Interview: A Story Angela Robinson Is Excited to Tell
Celebrity Extra: The role of Veronica Harrington is the talk of the fans: You either love her or you hate her. She’s smart, sassy and very much someone you don’t want to get on the wrong side of. What did you think about her when you were first presented with the role?
Angela Robinson: Thank goodness for people like Tyler Perry for writing this kind of role. When I first got the script, the only thing that really defined my character in it was my relationship with my son. The character had not been developed much more than that. I was the best friend of Kathryn Cryer, and I was the mom who was going to be against her son [and his sexual orientation]. My goal with that was to just be as faithful as I possibly could about hating that. I felt as though people who really feel that way and who would go to such lengths to change their child’s sexuality, if they could see a glimpse of themselves, they may actually think twice about it if they could actually see how painful and hurtful that could be. It was my goal to go all the way with that and not worry about being liked, to be OK with being hated.
CE: Were you nervous or excited to take that on?
AR: Definitely excited. It didn’t make me nervous. I was really excited to take it on, to be a part of telling this story of this young man’s journey. So, it didn’t make me nervous at all, but it did give me pause. I just really didn’t want to sugarcoat it. That was important to me, and it was also important to Mr. Perry.
CE: Do you consider Veronica to be a villain, or just misunderstood?
AR: That’s a really good question. I think that she’s probably one of the villainesses on the show. I say that because she is one of the ones who manipulates and tries to control a situation. I would say that she is. She, along with Candace, yes.
CE: I’d put Veronica up there with Erica Kane (“All My Children”) and Alexis Colby (“Dynasty”) in the “sophisticated and gorgeous villainess” category, but also Olivia Pope (“Scandal”) and Annalise Keating (“How to Get Away with Murder”) in the “powerful, smart and woman-in-control” category.
AR: What I love is that you mentioned these women, the leading ladies on television now of color. I love that it’s not all peaches and cream, you know? These ladies are complex; we have villains, and we get to play all these different types of characters. I think that’s great.
CE: A big moment — which for me harkened back to the “Dynasty” days when Alexis and Krystle had a lily-pond catfight — was when Veronica and Maggie went at it over David.
AR: It’s crazy, the reactions we’ve been getting. I didn’t know people were so into fighting! I think it says a lot about how people feel about marriage. No matter how much they hate [my character], they didn’t like anyone trying to come between a married couple. Allison (McAtee), the young lady who plays Maggie, is a good friend, so it was all done in fun and love. It was a lot of fun. I have fun speaking my mind and telling it like it is.
CE: People were saying that since David and Maggie weren’t intimate, it’s not cheating. I say, they were in bed making out half-clothed, so, yes, that’s cheating, and Veronica has every right to be mad.
AR: I know! We talked about that a lot on-set when we were doing it. People were like, “But he didn’t do anything!” And I would always say: “But I don’t know that. He was in her room all night. That’s enough.” They could have just been talking. I think that if you know a woman is into you, you probably shouldn’t be in an adjoining room. Probably should check his clothes. David’s such a good guy. But I agree it was cheating.
CE: How does “The Haves and the Have Nots” stand out from other nighttime dramas?
AR: I think it’s a number of things. I think it’s extremely diverse. You have different races; you have people of different economic backgrounds; you have different sexual orientations. And all are on the same level on the show. You are seeing their stories play out; it truly is an ensemble cast. Our show speaks to so many different issues, and the show is really relevant. I just think people really relate to it.
CE: Onscreen there is a lot of drama, but what’s it like backstage?
AR: We are a close cast. We all get along really well. We hang out in each other’s dressing rooms. Sometimes we talk about the story line together like it’s for real. We have to catch ourselves, because we’ll be done with a scene and walking back to the dressing room, and I’ll say to David, “But you had no business in her room.” And he’ll say, “Well, you should have let me come home.” And we look at each another and say: “What are we saying? That was business. We’re done.” Sometimes we take it very seriously (laughs).
And we genuinely really like each other. We enjoy spending time with one another off-set. I miss the cast so much [when we’re done filming for the season]. It’s really hard to say goodbye.
CE: What can you tell me about season three?
AR: I really think it’s the best season we’ve done. Fans can expect a bold ride every episode. Every character gets a moment this season. Last season we were really praying that Benny was going to come out of his coma, which was a big part of last season. And Candace was kidnapped most of last season. Now Benny’s back and Candace is back, and everybody gets the photo lens on their character more this season than any other season. It’s going to be really great. You are going to see different sides to the characters. Sometimes writers like to keep their characters in a box, but Mr. Perry doesn’t write that way. We get to see different sides of the characters, which is great for an actor to not be tied to a specific interpretation. It will be a great season.
Interview: James DuMont Discusses His "Indie" Film, Jurassic World
Celebrity Extra: Tell me about “Jurassic World.”
James DuMont: Well, it’s this little, independent, low-budget film that’s got some dinosaurs in it and stuff. (Laughs.) But seriously, I can’t tell you anything about story, plot, my character or anything. I’ve signed all these heavy-duty nondisclosure agreements up and down the street. But the good news to tell you is that it’s absolutely amazing. The cast is amazing. A good indication of the excitement around it is when the trailer came out; 15 million people saw it within the first 24 hours. I think we’re up to 80 million views on YouTube. So, I think I can go out on a limb and predict that we’ll be the box-office hit of the summer. Chris Pratt’s in there. Bryce Dallas Howard’s in there. It’s just really great people involved; it’s going to be a great franchise. There are a lot of cool things about the movie. They got it right. Steven Spielberg’s on board. The director, Colin Trevorrow, is amazing. I’m just excited to be a part of a big movie like that. It’s the largest-budget movie I’ve ever done.
CE: I know you can’t tell me about the plot, but can you tell me about the filming process? How was that, and where did you film?
JD: They did half the film in Hawaii, where the majority of the amusement park is. The rest of it was done in Baton Rouge, and that is where I come into the movie. Louisiana has so much filming going on. At some point we were sharing space with “Terminator: Genisys.” And “The Fantastic Four” was also filming in Baton Rouge. So, you had three $100-million-plus movies all being shot in Louisiana at the same time. That was kind of wild.
CE: And all three of those movies are so hush-hush, which I fully approve of, because I am a no-spoilers kind of movie/TV watcher.
JD: I respect that they want to keep it secret. I feel the same way about the TV shows, too. When I’m doing shows like “American Horror Story,” and even when I was doing “Treme,” I didn’t know about the other scenes. So, I get to watch the show with fresh eyes as well because I don’t know about what other people are doing other than my own scenes. I absolutely like that idea of keeping it quiet and secret. It’s fun to know inside information, but I wouldn’t want to share it, because it kills the story.
CE: I keep expecting to see you pop up as country DJ Bobby Delmont on “Nashville” again, but, alas, you haven’t made another appearance yet.
JD: Juliette Barnes (played by Hayden Panettiere) is going to have to circle back around to Houston and give them a little Bobby Delmont. I thought for sure that returning was a possibility, but, you know, it’s all about the gals and the singing. But you never know. I’m just glad the show’s still going.
CE: I do love “Nashville,” and Hayden has been phenomenal this season.
JD: She’s so incredibly talented. I mean, she’s amazing. She’s the sweetest person and is so smart and sharp, and so on her game. Beyond “Nashville,” I think that some Oscar work is going to come out of her within the next five years, for sure. I was blown away by her, to be quite honest.
CE: I see you’re currently filming a movie called “Mind Puppets.” Tell me about that one.
JD: It’s this cool little ensemble comedy where seven people at a fair are up on stage and are hypnotized by a mind reader/hypnotist. He gives them particular things to do, and the audience is loving it and having a good time. But before he pulls everybody out from under hypnosis, he has a heart attack, so they are stuck in this hypnotic state. It’s a really cool film, a very fun movie. It stars Kevin Pollak, Vinnie Jones and lots of others.
CE: That sounds like a wonderful premise for something I’d like to see.
JD: It is a great premise. The other thing that I loved about it is that it’s a very different follow-up to “Dallas Buyers Club.” I mean, half the movie I’m shirtless. And I’m not built, I’ll tell you right now. I’m a fat dude who sometimes has man boobs. But I researched being hypnotized in real life, and there are no limits or boundaries. Once you’re in that hypnotic state, you’re free from all the limitations that your mind and heart and experiences put on you. There’s something kind of amazing and scary about that.
CE: Tell me about “I Saw the Light.”
JD: It is a Hank Williams biopic, which stars Tom Hiddleston. That definitely will be cut and ready in time for him to be considered for an Oscar nomination, or at least a Golden Globe. He did an amazing job of channeling his inner country singer, and him being the low-key Brit from the “Avengers” movies; you couldn’t ask for more polar-opposite characters to embody. But that one is going to be pretty exciting.
CE: Was this made with cooperation and approval from Hank Williams Jr.?
JD: Absolutely — Junior had approval. We also consulted the people who handled the estate, the musicians who worked side by side with Hank pretty much from day one. You’ve got a lot of old, seasoned folks who handled his business and his personal life. I knew there was a big Hank Williams following, but I had no idea the generational levels of his contribution. I’m excited to be a part of it.
CE: What about the movie “Little Boy”? That comes out soon, right?
JD: That comes out April 24, and I did that about three years ago. I saw a screening of it, and it’s magical. It’s really quite amazing. It’s set during World War II, and it’s about a little boy whose dad goes off to war, and he’ll do anything to make sure his dad comes back home safe. A Japanese man comes to the little town, and he befriends the boy. It’s a beautiful lesson of if you can learn to love your enemy, you can learn to love anybody. Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson, David Henrie, Kevin James — they’re all in it. It’s the kind of movie that people make with their heart, and I hope it will get a lot of attention.
Interview: Nancy Lee Grahn's General Hospital Now! Cohorts Are Here to Entertain
Celebrity Extra: Who’s idea was “General Hospital Now!”?
Nancy Lee Grahn: It was mine. I have a writing partner, Kaore Bonell — we met through mutual friends — and he’s a huge “GH” fan. He’s a sketch writer, and I loathe writing, so we came up with ideas together. We just laughed and had fun and thought this would be fun to do. We pitched it to ABC, and they were receptive.
CE: I had a ball watching the episodes; this idea was long overdue.
NLG: Yes, that’s the thing — people don’t get to see that this is a very fun medium. Everyone works hard, and they take what they do very seriously and they do it really well, but it’s also entertainment. And we laugh a lot. We have a great sense of humor about all kinds of things that we do. And that to me is the fun thing about doing “GH Now!” — I think it’s important to find the humor in everything. So we are finding the humor, and we’re letting the audience know that we know that they know that we know that we know that they know (laughs). You know what I mean? It’s just really good fun, and it’s done out of love, and it’s a wink and a hug to the audience.
CE: You guys look like you’re having so much fun; is that an example of the fun you all have together off-screen?
NLG: Oh, yes, we do. That’s what’s fun about this show is we get to show what we do when the cameras aren’t rolling. We’re having a good time.
CE: Do you do this in front of an audience? I know I heard laughter and audience reactions during the talk-show portions, but I didn’t know if that was live or added later.
NLG: No, there wasn’t an audience for these first six episodes. When you do a pilot, there’s not a template for this kind of thing, so you experiment. When we saw the playback of the talk show, we realized that it sounded too hollow. There’s a reason why talk shows have the formula that they have, because it works.
CE: With the immense “GH” fan base, you should have no trouble scrounging up an audience if you decide to shoot more of these webisodes.
NLG: Oh, yes, if we get the privilege of doing more, that’s something that’s going to be addressed. We did this for a very modest budget. And if we do more, hopefully there will be some advertising money, and we can get a little more luxurious.
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| Nancy with Jackie Kashian, Ian Buchanan (Duke Lavery) and Jen Kober |
NLG: I am very partial to the sketches. I love “The Crying Game” sketch, the gurney race. I like the commercials; I love doing on-the-street stuff. And there’s a funny bit where everyone goes to the bathroom in my dressing room, thinking it’s the bathroom. You know, things you’ve never seen before on “General Hospital.”
CE: How is the shooting process?
NLG: I can tell you there’s never been a moment shooting this that was not fun in some way. There was no fighting. It wasn’t like, “What are we going to do?” It was a good group. Everyone got along. Everyone pitched in. Every day was fun that we worked on the show, and I loved it.
CE: How has the fan feedback about the series been so far?
NLG: I’m knocking on wood, because it’s been very positive, extremely positive. People have been so supportive. I’m overwhelmed by how nice everybody is.
CE: I’ll bet your “GH” die-hard fans have their share of ideas for future shows, don’t they?
NLG: We’re getting all kinds of ideas. People are saying, “How about you do this in the next one?” And the actors are coming up with ideas. It’s really gotten a very wonderful response, and I’m really grateful.
CE: You said earlier that you don’t know yet if you’ll get to do more — it depends on the reception these first six episodes get — but I really hope you get the OK to do more episodes. They really are a pleasure to watch.
NLG: You are so nice; thank you so much. I so want to do more. Kaore (Bonell) and I have so many more ideas. It really is fun. And the actors involved are really good sports, and they are willing to play. Kaore and I are already starting to talk and come up with some stuff, so if we get green-lit for more, we’ll be ready.
CE: How can fans help you get that green light?
NLG: We just need a lot of website clicks, lots of clicks. People can go to abc.go.com/shows/general-hospital, and click on the “General Hospital Now!” link on the right side of the page, and watch the episodes. And share them with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Let’s get the word out!
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