Lexx’s Ellen Dubin Comes To Canadian TV Screens In The Lois Wilson Story

Ellen Dubin as Dora in The Lois Wilson Story. Photo copyright of Wanstrom and Assoc.

AS previously reported at SciFiAndTvTalk, actress Ellen Dubin (Lexx, The Collector) can be seen as Dora in the Hallmark made-for-TV movie When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story on Canada’s W Network on Tuesday, May 4th @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST with a repeat airing on Wednesday, May 5th @ 9:00 a.m. EST/PST and again at 2:oo p.m. EST/PST.

The Lois Wilson Story recent aired in the States on CBS, and afterwards Ellen received numerous e-mails about the film as well as her performance. Here is an edited version of one note from a fellow actor:

“Ellen…I just finished watching the DVR. My eyes are still teary. I’ve been sober for 29 years and watching this unfold gave me the most profound sense of gratitude. Not just for the life I have now, which would have been impossible without AA, but for the work of Bill and Lois which, I believe, was divinely inspired. In the entire history of the world, AA and Al-Anon have restored more lives and families than all other forms of counseling/therapy COMBINED. I’ve been to Bill and Lois’ home in Bedford Hills…I’ve been to the hotel in Washington where Bill made the most important decision of his (and my) life – to go into the bar, or into that phone booth to call the church and ask for the number of another drunk (Dr. Bob…). Dammit, I’m starting to cry again. Just be proud you were a part of the telling of this story. It was…and you were…magnificent!”

Make sure to tune in this coming Tuesday!

As noted above, photo courtesy of and copyright of Wanstrom and Assoc., so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

The Collector’s Ellen Dubin In The Lois Wilson Story

Lois Wilson (Winona Ryder) with her best friend Dora (Ellen Dubin) on the set of CBS' When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story. Photo copyright of Wanstrom and Assoc.

NOW residing in Los Angeles, Toronto-born actress Ellen Dubin plays the supporting lead of Dora in the CBS made-for-TV movie of week When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story, which will air Sunday, April 25th from 9-11 p.m. EST/PST on the CBS Television Network. In Canada, the TV movie will air on the W Network on Tuesday, May 4th from 10 p.m-12 midnight EST/PST.

From CBS - “Based on the biography by William G. Borchert, this drama is about the trials and ultimate triumph of the co-founder of Al-Anon, whose alcoholic husband co-founded A.A.”

This new Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation stars Golden Globe Award winner and two-time Academy Award nominee Winona Ryder (The Age of Innocence, Little Women, Star Trek) and Emmy Award and Canada’s own Golden Globe Award nominee Barry Pepper (61*, Seven Pounds, Flags of Our Fathers).

Ellen Dubin as Dora plays a rich, elegant wife of a Wall Street executive starting in 1928. As a close friend of Lois Wilson, we see her 15 years later as one of the wives who lunches with Lois and then again at Lois Wilson’s Al-Anon meetings.

Ellen Dubin as Dora in The Lois Wilson Story. Photo copyright of Wanstrom and Assoc.

Ellen has enjoyed a unique and extremely diverse career as an actor. The striking leggy 5′ 10-1/2″ native of Toronto began performing as a ballet dancer. When a temporary knee injury sidelined her, Ellen segued into acting with a wide variety of critically acclaimed stage roles. She recently starred opposite TV star Peter Scolari in the hit stage comedy Boeing, Boeing.

A Gemini Award-nominated actress for her series regular role of Jeri Slate in the Leo Award-winning supernatural drama The Collector (airing in 65 countries), Ellen is also a cult figure in the Sci-Fi world for playing the alien cannibal Giggerota the Wicked in the international cult hit Lexx. She has the distinction of appearing in all four seasons and playing four different characters in this very popular series. Ellen played the first Pope in Sci-Fi history in Lexx.

Her affinity for the unusual has also led her to starring roles in The Dead Zone, Blood Ties, Mutant X, A Wrinkle In Time and Highlander: The Raven where she is the only female to have a broad-to-broad-to-broadsword fight in that show’s history.

Actress Ellen Dubin. Photo copyright of Wanstrom and Assoc.

In Napoleon Dynamite, the Sundance Film Festival favorite and one of the most popular feature film comedies of all time, Ellen plays the Tupperware-loving mom of Napoleon’s potential prom date. Her recent comedy thriller Bull just finished the film festival circuit. Her romantic drama Lost and Found, a Bravo-sponsored film she starred in and producer, is being entered into various film festivals.

She is also the go-to-girl for a host of movies on the Lifetime Network and the Syfy Channel. You never know where she will turn up next! Ellen recently finished Second Chances opposite Alias‘ Melissa George. Currently, she is filming an edgy new web series called The Resolve in Los Angeles.

Ellen is honored to be the spokesperson for the Make A Wish Foundation in Toronto and Central Ontario. She also helps feed the homeless at the Los Angeles Mission and sits on the board of Kids With A Cause in Los Angeles.

As noted above, all photos courtesy of and copyright of Wanstrom and Assoc., so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week On Survivors – 03 – 30 – 10

SPOILER ALERT!! - With Abby (Julie Graham) still missing, and Greg (Patterson Joseph) recovering from his injuries, the group is holed up in the city, scavenging for survival. While Naj (Chahak Patel) leaves graffiti messages across the crumbling landscape for Abby, Tom (Max Beesley) steals supplies from another group of survivors. The group learns that other people have been abducted in the same way as Abby, and the kidnappers bear the markings of PSJ, a pharmaceutical company with offices in the city. As Tom leads Al (Philip Rhys), Anya (Zoe Tapper) and Sarah (Robyn Addison) off on this trail, Greg and Naj find themselves confronted by the group Tom stole from. Meanwhile, in the lab, Abby is re-infected by Whittaker (Nicholas Gleaves), who will stop at nothing to find his miracle vaccine. Episode eight airs Tuesday, March 3oth @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America.

Human Target’s Mark Valley – Chance Encounter

Mark Valley as Christopher Chance in Human Target. Photo by David Gray and copyright of Fox Television

MARK Valley is a versatile film and TV actor who is known equally for his comedic, witty turns as he is for his dramatic, weighted performances. He is a familiar face to Fox viewers, having appeared as FBI Agent John Scott on the hit drama Fringe. His additional television credits include a three-year run as Brad Chase on Boston Legal, starring roles on Keen Eddie and Pasadena as well as recurring roles on Once and Again, ER, The 4400 and Swingtown. His film credits include John Schlesinger’s The Innocent, The Seige with Denzel Washington, John Frankenheimer’s George Wallace, The Next Best Thing with Madonna and Rupert Everett and Shrek III as the voice of Cyclops. Valley also wrote and performed in Walls, Wars and Whiskey, a one-man show about his experiences growing up in upstate New York and serving in the military.

Valley graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and began his acting career while serving overseas in the Army. The Gulf War veteran is a native of Ogdensburg, New York, and these days divides his time between Vancouver and Los Angeles. Currently, he stars as Christopher Chance in the Fox action TV series Human Target. On March 8th, I and other journalists had the pleasure of speaking with the actor on a conference call. The following is an edited version of that Q & A. Enjoy!

When did you realize that you had lightning in a bottle with the chemistry between you and Jackie Earle Haley (Guerrero) and Chi McBride (Winston)? When did they come into the project? I’m sure you got the script first and then they were added.

MARK VALLEY - Yes, I got the script first. I was the first one cast, I know that. I think we all realized that we had something pretty amazing when we were shooting the pilot in downtown Vancouver. I think it was at the very end of the episode. It wasn’t the end of shooting, but it was the end of the episode, and rarely are the three of us together in any episode, but in this instance we were. They were getting ready to set up a shot, and we were sitting around in our chairs and started talking, as actors do. Suddenly we just realized, my God, we all come from different places in terms of parts of the country and experience in the industry and so forth, and the three of us just kind of clicked. The thing I liked about Chi and Jackie is that I was just really kind of curious about them and wanted to get to know them better and thought they were both quite interesting. I think the three of us had that same feeling about each other, which is kind of cool and rare as well. And that kind of shows up on the screen and, perhaps, makes the viewer wonder how did these characters meet up, or come together, and what’s their history.

I know that you cannot possibly take risk taking and thrill seeking to the extreme that your character of Chance does, but how much of a daredevil do you allow yourself to be in real life? What are some of the more outrageous adventures that you might have taken? Have you ever jumped out of planes for  fun, or any of those things?

MV - Yes, I’ve done that. I’m a little more now into taking calculated risks. I like to mountain climb, and the better prepared you are, the safer it is. I don’t just run out and climb a mountain with a T-shirt on, you know? That would be kind of foolhardy. There are some inherent risks, you know, with mountaineering and stuff, but yes, I generally like to be well-prepared. I had parachuted. I did it in the Army and I also did it trying to get my certification to parachute down in Paris Island. I did it a few times, and that was pretty exciting, but for the most part, I’d say now the biggest risk I take is probably every once in a while I forget to put my seatbelt on. That’s about the limit of it these days.

How much has your military training helped you with acting, especially with Human Target?

MV - It’s funny, because they lay out all these weapons and talk about the ammunition and its effectiveness and so forth, and you know, we worked with weapons obviously in the Army. It’s actually something, though, that you can pick up pretty quickly. The hand-to-hand fighting, I learned a little bit of that in the Army, along with boxing as well as wrestling and those sorts of thing. But I think for the most part it’s working as a team under extreme circumstances with a limited amount of time to get something done. That’s probably the biggest experience I got from the Army that applies to this job because we’re really making a little movie in eight days, and that’s an awful lot of work that has to be done. So yes, it’s sort of that kind of teamwork and camaraderie that I experienced in the Army that seems to be showing up again here in this show.

So far your character has had cases in Los Angeles, Canada, the Russian Embassy, an airplane and South America. Is there anywhere in particular that you’d like to see Chance travel to?

MV - I would like to see Chance go to Paris. We do go to London in one episode. Where else? Africa, I think, would be kind of an interesting place. There are all kinds of places he could do. Somewhere down south, maybe Texas? I’d love to do an episode that is sort of a quasi-Western. That would be interesting. There’s Vietnam and all these other places in Asia that he could go, and there are things going on in China. You name it. We could even write an episode that takes place inside a contained area, like the airplane episode, for example. We really didn’t go anywhere for that. That all took place inside the fuselage of an airplane, so maybe we’ll be doing something like that as well.

What were some of the acting challenges you found first stepping into the role, and how have you seen the Chance character grow and develop in the episodes you’ve shot so far?

MV - When I first read the script, which is based on a comic book character, there are certain things that comic book characters can get away with that regular actors can’t really do, or at least do convincingly. One is to hold a pose for a long period of time, or to look concerned as if you’re in a comic book. So there was that. The show sort of had a feel of a comic book, so there was a challenge of trying to find a way to bring a real person into this. It wasn’t written in any sort of hyper-reality. I mean, there’s kind of a casual thing that can exist in John Steinberg’s [series creator/executive producer] writing, so it’s not that hard to kind of do it. It’s not complete melodrama or anything. That was the biggest challenge. Reading it and enjoying it like it could have been a comic book, and then thinking, “OK, wait a second, this is me now. How am I going to do this?” It’s kind of hard to explain, but that was the biggest challenge. And maybe picturing all the other actors who could do better at it and thinking, “OK, so I’m going to do this?”

As far as development, the way I’ve grown as an actor is that I’ve become much more comfortable with some of the action and fighting scenes, and the way Chance’s relationships with Jackie’s and Chi’s characters are starting to become a little bit clearer. And with Chance’s development, I’d say he’s beginning to come to terms with his past. He made a big change in his life about six or eight years prior to the present that we have now on the show. And I think the reality of why he made that choice and the repercussions that it’s going to have is starting to come back to him, so essentially his baggage is starting to arrive.

A lot of shows spend their first season throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. Do you feel like Human Target has found its groove and, if so, was there a particular moment for you when you felt like it really clicked?

MV - I think when it really clicked for me was probably the episode Rewind, where we didn’t have a lot of locations or big set pieces going on. It all took place in an airplane and you got an idea of, OK, very simply, this is something that has to get done in this plane. And it was broken down and all our characters were – well, Chi and I were in the same location shooting as well, which was kind of cool. Then I think it was the second or third episode in, and the pace that we came up with as well as the shorthand that we developed with the crew and the cameras was pretty amazing. We realized, “Oh, wow, this is what we can do. We’ve really got something here.”

Did you have a vision for what you expected the show to be when you first came onboard, and has it lived up to that?

MV - I didn’t have that clear a vision of how it would be. I’d been on shows before that have been new, and with this one, not only is it new, but I’m new to this genre, and Chi is kind of new to it as well, and even the show runners are sort of new to this. So I went into it with an open mind and thinking, “This is going to be exciting as to how it’s going to come together” And it has been. It is sort of a collaboration in some ways, where everyone’s influence is, if not heard, then it’s felt and reacted to, and the end product is something that everyone feels a part of.

How do you balance comedy and drama on the show? Particularly in your performance, you always seem to bring the humor to certain scenes where other  people wouldn’t, but then it doesn’t get too serious, either. How do you guys manage that?

MV - Something I really love to do is find the lighter moments. A lot of it depends on the scene and the person you’re working with and where the jokes can come in or seem appropriate. So there are a few elements that come into that. And, of course, there’s the way that the scene is written as well. Maybe it’s my soap opera background, where there were no jokes at all. It was all complete melodrama and I wanted parts of it to be funny, so I remember searching and combing through the material and saying, “Well, there’s this moment or that moment.” I was just so hungry for something to be funny, that I developed, perhaps, a perceptive eye for it.

What’s it like to play a lead character when you don’t have all the pieces of his background? Is that more difficult for you at all?

MV - Well, it’s definitely easier to have some of the pieces. It’s somewhat of an advantage to have a bit more of an idea because as actors, we create characters and create things in our imagination, but, ultimately, we’re interpretive artists and interpreting what the writers have created. Some people will say that doesn’t matter. If it’s not in the script, it really doesn’t exist, so don’t make a big deal about it, but I think in television, it’s different. Yes, it would be nice to know, but there are two sides to that. It would be nice to know ahead of time because then maybe I could plan a scene or have that in mind if this might have happened before. On the other hand, it’s pretty exciting to find it out as you go along with the rest of the viewers. So not only are you working on a show and acting in it, but it’s also fun to be experiencing it as a viewer as well and finding out things as they reveal themselves.

Is the master of disguise aspect of your character from the comic books ever going to make it into the TV series?

MV - Nobody’s ruled it out. I know John’s attitude was like, let’s start off the show where you get to know the central character before we begin dressing him up in disguises. Chance does have an aptitude for languages and my theory with that is he doesn’t use it more than is necessary. I mean, he doesn’t wear a mustache or glasses or anything if it’s not really necessary. or become that other person unless it’s absolutely necessary. So that was an adaptation for the TV show, I think, but, again, the disguise aspect hasn’t totally been ruled out.

So what’s in store for the season finale, and what other guest-stars can we expect to see in the second half of the season?

MV - Well, in the season finale, Baptiste, who is played by Jericho‘s Lennie James, comes back. His character is Chance’s nemesis and is probably the most talented assassin who’s still out there working for hire. He and Chance come to blows in an episode called Baptiste and then again in the season finale. Amy Acker shows up and plays a pivotal character from Chance’s past in that she was sort of the catalyst for his ultimate transformation into Christopher Chance. Lee Majors is in that episode, too. Armand Assante plays Chance’s old boss, and there’s a couple of major confrontations there. Emmanuelle Vaugier returns in another episode, too. She plays an FBI agent in Baptiste and Chance, Winston and Guerrero have to figure out a way to enlist her help. Autumn Reeser comes back as well. She sort of has a recurring role on our show. Grace Park is in an episode called Corner Man, and Leonor Varela is in Sanctuary. She’s a beautiful and talented Chilean actress who made this one episode look and feel like a movie. She just came in and completely took on this character of an ex-revolutionary who lives in South America and is an ex-lover of Chance’s. She was just fabulous.

As noted above, photo by David Gray and copyright of Fox Television, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

This Week On Survivors – 03 – 13 – 10

SPOILER ALERT!! - When a so-called spiritual leader called John (Kieran O’Brien) turns up at the survivors’ home with his group of followers, some in the house are suspicious of his motives. Charming and eloquent, John is a preacher with a unique perspective on the new world, but the family’s opinion of him is split. Some find comfort in his message, while others are deeply distrusting of his motives.

Linda (Claire Keelan), a woman in John’s group, is pregnant, and Abby (Julie Graham) allows her to stay until the baby is born. Anya (Zoe Tapper) fears that she will be forced to reveal the fact that she is a doctor if there are any problems with the birth. Worse than that, she picks up on some unusual remarks made by John, which make her concerned for the group’s safety.

Al (Philip Rhys) is much more positive about John’s group. He spots a pretty woman called Louise (Louise Dylan) and uses his charm to seduce her. He is feeling much more like his old self - until he realises that Louise isn’t as innocent as she seems. Meanwhile, Anya’s fears are realized when Linda experiences complications and John’s serene facade starts to crumble. As the situation reaches crisis point, Anya is forced to confront some harrowing truths about her own past, putting her relationship with Tom (Max Beesley) on a new footing. Abby and the others also realize that, through a misguided act of kindness, they have put themselves in terrible jeopardy. Episode five airs Saturday, March 13 @ 9:oo p.m. EST on BBC America.

This Week On Survivors – 02 – 27 – 10

SPOILER ALERT!! - Abby (Julie Graham) stumbles across a community that could hold the key to everyone’s future. The group is led by Samantha Willis (Nikki Amuka -Bird), the last surviving member of the government. She has set up a community that still boasts light, hot water, food and power, all drawn from sustainable sources. Abby and Samantha hit it off immediately and Abby is full of hope that Samantha might lead the remaining population to build a new and better society. Samantha sees that Abby could become a trusted ally, but Abby’s illusions are shattered when she sees the lengths that Samantha will go in order to maintain control of her fledgling community.

Meanwhile, Greg (Patterson Joseph) and Tom (Max Beesley) are out searching for supplies when they encounter a family stranded on an isolated farm. The father has successfully sheltered his children from the virus by keeping them imprisoned in their own home. When the daughter of the family reaches out to Tom and Greg to set her free, they are faced with a terrible dilemma – any contact with them could kill the family. Episode three airs Saturday night, February 27th @ 9:00 p.m. EST on BBC America.

This Week on Survivors – 02 – 20 – 10

SPOILER ALERT!! - Abby (Julie Graham) and her new friends find a house to shelter in and set about gathering the essential supplies they need to stay alive. When they visit a local supermarket they are confronted with Dexter (Anthony Flanagan), the leader of an armed gang that has laid claim to the contents. Abby is shocked by how quickly people have resorted to selfishness and violence.

As Dexter’s gang is leaving, Abby sees a face she thinks she recognizes – a teacher who took her son to the hospital before the worst of the virus hit. But the gang departs before she can speak to him. Abby cannot forget about the teacher. Taking Tom (Max Beesley) with her, she goes back to the supermarket in the hope that Dexter’s gang will return. Dexter soon arrives, but he has no interest in helping Abby. Instead, he gives her and Tom a chilling final warning to stay away.

Greg (Paterson Joseph) goes in search of the main supermarket warehouse. When he gets there, he finds Bob Murphy (Daniel Ryan) and Sarah Boyer (Robyn Addison). Bob and Sarah had planned to use the contents of the warehouse to start a trading business, but their plans are halted when Bob has an accident and is severely injured. Greg is able to stabilize Bob’s condition and agrees to stay the night to keep an eye on the patient.

Once Sarah is alone with Greg, she tries to seduce him. She needs a man who can protect her and do the heavy work. Greg can see that Sarah wants to use him, but he still finds it hard to resist this beautiful young girl who is throwing herself at him. Episode two airs Saturday, February 20th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America.

This Week On Survivors – 02 – 13 – 10

Abby (Julie Graham) and David (Shaun Dingwall) try to come to terms with the disaster unfolding around them. Photo copyright of the BBC

SPOILER ALERT!! - Abby Grant (Julie Graham) is a mother and housewife, married to David (Shaun Dingwall). The couple returns from vacation at the point where a virulent flu virus is beginning to sweep the world. Abby is worried about her 11-year-old son Peter, who recently recovered from leukemia and is on a school adventure holiday.  

Tom Price (Max Beesley) is escorted to his cell by a prison guard (Tim Dantay), neither of whom aware of how their lives are about to change. Photo copyright of the BBC

As the crisis deepens, Samantha Willis (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Junior Minister for Health, tries to keep public panic under control as essential services start to break down. Elsewhere, in a modern high-security prison, Tom Price (Max Beesley), a charismatic and dangerous inmate, is the only one who does not fall ill as the prison becomes a charnel house with prisoners dying one by one.  

Anya (Zoe Tapper, left) and Jenny (Freema Agyeman, right), struggle to save their friend, Patricia (Bryony Afferson, center). Photo copyright of the BBC

At a large inner-city hospital, services are at the breaking point. Jenny (Freema Agyeman), a bright and lively young teacher in a primary school, is overwhelmed by the chaos she sees all around her – but she is determined to save the life of her roommate, Patricia (Bryony Afferson).  

Dr. Anya Raczynski (Zoe Tapper), beautiful junior doctor in the Accident and Emergency department, finds she can’t save her best friend Patricia from the virus which is killing virtually everyone who contracts it. In contrast, Al Sadiq (Philip Rhys), a wealthy playboy, is determined not to let the virus stop him from having fun (at this point no one understands how deadly it is). But the following morning he finds the girl he met at a club the night before dead in his bed. In the aftermath of the virus, Al finds himself responsible for Najid (Chahak Patel), a young Muslim boy. Al has never seen himself as the paternal type and initially proves to be a disaster as a father figure.  

Greg Preston (Paterson Joseph) and Abby Grant. Photo copyright of the BBC

Greg Preston (Paterson Joseph), a former systems analyst, seems more prepared than most, his car is well-stocked and he seems calm in the face of the catastrophe. But when his car is involved in a collision with one of the survivors, Greg’s plans are temporarily derailed.  

Foraging for supplies - Greg, Abby, Najid (Chahak Patel) and Anya. Photo copyright of the BBC

Meanwhile, Tom manages to escape from prison. He returns home to retrieve a bag full of cash and a gun…With a dangerous prisoner on the loose, and other survivors who will hoard whatever spoils they can, the brave new world is a precarious place for a mismatched group of survivors, who must stand together or die. Survivors – Episode 1 airs Saturday, February 13th at the special time of 8:00 p.m. EST/PST on BBC America.  

As noted above, photos copyright of the BBC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Lie To Me’s Mekhi Phifer – Reynolds’ Rap

Mekhi Phifer as FBI Agent Ben Reynolds in Lie To Me. Photo copyright of Fox Television

In the season one Lie to Me episode Blinded, FBI Agent Ben Reynolds enlists the help of Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth and his team to help in the hunt for a serial rapist. This marked the debut of Mekhi Phifer as Reynolds, who by the end of the episode is made a member of Lightman’s team.

Perhaps best recognized for his starring role on ER, which garnered him two NAACP Image Award nominations, Phifer is also known for his many successful feature films. He began his acting career in Spike Lee’s Clockers and then went on to star in such movies as 8 Mile opposite Eminem, O opposite Josh Hartnett and Julia Stiles and Soul Food with Vanessa Williams. The actor’s other TV credits include The Tuskegee Airmen, Subway Stories: Takes from the Underground, Brian’s Song and Carmen: A Hip Hopera. Additionally, he earned a third NAACP nomination for the film A Lesson Before Dying.

At the end of September, I joined several other journalists on a conference call with Mehki Phifer. The following is an edited version of our Q & A. Enjoy!

What are the similarities and differences between your role on Lie To Me and your character of Dr. Gregory Pratt on ER, which you were so good in?

MEKHI PHIFER - Thanks, I really appreciate that. The only similarity is that they’re pretty strong characters. They have different backgrounds and things of that nature, and, while both men save lives, they do it in different ways. Obviously, being able to, for example, carry a badge along with a gun and having gone undercover adds more layers to my character in Lie to Me and makes him different from Greg Pratt. So I’m having a lot of fun unveiling all those layers.

As the season goes on are we going to find out a lot more about your character and get more into the personal side of things?

MP - Yes, definitely. Shawn Ryan [series executive producer] and the rest of us really want to delve into this character and see what makes him tick.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you first become involved in the series and your audition process for the role of Ben Reynolds.

MP - Fortunately, they [the show's producers] knew my work and loved it, so I didn’t have to audition. This job was an offer to come do the last two episodes of the first season and see how it all worked out, including how we gelled as a cast, and it worked out great. So once hiatus came I was officially asked to join the cast for season two.

What were some of the acting challenges you found first stepping into the role, and how have you seen your character grow and develop so far in year two?

MP - It’s always hard, especially those last two episodes I did for season one because my character wasn’t at all scoped out yet. Starting out, you kind of have to make it up as you go along, so you’re sort of walking on egg shells when it comes to character choices that you’re making because those choices affect the next episode and the one after that and so forth. I just knew that I wanted to portray someone who could go in many different directions, so I tried to bring a three-dimensional side to Ben. In season two, we have a little bit more clarity on the way we want things to go. You will get to see into Ben’s past as an FBI agent and even him doing undercover work and how that affected his professional as well as personal life and what he’s had to deal with because of that.

I wanted to talk a little bit about your production company; as an actor, how important do you think it is to have a role behind the camera as well as in front of it?

MP - I guess it’s personal preference. Me, personally, I like to be able to tell the stories that I want to tell and do the things I want do to. It takes a little bit more work, but that’s what the production side is. You’re still going to have to sell [the idea] to someone who’s going to give you the money and things like that. However, it does give you a bit more control to tell the story that you want to tell as opposed to just reading a script that somebody else wrote and saying, “Yes, please, can you hire me for this job.” It allows you to be a bit more hands-on and closer to the heart.

What influence do you ultimately hope to have or leave in Hollywood?

MP - The point for us actors, just from the creative side, is to entertain and affect people. It’s always the best compliment when people come up to you and say that they were affected by your film or performance on a TV series or whatever. I don’t know yet what my ultimate legacy is that I want to leave. I’m still a fairly young man and hopefully I have a lot more to do.

You character on Lie to Me is kind of like the “cops and robbers” type while everyone else is more scientific. Can you talk about the push and pull between the characters and what that friction is like?

MP - You’re right, Tim Roth’s character and all the other guys at The Lightman Group are a bunch of scientists who may want to do something that’s beyond the limits of the law if you will. My character is kind of the liason between them and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We do bump heads a lot because I don’t necessarily understand, at least right now, how much their methods really do help solve cases. As the series goes on, he’ll come to better understand that. Ben Reynolds has his own methods and it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but ultimately both sides come together for the betterment of these cases.

In terms of your breadth of work, you seem to be drawn to drama more than comedy – is that correct, and if so, why do you think that is?

MP - I can do comedy but it’s a certain type. I’m not a physical comedy guy or slapstick. That’s not my style. Even when I was on Curb Your Enthusiasm I wasn’t playing this over-the-top crazy character. I was playing it kind of straight, but it was funny because the situation was funny, do you know what I mean? That’s how I portrayed him. I like dramas because you can laugh and joke and still be serious and real. I like the realism of the genre.

You did such a great job in The Shield, which was such an edgy show. Are we going to see the same thing in Lie to Me? Is it going to be a little edgier and darker this year?

MP - Yes, I think so. It’s already kind of going there. The networks are different so they have a different approach. Obviously, The Shield was on the FX Network, so they had a bit more leeway as far as the dialogue was concerned, as well as with the content and what they showed viewers, which is a great thing. But on Lie to Me we will push it to the limit as far as Fox will let us go, that’s for damn sure.

What sticks out most in your mind about our first day on the Lie to Me set and shooting your first episode?

MP - The first day, in particular, is always one of those weird days because you’re thrown into your trailer, given your wardrobe, haven’t really been on the set, etc. Fortunately I had been watching Lie to Me, so when I walked onto the set for the first time it was like, “Wow, this is what I’ve been watching on TV.” You’re also meeting people for the first time. I had never met Tim Roth before, even though I’ve always loved his work. It was the same thing with the rest of the cast, and to come on and have everyone welcome you with open arms and really be there for each other was definitely a breath of fresh air. It was the same thing on ER. We had a great camaraderie and that’s more or less what I was concerned about more than anything else. It’s a great group of people here and we’re having a lot of fun.

What did you enjoy most about working on ER and playing the character of Gregg Pratt?

MP - I was able to be here [in Los Angeles] and be close to home and my kids every night and all that kind of stuff. Again, though, it was the people. The cast and crew on that show hung out together, we travelled together and did so much together. I always like having that sort of rapport with the people I work with because life is too short not to.

What would you say makes a career in this industry rewarding for you so far?

MP - What makes a career rewarding is being able to do good work and know that people respect and appreciate your work. As an artist and a creative person you always want to receive the accolades of others who are watching you or you wouldn’t be doing it, do you know what I’m saying? No one wants to do this if people say, “Man, you stink.” Actors want to do well and, to me, that’s the basis of having a stellar career, earning peoples’ respect. When your name comes up and people go, “Oh, yeah, he’s a good actor, and I loved him in this or I loved him in that.” It’s a good feeling to have people appreciate you.

You’re on a show that has a multi-cultural cast just like ER. Can you talk about the importance of having a multi-cultural cast and what that brings to television?

MP - I just think it opens up the viewership. The beauty of watching a good television program or a good movie is that, yes, you may have a multi-cultural cast, but those roles could go to anyone – they could be played by persons of any color, you know? To show the world that we have more in common then we have different from each other is, to me, the ultimate goal. It helps reinforce in peoples’ minds that thought that we’re all the same. Yes, there are going to be cultural differences, but for the most part we are all the same as human beings.

Was the character of Ben Reynolds written with you in mind?

MP - Yes, I think so. I know that they wanted to introduce a character who could go toe-to-toe with Tim Roth’s character and be a sort of on-site lawman with a badge and a gun to deal with crisis situations right there without having to outsource or try to find an agent who was willing to work with The Lightman Group.

As a Black man in Hollywood who is specifically doing drama, can you talk about the challenges of that. Do you feel there are challenges in finding work, having been fortunate with ER and now Lie to Me?

MP - It was tough, just like anything else. I’ve been in the industry for 15 years and throughout that time I’ve mainly done dramas, but I’ve always tried to portray each character differently and make them three-dimensional. Lie to Me came up as a testament to my work in the past. Again, I didn’t have to audition for it; the producers and director had seen my work as well as heard about my work ethic and asked me to come on. So in order to really be respected in this town, you have to have a foundation of good work. Without that, you have a shell of a career out here, rather than the meat and bones of it all.

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