Tag: motorhead

Rosalina Da Silva started her makeup artist career with “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”. Since then she has worked on over 50 high profile projects such as “TRON: Legacy”, “Sucker Punch” and “Watchmen”. Rosalina also just completed working on the new upcoming sequel in the “Underworld” series. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Rosalina about her recent projects as well as what is upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: When you start a project, what is your first step to begin your process?
Rosalina Da Silva: When I first receive the concept or script for a film I will have a meeting with the director to get their vision of the movie. Once I have that I will start researching the characters or period as kind of a preliminary. I have a huge library of books and movies that I reference to assist me with the look I am going for.

MG: Tell us about your experience working on “Sucker Punch”?
RDS: By far I think that project was one of the most creative I have done. It started the same way as any other project by doing the research. We knew the girls were going to change dramatically from the minute we first met them to the time they were on screen. The costumes had already been designed so that was inspirational to be able to look at the drawings and see what was going to be worn for each scene. Almost everyone had their hair changed as well. Weather it was lengthened or colored that was one of the first things that had to be done before I could start designing the make-up. Once you change some one’s hair color everything changes. So at the beginning I tend to sit back to see where things are going to look like before making final decisions. Zack Snyder had his drawings and ideas, as well that I would reference. The first character I worked on was Emily Browning, which was kind of a 60’s look which is something that I love. The film is set in 1968, so we based everything off that time period. Zack really trusted me and let me do what I wanted which was great.

MG: Do you find it easier working with females during the makeup process in general?
RDS: It doesn’t really matter. Sometimes the make-up is simpler. Other times it’s a little more involved. The challenge with males is to make it look like they are not wearing makeup. Lately I have been doing a lot of comic book themed projects where you have to use the make-up to bring out certain features and make a person look a certain way. The make-up will tend to be shown more in these types of projects.

MG: What approach did you take working on “TRON: Legacy”, compared to your other films since it is such a big film?
RDS: Originally I was not going to be a part of “TRON: Legacy” because “Sucker Punch” was going to be shooting at the same time. “Sucker Punch” had got dropped for a few months and I found myself working on “TRON: Legacy”. I hadn’t done many Sci-Fi films before, as that genre really isn’t my thing. I didn’t really have any idea what I was doing. So I had a meeting with the director and we discussed a few ideas. Prior to me joining the crew they had some of the concepts developed already. I looked at a few of those and knew there was going to be some difficulty in achieving some of the looks in the time limit we had. The Siren’s in the film were supposed to have a face that was like a mask and all four were going to look identical. There were two African-American girls and two Caucasian girls which just could not look the same. I had to find something that all the girls had in common that would make them individual and beautiful in their own way but still have that one thing in common to tie them together. It was decided that we were going to use only black and white colors for hair and make-up except for the Castor character. The idea for using just two colors of make-up really started with the Siren characters. It was very hard to try and create something that had not been done before because it seems everything has been done before. We did a lot of different tests on the actors and actresses and we tried to match their make-up with the costumes and keep everything very geometrical. It was a lot of fun!

MG: Since “TRON: Legacy” was filmed in 3D, did that create an issue for you working on makeup?
RDS: The only difficulty we had was that one of the Sirens was wearing a wig. We had to make sure that the wig lace was not going to be seen. Often times when shooting a normal movie that type of thing can be touched up. We had to find a formula with the make-up that would not show the lace because with the film being shot in 3D you did not have that option of going back and touching things up. I really didn’t know what I was up for when I joined the project so I just made everything as simple and bland as I could (Laughs).

MG: From working on your first film, “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” to today, how do you feel that your job has changed over the years (if at all)?
RDS: “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” was an amazing experience. I think everything we did on that was very raw. We didn’t have access then to a lot of the things then, like we have now. Today if you want to make freckles or what not we have things on hand that make that possible. Back then we had to make everything. We would go to the drug store in Australia and buy a bunch of things to make into stuff we could use. The paste used in the kid’s hair on “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” was just something we made. Everything back then had to be much more organic than it is today. We were very resourceful. We also had to be extremely careful back then to make things that were non-toxic because stuff wasn’t labeled then like it is now. There are still challenges to make-up today however they are just different.

MG: What has been your most difficult film to work on?
RDS: Every movie has its own challenges. “Sucker Punch” and “TRON: Legacy” were both very challenging. I just wrapped a week ago on the newest “Underworld” film which was another that was very challenging. Difficulty wise, going back to “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” we were moving around and shooting in a lot of different locations. We also encountered a lot of natural disasters while shooting that film. We had wind and dust storms, as well as rain. The weather was really tough but sometimes that’s the way it is.

MG: Tell about your latest project working, the fourth film in the “Underworld” series? Any other projects upcoming?
RDS: At the moment I am kind of at a standstill. I just wrapped up shooting on “Underworld” last week which was a fun experience. It was very cold shooting as we were shooting mostly at night. We did some really great vampires and Lycans. I have a few other things brewing but nothing is concrete in this business until things are signed. (Laughs)

Shannyn Sossasmon started off her career starring in “A Knight’s Tale” with Heath Ledger.  From there is she starred in “40 Days, 40 Nights”, “The Rules of Attraction” and “One Missed Call” to name a few.  Recently Shannyn starred in Monte Hellman’s latest film “Road to Nowhere”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Shannyn about working the film as well as her upcoming projects.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you became involved with “Road to Nowhere”?
Shannyn Sossasmon: I was approached by Steven Gaydos at a cafe.  It was a few years back.  I was working a scene with my scene partner over lunch.  He thought I just looked the part. I do not think he knew my work or that I was a working actress.  He gave me his card and told me about Monte and the project.  I had my manager look into it and he got the script.  I read it and then I met with them about getting on board.

MG: How did you prepare yourself for playing that complex character?
SS: Monte did not want me to do too much over thinking, even though I did anyway.  He is a relaxed director.  The script was incredibly confusing.  I tried to make sense of who I was when during the story.  Monte would never really help me with that, he would just laugh at me.  So I was on my ow [laughs].  Monte is very supportive and wonderful to work with but he lets you run free with the role.  He doesn’t take the script so literally.  I usually like something more grounded.  I just dove in and made sure that the character had a lot of mystery.  I think it also contributes to the overall feeling of the film.

MG: How was it working with Monte Hellman, since it was his first feature in over 20 years?
SS: Well I didn’t know who he was before we started on the film.  I had to do a lot of research.  I am still very good friends with him and will be for a very long time.  I know him more as a friend.  I had nothing to compare it to as a director.  I met him without any preconceived notions.  I adore him and he is a great person.

MG: Would you consider the production difficult to work on?
SS: I hadn’t worked on anything in a while when we shot that.  I loved the style.  I loved working in North Carolina at this wonderful cozy inn.  Then we went to Europe but that was a little more of a struggle because we just shot for a month, we were tired and went to Europe with no money.  It was definitely challenging.  We were stealing shots everywhere we went.  We shot late at night so we wouldn’t get caught [laughs].  It sounds exciting but we were so exhausted from the first month and half.  I did enjoy working on it though.

MG: Are you going to be involved with second two of HBO’s “How to Make it in America”?
SS: I do not know how much I am going to be in season two.  My character, if you watched season one, didn’t do much.  So I am not sure if they are going to figure out what to do with her in season two.  I am around if they call, if they don’t…it is ok.  I do not feel attached to that character or that experience.

MG: Did you ever get to meet Bret Easton Ellis while working on the film “The Rules of Attraction”?
SS: Yes I did, I met him afterwards.  He was wonderful.  I have seen him once or twice since, which is not much at all though.  I think he is a beautiful and really nice man.  I have not read all of his book, because I don’t read that much in general.

MG: Did you read “The Rules of Attraction” prior to working on the film?
SS: Actually I read it afterwards.  Roger (Avary) was ok with me having not read it.  I think some people had read it and some didn’t.  He told everyone who didn’t read it, not do so.  I think it was some kind of an experiment he was doing.

MG: Do you prefer working on independent films over bigger budget films?
No I do not have a preference.  I think it is what is important is having script you are excited about.  Studio films are obviously more lucrative and more comfortable.  I just love working and being exciting about the project and the script.

MG: Tell us about working on the film “The Day” and with such a talented cast?
SS: Yeah, I am actually seeing a cast/crew screening later.  The experience was incredible.  The actors are all wonderful.  The director and producers are super passionate.  That was another tough one though.  There wasn’t a lot of money and was some hard work.  It will be interesting though.  “The Day” is a post-apocalyptic western thriller war action movie.  It was really different but I did enjoy working on it.

MG: What can you tell us about your upcoming film directed by Mark Webber?
SS: That one was so magical.  I really loved that film.  It was mostly improv.  I play the love interest and it is a romantic drama comedy.  It was great. I had so much fun working on it.  Working with Mark Webber was just so great. Unfortunately I can’t really say much more right now.

Bruce Boxleitner is known best for his role in 1982’s “TRON”, playing the role of Alan Bradley and Tron.  Bruce recently reprised his roles 28 years later in “TRON: Legacy”.  He is also known for his role in the sci-fi television series “Babylon 5”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat about “TRON” with Bruce and discuss what’s to come for the future.

Mike Gencarelli: It’s 1981 and you’re making “TRON.”  At the time did it seem like just another project?
Bruce Boxleitner: We made it in ’81 and it was literally months before it was ready because they had to do all of the effects painstakingly.  There were a lot of Chinese and Taiwanese names in the end credits (laughs).  That’s where they went then to find that much manpower to do that much film.  I’ve been asked this question many times.  Yes, it was just another job.  I was a very busy young actor in those days.  I was in my early 30’s.  I had already done a western series with James Arness called “How the West Was Won” and this was just prior to “Scarecrow and Mrs. King.”  I hadn’t done a lot of feature films.  I was in a small film with James Coburn called “The Baltimore Bullet.”  I did “The Gambler” with Kenny Rogers for television.  I had done a lot of television and it was mostly very good television.  “TRON” came along as a total surprise.  To tell the truth the sci fi genre’ was very new to me.  It did appeal to me but there was one side that said “no…stick to what you do best.” But the other side won out.  When I got to Los Angeles I went to the Disney Studios and met everybody.  And I also have to say, as an actor, that they flattered the heck out of me.  They wanted me for this movie.  Also, Jeff Bridges was associated with it.  He was somebody I had always kept my eye on because he was doing…you’re always aware of your contemporaries…the actors in your age range.  He was mainly doing features so I have to say that there was a little bit of envy there.  I thought “gosh, maybe I can get into movies now too,” since I’d been doing TV. for a number of years.  And the project was interesting.  You may laugh at this but I thought the film was kind of like “Star Wars.”  Yes, it was about a big video game, but it kind of had that feel to it.  It resonated in a lot of the science fiction books I had read over the years.  So it had those worlds too…but in a brand new way.  It intrigued me.  And once they started showing me some of the story boards I was instantly IN! Being a TV guy I’m used to a faster pace.  But features, especially technical ones, often have a very slow pace.  We only shot a little bit each day.  Only a couple of shots each day because to set up the shots took most of a day’s work.  Let’s just say I read a lot of books (laughs).  And of course I played a lot of video games.  They had to take the games away from us we were having so much fun.  One day they kept calling “Jeff…Jeff we need you,” and Jeff yelled back “I’m doing research on my part!”  What was interesting in shooting the film was that Jeff was so concerned with the games.  He was the “pinball wizard” so to speak, to use the parlance of the day.  He was terrific at it where I was out with the stunt guysthrowing the discs.  Yes, they were Frisbies, but there are a lot of guys out there that can’t throw a Frisbie.  Most people are pretty awkward at it.  But I had to be able to throw it like an expert.  So I worked with experts.  Much different then for “TRON: Legacy.”  I didn’t have to learn any martial arts for that one.

MG: Looking back do you consider it a positive experience?
BB: Oh my gosh yes!  I think the only disappointment was that the film didn’t do better.  There were a lot of different sci fi epics out that year (among them “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Blade Runner” and “E.T.”).  I mean, if you look back at 1982 there were a lot of groundbreaking films in the science fiction/fantasy genre.  But I’m very proud of it.  Yes it didn’t gain huge notoriety.  It wasn’t “Star Wars.”  But then nothing was.  “E.T.” sucked the life out of everything that year.  But I tell you, TRON would have just destroyed him!  I want my aliens to be bad ass and trying to kill us all. That’s how I want my aliens.  Not a cuddly little thing you take to bed with you.  I hated that movie…sentimental crap(laughs)!  But I should note..as Mr. Spielberg has noted…28 years later there is no sequel to “E.T.”  But yes, it was a very positive experience.  I still had a lot of television projects to do.  I didn’t think I was going to become a movie star off of “TRON” but it was a great opportunity.  I took it and I enjoyed every bit of it.  It was an exhausting shoot. But I went back to the fast paced world of television.  And I had a short lived television series of my own (“Bring ‘Em Back Alive”).  But that came about because of “TRON.”  It was kind of an Indiana Jones type character.  That lasted for a season and then I went on to “Scarecrow and Mrs. King,” which lasted four seasons.  But I didn’t get to the science fiction genre again until “Babylon 5.”

MG: How did you feel stepping back into the role 28 years later?
BB: I have to tell you it was such an amazing surprise when I got the phone call.  I was very excited when I saw the footage from ComicCon several years ago.  I couldn’t believe it.  There had been rumors over the years, of course.  But rumors are life in this industry.  Suddenly somebody was making good on them.  Then I got a call to come down to Disney Studios.  And when I did it was like deja vu’ all over again.  People tell me I should have been in it more, but not really.  It wasn’t about me.  And I understand Jeff.  He’s gone on to become an Academy Award winning actor.  He was the name guy they needed to get this tent pole up.  He was the name that could bring in people that maybe hadn’t seen “TRON.”  That was a big concern.  Could they get people who had never heard of it?  And the expectations for the new film were just so over the top.  But I played my part and I enjoyed it.  I was reunited with Jeff.  Even though we didn’t get to work on camera together we hung out in Vancouver (where the film was shot).  I also screentested with all of the young actors and actresses that were up for Sam and Quorra.  And there were a number of them.  There were some big names and some lessor names.  Disney hired me to do the scene with Sam.  And by the time it finally made the film I bet I had done it 150 times.  For the girls we didn’t have any scenes written so we did scenes from “Blade Runner.”  So I got to finally do “Blade Runner.”  I love that movie!  And I did the “Sam” scene with five or six different actors.  And I think that maybe the people at Disney had seen my work or hadn’t seen “TRON” in a while so maybe that was also my screen test as well.  I kind of liken Alan Bradley to Sam Flynn as Alfred to his Batman.  We created a new young hero, but a hero that will always need Alan around to remind him who he is…where he came from…what his principles are.  And that’s what Alfred was to Bruce Wayne.

MG: With “Tron: The Next Day” hinting for the future, do you think “Tron 3” will see the light of day?
BB: I think we can only hope.  I think the intention is there.  I haven’t heard anything or even if I would be in it.  I do know that Garrett (Hedlund) and Olivia (Wilde) were signed for two pictures. Of course that means absolutely nothing. It’s great contractually but now both of them are extremely busy.  It was great to work with these two young people right before they started hitting it.  Which is very much the same way Jeff and I were back then.  So to answer your question, it could very well be.  I think it should be.  There’s a huge audience for it.  I know it’s not everybody’s cup oftea but still…

MG: Even if they don’t do another feature film, the legacy is continuing with the animated series “TRON: Uprising”, what can you tell us about this?
BB: It’s beautiful.  The animation is really super.  It stickes to the TRON world as we know it.  I’ve done
seven or eight episodes already.  It takes time, the animation.  I did five episodes last week.  I had been
away doing a film and I missed it when the scripts started coming in.  I think the series is due to come out
early next year.  It’s going to be good.  We’ve got Elijah Wood…Lance Henriksen…all kinds of people are in it.
And I’m playing Tron.  I’m purely playing Tron in this.  There’s no Alan Bradley in this.

MG:  What other projects do you have upcoming?
BB: I just finished a mini series called “Blackout.”  I don’t know when it’s going to air.  I also just did an epidode of a new series called “Chaos” and it’s already been taken off the air!  It used to air on CBS on Friday night…sort of a C.I.A. comedy/adventure.  I had a great role in it.  I shot the ninth episode.  I’m hoping they run it sometime…somewhere.  I’m just trying to get a job like everybody else.

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!

Fred Sayeg is the director of the new independent film “The Encore of Tony Duran”. The film is Fred’s feature film directorial debut and was an official selection at the 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival. “The Encore of Tony Duran” stars Elliot Gould, Cody Kasch and Gene Pietragallo. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Fred about working on his first film and what is to come upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: With the film “The Encore of Tony Duran” being your feature directorial debut, do you feel that you were able to add your unique experience and talent to the film?
Fred Sayeg: Yeah absolutely.  In fact that was the only reason I did it because I knew we had very little money and time.  I felt that I could do it, if I could do it my way…the way I envisioned it and without any outside interference.  Not from any ego standpoint, I just knew you do not have a lot of time to bicker and things can’t go all the way to jury with a little movie like this. I felt from the very beginning I knew that I could get it done well.  I was able to rely on myself for the decisions and I do not have any regrets. I feel very fortunate now [laughs], I wish I could make every movie I do like this.

MG: How did you originally become attached to the project?
FS: A guy I work with on my corporate films, Mitchell Cohen, wrote it based on an idea by our co-producer Terry Fraser. It was a semi-biographical piece about Gene Pietragallo, who we call Tony Duran. I would say that about 40-50% of it is true.  So when he told me about it and what they were trying to do and how they had a director but he fell out, the wheels started turning in my head.  I thought it was doable because the way it was designed.  I went over the script with Mitchell and reworked some stuff. I thought we can actually make this happen.  I felt so strongly that I said I would even help raise the funds and I did in a short time.  It sort of went rapid fire from that point on.  It felt like only a few short weeks from when I started to when it was finished.

MG: The film was shot in just 8 days, was that a grueling schedule?
FS: It was about 9 days [laughs], not that big of a difference. There was a day when I almost did 19 pages in one day.  It was a lot and I wouldn’t recommended it but it was simply this is what we had to do.  You can’t fall in love with a lot of scenes that you would like to cover a few times.  We had to say this is what it is and if we have it covered, then we would move on.  I trust my DP a lot that he got the shots.  We knew that later we might have some problems but mainly we got what we needed.  I needed to make sure we got continuity and luckily we did not run into problems.  There were a couple of things I wish I had more time for but I am sure that happens with everything.  We were lucky to finish in the time we did.

MG: How was it working with such a great cast such as Elliot Gould and William Katt?
FS: Elliot is such a professional.  He walks in the set and everyone stands a little straighter.  He has been around and he knows it all and heard it all.  He knows his lines and he is a professional and he expects everyone else to know their stuff. I had people with a lot of experience and I had people with little experience.  You can’t do a film in this amount of time with people who do not know what they are doing.  You can get the greatest director and crew in the world and it doesn’t really matter.  They guys did such a great job and they are the main reason that we got it done.  It was a great little ensemble we had.

MG: How do you feel about the buzz surrounding “The Encore of Tony Duran”?
FS: Yeah, it is very fun.  You look at each other on set and you don’t really know what you have. We all knew in our hearts that we have this little film with this big message. I think that might be the reason Mike that this resonates. We are in a time when America has some economic problems, everyone has a little Tony Duran in them.  They know somebody that has hit the bottom and thinks they cant get any lower and find maybe they can get out of this.  This is a redemption film but it is a real world redemption film that people can relate to. Tony is not a big ball player, he is just a guy.  He hits bottom and loses everything and thinks it is over.  His old friend Elliot says maybe says “You know what it is really not” and sometimes that is all it takes.

MG: You also started your own production company, tell us about that?
FS: One More Time Productions was formed just for this movie.  Then I also formed Mister Moon Media and will do other films like this under that with similar messages like in this film.

Kevin Tancharoen is the mastermind behind the short “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth” and its follow-up web series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”.  Kevin has rebooted the “MK” franchise and has excited the fans with his amazing vision for the web series.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Kevin about his web series and also his plans for the future.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you come up with the idea for “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth”?
Kevin Tancharoen: There were two sides of it. The first was I always wanted to make a “Mortal Kombat” movie.  The other side was I had only been known for doing things in the performing arts world.  I always and always will want to do genre films.  Ever since I was a kid that was always the goal.  I got thrust into the world of performing arts, staging directing and that sort of stuff. I thought I needed to prove to people that I can handle that kind of material or know one will ever give me those opportunities.  I saw “Mortal Kombat” as a double sided adventure there.   I could either get the movie made or become known as the genre guy.

MG: What gave you the idea to make “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” in a web series?
KT: It was never planned.  I had no idea anyone wanted to do such a thing.  Of course the original intention was to do a movie, which I would still love to do.  After the short film came out, it was perfect time for E3 and they were going to release the trailer for the new “Mortal Kombat”.  They had known the video game was coming out and my short film got a lot of traffic online.  They decided to make more short films to promote the game launch, do them all live action and I was totally on board with that.

What was your process for choosing what characters where going to be in the series?
KT: Looking at the broad scope of the project and its budget and other stuff.  I wanted to take all of the characters that made sense and we easy to accomplish with our goal.  Also I wanted to make sure I took care of the most iconic characters in the game franchise.  That is why I chose everyone I did.

MG: Do you have a favorite character
KT: I have a few one I love but Scorpion has always been my favorite.  One of the characters I did not get to do was Kabal. I love Kabal and I think he has a really cool back story.  I really like his whole mask and the fact he was burned and has a respirator.  There is a lot of influence there from the either Tusken raiders or Darth Vadar. It is all pretty cool.  I wish we were able to do that episode. Maybe next time.

MG: Since each character has only one or two episodes, do you feel you are still able to give their stories justice in 10-12 minutes?
KT: I think that for the origin type of stories, it is working.  But I think that any director likes more time to flesh out a character or do more fight scenes or have more action battles. I think for the most part that this 10-12 minute mark was good for this first round.

MG: What is your biggest challenge working on “MK: Legacy”?
KT: I think it always comes down to budget, which ends up affecting time.  It ends up affecting your schedule and how much time you have to shoot fight sequence or having enough time to shoot a good dialogue scene.  It also affects the way you want to complete an entire episode the way you completely planned it out. There are always some alterations you have to make and balance you have to define when dealing with budget for a digital series. That is always challenging and possibly frustrating, but at the end of the day you have to tell the story in the right way.  I say that would be the biggest challenge is you have to act really quick on your feet and make changes when you have to.

MG: How can you reflect on the censoring of the episodes?
KT: That through me completely of guard.  I did not anticipate that at all because there are much worse things on YouTube.  What I think ended up happening is that we ended up becoming so popular that parents started watching it. An enormous amount of parents probably started to flag it and they acted like they are suppose to.  That kind of trickled down to us and all of the sudden we had an age gate up on our second episode out of nowhere.  That was quite the morning, I was frantic.  I mean it is “Mortal Kombat”, you can’t censor it.

MG: Do you have plans for a second season of the series?
KT: Right now it is all speculation.  I think everyone wants to see how it does. Our last episode “Raiden” is a different take on “Mortal Kombat”, it is more in vain of the original short I did with “Rebirth”.  Fans of the original short will hopefully really catch on to that episode and support the rest of the series.

MG: What can the fans to do help this get made into a feature film?
KT: Well they can just really pump up the series as much as possible.  We kind of ran the gamut when it comes to telling the stories this time around.  You can see that it kind of spans from gray realism to fantasy world and anime.  I would say if they could pass around the version that they like the absolutely best.  Whether it is the realistic stuff or the fantasy stuff and what would be the best thing to do.

Jeri Ryan is know best for her role in “Star Trek: Voyager”. Jeri played the character Sonya Blade in the short “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth” and the web series “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”. She is also playing Kate Murphy Philadelphia’s first female Chief Medical Examiner in the hit TV series “Body of Proof”. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Jeri about her new roles as well as her work on “Voyager”.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about working on your new show “Body of Proof”?
Jeri Ryan: It has been a lot of fun. The cast is really great. Dana (Delany), of course is such an amazing actress but she is also really cool. She is kind of a broad [laughs], so we have a good time laughing. It is just a fun set. You get some goofy things happening on the set also because you are working with supposedly dead bodies played by actors. So, we had a body fall asleep in the middle of a scene [laughs]. It has just been a lot of fun. Also I am really excited to hear that “Body of Proof” already got picked up for a second season. So I am looking forward to that.

MG: What do you like most about your character Kate Murphy?
JR: What I like about her is that she is tough character. She is the first female Chief Medical Examiner in Philadelphia’s History. She care about what happens in her work and also the victims in the families and what they are dealing with. But also the people that work for her. I like that we are peeling back different parts of her personality as we go.  We are finding out new things like she is a Texas Holdem player [laughs]. There is a lot more to her and that is what I like.

MG: How did you get involved with “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth”, playing Sonya Blade?
JR: “Rebirth”, I did as a favor to friend of a friend. Kevin (Tancharoen), the director, is the boyfriend of a friend of mine. We knew he was putting together a project to show Warner Bros. his vision and to sell them on doing a new “Mortal Kombat” project. So we all volunteered our time. I didn’t know him very well before, I knew he did “Fame” and I knew he has a lot of choreography in his background. When you meet him, he is the sweetest, quietest and nicest guy and looks like he is about 14. So at first, I did not expect the project to be anything special. When it came out it was just amazing…amazing! His vision is incredible. He is a really talented director. When they approached me that they were doing a web series, I jumped at it. Again, it is a web series, it is not like they are backing up the money truck for anyone on this. Everyone is doing this because it is so cool and his vision is so amazing. We are all very excited about working on it.

MG: You also appear in “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”, tell us what is it was like playing that character and working on that series?
JR: She is a real kick ass broad, right? It is great to get to play that kind of character. The one downside of doing a web series, compared to a feature or TV series, is the lead time to get ready for it. I think I had a grand total of four maybe five days from finding out the project was happening to being on a plane to Vancouver and shooting the next day. It was literally that fast. There was no time to train and do fight training and things like that. Hopefully it will go further and we will get a second season or something else. Now I am on to them though and I know I need to start training on my own [laughs].

MG: How does it differ between working on web series like “MK: Legacy” to series like “Body of Proof”?
JR: It was really all about prep time. Even though you are doing a short, you may even have more time to shoot it then you do a TV series because you have a week to shoot a much shorter episode. So really we can take our time shooting it and we can get the cool shots and action and things like that, that they wanted to. His vision is just very cinematic and what he has done with this is just crazy. That part of it is great, you don’t feel a web series budget doing that. Just everything is very quick leading up to it.

MG: Going back to “Star Trek: Voyager”, tell us that experience and the aftermath it has had on your career?
JR: Well “Voyager” really gave me a career, it really did. It was my second series, after “Dark Skies”. This was really my launching pad for my career. That is a gift as an actor to be given a character that is so rich to play, interesting and has so much growth. That arc of growth on that character was so huge over the four year period. I mean she started out human and there is a lot of ground to cover. Then to have that character become so iconic is a really rare gift to be given as an actor.

Darren Shahlavi is know for his recent role in “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” as Kano. Darren has also starred with many great action stars Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo in “Ip Man 2” and Steven Seagal in “Born to Raise Hell”. Darren is also in the upcoming SyFy original movie, “Aladdin: The Curse of the Jinn” this year and also has a role in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Darren about his role in “MK: Legacy” to as working with his childhood heroes to what he has planning upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: What made you pursue martial arts growing up?
Darren Shahlavi: I started training in judo when I was seven years old. When I was a kid my dad took my younger brother to class and I went along and I just enjoyed it. And after I saw my first Bruce Lee movie I was hooked. I wanted to be like Bruce Lee. So did a lot of kids. I wanted to kick so I moved away from judo to tae kwan do and karate…stuff like that. And since I was a little kid my dream was to be in movies. It was a combination of Bruce Lee films and “Star Wars.” I wanted to be Han Solo. I never dreamed of doing anything else in my life for my career. Actually, my judo classes took place in a drama theater. I’d get there early and see the actors performing… rehearsing their plays. So I kind of discovered both martial arts and acting together at the same time. It was the Hong Kong movies that really inspired me. I found the action in the American movies pretty boring compared to Hong Kong. I wanted to go to Hong Kong and train with the people that Bruce Lee worked with. Jackie Chan and Donnie and Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung. So I went off to Asia when I was 19 years old.

MG: How did you get involved with playing Kano in “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
DS: I’d been in touch with the films fight choreographer for a couple of years. There was another movie he was doing that I was going to be a part of but I had something else come up. He let me know he was going to be in Vancouver doing “Mortal Kombat” and I told him if there was anything I could do to just let me know. He spoke with the director and suggested me for Kano. So I met with the director, read for him and he gave me the part straight away. Again, it’s the good fortune of having somebody who has seen your work think you’re good for a part and suggests you. My friend had seen “Ip Man 2” and loved it so I thank him for recommending me for the part of Kano. And I like what the director has done with this rebirth of the “Mortal Kombat” legacy. It’s going to be really exciting.

MG: Where you familiar with the character of Kano?
DS: Absolutely. When I moved to Hong Kong I went over with my best friend. We had met each other 20 years ago at the Donnie Yen seminar. We hadn’t seen each other for a long time but, since we both loved “Mortal Kombat,” whenever we would see each other we’d say “hello baby, did you miss me?” Seriously, what the director got out of the actor playing Kano in the first movie (Trevor Goddard)…there are a lot of good layers to the performance. It was good, it was funny…truly a great performance. So yes, I was well aware of “Mortal Kombat” and Kano. I used to listen to the music when I was working out all the time. The first movie I ever did…a Hong Kong movie called “Guns and Rose”…Robin Shou was the lead in that movie and five years after that went on to play Liu Kang in the “Mortal Kombat” movie. Once I found out that Robin was doing “Mortal Kombat” I was thrilled for him. I’d followed his career and I thought he was wonderful in “Mortal Kombat.” Now I’m doing “Mortal Kombat.” It means a lot to me because the first film was something that brought martial arts back to the main stream public in North America as well as around the world.

MG: Do you think that the success of the web series will cause “Mortal Kombat” to be turned into a feature film?
DS: We hope so. Somebody has put my name down on IMDB but we’ve really had no discussions. I think they’re interested in doing another season of the web series because there are still a lot of backgrounds from these characters that you can explore. You can get the audience up to speed with the characters and their motivations and their intentions and then you can go into the feature film where we can do the tournament. This way people are invested in the characters and it’s not just all fighting. I think it will be cool to do another season, explore the characters further, and by the end of the season they’re all entering the tournament. I believe there is some kind of legal situation that needs to be cleared up but I think there’s a very good possibility of doing a feature and I’d be very proud to be a part of it. The series has so many interesting characters. I mean you talk to anybody and they each have their favorite character so there is really a lot to explore. I just hope that if they do another film that we can release it uncensored. This whole “censoring” thing is really a problem right now.

MG: How do you feel about the recent episode that was taken down so quickly because of the censors?
DS: It’s a problem for a number of reasons. Number one, “Mortal Kombat” fans want to see MORTAL KOMBAT. They want to see it as it was intended. Number two, there’s also the intention of showing Warner Brothers that there is a big demand for this. Fans want to see a new “Mortal Kombat” movie or a second season but not censored. We put the first episode on YouTube and it got 8 million hits. The second episode got 2 million hits. But it should be at 6 or 7 million hits. But the problem is that people have downloaded the uncut version and when they watch it we’re unaware. They’re watching it but not on YouTube because it’s been censored. If we’re going to do another season it needs to be released somewhere so fans can see it uncut. They can put a little warning before it stating that it’s “R” rated or mature…whatever it is. Because that’s what “Mortal Kombat” is. The filmmaker’s vision is what got everybody excited and to kind of quash that is not really fair to the filmmakers or the fans.

MG: How was it working with your childhood heroes Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo in “Ip Man 2”?
DS: Sammo Hung and Yuen Woo Ping gave me my first lead role in a movie called “Tai Chi Boxer.” Yuen Woo Ping did all of the action in films like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Kill Bill” among others. “The Matrix,” of course. He and Sammo Hung have been the premiere fight choreographers in the world for so long. I met Donnie Yen 20 years ago. I was just a kid and I went down to London where Donnie Yen was doing a seminar teaching Hong Kong style film fighting. I lived in Hong Kong for awhile, then I came to North America and began doing films here. But unless you’re a name it’s not easy to get a good lead role in a movie. So I was doing a lot of supporting and smaller roles but not really getting the chance to use any of my abilities fight-wise. So I called a friend of mine who was a casting director asked him to please keep an eye out for me for anything in Asia. I hoped to get back there and really get to use my abilities as a marital artists. And very shortly after that he called me back and said they were getting ready to cast the main bad guy in “Ip Man 2.” Would I be interested in it? And, true story, I actually had “Ip Man” in my portable DVD player as I was on my way to the gym. I take my portable DVD player to the gym with me and I watch movies while I’m on the eliptical machine doing my cardio. So I watched the first “Ip Man” movie, called him back and said, “Listen man…anything I need to do to get on this movie let me know.” And they cast me pretty much right away. So it goes back to that first meeting with Donnie Yen. The first Bruce Lee movie I ever saw was “Enter the Dragon,” and the movie begins with Bruce Lee fighting Sammo Hung. I told Sammo that I’ve known who he was for most of my life. And to get to work on a film that’s about Bruce Lee’s teacher…with Bruce Lee being such an important part of my life…it was almost like going full circle. Getting to come back to Asia and work with two of my heroes in Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung on a movie about Bruce Lee’s master, Ip Man, it was really gratifying. I was thrilled to be a part of it. Not to mention the success of the film worldwide. It was the most successful Asian film of 2010.

MG: How did you get involved with working with Uwe Boll on his films?
DS: I had done a couple of films for a German filmmaker named Olaf Ittenbach, who is known for his splatter effects and quite hardcore depictions of physical violence. It’s very, very gruesome stuff but he’s very, very good at it. The first film I did for him was called “Legion of the Dead.” I’m sure the version you saw was the cut version that Artisan released here. Talking about censorship, when some of the more gruesome stuff was about to come up the screen would go black. So a lot of the stuff was actually taken out of the movie. The second film I did with him was called “Beyond the Limits.” It was censored almost every place it was released in. And I think the only uncensored versions you can find of it are in Germany and Austria. And Japan. So my agent let me know that Uwe was here and was looking to cast “House of the Dead.” So I went in and met with him. I don’t know what happened. He offered me a role but it wasn’t a big role so I went and did something else. Then “Alone in the Dark” came along and he asked me to do a part in “Alone in the Dark.” But what I understand is that I was going to be in a scene fighting with Christian Slater. But Stephen Dorff was going to be in a different scene and was willing to work for free to be in the movie more so my fight with Christian Slater got cut so I’m barely even in “Alone in the Dark.” Then there’s”Bloodrayne,” though I really didn’t get a chance to do alot in “Bloodrayne.” Then when “Dungeon Seige” came about Uwe gave me a script and told me he had a really good role for me. But when the time came to shoot the role he had already cast someone else in the part. Uwe was very insistent that he have “name” actors in all of his movies so that he could sell them. And if you look at “Dungeon Siege” you can see that those 10 big name actors got the movie $2 million opening weekend. So now he’s gone back to doing the movies he should be doing…smaller, personal films. Good actors don’t have to be movie stars if they can act. I like Uwe a lot. He’s really an intelligent guy. And he’s a good filmmaker. But I’ve done three projects and he’s never really used me properly…never gave me a good role. The stunt coordinator on “Dungeon Siege” said to me “if Uwe is not going to use you we can use you here” so I did stunts and ended up being Ray Liotta’s stunt double in the movie. In the end fight between Jason Statham and Ray Liotta that was me doubling Ray Liotta.

MG: How was it working with Steven Seagal in “Born to Raise Hell”?
DS: I was in China doing “Ip Man 2” when I got a phone call from Lauro Chartrand, the director, who said “I’m heading to Romania to direct my first movie with Steven Seagal and I want you to play the bad guy in it.” And I told him “I’m in China right now…I don’t think it’s going to work out.” But thankfully they were able to finish with me on “Ip Man 2” so I got on a plane from China to Romania, got a little sleep and the next day went to wardrobe fitting and began shooting. It was a very low budget movie, which puts a lot of limitations on what you’re able to do. I was happy with the way everything went, filming wise, but unfortunately they left the end fight between me and Steven for the end of the day. They kept shooting other stuff. So when it came time to do the fight scene Steven had to go off somewhere so we really only had an hour or two to shoot it because Steven had to go. It was really a shame that we couldn’t get a good final fight scene shot at the time but that’s the problem with low budget stuff. Steven was great. I really enjoyed working with him. He invited me into his trailer before I left and we had a really good talk about a lot of stuff. He was really cool. I don’t think he was too happy with a lot of the films he’d been doing recently and as a result I don’t think he really gives as much as he should be on a lot of the films he’s been working on. He could certainly help the film making process go a lot smoother and easier if he was able to give more time and commitment. He really doesn’t seem to have his heart in it anymore. Which is a shame because I think the guy still…he’s still very fast. He’s very good in his fight scenes. And he’s still a really good actor. He’s underrated in what he does. And I think that comes out in his commitment to the film and his character. He doesn’t want to put too much into it. But when it comes to the process he’s very natural. But I liked the experience. It was a chance to work with Lauro Chartrand, whose a good friend of mine. And I think that, with what he had to work with, he did a very good job. Because, seriously, it was not easy shooting a movie that quickly in Romania.

MG: Does one project stand out at being the most challenging for you?
DS: Well, there’s most challenging in a good way and most challenging in a bad way. Most challenging in a good way was working on “Ip Man 2.” I had to be in the best shape I could be in. That was a 72 day shoot and I shot for about 23 days. Pretty much every day I was fighting. I worked with Donnie Yen for 10 days. Sammo Hung for 7 or 8 days. All of the other guys in the ring. So that was very challenging. I was getting up at 5 in the morning, going for a run, coming back, having my breakfast. The driver would pick me up and drive me to the set. It would be an hour’s drive every morning and close to three hours drive back because of the traffic. So I was filming for 12 hours. Add in another 4 hours for travel. An hour for working out. I was on a really strict diet. So I was working out twice a day, shooting 12 hours, traveling for 4 more. By the time I’d get back to the hotel and Skyped for a little bit I’d go to bed. So I was working on about 4 hours sleep every day for five weeks. Then there’s challenging in a bad way, when you don’t really get to do much. Like not getting able to fight Steven Seagal at the end of “Born to Raise Hell.” We had no time. It’s tough just shooting things so quickly. We had a little time for rehearsal…Steven and I rehearsed. It’s a pleasure to work with people you really admire. It’s a lot of hard work. And sometimes it’s not enough hard work because there’s not enough time.

MG: What is your involvement in the upcoming “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”?
DS: Here again it’s another unfortunate incident that happens in this business. The stunt coordinator called me up and said they wanted me to come in and do a fight scene with Tom Cruise. I said, “I get to fight Tom Cruise?” They said yes so I said, “fantastic…I’m there.” Then I get to the set and it’s Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner and they’re going to be fighting three guys. I was going to fight with Tom and the other two were going to fight with Renner. Then Tom wanted to fight two guys so he was going to fight the two guys and I was going to fight Jeremy Renner. But the whole point of this fight scene was to show how good Jeremy Renner’s character was at fighting so the fight we’re in is very quick. It’s a nice scene. I mean I got to hang out with Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner for three days and watch them work, which was a thrill. Renner was fantastic. He picks up the fighting really well. He’s such a great actor. He comes across really well. Very strong and very capable. Trust me in the new “Bourne” movie he’s going to be awesome! Seriously, he’s going to surprise a lot of people. So even though it’s really just a cameo…you get paid good money and you get to hang out for three days with two of your favorite actors. It’s a great gig!

MS: Anything else on the horizon?
DS: I just got my first lead role in an American film called “Aladdin: The Curse of the Jinn.” It’s a SyFy original movie. They’re just finishing up the visual effects and I think it will air at the end of summer, first on SyFy then on a Blu Ray DVD release. I play Aladdin and it’s a very adult version of the story. The genie here is a real evil genie. He’ll grant your wish but whatever it is, he’ll turn it around so that you ultimately get killed. So the object is to get the genie back into the lamp and toss him back to hell. It’s a pretty good film. And it’s going to look good because we shot it on 35mm film and they’re taking their time on the visual effects. I’ve also got a movie called “Hanger 14” with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Plus it was nice to work with Michael Jai White again. It should be out by the end of the year, though it might have a new title…keep an eye out. (According to IMDB the film is now
titled “Tactical Force”).

Michael Rogers currently appearing the “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” playing the character Quan Chi. Michael is also starring in the this years Tribeca favorite “Beyond the Black Rainbow”, which will be next showing at Cannes. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Michael about his roles in both projects.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
Michael Rogers: I just auditioned for it.  Originally I had auditioned for the role of Kabal.  They ended up bringing me back for Quan Chi, which I was thrilled about because I absolutely loved the role. If had a pick of any of the roles that would be the role I would choose.  There is just so much juice in there.  So then I was cast and two weeks later we shot it.

MG: Where you familiar with the character Quan Chi?
MR: You know what, I wasn’t at all.  I wasn’t a gamer.  I have obviously heard of it but was not familiar with the characters.  Right away when I read it I was very attracted to the role since it was so rich.  Once I got the role I tried to actually stay away.  Of course I watched “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth”, which was phenomenal but outside of that I stayed away from looking at the game, the TV series or the movies.  I did not want any influences and wanted to come in with a fresh perspective.

MG: How do you compare working on web series to TV and film?
MR: My approach is always the same.  With this project, they obviously had to get it done fast.  I think that that environment spawns a lot of creativity.  You have to be very alive and spontaneous and that really allows for some great moments.

MG: Do you have a favorite genre to work in?
MR: I really don’t.  As long as the role has depth to it and it is interesting to me, I think it would be interesting to me no matter what genre it is.  Ironically, I have never been a huge fan of sci-fi, but I actually just a film called “Beyond the Black Rainbow” which just screened at Tribeca.  I have certainly gained a better appreciation for sci-fi from that.

MG: Tell us about working on “Hellraiser: Hellseeker”, one my favorite in the series?
MR: Thanks man, that is great to here.  It was a fantastic experience. Rick Bota, who directed it, was a great guy and was fantastic to work with.  Dean Winters was also phenomenal to work with and trade pushes with.  It was really just a great experience.

MG: Tell us about the film “Beyond the Black Rainbow” and your role?
MR: I play Barry Nyle, it is a primary lead role.  It takes place in a dystopian 1983 and it is a beautiful, stunning film.  It is fairly abstract and probably the most reward film that I have been a part of.  It was rewarding and challenging at the same time.  It was a pleasure to have it been received so well at Tribeca. As far as we know we have been picked up by distribution and from what I understand it is looking to be sold at Cannes.  So it is moving a long and hopefully it will be out later this year.  It is really a piece of art and I am super proud of that one.  It was a real labour of love.

MG: What do you consider is your favorite experience in your career?
MR: Definitely like I said, the most rewarding and challenging has to be “Beyond the Black Rainbow”.  Without giving too much away, I had to play two incarnations basically the same role.  It was such an abstract film and the preparation for it was really intense.  So far this one takes the cake.

Peter Shinkoda is currently appearing the “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” playing the character Sektor. Peter is also part of the ensemble cast of this summer’s highly anticipated “Falling Skies” on TNT. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Peter about his roles in both projects and also what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with the series “Fallen Skies”?
Peter Shinkoda: I went through the usual channels after hearing about the part fairly late in the game. A very long audition process had already been held and at the last minute I locked down the job. I guess there were a few other actors that had been considered for the job as well but casting saw my audition tape and gave me a contract.

MG: Can you tell us about your role on the show?
PS: I play Dai who is like a lot of the characters on the show. He is a civilian turned resistance fighter fighting against the invading alien forces. Dai is often seen with Noah Wyle’s character, Tom Mason, who is History professor turned resistance leader. My character is his most trusted confidant and friend he is also the most effective fighter in the unit.

MG: How was it working with Noah Wyle and the rest of the cast?
PS: It was a complete pleasure. There wasn’t one minute where I did not like being on set. Working with Noah was an incredible experience and I hope it will be on going. As a person, he is very generous and sweet and probably one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. Craft wise, I am constantly in awe of his professionalism and how easy he makes acting look. Noah is just an all around great guy on and off camera.

MG: Did you get a chance to meet Steven Spielberg during production?
PS: I did! He made it to location a few times when we were shooting in Canada. The fortunate actors got to be directed and overseen by him while he was there which was really great. Even when he wasn’t there his input was being received via Skype or telephone. I was actually able to meet him one other time at Dreamworks when we did a screening of the pilot and it was really cool because we got to watch the show with him. That was an incredible pleasure.

MG: How do you feel this show differs from other sci-fi alien shows that are on television?
PS: I think a majority of the films out now dealing with similar subject matter start from the same point. A typical all American town is attacked by aliens and decimated and a military response follows. In the case of “Fallen Skies” the attack has already happened and we see the response from a civilian’s point of view and how they are dealing with being over powered.

MG: How did you become involved with “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
PS: Just like any other guy who is surfing the net looking for interesting content related to sci-fi and gaming. I saw some news clips about this “Mortal Kombat” thing that was going viral. I went and checked it out for myself and was blown away! It was so brilliant I almost fell out of my chair. It was just so dark. I watched it a bunch of times and then left it alone for a bit. Every once in awhile I would hear little bits about it trying to be developed. Early February I read an article that Warner Bros had green lit the project. I immediately called my agents who still hadn’t heard anything about the project and then in just 24hrs later the info for casting came out. Fortunately I was friends with one of the casting director Tiffany Mack. So between Tiffany and my agents I was able to get a meeting with the Kevin Tancharoen. We met at the studio and had a conversation about the direction they wanted to take “Mortal Kombat” and a few days later I got an offer to play Sektor.

MG: Were you familiar with the character prior to being cast?
PS: Yes. I was familiar with the core characters from the game and movies. I had seen Sektor however I didn’t know much about his back story.  I don’t think anybody really did other than he is a cyborg ninja. I think he is one of the more interesting characters and plus Sektor has some really cool weapons.

MG: How do you feel doing a web series differs from a television project?
PS: Production wise and shooting on location is all the same. The big difference is in the speed of which things are shot. Television works quite fast and this being my first web series I found this shoots even faster than television. The idea is to get as much production value in the can and to the screen as possible.

Ryan Robbins is currently appearing the “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” playing the character Raiden. Fraser is also know for his role of Henry Foss in SyFy’s “Sanctuary”. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Ryan about his roles in both projects and also what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you become involved with “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”?
Ryan Robbins: I just got a phone call about it. Actually it was originally for another character but they didn’t end of using that character in the show. So I thought I missed my chance, but then I got a call that they want me to play Raiden. I told them of course I was interested. I got to be a kid again and got to play one of the coolest characters in video games. I didn’t even meet the director till the first day, but Kevin (Tancharoen) was such a cool guy. He is definitely a visionary. I know that word gets thrown around a lot but it is true.  He has this clear vision and talked about what our version was going to look like. To some degree you want to say true to the original but you want to make it a little more relatable and give the characters back stories and struggles to overcome. I think it turned out really great.

MG: So you where you familiar with video games series prior to working on it?
RR: I was familiar with the games, the films and the TV series. I have seen Kevin’s short film he did and it was really good. I really liked the edge it had. It is hard to adapt video games though. You always have visually elaborate costumes and everyone is always big and buff and sometimes these things are hard to identify with. I like his vision and he makes the characters feel like somewhat regular people for the most part and he gives them qualities to identify with.

MG: How was it working on a web series, compared to TV and movies?
RR: I have done a few now especially with “Sanctuary” starting off as a web series. Since they are kind of new, you have a bit of a broader parameter but the downfall is the budget is not there. These guys on “MK” have amazing production value, especially with the budget constraints they have. More people also have access to web series as well, for example episode one is well over 8 million views already. That is huge and it is bigger than some network shows.

MG: Tell us about working on SyFy’s “Sanctuary”?
RR: “Sanctuary” is an amazing show to work on. It is an incredible group of people to work with. We have no divas and no attitudes. It is almost like working on an independent film. We have all the best parts of that and even though it does not have a huge budget since it is independently financed, we love doing the show. We really are passionate about the show and its fans. It has been a great ride. We just started shooting season four now and like every other season, we hit the ground running. When we get some of the scripts, I look at them and wonder how are we going to do this? This is insane! But sure enough every time they make it work and it great.

MG: What do you like most about playing the character Henry Foss?
RR: I like that he is somewhat unpredictable. He has so many levels. At one end he seems like a funny smart ass but on the other end he is a very capable badass werewolf. He really has a lot of range in that character and it is really fun to play. He is really emotional and passionate. He also has secrets and it is always fun to play a character that has secrets.

MG: What can we expect from the last few episodes of season three and upcoming in season four?
RR: I do not think people are going to expect the ending they will get from season three. People are going to be pretty blown away by it and also then how season four begins. I think the last part of season three gets pretty epic and some of the stuff with the character Adam is just great, who is played by Ian Tracey. Ian is just such a great actor. It will definitely leave you jaw-dropped. I was really excited to see how the fans react to it.

MG: Tell us about what you have planned next?
RR: I recently just did three films. The first was called “Cold Blooded”, the next is called “Everything and Everyone” and then I did a short film I am really proud of called “Pleased to Meet You”. The short has a really great cast and it is fantastic. Lastly I am getting a final cut soon for a film I starred and produced with Allison Mack from “Smallville” and it called “Marilyn”. It has been a labor of love. We financed this feature film ourselves. It is in post production right now and we are hoping to get it out for the festival circuit soon. It is such a great film and it is inspired by a true story. I can’t wait for people to see it.