Interview: Mark Deklin, Under Suspicion
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| Mark Deklin, photo by Angelo Kritikos |
Celebrity Extra: Without giving too much away, what can you tell me about your episode of “Castle”?
Mark Deklin: You’re absolutely going to hate me, because there’s so very little I can tell you. I feel like almost anything I tell you has the potential to be a spoiler, which tells you that it’s an interesting episode and an interesting character, but I’m afraid of tipping my hand.
CE: I know exactly what you mean, because “Castle” always has you wondering throughout the entire episode, sending you down some wrong paths, before they finally solve the case.
MD: One of the things I like about “Castle” — one of the things I think that makes it smart — is that they don’t throw in a red herring. I’ve been on crime shows before, and I always play the guy where it’s like: “Oh, he’s the jerk. I bet he’s the murderer.” Everybody always sees through that, because it’s so formulaic. The thing I like about “Castle” is that it’s not like that. The twists and turns could take you anywhere. The guy I play could be a good guy or a bad guy or just caught in the middle — there’s no way to know. And I can’t say a whole lot more than that.
CE: You’ve gotta give me a little something.
MD: We first meet him when his girlfriend is found dead. And he’s not a suspect necessarily, he’s just one of the people they are interviewing. This is clearly a guy who’s very saddened by her death. And then, of course, we meet him again later on in the episode …
CE: How was it working with Nathan Fillion?
MD: He’s a funny guy. He’s such a classic Canadian boy. And I mean that in all the best ways. You know, just so nice and personable and welcoming and down to earth — just a cool guy.
CE: How was the rest of the cast and crew to work with? Does the set have a nice working atmosphere?
MD: Everyone was just lovely. I’ve been in this business long enough, and I see how when you go on a different set, there can be good energy or bad energy. And I do sort of think it comes from the top down. I’ve been on sets where you just feel the ickiness in the air. Nobody’s horrible to you, but you can just feel that it’s not a nice place to work. That’s definitely not the case on “Castle.” I was getting texts from various people (who’d worked on the show) saying: “You’re going to love it. It’s such a great set.”
From the minute I walked on set, I felt welcomed. It’s very professional and well run. It all starts with Nathan and Stana (Katic, who plays Det. Kate Beckett), who are both just really chill and cool and laid-back. I had a lot of fun working with them. I worked with Jon (Huertas, Det. Esposito) and Seamus (Dever, Det. Ryan) as well — I actually knew them beforehand — and they were great.
You can tell it’s just a group of people who made a conscious decision to create a nontoxic work environment. It’s really nice when that happens. That was one of the things I really miss about “GCB,” because it was one of those environments. We all loved each other, and I loved going to work every day. And you don’t always have that working in television, so when you find it, you really remember those sets the most.
CE: I know it’s what sets up the whole story of “Tarzan,” but I am bummed that your character has to die in the beginning.
MD: It’s funny that that’s technically a spoiler, which cracks me up, because now everybody goes into the movie knowing that I die. But that’s the story — if the kid isn’t orphaned, then he can’t grow up to be Tarzan. So by definition, to make him an orphan, Mom and Dad have to get offed.
CE: What can you tell me about John Greystoke and his wife? What do we get to learn about them before you get offed?
MD: Jaime Ray Newman played my wife, Alice, and she’s great. Our characters kick off the movie. We get a little more action, a little more screen time than the parents in Disney’s “Tarzan” got. You actually get to see us interacting and figuring our stuff out. But it’s not the Victorian “Tarzan” that we all grew up with. It’s a modern take on it. My character is almost like a Richard Branson type — a wealthy but well-intentioned adventurer and entrepreneur. He discovers that there’s a serious energy source — sort of meteorite, which crashed in Africa — and he wants to find it. He brings his family with him, which of course is a stupid decision, but I suppose in the moment it doesn’t seem stupid because he doesn’t go thinking he’s going to die. He just thinks that they are going to be going on a safari. He ends up unleashing a mystical force that he never could have anticipated, and everything kind of goes
CE: Was this a fun movie to shoot?
MD: Yeah, it was really fun. It was cool. It was all CGI work, and I’ve done a lot of that for video games. It was amazing to see how technology has progressed just within the last year or so. My favorite part was watching Peter Elliot, who is based in London. He’s a stunt man, choreographer and also he’s an ape researcher. He worked on “Gorillas in the Mist.” He’s a fascinating guy. It was his job to turn these actors and stunt men into gorillas; how to move and breathe and occupy this gorilla space, and it was pretty amazing. If you watch the making-of trailer, it is pretty fantastic how these guys embodied these great apes, and to hear him talk about these apes with such passion. He was just fascinating to work with.
And Reinhard Klooss — who directed it, from Constantine Films — was a really interesting cat too. It was cool. We shot in Munich — I had lived in Vienna for a little while, and one of my best friends lived in Munich at the same time, so I used to spend a lot of time in Munich. It’s a great city. I hadn’t been back in years, so it was really fun to be back there shooting and to brush up on my German, which is very rusty.
CE: Do you have a release date for “Tarzan” yet?
MD: I know it’s definitely 2013 in Europe. And I know that they want to get a 2013 U.S. release as well, but I don’t know.
Q and A: Week of Nov. 26
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| Tara Summers |
A: Tara Summers, who turns 33 in December, plays Dr. Karen Dunhill on FX’s rough-and-tumble, motorcycle-filled crime drama. Tara is a TV and film vet who’s been in lots of series and feature film, including “Alfie,” “Boston Legal,” “Dirt,” “Factory Girl,” “Damages” and “Ringer.” You can see her this winter in the feature film “Hitchcock,” which stars Anthony Hopkins (as Alfred Hitchcock) and Helen Mirren (as his wife, Alma Reville), with Tara playing Rita Riggs.
Tara told me what it was like working with the two legendary actors: “Helen Mirren … it’s really like her movie. She’s extraordinary. It focuses on the love story between Hitchcock and his wife, and how she was the silent partner in the operation. His wife had a lot more to do with it than we will ever know. And Anthony Hopkins is one of my heroes, and he was so generous and so kind. He’s always in a good mood, and just so amazing to work with and to watch.”
Q: My friend told me that the CW is remaking “Sex and the City.” Is that true? If so, why? It was great as it was on HBO. — Penny W., Seattle
A: The CW is not remaking the hit HBO series, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. Rather, they bought the rights to the prequel, “The Carrie Diaries,” based on the book written by “Sex” author Candace Bushnell. “The Carrie Diaries” — set in the 1980s — chronicles Carrie Bradshaw’s (played by AnnaSophia Robb) coming-of-age as she navigates her senior year of high school and discovers the glittering lights of Manhattan, and lots of shoes. “The Carrie Diaries” premieres on the CW on Monday, Jan. 14, at 8/7c, followed by “90210,” which moves to 9/8c.
Q: I was a big fan of “The Cosby Show,” and I wondered whatever happened to the actor who played Rudy’s friend, Stanley, on the show. — Justin W., via e-mail
A: Merlin Santana, who went on to play Ohagi on “Moesha” and Romeo on “The Steve Harvey Show,” died on 2002 at the age of 26. Tragically, he was falsely accused of attempted rape of 15-year-old Monique King, so her boyfriend, Brandon Bynes, shot Merlin six times, killing him. Brandon received three consecutive life sentences plus 70 years in prison, while Monique received eight years in juvenile custody.
Q: When will “Cougar Town” be back? — Jennifer T., Tampa
A: TBS has announced that “Cougar Town” will return for a 15-episode fourth season beginning Tuesday, Jan. 8. So raise a glass (of red wine, of course) to the return of your favorite cul-de-sac gang, as they begin a new era on a new network. I can’t wait!
Interview: Rachel Boston — Coming into Her Power
Last week, I interviewed Rachel Boston for my other King Features column, Daytime Dial (see interview here). We discussed her trip back to high school — via Lifetime’s original movie “Holiday High School Reunion.” In “Holiday,” Rachel starred with such industry vets as Marilu Henner and Harry Hamlin. But Rachel is no stranger to working with Hollywood heavy-hitters. Right now she is shooting a pilot for Lifetime called “Witches of East End,” with Julia Ormond (“Legends of the Fall,” “Sabrina” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) and Jenna Dewan-Tatum (“Step Up” “American Horror Story” and wife of People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Channing Tatum). When I interviewed Rachel recently, she told me all about her exciting new project, which will hopefully have a long life on Lifetime. Rachel can’t wait for viewers to see her latest project, which is due to premiere next year.
Celebrity Extra: You are working with Lifetime again, shooting a pilot called “Witches of East End.” This intrigues me, as I’ve always been a huge fan of supernatural storytelling. What can you tell me about it?
Rachel Boston: I am working with such an amazing group of women! Julia Ormond plays my mom, and Jenna Dewan-Tatum plays my sister. As the story goes, when we were born, our mom cast a spell so we wouldn’t actually know we are witches, but we can sense that we are different. Through a chain of events, we discover who we are and how we can help protect each other and our town. Maggie Friedman wrote the script and is such an amazing voice for women. It’s also a story about intuition, trust and love, and I pray we get to tell this story for years to come.
CE: Tell me a bit about your character, Ingrid.
RB: I play Ingrid Beauchamp, and I live with my mom and sister in the small town of Fair Haven. Ingrid is a delightful soul but very insecure about certain areas of her life. She works at the library and has been hiding in her books, but she is about to have to step into her power and become the woman she is destined to be.
CE: You’re shooting in Wilmington, N.C. (whose big Hollywood claim to fame is as the location for filming “Dawson’s Creek”), which is gorgeous, especially this time of year. How has the shoot been so far?
RB: I love Wilmington! The people are so kind, and the beaches are gorgeous. We have a wonderful crew.
CE: If the show gets picked up, do you know when it will begin airing?
RB: Summer 2013!
Q and A: Week of Nov. 19
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| Cast of NBC's "Community" |
A: NBC recently announced that “Community” — which stars Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover and Chevy Chase — has ping-ponged back to its original Thursday night at 8/7c time slot, beginning Feb. 7. “Community” takes the place of “30 Rock,” which will have concluded its final season by then. We’ll both have to wait patiently for 13 more episodes of one of the best, and most underrated, comedies on television today.
Q: On your recommendation, I watched Bill Pullman in Scott Turrow’s “Innocent,” which carried on the story of “Presumed Innocent” main character Rusty Sabich 20 years later, where he is accused of murdering his wife. I absolutely loved it, and it got me to thinking that in my opinion, Bill Pullman is underutilized in Hollywood. Can you tell me what I can see him in next? — Virginia F. in Connecticut
A: Beginning Thursday, Jan. 10, at 9:30/8:30c, Bill does a 180 from his “Innocent” role to star as the president of the United States in the NBC comedy “1600 Penn.” The series was co-created by Jason Winder, director for “Modern Family,” so I can only hope that some of that comic genius carries over to this new series. And Bill is no stranger to being the POTUS (see: “Independence Day”), nor is he averse to being funny. In fact, when I spoke with the star of the dark comedy “Mr. Wrong” earlier this year, he told me he was eager to get back into comedy if he got the right script.
Q: My roommate told me that there is going to be a new “Battlestar Galactica” movie on the Syfy channel. Is that true? If so, when? — Harold W., Boston
A: “Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome” is set to debut this March on Syfy, and stars Luke Pasqualino and Ben Cotton. According to reps for Syfy, the film “takes place in the midst of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, gifted fighter pilot William Adama (Pasqualino), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica.
Full of ambition and hungry for action, Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Cotton).” The film already is airing in weekly seven-to-10-minute segments on the Machinima Prime YouTube channel for those who can’t wait until March, as long as you don’t mind short segments with a week between airings.
Q: I can’t stand the waiting! When will “Smash” be back? —- Eric P., via e-mail
A: You’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. The musical melodrama returns to NBC on Feb. 5.
Q and A: Week of Nov. 12
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| Mary McDonnell of "Major Crimes" |
A: “Major Crimes,” TNT’s “The Closer” spinoff starring Mary McDonnell, was the year’s No. 1 new cable drama, so you can bet it will return for a 15-episode second season (up from a 10-episode first season) in summer 2013. As the premiere gets closer and I learn an exact date, I’ll be sure to let you know so you won’t miss Capt. Sharon Raydor and crew as they solve cases for LAPD’s Major Crimes Division.
Q: When will “In Treatment” be back? I hope soon. — Linda W., via e-mail
A: HBO canceled the Gabriel Byrne-starring drama in spring 2011 after three seasons and more than 100 episodes. At first there was talk of it possibly returning in a new incarnation; however, it would appear those plans have been scrapped.
As I reported a few months back, you can catch Gabriel on television again soon. He’ll be starring in the History Channel original scripted drama “Vikings,” which is slated for a 2013 premiere. Gabriel’s “In Treatment” co-star Dianne Wiest recently co-starred with Jennifer Garner in “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” and Michelle Forbes starred in AMC’s now-defunct “The Killing,” as Rosie Larsen’s mom, Mitch.
Q: What happened to the program “Fairly Legal”? Will it return? — Marilyn S., Webster, N.Y.
A: The USA network’s legal dramedy wrapped its second season this past June 15, with the third season to premiere in spring 2013 (no official date yet). If you are going through “Fairly Legal” withdrawal, season one is now on DVD, and season two is available for streaming purchase through amazon.com. Also, you can go to www.celebrityextraonline.com and search the archives to read my March 16 interview with series co-star Virginia Williams (Lauren Reed).
Q: I am big fan of “Single Ladies,” but somehow I missed a few episodes. Where can I catch up on my viewing? —- Hal W., via e-mail
A: Season two of the hit VH1 original scripted series is now available on DVD as a four-disc set containing all 14 episodes with bonus clips. Also, the show has been renewed for a third season, to premiere summer 2013.
Q: As the end of “The Office” gets closer, I am reminded that Rainn Wilson was supposed to get a spinoff, where I believe we get to see how Dwight and his cousin, Mose, run the beet farm. Is this still happening? — Gennifer T., Allentown, Pa.
A: It appears that plans for the Dwight/Mose spinoff, which was tentatively called “The Farm,” have fallen through. In late October, Rainn tweeted the following message to his millions of Twitter followers: “NBC has passed on moving forward with ‘The Farm’ TV show. Had a blast making the pilot — onwards and upwards!”
Q and A: Week of Nov. 5
Q: The CW’s “90210” is really off to a great start — it seems to be getting back on the right track since its weird derailment of last season. Can you give me any spoilers for season five? — Bridget M. in Georgia A: I spoke with series star Michael Steger, who plays Navid Shirazi, and he told me to look for the darker side of Navid to come out.
“Navid is thrown off-kilter a bit to where his character is tested when he learns Silver has chosen Teddy to be the father of her baby,” he said. “After almost having a one-night stand, he’s really not thinking. It’s completely out of character for him. He’s trying to get back to Silver, so he’s doing as much as he can in that area.”
Michael and the rest of the cast are thrilled to celebrate a show milestone: They just filmed the 100th episode. “I feel like everybody’s in a place of gratitude and surprise that we’ve made it this long, and it’s nice to see. We’re hard at work with this new season, so we hope fans will enjoy it.”
Q: I finally caught up on season one of the new “Dallas,” and I can’t wait to see more! Please tell me it will return for another season. If so, when? — Deena W., via e-mail
A: TNT’s hit reboot of “Dallas” — which stars Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Josh Henderson, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster and Brenda Strong — definitely will be back for another round of family intrigue, altercations and double-dealings. A 13-episode second season premieres Jan. 28. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what Cliff Barnes and his daughter (!) have planned for JR, Bobby and the rest of the Ewing clan.
Q: One of my favorite actresses is the gorgeous Natasha Henstridge. Can you tell me what I can see her in next? — Dustin R., via e-mail
A: The Canadian beauty can be seen next in the Hallmark Channel original movie “Christmas Song,” which premieres Saturday, Nov. 3, at 8/7c. Natasha plays a music teacher (named Diana Dalton) at a girls’ prep school who must fight for her job when her school merges with the local boys’ school, bringing with it the boys’ choir director. Natasha also co-stars in “The Bronx Bull,” which is a continuation of the story of boxer Jake LaMotta that was first brought to the big screen in 1980’s “Raging Bull.” Look for it in theaters sometime next year.
Q: My husband and I enjoyed “Hatfields and McCoys” on the History Channel, but we missed the third part. How can we see it in its entirety? — Sandy M., Port Charlotte, Fla.
A: The award-winning miniseries — which earned Emmys for Kevin Costner and Tom Berenger, and a nomination for Bill Paxton — is now available on DVD at most major stores and outlets for your viewing pleasure.
A: You’re in luck on both counts. Aside from being able to watch full episodes on hulu.com and mtv.com, seasons one and two are available on DVD. The show has been granted a super-size season three, which will consist of 20 episodes instead of the previous 12 episodes each of the previous two seasons. Look for season three to premiere in summer 2013.
Q: I just heard about the death of one of my favorite directors, Tony Scott. I couldn’t find any information on the definite cause or reason for his death. Do you know what happened? — Felix S., Vancouver, British Columbia
A: The results of Tony’s autopsy were recently released, with the cause of death being multiple blunt-force injuries, which were sustained when he jumped off a Los Angeles bridge on Aug. 19. The official ruling is suicide, as no foul play was suspected or discovered. There was also no evidence of an inoperable brain tumor — as some sources were citing as the reason he killed himself — putting to rest those rumors that his family vehemently denied from the get-go.
Tony, who was 68 at the time of his death, had recently announced his intent to develop a “Top Gun” sequel, and was with Tom Cruise just days prior to his death scouting locations for the movie. There is no word yet on whether the movie will be made without Tony.
Q: “Assassin’s Creed” is one of my favorite video games, and my roommate heard that it’s going to be made into a movie. Is that true? — Douglas W., via e-mail
A: Development of a big-screen version of the popular video game is moving forward, with Michael Fassbender set to star as Desmond Miles, a man who comes from a long line of assassins but tries to lie low and maintain a more common lifestyle as a bartender. Since it’s still early in the development process, there’s no word on co-stars or a release date. However, I can tell you that it will be shot in 3-D.
Q: My husband and I are curious as to what happened to Lisa, who was one of the “Ice Road Truckers” on the History Channel last year. We’re hoping she didn’t crash. — Bonnie and George H., via e-mail
A: Lisa Kelly is alive and well, and taking a year off. Producer Thom Beers told a group of reporters: “We offered her a contract to return, and she chose not to. (We’d) love to have her, (but) she’s taking a year off. The thing we liked about her more than anyone else — she’s the one person of them all who showed real fear. I wish her luck, and I wish she was back.”
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