interview – Page 4 – Ultimate Macfarlane

Chatting with the Killjoys: Stunt Doubles, Crossovers, Secrets

Jun 17, 2015Feb 14, 2016 admin interview, Killjoys, Press, tv series No Comments

17/06/2015

Excited for Killjoys to start on Friday? We certainly are! We had the great opportunity to participate in a conference call with the show’s stars, Hannah John-Kamen, Luke Macfarlane and Aaron Ashmore, about the world they’re creating and the fun they’re having. This is part 1 of the conversation – watch for part 2, tomorrow!

All of you have really great chemistry together. Did it happen right away, can you talk about the first time you guys met and worked together as a group?

Luke: Sure. So much of the credit is due to the casting process. We had a really great casting director that took the time to really kind of do mix and matches. So as we’re sort of slowly assembling this group, we kind of auditioned with various people and that’s always terribly nerve racking as an actor, but I think ultimately it’s really a useful sort of thing to do. Because yes, we got along from the beginning almost immediately, very similar sense of humor.

Aaron: Yes, and I think that as far as chemistry and stuff like that, you either have it or you don’t. That is something that obviously is due to the casting process, and when they’re doing a show like this that obviously revolves around the characters having sort of dynamic chemistry, it’s really important. But, you know, sometimes you just really lockout and I think the three of us have become, you know, really good friends and we got along so, so well, and it’s kind of rare. So I think it’s special and I think that we all appreciate it and it’s kind of lucky too that you get three people that just get along so well.

Hannah: And I think it’s great – but it’s important to have the chemistry on screen and off. And I think that we all have the same sense of humor which really helps and…

Luke: Weird, weird. I think we’re all weird.

Hannah: Much fun. And we sing a lot too.

Luke: Yes, we do, we make up songs on the set all the time.

You’ve got to release those!

Luke: Yes, DVD extra, special behind the scenes.

It seems like this group doesn’t tend to always follow the rules that are set forth. Is that going to become a problem or does the company not really care as long as they get what they’re after?

Luke: It’s a good question. I think what is interesting with Killjoys is like, you know, there’s been a lot of comparisons to Firefly, that show. And what I think makes Killjoys really different as an entity and as a show is that we do have to abide by those rules.

So the tension exists within that, sort of how far can you bend the rules. And I think that makes for an interesting thing, it’s not like we’re just rogue cowboys, we really – we really do have to operate with inside the system so that it becomes a sort of like doubly complicated way of sort of bending the rules as far as we can but yes, of course it becomes complicated because we don’t always abide by the rules.

Hannah: I mean, like the whole saying, is take no bribes, take no sides, the warrant is all, but it’s really hard when you’re put in a situation like Dutch in the first episode with John and D’avin and taking on that warrant and basically kind of saving people’s asses and kind of having that kind of morals – having those morals as well. They kind of give that kind of dilemma and that conflict with the characters which I think is more interesting.

Aaron: Yes, and I think it shows their intelligence and their creativity and their knowledge of this world and how we sort of – to circumvent some of these things and make it work and I think that that’s kind of interesting as well to see us doing those things.

The ship is pretty much another character on this series. How do each of you interact with that ship?

Aaron: Well, I would say that John is does most of the work with Lucy (the ship’s interface) although we all interact with her, in all the episodes we all talked to her. But I think John is Lucy’s favorite and I think that’s sort of addressed at times, even thought John denies that. But he definitely works with her the most and fixes her and he’s definitely more of a tech guy.

So it’s really interesting to have a character that we work with so closely in such a big part of the show but we don’t really get to see her or her voice until the final product. So it’s really cool to see that character come alive when the actor is finally sort of voicing it. And I think that you’re really going to enjoy it because it just is that really cool AI and she has a real sense of humor too, a real personality…

Luke: I think it’s really telling the way we all decide to interact with Lucy too. I don’t even bother to learn Lucy’s name until the seventh episode, I just call her ship, which I think is sort of funny. But I think our character’s ability to empathize, you know, and John being really good at that and being able to understand people I think a little bit better than me.

Hannah: I think Lucy serves the team well, she’s so professional. And that there’s situations in the show where even though Lucy is a machine, you know, she’s a ship, she really helps our characters get out of a situation as much as she can. And yes, there’s a sense of humor as well and it’s really cool because it’s just seeing that with her voice but with what she says is very, very humorous.

D’avin and Dutch kind of come into this and we sort of balanced their past with their present. And John seems to be pretty happy go lucky for lack of a better term, he doesn’t have something hanging on for him. Will we see a balance of that through the course of the first season where D’avin and Dutch have to address the parts of their past that are still lingering for them?

Hannah: That’s a great question – the relationship between Dutch and D’avin is very interesting because it starts off – I mean, I’m very, very, wary of this intruder coming into my situation with me and John. But then we find out that we both have a similarity and I think that gets me to a point where we have to address that. You don’t have to wait too much but there is an unravel with that.

Luke: Yes, I know I think like any two people who have to sort of reconcile their pasts, they clumsily reached for each other in a way because they identified a thing in their past that they need to reconcile. And we do seek a certain level of conclusion or reconciliation, I think more on my part as far as this thing that happened to me in my past and how I try to take care of it.

Hannah: We’re not very good at talking about our feelings…Like he said we clumsily reach and kind of solve it in our own way.

I know Firefly already has been mentioned and you’re an original show but I believe these comparisons are really intended to be complimentary and I wanted to know what you guys thought about the inevitable comparisons that will come up along the way?

Aaron: I think it’s fine because until people really get the personality of our show, that’s the easiest way to understand something or put it out there to compare it with something. So I think that that’s totally fine. I think that people who are fans of Firefly, I think there are definitely some similarities just in the genre of the show, so I think that that’s great.

But I also think that Michelle Lovretta, our creator, and the whole creative team have also created their own unique world. And as much as there maybe are some similarities in a broad sense I think the specifics of the show and characters and details are definitely going to become something all to themselves. So I think the comparisons are like totally cool, I think it’s flattering too because as genre fan myself, Firefly is obviously one of the biggest shows, one of the most beloved shows so any comparisons to that are cool.

Luke: Yes, I definitely think about that. I mean, that’s the way we understand things is by comparing them to each other. My hope is that, yes, eventually it steps into its own unique thing and then one day they’ll compare us to something that we haven’t yet seen around the set. But I would also say Firefly was essentially a rogue group of individuals. The Killjoys operate within a system and I think that is very, very deeply sort of what makes this different. We can’t do whatever we want whenever we want, we have to operate with inside the system called the R.A.C.. And I think that makes the world fundamentally different.

One of the interesting things about Dutch is that she’s got a mysterious background. Is that going to be a large part of the story as it unfolds throughout the season?

Hannah: You see hints of it at the beginning of the season, all of these catching up with her. As the show goes on it seems more like a massive change. Absolutely you’re going to expect a lot of unraveling of Dutch, and her character, and her past, and why she she is where she is now. There’s going to be more questions even, as the show goes on.

One last question, what’s the good thing about going back to back on the schedule with Dark Matter? We’re going to have two ship based space shows all together in one night which I’m quite excited about. And what would you think about the possibilities of crossovers in the future?

Aaron: Crossovers would be cool but I don’t know if they could handle us because we’re pretty dangerous so if we had to go head to head…

Hannah:Yes, we’re pretty badass.

Aaron: Yes. Of course anything like that would be really exciting actually, the crossing into another show even if it’s a minor sort of thing.

Hannah: Mega cool.

Luke: It would be a funny thing if all of our characters kind of have a big sense of humor and personality. And from my understanding of Dark Matter they are a little bit more sort of cold killer like – I don’t know if they’re funny so I think they might look at us like we’re a bunch of clowns. But then we beat them up.

Aaron: Dangerous killer clowns, that’s what we are.

Hannah: We’re clowns but then we’d beat them up definitely.

Luke: But then we beat them up and we steal their ship.

Aaron: How funny are we now?

Hannah: Exactly.

Luke: Go back in your cryo freeze.

Aaron: But yes it would totally be fun probably to do crossovers.

Luke: Very fun.

It seems like a lot of fun to do the fight scenes you guys had, you have all these cool gadgets. Do any of you have any favorite gadget that you work with or that you would like to have in real life or in a fight?

Hannah: My guns, I felt like my guns were part of my limbs. I don’t know why, I just had this bond with my gun, I fell in love with my laser gun.

Aaron: I think we all had unhealthy attachments to our weapons by the time we were done.

Hannah: Yes. And beautiful custom leather leg harnesses were something I’ll wear as well, yes.

Aaron: The props guys would start asking us if they wanted us to take the guns off us between scenes. At a certain point all of us were like no, no, no we prefer hanging on to them. And we’re very adamant about that so, yes, it was kind of that weird.

Luke: Yes, very cool…

Hannah: Yes, they were like, all right then, OK.

Luke: Of course they can shoot lasers.

What is with the green juice that you guys drink?

Hannah: Algae beer.

Aaron: Algae beer which sort of took a backseat after the first episode because I think they’re like – and it’s so gross but that…

Hannah: It was so gross. But that’s…

Aaron: What is it though? It’s like coconut water mixed with something else, it was kind of lumpy.

Luke: They blended…

Aaron: Spinach.

Hannah: I think it’s like a really healthy L.A. smoothie or something but to be honest I’m mad on it. And then we have algae buns as well that you guys – hey, I never got to eat it, it was made from beans, isn’t it?

Aaron: Yes, some sort of bean curd. But I think that the spinach started to get stuck in our teeth from the algae beer and you just couldn’t have that in scenes so they’re like yes, we’re going to lose that because you guys are all smiling with that green junk…

Hannah: So it was pumpkin beers. So we changed it to pumpkin instead of algae.

Luke: I’m glad you asked about that. I actually asked the writers a similar question, where did the algae beer go, it’s stuck in his teeth.

Are you guys going tweet it from here? Everyone would love to speak with you.

Aaron: I’m going to try and do that for sure – well, I’m not going to try, I am going to do that, yes. The only thing…

Hannah: I’m going to do that.

Aaron: Yes, but your time zone, you’re going to be, you know, Hannah is going to be like in the middle of the night when we’re airing.

Hannah: I’m going to be – I’m dedicated.

Aaron: That’s commitment.

Hannah: It’s going to be 3:00 in the morning for me. I have a wedding to go to the next day but I should be up in the morning.

Luke: That’s making me feel very bad because I haven’t – I don’t have a Twitter.

The stunts and the fighting are great and you guys do a lot of gadgets and all that stuff. Did you have any special training going in or how did that work?

Hannah: Yes, we all had stunt training, military training, and physical training as well. And the stunt coordinators are Alam, Alex and Allison. So during the week before they kind of planned out with our stunt doubles, the fight sequence, and it was so much fun.

Luke: When I first got into the business there is a sort of mythological idea that you have an action show, that you’ll have a trainer. And I remember thinking that was cool. And this is actually the first time that I ever got a trainer. We worked out and they took pictures of our shortlist which they sent to the producers. It’s always like this badass thing that I wanted to have and they did it, and it was great, it was a great excuse to work out.

Aaron: And the physical stuff that we got to do at the beginning, the military stuff, the working out, the fight training is really kind of neat because the three of us didn’t know each other so we’re thrown into all this really intense training together. And I think that it’s kind of fun when you start on it and it’s a good way to bond with your fellow actors. And we really get to know each other. And everybody was slightly out of their element because none of us are martial artists or anything like that. So you’re all thrown into this new experience in doing it together and yes it was actually a lot of fun.

Hannah: We bonded pretty violently.

Do you guys get to do a lot of your stunts?

Hannah: Yes, I think we all did them, didn’t we?

Aaron: Yes.

Luke: Yes.

Aaron: For sure. And obviously there’s stunt doubles for stuff that, you know, they don’t want you to get hurt and all that but they actually let us do a lot of it ourselves.

Luke: Yes, they did. We had amazing stunt doubles. My mother came to the set one day when my stunt double was acting. And the stunt double does the scene, and then, the actors do the scene. And obviously the camera operators are a little more inclined to show your faces. My mother says in front of the stunt double, I think you did a much better job than (the double) did. And I said mom, that’s absolutely incorrect, he’s amazing. But, you know, moms will be moms.

Aaron: She’s just so proud of her boy.

Luke: She was so proud of her ass-kicking boy.

Source: TIBS – Three If By Space

Luke Macfarlane : “Une série peut aider à changer les mentalités”

Feb 26, 2011Dec 1, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Press, tv series No Comments

26/02/2011

Luke Macfarlane :

Célèbre pour son rôle de Scotty Wandell dans “Brothers & Sisters”, diffusé tous les jours sur TF 1, Luke Macfarlane est aussi connu pour être l’ami à la ville de Wentworth Miller.

Grâce à la série, vous êtes reconnu dans le monde entier. Cela vous fait-il peur?
Non, car je suis encore très loin d’être une star ! J’en suis seulement à mes débuts. “Brothers & Sisters “, c’est en quelque sorte un pas sur le chemin pour devenir une célébrité.

Pourquoi avoir accepté le rôle de Scotty Wandell?
Eh bien, d’abord, il fallait que je trouve un travail. (Rires.) Lors d’une conversation avec le producteur de la série qui est un ami, il m’a demandé de rejoindre l’équipe. Au départ, je pensais que c’était pour cinq épisodes.

Et l’aventure continue encore aujourd’hui…

Oui, et j’en suis le premier étonné!

Etonné ? Votre personnage fascine les téléspectateurs, non?
Certainement. Comme je dis souvent, à la télévision, on utilise pas mal de choses de soi-même. Pourtant, Scotty a plus de patience que moi et beaucoup plus d’ennuis. (Rires.)

Comment expliquez-vous le succès de “Brothers & Sisters” en Europe ?

Ça parle de grandes familles et, sur ce continent, c’est toujours important. Cela reste populaire.

Vous avez fait votre coming out lors d’une interview en 2008. Depuis, la presse people ne cesse de vous “fiancer” à Wentworth Miller (” Prison Break “)… Ça vous agace?

Sachez une chose : je ne parle jamais de ma vie privée. Et pour répondre à votre question, non, je n’en ai pas marre.

Le mariage gay n’est toujours pas toléré aux Etats-Unis. Comprenez-vous ce blocage?

Tout d’abord, je trouve génial que des pays comme la Belgique, l’Espagne et le Canada acceptent l’union entre deux personnes du même sexe. Je pense que les USA le feront aussi un jour, mais cela prendra un peu plus de temps. Nous espérons pouvoir faire avancer plus vite les choses avec des séries comme “Brothers & Sisters”.

Avez-vous remarqué un changement depuis l’arrivée de Barack Obama à la présidence?
Oui, mais il faut savoir qu’il a une tâche très lourde et beaucoup de choses à réaliser. Mais je crois sincèrement qu’il va aider la communauté homosexuelle.

On annonce moins d’épisodes dans la prochaine saison. Est-ce un signe que «Brothers & Sisters» est en danger?
Je ne sais pas. Deux éléments sont essentiels aujourd’hui pour la survie d’un feuilleton télévisé: «Est-ce que ça va marcher ? Les chiffres d’audience seront-ils bons?» Ce que je peux vous dire, c’est que certains acteurs ne reviendront pas. La série sera même très différente!

Cela se passe bien avec Calista Flockhart, votre partenaire?
J’adore Calista ! C’est une de mes actrices favorites! C’est très agréable de travailler avec elle. Je vous avoue que j’étais intimidé lors des premiers tournages, car c’est une grande star… Elle est quand même mariée à Harrison Ford ! (Rires.) Mais j’ai vite découvert que c’était quelqu’un de très simple et humble.

Calista, Rob Lowe, Sally Field… Avec autant de célébrités dans la série, n’y a-t-il pas des disputes comme sur le plateau de «Desperate Housewives»?
Non, non. Nous connaissons tous les bonnes manières. (Rires.) Nous nous entendons très bien depuis le début. Nous sommes même devenus des amis et profitons souvent d’une soirée pour nous retrouver dans un restaurant. Il n’y a donc pas de conflits.

Retrouvez l’intégralité de l’interview dans Ciné-Télé-Revue du 24 février 2011.

«Brothers & Sisters», ce jeudi 3 mars à 16h40 sur TF1

Propos recueillis par Fabrice Staal

Source: Ciné-Télé-Revue

Traduzione in italiano, grazie ad Alessandra

Luke Macfarlane : “Una serie tv può aiutare a cambiare la mentalità”

Famoso nel ruolo di Scotty Wandell in “Brothers & Sisters”, trasmesso tutti i giorni su TF1, Luke Macfarlane è noto anche per essere il compagno di Wentworth Miller.

Grazie a questa serie tv lei è conosciuto in tutto il mondo: questo le fa paura?
No, perché sono ancora molto lontano dall’essere una star. Sono solo agli inizi. “Brothers & Sisters “ è in qualche modo un passo sulla strada per diventare una celebrità.

Perché ha accettato il ruolo di Scotty Wandell?
Prima di tutto perché avevo bisogno di trovare un lavoro. (Risata). Durante una conversazione il produttore della serie, che è mio amico, mi ha chiesto di unirmi allo staff. All’inizio pensavo che fosse per 5 episodi.

E l’avventura continua ancora oggi…
Sì, e me ne stupisco io per primo!

Stupito? Il suo personaggio affascina i telespettatori…
Certo. Come dico spesso, in tv si impiegano molte caratteristiche di se stessi. Tuttavia Scotty ha più pazienza di me e molti più problemi. (Risata).

Come spiega il successo di “Brothers & Sisters” in Europa?
“Brothers & Sisters” racconta storie di grandi famiglie, e in questo continente è sempre un argomento importante e molto popolare.

Lei ha fatto il suo coming out nel corso di un’intervista nel 2008. Da allora i giornali scandalistici non smettono di considerarla “fidanzato” con Wentworth Miller (“Prison Break “)… La cosa la infastidisce?
Le dirò una cosa: io non parlo mai della mia vita privata. E per rispondere alla sua domanda, no, non sono seccato.

Il matrimonio gay è ancora lontano dall’essere accettato negli Stati Uniti: come si spiega questo blocco?
Per cominciare trovo geniale che paesi come il Belgio, la Spagna e il Canada accettino l’unione tra due persone dello stesso sesso. Penso che un giorno lo faranno anche gli Stati Uniti, ma ci vorrà un po’ più di tempo. Speriamo di riuscire a velocizzare questo processo grazie a serie tv come “Brothers & Sisters”.

Ha notato qualche cambiamento con l’arrivo di Barack Obama alla presidenza?
Sì, ma c’è da dire che lui ha dei compiti molto pesanti e varie cose da realizzare. Comunque sono convinto che aiuterà la comunità omosessuale.

Si parla di un minor numero di episodi nella prossima stagione: significa che «Brothers & Sisters» è in pericolo?
Non lo so. Al giorno d’oggi sono essenziali due elementi per la sopravvivenza di un telefilm: «Funzionerà? L’audience sarà buona?» Quel che posso dire è che alcuni attori non torneranno. La serie stessa sarà molto diversa!

Come si trova con Calista Flockhart?
Adoro Calista! E’ una delle mie attrici preferite! E’ molto bello lavorare con lei. Vi confesso che ero intimidito le prime volte che abbiamo girato insieme, perché è una grande stella del cinema… Ed è anche sposata con Harrison Ford! (Risata.) Ma ho scoperto molto in fretta che è una persona molto semplice e umile.

Calista, Rob Lowe, Sally Field… Con così tanti attori famosi nella serie, non ci sono discussioni come nello staff di «Desperate Housewives»?
No, assolutamente. Tutti quanti conosciamo le buone maniere. (Risata.) Siamo andati d’accordo perfettamente sin da subito. Siamo diventati addirittura amici e spesso organizziamo una serata per riunirci in un ristorante. Non ci sono conflitti.

Intervista completa su Ciné-Télé-Revue del 24 febbraio 2011.

Beam Me Up, Scotty: Luke Macfarlane

Oct 25, 2010Nov 20, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Press, tv series No Comments

25/10/2010

When it comes to gay characters and storylines, Brothers and Sisters is among the select few that gives them prominence on mainstream television. And this is thanks, in large part, to out actor Luke Macfarlane.

The relationship between Kevin Walker and Scotty Wandell on Brothers and Sisters, one of the best-rating dramas on American television, has arguably been a watershed for gay rights. Their courtship, intimacies and eventual wedding have played out in millions of lounge rooms around the world. As Kevin and Scotty prepare to have a baby, Canadian actor Luke MacFarlane, who plays Scotty, talks about his character, the politics of the show, and craft of acting.

It’s been a pretty interesting year for Brothers and Sisters. Talk about what stands out to you with regards to the storyline.

I guess this year was a big storyline for us with this, kind of, ‘How do two men have a baby?’ story, which I think is an important area. And they’ve been taking their time with it and addressing the details really carefully so [I’m] really, really impressed with that story line and the boldness of [US network] ABC going out there and telling their story.

Certainly something big was playing out back in the US with regards to the politics and everything too.

Yes, absolutely. Totally. Well, there seems to always something terrible happening to the gays in the media, so … there’s always some big story about it. Actually, I remember hearing this controversy when Adam Lambert who was refused an interview or something like that. Do you remember the story too?

Yeah. I remember the season of American Idol and also following up, yes.

Right. And I remember listening to some talk radio program and they were saying the “ABC and the news media coverage, they’re not letting Adam Lambert go on and it is just a shame, it’s awful”. And I felt like calling him in and saying, “ABC has these incredible gay story lines that are being represented in both Brothers and Sisters and Modern Family”.

Do you guys feel like a certain sense of responsibility because you are on the front lines with that particular kind of topical theme that’s happening?

Sure. I mean, everybody takes their storylines really seriously, so yeah, in some sense I think we’re doing good things. I was actually friendly with one of the lawyers that was responsible for this new federal case which is trying to overturn some of the legislation at federal level of proposition 8. And he said that quite often, Brothers and Sisters was used as a conversation pointer, that it was a sort of good representation of a gay healthy couple to others. That was encouraging.

How long do you think that it will be for gays who want to ever really be something accepted by everyone?

Who knows? You know, all you can continue to do is look forward and generally, politically speaking, all political movements kind of move towards inclusion, so we’ll see it one day.

Has it restricted you in terms of your career?

Sure, absolutely. I mean, one never knows. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on a show that’s lasted for more than three episodes, which is not often the case in television. So, there’s certainly concern about what life will bring after, but, you know, life’s short. Then you die.

Are there any other projects looming that you’d like to work on?

I began in the theatre and that’s always been my passion. I went to Juilliard and started in New York, so actually, right before we go back to work, I’m going to New York to work on a musical which is new for me. And it’s actually a one-man musical.

A one-man musical? Excellent. Singing and dancing?

No, no dancing. I cannot dance. I wish I could. So, this is something that a good friend of mine has written and he’s a fantastic writer and I’ve done his plays before and hopefully this will have a life of its own, and I can go right from Brothers and Sisters to my touring one-man show.

This is quite a different thing.

It is, yes.

What kind of emotion you have in one side and then the other one?

Well, the theatre is great. I mean it is really the actor’s medium. Television is the producer’s medium and film is the director’s medium. So, I think actors love going back to the theatre so they can kind of get back to a little bit of the control.

And do you know Scotty very well?

I’m getting to know him better. It took me a little bit of a while to get to know him, but I think I started off in a very different place than I ended up now. But that’s part of the joy of getting to figure a character out over a long period of time.

Source: SX Australia

Brother in arms

Oct 3, 2010Nov 20, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Press, tv series No Comments

03/10/2010

TV’s sexy taboo-buster, Luke Macfarlane

Luke Macfarlane is the sexiest gay on TV — an out actor playing a well-rounded gay character on network television. The 30-year-old Canadian plays Scotty Wandel on the ABC serial drama Brothers and Sisters (now in its fifth season on Global), a character who has smashed taboos south of the border.

The commitment ceremony between him and his partner Kevin Walker (played by Matthew Rhys) was the first-ever gay marriage by continuing characters on a US network (broadcast the same year as California’s notorious Prop 8 banning same-sex marriage). Last season, Kevin and Scotty began planning for a child through surrogacy. And the two men’s relationship is portrayed as physically passionate; no missing nor chaste kisses on this show.

Macfarlane is humble in the face of such controversial fare.

“I think the writers are doing something controversial. I’m just saying the words on the page,” he says. “I do feel a part of it, though; it’s wonderful.

“I’m quite proud of the fact that we told the story of how two people meet, how they fall in love, how they break up, how they fall in love again and how, ultimately, they build a life together, including kids, and integrate it into a wild family.”

Last season ended with a bang, a bloody car crash that will impact greatly the sprawling Walker family headed by matriarch Nora (Sally Field). Leads Rob Lowe and Emily VanCamp are gone and this season picks up one year later. “It’s been a year of tragedy for the family,” says Macfarlane. “A lot has happened since the car accident. In a strange sort of way it sets a tone that’s different for the show, it’s a little bit darker.”

MacFarlane is looking forward to taking his character into new territory. Given the Walker family’s penchant for drama, in many ways, Scotty and Kevin’s relationship is the most normal on the series. “Scotty is kind of the perfect guy, and Kevin and Scotty have almost the perfect relationship. But we’re actually in the middle of taping an episode that calls all that into question, which I’m pretty thrilled about. I’ve always thought that Scotty lets Kevin get away with way too much shit.”

Macfarlane was born and raised in London, Ontario. After high school, the LB Pearson School of the Arts, he bypassed Toronto and headed straight to New York to attend Juilliard to study drama. He graduated in 2003. LA soon beckoned. “So I’ve never did the whole Canadian thing.”

He did nab a leading role in the 2008 CBC miniseries Iron Road. “I had a great experience. I had always wanted to go to China. And we had an excellent cast, who I’ll never get to work with again: Peter O’Toole, Tony Leung and Sam Neill.

“I remember from my childhood these epic CBC miniseries… so it felt like I am a part of it, now.”

Notwithstanding Canadian progress on gay rights, Macfarlane is continually struck by how different the US and Canada are. “They do really feel like two different places,” he says. “The stereotype is true — Canadians are nicer.”

Is he worried about American reaction to that observation? “Oddly, I think Americans sort of pride themselves on not being nice,” he says, laughing. “I don’t think they’re going, ‘Ah, gee. I wish we were nicer.’”

Kevin, are you listening?

Macfarlane came out to the media in 2008. “It’s odd being put in the situation where you feel you have to talk about it, that it’s the right thing to do to talk about it.

I certainly never regret it, but

I guess I was a little bit naïve to think that once you come out, you are done. I think it’s something that’s been said before, but coming out is almost a lifelong process. It’s been very strange for me.

“Not that I don’t want to talk about my sexuality, I guess I’ve just run out of things to say.”

Despite his leading man good looks, Macfarlane may have narrowed his career options by coming out. He remains hopeful, however. “The only thing I can say is that I don’t know…. Society tends towards inclusion — in my lifetime it certainly has. So I’ll be part of that movement towards [gay actors] being leading men, because that’s the direction everyone wants to go.”

Source: InToronto

The Bro Code

Sep 27, 2010Nov 20, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Press, tv series No Comments

27/09/2010

The boys of Brothers & Sisters on the joys of siblinghood

I HAVEN’T got any brothers, but after meeting some of the guys from Brothers & Sisters, who were a barrel of irreverent laughs, I almost wished I did.

I say “almost” because Dave Annable, Matthew Rhys and Luke Macfarlane reminded me that large families are almost inevitably full of conflicts and squabbles. In other words: “God gave us our family; thank God we can choose our friends.”

In fact, in Annable’s dressing room, where a video game system was prominently set up, the 30-year-old, who is getting married to actress Odette Yustman this autumn, joked that he was trying to get co-star Calista Flockhart and her husband, Harrison Ford to adopt him.

For TV’s Walker family, the drama will never die down, especially not as Brothers & Sisters goes into its fifth season.

The new season fast-forwards to a year after the last season’s climatic car-accident ending. Rob Lowe’s character Robert McCallister is dead, which means wife Kitty (Calista Flockhart) is single again; Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) is in a steady relationship with Giles (Luc Laurent); Justin (Annable) comes back from Afghanistan a changed man; Kevin (Rhys) has a new career as a defense attorney and hubby Scotty (Macfarlane) is running his new restaurant together with Saul (Ron Rifkin); and, to top it all off, matriarch Nora (Sally Field) is acting strangely. And you thought your family life was complicated.

If you guys had your way, where would you like the show to go?

Dave Annable: Well, besides (Justin) living in a sorority house … (Laughs) Well, I think what they’re doing with Justin is really great. I’m curious to see where we’ll go next when he’s alone and single.

Matthew Rhys: I think the Walkers should trace their roots back to Wales. There should be a trip. Walkerrrnen was their original Welsh name before they came to Ellis Island.

Matthew, you’re Welsh – what are families like in Wales?

Matthew: They like drinking. They like singing. In that order. They’re pretty much matriarch-led in Wales – like, the world over, really. As much as we (men) like to think we rule the roost, we don’t.

I was just wondering if all families were as complicated as the Walkers.

Luke: (Laughs) Not all families have to turn out a television show every week.

Matthew: And keep it interesting. There is dysfunction, I think, in every family – it’s just varying levels of it. We just seem to have it in abundance. And, you know, having the high number of siblings, you’re sort of guaranteed that someone’s having a problem anywhere at one point, at one time.

But dysfunction’s fashionable now, anyway.

Matthew: It is. I think society’s evolved in some certain way – people are less frightened to talk about the dysfunction. As people become more emotionally articulate, it sort of aired a lot more.

Have the characters become part of you? Have you found yourself taking on any of the quirks?

Matthew: I’ve started taking home a lot of the clothes!

Luke: I borrowed suits for my sister’s wedding.

Fancy dress?

Matthew: “I went as a chef”!

Luke: I’m wearing, actually, Nora Walker’s dress to my sister’s wedding.

Is your mom like Nora?

Matthew: Oh, yeah. And that’s the one thing you hear all the time from people who like the show: (Puts on a squeaky, high-pitched voice) “Oh, my mother’s exactly like Nora. I know exactly how she feels. Why are you so rude to her? Why are you so rude to Sally Field???”

What’s the great Sally Field like in person?

Dave: Uh, she’s terrible! No, don’t write that! She’s the best! It’s a lot of work to wrangle us actors to get ready for a scene and Sally’s the one running the show – and she has been from day one.

Matthew: And it’s no irony that this sort of family’s led by the matriarch, and in our show, it’s sort of the same. She’s a consummate professional and really does lead by example.

So she bosses you around off the set as well?

Dave: Oh, totally. Actually, I have to go get her a coffee right now.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from her?

Dave: I think it’s “be prepared”. She always knows her lines when she comes into work and knows what she’s doing. Clearly she goes home and works. It’s easy to be young and get caught up in the fun nightlife and come to work going, “Woo, whatever, I got lines”, you know. It sort of works a lot easier if you do your homework and go home and study your lines and all that fun stuff, and not play too many video games (looks sheepishly at his console).

Matthew: She comes in early, she’s on time, she’s prepared, she’s thought about what she’s going to do. She never holds anyone up. Sits by the camera while they light, doesn’t go off and drink coffee and chit chat and get on the Internet. Old school.

Luke: No matter where you are in your career, you still have to work hard. Because she really has kind of done it all, but she doesn’t rest on her laurels.

Source: Today Online

Luke Macfarlane: «Lo pensé mucho antes de admitir que era gay»

Aug 11, 2010Nov 20, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Press, tv series No Comments

11/08/2010

BEGOÑA ARCE
LONDRES

Elogiado por su papel de gay de Cinco hermanos, Luke Macfarlane habla de su trabajo en la serie que protagonizan Sally Field y Calixta Flockhart en la cadena Fox y cuya cuarta temporada se estrena esta noche en varias plataformas de pago (22.20 horas). Nacido en Canadá (1980), el actor encarna a Scotty Wandell, casado con el abogado Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys), cuarto hijo de la familia, ahora es cocinero de un restaurante de Los Ángeles.

–¿Admitir públicamente que era gay, como hizo usted hace dos años, fue una decisión difícil?

–Lo pensé mucho. Fue una decisión muy meditada. Había, claro está, ciertos riesgos, ciertos temores…

–¿Y cómo ha sido la reacción?

–Muy positiva en todos los sentidos. La verdad es que sigo teniendo las mismas necesidades y los mismos problemas que antes. Mi vida no ha cambiado básicamente. El día a día es el mismo.

–¿Ser homosexual le ayuda a interpretar un papel como el de Scotty?

–Pienso que entiendes mejor ciertas situaciones. Personajes como el mío ayudan a cambiar la mentalidad de la gente. Además, los anunciantes también se dan cuenta de que los gays son un público rentable.

–¿Cómo se siente en una serie con un reparto tan amplio?

–Me siento muy a gusto. Es algo muy raro para un actor el poder trabajar durante tanto tiempo en una serie. Encontrar cierta estabilidad por un periodo más largo de lo habitual en nuestra profesión, al lado de las mismas personas, es como formar parte de una gran familia.

–¿Se lleva bien con Matthew Rhys?

–Oh sí, muy bien. Es un gran actor y un gran tipo. Matthew es británico y yo soy canadiense, aunque todo el mundo cree que soy estadounidense. Tanto Mathew como yo venimos del teatro y tenemos una forma de entender el trabajo muy similar.

–Usted ha hecho televisión, teatro y cine. ¿Qué medio prefiere?

–Empecé en el teatro y me siento muy bien en el escenario: eres tú el que controlas lo que haces. En el cine mi experiencia es muy limitada. Lo interesante de la televisión es que te metes en una historia en la que no sabes nunca que giro a va tomar ni como va a terminar.

–¿Cree que en el futuro le volverán a ofrecer papeles de heterosexual?

–Espero que sí, pero será interesante ver qué papeles me proponen.

Source: El Periódico

Interview: Luke Macfarlane

Oct 20, 2009Nov 20, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Press, tv series No Comments

20/10/2009

Luke Macfarlane is quickly establishing himself as a leading man in Hollywood by bringing a winning combination of charm, versatility and intelligence to his roles. He plays Scotty Wandell in the critically-acclaimed drama Brothers & Sisters – and with the season three DVD released this week, we bring you an interview with the actor about his role on the show.

You appeared in the first season of ‘Brothers & Sisters’ as a guest star. Did you know back then that you would become a cast regular by the third season?

It’s funny, but I never imagined I would be a cast regular on Brothers & Sisters – especially by way of marriage. I remember riding bikes over to one of the sets a while ago and asking Matthew Rhys [who plays Luke’s lover on the show], “What do they have in store for us?” And he said, “I think we’re getting married.” It was a total surprise to me.

Were you excited about the prospect of becoming a series regular?

Definitely. It’s always really nice when you come into something and your agents tell you, “There’s a possibility for you to become a series regular here.” However, it was a complete surprise because I had no idea where they were going with the storyline. In fact, I continue to have no idea where they’re going with it.

Was there an immediate chemistry between you and Matthew Rhys?

We always got along very, very well and there was never any awkwardness between us. Matthew was ready to jump into the gay love affair with great aplomb, which was fantastic. I don’t think we’ve ever had any tension between us. It’s always been great.

Do you receive much fan mail on the show?

I’ve had a number of letters from the gay community talking about the lack of role models for gay people on television and how happy they are to see Scotty and Kevin together. I really applaud the show’s creators for depicting a real romance for them. I’m glad they didn’t go for any clichés.

Do you receive more letters from women or men?

I’m always surprised that I get as many letters from girls as I do from boys. In fact, I’m always amazed at the care these people put into some of the letters. Sometimes I get drawings and it’s totally flattering. At the end of the day, we wake up really early in the morning and we go to work to do our thing. We sometimes forget that the show gets beamed out into the universe, so it’s always very touching and flattering to receive mail about it.

How long does it take to shoot an episode?

We usually work on nine-day episodes. Hopefully they give us the script about a week in advance, but as you approach the end of a season, it sometimes arrives about two days before we start on an episode. I think we’re very fortunate because we have such terrific writers and terrific actors – and there is a real sense of collaboration on the show.

Do you have much input into your character?

Sure. After the first table read, which they try to do for every episode, the actors can approach the writers and say, “I think I might want to do this.” I love the way it’s open for us to do that. From my experience on other television shows, I haven’t seen as much collaboration between the actors and the writers. We’re very fortunate on Brothers & Sisters.

Can you change the wording in the script if you’re not satisfied with it?

Well, you can talk about it with the writers and change things. With certain producers you have to say every line as it’s written in the script, but there are other producers who let you do your own thing. That’s not to say we don’t respect the scripts tremendously – but the longer the show goes on, the more the actor owns the part. The writers and producers start to encourage us to say what we want to say.

Your character marries Kevin Walker in the show, but that’s something that most gay couples in California cannot do anymore. How did this storyline come about?

I find this a fascinating story because I think the election happened about a week after the show aired in the States – and then Prop 8 didn’t pass. It was amazing that we’d done this thing that was, without foresight, very provocative.

Did you enjoy filming the wedding scene?

It was wonderful. It kind of felt like we were doing something big – and it was all done with great care. The writers spoke with someone who had officiated gay marriages, so the words were very accurate and in line. It was all really beautiful.

How well does the cast get along?

We all get along extremely well. There’s a great camaraderie on our set and everyone is very professional. We all get on with our work, but we also hang out together when we’re not working. It’s a great show in that respect.

What’s it like to work with Matthew Rhys?

It’s great. Matthew is an incredible actor and an incredible guy. We both come from theatre backgrounds, so our approach to the material is very similar. I couldn’t be happier.

And what’s it like to work with Sally Field?

Sally Field is amazing. She really makes you raise your game when you’re on set. She’s like a leader in some ways. I remember one time specifically when we were filming a dinner scene and there was a lot of chatter among the cast. It was late at night and we’d had a really long day, but she just stood up and said, “Everybody be quiet.” Everyone went quiet. She has that kind of effect.

‘Brothers and Sisters: Season 3′ is available to buy on DVD now.

Source: Entertainment Focus

Out of the closet and on to primetime

Oct 12, 2009Nov 20, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Press, tv series No Comments

12/10/2009

Is it me or has everyone on Brothers And Sisters suddenly turned gay? Last week’s episode of the popular M-Net drama series saw an entire episode focus on every gay character in the series and the storylines that pivoted around them were heightened ten-fold.

Fans of the show already know that there’s a focus on gay relationships to the same extent that there’s a focus on straight relationships, and this is one of the first series to depict gay interaction in a way that it actually reflects real life.

When the Brothers and Sisters first emerged three seasons ago, we were introduced to Kevin Walker (played with such ease by straight Irish actor Matthew Rhys), a lawyer and part of the hugely dysfunctional Walker clan. Kevin was also an openly gay character and, for the first time, it wasn’t a gay character dying of Aids or an uber-camp hairdresser flapping his wrists like he was guiding a Boeing into a parking bay.

With the exception of his sexual orientation, Kevin was exactly the same as the rest of his brothers and sisters – flawed, issued, sometimes irritating, always endearing. And as the character developed, Kevin soon met his life-partner, Scotty Wandell, played by Luke MacFarlane, and they eventually got married at the beginning of the third season, which we’re currently watching on M-Net.

I interviewed MacFarlane in Cape Town earlier this year and because he’s actually gay in real life, a lot of our talk turned to this very subject.

The fact is, America has a huge section of its viewership in what is referred to as the Bible Belt, and ratings from this sector often make or break a show.

Apparently, Dirty Sexy Money folded because these viewers believed it to be too focused on materialism and greed, Eli Stone was not re-commissioned because some Earthly being was playing God and Pushing Daisies wilted for much the same reason. The list goes on.

MacFarlane says this was a concern for the producers when they first mulled over the creation of these characters. But because there’s such a large, on-going conversation about same-sex equality in the US, this attempt to show a gay couple in this way meant a lot to American society in terms of finding real role models.

So the characters, MacFarlane says, have been received very well, just because there is this desire for people to have role models specifically in the gay community.

Another interesting fact is that Kevin and Scotty’s wedding was the first gay marriage in a recurring role on US television, so it was a very big deal. It was also the first man-to-man kiss on primetime television, that wasn’t a comedy, so they were breaking ground on so many other levels too.

MacFarlane, who has, in the past, been dogged with rumours that he’s dating Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller, says he brings a lot of himself into this role of Scotty Wandell. He says he admires Scotty’s sense of right and wrong, and his very strong sense of self.

But the thing he’s most pleased about is the fact that they actually get to show a gay relationship through a long process. He admits that very rarely do viewers get to see this kind of relationship in a show – them meeting for the first time, breaking up for the first time, getting back together for the first time and then getting married.

And MacFarlane feels that’s a very accurate portrait of any relationship out there, never mind a gay one, and that’s the due integrity that should always be given to these characters.

But are they milking the concept a little now?

Saul (played by Ron Rifkin), the brother of Sally Field’s character, Nora, has also come out of the closet. Saul is probably in his early 60s and is, for the first time, searching for the kind of relationship he was never allowed to have because of societal dictates earlier on in his life.

While the twist was unexpected, I think this storyline is becoming more about making a point than being dramatic.

I can’t wait to see who else they pull out of this closet next. A lesbian? A black woman? A back woman who’s Tonight, South Africaa lesbian?

I suppose I can live in hope.

Source: Tonight (South Africa)

Greg’s Celebrity Encounters: Rubbing elbows with Scotty and Kevin from “Brothers & Sisters”

Sep 26, 2009Nov 20, 2015 admin Brothers & Sisters, interview, Luke, Press, private life, tv series No Comments

26/09/2009

ABC’s Brothers & Sisters has its fourth season premiere tomorrow night and gay couple Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) and word has it that they are considering becoming parents.

Both are such good actors and seem like good guys. I first met Luke at the 2007 LA Gay and Lesbian Center Gala. He was not yet out publicly but could not have been nicer. We spoke the next year at a TV Academy event shortly after he came out publicly as a gay man in an interview with the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

He said of coming out: “I’ll say that I decided to do that interview, I decided to answer those questions in an effort to make my life simpler and that’s going to continue to be my motto.”

Scotty Wandell and Kevin Walker had instant chemistry from the minute the financially struggling waiter-turned-chef walked into his law office on a legal matter. He cut through Kevin’s veneer with quirky humor and charm and you knew he had Kevin’s heart when he bit into a red velvet cupcake and smiled at the end of one of their early episodes..

“My whole experience on the show started off as just a few episodes and it’s just become more and more and more and I’m so grateful for that,” Luke told. “…I do know that the fans had a lot to do with Scotty staying around as long as he has so I’m grateful for them.”

I’ve met Matthew om several occasions and it’s always a little surprising to hear him speak in a Welsh accent since Kevin is so Californian.

It just shows what a damned good actor he is!

In one of our interviews, Matthew talked to me about why Scotty and Kevin make such a good couple: “We do have (chemistry). It’s a real joy to work with him, a pleasure. As much as (Kevin and Scotty’s) drama came from their turbulence and the conflict in their relationship, being now in this (committed) relationship opens up a world of drama for them to play out. … What’s great is they really have picked two very diverse characters, the two of us compliment us very well as characters. Kevin can be a little bit uptight at times whereas Scotty, is a little bit too much of a free-spirit. So when the two meet, it makes for humorous times.”

Source: Greg in Hollywood

Actor Luke MacFarlane Comes Out

Apr 16, 2008Dec 4, 2016 admin interview, Luke, Press, private life No Comments

16/04/2008

Actor Luke MacFarlane came out in an interview with The [Toronto] Globe and Mail today.

Actor Luke MacFarlane Comes Out

Actor Luke MacFarlane came out in an interview with The [Toronto] Globe and Mail today. The native of Canada, though “terrified” about the future of his career, said to the paper, “I don’t know what will happen professionally, but I guess I can’t really be concerned about what will happen, because it’s my truth.”

MacFarlane is best known for his role as Scotty Wandell, the love interest of Kevin Walker (played by Matthew Rhys) on the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters (Note: A future plot spoiler is below). The actor went on to say, “There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are, and what’s been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself — so this is the first time I am speaking about it in this way.”

He told the paper: “From a standing-outside perspective, and also as someone who is gay, I think that it’s a very exciting time. How exciting that we’re saying ‘This can be part of the cultural fabric, now,’ because it is two series regulars, two people that you invite into your home and you see every week. It’s telling of the beginning of more waves, and I’m very proud of that.” He does, however, note that a certain irony still exists: While a show featuring a same-sex marriage may be an important step toward building tolerance, it’s still an attention-grabber in today’s television world.

The interview took place during the shooting of the season finale of Brothers & Sisters, in which (here’s the spoiler alert) Scotty and Kevin get married. (The Advocate)

Source: The Advocate