube – Battle of the Network Stars – Conrad vs. Kaplan

MS: You co-starred with Burt Reynolds (a recent MovieMikes interviewee) in the series “Out of This World.” How did that role come about?
DP: I like that you said co-starred. In the show I spoke to him through a candy dish! Again it was one of those lovely moments where somebody calls and says they have a show they think I’d like. All of the pieces seemed to fit. It kind of reminded me of a show I used to like when I was a kid called “Bewitched.” I just thought it was kind of fun to do the magic and the special effects. I was actually surprised that it went on as long as it did. Not that I didn’t like it, it’s just that you never know. It’s one of those things that will either hit or not. And Burt was great. I would have liked to have had a scene with him! But we were never in the same room. He was recording in one studio and I was in another.

MS: You’ve directed several television episodes. Is directing something you’d like to pursue more?
DP: I love doing it. I got to do some when I was on “Even Stevens.” I also did “Harry and the Hendersons” awhile back and I love it. Pursuing a directing career is like pursuing an acting career. You really have to give it 100%. I think if I’m going to do it again I need to make that commitment and pursue it as strongly as I do acting. I’m sure that the next round I do I’ll definitely stick with it longer.

MS: Getting back to “Fever,” was there any talk of bringing Annette back in “Staying Alive?”
DP: Annette WAS in “Staying Alive.” The character was in the script for quite a while. In fact, there was a section filmed where he (Tony Manero) goes back to Brooklyn and sees several people. But the script changed and they ended up taking that section out. But I did shoot a tiny scene where I was in the audience with my husband – I guess she got married – and we were watching the Broadway show Tony was performing in. But we only shot a little bit of it because they kept rearranging the script. I was sorry to not be in it but I understood that it didn’t really work.

MS: A lot of people pan that film but I think it was amazing how Stallone envisioned the Broadway musical of the 1990s. Lots of flashing lights and explosions and rock and roll scores.
DP: He really had a vision. Both John and Sly really did a great job. They had a very specific thing they wanted to accomplish and they did it and they did it well. It’s really iffy how the public react to things at times. I think they should take a second look at the film and see if they enjoy it more.

MS: You appeared on both “NYPD Blue” and “The Sopranos,” both landmark television dramas. Did you feel you were working on something special when you were filming?
DP: Yes. “NYPD Blue” I was a fan of so going into something that you watch and you like is almost like a little gift because you know going in the quality of the work. So I had a sense that I was doing something that was above average. And the cast and crew were tremendously talented to work with so I had a great time. “The Sopranos”…I was such a “Sopranos” junkie that I could not get enough of that show. I was glued to it every week…I never missed it. When they asked me to do it I really had a hard time separating being a fan from being an actress. I was really sort of star-struck when I went on the set. I got to meet everyone and I had to keep telling myself over and over, “Donna, be a professional. You’re here to do an acting job not sit and gawk at all of the people you watch every Sunday night.” But I was so excited and so thrilled…it was the last episode. So it was really an extraordinary thing for me to be a part of it. It was really an amazing thing to be a part of that show. And you know, when you look back on your career you think you’ve done all of these things that have been personally rewarding. But then you look at “The Sopranos,” which was very much a groundbreaking show in television history, and you’re proud to have been a part of that.

MS: What are you working on now?
DP: There are a couple of things happening. Of course I never know which of them is going to pan out. I’m talking to someone now about possibly coming back to New York and doing some theater there, which I’m kind of excited about. So we shall see!

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Interview with Genevieve Farrell

Genevieve Farrell started acting at the age of 7. She has appeared in such shows as the Emmy Award winning “Zoboomafoo” as well as “American Girl on the Home Front”. Genevieve left acting in her teens and recently graduated from USC film school. Genevieve took time out her busy schedule recently to speak with Movie Mikes about her previous work and some of her upcoming projects.

Adam Lawton: What made you decide to get into acting at such a young age?
Genevieve Farrell: I was really shy when I was younger so I started to take acting and dance classes in an effort to meet people and get over some of my shyness. I really excelled at them and from there I got myself an agent and then went on my first audition which was for a McDonald’s commercial. I acted quite a bit before deciding to take a break to attend high school.

AL: How did you become involved with “Zoboomafoo”?
GF: That show was filmed in Montreal as well as New York. The casting director for the show had cast me in a few other previous projects and brought me in for an audition. I remember going in for one of the auditions and I had to talk about a plant. This was very different from many of the other auditions I had gone to. I had always been interested in animals and things that were talked about on the show so I think that really helped.

AL: You were also in “An American Girl on the Home Front” which was produced by Julia Roberts. What was it like working on that film?
GF: That was an amazing experience! I was just so excited to be apart a film that was targeted for young girls and also to be a part of something that has such a huge following. I also really enjoyed the fact that the film is based on the book and that they encourage reading. It’s great that you can watch the American Girl movies and learn about different things as the movie progresses.

AL: Besides acting you also produce films and model. Do you prefer one more than the other?
GF: I really enjoy making films. I graduated from USC film school last year and during the four years that I was at school I got to write, direct and produce projects which was really great. Getting to have my hands in all the different areas of the film making process made me understand the importance of each aspect. I really am most excited about making films and being able to contribute in any way I can. I do love writing and acting as well but it’s really great getting to bring your own projects to life as a producer.

AL: Can you tell us about your project “The Perfect Gentleman”?
GF: “The Perfect Gentleman” is a short film I did set in the 1950’s. It kind of deals with issues of the period and is based around my characters engagement party. It was a very interesting role for me to play. The film was shot on 35mm which gives the film a real vintage look.

AL: Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?
GF: I am currently in pre-production on a short titled “Angela’s Light” which is about a high school student who makes a rash decision to cheat on a math test. The film is really about when you are in high school and you’re very sheltered. At that age everything is a big deal. If you don’t do well on a test its going to ruin your life and you won’t get into a good college and such. So the film points out the pressures during these times. We look to start shooting in mid May. I play Angela in the film and it is being directed by Mu Sun who is an up and coming director that I went to film school with.

AL: Are you producing the film as well?
GF: Yes besides acting in the film I also am producing. I felt since it is my project and I am very passionate about it that it would have been a shame not to produce the film. I have a ton of excitement for the project and I really want to inspire people to work on the film.

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