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I didn't see this posted: TWoP coverage of the Fox Fall Press Junket: they interview TJ, Michaela, and Tamara
Here
Minor Season 3 spoilers
The Fox Fall Press Junket: Dramas
I'll admit it, I've never watched an episode of Bones in my life. After this junket, that will change. Not only did I get a copy of the latest book in the series the show is based on in my Fox goodie steamer trunk, but I also got to meet three cast members from the show, and they were like the nicest people ever. If Fox ever needs to raise Bones's ratings, I suggest sending these three people door-to-door to individually charm every potential viewer.
TJ Thyne was not just the first person from Bones I interviewed -- he was the first person on the whole junket I interviewed. I couldn't have asked for a better first subject. He even took the recorder and held it under his mouth for the best sound.
Sara M: You are from Boston, right?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, from Boston.
Sara M: Go Patriots.
TJ Thyne: For me, in terms of sports right now, it's all about the Red Sox.
Sara M: So I'll ask you about Bones right now, but if we have time later, I'd love to ask you about your guest-starring role on Walker, Texas Ranger.
TJ Thyne: Oh my god, Walker, Texas Ranger! No, we gotta go straight for that.
Sara M: You played a character named The Wizard.
TJ Thyne: That's so funny -- The Wizard, that's right!
Sara M: I saw that and was like, "I gotta ask him about this. That show is incredible."
TJ Thyne: I lived in Dallas for a while when I was in high school, and that's one of the shows that shot there. I forget the other actor who came in for that arc, but we had a good time. It was neat, because actually, to come back to L.A. -- I had been working and I was doing some films out here, and then went back to Dallas to shoot Walker, Texas Ranger. Oh my god, that's one of those, like, you see it on your résumé and you kinda cringe a little.
Sara M: No, no, you should be proud.
TJ Thyne: Oh, well, yeah, you have to be.
Sara M: Did Walker beat you up?
TJ Thyne: No, I died.
Sara M: Oh no! Did Walker shoot you?
TJ Thyne: No, I -- I think my girlfriend shot me or something. I died in Walker's arms. It was kinda sweet.
Sara M: Oh, you were Walker's friend?
TJ Thyne: No, I was the bad kid, but he was the nice cop that he --
Sara M: He was trying to reform you!
TJ Thyne: He was trying to, and then in the last moments, I kinda reached up for her face and then I died. Which was kinda funny because my hand actually dropped into the actor's lap, and so my dying moment was me with my hand in this girl's lap. So, it was pretty bad. They don't do a lot of takes at Walker, Texas Ranger.
Sara M: That's because Chuck Norris nails every line in the first take.
TJ Thyne: I gotta say, that guy is such a genuinely good human being. Like, in real life, you meet him and you're like, "He's for real nice!" He's really, like, really kind. And he's got his whole family working for him on that show.
Sara M: Yeah, the credits are packed with Norrises.
TJ Thyne: It's definitely a change being Jack Hodgins on Bones from being The Wizard on Walker, Texas Ranger.
Sara M: Yeah, you get to be a doctor on Bones, right?
TJ Thyne: With three advanced degrees in etymology, botany, and mineralogy. He's a smart one.
Sara M: The thing about etymology is, it's bugs.
TJ Thyne: Yes it is.
Sara M: How do you feel about bugs in real life?
TJ Thyne: I hate them.
Sara M: Do you get asked that a lot?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, people think you can either deal with them or not deal with them, so.
Sara M: I have a hard time imagining anyone who likes bugs. How do you act that side of Jack Hodgins? Do you just channel thoughts of an interest you actually do have?
TJ Thyne: It's very funny -- as an actor, I don't know how it happens -- we actors are such a bizarre species. Like, I'm not big on heights, but if I'm playing a character that's gotta jump off a building, I have no problem doing it. But in real life I could never do it. Yeah, the real-life bug guy -- his name's Charlie and he brings in all the bugs -- he's a trip, man. He loves it. And Jack loves it, Jack's got them crawling all over him and everything and I just, I flinch, man, I'm just like "Blech!" right after the take.
Sara M: But during the take, you're fine.
TJ Thyne: During the take, he can kiss 'em on the lips. Jack loves it, so, I gotta drop into it. It's weird. You know who's really funny with the bugs is Tamara Taylor, she's cracks me up with the bugs, because she can't stand the bugs. So we'll have maggots, and Tamara will always be like, "It's moving! It's moving!" during takes and stuff. She cracks me up.
Sara M: Have you had to handle tarantulas yet?
TJ Thyne: Uh, we've had some different bugs, but we haven't actually done a tarantula yet. Have we? No, I don't think so. We've had other eight-legged things. I'm sure the tarantulas are coming, though.
Sara M: Season Five!
TJ Thyne: Season Five: The Tarantula Years. It's pretty exciting going into Season Three, though, it's like, to actually have, you know, you've gotten to know this character as a bug and slime guy from the other seasons, but now in Season Three you know him as this guy who's madly in love with Angela --
Sara M: Yeah, the second season ended with you guys getting married, but then not really.
TJ Thyne: Almost, yeah. It was close.
Sara M: So going into Season Three, you get to play a character who's more of an actual person. We've seen the quirky surface side of Jack, and now we're seeing what's beneath that.
TJ Thyne: Yeah, that's really well said, I mean, you kind of sink into this vulnerable truth of a real human being as opposed to just a façade of a doctor on a show. It's nice, and you get that real human element as opposed to just the forensics. The forensics is fascinating, but I think what's successful about Bones is that fine line that it walks between the character relationships as well as the forensics.
Sara M: You're sort of getting to know your character along with the rest of the audience.
TJ Thyne: Yeah, exactly. And still discovering things along with the audience. I mean, there's so much of Jack that we still don't know, and these characters that we still don't know. I mean, Jack's got all this anger from his early days, and his parents are dead and he's this gazillionaire, but we really don't know what it's all stemming from, so Season Three, you get to learn more about that stuff, which is good. And you get to see these characters kinda having a good time together again, too. Like, all of them in the lab doing their thing. And Brennan and Booth are off getting deeper into more intense cases --
Sara M: Yes, there's a serial killer roaming around this season.
TJ Thyne: A cannibalistic serial killer, yes.
Sara M: Oh, he's a cannibal, too?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, it's intense.
Sara M: Have you gotten interested in forensic science since working on this show?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, I'm not a science guy but -- I forget who on the show it was, but we were talking about this one day -- you know, we all go out and hang out as a cast, we're all real close in real life -- and I forget who was really big on science and stuff like that, but for me it was never about that. So you have to, I have to really do my homework on this show, I have to sit down in front of a computer every night and figure out what I'm actually saying and where it's coming from and how to say it. So it's definitely a challenge, but fun nonetheless.
Sara M: And to wrap this up, what is your favorite bone in the human body?
TJ Thyne: Um...I don't know...what's yours?
Sara M: The femur.
TJ Thyne: Why the femur?
Sara M: Because it's one of the hardest ones to break.
TJ Thyne: All right, that sounds good. I'll take femur. Where is it?
Sara M: I think it's your upper leg.
TJ Thyne: I love that you have a favorite bone.
Next up was the lovely Tamara Taylor, who plays Dr. Camille Saroyan:
Sara M: So, how's it going?
Tamara Taylor: It's been fun, so far, so good. Wacky storylines, a lot of laughter.
Sara M: I spoke with TJ earlier --
Tamara Taylor: I love TJ!
Sara M: -- and he told me you're really scared of the bugs on set. Like, he doesn't like them, but you really, really don't like them.
Tamara Taylor: He doesn't like them? He's totally lying. Oh my god, both he and Emily are unbelievable, because they go towards the bugs, you know, like, they'll get right in there. Emily is absolutely unfazed. She'll pick them up. No, no, no! I do well with rodents, like, I can handle the rats. I can even handle snakes. But give me -- um, maggots are probably my least favorite body garnish. Not cool. They smell.
Sara M: They eat disgusting stuff.
Tamara Taylor: Not good. So I don't do so well with them, but TJ's lying, he does really well with them. Really well.
Sara M: He said that during a scene, he can do whatever he needs to do, bug-wise.
Tamara Taylor: Oh, is that what it is? Okay, but even in between takes, he'll reset the bugs and everything, and I'm just like, "Oh my god, you are a really serious artist." That's when the acting comes in. There was actually recently a corpse that was pretty funky, and the face was all gnarled and eaten. Maggots and beetles, that combination -- really bad.
Sara M: Oh, no, beetles.
Tamara Taylor: Bad!
Sara M: In many ways, they are worse than the maggots.
Tamara Taylor: They're a little more aggressive. And they move fast.
Sara M: Right, and sometimes they'll have little spiny things on their legs that cling to you, like those Japanese beetles.
Tamara Taylor: So not cool. And they stink!
Sara M: Oh no!
Tamara Taylor: I gotta tell you, up close they're really smelly. The best is when you hear them say, "Okay, get the fly wrangler!" How do you wrangle flies?
Sara M: And you can't step on any of them, because then you'll have the animal humane society on your ass.
Tamara Taylor: Yeah, there are insect rights, man. I did a scene on another show with ants, and they were so meticulous about making sure that we didn't kill even one ant -- which I love -- but they're so tiny!
Sara M: So you play the coroner. I think it takes a very specific type of person to go into that line of work. Could you ever see yourself doing that?
Tamara Taylor: I think it's a gift, you know? It's a field that I don't foresee myself being really good at. I've spoken to the technical advisor about something, and it's amazing, because her description of -- I think she was talking about the lungs and she was talking about, like, the dance of the lungs and how beautiful it is, and her description of the insides of a human being were fascinating, it was beautiful.
Sara M: I always find it interesting when people have such a passion for something that most other people are completely turned off by.
Tamara Taylor: Most people would just flinch and be totally disgusted, and she just found it like a dance and gorgeous, and she kept on describing death as, she said, "Death is beautiful. It's a part of life. I'm fascinated by it. As fascinated as I am by life." And it's definitely a healthy perspective, but I don't know that a lot of people can come in...
Sara M: I worked in a pathology lab once and I found it really does take a certain type of person to go for school for so long and work so hard to deal with people who are dead.
Tamara Taylor: Yeah, it's amazing. It's a different life. It's a different mindset. I don't think I'm gifted with that.
Sara M: Do you find yourself learning a lot about this kind of stuff on your own time now?
Tamara Taylor: Oh, yeah, that's kind of one of the best parts of that is learning how the human body works. Because we've all got one, and I certainly didn't know much about it, so it's nice to be able to identify where certain things are. My favorite was the liver. It wraps around and it's huge, bigger than I ever thought. I mean, you go to the grocery store and you see a liver.
Sara M: Yeah, those are small!
Tamara Taylor: So that's what you expect they're gonna look like, but no.
Sara M: So what's coming up this season for your character? What are you really excited about?
Tamara Taylor: I'm excited about the interaction between the squints and I, because I think that that's starting to really be fun. They're starting to explore that a lot more, they're starting to explore the humor a lot more, so I've had a lot of fun with that.
Sara M: And what is your favorite bone in the human body?
Tamara Taylor: That would have to be the humerus. You know, it's my favorite word. A humerus is a pretty cool bone. And my favorite thing to say is "phalanges."
Sara M: Which is my least favorite thing to spell.
Tamara Taylor: Oh, yeah, oof.
Sara M: H's and things flying around there.
Tamara Taylor: There are H's where they shouldn't belong!
And then I got to interview Michaela Conlin, who plays Angela Montenegro.
Sara M: Hi, Michaela from Bones.
Michaela Conlin: What's up?
Sara M: I wanted to ask you first about a show you were on called The It Factor.
Michaela Conlin: Oh, wow, yeah.
Sara M: I think it's amazing that you've become a successful actress in your own right now, because a lot of times on shows like that, you never see the participants again. And you've gone onto do a lot of things.
Michaela Conlin: It wasn't a reality show so much as a documentary. Everyone was shot separately, so I didn't meet anybody until we did the press after the press. It's really funny that you brought that up, because I don't get asked about it that much.
Sara M: I just think it's really interesting that you see so many people on reality shows who want to be actors because they want to be famous and on TV and that never works out, whereas you wanted to be an actor for the love of acting and now you've become successful.
Michaela Conlin: What I liked about it was they were going to show how hard it was as opposed to try to make it sound like the life of an actor is really glamorous, which actually it really isn't.
Sara M: Okay, so, I guess we should talk about Bones.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, guess we should.
Sara M: I talked to TJ and Tamara so far and you guys are a lot of fun.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, it's a good group. It's a really nice group of people.
Sara M: Have you read any of the books the series is based on?
Michaela Conlin: I've only read one. I knew of Kathy Reichs beforehand, because her books have been out for a while, but I only read one when I started the series, because I didn't want to have any preconceived notions about what it was gonna be like, so, I'm glad I didn't, because the show is just inspired by those characters.
Sara M: But then the stories sort of take the show and the book in different directions.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, exactly.
Sara M: Your character, Angela, was supposed to get married last season.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, and this season we're going to find out who that ex-husband is.
Sara M: And, apparently, your character doesn't even know who he is.
Michaela Conlin: I don't even know! And I said, you know, as a woman, do you really ever forget that?
Sara M: Yeah, I don't think I'd have to be hypnotized to remember something like that.
Michaela Conlin: Well, I guess she was slipped some drug when she was in Fiji...
Sara M: Yeah, maybe a good real of thumb is in Fiji, always put a napkin over your drink.
Michaela Conlin: That's what I think. Those crazy Fijian men, you never know what's gonna happen. But um, yeah, it's been interesting. We've had two different private investigators trying to find this guy, and he's a pretty elusive cat, so, hopefully we're gonna pin him down and get him to sign these divorce papers. I don't know, I'm really interested in who they're gonna cast.
Sara M: Oh, wow, you don't even know that?
Michaela Conlin: I don't. Initially the prototype they were looking for was Djimon Hounsou from Blood Diamond, but now they're saying a George Clooney kind of guy --
Sara M: Oh, that's a little different.
Michaela Conlin: I don't know which way we're gonna go. Somewhere between Blood Diamond and George Clooney.
Sara M: What's your favorite bone in the human body?
Michaela Conlin: I think the patella.
Sara M: It's troublesome. My kneecaps are always giving me troubles.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, you're right, that does give you a problem, but I like saying it. I don't have to deal with them very often on Bones, I'm usually off creating holographic images for people.
Sara M: That's right, your character does the facial reconstruction stuff.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, I do all the fun stuff that's post-slime and grit.
Sara M: Unlike poor Tamara, stuck with the dead bodies.
Michaela Conlin: I know, she's always got her hands in a body. I get to be like, "Okay, I'll take that when it's all cleaned off."
Sara M: I've seen the kind of stuff your character does on those CourtTV shows where they're like, "Here's a skull," and then they're able to get a good approximation of the face that used to be on it.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, those machines really do exist. You can take a section of someone's skull, and literally, we can have an idea of at least what that section of somebody's face looked like.
Sara M: Yeah, like, they use the marks of where muscles where and things like that.
Michaela Conlin: Right, the tissue marks. It's really incredible. A lot of the stuff we do on the show really does exist. We just do it much faster.
Lastly, I got to talk to Emily Deschanel on the red carpet. Her publicist allowed me to ask her one question and one question only:
Sara M: What's your favorite bone in the human body?
Emily Deschanel: Ooo! I love saying "zygomatic arch."
And that's Bones!
Here
Minor Season 3 spoilers
The Fox Fall Press Junket: Dramas
I'll admit it, I've never watched an episode of Bones in my life. After this junket, that will change. Not only did I get a copy of the latest book in the series the show is based on in my Fox goodie steamer trunk, but I also got to meet three cast members from the show, and they were like the nicest people ever. If Fox ever needs to raise Bones's ratings, I suggest sending these three people door-to-door to individually charm every potential viewer.
TJ Thyne was not just the first person from Bones I interviewed -- he was the first person on the whole junket I interviewed. I couldn't have asked for a better first subject. He even took the recorder and held it under his mouth for the best sound.
Sara M: You are from Boston, right?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, from Boston.
Sara M: Go Patriots.
TJ Thyne: For me, in terms of sports right now, it's all about the Red Sox.
Sara M: So I'll ask you about Bones right now, but if we have time later, I'd love to ask you about your guest-starring role on Walker, Texas Ranger.
TJ Thyne: Oh my god, Walker, Texas Ranger! No, we gotta go straight for that.
Sara M: You played a character named The Wizard.
TJ Thyne: That's so funny -- The Wizard, that's right!
Sara M: I saw that and was like, "I gotta ask him about this. That show is incredible."
TJ Thyne: I lived in Dallas for a while when I was in high school, and that's one of the shows that shot there. I forget the other actor who came in for that arc, but we had a good time. It was neat, because actually, to come back to L.A. -- I had been working and I was doing some films out here, and then went back to Dallas to shoot Walker, Texas Ranger. Oh my god, that's one of those, like, you see it on your résumé and you kinda cringe a little.
Sara M: No, no, you should be proud.
TJ Thyne: Oh, well, yeah, you have to be.
Sara M: Did Walker beat you up?
TJ Thyne: No, I died.
Sara M: Oh no! Did Walker shoot you?
TJ Thyne: No, I -- I think my girlfriend shot me or something. I died in Walker's arms. It was kinda sweet.
Sara M: Oh, you were Walker's friend?
TJ Thyne: No, I was the bad kid, but he was the nice cop that he --
Sara M: He was trying to reform you!
TJ Thyne: He was trying to, and then in the last moments, I kinda reached up for her face and then I died. Which was kinda funny because my hand actually dropped into the actor's lap, and so my dying moment was me with my hand in this girl's lap. So, it was pretty bad. They don't do a lot of takes at Walker, Texas Ranger.
Sara M: That's because Chuck Norris nails every line in the first take.
TJ Thyne: I gotta say, that guy is such a genuinely good human being. Like, in real life, you meet him and you're like, "He's for real nice!" He's really, like, really kind. And he's got his whole family working for him on that show.
Sara M: Yeah, the credits are packed with Norrises.
TJ Thyne: It's definitely a change being Jack Hodgins on Bones from being The Wizard on Walker, Texas Ranger.
Sara M: Yeah, you get to be a doctor on Bones, right?
TJ Thyne: With three advanced degrees in etymology, botany, and mineralogy. He's a smart one.
Sara M: The thing about etymology is, it's bugs.
TJ Thyne: Yes it is.
Sara M: How do you feel about bugs in real life?
TJ Thyne: I hate them.
Sara M: Do you get asked that a lot?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, people think you can either deal with them or not deal with them, so.
Sara M: I have a hard time imagining anyone who likes bugs. How do you act that side of Jack Hodgins? Do you just channel thoughts of an interest you actually do have?
TJ Thyne: It's very funny -- as an actor, I don't know how it happens -- we actors are such a bizarre species. Like, I'm not big on heights, but if I'm playing a character that's gotta jump off a building, I have no problem doing it. But in real life I could never do it. Yeah, the real-life bug guy -- his name's Charlie and he brings in all the bugs -- he's a trip, man. He loves it. And Jack loves it, Jack's got them crawling all over him and everything and I just, I flinch, man, I'm just like "Blech!" right after the take.
Sara M: But during the take, you're fine.
TJ Thyne: During the take, he can kiss 'em on the lips. Jack loves it, so, I gotta drop into it. It's weird. You know who's really funny with the bugs is Tamara Taylor, she's cracks me up with the bugs, because she can't stand the bugs. So we'll have maggots, and Tamara will always be like, "It's moving! It's moving!" during takes and stuff. She cracks me up.
Sara M: Have you had to handle tarantulas yet?
TJ Thyne: Uh, we've had some different bugs, but we haven't actually done a tarantula yet. Have we? No, I don't think so. We've had other eight-legged things. I'm sure the tarantulas are coming, though.
Sara M: Season Five!
TJ Thyne: Season Five: The Tarantula Years. It's pretty exciting going into Season Three, though, it's like, to actually have, you know, you've gotten to know this character as a bug and slime guy from the other seasons, but now in Season Three you know him as this guy who's madly in love with Angela --
Sara M: Yeah, the second season ended with you guys getting married, but then not really.
TJ Thyne: Almost, yeah. It was close.
Sara M: So going into Season Three, you get to play a character who's more of an actual person. We've seen the quirky surface side of Jack, and now we're seeing what's beneath that.
TJ Thyne: Yeah, that's really well said, I mean, you kind of sink into this vulnerable truth of a real human being as opposed to just a façade of a doctor on a show. It's nice, and you get that real human element as opposed to just the forensics. The forensics is fascinating, but I think what's successful about Bones is that fine line that it walks between the character relationships as well as the forensics.
Sara M: You're sort of getting to know your character along with the rest of the audience.
TJ Thyne: Yeah, exactly. And still discovering things along with the audience. I mean, there's so much of Jack that we still don't know, and these characters that we still don't know. I mean, Jack's got all this anger from his early days, and his parents are dead and he's this gazillionaire, but we really don't know what it's all stemming from, so Season Three, you get to learn more about that stuff, which is good. And you get to see these characters kinda having a good time together again, too. Like, all of them in the lab doing their thing. And Brennan and Booth are off getting deeper into more intense cases --
Sara M: Yes, there's a serial killer roaming around this season.
TJ Thyne: A cannibalistic serial killer, yes.
Sara M: Oh, he's a cannibal, too?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, it's intense.
Sara M: Have you gotten interested in forensic science since working on this show?
TJ Thyne: Yeah, I'm not a science guy but -- I forget who on the show it was, but we were talking about this one day -- you know, we all go out and hang out as a cast, we're all real close in real life -- and I forget who was really big on science and stuff like that, but for me it was never about that. So you have to, I have to really do my homework on this show, I have to sit down in front of a computer every night and figure out what I'm actually saying and where it's coming from and how to say it. So it's definitely a challenge, but fun nonetheless.
Sara M: And to wrap this up, what is your favorite bone in the human body?
TJ Thyne: Um...I don't know...what's yours?
Sara M: The femur.
TJ Thyne: Why the femur?
Sara M: Because it's one of the hardest ones to break.
TJ Thyne: All right, that sounds good. I'll take femur. Where is it?
Sara M: I think it's your upper leg.
TJ Thyne: I love that you have a favorite bone.
Next up was the lovely Tamara Taylor, who plays Dr. Camille Saroyan:
Sara M: So, how's it going?
Tamara Taylor: It's been fun, so far, so good. Wacky storylines, a lot of laughter.
Sara M: I spoke with TJ earlier --
Tamara Taylor: I love TJ!
Sara M: -- and he told me you're really scared of the bugs on set. Like, he doesn't like them, but you really, really don't like them.
Tamara Taylor: He doesn't like them? He's totally lying. Oh my god, both he and Emily are unbelievable, because they go towards the bugs, you know, like, they'll get right in there. Emily is absolutely unfazed. She'll pick them up. No, no, no! I do well with rodents, like, I can handle the rats. I can even handle snakes. But give me -- um, maggots are probably my least favorite body garnish. Not cool. They smell.
Sara M: They eat disgusting stuff.
Tamara Taylor: Not good. So I don't do so well with them, but TJ's lying, he does really well with them. Really well.
Sara M: He said that during a scene, he can do whatever he needs to do, bug-wise.
Tamara Taylor: Oh, is that what it is? Okay, but even in between takes, he'll reset the bugs and everything, and I'm just like, "Oh my god, you are a really serious artist." That's when the acting comes in. There was actually recently a corpse that was pretty funky, and the face was all gnarled and eaten. Maggots and beetles, that combination -- really bad.
Sara M: Oh, no, beetles.
Tamara Taylor: Bad!
Sara M: In many ways, they are worse than the maggots.
Tamara Taylor: They're a little more aggressive. And they move fast.
Sara M: Right, and sometimes they'll have little spiny things on their legs that cling to you, like those Japanese beetles.
Tamara Taylor: So not cool. And they stink!
Sara M: Oh no!
Tamara Taylor: I gotta tell you, up close they're really smelly. The best is when you hear them say, "Okay, get the fly wrangler!" How do you wrangle flies?
Sara M: And you can't step on any of them, because then you'll have the animal humane society on your ass.
Tamara Taylor: Yeah, there are insect rights, man. I did a scene on another show with ants, and they were so meticulous about making sure that we didn't kill even one ant -- which I love -- but they're so tiny!
Sara M: So you play the coroner. I think it takes a very specific type of person to go into that line of work. Could you ever see yourself doing that?
Tamara Taylor: I think it's a gift, you know? It's a field that I don't foresee myself being really good at. I've spoken to the technical advisor about something, and it's amazing, because her description of -- I think she was talking about the lungs and she was talking about, like, the dance of the lungs and how beautiful it is, and her description of the insides of a human being were fascinating, it was beautiful.
Sara M: I always find it interesting when people have such a passion for something that most other people are completely turned off by.
Tamara Taylor: Most people would just flinch and be totally disgusted, and she just found it like a dance and gorgeous, and she kept on describing death as, she said, "Death is beautiful. It's a part of life. I'm fascinated by it. As fascinated as I am by life." And it's definitely a healthy perspective, but I don't know that a lot of people can come in...
Sara M: I worked in a pathology lab once and I found it really does take a certain type of person to go for school for so long and work so hard to deal with people who are dead.
Tamara Taylor: Yeah, it's amazing. It's a different life. It's a different mindset. I don't think I'm gifted with that.
Sara M: Do you find yourself learning a lot about this kind of stuff on your own time now?
Tamara Taylor: Oh, yeah, that's kind of one of the best parts of that is learning how the human body works. Because we've all got one, and I certainly didn't know much about it, so it's nice to be able to identify where certain things are. My favorite was the liver. It wraps around and it's huge, bigger than I ever thought. I mean, you go to the grocery store and you see a liver.
Sara M: Yeah, those are small!
Tamara Taylor: So that's what you expect they're gonna look like, but no.
Sara M: So what's coming up this season for your character? What are you really excited about?
Tamara Taylor: I'm excited about the interaction between the squints and I, because I think that that's starting to really be fun. They're starting to explore that a lot more, they're starting to explore the humor a lot more, so I've had a lot of fun with that.
Sara M: And what is your favorite bone in the human body?
Tamara Taylor: That would have to be the humerus. You know, it's my favorite word. A humerus is a pretty cool bone. And my favorite thing to say is "phalanges."
Sara M: Which is my least favorite thing to spell.
Tamara Taylor: Oh, yeah, oof.
Sara M: H's and things flying around there.
Tamara Taylor: There are H's where they shouldn't belong!
And then I got to interview Michaela Conlin, who plays Angela Montenegro.
Sara M: Hi, Michaela from Bones.
Michaela Conlin: What's up?
Sara M: I wanted to ask you first about a show you were on called The It Factor.
Michaela Conlin: Oh, wow, yeah.
Sara M: I think it's amazing that you've become a successful actress in your own right now, because a lot of times on shows like that, you never see the participants again. And you've gone onto do a lot of things.
Michaela Conlin: It wasn't a reality show so much as a documentary. Everyone was shot separately, so I didn't meet anybody until we did the press after the press. It's really funny that you brought that up, because I don't get asked about it that much.
Sara M: I just think it's really interesting that you see so many people on reality shows who want to be actors because they want to be famous and on TV and that never works out, whereas you wanted to be an actor for the love of acting and now you've become successful.
Michaela Conlin: What I liked about it was they were going to show how hard it was as opposed to try to make it sound like the life of an actor is really glamorous, which actually it really isn't.
Sara M: Okay, so, I guess we should talk about Bones.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, guess we should.
Sara M: I talked to TJ and Tamara so far and you guys are a lot of fun.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, it's a good group. It's a really nice group of people.
Sara M: Have you read any of the books the series is based on?
Michaela Conlin: I've only read one. I knew of Kathy Reichs beforehand, because her books have been out for a while, but I only read one when I started the series, because I didn't want to have any preconceived notions about what it was gonna be like, so, I'm glad I didn't, because the show is just inspired by those characters.
Sara M: But then the stories sort of take the show and the book in different directions.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, exactly.
Sara M: Your character, Angela, was supposed to get married last season.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, and this season we're going to find out who that ex-husband is.
Sara M: And, apparently, your character doesn't even know who he is.
Michaela Conlin: I don't even know! And I said, you know, as a woman, do you really ever forget that?
Sara M: Yeah, I don't think I'd have to be hypnotized to remember something like that.
Michaela Conlin: Well, I guess she was slipped some drug when she was in Fiji...
Sara M: Yeah, maybe a good real of thumb is in Fiji, always put a napkin over your drink.
Michaela Conlin: That's what I think. Those crazy Fijian men, you never know what's gonna happen. But um, yeah, it's been interesting. We've had two different private investigators trying to find this guy, and he's a pretty elusive cat, so, hopefully we're gonna pin him down and get him to sign these divorce papers. I don't know, I'm really interested in who they're gonna cast.
Sara M: Oh, wow, you don't even know that?
Michaela Conlin: I don't. Initially the prototype they were looking for was Djimon Hounsou from Blood Diamond, but now they're saying a George Clooney kind of guy --
Sara M: Oh, that's a little different.
Michaela Conlin: I don't know which way we're gonna go. Somewhere between Blood Diamond and George Clooney.
Sara M: What's your favorite bone in the human body?
Michaela Conlin: I think the patella.
Sara M: It's troublesome. My kneecaps are always giving me troubles.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, you're right, that does give you a problem, but I like saying it. I don't have to deal with them very often on Bones, I'm usually off creating holographic images for people.
Sara M: That's right, your character does the facial reconstruction stuff.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, I do all the fun stuff that's post-slime and grit.
Sara M: Unlike poor Tamara, stuck with the dead bodies.
Michaela Conlin: I know, she's always got her hands in a body. I get to be like, "Okay, I'll take that when it's all cleaned off."
Sara M: I've seen the kind of stuff your character does on those CourtTV shows where they're like, "Here's a skull," and then they're able to get a good approximation of the face that used to be on it.
Michaela Conlin: Yeah, those machines really do exist. You can take a section of someone's skull, and literally, we can have an idea of at least what that section of somebody's face looked like.
Sara M: Yeah, like, they use the marks of where muscles where and things like that.
Michaela Conlin: Right, the tissue marks. It's really incredible. A lot of the stuff we do on the show really does exist. We just do it much faster.
Lastly, I got to talk to Emily Deschanel on the red carpet. Her publicist allowed me to ask her one question and one question only:
Sara M: What's your favorite bone in the human body?
Emily Deschanel: Ooo! I love saying "zygomatic arch."
And that's Bones!