Happy Smallville and Supernatural Thursday
~Translation of a French interview with Jensen Ackles. Since posted there has been some minor clarifications (Jared didn’t live with a friend, the house was his alone).
And in yesterday’s NY Post article about SPN, Jared offers that Jensen lives downstairs . Which is code for “Stop thinking we’re boning each other, please.”
I don’t know why it’s such a big deal, Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick moved in together immediately. Chace obviously doesn’t have a problem with commitment like Jensen does.
~Chicago Tribune interviews SPN’s Misha Collins (spoilers I guess). I realized what it is that bugs me about Misha. Someone pointed it out on a board somewhere. His lips look chapped. He has ashy lips. There’s tears in heaven, but no Blistex?
~TV Guide interviews, yet another SPN angel. Robert Wisdom
Supernatural Preview: Robert Wisdom's One Devil of an Angel
A witch. Halloween. The possible unleashing of Satan. Sounds like a case for the Winchester boys and their winged wingman. Tonight on Supernatural (9 pm/ET, the CW), even Castiel agrees that heavy artillery is called for. Cue guest-star Robert Wisdom, as an angel with 'tude. The former Wire star shared a look at this hellish holiday outing. Plus: His take on "the greatest show that's ever been on American television."
TVGuide.com: I'm guessing - purely guessing - that this is the first angel you've played.
Robert Wisdom: [Laughs] Well, there aren't too many I've been offered, but this is the first one, yeah.
TVGuide.com: What brings Uriel to the world of Supernatural? Is he there to ostensibly save Halloween?
Wisdom: Yes, that's my job, and it's a big one. It's a real sweet role. They've written some really powerful stuff. I like the show.
TVGuide.com: I'm thinking he doesn't get a big ol' hug from Castiel?
Wisdom: No, we are kind of a mix between characters from the Addams Family realm and The Odd Couple. [Laughs] We like each other but we aren't real close.
TVGuide.com: They have different approaches to the job, I understand.
Wisdom: Uriel basically uses power to get the job done. If that means smiting a whole city, he has to do it.
TVGuide.com: Misha Collins told me that Uriei is a bit "trigger-happy."
Wisdom: I wouldn't say trigger-happy, but he's "eager" to carry out God's will.
TVGuide.com: So, he's closer to Prison Break's Lechero than The Wire's Bunny.
Wisdom: Oh, by far. By far. [Laughs]
TVGuide.com: How did you like working with Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki?
Wisdom: They're both great guys, and they're funny as all get out. Jared is a cut-up, and Jensen is a real fine man (dawnybee: Everyone views Jensen as the right, Southern gentleman, don’t they?) . In this episode, we have quite a bit of work together.
TVGuide.com: Is the door left open for your character to return ... or not so much?
Wisdom: Angels can always come and go. It's a permeable wall between our worlds, so there's a possibility he could show up again.
TVGuide.com: Was filming up there in Vancouver more comfortable than Prison Break's "Panama"?
Wisdom: Autumn is a great time to be in Vancouver, and Dallas was... hot. We were seriously hot. We shot on this red clay set that just kept heat. We had a great time, but it was hellish. This was a lot more pleasant, for sure.
TVGuide.com: All of your Prison Break scenes looked grueling, hot and/or odorous.
Wisdom: Well, then we pulled it off! It's all done with a squeegee bottle and a lot of Vaseline.
TVGuide.com: What will you most fondly remember about The Wire?
Wisdom: Oh, my god.... I have to say, I've loved all the jobs and everybody I've worked with, but that's one of a kind, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can get it on a film [set], but on a TV series...?
TVGuide.com: What do you think the show's legacy should be?
Wisdom: From the feedback I get every day, it's the greatest show that's ever been on American television.
~Cassidy Freeman interview with
There’s one thing I enjoy, it’s a good villain, and this fall, SMALLVILLE fans were introduced to a spectacular new bad girl - Tess Mercer. This red haired beauty is Lex Luthor’s successor, acting CEO of LuthorCorp, and in control of Luthor’s estate since his disappearance. Stepping in for Luthor is quite the feat, but Tess Mercer seems to be holding her own so far this season, proving to be ruthless and calculating like her mentor.
I had the chance to chat with Cassidy Freeman, the woman responsible for bringing Tess Mercer to life each week on SMALLVILLE. After discussing the fall foliage in Vancouver (which Freeman admits she’s enjoying, having moved there from LA), we discussed her character’s development so far, her fantastic displays of physical prowess, and how she pictures Tess’ future.
TV Addict: What’s it like being the new person on such a well-established TV program?
Cassidy Freeman: It’s pretty awesome. People are always asking me if it’s daunting or if it’s scary, and I can’t think of a better vehicle. It’s not like when you do a pilot and there’s all this figuring out to do.
Tess Mercer was a character created for Smallville, but her name pays tribute to two characters from the Superman universe. Do you find that her not being a pre-established character is a help or a hindrance?
Cassidy: I think I have a bit of an advantage. She’s a nod to Miss Teschmacher and Mercy Graves, but she’s not them (both were loyal assistants of Lex Luthor). I have this idea of what the viewers might be expecting, and I’m able to make my own take on that, along with input from the producers and the writers. It’s given me a bit of a guideline, but a lot of freedom. I think it’s a wonderful thing.
The license plate “No Mercy” - is that how Tess lives her life, or is that an affirmation that you are nothing like the character Mercy from the Superman universe?
Cassidy: I think it’s definitely how she lives her life. That’s a funny interpretation, though. But it’s definitely more of her life motto than a separation from that other character.
We now know there is a connection between her and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), and the question arises if Tess is a ruthless female villain, or just a jilted lover. Do you think Tess is more of a lover, or a fighter?
Cassidy: (Laughing) Can’t we be both? I think that right now in her life, she’s a hard-core fighter. She was a lover, and her heart was broken. Her focus now is on LuthorCorp and finding Lex.
At this point, Tess Mercer is human, but there is some fan speculation as to whether she has superpowers, or will develop superpowers. Do you think that would be an interesting character development?
Cassidy: Yeah, that would be cool, but I haven’t heard about anything like that yet for the character.
Even without a superpower, Tess’ physical abilities are quite impressive. How do you train for such intensely physical scenes? Because you are doing quite a bit of buttkicking!
Cassidy: (Jokingly) I took Buttkicking 101. I personally am very active anyway. On set, there’s a trainer, and Justin (Hartley) and I work with him to choreograph things, which we go through like a million times.
In Tess’ backstory, do you think was there ever a romantic connection with Lex? (dawnybee: Well how would he find time between Lana and Clark unless she was one of the massive 13 lays he had during the year.
Cassidy: No, their relationship was strictly professional. I think it was very a very intimate relationship, but it wasn’t romantic. He was her mentor.
I know at this point there is already buzz about the next season of Smallville, and the viewers are hoping that you’ll be a part of that. Where would you like to see your character go, if she’s a part of the ninth season?
Cassidy: I’d like to see her start to work through her own angle, her personal story. She came from nothing, and now she’s the head of this company. Even though I know some fans might not want to hear this, I’d really like to see her emerge from out of Lex’s shadow.
-end-
~Sci-Fi.com grades Smallville S8
Smallville (The CW) Premiered with 4.38 million viewers. Last week, 4.22 million viewers. Down a bit from last season, Smallville is still looking like a champ, compared with The CW's other low-rated programming. While it may not be as shiny as it once was, what show would be as it delves into its eighth season? Ratings should be good enough for another year--if The CW doesn't collapse completely. It's unlikely the network will find another show that can be competitive on Thursday nights with viewers as loyal as those for Smallville. Grade: B-
~John Schneider will not not work. Still working on ABC Family's "The Secret Life of Teenagers", Schneider will have a 3-episode role on "Dirty Sexy Money". His character will be involved in a storyline involving Tripp (Donald Sutherland) and Simon (Blair Underwood).
This will be so damn interesting I can't wait. I love "Dirty Sexy Money" and I can't wait to see how John plays this character. He was so great and sleazy and even hot on "Nip/Tuck". He plays scheming really well.
~See, I’m not the only one that hates Chad Michael Murray. EW tagged him as one of the worst actors on TV.
Chad Michael Murray, "One Tree Hill"
As mostly shirtless basketball hero Lucas Scott, Chad Michael Murray proves that good abs can sometimes take you where good acting should. Murray is capable of an emotional range running the gamut from brooding to brooding, and millions of teenage girls couldn't be happier. Wisely, the producers of the movie "House of Wax" pitted Murray against Paris Hilton in order to make their starlet appear lifelike. It nearly worked. But, in Murray's defense, no one's THAT bad an actor.
~Also, Austin Nichols (from HBO’s “John from Cincinatti”) will appear on “One Tree Hill” and in an interview confirms that the episode Chad wrote will be a complete and utter ripoff of SV’s “Noir”.
Fine, not in those words, but the episode will be a dream sequence and the characters will be, in a completely different period with different hair and clothes and cars, and different manners of speech. “
Chad’s a dick? Confirmed.
~While I salute anyone who has a deep and abiding love for Superman and respect for the character, I have to ask Mark Millar to please stop. Here’s Mark’s latest not so subtle attempt to recreate Superman.
~In other CW news, James Franco's younger brother Dave (who costarred in Fox's "Do Not Disturb") is joining "Privileged" for a multi-episode arc as Rose's boyfriend. Michael Cassidy continues to be sweet and loveable in the show.
~Justin Hartley's CW Source interview
~I end this post with
How can I save the day without styling product?
And in yesterday’s NY Post article about SPN, Jared offers that Jensen lives downstairs . Which is code for “Stop thinking we’re boning each other, please.”
I don’t know why it’s such a big deal, Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick moved in together immediately. Chace obviously doesn’t have a problem with commitment like Jensen does.
~Chicago Tribune interviews SPN’s Misha Collins (spoilers I guess). I realized what it is that bugs me about Misha. Someone pointed it out on a board somewhere. His lips look chapped. He has ashy lips. There’s tears in heaven, but no Blistex?
~TV Guide interviews, yet another SPN angel. Robert Wisdom
Supernatural Preview: Robert Wisdom's One Devil of an Angel
A witch. Halloween. The possible unleashing of Satan. Sounds like a case for the Winchester boys and their winged wingman. Tonight on Supernatural (9 pm/ET, the CW), even Castiel agrees that heavy artillery is called for. Cue guest-star Robert Wisdom, as an angel with 'tude. The former Wire star shared a look at this hellish holiday outing. Plus: His take on "the greatest show that's ever been on American television."
TVGuide.com: I'm guessing - purely guessing - that this is the first angel you've played.
Robert Wisdom: [Laughs] Well, there aren't too many I've been offered, but this is the first one, yeah.
TVGuide.com: What brings Uriel to the world of Supernatural? Is he there to ostensibly save Halloween?
Wisdom: Yes, that's my job, and it's a big one. It's a real sweet role. They've written some really powerful stuff. I like the show.
TVGuide.com: I'm thinking he doesn't get a big ol' hug from Castiel?
Wisdom: No, we are kind of a mix between characters from the Addams Family realm and The Odd Couple. [Laughs] We like each other but we aren't real close.
TVGuide.com: They have different approaches to the job, I understand.
Wisdom: Uriel basically uses power to get the job done. If that means smiting a whole city, he has to do it.
TVGuide.com: Misha Collins told me that Uriei is a bit "trigger-happy."
Wisdom: I wouldn't say trigger-happy, but he's "eager" to carry out God's will.
TVGuide.com: So, he's closer to Prison Break's Lechero than The Wire's Bunny.
Wisdom: Oh, by far. By far. [Laughs]
TVGuide.com: How did you like working with Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki?
Wisdom: They're both great guys, and they're funny as all get out. Jared is a cut-up, and Jensen is a real fine man (dawnybee: Everyone views Jensen as the right, Southern gentleman, don’t they?) . In this episode, we have quite a bit of work together.
TVGuide.com: Is the door left open for your character to return ... or not so much?
Wisdom: Angels can always come and go. It's a permeable wall between our worlds, so there's a possibility he could show up again.
TVGuide.com: Was filming up there in Vancouver more comfortable than Prison Break's "Panama"?
Wisdom: Autumn is a great time to be in Vancouver, and Dallas was... hot. We were seriously hot. We shot on this red clay set that just kept heat. We had a great time, but it was hellish. This was a lot more pleasant, for sure.
TVGuide.com: All of your Prison Break scenes looked grueling, hot and/or odorous.
Wisdom: Well, then we pulled it off! It's all done with a squeegee bottle and a lot of Vaseline.
TVGuide.com: What will you most fondly remember about The Wire?
Wisdom: Oh, my god.... I have to say, I've loved all the jobs and everybody I've worked with, but that's one of a kind, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can get it on a film [set], but on a TV series...?
TVGuide.com: What do you think the show's legacy should be?
Wisdom: From the feedback I get every day, it's the greatest show that's ever been on American television.
~Cassidy Freeman interview with
There’s one thing I enjoy, it’s a good villain, and this fall, SMALLVILLE fans were introduced to a spectacular new bad girl - Tess Mercer. This red haired beauty is Lex Luthor’s successor, acting CEO of LuthorCorp, and in control of Luthor’s estate since his disappearance. Stepping in for Luthor is quite the feat, but Tess Mercer seems to be holding her own so far this season, proving to be ruthless and calculating like her mentor.
I had the chance to chat with Cassidy Freeman, the woman responsible for bringing Tess Mercer to life each week on SMALLVILLE. After discussing the fall foliage in Vancouver (which Freeman admits she’s enjoying, having moved there from LA), we discussed her character’s development so far, her fantastic displays of physical prowess, and how she pictures Tess’ future.
TV Addict: What’s it like being the new person on such a well-established TV program?
Cassidy Freeman: It’s pretty awesome. People are always asking me if it’s daunting or if it’s scary, and I can’t think of a better vehicle. It’s not like when you do a pilot and there’s all this figuring out to do.
Tess Mercer was a character created for Smallville, but her name pays tribute to two characters from the Superman universe. Do you find that her not being a pre-established character is a help or a hindrance?
Cassidy: I think I have a bit of an advantage. She’s a nod to Miss Teschmacher and Mercy Graves, but she’s not them (both were loyal assistants of Lex Luthor). I have this idea of what the viewers might be expecting, and I’m able to make my own take on that, along with input from the producers and the writers. It’s given me a bit of a guideline, but a lot of freedom. I think it’s a wonderful thing.
The license plate “No Mercy” - is that how Tess lives her life, or is that an affirmation that you are nothing like the character Mercy from the Superman universe?
Cassidy: I think it’s definitely how she lives her life. That’s a funny interpretation, though. But it’s definitely more of her life motto than a separation from that other character.
We now know there is a connection between her and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), and the question arises if Tess is a ruthless female villain, or just a jilted lover. Do you think Tess is more of a lover, or a fighter?
Cassidy: (Laughing) Can’t we be both? I think that right now in her life, she’s a hard-core fighter. She was a lover, and her heart was broken. Her focus now is on LuthorCorp and finding Lex.
At this point, Tess Mercer is human, but there is some fan speculation as to whether she has superpowers, or will develop superpowers. Do you think that would be an interesting character development?
Cassidy: Yeah, that would be cool, but I haven’t heard about anything like that yet for the character.
Even without a superpower, Tess’ physical abilities are quite impressive. How do you train for such intensely physical scenes? Because you are doing quite a bit of buttkicking!
Cassidy: (Jokingly) I took Buttkicking 101. I personally am very active anyway. On set, there’s a trainer, and Justin (Hartley) and I work with him to choreograph things, which we go through like a million times.
In Tess’ backstory, do you think was there ever a romantic connection with Lex? (dawnybee: Well how would he find time between Lana and Clark unless she was one of the massive 13 lays he had during the year.
Cassidy: No, their relationship was strictly professional. I think it was very a very intimate relationship, but it wasn’t romantic. He was her mentor.
I know at this point there is already buzz about the next season of Smallville, and the viewers are hoping that you’ll be a part of that. Where would you like to see your character go, if she’s a part of the ninth season?
Cassidy: I’d like to see her start to work through her own angle, her personal story. She came from nothing, and now she’s the head of this company. Even though I know some fans might not want to hear this, I’d really like to see her emerge from out of Lex’s shadow.
-end-
~Sci-Fi.com grades Smallville S8
Smallville (The CW) Premiered with 4.38 million viewers. Last week, 4.22 million viewers. Down a bit from last season, Smallville is still looking like a champ, compared with The CW's other low-rated programming. While it may not be as shiny as it once was, what show would be as it delves into its eighth season? Ratings should be good enough for another year--if The CW doesn't collapse completely. It's unlikely the network will find another show that can be competitive on Thursday nights with viewers as loyal as those for Smallville. Grade: B-
~John Schneider will not not work. Still working on ABC Family's "The Secret Life of Teenagers", Schneider will have a 3-episode role on "Dirty Sexy Money". His character will be involved in a storyline involving Tripp (Donald Sutherland) and Simon (Blair Underwood).
This will be so damn interesting I can't wait. I love "Dirty Sexy Money" and I can't wait to see how John plays this character. He was so great and sleazy and even hot on "Nip/Tuck". He plays scheming really well.
~See, I’m not the only one that hates Chad Michael Murray. EW tagged him as one of the worst actors on TV.
Chad Michael Murray, "One Tree Hill"
As mostly shirtless basketball hero Lucas Scott, Chad Michael Murray proves that good abs can sometimes take you where good acting should. Murray is capable of an emotional range running the gamut from brooding to brooding, and millions of teenage girls couldn't be happier. Wisely, the producers of the movie "House of Wax" pitted Murray against Paris Hilton in order to make their starlet appear lifelike. It nearly worked. But, in Murray's defense, no one's THAT bad an actor.
~Also, Austin Nichols (from HBO’s “John from Cincinatti”) will appear on “One Tree Hill” and in an interview confirms that the episode Chad wrote will be a complete and utter ripoff of SV’s “Noir”.
Fine, not in those words, but the episode will be a dream sequence and the characters will be, in a completely different period with different hair and clothes and cars, and different manners of speech. “
Chad’s a dick? Confirmed.
Click to view~While I salute anyone who has a deep and abiding love for Superman and respect for the character, I have to ask Mark Millar to please stop. Here’s Mark’s latest not so subtle attempt to recreate Superman.
~In other CW news, James Franco's younger brother Dave (who costarred in Fox's "Do Not Disturb") is joining "Privileged" for a multi-episode arc as Rose's boyfriend. Michael Cassidy continues to be sweet and loveable in the show.
~Justin Hartley's CW Source interview
~I end this post with
How can I save the day without styling product?
