RCW 139; Notes from panel with Tom, Tony, Camilla, Catherine, and Ramona
T = Tom Melissis = Dewey
TC = Tony Craig = Huey
CS = Camilla Scott = Meg Thatcher
CB = Catherine Bruhier = Elaine
R = Ramona Milano = Francesca
This is nowhere close to a direct transcription of the panel - just notes that I managed to jot down! I'm pretty sure tons of people filmed it, so when they post their videos I can transcribe those :). For now, hopefully this is okay!
Tom, Tony, Camillia, and Catherine arrive - Ramona’s on her way but delayed by the treacherous Toronto traffic (say that 3 times fast…)
They’re told that Paul was in yesterday - but no pressure!
T: Oh yeah, Paul was here? Well we’re not just going to talk, we’re going to act out a full episode for you - take THAT Paul.
We establish that Paul owes Tom $5.00. Later on a convention organizer gives Tom a ripped $5.00 bill in an envelope and tells him to consider it cleared up.
Question: Do you guys see one another now/did you know one another before dS?
CS: Not often enough - Ramona and Catherine are younger than me, so I don’t go to the same auditions as them….and of course I have no memories at all of Tom.
T: We sat in a limo together!
CS: Yeah….no.
It’s established that they were in an episode of a different show (Kung fu something) together.
CS: OH YEAH! I though you meant dS, not another show.
T: Oh yeah, the Kung Fu episode of dS, that was awesome.
CS: That was before dS - we didn’t know one another then.
T: Yeah, we didn’t talk - you were the bad guy.
CS: No way! You were the bad guy!
Question: Favourite Episodes
CB: Whenever she got to ‘treat’ Fraser when he was hurt - she was practically drooling on him.
CS: The train episode! (All the Queen’s Horses). Fun to shoot, trains, horses, insanity. They would ride the train out in the morning, shoot, and party as they were driving back at the end of the day - it was a gigantic 2-week party.
TC: Chinatown, because I got to do things
T: Anything with Turnbull or Leslie Neilson! Oh, or the country western episode.
TC: That was probably the most embarrassing one I had to do (because of the cheesy drum roll). Wishes he had a chance to actually show off his musical talents at some point.
*Interrupted by the door opening - Tom goes ‘Oh My God, Romana Milano!’*
R: This is so cool!
Asked about physical comedy in dS/funniest scenes
CS: Most of my comedy wasn’t on purpose - I was such a klutz that I would knock stuff over and then they’d be like ‘That’s awesome! Do it again!’
T: remembers once he was supposed to slam on the breaks, but he missed and slammed into a wall & they kept the shot
TC: remembers when he was supposed to hi-five Fraser in the hall but missed and fell over - they kept that too.
R: I missed the question, I was stuck in traffic. (Someone tells her) Oh, well I never made mistakes so I can’t add anything to this conversation.
(beat)
Yeah, no, my character was pretty stupid all on her own. Remember in Vault when she gets locked in the bank? She thinks she can fix everything alone, but also thinks they’re doomed. That’s Francesca.
CB: Elaine didn’t have a lot of funny scenes - usually the ‘straight man’ - probably the funniest is when she finds Ray & Fraser in the closet (audience laughs & CB says ‘yeah, well, I thought what you all just thought')
CS: Due South allowed you to be quirky and funny and unique, put a bit of yourself into the script.
R: Paul never let his ego get in the way - if someone had a suggestion that would improve the episode he always went with it.
TC: Writers would use things from the actors lives in the script - they really listened, especially in the first season.
T: Yeah, the first season. Wasn’t that great?
Unusual Fan Mail?
The general consensus is that dS fans are pretty normal
CB: I’ve gotten stuff from prison?
TC goes on for a while about how he got this huge parcel of stuff when he joined the show - flowers, a bathrobe, binoculars (?) but it wasn’t labelled.
CB: You gave it to yourself, admit it
CS: It was from CBS! Who did you think it was from??
TC: Did you get one Ramona?
R: Hell no!
CB: Maybe it’s a diversity thing. Only for the black actors.
Someone asks about fanfic. Everyone else groans and the actors look confused and express ignorance of the fact that it exists out there. I yell to them to please don't go looking for it and get applause (haha).
Question: What's the most embarassing song on your ipod?
CS: I don't have an ipod
Asker: Oh sorry, what do you use - vinyl records?
(Cast laughs)
R: How old are you anyway? You're practically a baby, how did you find this show?
Asker (who is young, under 20) explains that she grew up watching it, it's been a part of her life since she can remember.
R: That's crazy! Is it cool now? Like, do you go to your friends all, I'm watching dS! I'm so retro!
If you were any other cast member other than your character, who would it be?
T: Francesca!
Entire rest of cast: Ray
CS: Did you guys know I originally auditioned for the part of Ray? It was supposed to be written for a woman.
Entire rest of cast/audience: WHAEGHIUEJRN BWAH?!?
T: Waits for silence: WHAAAA??
Consensus was that it wouldn't have worked with Ray as a woman & it's a good thing the writers changed it.
Question about how Francesca is always chasing Fraser and offering herself
R: I’m actually shy when it comes to anything sexually overt
T: *laughter*
R: Shut up! Who invited him?
Question to the ladies: did you have a problem with/see it as a failing of your characters that you were always after the mountie?
CS: Oh God no - it was just part of the humor, not intended as anything negative. Wouldn't you be all over him?
T: [The men] had a problem with it
CS: I was originally only signed on for three episodes, but because the show allowed me freedom to develop my character she returned for far more than that.
Question: Did you take anything from set when you left?
They all took their chairs with their names on the back - originally, only Paul/CKR had them, but Ramona campaigned for the rest of the cast as well (T: (obviously joking) before that we all just had to sit on the ground all the time, it was terrible.)
CS: I had it in my contract that I got to take my entire wardrobe - it was beautiful.
T: THAT’S why they said they couldn’t pay me more. It had to pay for your clothing!
Camilla tells a story about a very expensive bra they bought her for the All the Queen’s Horses (the scene where Fraser gets the bobby pin). They never used it but she got to keep it anyway - it was also beautiful.
Question: “My question is related to what you were talking about earlier -”
T: Interrupts: Bras?!
Question: What stood out about dS?
All: The budget! The general consensus is that it was a very friendly set and people became very close, like family. Everyone had great rapport and loved working there.
TC: I’ve never been on a set since that doesn’t have at least one cast/crew from dS.
What did they think about the endings given to their characters?
General consensus was that it could’ve been better - they felt that their characters mostly deserved better endings. They thought they were a bit ‘silly’. They also felt that the show got a bit less ‘realistic’ (T: could you ever call it that?) in the later seasons, and that might have contributed to it.
T: Hey, I liked being a comic!
All in all, each and every one of them loved dS and agree that they haven’t worked on a set/show before or since that was as welcoming, warm, and fun. They want everyone out there to know they’re thankful for the continued love and support the fans have for the show even though it was off-air so long ago.
TC = Tony Craig = Huey
CS = Camilla Scott = Meg Thatcher
CB = Catherine Bruhier = Elaine
R = Ramona Milano = Francesca
This is nowhere close to a direct transcription of the panel - just notes that I managed to jot down! I'm pretty sure tons of people filmed it, so when they post their videos I can transcribe those :). For now, hopefully this is okay!
Tom, Tony, Camillia, and Catherine arrive - Ramona’s on her way but delayed by the treacherous Toronto traffic (say that 3 times fast…)
They’re told that Paul was in yesterday - but no pressure!
T: Oh yeah, Paul was here? Well we’re not just going to talk, we’re going to act out a full episode for you - take THAT Paul.
We establish that Paul owes Tom $5.00. Later on a convention organizer gives Tom a ripped $5.00 bill in an envelope and tells him to consider it cleared up.
Question: Do you guys see one another now/did you know one another before dS?
CS: Not often enough - Ramona and Catherine are younger than me, so I don’t go to the same auditions as them….and of course I have no memories at all of Tom.
T: We sat in a limo together!
CS: Yeah….no.
It’s established that they were in an episode of a different show (Kung fu something) together.
CS: OH YEAH! I though you meant dS, not another show.
T: Oh yeah, the Kung Fu episode of dS, that was awesome.
CS: That was before dS - we didn’t know one another then.
T: Yeah, we didn’t talk - you were the bad guy.
CS: No way! You were the bad guy!
Question: Favourite Episodes
CB: Whenever she got to ‘treat’ Fraser when he was hurt - she was practically drooling on him.
CS: The train episode! (All the Queen’s Horses). Fun to shoot, trains, horses, insanity. They would ride the train out in the morning, shoot, and party as they were driving back at the end of the day - it was a gigantic 2-week party.
TC: Chinatown, because I got to do things
T: Anything with Turnbull or Leslie Neilson! Oh, or the country western episode.
TC: That was probably the most embarrassing one I had to do (because of the cheesy drum roll). Wishes he had a chance to actually show off his musical talents at some point.
*Interrupted by the door opening - Tom goes ‘Oh My God, Romana Milano!’*
R: This is so cool!
Asked about physical comedy in dS/funniest scenes
CS: Most of my comedy wasn’t on purpose - I was such a klutz that I would knock stuff over and then they’d be like ‘That’s awesome! Do it again!’
T: remembers once he was supposed to slam on the breaks, but he missed and slammed into a wall & they kept the shot
TC: remembers when he was supposed to hi-five Fraser in the hall but missed and fell over - they kept that too.
R: I missed the question, I was stuck in traffic. (Someone tells her) Oh, well I never made mistakes so I can’t add anything to this conversation.
(beat)
Yeah, no, my character was pretty stupid all on her own. Remember in Vault when she gets locked in the bank? She thinks she can fix everything alone, but also thinks they’re doomed. That’s Francesca.
CB: Elaine didn’t have a lot of funny scenes - usually the ‘straight man’ - probably the funniest is when she finds Ray & Fraser in the closet (audience laughs & CB says ‘yeah, well, I thought what you all just thought')
CS: Due South allowed you to be quirky and funny and unique, put a bit of yourself into the script.
R: Paul never let his ego get in the way - if someone had a suggestion that would improve the episode he always went with it.
TC: Writers would use things from the actors lives in the script - they really listened, especially in the first season.
T: Yeah, the first season. Wasn’t that great?
Unusual Fan Mail?
The general consensus is that dS fans are pretty normal
CB: I’ve gotten stuff from prison?
TC goes on for a while about how he got this huge parcel of stuff when he joined the show - flowers, a bathrobe, binoculars (?) but it wasn’t labelled.
CB: You gave it to yourself, admit it
CS: It was from CBS! Who did you think it was from??
TC: Did you get one Ramona?
R: Hell no!
CB: Maybe it’s a diversity thing. Only for the black actors.
Someone asks about fanfic. Everyone else groans and the actors look confused and express ignorance of the fact that it exists out there. I yell to them to please don't go looking for it and get applause (haha).
Question: What's the most embarassing song on your ipod?
CS: I don't have an ipod
Asker: Oh sorry, what do you use - vinyl records?
(Cast laughs)
R: How old are you anyway? You're practically a baby, how did you find this show?
Asker (who is young, under 20) explains that she grew up watching it, it's been a part of her life since she can remember.
R: That's crazy! Is it cool now? Like, do you go to your friends all, I'm watching dS! I'm so retro!
If you were any other cast member other than your character, who would it be?
T: Francesca!
Entire rest of cast: Ray
CS: Did you guys know I originally auditioned for the part of Ray? It was supposed to be written for a woman.
Entire rest of cast/audience: WHAEGHIUEJRN BWAH?!?
T: Waits for silence: WHAAAA??
Consensus was that it wouldn't have worked with Ray as a woman & it's a good thing the writers changed it.
Question about how Francesca is always chasing Fraser and offering herself
R: I’m actually shy when it comes to anything sexually overt
T: *laughter*
R: Shut up! Who invited him?
Question to the ladies: did you have a problem with/see it as a failing of your characters that you were always after the mountie?
CS: Oh God no - it was just part of the humor, not intended as anything negative. Wouldn't you be all over him?
T: [The men] had a problem with it
CS: I was originally only signed on for three episodes, but because the show allowed me freedom to develop my character she returned for far more than that.
Question: Did you take anything from set when you left?
They all took their chairs with their names on the back - originally, only Paul/CKR had them, but Ramona campaigned for the rest of the cast as well (T: (obviously joking) before that we all just had to sit on the ground all the time, it was terrible.)
CS: I had it in my contract that I got to take my entire wardrobe - it was beautiful.
T: THAT’S why they said they couldn’t pay me more. It had to pay for your clothing!
Camilla tells a story about a very expensive bra they bought her for the All the Queen’s Horses (the scene where Fraser gets the bobby pin). They never used it but she got to keep it anyway - it was also beautiful.
Question: “My question is related to what you were talking about earlier -”
T: Interrupts: Bras?!
Question: What stood out about dS?
All: The budget! The general consensus is that it was a very friendly set and people became very close, like family. Everyone had great rapport and loved working there.
TC: I’ve never been on a set since that doesn’t have at least one cast/crew from dS.
What did they think about the endings given to their characters?
General consensus was that it could’ve been better - they felt that their characters mostly deserved better endings. They thought they were a bit ‘silly’. They also felt that the show got a bit less ‘realistic’ (T: could you ever call it that?) in the later seasons, and that might have contributed to it.
T: Hey, I liked being a comic!
All in all, each and every one of them loved dS and agree that they haven’t worked on a set/show before or since that was as welcoming, warm, and fun. They want everyone out there to know they’re thankful for the continued love and support the fans have for the show even though it was off-air so long ago.