Q and A: Week of Nov. 11

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Q and A: Week of Nov. 11

Dana Davis

Q: Can you tell me if one of my favorite shows, “Franklin and Bash,’ will be back for another season? — Jamie F., via email

A: I am happy to report that TNT has renewed the hour-long courtroom comedy/drama for a fourth season. I recently spoke with series co-star Dana Davis, and she told me all about how great it is to work on the show: “It’s just too fun working with Mark-Paul (Gossaaler) and Breckin (Meyer), because they’re really, really funny. And I respect them so much. I find it amazing to work with people like Breckin, Mark-Paul and Kumail Nanjiani. They’re so much fun, and they light up a room.”

Before season four begins, Dana will be busy. She is co-starring in the Syfy pilot “High Moon.” But more important, she has a project of her own she wants the world to see. “I had this idea for a show, called “The Wish i Mayz,” that teaches kids about music, all the while, giving them amazing music to listen to. It’s about three aliens from the Star Planet who speak only in song, and that’s how they teach the kids on Earth about music. Right now, I am pitching it around town. I want to evolve children’s music, and also stimulate their brains a little bit more. I want to give them music that they can keep with them for a lifetime.”

Come back next week to read my entire interview with Dana.

Q: I am a huge “X-Files” fan, and my husband and I have been rewatching the series at home on DVD. Can you tell me if there will be another feature film? — Carissa G., Tacoma, Wash.

A: If series stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and series creator and head writer Chris Carter have their way, there will be a third movie. All parties are interested, they told a crowd of fans at the Paley Center for the Media in New York this past October. (They were there to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the sci-fi cult hit.) According to David: “It’s really up to 20th Century Fox at this point.” Gillian added: “If it takes fan encouragement to get Fox interested in that, then I guess that’s what it would be.”

Q: I know “Drop Dead Diva” has been on the bubble for a few seasons. I have my fingers crossed that it’ll be back for at least one more. — Leila P., via email

A: Lifetime recently announced that “Diva” will indeed return for a sixth season. Look for 13 new episodes next year. (I’ll let you know when there’s a firm date.)

Q: Is it true? Have the Jonas Brothers really broken up? — Mollie H., via email

A: Sorry tweens, but the pop-music trio has decided to call it quits. According to the band’s publicist, Jesse Derris: “There is a deep rift within the band. There was a big disagreement over their music direction.”

Interview: William B. Davis: Through the Smoke

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Interview: William B. Davis: Through the Smoke

I need to get this out of the way. To me first and foremost, William B. Davis will always be the Cigarette-Smoking Man from The X-Files. So, you can bet your sweet bippy I was thrilled to get the chance to interview him for my column. He's promoting his new autobiography, Where There's Smoke ... the Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man, and I am so glad I got the chance to read this book and to read about the man behind the smoke. And, of course, college-age Cindy is ecstatic to have had to chance to talk to the man who shaped a generation of TV viewers, who created a persona so powerful and ingrained that even people who haven't even seen The X-Files (who ARE these people??) know who Cancer Man, aka The Cigarette Smoking Man, is. We spoke recently about his new book, his part in the golden age of radio in Canada, his help in being the forefront of modern Canadian theater, and anything else that happened to be on our minds.

Celebrity Extra: As a longtime fan, I am thrilled that you wrote this book, but what was the impetus that caused you to write it in the first place?

William B. Davis: It was, I guess, a series of things. It was first put in my mind by a university professor here in Canada. Because I had this kind of unique idiosyncratic background in the Canadian theater and around in the dying days of radio drama. I had lived in an interesting time. Obviously we knew The X Files experience was original, unlikely and of interest. I began to give it more and more thought, and as one began to look at the whole notion of examining one's past life to one's modern lens, it just became more and more interesting to do. Once I started I couldn’t stop. It was just so interesting to do. 

CE: Did you ever worry about some of the things that you write about, since you do kind of kiss and tell on a lot of things...

WD: I was and still am nervous about some of the things that I wrote. You think, “Oh my, should I have really done that?” or “How can I phrase that a little more delicately?” or whatever. But when I was writing, I was determined I wasn’t going to write a whitewash memoir that says, “I’m a lovely person and I met lots of lovely people and I did lots of lovely things.” Who wants to read that? It’s not the true story and it’s not very interesting. So, I was determined that I was going to be candid within some kind of reason or some kind of limitations, I guess. There were people I didn’t want to embarrass, like my children. But you wonder once it’s out there whether you’ve gone a little too far. 

CE: Have you had any feedback from your X-Files castmates?

WD: I’ve noticed that there was some talk about me doing a convention in Toronto in August, and I know Gillian (Anderson, who played Dana Scully) is going to be there and I thought, “Uh oh.” The chances that she’s read this book are not very high. I don’t know that it’s a problem.

CE: As I recall, you do mention that you suspect Gillian had some "work" done, although, as a woman, I like to think that she thinned out and grew into her looks, and the lighting and angles helped her ...

WD: And there’s truth to that — I give her credit, and sometimes when I think back about what I could have said or should have said, I mean, I know she was going to the gym at 6 o’clock in the morning before going to the set. That’s a dedication I can hardly imagine ... those long days on set that you would go to the gym before you go [to set]. I remember meeting her in the gym once or twice. But I personally suspect she had some work done, but why not? I’ve had some work done.

CE: When you started on The X-Files, you had actually quit smoking...

WD: I quit smoking before my brother died, before he was diagnosed with cancer. My other two brothers rapidly quit smoking once my older brother was diagnosed with cancer, but I had quit a few years before that. It was one of those things you always say you are going to do, and it’s a much harder thing to do than most people realize. In truth, my motivation was I was starting to get more concerned about maintaining my level of fitness, and I had started to run and I was sprinting all the way around the track, so it was more to solve my kind of immediate concerns than that distance sense in the future that it might cause cancer or that it might cause me to die younger than I would otherwise or whatever. It was almost more for what the immediate benefit would be that motivated me to really do it. I guess that says something about humans. We live in the present more than we should. 

CE: On The X-Files, you smoked herbal cigarettes ...

WD: I’m not sure herbal is that much better — who knows? We have no idea if there is a relationship between smoking herbal cigarettes and cancer, because nobody smokes that many herbal cigarettes. It’s never been tested.

CE: To back up a little — in your 20s, you left Canada and left for a job in England. That's a pretty big deal ... were you nervous, excited?

WD: I don’t recall being particularly nervous about it. I had visited a couple of years earlier so I had a little familiarity, but basically I left home when I went to University. I lived in residence, and while I had contact with home, I was really living on my own from the time I was 17. So when it came to the idea of going to England, I don’t recall being nervous about that. I recall being terrified about starting University. I guess that was leaving home. I recall being driven, because we lived in the country and I was driven to the city and was just really nervous about not knowing anybody. But I don’t recall any of that about going to England ... so whether I had just matured or got more focused, it’s hard to know now.

CE: You worked with such luminaries as Donald Sutherland and Maggie Smith and Albert Finney. Have you spoken with any of them about your book?

WD: No, no I haven’t. I have not with Maggie or with Albie — but Sutherland, yes, we connected relatively recently because we were both involved in donating money to Heart of Theatre at University of Toronto, where we had begun. So, we had some communication about that and we recently, within the last year or so, had a meeting here in Vancouver. We hadn’t talked in a really long time, so I really appreciated that. He marches to his drummer, but it was a delight to see him again.

CE: I absolutely LOVE that you still hold some world water-ski records. Do you still get out on the water and do some stunts?

WD: I still do water-ski tricks. I regret I can’t do all the tricks I used to be able to do. The body doesn’t quite turn the way it once did, but I still get out there on the skis. I haven’t skied yet this year. My new wife — who didn’t know anything about water skiing until she started hanging out with me — has now become a better than me.

CE: I think it's funny how people can't disassociate you with your X-Files character and are crushed to learn that you really don't believe in all this extra-terrestrial stuff.

WD: Yeah, they’re surprised at that, because certainly people don’t understand the acting profession very well, and they assume that one chooses to be in a particular project because one has a belief or a commitment about it. And the truth is, one is just delighted to have the work. It’s a great role and I’m happy to have done it. But I certainly didn’t choose it because it was science fiction, or because it was about the paranormal or about aliens. When you’re an actor, you try to live truthfully in imagined circumstances. So, it’s not difficult for an actor to imagine that there are aliens who are abducting people. But that’s a far cry from a person thinking that there are aliens among us abducting people.

There are people coming up to me and asking, “Why didn’t you get the new evidence about Area 51?” There was someone in Scotland who wanted to take me on a sky walk where they were going to see UFOs, and I finally had to say, “No, I don’t actually believe it.” The look of surprise is just astonishing.

What's funny is, with Gillian and David (Duchovny, who played Mulder), it was reverse. David was the skeptic and Gillian was a believer.

Q and A: Week of April 16

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Q and A: Week of April 16

Q: I’ve been rewatching episodes of “The X-Files,” and wondered what the actor who played my favorite character, the Cigarette-Smoking Man, has been doing lately. I love every episode he is in. — Summer F., via e-mail

A: William B. Davis (but you can call him Bill) has guest-starred on countless TV series and movies since “The X-Files” ended, including “Damage,” “Smallville,” “HumanTarget,” “Stargate SG-1″ and tons more. His most recent accomplishment is the publication of his memoirs, “Where There’s Smoke … The Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man.” Fans will be surprised to learn that Bill quit smoking when he was 40. (He smoked herbal cigarettes on the show.) And unlike his character, Bill is not a believer in the paranormal, which confuses fans when they meet him.


“People sometimes assume that one chooses to be in a particular project because one has a belief or a commitment about it,” Bill told me. “It was a great role, and I was happy to do it, but I certainly didn’t choose it because it was about the paranormal. It’s not difficult for an actor to imagine there are aliens who are abducting people. But that’s a far cry from actually believing that as a person. With Gillian (Anderson, “Scully”) and David (Duchovny, “Mulder”), it was reverse too, because David was a skeptic and Gillian was a believer.”

Check back later this week to read my entire interview with this charming nonsmoker.

Q: Throughout the years, I’ve been hearing rumblings of an “Anchorman” sequel, but nothing has come to pass. The rumblings have started back up, so please tell me it’s gonna happen! — George G., Omaha, Neb.

A: Guess what, George? It’s gonna happen! Will Farrell announced — in his Ron Burgundy character — on “Conan” that Paramount has indeed signed off on a sequel to the hit 2004 comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” Director Judd Apatow is expected to return, as are Steve Carell and Paul Rudd.

Q: I was thrilled to see William Baldwin on “30 Rock,” portraying the actor who played Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin’s character) in the movie about Jack and Avery’s life together. What has William been up to lately? — Gennifer F., via e-mail

A: You can bet that William, 49, had a blast making fun of his big brother in that episode of “30 Rock” (called “Kidnapped by Danger”), but aside from this jaunt into the sitcom world, William’s been busy these past few years co-starring on “Parenthood,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “Gossip Girl.” He also recently completed a few feature films: “Remnants,” “The Stranger Inside” and “Garbage.”

Q: I know Emily Deschanel’s character on “Bones” had a baby, but I was wondering if she was pregnant real life? — Audrey D., Jacksonville, Fla.

A: Emily, 35, did indeed give birth in September to son Henry. She told The Hollywood Reporter: “I’ll experience something in an episode, and I’m shocked because it’s exactly what I’m going through (in real life). It’s been fun to see how that unfolds.”

Interview: Annabeth Gish Gets Spooky

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Interview: Annabeth Gish Gets Spooky

Annabeth Gish knows spooky. While she may have gotten her big break in the romantic comedy "Mystic Pizza," and has co-starred in "Wyatt Earp," "Double Jeopardy," "West Wing," "FlashForward" and "Pretty Little Liars," she also starred in the eighth and ninth seasons of "The X-Files" as Monica Reyes. So, yeah, Annabeth is familiar with strange and unexplained phenomena.

This Sunday and Monday night at 9/8c on A&E, Annabeth is exploring the unknown again, this time starring in the television miniseries adaption of Stephen King's bestseller "Bag of Bones." This four-hour, two-day event stars Pierce Brosnan as bestselling novelist Mike Noonan, who is unable to stop grieving after the sudden death of his wife Jo (Annabeth). Suffering from writer’s block, a dream inspires him to return to the couple's lakeside retreat in western Maine. While there, Mike befriends an attractive young widow, Mattie (Melissa George) and her daughter Kyra (Caitlin Carmichael), and becomes involved in a custody battle with the child's enormously wealthy grandfather. Though his ability to write suddenly returns, Mike is plagued by ever-escalating nightmares and mysterious ghostly visitations from Sara Tidwell (Anika Rose), a blues singer whose spirit lingers in the house. As he is haunted by the many secrets at the lake, Mike comes to realize that his late wife still has something to tell him.

Celebrity Extra: I just watched the press screener, and I have to tell you, "Bag of Bones" scared the bejeezus out of me!

Annabeth Gish: That's great! It’s that good kind of spooky, isn't it? This is why Stephen King is so prolific and popular, because he gets at the root of horror where it’s not just horror for horror’s sake. It’s horror with heart. His work has real grit and feeling behind it, and particularly "Bag of Bones." That’s why it’s so scary, because there’s so much feeling invested.


My husband has said that he was a bit wary of watching it. He’s a stunt man, but he’s wary of watching horror films. He might be running in and out of the next room (as I watch it Sunday night).

CE: Had you read the book beforehand, or did you want to go into the movie without any preconceptions, since often things have to change from novel to screenplay?

AG: I had not read it and (director) Mick (Garris) said, “Don’t read it until afterward.” So when I finished my work on the movie, I met that tome of a novel.

CE: Did you get to meet Stephen King? Was he on the set at all during filming?

AG: No, and you know, I feel like he’s one of those people who — and I don’t have many — that I want to meet so badly that I almost don’t want to meet them. Do you know that paradox where you love their work so much and you respect them that it kind of exists in this other realm? I still would love to meet him, of course, but I also I kind of feel like I’m psychically linked to him because I’ve now worked in two of his projects (the other being "Desperation"), brought two of his characters to life. It’s been a pleasure to get involved in his universe.

CE: So you've got one degree of separation with Mr. King, his actual books!

AG: Right, exactly! And the best part was when we were shooting some of the promo stuff for "Bag of Bones," the fabulous Dark Score Stories website — oh my God, it’s a treat because it’s just so finely done. Part of the idea behind it was to lace a bunch of Stephen King clues from the entirety of his writings on this website. I got to do this photo shoot, and it’s just me and some crows, which I have a proclivity toward crows. I just respect them so much.

CE: Besides the fact that the material is just exceptional, what were some other reasons behind your wanting to take on the role of Jo Noonan?

AG: There are so many elements. The fact that Mick Garris was directing it — who I have worked with before and who I think is wonderful — he brings Stephen King’s books to the screen so well and so masterfully. He himself is a master of horror. So having known Mick and the chance to work with him again, that was an instant yes for me.

And Pierce Brosnan of course. The opportunity to work with Pierce, and also just the script. I felt like, especially with Jo — comprehensively it wasn’t that I just fell in love with Jo Noonan — I fell in love with the entire cast of characters. Sarah Tidwell and her mystery, and Mike Noonan and Mattie and Kyra — the script as a whole was one of the best things I’ve read in a long time.

To be honest, one of the highlights of this experience for me was working with Pierce, because he invested so much in this material that he raised it to an operatic level. He doesn’t play small, and he brought something new to every take. It was very inspiring. He might just be one of the most impeccable men I’ve ever worked with.

CE: He seems like he is such a gentleman as well.

AG: Yeah, a complete gentleman and yet this driven, hungry artist. It was definitely a highlight to work with and get to know him on a personal level.

CE: Have you been able to watch your character's death scene yet?

AG: What is so weird is that I couldn’t watch it. I don’t know what it is, I just, I’m afraid to watch that part. I think for Pierce that scene was really profound as well, because you’re dealing with death and loss and reliving all that, that scene was really emotional to shoot.

CE: Pierce dealing with your character's death was just so heart-wrenching to watch ...

AG: To be honest, those are the scenes that I watched. I don’t really like watching myself, so I kind of fast-forward through my stuff and watch everybody else’s scenes. But his scenes I definitely watched.

CE: Are you going to be watching on Sunday night with the rest of America?

AG: Yes, I will be. But I am also truly so very excited for people to watch this because I think they're going to be powerfully affected. It’s not just a horror movie; it’s not just a mystery. It’s like a horror show, a mystery and a deep love story, and that’s why I think it’s going to appeal to a lot of people.

CE: Another one of your roles that I really enjoyed watching was when you played Monica Reyes on "The X-Files," one of my all-time favorite television shows. What was that working experience like?

AG: It was superlative. I had such a great time on that show. I adore Robert Patrick, and Gillian (Anderson, Dana Scully), David (Duchovny, Fox Mulder), Chris (Carter) and Frank (Spotnitz), and the entire machinery that was "X-Files" was divine. I really look back with deep fondness on the entire experience, and with a bit of sadness too. Although we couldn’t ever reach the level of Mulder and Scully — they were legendary, so we couldn’t quite ascertain that level.

But I do miss Doggett and Reyes. I miss their storyline that I feel sort of had to abruptly end. But my gosh, I have nothing but deep fondness for that experience for two years. And I met my husband on that show, so I have wonderful, wonderful gratitude for that time. And for all the fans — no one was cruel toward me. I think there was just this loyalty to Mulder and Scully, which you could understand.

CE: What can you tell me about "Pretty Little Liars"? Will we be seeing Dr. Sullivan when the second part of the second season premieres on Jan. 2 on ABC Family?

AG: I don’t know if I’m at liberty to say ... You will see Dr. Sullivan again. In what way shape or form, I cannot say.