Brian Henson is the son of Jim Henson, creator of “The Muppets” and the current chairman of The Jim Henson Company. For years Brian has been working with his family in the company as a puppeteer in roles like Jack Pumpkinhead in “Return to Oz” and directing//producing “The Muppet Christmas Carol” and “Muppet Treasure Island”. He was also behind the TV series “Farscape” as the Executive Producer. His latest venture is in reality TV on Syfy with the series “Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge”, which is similar to other Syfy shows like “Face/Off”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Brian about the TV show and also get the scoop on upcoming projects like “The Power of the Dark Crystal” and “Fraggle Rock: The Movie”.

Mike Gencarelli: How did the idea come about to do this show, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge?
Brian Henson: We were trying to think if there is a show that would make sense for The Jim Henson Company in the reality side of television programming. There aren’t many…because we are The Jim Henson Company. Almost everything we do has an element of fantasy or science-fiction in it. In many ways we are the opposite of reality. We make things that reflect on reality and allow you to objectively compare it to what we are presenting. But we decided that one area that is particularly exciting of our company is in the creature designing area. These artists, who are designing, conceiving and then building these creatures, really are like magic. They are extraordinary artists. We thought that doing a show around that aspect would be the most interesting area to the general audience. It is sort of like this secret world. There are no Academy Awards for creature designers. There are some creature designers who have won Academy Awards for costuming, make-up or special effects. Joe FREID, one of the Executive Producers, really shared the same enthusiasm in that area of our company and also has a strong background in reality TV programming. We went out to pitch it and Syfy loved it. We made it pretty close to the “Face/Off” format or even the “Project Runway” format. But what is different about it is that it is going into an area and a type of artist that is much different than anyone has ever seen. It is taking place in the Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and the prize really is a job with us.

MG: How do you come up with the challenges for the show like the first episode’s undersea creature?
BH: We basically kept making lists of creatures that we thought would be interesting. For season one, we said that none of the creatures should be allowed to use any compositing, puppeteer removal or some of the techniques that we would normally use in television or feature films. So that closed us up a little bit and kept us focused for season one. Then we had about 15-20 good ideas on the board and we basically produced what we thought was a good wide range of creatures. One thing that is great about creature making, which perhaps is not true of some of the cousins to our TV show, is they are very different depending on what kind of creature you are looking for and what kind of screen test you presenting at the end of the episode. It means that every episode is able to stand alone and be unique from the one before it, which is a lot of fun. You should also expect the challenges to be more and more ambitious as we go forward, which I think is pretty great.

MG: What are you feelings on CGI versus practical effects like puppet work?
BH: My take on it reflects my background and where I come from and where my dad came from, we are a performance oriented company. So what excites me is performing creatures and puppets. We do some CGI but we call it digital puppetry. The way we do CGI, is that we real-time animate 3D creatures using performers. So if it comes from performance and creating a real moment for the characters then that is what excites me and our company. So in that sense, I prefer the animatronic creatures to the CGI creatures. But that is also due to my background. If someone comes from key frame animation, they may prefer CGI to stop-action animation. But I think there is wonderful space for every technique. There is clearly a sacrifice you make when you decide to go CGI with a creature is that you are not actually creating a real moment that you then photograph. With most of our stuff besides the digital puppetry that we do, what you see has really been created and has been photographed and is now in the movie or TV show. It really happened and was really there. You can’t underestimate the value of that. It may mean that things are not quite as slick or accurate as CGI but it really happened and there is something really delicious and exciting about that. Certainly we have been seeing a big move towards CGI creatures but I think with films like “Where the Wild Things Are”, we are starting to see a movement back towards practical effects. But like I said there is definitely a space for both.

MG: I feel that this show actually brings this type of work back into the spotlight…
BH: Yeah, it’s been like a secret world. Nobody knows how these creatures are built and created. Nobody has done a show like this and it is really interesting watching them work.
MG: Yeah, one thing I would love to learn more about myself is the actual mechanics behind-the-scenes with these creatures.
BH: Well as you watch more of the series you will be more of that as well.

MG: Tell us about choosing your co-judges including Kurt Thatcher and Beth Hathaway?
BH: Initially we weren’t sure if we wanted to go with an all internal panel. Kurt is really an inside guy. Most of the work he has done in his career has been with our company. We wanted it to be as credible as possible because like I said the prize really is a job in the Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Kurt is the type of person who would do the hiring along with me who would also be making those judgment calls. At a certain point, we realized it was just too much Henson. So we reached out to Beth Hathaway, who is also a very experienced creature builder but her background is along the lines of Stan Winston and Rick Baker. It was actually really fun bringing her in since she is kind of an outsider but we just love her. It was good having her point of views and opinions on the judging panel.

MG: What do you see that the future has planned for this type of practical effects and for Jim Henson’s Creature Shop?
BH: I think there is a lot of opportunity for us to do more creature work. I think we are coming out of a time where the industry has been in a flux. I think people are now starting to stabilize and spend more money for cool fantasy/science-fiction characters. I think you will start to see more practical effects…but probably mixed in with some CGI, which is like what “Where the Wild Things Are” was. I think the best creatures yet to come are going to be a little bit of everything used to bring that creature to life.

MG: Do you have any update on The Power of Dark Crystal and Fraggle Rock movie?
BH: The truth is that it took me five years to get “Farscape” on the air. These things take time. Some of that time feels like you are just waiting around. There is a lot of things that need to come together in order to make these projects work. You need to have the right talent, financing and distribution partners. But I can tell you that these both in active development currently within our company. We are determined to get them made. It is big though and a lot of elements need to come together to get a movie made.

Photos courtesy of Syfy

Related Content

• Bree Williamson talks about joining the cast of Syfy’s “Haven”
• WWE Superstar Adam “Edge” Copeland talks about his role on Syfy’s “Haven”
• Marc & Shannon Parker from Parker Brothers Concepts chats about working on Syfy’s “Dream Machines”
• Ben Gleib talks about “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, Kevin Smith, “Chelsea Lately”, hanging with Jaleel White and time traveling with Syfy’s “Insane or Inspired?”
• Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce talks about Syfy’s “Bigfoot”

Photo: The CW

Probably best known as David, one of the rival “Warblers” on the popular television series “Glee,” Titus Makin, Jr. can now be seen on the popular new CW show “Star-Crossed.”  As Lukas, Makin gets the chance to help save the day with the occasional blast of humor.  While getting ready to take a break from filming and finish his new musical EP, Makin took the time to talk to me about his new show, “The Lion King” and a possible return to “Glee:”

Mike Smith:  Can you give the readers a brief introduction to your character, Lukas, in your new show “Star-Crossed?”
Titus Makin, Jr:  Sure.  Lukas Parnell is one of Emery’s  (Aimee Teegarden) best friends.  He’s the guy that shows her the ropes in her new high school.  He breaks down who people are, what they do and how it all works.  He’s also the “logical” guy…the tech savvy guy.  He’s the guy to go to if you need answers or need to know how to get into dangerous places.   (much brighter) And he’s also the comic relief!  He can cushion the blow of an otherwise dramatic situation.

MS:  What attracted you to the project?
TMJ:  The sci-fi aspect definitely attracted me to the project.  I’m a big sci-fi buff so as soon as I saw the word “spacecraft” I just said “sign me up!”  (laughs)  I also love the comedic aspect within the drama.  I love drama and sci-fi so to be able to play a comedic role within that?  What a dream come true.  I definitely was on board.

MS:  You really do a little bit of everything.  You act, you sing, you dance.  Do you have a preference among your talents?  Is there a dream project out there?
TMJ:  I really don’t have a preference.  I’m very content with both acting and music.  A dream project would probably be….you know, “Glee” pretty much touched everything that I love to do so in a way I’ve already done the musical dream project.  As far as the acting side goes, it’s probably to be able to do a film with Will Smith.  Of course, that’s probably everybody’s dream!  (laughs)

MS:  I know one of your fellow “Warblers,” Darren Criss has appeared on Broadway (Criss took a break from “Glee” to star in the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”).  And desires to tread the boards?
TMJ:  Oh yeah.  I would love to be able to appear on Broadway one day.  I love the stage.  I love theater acting and I love musical theater.  That would be an honor.  I’ve thought about that before, but when I did that dream seemed so farfetched that I didn’t consider it for a while.  But now I think it would be amazing to one day jump into a great role.  I need to get a little older so I can jump into a good role in “The Lion King.”

MS:  As “Glee” prepares for its final season next year, do you know if there are any plans to have “the Warblers” return?
TMJ:  I definitely think so.  I haven’t heard much since I’ve been filming “Star-Crossed,” but I do keep in contact with a lot of the other guys and there is always hearsay about us coming back for a “competition” episode or some kind of dramatic moment.  Of course they never get confirmed.  But that’s the great thing about Ryan (Murphy, the creator of “Glee”).  He’s always willing to bring back fan favorites so I think there is a huge chance “the Warblers” will be back.

MS:  What else do you have coming up?
TMJ:  Other than waiting for “Star-Crossed” to air I’m going to dive back into music for awhile while we’re on our break.  I’ll be recording an EP down the road here so for me music is still doing well.

Dawn Wells is best known for her role as Mary Ann Summers, the young girl from Winfield, Kansas that takes an ill fated three hour cruise and ends up stranded on “Gilligan’s Island.”

Born in Reno, Nevada, Ms. Wells represented the state in the 1960 Miss America Pageant. She studied theater at the University of Missouri. After graduation she headed to Hollywood. In 1964 she won the role she is most identified with, Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island.” Following the show’s cancellation in 1967, she continued to work in television, appearing on such popular shows as “The Invaders,” “The Wild, Wild West” and “Bonanza.” She also appeared in a pair of films directed by Charles B. Pierce: “Windtalker” and ”The Town That Dreaded Sundown.”

She has continued to work steadily and can now be seen in the new Jason Lockhart comedy, “Silent But Deadly.” To promote her appearance, Ms. Wells sat down recently with Media Mikes to talk about her new film, her love of theatre and what Mary Ann has planned for the 50th Anniversary of “Gilligan’s Island.”

Mike Smith: Hello from Kansas City, just 3 hours north of Winfield, Kansas!
Dawn Wells: And an hour and a half west of where I went to college in Columbia, Missouri.
MS: M-I-Z Z-O-U
DW: (laughing) that’s it!

MS: Can I ask what attracted you to the film?
DW: Well, I’ve never played a grandmother. I’ve never played an elder role on film at all so I thought it would be fun. And I love the idea of supporting new talent. I thought it was cleverly written, the cast was great and I really enjoyed liked the idea of working with Jason. I’m at that stage in my life where I’m not trying to build a career. I get to do what I enjoy. I enjoyed it when I read it so I took the shot. I loved it.

MS: A few of your co-stars in the film are, like yourself, well known television personalities. Were you able to spend some time on the set talking about your various experiences on the small screen?
DW: Surprisingly, when you’re shooting on set there really isn’t a lot of free time to chat. We did get to know each other during rehearsals, of course. And after we finished filming. I’ve stayed close to many of them. Of course, Lee Meriwether and I both share the Miss America pageant together. And many of them I had worked with in the past on television.

MS: You’ve done everything – film, television, theatre – do you have a preference?
DW: I do enjoy acting in movies but I’ve always loved theatre best. I love the rehearsal time. I love having a live audience and being able to read an audience. I’ve had the chance to play so many interesting roles on stage.

MS: As a follow up, as an actor is it preferable to do a character on stage, where with each performance you can continue to discover your character or film, where you’re often pressed for time so you have to go by your instincts?
DW: Good point. On film you are rushed for time and many times you’ll finish a scene, move on and then think to yourself that there was something else you could have given during that scene. One main difference is reaction. If you’re doing a film, let’s say during the scene someone tips a cup over. Not a problem, you just do it again. On stage, you have to improvise. Let’s say I have a scene where I’m supposed to walk across the stage, grab a vase and toss it out a window. So I make my entrance, cross the stage and discover the vase is not there. You’re in the middle of the performance (laughs)…what can you do? Do I find something else to pick up? Do I walk off stage, grab the vase and then come back in? All those things go through your mind. It’s like a football game. You’ve got the play and you’ve got the play clock in your head. Theatre definitely keeps you on your toes because nothing is perfect. There’s really no such thing as a perfect performance. I remember George C. Scott once said, “you’re doing 8 performances a week. If you get 3 of them in a row good, that’s a miracle.”

MS: 2014 marks the 50th Anniversary of “Gilligan’s Island.” Are there any celebrations or gatherings currently planned that you might be taking part in?
DW: 50 years. Sadly I just returned from Russell Johnson’s funeral (NOTE: Johnson played “The Professor” on the popular show). I still catch the show on occasion. Simple and funny and in black and white. Alan Hale and Jim Backus. It was such a joy. It came out during some tough times in the 1960s, when the country was having some very tough times. And I think we helped people laugh.

MS: “Gilligan’s Island” and the Beatles. You both kept America going.
DW: (laughs)
DW: I’m not aware of any celebrations yet but I do have a book coming out in September. I’m just finishing up the last chapter. It’s kind of a “What Would Mary Ann Do?” Remember, when we were dropped off on the island there was no birth control (laughs). Mary Ann got the most fan mail. Everyone loved her. And I feel that she was the rudder. The book is funny…it has a lot of my advice. I’m not sure about the title yet. I don’t know if it will be “Mary Ann: Good Girl” or “What Would Mary Ann Do?” but I do know it will be fun.

MS: What else do you have coming up?
DW: Well, I’m finishing my book. I’m also going to be doing the play “Steel Magnolias” in North Carolina this March. I’m working on a documentary. This is going to be a very busy year for me.

Despite a successful career that had started almost a decade earlier, actress Vera Farmiga didn’t become a household name until her appearance as the psychiatrist caught in the middle in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar winning Best Picture “The Departed.” In 2010 she earned Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe Award nominations for her supporting turn opposite George Clooney in “Up in the Air. Since then she has starred in such films as “Source Code” and “The Conjuring.” She is also taking on another iconic role, that of Norma Bates, mother of young Norman, in the A&E series “Bates Motel.” As the second season approaches (it begins on March 3) Farmiga took some time to answer some questions about her preparation for the role, her family’s possible obsession with dark material and the rarity of having a second season while working in episodic television.

Mike Smith: Do you know quite a bit of the story line ahead of time? If so, do you like having that knowledge or would you rather be surprised as you go along?
Vera Farmiga: I’m still figuring what it is that is part of my process. You know, I’ve never had the luxury of a second season. I’ve done three series before and they all never had the opportunity to go beyond 13 episodes in the first season. So I know the first season I did feel a little disabled. Not that I couldn’t act… but I remember (writer) Carlton Cuse asking me “do you want some more clues?” And I wanted to sort of take it an episode at a time and not get ahead of myself. For me it was impossible to dig as deep initially with the root of this new character. I just had to – like it was like I felt like Norman Bates was this like huge voluptuous shrub that I just had to trust in this kind of a shallow root system. And sometimes I felt like I was like showing up to fix his toilet and my toolbox has been like packed by the wife. Do you know what I mean? I just reveled in the opportunity of a second season – television is a much slower process to discovering that background history, the personality, the psychology, the characters and their goals. And there were so many unknowns. And also, the cast is so much closer. There’s an intimacy. There’s a level of like sportsmanship now that we can throw harder jabs at each other. It’s the deeper level of trust that has been – and loved. It’s been established between us and the writers and between the actors. But, yes, for the second season I did ask for more clues. And I wantedto – I wanted to have the trajectory of the second season. I wanted to have more answers at the start, which I was provided with. So I think you’re in for a better second season.

MS: What is it that has been attracting you to more intense and scarier roles – “The Conjuring”…obviously the subject matter in “Bates Motel.” Is it in the blood? You’re sister Taissa is now on “American Horror Story.”
VF: Oh my God, you know, it’s like my own beautiful internal logic about why I choose to participate. Or I think actually the projects choose us. But why like there’s this magnetism oftentimes with dark subject matters is like… I don’t know. And actually to be honest with you, I do – I find dark stories uplifting. I think it’s like during the darkest moments of our lives that we see the light, right. There is a lot of darkness in “Bates Motel,” but again, there’s a lot of joy. I always look at things. And I choose to look at it through the lens of positivity. And I think our story is, yes it’s a story about dysfunction. It’s dark. But it’s a story about commitment and love and family and resilience and loyalty. I look at Taissa in “American Horror Story” and I just think, you know – I’m bias – you know, I’m practically her mother. And she’s just like this bright supernova that shines even brighter in the dark. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because our childhoods were so straight and narrow and full of light and love and goodness. I don’t know. Maybe that’s why we veer toward them more. But the object is to send light into the darkness you know, I mean that’s how I always look at it. So I am attracted to the sordid and the wacky, the unorthodox. But I love infusing it with lightness.

MS: When you first took on the role, were you worried before Seasons 1 how it would work setting it in the modern day? And why is it you think it does work so well?
VF: You know, I think – yes. I’d be lying if I didn’t have some reservation about it when I initially was presented with the offer. I thought there were so many things that can go wrong. And where we are being tethered, you know, we’re borrowing these characterizations or these plots points from like the most successful horror film ever. And that’s why that is a tall order but then it became to me simply a story – at the heart of the story it is this relationship between mother and son. But I didn’t feel any sort of pressure because everything that we knew about Norma Bates was through the fractured psyche of Anthony Perkins’ Norman.

MS: You’ve noted that what the audience “knows” about Norma came through the eyes of Anthony Perkins. Of course, that also means that the audience knows how Norma ends up. I know you are, in parts, trying to be faithful to the original film but, that being said, could you have another potential outcome for her? And if so, does this affect the way the character is written or how you portray her?
VF: The writers have always seen this as a strange love story between this mother and a son. And I don’t mean, you know, incest love. But it’s intense. And it’s…I mean it has to go in a certain direction. The relationship you see in the film, she’s very much portrayed as one type of person. And you don’t ever get to know that in her workings of how it got there, which is really fun in the film. I mean it’s great. And it’s a big surprise when you find out in the film. But here you get the luxury of taking that mess and putting it under a microscope and examining it and wondering how it got there and what the permutations were. And was there anything in at that wasn’t just ugliness because in the film, you know, she’s portrayed as a very abusive, harsh kind of ugly parent and it’s like, okay, well everyone gets mad at their parents sometimes. I mean everyone – every teenager in the world says I hate you. And they don’t hate them. It’s like the parent is such a complex thing to a kid. So it really was just, you know, it’s the love story of those two people and how they get to that place. And what it means and what that looks like. And it’s going to be amazing.

Back in 2006, the Independent Spirit Awards changed up their trophy system. Before 2006, winners at the awards show would receive an acrylic glass pyramid containing suspended shoestrings that symbolized the thin budget that independent movies would typically have to work with. They then changed it up to show a bird sitting atop of a pole with that the pole wrapped in shoestrings. So obviously the next logical step would be giving the winners a living, breathing bird. Right? Well that’s the plan at this year’s 29th annual awards. The host, Patton Oswald, was able to talk with me and other reporters at a press conference, to go over his avian stunt, comedic or not, as well as talk about what an honor it is to host this prestigious event.

Patton Oswalt is very familiar with the awards process. His first hosting duties were at the 39th annual Annie Awards where he was quick on his feet, especially when something went wrong, “I’m gonna be very, very aware if somebody reads the wrong cards. He read the wrong winner and I’ll try once again try to make a screw-up like that be delightful.” Even though he’s well known as a stand-up comedian, Patton has received recognition for his acting abilities throughout the years. Many people will remember him as the voice of Remy in “Ratatouille”, but his most recent portrayal as Matt Freehauf in “Young Adult,” landed him the New York Film Critics award for best supporting actor. So it’s understandable that Patton Oswalt would be ready to host the Independent Spirit Awards, but not a lot of hosts spend their time leading up to the awards preparing themselves for birds. but that’s what he’s been doing.

“I feel pretty ready. I’ve been down to the park a lot, chasing them around, yelling at them, so we’ll see,” Patton said jokingly. There should be no worries among animal activists or organizations. Patton says the birds will be well taken care of. The real challenge for him however, may actually be having to be around a bird, “I probably shouldn’t say this, but I have a paralyzing fears of birds…I don’t think it’ll affect my performance.” Patton says he wasn’t sure what kind of birds they would have though. Or even if they would be different for each nomination. He was sure that the winners would actually be able to keep their feathered prize, “They can keep them, they can set them free. Trust me, I know actors, I know directors, there’s all kinds of things they could do with birds, some I would rather not go into.” Patton said the birds will be cage free and actually be handled by the presenters and winners. With fears extinguished, Patton returned to the jokes by reassuring everyone that if anyone’s award…I mean bird…died days, months, or years later, the contingency plan would be to give the winner a baby cougar as a replacement.

It’s not odd for a comedian to host the Independent Spirit Awards. Previous hosts have included, Sarah Silverman, Steve Coogan and Eddie Izzard. When putting the jokes aside and getting to the meat of the night, anyone would gladly tell you they really look at the Independent Spirit Awards as a venue to see some great future filmmakers and actors as well as those who are deserving of some praise. Patton was no different. He really divulged a deep passion and appreciation for the awards, “For me, being the kind of film buff I am, this award show digs pretty deep into trying to find movies that took risks and rolled the dice. It rewards people that are clearly emerging that are going to be doing great stuff with their careers. What I also love is that they keep an eye open for veterans like Robert Redford and Bruce Dern who continue to take risks and seek out challenging, different material.”

Patton further proved his love for movies by rattling off some of his favorites at this year’s awards and he was not short of praise, “The crop of films they sent me was pretty stunning. ‘The Spectacular Now’ I thought was fantastic. I hope ‘Enough Said’ wins everything it gets nominated for. The documentary ‘The Act of Killing,’ I thought it was crucial. Hard to watch, but crucial. I really hope that Bruce Dern wins for ‘Nebraska’ because I thought he was just amazing. That guy’s had awards coming for a long time in my opinion, so that would be great.” Patton says he’s spent plenty of time catching up on movies and says that he was able to catch other award nominees like “Dallas Buyer’s Club,” “Short Term 12,” and the documentary “Computer Chess.”

With millions of viewers still choosing to watch the Oscars this year, it only seemed fitting that the last question for Patton Oswalt would be if the Independent Spirit Awards is a good predictor for the Academy. He didn’t shy away from the question, “I think it goes beyond that. I think that the Independent Spirit Awards are an important predictor of who you’re going to be rooting for in the Oscars, like ten years down the road. That’s what makes it so exciting for me, that this is like giving an award to Martin Scorsese in 1971 for ‘Who’s Knocking On My Door.’ You’re seeing people at the beginning of their, I’m going to use the word journey, but it really is. These are the future masters that you’re watching when they’re young and it makes it that much more crucial and stressful for me. I really want to do well by these guys because these are the people that are going to be making movies down the road that we’re going to be fighting over at the Oscars.”

For those interested (and how can you not be?), you can catch the 29th Annual Independent Spirit Awards on IFC, Sunday, March 1st. The fun begins at 10 p.m. EST/PST.

Don Jamieson is a veteran stand-up comedian who can be seen weekly on VH1 Classics popular television series “That Metal Show”. Along with co-host Jim Florentine and Eddie Trunk the trio spread the word of all things metal while incorporating in studio interviews with everyone from Zakk Wylde to Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. Media Mikes spoke with Don recently about his work on the show and about his upcoming comedy album titled “Hell Bent for Laughter”.

Adam Lawton: How did you first get connected with Eddie Trunk?
Don Jamieson: Jim Florentine and I were fans of Eddie’s radio show which is on here in the NY/NJ area. We usually always listened to his show on our way back from some awful comedy gig that was out in the middle of nowhere that we didn’t get paid for. The only solace we would have from those crappy gigs back in the day was to get in to the “Trunk Zone”. On his show Eddie would talk about all the bands that we grew up listening to and really loved. Eddie was just like as so we had to meet him. Today they call it stalking (laughs) but we basically just walked around some shows until we found him and we all ended up becoming best friends. It’s great to all be working together on the VH1 Classic show.

AL: What were the first ideas mentioned about doing the show?
DJ: After we had become friends with Eddie he would have us on his radio show as guests and we were basically doing what would become the television show however on the radio at that time. We just talked about music and sat in when there were guests. We broke each other’s balls then just like we do now and there was some good chemistry there. We figured we would try and find someone crazy enough to put this on television.

AL: What has fan reception been like since returning to New York for season 13?
DJ: We loved doing the show in Los Angeles and being recognized while walking up and down the Sunset Strip was pretty. However were all East Coast guys and we missed taping in New York. I look out in to the audience there and see a lot of the same people who I used to see at L’Amour’s in Brooklyn in 1986. It really is a lot of fun.

AL: Did the push to move back to NY come from you guys or from the fans?
DJ: The network controls everything. We may seem like we are in control of stuff but really we have less control than the Amish. (Laughs)

AL: You guys always seem to be having fun in front of the camera but can you tell us what it’s like behind the scenes?
DJ: There is a lot of farting going on. Not much else goes on other than listening to music while crop dusting one another. (Laughs) We usually go over notes a little bit but with all three of us being metal heads now for 35/40 years it’s easy for us to sit down and have a conversation with one another along with our guest/guests. We like to just try and stay loose. We break each other’s balls and have a good time while talking about music.

AL: Has there been one guest in particular that has stuck out as a personal favorite of yours?
DJ: There has been a bunch. I will always love the stuff we did with Brian Johnson, Lemmy and Alice Cooper. I love the classic guys as those are the bands I came up with. Lemmy is seriously like my idol! I wish he would have adopted me. As far as the television show goes I love guests who are very outspoken and who tell it like it is. The season we had Ted Nugent on and to me that’s the ultimate guest. That guy holds nothing back and shoots straight from the hip. Sometimes guys like that can be polarizing but at the same time you know you are going to watch. You can’t wait to see what they are going to say next.

AL: How much of the show would you say is scripted?
DJ: We never plan what we are going to say to one another. That was the tuff part about putting the show together was how three people were going to interview one guest. Luckily we had worked out some of those kinks on the radio over the years. I can look out the corner of my eye and see if Jim or Eddie has a question they want to ask. We have some good non-verbal cues of how we are going to sort things out. We are fans just like the people watching so the questions we ask aren’t scripted. Hopefully we are asking the stuff that fans like us want to know. My favorite interviews are always the ones where you don’t get to the questions you want to ask because things ended up going a totally different but cool way. We just save those questions for when the guest comes back next time.

AL: Can you tell us about some of the things you have going on outside of the show?
DJ: I have my second stand-up album coming out March 18th on Metal Blade Records and it’s called “Hell Bent for Laughter”. This is my second album with them and I did a lot of hard rock and metal jokes as compared to my last album. That has become such a big part of my life and it would be hard to get up on a stage and not talk about that stuff.

AL: Being that you have pretty close ties to the hard/rock metal community do you find yourself checking your material on that subject a little more now than in the past?
DJ: If something gets a laugh on stage I am going to keep doing it. When I did the Orion Festival with Metallica I did some jokes about them with James and Lars right there. If the jokes funny it’s funny and it’s nothing for anyone to get offended by. I think most people know that this stuff comes from the heart. When you are with your buddies you break each other’s balls. That’s how you show affection for one another. You never say just go up to your buddy and say “I love you” unless your drunk in a bar somewhere. (Laughs) You bust on them for 10 minutes and they know you care.

AL: You and the other guys from the show have started doing some live shows together. Do you have any of those coming up in the near future?
DJ: Jim, Eddie and I go out and do these really fun stage shows. Eddie tells a bunch of hilarious rock and roll stories and Jim and I will do some stand-up. We also do some Q&A with the audience which is a lot of fun. Sometimes we bring up special guests if the situation occurs. If people want to find out where we are going to be they can check out my website at www.donjamieson.com or Follow me on Twitter @realdonjamieson

DISNEY JUNIOR/RICK ROWELL

Lucas Grabeel is known best for his role of Ryan Evans in the “High School Musical” series. Lucas is currently voicing the character Deputy Peck in Disney Junior’s newest series “Sheriff Callie’s Wild West”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Lucas about the new show and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: What do you enjoy most about being on a show like “Sheriff Callie’s Wild West”?
Lucas Grabeel: I have done a few voice-over guest spots here and there on other TV shows but this is my first series regular position on an animated series. I was a little nervous at first since I had never done something like this on a day-to-day basis. I had all this dialogue, singing and playing multiple characters. I was worried about it at first but I ended up working with Jessica DiCicco, who is a voice-over veteran and she taught me so much. She made me comfortable. Once we got in the studio, we were having fun and laughing. Due to that it was such a great experience and was so much fun. On the flip side, once it was all done and we started watching it, I was just blown away how quite the animation is, how clever the writing is and how everything just came together. It is not only a great show for kids; I sit down with my girlfriend as well and watch it. I am a little biased being in it but we laugh and have a good time.

MG: Where did you come up with the voice for Deputy Peck?
LG: They said in the audition that he was a Barney Fife kind of deputy. It is a country western. I am originally from Missouri. So I basically did an impersonation of my dad and I put it up a couple of octaves. This gave him that high energy frantic feel.

MG: There is tons of great music in the show, what has been your favorite song?
LG: I love getting to sing on the show. Jessica and I also get to do the prairie dog trio, which is kind of my favorite part of the whole job [laughs]. They are just so adorable and funny that I always laugh. We have been recording it for the last two years but the song always pops back into my head is [singing as Peck] “Those peppers, those peppers, those peppers can’t be beat!” I do not know why but it always comes back [laughs].

MG: Tell us about the recording sessions? Are the song recordings separate?
LG: I was always recording with Jessica. So we would come in and record a couple of episodes during each session, the prairie dog songs along with probably two or three songs as well. We would do the episode first then go through and do the music. It was tons of fun. Being with Jessica and the whole group in the booth, everyone was just so nice to calm me down and allow me to get into this comfortable place. We would just laugh and have so much fun the whole time. It is such a great job.

MG: What was your biggest challenge for this role?
LG: This is my most put-on voice that I have ever done. All of the other voices I have done were closer to my natural voice. Doing a voice with the dialogue is one thing but trying to figure out how to sing, laugh, run and yell all together is the part of voice over that I didn’t understand at first. But that is what this whole experience has taught me. It was cool to approach it like acting. You become the character and then think through and put your head into that space and see how it should come together.

MG: What can you tell us about the new single “135n8”?
LG: I just released the single “135n8” on New Year’s Day. It is currently available on iTunes. It is a loungey dance track that I have been working on for a while. The video just came out February 11th on Billboard and it is also available now on my new YouTube channel. I will also be releasing some cool behind-the-scenes videos and featurettes in the coming weeks as well. It was a really cool experience to make the video because I got together some “High School Musical” people including dancers, choreographers and crew. We just came together and I said “Let’s make something exciting and push each other”. I think we did it and I am really excited about the video and I hope that people like it also.

Photo Credit: truTV

Mark McGrath is known best as the front man of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of “Extra”, and he was the host of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!”. Mark is taking over the role of host in truTV’s hit reality series “Killer Karaoke”, which premieres February 20th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about the show with Mark and find out what can we expect.

Mike Gencarelli: You are no stranger to hosting; what drew you in for “Killer Karaoke”?
Mark McGrath: It was a slam dunk for me, honestly. It involves performances, karaoke and live animals. That is just the perfect triad for me. I said “I am in! It sounds like a typical night in the 90’s for me” [laughs]. I had seen the show last season and I was a big fan of it as well. It is interesting that when I first saw the show, I thought to myself that it was such a great hosting gig. Then I literally got a call two months later. It was just a no brainer. A good buddy of mine, Tony Yates, is the CEO of the production company, Zodiac and I worked with him before on “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”. I was always impressed with the way that Tony puts a show together. I spoke to Tony and he said the show was “Killer Karaoke” and I said “I’m in! Where do I sign?”

Mike: This show is very funny, I wouldn’t be able to not crack up if I was hosting…
Mark: I knew the show was going to be funny Mike, like I said I’m a fan but I was doubling over in laughter the entire season. I was ruining takes because I would just keep laughing and they would have to start over. It was so funny. The contestants are amazing. I think that the thing I took away most from the show was how funny it actually is watching the show in real-time and that the contestants can really sing. All of them sing better than I do [laughs]. That is the scary part, I am not kidding you! [laughs].

Mike: Tell us about the fresh, new format and how it differs from season one?
Mark: I think they really brought in some geniuses to increase the gameplay and really get you involved with these contestants and get an emotional component for them. The show just seems to have a little more gravitas now. Steve-O hosted the first season (read our interview here) and those were huge shoes to fill. He was a perfect match for this show, so I am honored to take the torch from him and carry on.

Mike: What kind of hilarious and unexpected challenges the contestants can we expect from this season?
Mark: I think what is great about this show is that it is all about spontaneity. You never know what is around the corner. The contestants never know what they are facing. But they know that there will be a fear element. One of their biggest fears will be met. You throw a little bit of karaoke in there with a live audience and it is quite the fun afternoon. When you have live animals…you cannot control them. I am looking at the side of the stage and I am seeing 300lb animal handlers. I am wondering “What are those guys for” and then I look around and you see camel heads, snakes and spiders backstage. You just wonder “What are we in for today?” It is fun because you not only have the fear element but it is mixed with the surprise element and the laughter element. You never know what is going to happen. Then on top of all that you have to sing….on key. I think that is what makes this show so great, anything can happen…and it usually does.

Mike: I tell you one thing Mark, in the episode I watched this season, a contestant had to sing in a helmet full of spiders…I do not do spiders man [laughs].
Mark: Listen Mike, I don’t blame you dude. Let’s just say people literally come face to face with their greatest fears. Some of the things that these contestants have to deal with that you wouldn’t think would be to intimidating like Canadian Geese, let’s just say, you would be surprised. If you get two of them together in little pen, they start making these shrieks and it’s crazy. But they are wild animals man and you can’t forget that. These animals get treated really well man. In fact they get treated better than I do man, they kicked me out of my dressing room to bring in the Canadian Geese [laughs]. The earth has provided us with some pretty incredible creatures and “Killer Karaoke” is happy to put them on a TV show.

Mike: How do you think you would do if you were put in these contestants’ shoes?
Mark: I am the biggest baby. This is something I found out about doing this show [laughs]. I am afraid of everything. I think “I am a man. I can handle this. I toured in the 90’s. I lived on a bus with 10 guys for 12 years. I HAVE SEEN IT ALL! Bring it on!” But I would never put my hand in a scorpion pit, no matter how much money is attached on the back of the scorpion. I am not grabbing it off the back of the SCORPION! I do not think that there is one challenge that I would do. There is one called “Leader of the Pack”, which is a dog challenge. It is the scariest thing to see those dogs running at you full force. Even with the protective suit on it would be very intimidating. I would be terrible man. I am afraid when I see a cockroach at night and I run. I am not kidding you. [laughs].

Mike: Lastly, on a musical note; please tell me you are planning to come back to the Eat to the Beat Concert series during Epcot International Food and Wine Festival this year?
Mark: Oh Mike, that is one of the things that I look forward to most all year. I have had the good fortune of playing there four years in a row now. It is interesting, when I first started playing my wife was pregnant and now last year, I brought my kids up on the stage, which is so cool for me. It is so much fun. I love coming down to Disney World for a week and spending the time with the kids and just having fun during the day and then getting to play three shows at night to some killer crowds. It is so much fun. So I am standing by the phone and I hope to be there again this year!

You may not know the name Bill Farmer but you will certainly know his voice. He has been voicing Goofy and Pluto for nearly 30 years and was named a Disney Legend in 2009. Bill also has voiced tons of other notable characters including Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester the Cat and Yosemite Sam in the film “Space Jam”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bill about his voice roles and what we can expect from the new Disney Junior series “The 7D”.

Mike Gencarelli: You’ve been voicing Goofy and Pluto for nearly 30 years; what is it like hold these reigns for so long?
Bill Farmer: I think for any voice actor you can consider it a great honor to get a long lasting character. It is very competitive out here. Especially to get one of the Disney characters, I think it is one of the highest honors you can get in animation. Goofy was also my favorite Disney character growing up as a kid, which only made it that much sweeter that I ended up voicing him all these years.

MG: Do you feel that voicing characters like Goofy have changed for you the years?
BF: Voicing Goofy has certain changed my LIFE for the better. I first came to California as a stand-up comic. I had no idea that I would be voicing a character like Goofy. The audition came to me and it was very out of left field. I got a tape of Pinto Colvig and practiced it over the weekend. Then I went in and laid it down at the agency and about a month later they told me that I was going to get to do a Goofy job. I didn’t know if it was going to be more than one but after 27 years they are still using me. So (in Goofy’s voice) “Gawrsh, I guess I got lucky”.

MG: You are named a “Disney Legend” five years ago; tell us about receiving this amazing achievement?
BF: This actually came out of left field also; I had no idea that I was even being considered for this. I got a letter from Bob Iger in the mail saying “Congratulations on being nominated for the 2009 Disney Legend Award”. It is the greatest honor you can get from Disney. The ceremony was the first one ever in front of the public at the 2009 D23 event in Anaheim, CA. There were over 500 people in the audience, so that was very exciting. I got to get the award alongside Tony Anselmo, the voice of Donald Duck; Betty White and Robin Williams. It was overwhelming but also very exciting. I guess if you wait around long enough good stuff happens [laughs].

MG: You announced that “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” was canceled on your Twitter page; why did the show end after seven years?
BF: The show isn’t canceled from being on the air but we have finally recorded the last episode. They will still be coming out for a while. I do not even think that they started releasing the fifth season yet. We did record a fifth season but it takes so long for them to animate it. The production has ceased but it will be quite a while before the show runs out of new episodes for TV. We have been on the air consistently since 2006 and we started recording in 2004. So there is always a long lead-in time between recording and seeing it on TV. So don’t worry more is still to come, we just are not making any more.

MG: Can you give us a sneak to what we can expect coming up?
BF: One of my favorites in the last season, we are looking for Goof Beard the Pirate, who is Goofy’s grandfather. He is voiced by Dick Van Dyke. So that is a very exciting episode. And there are plenty more to come.

MG: You are currently also voicing Goofy in “Mickey Mouse” shorts; how does that differ for you?
BF: They are really radical. They are totally going in a different character direction then some of the previous stuff that we’ve done. But they are very funny and it is refreshing as an actor to not have to do the same thing over and over. I find it a lot of fun to do and get to stretch the character to new places that he has never been before.

MG: What other characters do you voice that people may not realize?
BF: Well yes actually, in the movie “Space Jam”, I voiced Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester the Cat and Yosemite Sam. In episodes of “Robot Chicken”, I did Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. We have a new series called “The 7D”, it is like a reinvention of the Seven Dwarfs and in that I voice Doc. With the traditional Seven Dwarfs, I voice Sleepy. Horace Horsecollar got his voice in “The Prince and the Pauper” and I have gotten to voice him ever since. So yeah, there are a lot of little voices that you may not know about that I get to do.

MG: You beat me to it but I was going to ask you about the upcoming Disney Junior show “The 7D”; can you give us a sneak preview?
BF: “The 7D” is directed by Kelly Ward, who directed all six/seven years of “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”, so I know him very well. Tom Ruegger, who did “Animaniacs”, is the producer. It is kind of a prequel in the way to “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. So there is no Snow White. They look much different as well from what you would expect with the classic Dwarfs. They decided to reinvent them since the things that they do are in a more modern fairy tale land. So rather than have the traditional dwarfs change their characters, they started from the ground up and came up with a new incarnation of these dwarfs. They are very well written and we have an amazing cast. It is definitely the who’s who in the voice over world including Maurice LaMarche, Kevin Michael Richardson, Billy West, Scott Menville, Stephen Stanton, Dee Bradley Baker and many more. We just finished recording the first season of 20-30 episodes and it was such a blast. They are being animated as we speak and it should hit the air somewhere around June this year. So I get to voice Doc and also a new dog character named Sir Yips A-lot, which was cool since I go to do more dogs besides just Pluto.

MG: Tell us about your involvement with the documentary “I Know That Voice”?
BF: John DiMaggio put this thing together, who voices Bender on “Futurama” and many other shows like “Adventure Time”. He put this documentary together and asked me if I would be in it. So they came over to the house and filmed for about an hour. They also filmed about another 100 voice over actors. The documentary is wonderful and is really the who’s who in voice over world. So if you ever want to know anything about voice over actors, you can go on iTunes and a few other places and download this documentary since it is really worth seeing.

Photo Credit: Anchor Bay Entertainment

AnnaLynne McCord is known best for her role in the CW series “90210”, playing the role of Naomi Clark. She is also known for the role of Eden Lord on the FX series “Nip/Tuck”. Last year she delivered a fantastic role in the terribly disturbing horror film “Excision”. This year, she returns to the horror/thriller genre again with the film “Scorned”, which co-stars Billy Zane. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with AnnaLynne about her roles and what we can expect from her in TNT’s “Dallas” this season.

Mike Gencarelli: After “Excision” last year and now “Scorned”, what do you enjoy most about playing these kinds of twisted characters?
AnnaLynne McCord: Doing “Excision” was a dream role for me. It was incredible in its own right. So when “Scorned” came down the pipeline and it sounded like a similar character but it had more of that campy Friday-night-fun-horror deal to it. It was one of those films that we didn’t think it was going to come together until the 11th hour. Literally, I was doing a film in Vegas and I was heading to the airport not knowing if I was going back to LA or heading to Ohio. When I got to Ohio, I was shocked at how much of a small town it was. I was wondering if I flew had overseas since there was no cell reception in the entire town. I had to drive over the bridge, which literally brought me into Kentucky in order to get service. Who can be without their cellphone these days, it’s terrifying. We need to make a horror movie about that [laughs].But it was a very fun film to shoot and we kept it light.

MG: How was getting to beat the shit out of Billy Zane?
AM: Yeah, I enjoyed that. I enjoyed that perhaps too much [laughs].

MG: The film is quite brutal; was it difficult performing the torture scenes?
AM: When we really went there with some of these scenes, I learned the difference between filming and reality. Even when I saw the first screener, when I go to hobble Billy’s ankle, it was crazy thinking that I did that. I know I hit a log underneath his foot. I know I didn’t actually hit him but watching it was tough. It was still fun though. The cool thing about being a crazy sadistic character is that you get to be a nice person in real life. I get all of my anger out on other people…and I get paid for it [laughs].

MG: How do you get inside of the head of characters like Sadie?
AM: It is a very interesting transition for me. Obviously, I don’t do around torturing or murdering people otherwise you would be talking to me from a prison cell right now [laughs]. So there is a bit of embellishment. The key for playing any role is you have to decide for yourself before the project begins that you have absolutely no judgment over that character. That way you are able to look back and understand their psyche. As an actor you have to put on their shoes and have full acceptance of what they are doing and think “If I was her, why does my entire environment depend on me doing this”. It is interesting to think about a character who is doing something that is evil and have to look at them with empathy and compassion in order to get inside of them and be who they are. So that is really the process for actors, if they are good actors [laughs], to prepare when playing a role like Sadie.

MG: What drew you to work on the TV show “Dallas”?
AM: I think it has to be the storytelling. I know one of the showrunners, Mike Robin, from my work on “Nip/Tuck”. He called and link up again for “Dallas”. The showrunners sat down with me and explained the arc for the character and told me that their focus on the show was to tell stories. They wanted to have real genuine storytelling. For me, I thought it was so nice to hear. It was a nice transition for me as well between films and getting to tip-toe back into TV. I really loved that the fact that writers were so committed to have great storytelling.

MG: What can we expect from your character Heather this season?
AM: It was cool because for once I get to play a nice girl. She is a strong female role. The dynamics between her character and Christopher is really fun. She comes on strong like a tornado and hurricane all wrapped into one. So her energy is definitely a force to be reckoned with. I think that that dynamic is something that Christopher really likes about her. He is in this family that lies to everyone all the time and he has this one “creature” that comes in saying [in Southern accent] “I am going to tell you so much of the truth; you won’t be able to handle it”. He finds a way to handle it and it really becomes this great dynamic. I just finished wrapping up the season with episode 10, so it has been great. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

Related Content

• Linda Gray & Josh Henderson gives a sneak into TNT’s “Dallas”
• TNT’s “Dallas” Interview Series
• Patrick Duffy and Jesse Metcalf gives a sneak into TNT’s “Dallas”
• Dawn Well reflects on “Gilligan’s Island” and new film “Silent But Deadly”
• E.G. Daily talks about NBC’s “The Voice” and the return of “The Powerpuff Girls”

You might know him by the name Jesse “The Body” Ventura or Governor Jesse Ventura, the former pro-wrestler and Minnesota governor has a new online TV series on Ora.TV called “Off the Grid”,a daily political news show, starting January 27th, 2014. If you want to know what happens when the mainstream media is owned by the corporations and isn’t diligently investigating or reporting the news? Then you are going to want to turn in to this show at www.ora.tv/offthegrid. Media Mikes had a chance to ask him a few questions about the show and about the rumors of him running for President in 2016.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us what we can expect from your online TV series “Off the Grid”?
Jesse Ventura: Tune in to find out! Every episode will feature news you won’t hear anywhere else. Mainstream media is too focused on entertainment. We hear more about when an actress trips in a dress during an award show than the fact that the majority of Congress only works three days a week. The main focus of my show is the hypocrisy of America’s political leaders – nothing and no one is off limits. I am “Off the Grid” in the sense that I don’t have anyone telling me what to report or how to report. All I am interested in reporting is the truth.

MG: How did you end up getting involved with Ora.TV?
JV: Through Larry King. After I went on Larry’s show [Politicking] he told me that Ora TV gives him the freedom to report what he wants and that greatly appealed to me.

MG: What do you think the benefits are of working in internet TV?
JV: My show is being produced at undisclosed locations in Mexico, so I can avoid any threats of government censorship. That’s the true benefit of internet TV. I give the people the news they want to hear and I don’t have to worry about corporations or big brother getting in the way and censoring me.

MG: Tell us how you plan to interact fans on social media like Facebook and Twitter?
JV: The show will have several features which will allow me to answer questions from Facebook and Twitter fans. There will be an #AskJesse segment where I’ll answer any questions fans have and they’ll also be able to suggest questions to ask my upcoming guests too. There’s more information about this on my blog: http://OffTheGridBlog.ora.tv

MG: Can you talk to us about the rumors of you running for President in 2016?
JV: I’ll be addressing those rumors on my show, but again, running for president as an independent comes down to two things: ballot access in all 50 states and participation in the debates. Like I say, if I can debate ’em, I can beat ’em.

Here is some Media Mikes exclusive content from “Off the Grid”

Here is the first episode of “Off the Grid”

.

Karl Pilkington is known best for his work with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. He has worked on shows like “An Idiot Abroad” and “Derek”. His latest show “The Moaning of Life” has him traveling yet again all over the world on a journey of self-discovery. The new series premieres on The Science Channel on Saturday Jan 18 at 10pm EST. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Karl about his new show and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: After the second season of “An Idiot Abroad”, you said “no more traveling” then you came back for a short (no pun intended, sorry Warwick) third season and now you are off on adventures again with “The Moaning of Life”; what was the driving force for this new series?
Karl Pilkington: I suppose the fact that I had turned forty and have not gone the route a lot of people normally go by this point in their lives. Most people are married with kids by my age but I’ve never fancied. People have said to me ‘Oh you’re going to regret not having kids’ but then what if I did have one and then regret it. There’s always two sides isn’t there. They say ‘it’s life changing’, but so is losing a leg. So I traveled the world to see how other countries treat these big decisions in life. The other reason I did it is I have to pay my bills and it’s a way of making money.

MG: Some of the topics you cover are “Marriage”, “Happiness”, “Kids”, “Vocation and Money” and “Death”; which of these were the most eye-opening or life changing experience for you?
KP: They all had there moments but the death episode was mad. It’s probably the most interesting thing I’ve ever done and will never forget. I had never been to a funeral so the one I went to in Ghana was to be my first. I ended up getting really involved and helped make up a woman called Comfort. I also visited a cemetery in Manila where the bodies are given a grave for five years. After that five years the lease needs to be extended, if the family don’t wish to pay the money or don’t have it to extend the lease the body has to be removed to make way for a new dead body. I walked around the cemetery like a traffic warden inspecting the dates before finding one that had to be moved. I helped chisel away at a tomb and popped the remains in a bag that would then be passed onto family.

MG: How has it been working with The Science Channel for the second time now after “An Idiot Abroad”?
KP: They’re okay. I got some good chocolates from them for Christmas. Massive it was. Like a bargain bucket from KFC full of chocolates.

MG: What was your biggest challenge that you experienced during this series in “The Moaning of Life”?
In the episode about “Happiness” I met with the Raramuri in Mexico who are a tribe who can run long distances and get happiness from it. Some have been known to run for 48 hours. I ran about 25 miles. I ended up winning a goat for my effort which I thought was a nice gift until it kept me awake all night bleating outside my tent. I set it free the next day as I think I’d have had problems taking it home. it’s not something you could class as hand luggage is it.

MG: Was it relieving to travel without being told what to do by Ricky and Stephen?
KP: Yeah it was a lot different. I enjoyed my travels a lot more. I stayed in hotels that had their own toilet this time. Proper luxury.

MG: After the events in the Philippines last year, did it make you reflect differently on your time spent there?
KP: No. A bad situation is bad no matter if you’ve visited it or not. Most places I’ve visited have had some kind of natural disaster at some point.

MG: Tell us about how the show translates into your latest book “The Moaning of Life: The Worldly Wisdom of Karl Pilkington”?
KP: The book is the hardest thing I do, but it’s the thing I’m always most proud of. It’s a chance to empty all my thoughts of my travels which there isn’t always time for in the TV program. I go away for around nine days and what happens is then crammed into forty five minutes. I suppose the TV program is like a postcard where there is little space to tell the full story, so lot’s of things happen that the viewer doesn’t get to hear about so it all goes in the book.

MG: Is a second series in the cards for “The Moaning of Life”; if not what do you have planned next?
KP: I want to spend some time at home. I haven’t had time to unpack properly yet. A few jobs on the house need doing. I need to repaint the chimney and a few window frames so that will keep me busy for a while. Let’s see if people enjoy watching it, if they don’t there will be no more. There’s another good thing about not having kids, there’s less pressure on earning money.

Nick Swardson is probably best known for his role in “Grandma’s Boy” and cameo appearances in numerous Happy Madison films, but a quick look at his career shows that he’s an incredibly busy guy. For people who aren’t familiar with Swardson’s work, he started doing stand-up at age 18 and since then has gone on to produce, write and act. Die hard fans have known this for years that he’s constantly writing, acting and working on fresh material for his stand-up. Media Mikes had the chance to catch up with Nick and ask him about the numerous TV and movie projects he’s been working on for 2014, as well as a new comedy special.

Jeremy Werner: It looks like you got a busy year ahead of you…especially this month. Let’s start off with “Back in the Day” which comes out on January 17th. How did you land the role of Ron?
Nick Swardson: Michael Rosenbaum, the director/writer, is a buddy of mine and he just called me up and he’s like, “Man I got this passion project I’m doing. It’s low budget. We have no money.” He goes, “It’s a great character. You’ll kill it. We’ll shoot in Indiana. It’d be fucking great to have you.” So he sent me the script and I thought it was a really funny character and it was something different than what I’ve done in the past. Ya know, it wasn’t a crazy character. It was a grounded, real dude. So I was pretty stoked. So as a favor to Michael too, I wanted to help him out. So I did it.

JW: Was there anything you had to differently than in past roles?
NS: It was just a lot more understated. I didn’t have to come in to the scene and be insane. This role is also based on a real guy so I was kind of interested to play a real dude…and I talked to Michael a lot about what this guy was like. So it was fun to play a real person.

JW: Was it a role that he had you in mind for the entire time he was writing it?
NS: He had the script for like 10 years. He had it for a long time. So I don’t know who he had initially envisioned, but he called me first.

JW: Now also this month, you have a big release on TV. “Chozen” premieres January 13th on FX and you play Troy. What can you tell us about that character?
NS: Troy plays Chozen’s nerdy, minion friend. He kind of saves him from bullies and so they become pals. Chozen shows him this whole world of sex and drugs. It’s pretty funny. The show’s pretty crazy..it’s one of the craziest things I’ve done and I’ve done a lot of crazy shit. Working with Danny McBride is awesome. His company is amazing. I love all the “Eastbound and Down” guys…it’s FX, so they really push the envelope.

JW: As a comedian, does voice acting provide you a lot of opportunities to improvise or are you restricted?
NS: No. I’m never restricted in anything I do. I only do projects where I can bring a lot to the table. I use to get fired just because I improvised a lot. It’s the main thing I do, I love improvising.

JW: I’ve read that usually in voice acting, you’re just kind of in a booth on your own. Who were you able to bounce jokes and ideas off of with your character?
NS: Usually you’re all alone…you’re just sitting in a booth and the producers are in the other room, so you just kind of run with it. They’ll give you a thumbs up if it’s good or they’ll do the heads up and tell you if it works. They’ll just feed you ideas…but it’s a great gig.

JW: Later this year you’ll also be voicing a character in the animated movie, “Hell & Back”. You actually voiced a character in the kid’s movie “Bolt”, but based on the premise I was reading…this is not a kid’s movie.
NS: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s pretty insane. It’s stop motion, so it looks like a kid’s movie. So if a kid saw it on TV he’d be like, “Oh! I wanna see this!” But it’s a hard, hard ‘R’. That’s another project that me and Danny McBride are both in with TJ Miller and Mila Kunis. It’s a great cast and that one’s gonna be really awesome. We’re finishing that up this week. I’ve got like one more record session…we’re really excited about that.

JW: Now with all these projects, are you working on any comedy specials this year?
NS: Yeah, I’ve been developing for the last two years, a new hour special and a new tour. So we’re looking to tour in the Spring…early Summer. Shoot the special maybe sometime in the Summer. It’s definitely in the works. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m really excited..it’s coming together really well.

JW: Anything you can tell us about it?
NS: It’s just more stories, drinking jokes and it’s nothing too out of the box. I’m not all of a sudden really political. If you’re a fan of mine, you’ll be happy with it. The new hour’s going really well. I think the title of it is gonna be, ‘Taste It’.

JW: I know last year you were talking about a show you were working on called “Bro-Sassin”. How is that coming along?
NS: Bro-Sassin’s done. It didn’t fly. The network just didn’t get it. They thought it was gonna be too expensive…so they kind of backed off it, which bums me out, man. I wrote the pilot and it was really funny. People loved it, I’m gonna save the idea for a movie. I sold a new show to FX. My own show with the director of “Grandma’s Boy” and Danny McBride’s producing it. It’s called “Game On”. It’s like the office of a video game company…so we’re developing the pilot right now.

JW: Does that have any connections to “Grandma’s Boy”?
NS: Not really.

JW: Looks like you got a lot of stuff going on, is there anything else you’re working on for later this year?
NS: A lot of it depends on the pilot with FX and shooting that, seeing if we get picked up. That’s the primary focus right now. I’m developing two other feature scripts. So if this FX pilot grows, I’m gonna jump into an idea I sold to Sandler and Happy Madison and I’ll hopefully write that next Fall and start developing that.

PJ Byrne is known best for his scene stealing roles in films like “Final Destination 5”, “Horrible Bosses” and most recently in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”. He is also the voice of Bolin in Nickelodeon’s hit animated show “The Legend of Korra”. PJ is not only a great actor but also a great personal friend and Media Mikes got to chat with him about about his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” and his new show on CBS “Intelligence”, which premieres on January 7th.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got involved with “The Wolf of Wall Street”?
PJ Byrne: Having gone to Boston College as finance major, this was one of those movies that I had been tracking for a while. I wanted to make sure that I got an audition for this film. Mr. Scorsese wasn’t going to be at the auditions and they would be held in New York not Los Angeles, so I decided to put myself on tape and improvise my own monologue. So I came up with this monologue with me calling up a guy and finding out that he passed away from his wife and I end up selling her like $100,000 dollars’ worth of stock, just to show how manipulative these guys where. Mr. Scorsese saw it, loved it and asked me to come out to New York to audition. So I went there and was freaking out but he is just the coolest guy there is man. He put me at ease, I improvised some more and next thing I know I am in the movie and for the part I wanted, which was even better.

MG: What was it like working a legendary director like Martin Scorsese?
PJB: It was a really special experience. He is this great iconic director that if you are lucky you get to work with as an actor. The thing with these iconic directors is that they are also great communicators. They give you the confidence to go out and do anything you want but at the same time they also prepare you so well during that process. At the end of the day, he realized that he wasn’t in from of the camera we were and he just let us do our thing. That was the greatest gift that he could give. The trust he gave me and confidence he gave me to sort of unleash because a lot of the things I did was improvised, which is a scary world in its own but I have been doing it for a while now. It is also scary in the sense that these guys are extremely unethical and crazy guys, so I have to leave PJ at the door and go in and become this character.

MG: How can you address the reactions about people saying that the film is glorifying these characters?
PJB: You want people in America to know how bad these guys are, so you want really get into these characters and portray them correctly. So if anyone ever calls you on the phone, be aware since these people are out to get your money. This is a great way to tell people to be very aware and to raise your radar and in this film, we do it in an interesting way. Removing the fact that this is an artistic movie, we really break down what these guys are doing and how they are taught to sell. Not saying that all guys that sell you stocks are bad but this movie is aimed to raise your awareness to watch and realize who is handling your money. If I learned anything in college is that, first, there is no such thing as a free lunch and second, no one cares more about your money than you do. I think it is important for people to watch this movie so it is seared into their brain.

MG: How does it feel to be called a “scene stealer” in your films?
PJB: I guess it is flattering to be called that but I do not go into a scene thinking that I am going to steal this scene. I think it is a lot of preparation, especially when you are improvising. I did all my work and I know my character. If you wanted me to sell a cupcake, I was so prepared for this guy and I could have sold anything in that moment, using “Wolf” as an example. So that is one thing, the other is coming armed with not necessarily jokes but different approaches to the role. Let’s say I prepared like twenty things and I only use two, I am still fully armed and ready. The third piece of preparing is being ready to roll with it and see where any of it goes. What you prepared might not be useful at all since the director and actors might be thinking about something else. But since you know the character so well, you are ready to go any which way. In the film, there is a bunch of stuff that I prepared for and then there are other parts we just went with. I had no idea that Jonah (Hill) was going to do the part of “Don’t look him in the eyes” and we ended up just riffing off that. I had that horrible line the first time that we see Margo (Robbie) and the line that came out of my mouth even scared me, which was “She is so hot, I would let her give me AIDS”. As horrible as that line is that is exactly who these guys were though. It is inappropriate because the time period is inappropriate with AIDS but is something that is going to stick in your head. This goes back to the idea of glorifying them; this was there to show that these are bad dudes and to be wary of them. So it is not just about scene stealer, it is about being prepared when going into a role.

MG: Let’s talk about your new TV show on CBS called “Intelligence”, tell us what we can expect?
PJB: After doing “The Wolf of Wall Street” and I have done a lot of comedies, you can’t plan this but I have always thought in the back of my head that I would love to do a drama. This came along and everything worked out and I feel just blessed to be a part of it. Everyone involved is really cool and I love the premise. This show is great mixture of “Homeland” meets “The Bourne Identity”. Being a guy that loved watching James Bond as a kid and in this I get to be the Q character a bit was very appealing. I also have this family relationship since Josh’s character who is considered a brother to me and having that conflict there was also interesting.

MG: Can you give us a run down about your character, Nelson Cassidy?
PJB: I am a computer genius in the show. I can do anything that Josh’s character can do on the computer…except he can do it 1.6 billion times faster because he has a microchip in his brain. So that is very annoying to me. My father created this chip and Josh’s character and he looks to him as his own son as he is a brother to me…except Josh is incredibly handsome and I am not as good looking, so that is a point of contention. I can get into fights but he is a trained Delta Force guy, so he can kick ass better than me…and that is annoying. So there is a lot of that brotherly jealously going on if you will [laughs]. But he is my brother and I have his back and we are always there for each other and that is a cool part of the show. When you have that family aspect when working on a show and you play a scene with a person you know or a co-worker you have to be more delicate. But when it involves your brother you can go from 0 to 10 right away and to me that is much more interesting. Another aspect of the character that I love is that I am not just behind a computer; I actually get to be put into the field. I had to shoot guns, save people and pull bombs out of bodies, so it is awesome from that perspective. The last aspect that I loved about the show is that I am like the person at home watching being thrown into this world where Josh’s character is the complete opposite and trained to be in this world. Meghan Ory’s character Riley is Secret Service, so she is also trained to be in this world. Same goes for the character Lillian, who is played by Marg Helgenberger. I just happen to be this super genius and by default I was just thrown into this world. So I do not know how to be a “super-agent” and I had to slowly transition into it and I found that to be a lot of fun to play out.

MG: What else do you have going on for 2014?
PJB: I’ve got this show right now. So this is the first time that I haven’t had to do pilot season, which is a little scary but still comforting. I get to go off now and go into the movie world. I got something brewing but I can’t say officially yet. I have a little window now to shoot something because if the show gets picked up then we go back to work in June. Then I still have “The Legend of Korra”, which is coming back for its third season and let me tell you…it is awesome! We are currently doing ADR and I have seen it all and fans are going to freak out since it’s that good. I am so proud to be a part of that show. So for now be sure to tune in to “Intelligence” on CBS and watch out for some other great projects in the works this year.

On Monday January 13th, FX will debut its animated comedy, Chozen from the creators of Archer and Eastbound and Down. Chozen stars Bobby Moynihan as the eponymous openly gay rapper who’s fresh out of a ten year prison sentence and looking to make it big on the music scene while getting revenge on those who put him in the slammer. I got to catch up with stars Moynihan and Method Man along with creator Grant Dekernion and executive producer Tom Brady at this year’s New York Comic Con.

Bobby Moynihan (this writer’s favorite Saturday Night Live cast member) was eager to join the cast of the show,  “I got the thing that said ‘do you want to put yourself on tape for this?’ where I had the drawing of all the characters and I saw—I was a big Archer fan—so I saw that and it was just like ‘I want to do this.’…I called my agents every single day. Like 9 o’clock in the morning, ‘hey found anything out about Chozen?’” This isn’t to say Moynihan identifies with the brash character, “he just says and does whatever he wants…he walks in the room, his sister’s having sex with somebody and he’s just like, [dropping into Chozen’s voice] ‘Ooh, you havin’ sex? Good for you!’ He’s just pumped about things. I feel like I would be like ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I apologize!’ And then never talk to my sister again…Just everything he’s thinking is just out there.” The comedian did add a personal touch to how he sees Chozen spending his time in jail though. “In my mind he just spent a lot of time aggressively going after taking what he wanted and just watching Lost…I keep saying it so hopefully it will come out. I’m a weird Lost nerd…I want to do a whole episode where it’s just him in jail watching Lost.” Would Chozen then have enjoyed that drama’s finale? “YES. YES” Moynihan says emphatically of his cartoon alter ego before adding, “It was perfect, I truly loved it.”

Moynihan is also a talented improvisational comedian, notably appearing recently on IFC’s Comedy Bang! Bang! as murderous orphan Fourvel (it’s one less than Fievel). “I didn’t really have much other than the name [and] that one joke” Moynihan says, “Just being able to improvise with Scott [Aukerman] and Paul F. Tompkins was a blast.” Fortunately we’ll get to hear Moynihan improvise in Chozen as well—“I feel very very lucky. It’s a lot of fun improvising and a lot of ‘oh my god, that was crazy, don’t use that…I don’t want the people to hear the fact that I said those things!”

Method Man plays Phantasm, the villainous ex-band mate of Chozen who was responsible in setting up the drug bust that puts Chozen behind bars. The rapper maintains that the sleazy voice he lends to Phantasm “comes from a family member named Daddio…you know, he smokes these backwoods cigars and it’s gotten to the point where his voice is so low you can’t even hear him!” Despite his background however, Method Man maintains he’s not behind the musical writing of the series “since I’m playing a character and not Method Man, no, I will not” although he’s not ruling it out adding, “if they gave me a shot to, maybe.”

 Behind the songwriting, and singing voice of Chozen is creator Grant Dekernion who was asked if we can expect more musical acts to come on the show in the future, he explained: “Obviously we got Method Man which blew my mind—and that’s definitely helped us open doors. You know, we’re hoping later this season we might see some more musical acts, I think once the show comes out and people get behind it and see what it’s about, that’s definitely something we can play with in the future. But I think just a lot of people are just curious to see it.”

Both Dekernion and executive producer Tom Brady are particularly excited to be creating the show for the FX network. “Been doing this a little while and you know, I’ve been part of shows that have been on networks and different cable shows and stuff and this is the right show for the right network” says Brady. “The content, the subject matter, FX seems to invest in voices. In this case, Grant’s, from his brain. And if they buy into it, they support it, they let you grow and they nurture it.” Other FX hits include It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League. Of the creative teams behind those shows, Brady adds “we’ve heard them talk about how supportive FX has been and them finding what identity those shows have, so that’s been kind of cool for us to think ‘hey, maybe we could be like that.’”

Check out Chozen Monday January 13^th at 10:30pm on FX.