SUNDANCE CHANNEL: Rufus Wainwright “Prima Donna”

The Sundance Channel has some great programming coming up, and it’s documentaries are no exception. I recently had the pleasure of watching their newest one called Rufus Wainwright: Prima Donna. If you are a fan of this artist (and I know I am), you will really love this documentary. It takes the viewer through a journey of Rufus Wainwright’s life and prolific career leading up to his first classical opera (aptly titled “Prima Donna”) It is full of interesting home videos, and other exclusive looks into his life and what made him the singer/songwriter that he is today.

I had no idea that he always had a passion and love for opera. As a teenager, he cast his sister and cousins in the opera “Tosca,” that he filmed on a camcorder. Everything that Rufus does has a ton of passion behind it. This opera is no exception. The plot and cast members are loosely based on people closest to him. And despite his incredible talent, creating and staging this opera can be challenging at parts.

The documentary may be focused on his creative process surrounding the opera, but it is at its core about Rufus’ life. He was born to singer/performer Loudon Wainwright III and folk singer Kate McGarrigle. From a very young age, he was encouraged to explore his own musical talent. (In fact, most of his family is successful in the music business). He came out when he was a teenager, was addicted to drugs and had a stint in rehab, and has now become an incredibly beloved artist. He has a huge, cult-like fan base who will absolutely adore this documentary.

Even if you aren’t familiar with Rufus’ work, this documentary is very much worth checking out. I can’t put myself in the group of his biggest fans, I am more of a casual listener, but this documentary is great regardless. Rufus has had an incredibly interesting life and career, and this documentary truly showcases his journey to become the person he is now.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 pm on the Sundance Channel.

VIDEOS: The Office and Parks & Recreation Christmas Episodes

I love The Office, and have been loving Parks and Recreation this season. The Christmas episodes are always hilarious and fun, so I thought I’d share some clips from tonight’s episodes! Be sure to tune in to NBC tonight to watch!

The Office:

Battle of the Santas:
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Erin makes a plea to her secret admirer:
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Introducing the Dunder Mifflin Christmas Tree:
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Parks and Recreation:

The pit turns into Pawnee’s Winter Wonderland:
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Leslie does the honors and lights the Pawnee Christmas Tree:
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ADVANCE REVIEW: Bravo’s Launch My Line

Bravo has some top quality programming (get it?) with Top Chef, Top Design, and Shear Genius, among many others. It lost Project Runway to Lifetime this year, and I think the show has definitely suffered since moving. Perhaps to fill its void, Bravo has come up with a new show called Launch My Line. It is a reality/competition show, hosted by Dean and Dan Caten (designers of the line D Squared), where each person is competing for a chance to launch their own fashion line. The twist however, is that each contestant knows relatively nothing about designing and creating clothes. There are stylists and dressers and fashion critics who know a lot about the industry, but on the other hand you have a choreographer and a marketing executive. To help them launch their line, each contestant is paired with a fashion expert. I hadn’t really heard of any of these fashion experts, but I can’t really call myself one, so I trust Bravo.

Their first challenge is to come up with a name and a concept for their line, and then design a signature look. At first I found myself comparing the show to Project Runway. There is no Tim Gunn (although D Squared are so cute and awesome), no Mood Fabrics, and there were no Quick Fire challenges like on other Bravo shows. But after my initial thoughts that it isn’t Project Runway, I realized that the show is incredibly unique. Each contestant brings their own perspective to clothing design and I really enjoyed seeing how they conceptualized a line without any prior experience. In my mind, there is already a front-runner, but I don’t want to spoil too much. There are also a couple of contestants who I already find to be divas and rather pretentious. I was pleasantly surprised by the show. I expect quality programming from Bravo, and I was not disappointed in the least. For anyone who likes Bravo shows, or fashion, you will love Launch My Line. Be sure to tune in Wednesday at 10 pm on Bravo.

Meet the Contestants:

• Dan Karaty, Choreographer
• David Applebaum, Architect
• Eric Cubeechee, DJ
• Kathy Rose, Jewelry Designer
• Kevin Black, Music Mogul
• Louanna Rawles, Stylist
• Marilyn Crawford, CEO
• Merle Ginsberg, Fashion Critic
• Patrick McDonald, Fashion Writer/Dandy
• Vanessa Gonzalez, Event Designer

A&E and History Channel: TV Premieres this week

A lot of my favorite shows are going on hiatus soon: V, Glee, The Vampire Diaries. In the interim, there are some great new shows to fill the void. Thankfully, A&E and The History Channel, who consistently bring us quality programming, are bringing back old favorites and mixing them in with some new hits.

A&E:

Steven Seagal Lawman: Yes, that Steven Seagal. I wasn’t sure what to think of this show. We know Seagal as an action star whose movies have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. But, this show is about his other life. It is based around Seagal’s real life experience as a Deputy in the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. He has been working with them for over 20 years. He has also helped train Parish officers in firearms and hand-to-hand combat. In addition, he holds a 7th degree black belt in Aikido. I was pleasantly surprised by Seagal and the show, and very impressed. I thought the concept was interesting and unique. I never knew Seagal had this background, and his real passion for serving the people of Jefferson Parish shined through. He was serious when he needed to be, but also had a great sense of humor and rapport with his department. And he could really move! I was floored by his Aikido skills and ability to train others. He might be this huge movie star, but he really is dedicated to being a “lawman.” I highly recommend this show even if you aren’t a Seagal fan. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before, and definitely worth checking out. It premieres this Wednesday, December 2nd at 10 pm on A&E with 2 back-to-back episodes.

Check out the trailer here:

And enter my awesome Lawman giveaway here! Who doesn’t love free stuff?

Hoarders: The 2nd season premiere of Hoarders starts with a woman named Augustine, whose problems resulted in her own son being taken away from her. Full of resentment and bad blood, Jason (her son) returns to confront her hoarding problems. He had moved cross country and hadn’t talked to his mother in four years. His sister, who raised him, also takes part in this intervention of sorts. I am fascinated and disgusted by the people on this show (which I suppose is an appropriate reaction). In this episode, they found 2 dead cats and hauled around 8,000 pounds of garbage out of her house. I really liked the therapist, and her approach to this broken up family and Augustine’s mindset. A&E has some really great programming, and I am definitely planning on watching more Hoarders. The 2nd season premiere is tonight at 10 pm on A&E. It pairs up with A&E’s other hit show Intervention which premieres at 9 pm. Be sure to tune in!

Check out a sneak peek here:

The History Channel:

Pawn Stars: I had caught a few episodes of this show before, and was intrigued by the concept. It centers around three generations of the Harrison family who run a pawn shop (grandfather, son, and grandson). In the 2nd season premiere, someone brings in a musket from the 1600s, a propeller from Charles Lindbergh, and a key chain that supposedly belonged to Willie Nelson. I wish I was able to find treasures worth a ton of money, but it was fun to live vicariously through these people. I enjoyed the family dynamic at the pawn shop, and I think it’s a fun show for anyone interested in history and artifacts. I especially liked when they brought in experts to assess and explain items people had brought in. Pawn Stars premieres tonight at 10 pm on The History Channel. Two great shows on one night is what the DVR was built for!

Also, check out my WWII in HD History Channel giveaway here! More free stuff!

Happy Slapsgiving from The TV Chick!

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday! Enjoy this video of Marshall’s third slap (one of my favorites), which dubbed the holiday Slapsgiving!

ADVANCE REVIEW: V: “It’s Only The Beginning”

V has only a few episodes under it’s belt so far this season, but I am really enjoying it. I have to admit that I am still way behind on Flash Forward, but V I have been keeping up with (not that it’s been terribly hard to do so). V centers around a group of “Visitors,” or aliens, who visit planet earth in huge ships, claiming that they come in peace and wish to share technology with people on earth. Anna (Morena Baccarin) is the V leader who is strikingly beautiful and calming in her own way. The Vs bring into questions issues of devotion, worship and whether they are just arriving or if they’ve been there all along.

The way ABC has chosen to break up the season is to air 4 episodes in a row, and not air a new one until 2010. I’m not sure how I feel about this, but I can say that the mid-season finale — if you can call it that — was very successful. The episode centers around the resistance movement (at this point it consists of Georgie played by David Richmond-Peck, Father Jack played by Joel Gretsch, Erica Evans, played by Elizabeth Mitchell, and a V himself Ryan Nichols, played by Morris Chestnut), and their plans to take down the Vs. Meanwhile, Erica’s son is getting much more involved with the Vs, and it becomes very clear that the Vs are using him for some ulterior motive. The Vs also give Chad Decker (Scott Wolf) an exclusive story about the healing centers (which Anna plugs on TV throughout the episode). The Vs claim their medical technology is incredibly advanced and far beyond anyone’s imagination.

But back to the resistance group, which I think is interesting and unique. Each person contributes something different. They make one small step towards progress at the end of the episode, but I don’t want to spoil anything. We also learn more about Anna’s relationship with the Vs, and about the 5th Column (the V resistance group).

This episode left me with a ton of questions, but I don’t feel like that is a bad thing. I think the season is moving at a pretty good pace, even though I want instant gratification. I want to know more about “getting connected,” which was brought up by a V in the last episode. I want to know more about the leader of the 5th column, and whether there are more traitors. I realize I just have to be patient to wait for the answers, but there is one thing that is for sure…V is keeping me very interested and very entertained. And at the same time, it is very grounded (for a show about aliens and all). The characters are well developed and well acted, and I only wish I knew more about some of Anna’s right hand men and women. I can’t wait to see how the season progresses, and I really look forward to when it pairs up with LOST in 2010.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 8 pm on ABC to see “It’s Only The Beginning.” I can’t wait to hear your thoughts as well!

Q&A with Tiffani Thiessen (Elizabeth Burke) from White Collar

White Collar has quickly become one of my favorite new shows. It’s exciting, action-packed, and not to mention one of the most beautifully shot series I have seen. It centers around the unlikely partnership between FBI Agent Peter Burke and Ex-Con Man Neil Caffrey (Tim DeKay and Matt Bomer respectively). The show also has an incredible supporting cast: Willie Garson, Natalie Morales and Tiffani Thiessen (who plays Elizabeth Burke, Peter’s wife). I recently had the chance to participate in a conference call with Tiffani (one of my childhood heroes, of course), where she talked about her new role, the USA network and what drew her to the project.

 

On what made her want to be a part of the show: Ever since I read the script, which has been a little over a year ago now, I fell in love with it.  I fell in love with the characters.  I fell in love with the show, and more and more, when the cast was brought together, the more excitement I had for the show and wanting to be a part of it.  This is really the first time I feel like in my whole entire career which has been over 25, 26 years of doing this that I finally feel like I’m kind of playing a role a little closer to home for me, which is kind of exciting.

 

 

On the audition process: It was an interesting audition process.  I’ll be totally honest.  I went in and read for this before they even cast Tim’s role of Peter.  I did great.  I was put on a short list, and then months go by and didn’t hear back because they hadn’t cast the role of Peter yet. Then, they finally cast the role of Peter with Tim, which I was ecstatic about because I was such a huge fan of Tim’s work that I was hoping to get called back again and be able to read with him.  They actually had moved on and started looking at some other girls for the role.  Funny enough, they were looking at girls younger than I was, which I thought was kind of funny.  A month or so goes by, and they have not cast the role of Elizabeth. I finally got a call again.  They said they really wanted to bring me back again and see what the chemistry could be like between Tim and I, and we blew it out of the park.  The moment I met him and we read, it just was right.  It just fit perfectly, and so I read with him once for a chemistry read, and then I went in and tested for the show with him with a couple other girls.  I was told that USA usually takes a few weeks to make decisions, but I was told later that night that I got the role, so I was very excited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On her character’s background:  I think you’ll start to see background on all of our characters, especially the guys.  Surely, this show is definitely the guys’ show.  It’s Matt and Tim’s show, and Willie and I definitely play more of a supporting role, but you will definitely see much more of me in the further episodes as you’re coming along.  Last week or two weeks ago you saw a little bit more of what I really do for a living and kind of my career, which is really nice to kind of see because we really never saw that in the pilot, and it was something that we kind of came up with actually after we shot the pilot. They’re definitely putting more of what I do outside of my relationship with Tim into the show a little bit, and that’ll continue on even, hopefully, in seasons from here on out, which hopefully there’ll be five to ten years of White Collar.  In general, I can’t give you exact specifics, ideas of what’s going to be happening, but I can promise you you’ll see a lot more of her.

 

 

 

 

 

On becoming a new mother (she is expecting):   You know, that’s a very good question in the sense that I really don’t know being that I am a first-time mom, so it’ll be a very different kind of thing for me being that I’ll be working and being a mother at the same time.  There are millions of people who do it.  My mom did it herself, so I know I can handle it, but it’ll be a very new experience, so it’s hard to say what is going to be like.  It’ll be all brand new for me.

On whether her pregnancy will be incorporated into the show: I don’t know.  That’s actually going to be up to the writers and the executive producers and USA and Fox and everybody involved.  I’m going to be still somewhat not too pregnant along when we’re finally coming to the end of the season.  We really don’t have too much more left, so it’s really up to them if they want to.  I’m open to whatever they feel.  We tried to time it to a certain degree so I wouldn’t show too, too much.

 

 

On her character’s relationship with Peter:   I don’t know if I would actually use the word strained.  I think in every marriage there’s always the challenge of making time and making priorities in their relationship when people have careers, and what you will start to see more and more is my career, being that it takes up a lot of my time as well.  I think it’s going to give a lot of, not so much looking into Peter’s career and how it affects our marriage.  There’s also my side of it as well. I think she is very understanding to that.  She’s been living with it for so long and knows what he does for a living, and she knows what she married.  I don’t think there’s a strain to it.  I think there’s a challenge.  I think probably the challenge is the word I could use for that.  I think what Neal brings into it is that I think my husband on the show is very kind of black and white in the way he thinks, and I think Neal is definitely much more colorful, and I think he will definitely teach my husband a little more of the colorful side of being romantic and all those things that you do need in a marriage as well.

On her on-screen marriage: I really try, and Tim and I both have long talks about this as well as our creator, Jeff, that we really wanted this to be a relationship that does work on TV, not one that has a lot of problems, not one that you constantly see drama, which you see a lot on TV. Funny enough, Tim and I come from marriages that work, that really do work like that, so I think we really take it from just our own experiences.  Tim’s been married for quite some time to a wonderful woman and has two great kids.  My husband and I have this wonderful relationship and humor has a lot to do with it, communication, all those things I feel that are so, so important.  I take those just being from my parents who’ve been married for over 45 years.  My grandparents were married for 67 years.  It’s important, so I feel like I take from my own life and really try to bring what I can to the relationship and the characters.

 

 

 

On whether she wants to direct an episode of White Collar:  Yes, they definitely know directing is something that’s in my thinking of wanting to do more and more, and it all really just depends on time and all that.  I wanted to make sure that when we started the show my focus was on my character and what I’m doing as an actress.  Now with my new role coming as a mother, it’s going to be a little more challenging, but it’s definitely something I want to do more of, so yes.

 

 

On what her 2nd choice career would be:   It’s so funny.  Last year when we did the pilot, we really didn’t know what Elizabeth’s character was going to do for a living.  They had some ideas, and they kind of changed it, and then I had come to Jeff Eastin, our creator of the show and said, you know, it’s funny.  I think it could work, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do if I wasn’t an actor.  I’d always wanted to be an event planner, and I think it could work really well for Elizabeth’s character being that she’s in New York City.  We could really show the city in a different light, and they loved it.  I have to say funny enough, that was my idea, and that’s exactly what I would do if I wasn’t an actor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  On how her previous roles have prepared her for this one:  It’s funny.  I think I’ve made this statement before a few times, but it is really true is that this is the first character in over 25 years of me doing this that I actually feel like it’s the closest to me that I’ve played in all the different shows and movies that I’ve done in my career.  I think it’s more about myself and my own experience that I can bring to Elizabeth.  She has this really solid wonderful marriage.  I feel like I have that with my own husband.  She’s career-driven, which I feel like I am.  It’s all those things that you put towards a character like her that I feel that are definitely very much me.

 

 

On being a part of a USA Network show: [It’s] absolutely exciting.  I tell them this all the time that I feel blessed to be on such an amazing network.  This is the first time I’ve ever done a cable show, and I’m utterly thrilled and over-the-moon with the fact that they’re so supportive and they’re so behind their shows, and they really do give such a great chance of us really trying to make it.  It’s nice.  It’s nice to feel like we’re really wanted in a sense and really have a lot of passion behind us.  It’s a lovely, lovely feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  On the challenges she has faced creating a new character, when people remember her for her past roles:  Yes, well, it’s bittersweet at times.  There’s good and bad.  There are people who of course followed my career and who have loved the shows that I’ve done in the past and are always up to seeing something new of myself or any of my past co-stars, which is really wonderful.  Then there’s always people who have opinions, and of course, that’s how the world works, and that’s A-OK. Some people were really open and loving to the fact that I’m actually playing a role that’s quite different than what I’ve played in the past.  Like I said, it’s definitely much more close to home for me, this character, but some people had a hard time with it.  Some people didn’t believe the relationship between Tim and I, which is so funny to me because we had chemistry from day one, but that’s how the entertainment business works.  That’s how people are, and that’s okay.  Everybody has their opinions.

 

 

 

 

 On what makes White Collar a show that should last many seasons:   Well, I think a few reasons.  People are already enjoying it.  We’ve had a lot of great feedback and a lot of great critics really loving the characters and the storylines and the show and us on it, which is exciting, the fact that we are on a network like USA.  They are so behind us, and they really put us out there, and it’s nice to have the passion behind us because I think that helps a lot.  These network shows, sometimes they don’t give it a chance, and it’s nice to know that we have somebody who’s really given us a chance.  I think we, knock on wood, I think you’re going to see us for awhile.

 

 

 

 

 

  On her favorite moment so far:  Wow, that’s hard.  I think there are a couple episodes coming up that I’m definitely a little heavier in, which is kind of nice to really get to explore my character a little bit, but each episode is so exciting and so fun, and it’s such a ride that it’s hard for me to pick out one more than the other or one little bit more than the other.  That’s a hard choice.  I have to think about that a little longer, and I know we wouldn’t have time.

 

 

On being  a part of a male dominated cast: It’s great, actually.  It’s not my first time, so I feel like I’m definitely, I have the experience.  With past shows, I did a show called Fastlane that was literally me and two guys.  It’s funny.  I don’t know why, but I tend to gravitate to shows that have a lot of male co-stars. I grew up with two brothers, so I guess it’s just normal for me to be around guys.  It’s fun.  It’s where I feel comfortable, I have to say.

 

 

 

 

On the pressure of the business: It’s all there.  It will never go away.  I don’t think our business and the entertainment business in general will ever just be okay with how people are.  I think we’re in a business that critiques everything we do, and you kind of just take it with a grain of salt.  I look at my grandmother, and I think she’s aged beautifully, so I hope that I could be a smidgen of how she’s aged. There’s nothing you can do.  All you can do is take of yourself and do the things that make you feel good and make you healthy and age appropriately, but there’s always going to be people out there are going to say something, and there’s nothing you can do about it.  Like I said, you have to take it with a grain of salt.

 

 

On her input regarding Elizabeth’s character development: It’s interesting.  We are very lucky to be on a show (and that’s all of us across the board) that our executive producers and writers are very open to anything we have to say, which is so nice because not a lot of shows are like that.  They believe a collaboration always works best, and not that we are there writing the show, nor is that what we’re supposed to be doing, but they’re always very open to any time we have a question or concern or have an idea, they’re always open.  It’s nice to be able to get on the phone or sit down with them and talk with them about it, and we all feel that way, which is really great.

 

 

 

 

On whether we will see an episode centered around Elizabeth: I don’t know.  That’s a question that really I can’t answer.  Again, I say the show really is Matt and Tim.  It’s their show, and it was from day one.  I knew that coming in.  I came in knowing that this role was supportive, which I was completely happy with. It’s funny.  I’ve been doing this for so long that I was actually okay not having to work every day and having the weight of a new show on my shoulders.  As well as I really just fell in love with this character, and I fell in love with the cast that they started to put together, but you’ll see definitely, there’s an episode coming up that I’m much more heavy in, and you’ll see that every now and then that I’ll be a little heavier in certain episodes. It’s not something you’re going to see every week because, again, it’s not my show.  I’m a supportive role on the show.

 

 

 

 

 

On what she would tell viewers about why they should tune into White Collar: Oh gosh, well, besides having really cute guys on the show, it’s definitely the type of TV and movies that I like to see.  I’m a huge fan of The Thomas Crown Affair and those kinds of feels of movies and shows and 48 Hours, which is so interesting, Catch Me If You Can, things like that.  If people are really into those kinds of movies and those kind of story-telling, they have to watch this show.  It is so absolutely entertaining.  The characters are so rich and so fun to watch and follow. As well as you see New York City in a completely different way.  It’s shot in a beautiful way.  It’s interesting, a lot of shows that are shot in New York City can be a little more dark and gray, and this show really, I think, kind of captures New York City in a really beautiful light, and it’s nice.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 10 pm for an all new episode of White Collar!

 

 

 

 

 

Check Out USA Network’s Character Arcade!

Sometimes you just want to kill some time at work or maybe you’re just looking to play some enjoyable games. I recently had the chance to check out USA’s Character Arcade (by clicking on the banner to the bottom right of your screen), and it was a lot of fun. Before I knew it, I was playing each game and trying to improve and beat my scores.

I started off with Felix RX (last week’s Game of the Week), which is basically a version of Tetris. Felix went off his meds and you have to help him by stacking up his pills. I continued on to this week’s game of the week Spider Solitaire, which is self explanatory but really fun. I then moved on to Smash ‘Em where you smash rocks to uncover diamonds. This was also very much like Tetris but really awesome. Something about smashing rocks that just allows you to get rid of your bad day! My next game was Character Smash ‘Em where you get to literally smash characters’ heads with a stapler. Pretty fantastic! If smashing things isn’t your thing, I also played Letter Matrix next where library books with letters on the spine pile up on the game board. You then have to spell out words before they pile up too high. If you are lucky, you get *s which are essentially blank letters. They also just released a new brain teaser game called Geo Trail-Penguin Permafrost. You have to navigate a penguin across a small square of ice, and it’s pretty challenging! There are also games that coincide with USA Network’s great shows. If you so choose, you can also challenge other people online!

But it’s not just all fun and games (get it?), you can also win some AMAZING prizes! When you play the Game of the Week, you can enter to win an iPod Touch, PSP Go, or Wii Party Bundle! So check it out! I think you’ll enjoy it.

INTERVIEW: Bridget Regan (Kahlan) from Legend Of The Seeker

I would not call myself a lover of all things fantasy (vampire, yes…fantasy, not so much). However, I thought the premise of Legend of the Seeker (based on the book series written by Terry Goodkind) was interesting. The acting was wonderful, the scenery was breathtaking, and I really found myself very interested in the story. So, maybe I am slowly revising my take on fantasy/sci-fi…and getting aboard the Legend of the Seeker train. I do adore Lost, but that’s more sci-fi lite than anything else. In any case, Legend of the Seeker returns tonight with its 2nd season premiere. I have seen it, and I can tell you it is fantastic. I recently had the chance to chat with the lovely and gracious Bridget Regan, who plays Kahlan (or The Mother Confessor), about filming, the fantasy genre, her character and what’s coming up this season.

What originally attracted you to the show?
Well, it was the role. The character of Kahlan was not like any part I had ever auditioned for or played. So, I was immediately drawn to it. I thought that she was really tough and kind of timeless, epic and theatrical which I really was drawn to. I went to a drama school and I grew up doing theater, so I quite liked that the show was kind of heightened and it wasn’t the sort of low energy, common chit-chat show, it was big and epic and exciting and high stakes and all that which I loved.

Are you a fan of fantasy?
I wasn’t at all, actually. (laughs) It was pretty embarrassing when I moved to New Zealand, because the fact that I hadn’t seen Lord Of The Rings, I thought that they were going to turn me around and not let me into the country. But, once I got into [it], I really enjoyed it. The fans are really passionate, and have really strong opinions about things, which I like. You know, we had a fan base before we even started filming the show, which was so cool and bizarre. People had thoughts and feelings about what color my hair should be and my eyes and that was totally new to me.

Have you read the books or met the author?
I have not met Terry Goodkind. You know, my parents have because they went to Comic Con in San Diego. That’s where I grew up. I’ve read some of the books. I haven’t gotten through all of them, but I’ve been skipping around. The series isn’t really following the books perfectly, and so you know, I find them really helpful. But sometimes I find it frustrating, because I’ll read something and I’ll be like ugh I really wish we would do this in the show. Or there’s an episode coming up — the one I’m going back to film right after I leave the states — is totally an escape from the book and nothing like that’s happened in it, and I’m so excited to do it because Kahlan gets split into two different bodies…almost like a yin and a yang sort of thing. One of her is the confessor in her, you know, [is] magical, has the powers and everything. And the other is just a woman. And without having both of them in check, things kind of go crazy and it’s such a cool episode for me, and I’m so excited to do it, but it’s not in the book, so you know I’m kind of thankful that we do stray because we get so many cool other opportunities.

You were saying before how Kahlan is such a tough character. What does it mean to do you to play her? Do you think it sends a powerful message to women?
I actually do. This season even more than last, because this season, we introduce a lot of other characters as well. It’s not just me, there are a lot of really kick-butt chicks. The light, the dark and all the mord-siths and everything. But I have a hard time playing the weak ingenue. I wouldn’t get cast as that when I first moved to the city. And I don’t even know, maybe it was because I’m pretty tall and I’m not a tiny little thing. And I thought maybe that had something to do with it. I love it when Kahlan gets to be really strong. I had a dream actually — it’s funny — I haven’t told this to anybody. I had this dream where we were doing a scene and it was a massive, big, war/fight scene. And we were fighting — Kahlan and Richard were fighting all these mord-siths, and we had these resistance fighters who were these scrappy guys. And I was all upset because they cast all these big massive guys to be the D’Harans and all these kind of small, hungry looking guys who were all weak and disheveled to be the resistance guys. None of this really happened in real life, but I dreamt it. So we’re fighting all the mord-siths, and the choreography was that we were supposed to lose. And I was supposed to get beaten, and we were supposed to get captured. And I changed the choreography, confessing all these mord-siths, making them fight with us so that we would win. (laughs) So I was refusing to lose.

Well, maybe we will see it in a future episode!
I know! I actually told one of our directors, and he laughed at me. Because in the dream I was looking over to him being like “look see, I got her, she’s on our side now!” Because once I confess someone, then they immediately change, and they’ll do anything to defend my life. So I was totally cheating.

Is there anything specific you do to get into character or does it just sort of happen when you put on the costume and makeup?
It’s amazing. I’ve never played a character this long before. But when I put on the dress and the corset, I immediately feel different. It’s not like throwing on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Everything about the costumes are really authentic. There’s no zippers, or buttons or hooks or anything. So to get in that dress it takes twenty minutes of just lacing. And it’s kind of like a ritual in the morning. And that helps. I often go back and read Wizard’s First Rule. I have it in my trailer, my old beat up copy. I have little parts marked. And I really love the sections when it’s in — because the book changes narrative — sometimes it’s in Richard’s head, sometimes it’s in Kahlan’s. I love it when it goes into hers, because it’s like a little cheat sheet, you get to get some ideas. So those sort of things. I listen to a lot of music as well. I have a lot of playlists on my iPod that I bring on set to get me in the mood.

What’s your favorite song that you listen to?
Oh my God. I really want to do an iTunes playlist! I talked to some people about that. You know it’s actually kind of dark, sad music. It’s a lot of Radiohead, and some White Stripes, too. I like the kind of aggressive, kick ass…sometimes you need that empowering sort of stuff. You know, Kahlan went through a lot of stuff last season…really, really heavy things. And so it was a lot of sad music.

Well, that makes sense. And what has been your favorite part of filming so far?
I think — I have to say, it’s really simple. But I love acting every day. It’s so simple, but that’s always what I dreamed of doing, was being an actor, since I was a little kid. And the fact that I get to wake up every morning, and do that, when I have so many friends that are really talented and are living here in New York and in LA and they can’t seem to get that break where they get to do it, so I mean that’s a joy. And playing a part that I love as much as I do is pretty cool — pretty awesome.

And you were talking about last season being pretty serious. But have there been any funny moments on set?
Oh my God, there’s lots. I actually was talking about this with Craig just a little while ago. We always want to cut up and play jokes and things like that, but we’re so pressed for time. Because we’re trying to do feature film quality special effects, on a really fast television turnaround schedule. So constantly I want to make him break and do something silly, but we feel like we have to reign it in. But a lot of the girls in wardrobe love to play pranks on Bruce Spence, and I sometimes try to get in on them. But one day, they were all waiting in Bruce’s trailer, wearing pajamas, watching “Dirty Dancing” and eating popcorn. (laughs) And he walked in and thought he was in the wrong room.

What’s it like filming in New Zealand?
Every scene that we do that’s outside, it’s all on location all over Auckland, and we’ve gone to the South Island a few times to shoot there as well. It’s really remarkable. It can be energizing as well, you know on a Wednesday in the middle of the week when you’re really tired. And I go to work in the dark usually, around four thirty. And then I come out of the makeup bus, with all the makeup on and everything, and there’s the most insane sunrise you’ve ever seen. And it’s pretty beautiful. I notice the air being so different, as soon I got off the plane in Los Angeles. I take one breath in, and I’m like wow, that did not smell nearly as fresh as it does down at that end of the world. But it’s remarkably beautiful.

And how long do you have to be away from home at a time?
Like nine months out of year. I kind of am calling that home. I guess it’s weird. Home in my cell phone is my parent’s house in San Diego, so I probably shouldn’t say that but home — I have a few. California is for sure one, New York will always also be a home, and now, oddly enough, New Zealand.

Do all of the cast hang out during your downtime?
We do. It’s actually such a small town, even if I’m not planning to see Craig [Horner], I run into him all the time. Because we live really, really close to each other. But we do hang out. We get brunches here and there. Bruce and I go to see plays when they come into town. We went and saw this Italian play together with our significant others. We hang out, we do. We have a great time together. It’s like we work really hard, and the crew is really terrific. And honestly all of my friends down at that end of the world are friends from work. The girl that was my dresser, she finally took her maternity leave, and she’s having her baby I think right now. I just got an e-mail that she was in contractions. They’re all my dearest friends down there, all people from work, and they’re gorgeous people who have a real down-to-earth outdoorsy sort of feel to them. They all like to rough it, because we do, we schlep up these mountains to work and they all are really good sports.

You were saying how there has been fan reaction to the show since before it started shooting. What has been the fan reaction to your character and the show? How was your reception at Comic Con?
Oh, I didn’t go to Comic Con. I did Armageddon, in Auckland, which is kind of like their version of Comic Con. But every time I come home, there’s just all this beautiful letters from fans and things like that. The best compliment that I get is when people say to me “You’re how I envisioned Kahlan,” or “How you played her is just how like how I pictured her,” things like that is just like wow. That’s amazing to me, because for one person to read something and another person, and then my interpretation — for me to bring it to life, that’s really bizarre and has kind of a cosmic-y, spooky kind of feel, because in your mind — when you read something, you get your own picture. And for someone to write to me and go “now when I read the books I picture you,” it’s like wow, that’s so cool.

And can you give a little teaser, without spoiling too much of what’s coming up in season two?
Hmm…well honestly I don’t really know too much further than a few episodes ahead of us. Because Ken Biller, he keeps a lot of it under wraps, he won’t let us know all the time. I think he changes it often, because I think he’s just got so many ideas. We do have a lot — we’ve had so many good guests from the states, like we have Charisma Carpenter in the first episode, and then we have Jolene Blaylock coming up from “Star Trek,” Amy Teegarden from “Friday Night Lights,” Gabriel Mann from “Mad Men.” I mean, some really great talent has come down to have a little play with us. But, it’s going crazy. I will tell you that on Tuesday, when I go back to work, I have a love scene, a sex scene, and I’m nervous…another one! This season’s been really racy, I can’t believe it, it’s really sexy and cool. I think it’s also Tabrett — because Tabrett’s new, she has some really hot, steamy scenes.

And I’m sure it’s too early to know, but has there been any word on a possible season three?
Everybody talks about it. It’s so funny, the second you finally hear you’re doing two, it’s like is there going to be three? I don’t know. The show has been sold in something like 130 some countries, so we’re doing pretty well in terms of interest all around the world, which I can imagine is quite a good sign of the studio wanting to continue. I don’t know, I think it’s just a matter of people tuning in. I know that it is hard for us, because I think a lot of our air times are up against a lot of sports and things like that. And I know a lot of people watch our show on Hulu and iTunes, and things like that, which don’t really count for our ratings on TV. I mean, I don’t really understand all this stuff that much but I do know there’s a lot of factors that go into it, other than us just having a good time. But I kind of hope we go to a third. I’m really enjoying my life down there, but you know it’s one of those things where sometimes it seems like it’s going by really slow, and then you go Oh my God, we’re halfway through the season, where’d this year go? Then it goes by really fast.

I know you were saying you weren’t really a fan of fantasy before you started this project. So what would you tell viewers who might not watch a lot of fantasy — why should they tune into this show?
Well what drew me to it was, I guess you could say, the romance: the relationship of Richard and Kahlan. I mean, to me it’s like Romeo and Juliet. It’s the sort of forbidden love thing. And I really think that’s part of the show, more than sort of magic and wizards and things like that. Maybe to some people it could be distracting, but I really find it to be kind of like, just an escapism sort of thing, where you get to go home, and forget about your day, and just kind of go into this other world — literally. It’s not reality.

What other projects do you have coming up?
I did a film in between the two seasons called The Best and The Brightest, and it’s with Neil Patrick Harris, and Amy Sedaris and Christopher McDonald, and Bonnie Somerville. It’s a really fun, great movie. I’m actually going to do ADR for it this afternoon, and I haven’t seen it yet so I’m really excited. That will be coming out sometime in 2010.

Be sure to tune in TODAY for the 2nd season premiere of Legend Of The Seeker. Check here for your local time and station!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Matt Czuchry (Cary Agos) of The Good Wife

The Good Wife is a drama based around Alicia Florrick (Juliana Margulies), whose husband Peter (Chris Noth) recently resigned as Attorney General of Cook County because of a prostitution scandal. It definitely has a ripped from the headlines feel in that if you follow New York politics at all, it sounds a lot like the Eliot Spitzer scandal. In any case, Alicia goes back to work for a competitive law firm and each episode centers around a different case. I enjoy procedurals, but sometimes I find them rather mundane. However, The Good Wife is incredibly interesting, and very different from other law shows out there. The characters are quite unique and I definitely want to see how all of the relationships play out. Matt Czuchry (you may know him as Logan Huntzberger from Gilmore Girls) plays Cary Agos, a junior associate who is competing with Alicia for the one spot in the law firm. I recently got to chat with him about his character, what makes The Good Wife so unique, and what’s coming up this season.

So tell us a little more about your character Cary. He’s super competitive.
Yeah. He’s very ambitious. He’s willing to do what it takes to get to the top.

What originally drew you to this character?
You know a lot of different elements first drew me to the project. The script was great. I loved the script as a whole. I loved the people associated with the project: the producers Ridley and Tony Scott, David Zucker. The director was Charles MacDougal, liked him a lot. And the cast that they were putting together. So there’s a lot of elements. And specifically with this character, when I sat down and talked to them about it, they said we kind of want this guy, when he comes on screen, the audience is not sure who he is, what his motivations are. Are they good or self-serving? And I thought that would be an interesting thing to play.

Are you anything at all like Cary or are you totally the opposite?
I would say this character is very goal-driven and I’m very goal driven. I’m very much a type A personality, where I plan things out. I think where the character and I are different is–Cary will at least where he is right now in his life, is willing to use any means necessary to achieve what he wants and I’m not that way. I care about other people’s emotions and feelings over my own personal goals.

Well that’s a good thing (laughs)
(laughs)

Your character is sort of the thorn in Alicia’s side. Does this rivalry continue as the season goes on?
It has so far. The episode that we’ve been doing–it’s kind of a back and forth on that, where they have to work together. Actually, the next episode that we’ll see on Tuesday night, they’re actually working together for the same goals. So, we’re going to see a little bit of that. And we’re also going to see the competition as well. So it’s kind of both sides of that.

On Gilmore Girls, you play Logan who is sort of a privileged, no cares type of guy. And now you play Cary. Was it hard to get into this role to play such a different character from Logan or any of your other characters?
Well, you know that show finished 2 years ago, so most of my work and emotions and thought I put into that particular character, having finished it two years ago, are kind of in the past. But you know, any time you’re taking on a new character, it’s at first, in the first couple of episodes if it’s TV, or in the beginning when you’re working on it in rehearsals in a movie, you’re trying to find your way. You’re still trying to find your way, to who this character is. So in the beginning, those first couple episodes, just trying to find the degrees as far as how genuine is he here, how much is he hiding here, how much is he completely just screwing somebody over here…(laughs)…so finding those degrees in the beginning are tricky because you haven’t had much time with this character but with each episode, you get in the groove and you understand who this person is based on having more time living inside his skin.

There are a ton of law dramas on TV right now. I love the Good Wife, but what do you think makes this show so unique?
Well I think that people right now are watching the show because they’re invested in the storylines and the characters. You look at Alicia’s storyline and you can kind of say, if you were in her shoes, what would you do? And even though you may not have had personal experiences that she’s had, you can understand those difficult choices that she has to make, so storywise that’s very relatable. And what Juliana is doing with that character, what Chris Noth is doing with his character, are very believable and interesting. And there’s a lot of different characters, and each of the characters bring something different to the show. I think that Alicia brings something that’s different than what Cary brings, and Kalinda (played by Archie) brings something different than what I bring, Josh Charles’s character Will is very different from Christine Baranksi’s character although they’re both partners. So I think that you have very specific characters who bring different things to the show. And I think that the storylines that go along with that is why people are enjoying it so far. Don’t you think?

Yes, I think so. And what has been your favorite part of filming the show?
This is the first time that I’ve ever been associated with a new show. So, kind of, going to Vancouver and doing the pilot, and then finding out that we got picked up. I had to move to New York for the show, and it comes out, and wondering how it’s going to do, and now it’s going well. All these moments are new to me, and you really do become invested in the show, and you become invested in your fellow castmates in a way it’s like they’re your family. So that’s been the most enjoyable, because it’s been very much like a family.

What would you like to see for your character moving forward?
I just want to keep the audience guessing and keep that going and building on that. I’d like for him to do some shady stuff here and there, even more so, but in some ways, it’s for the greater good. I think just continuing–right now the show is so new, and these storylines are just kind of beginning. There’s still so much room to go with Cary as far as keeping the audience guessing. So that kind of idea, I just kind of want to build on that and take it even further.

And, I know you can’t spoil too much but can you give us a little teaser of what’s coming up this season, specifically for your character?
Right now, each of the storylines that keep getting dropped are really just kind of being further and further played out. I can tell you the last couple scripts have been really good. The last one we got was really good. This next episode coming up on Tuesday night, I’m excited to see myself. Directed by a great director, Rod Holcomb who actually won the Emmy for directing the last episode of ER. And he won they Emmy on Sunday night, and we went to work with him on Monday. So that was pretty cool. He’s a fantastic, fantastic director. So I’m excited to see how this episode comes out. And this episode is the one I told you about where Alicia and Cary are kind of on the same page. So, I’m excited to see how that all turns out.

The show itself and Alicia’s storyline is sort of a ripped-from-the-headlines kind of thing especially relating to New York politics. Are there going to be any more of those familiar cases on the show?
I think that they want to make it, most importantly current in the sense of especially the things that you’re seeing for example with the kids, the family life, about how now — whether it be the internet, how that impacts people socially. One example there, one of the future episodes, there’s a little mention of cloning. A little spoiler there. So I think what the writers really want to do is they really want to make it current. And so I think that they’re going to continue to do that with the law firm itself and with the storyline involving when we have court cases. Just really current.

And is there anything you would tell viewers as to why they should tune into The Good Wife? I mean, I watch it but…
Thank you, thank you for watching it. Well you tell me, what would you say? Why do you like it? Why would you tell someone to watch the show, and I’ll build off that.

I think I would say that it’s definitely more unique than many of the law, procedural shows on TV and all the characters are interesting. And I want to tune in to see where Alicia goes, where Cary goes, where things go with the law firm, and how the relationships play out.
Yeah, I would say that if you like procedural shows where there’s cases that have a beginning, middle and end, and those are shows that you gravitate towards, then this is going to be something that you connect with. And on top of that, I think that once you connect to that, you’re kind of going to be like “oh, this is exactly the kind of the show that I like, but there’s also added elements of these different characters in the family drama aspect and the ripped from the headlines aspect of what would you do if you were in a public situation that you wanted to keep private.” So I think that if you like procedurals, you’ll connect to it and then at the same time be like “oh man, I definitely have to put this on my DVR because it’s awesome and at the same time, something new that I haven’t seen before.”

Be sure to tune in tonight for an all new episode of The Good Wife at 10 pm on CBS.