“Like my acting teacher in New York said years ago, ‘If you’re gonna play a part, play a great part.’” That’s what actor Robert Knepper said to me about not one, but two, great parts he has in the new CW series, Cult. Two in One Knepper read via tape for the dual role of cult leader Billy Grimm and actor Roger Reeves while he was on location in Santa Fe for Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin
Zach McGowan may play naughty Jody Silverman in Showtime’s Shameless, but in real life, he’s quite an accomplished young man, as I discovered during a recent interview. The Goal in Sight McGowan’s goal has always been to become an actor. And he revealed to me that he tried “many” jobs en route to that end. One of his first acting jobs (and one that stuck with him) was that of a voice-over actor for everything from movie trailers to video
Actress Susanna Thompson plays Moira Queen in the CW’s Arrow, somewhat based on the DC Comics’ Green Arrow. And her role on the series is a complex one. When I sit down to speak with her, we chat openly about Moira, Thompson’s background, and Mark Harmon. It’s Hard to Keep Track I delve in with a comment about the complexity of Moira Queen and how Thompson manages to keep track of everything that’s going on in Queen’s world. Thompson says,
“I never wanted to be an actor,” Hawaii Five-0’s Grace Park (Kono) told me when we recently sat down to talk about her role on the show. “When I was a kid, I think I wanted to be a research scientist.” She went on, “People think it’s fast, fun, and glamorous. That’s the fantasy that’s created. The reality is you work 14-hour days for most of the year, take a quick break, then it’s back to work. “Part of
I had the wonderful privilege recently to interview one of my favorite Hawaii Five-0 directors, Steve Boyum. Boyum has been a producer as well as a director on the series and has seen impossible scenes to shoot transform into utterly amazing, totally cool. “Some days are better than others,” he told me, “but I’ve learned over the years not to take either too seriously. The good ones go to your head and the bad ones break your heart.” Boyum started
One very popular, in-demand television director these days is Larry Teng. I had another opportunity to chat with him recently and, not surprisingly, his cup is overflowing. A Different Kind of Show Teng was shooting Criminal Minds when we spoke. Though he couldn’t really say much about the episode, he did reveal that “it’s a very dark premise.” He went on to say, “The nice thing about working on this show is that it’s very much character driven, and there’s
“I never felt so good about myself, to be honest,” Taryn Manning tells me when we sit down to talk about her role of Mary Ann McGarrett on Hawaii Five-0, as well as some other exciting projects she’s working on. Mary’s Unpredictable “People really like my character,” she says, pointing out the number of tweets she gets daily. “I love the character, but, at the same time, it’s probably the hardest role I’ve ever played. This girl is so unpredictable.
Katie Leclerc, who plays Daphne in Switched at Birth, lends credibility to her role through her own hearing impairment. When I spoke with her recently about her role on the show, I was surprised to learn that she discovered at age 20 that she has memiere’s disease. She told me, “It’s measured by four main symptoms. There’s pressure in the ear, ringing in the ear, a fluctuality of hearing loss, and a type of vertigo. Any of these can come
Francine Brokaw is an established writer in the entertainment industry, having written for both national and international magazines and newspapers for more than twenty years. Her work is widely read and respected. She is also a writer with suite101.com. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Brokaw’s book Beyond the Red Carpet. I particularly like its freshness and honesty. This book is a guide of sorts and a must-have for anyone considering a career in entertainment journalism. Television Writing Unique In Beyond the
Aspiring actresses have gotten that “big break” in many ways, but I dare say, there are few who got their start in roller skating. But that’s just what singer Kimberly Cole did. Roller Skating More Than a Hobby When we spoke via telephone, Cole told me how her love, even obsession, for roller skating helped her to become the artist she is today. “It taught me how to work hard and prepare,” she said. “It also taught me that no