Morgan Writes

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Exclusive ‘Suburgatory’ Interview: Parker Young Talks Season Finale and Tessa’s Bedroom
Things are looking rosy in Chatswin. When the season finale of Suburgatory airs, the show doesn’t have to worry about the future. ABC recently renewed the suburbs-set comedy for a second season. This is great news for Parker Young, who plays sweet and dim-witted jock Ryan Shay. Young has been having a good year overall though. Between washing cars shirtless on Suburgatory, Parker found time to drop in on the Madison Avenue denizens of Mad Men to steal Pete Campbell’s girl in a recent episode. This summer he’ll be spending some time in the hot seat as a contestant on FOX’s The Voice knock-off dating show, The Choice. Just like in Chatswin, everything is coming up roses for Young.The season finale of Suburgatory focuses on Mother’s Day, where Chatswin tradition has the moms running in a 5K race. Ryan Shay, of course, is 120 percent behind mom Sheila while Tessa feels left out of the tradition.BuddyTV spoke with Young before the Suburgatory season finale to discuss the recent renewal, the close-knit cast, and his hopes for a rekindled romance with Tessa. Congratulations on the Suburgatory renewal! How did you feel when you found out the show would be back for another season?You know I was so excited. I was in my car driving and I got a text message. I was super excited but I was also thinking I’m going to get a ticket if I’m looking down at my phone for too long to verify the news. So I called my dad that I just got word we officially got the green light for a second season, could you check? So he checked and let me know. I’m excited, so excited. Not surprised because you know I have so much faith in the show, but so happy to finally hear that it was official. Did you speak with any of the cast after you heard about the renewal?We’ve all been kind of excitedly emailing, group emailing. There’s been a bunch of group emails saying ‘yay’ and ‘happiness’. So it’s been a lot of fun. It’s just been a good day.
—Read the full interview including what Young hopes for the future of Ryan and Tessa on BuddyTV.com HERE!

Exclusive ‘Suburgatory’ Interview: Parker Young Talks Season Finale and Tessa’s Bedroom


Things are looking rosy in Chatswin. When the season finale of Suburgatory airs, the show doesn’t have to worry about the future. ABC recently renewed the suburbs-set comedy for a second season. This is great news for Parker Young, who plays sweet and dim-witted jock Ryan Shay.

Young has been having a good year overall though. Between washing cars shirtless on Suburgatory, Parker found time to drop in on the Madison Avenue denizens of Mad Men to steal Pete Campbell’s girl in a recent episode. This summer he’ll be spending some time in the hot seat as a contestant on FOX’s The Voice knock-off dating show, The Choice. Just like in Chatswin, everything is coming up roses for Young.

The season finale of Suburgatory focuses on Mother’s Day, where Chatswin tradition has the moms running in a 5K race. Ryan Shay, of course, is 120 percent behind mom Sheila while Tessa feels left out of the tradition.

BuddyTV spoke with Young before the Suburgatory season finale to discuss the recent renewal, the close-knit cast, and his hopes for a rekindled romance with Tessa.

Congratulations on the Suburgatory renewal! How did you feel when you found out the show would be back for another season?

You know I was so excited. I was in my car driving and I got a text message. I was super excited but I was also thinking I’m going to get a ticket if I’m looking down at my phone for too long to verify the news. So I called my dad that I just got word we officially got the green light for a second season, could you check? So he checked and let me know. I’m excited, so excited. Not surprised because you know I have so much faith in the show, but so happy to finally hear that it was official.

Did you speak with any of the cast after you heard about the renewal?

We’ve all been kind of excitedly emailing, group emailing. There’s been a bunch of group emails saying ‘yay’ and ‘happiness’. So it’s been a lot of fun. It’s just been a good day.

—Read the full interview including what Young hopes for the future of Ryan and Tessa on BuddyTV.com HERE!

Filed under Interviews Suburgatory Parker Young Ryan Shay Ryan/Tessa Jane Levy Jeremy Sisto site: BuddyTV

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 Exclusive Interview with ‘Top Model’ Castoff Eboni Davis: The Show Fixated on My ‘Rough Childhood,’ Not Me
Eboni Davis made it all the way to the top five on America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion, but no matter how long she stayed, she could never really escape the box that Tyra trapped her in with the nickname “30 Never,” meant to praise Eboni’s look of “eternal youth.” When she tried to pose seductively, the judges came down on her for looking too old; when she acted young, her fellow models slung insults, calling her vain and immature. 

The “30 Never” nickname seemed to become more of a psychological burden that, much like her tough childhood, ended up overshadowing, rather than enlightening, the model on screen. In the end, her modeling suffered, and after a disappointing shoot on top of one very tall tower, she was sent home.

BuddyTV’s Morgan Glennon spoke with Eboni the morning after her elimination episode aired, and found out what Eboni thought of her portrayal on TV, where she stands with the girl who was slinging most of those insults, Laura, how she could relate to Alisha’s desire to cut and run, and more:

You made it pretty far in the competition, did you expect to leave when you did or was it a total shock?  Well I mean I wanted to win of course. Everybody wants to win. It wasn’t a total shock because I felt like I wasn’t doing as well as I should have been in the competition compared to the other girls. So at that point in time it didn’t come as a complete shock to me. But I mean it wasn’t like I just gave up or something. I still wanted to continue in the competition. So there was that element of disappointment.  In the last episode, you said America didn’t really get to see the person inside of you. What did you mean by that? Why did you feel that way?  I felt that way because of the branding thing. I feel like America just saw what Top Model wanted them to see, which was, “Oh Eboni, she had a rough childhood and look where she’s come.” And those things that were said throughout all of the episodes about, “Oh I’ve had a rough childhood,” it makes me look like I’m excusing my performance in the competition. It looks like I’m accrediting it to having a bad childhood, which has nothing to do with it. I feel like people get that misunderstood a lot, that was just a production thing. In order to get people to watch the show you have to give them someone to relate to. A lot of people and young girls can relate to having a rough childhood and growing up and not having a lot of resources. That’s not necessarily something that I wanted to say, it was asked of me to say every time that I went into an interview on the show.  So I don’t think that people got to see the person that I am now because the show was so set on me repeating everything that had happened to me in the past. That was years ago, this is now. I’m going to college now, I’m traveling the world modeling, I’m trying to do agencies. There’s a lot more going for me now than there was in the past. I don’t feel like people really got to see that.
—Read the FULL interview with Eboni on BuddyTV.com HERE!!

Exclusive Interview with ‘Top Model’ Castoff Eboni Davis: The Show Fixated on My ‘Rough Childhood,’ Not Me


Eboni Davis made it all the way to the top five on America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion, but no matter how long she stayed, she could never really escape the box that Tyra trapped her in with the nickname “30 Never,” meant to praise Eboni’s look of “eternal youth.” When she tried to pose seductively, the judges came down on her for looking too old; when she acted young, her fellow models slung insults, calling her vain and immature. 

The “30 Never” nickname seemed to become more of a psychological burden that, much like her tough childhood, ended up overshadowing, rather than enlightening, the model on screen. In the end, her modeling suffered, and after a disappointing shoot on top of one very tall tower, she was sent home.
BuddyTV’s Morgan Glennon spoke with Eboni the morning after her elimination episode aired, and found out what Eboni thought of her portrayal on TV, where she stands with the girl who was slinging most of those insults, Laura, how she could relate to Alisha’s desire to cut and run, and more:


You made it pretty far in the competition, did you expect to leave when you did or was it a total shock?

Well I mean I wanted to win of course. Everybody wants to win. It wasn’t a total shock because I felt like I wasn’t doing as well as I should have been in the competition compared to the other girls. So at that point in time it didn’t come as a complete shock to me. But I mean it wasn’t like I just gave up or something. I still wanted to continue in the competition. So there was that element of disappointment.

In the last episode, you said America didn’t really get to see the person inside of you. What did you mean by that? Why did you feel that way?

I felt that way because of the branding thing. I feel like America just saw what Top Model wanted them to see, which was, “Oh Eboni, she had a rough childhood and look where she’s come.” And those things that were said throughout all of the episodes about, “Oh I’ve had a rough childhood,” it makes me look like I’m excusing my performance in the competition. It looks like I’m accrediting it to having a bad childhood, which has nothing to do with it. I feel like people get that misunderstood a lot, that was just a production thing. In order to get people to watch the show you have to give them someone to relate to. A lot of people and young girls can relate to having a rough childhood and growing up and not having a lot of resources. That’s not necessarily something that I wanted to say, it was asked of me to say every time that I went into an interview on the show.

So I don’t think that people got to see the person that I am now because the show was so set on me repeating everything that had happened to me in the past. That was years ago, this is now. I’m going to college now, I’m traveling the world modeling, I’m trying to do agencies. There’s a lot more going for me now than there was in the past. I don’t feel like people really got to see that.

—Read the FULL interview with Eboni on BuddyTV.com HERE!!

Filed under Interviews america's next top model ANTM Eboni Davis tyra banks top model top model cycle 18 site: BuddyTV

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Exclusive Interview with ‘Top Model’ Castoff Alisha White: ‘I Was Giving 200 Percent’ and It Wasn’t Enough
After a series of exhausting tests, from impersonating Elton John on a trampoline to posing atop one of Asia’s tallest towers in the wind and the rain, Britain’s Alisha White reached her breaking point on this week’s episode of America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion. After landing in the bottom two yet again, rather than accept another reprieve from Tyra, the stunning strutter with “legs for days” opted to walk. 

Voluntary eliminations don’t come often on Tyra’s reality modeling show. After all, the sentiment of needing to “want this” more than anything is drilled into the girls’ heads from day one. But viewers had watched week after week as Alisha floundered, fought and found fleeting success with the judges, only to get frustrated when that cycle of disappointment started again. (And again. And again.) By the end of this week’s episode, before she got to the judging panel, she was questioning whether she wanted to continue modeling at all. So this particular walk-out wasn’t exactly a surprise. But it was still a sad moment to see.

BuddyTV’s Morgan Glennon caught up with Alisha yesterday and discussed her ups and downs on America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion, and whether she found her spirit again after leaving the competition:
So you weren’t asked to leave the competition. You actually choose to leave on your own. Can you take us through that decision process?  The whole decision process was I wasn’t feeling like Alisha, and I wasn’t happy. I felt like I had a bit of lack of direction. I didn’t really know what the judges wanted from me, and I literally every week would beat myself up. “What do they want from me? Should I do this? Should I do that?” Literally I was giving 200 percent and I was exhausted. I was so exhausted. I was like, “I’m doing everything.”  If anything there was more pressure on me than the rest of the girls because every week I was in the firing line. So you know, I’m going to the shoots and I’m giving it. Even if I’m scared, I’m still doing it. And it’s not enough, it wasn’t even close to enough. I was so exhausted, physically and mentally exhausted, that I had to leave.
—Read the FULL interview on BuddyTV.com HERE!!

Exclusive Interview with ‘Top Model’ Castoff Alisha White: ‘I Was Giving 200 Percent’ and It Wasn’t Enough

After a series of exhausting tests, from impersonating Elton John on a trampoline to posing atop one of Asia’s tallest towers in the wind and the rain, Britain’s Alisha White reached her breaking point on this week’s episode of America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion. After landing in the bottom two yet again, rather than accept another reprieve from Tyra, the stunning strutter with “legs for days” opted to walk. 
Voluntary eliminations don’t come often on Tyra’s reality modeling show. After all, the sentiment of needing to “want this” more than anything is drilled into the girls’ heads from day one. But viewers had watched week after week as Alisha floundered, fought and found fleeting success with the judges, only to get frustrated when that cycle of disappointment started again. (And again. And again.) By the end of this week’s episode, before she got to the judging panel, she was questioning whether she wanted to continue modeling at all. So this particular walk-out wasn’t exactly a surprise. But it was still a sad moment to see.
BuddyTV’s Morgan Glennon caught up with Alisha yesterday and discussed her ups and downs on America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion, and whether she found her spirit again after leaving the competition:


So you weren’t asked to leave the competition. You actually choose to leave on your own. Can you take us through that decision process?

The whole decision process was I wasn’t feeling like Alisha, and I wasn’t happy. I felt like I had a bit of lack of direction. I didn’t really know what the judges wanted from me, and I literally every week would beat myself up. “What do they want from me? Should I do this? Should I do that?” Literally I was giving 200 percent and I was exhausted. I was so exhausted. I was like, “I’m doing everything.” 

If anything there was more pressure on me than the rest of the girls because every week I was in the firing line. So you know, I’m going to the shoots and I’m giving it. Even if I’m scared, I’m still doing it. And it’s not enough, it wasn’t even close to enough. I was so exhausted, physically and mentally exhausted, that I had to leave.

—Read the FULL interview on BuddyTV.com HERE!!

Filed under Interviews ANTM america's next top model alisha white tyra banks top model Britain's Next Top Model site: BuddyTV

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Exclusive Interview: Buffy Writer Jane Espenson Talks Tough TV Heroines
If you’ve been watching television in the last 15 years, there’s a good chance Jane Espenson has written for your favorite show. She might even have written your favorite episode. This is especially true if you’re a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where Espenson was a writer and producer for much of the show’s run.
Espenson’s work has made an impression all over the dial, from new breakout hit Once Upon a Time to cult hit Battlestar Galatica to the charms of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. However, she’s perhaps best known for her time playing in Joss Whedon’s universe on Firefly, Angel and most notably on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
You also might know her from her hit webseries Husbands which tackles the issue of marriage equality in a hilarious fashion. The show was “renewed” for a second season thanks to fans who donated $50,000 in a week as part of a popular Kickstarter campaign.
Legendary Women was recently lucky enough to speak with Jane Espenson through email about writing tough women, genre fiction and of course Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Who was your favorite female character to write for on Buffy?
Anya.  The more extreme a character is, the easier she is to write, and Anya was a great character.  More or less well-intentioned, a little self-involved, logical in a blunt way… I loved her.  Like Cordelia, she was pretty much lacking in subtext, but her text differed in interesting ways – she saw the world in a very clear-eyed way, unmucked up by sentimentality. 
You wrote some of the great farce and comedy episodes of the series. What drew you to the more comedic episodes of the show? In particular, Cordelia has always been a personal favorite character and you wrote one of my favorite episodes featuring her for Angel “Rm w/a Vu”. Could you tell us a bit about writing that episode and writing for Cordelia in general?
Comedy drew me to the more comedic episodes!  There are different ways to be entertaining, but if people are laughing, you know you scored.  There is nothing better.  I loved writing Cordy almost as much as Anya.  I believe the first line I wrote for her was the “I love standardized tests”/”I can’t have layers?” exchange in Band Candy, and I sort of decided when I wrote that, that I could have fun with her.   
The Angel episode was one I hadn’t planned on writing, but was pulled into sort of last-minute-y because I’d written for her before.  I remember sitting with Tim Minear and Joss as they broke the episode.  I don’t think I had tons of input on the story, but I remember I wanted the ghost to be named Dennis so I could get a “phantom Dennis” joke in there.  That’s often how I contribute to story talk – I grab the nearest pun and hold on.
—Read the full interview including talk of Husbands, Once Upon a Time and Game of Thrones (and of course BUFFY) at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!

Exclusive Interview: Buffy Writer Jane Espenson Talks Tough TV Heroines

If you’ve been watching television in the last 15 years, there’s a good chance Jane Espenson has written for your favorite show. She might even have written your favorite episode. This is especially true if you’re a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where Espenson was a writer and producer for much of the show’s run.

Espenson’s work has made an impression all over the dial, from new breakout hit Once Upon a Time to cult hit Battlestar Galatica to the charms of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. However, she’s perhaps best known for her time playing in Joss Whedon’s universe on Firefly, Angel and most notably on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

You also might know her from her hit webseries Husbands which tackles the issue of marriage equality in a hilarious fashion. The show was “renewed” for a second season thanks to fans who donated $50,000 in a week as part of a popular Kickstarter campaign.

Legendary Women was recently lucky enough to speak with Jane Espenson through email about writing tough women, genre fiction and of course Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Who was your favorite female character to write for on Buffy?

Anya.  The more extreme a character is, the easier she is to write, and Anya was a great character.  More or less well-intentioned, a little self-involved, logical in a blunt way… I loved her.  Like Cordelia, she was pretty much lacking in subtext, but her text differed in interesting ways – she saw the world in a very clear-eyed way, unmucked up by sentimentality. 

You wrote some of the great farce and comedy episodes of the series. What drew you to the more comedic episodes of the show? In particular, Cordelia has always been a personal favorite character and you wrote one of my favorite episodes featuring her for Angel “Rm w/a Vu”. Could you tell us a bit about writing that episode and writing for Cordelia in general?

Comedy drew me to the more comedic episodes!  There are different ways to be entertaining, but if people are laughing, you know you scored.  There is nothing better.  I loved writing Cordy almost as much as Anya.  I believe the first line I wrote for her was the “I love standardized tests”/”I can’t have layers?” exchange in Band Candy, and I sort of decided when I wrote that, that I could have fun with her.   

The Angel episode was one I hadn’t planned on writing, but was pulled into sort of last-minute-y because I’d written for her before.  I remember sitting with Tim Minear and Joss as they broke the episode.  I don’t think I had tons of input on the story, but I remember I wanted the ghost to be named Dennis so I could get a “phantom Dennis” joke in there.  That’s often how I contribute to story talk – I grab the nearest pun and hold on.

—Read the full interview including talk of Husbands, Once Upon a Time and Game of Thrones (and of course BUFFY) at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!

Filed under Angel Anya Arya Stark Battlestar Galatica Buffy The Vampire Slayer Cordelia Chase Features Firefly Game of Thrones Husbands Husbands webseries Interviews Jane Espenson Jane Espenson interview Joss Whedon Once Upon a Time buffy huffington post legendary women women tv writers women writers legendarywomen

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Interview with National Women’s History Museum President Joan Wages
Walking around downtown Washington DC is like passing by a kaleidoscope of museums. For lifelong political lobbyist Joan Wages, however, one museum is missing – a museum celebrating the achievements of women and one that can stand toe-to-toe with all the rest in Washington. Since 1996 the National Women’s History Museum has worked to make that dream a reality.
Right now the home of the National Women’s History Museum is a website instead of a physical site. The online home of the project supports online exhibits and information about how to get involved with the museum and its goals. If you do get involved, you’ll certainly be in good company. One of the most ardent supporters lobbying for a permanent home for the historical record of our nation’s women is none other than Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep.
Legendary Women was lucky enough to speak with Joan Wages, the President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, about the importance of preserving the history of our nation’s women.
Why do we need a National Women’s History Museum? Why is it important to recognize women in history specifically?
Well we need a National Women’s History Museum because women have been left out of the telling of our national story. If you look at our history textbooks today, only one in ten figures is of a female. If you look at our national parks for example, less than eight percent of the statues are of a woman leader. Soif young girls growing up are looking around and they’re not seeing themselves reflected as our national story is being told, then we need to change that.
Who are some of the women from history that you would honor in the museum?
Well we will certainly honor the women who founded the suffrage movement like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott. We would honor various women in various roles. For instance Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, who in the 1940s was the first woman to get a PHD in mathematics from Yale. But she went on to create the first computer compilers, which are the precursors to today’s computers and then she co-wrote COBOL which is a computer program that is still used by the Defense Department. She is  an example that women have succeeded in every field, made significant achievements, and have had a great impact on our society. Yet we don’t know who they are.
Yes, that actually ties into my next question. History is filled with a lot of “legendary” women whose contributions are often overlooked or minimized. Could you tell our readers something about one of your favorite historical women they might not have known?
One of my favorites is Elizabeth Blackwell, who was the first woman to graduate from medical school. She had applied to numerous schools and they kept turning her down because she was female. Yet she had all the same experience that young men would have had in that day and age – the way that they prepared to go to medical school is that they would “practice” with a doctor. So she had spent time practicing with a doctor and had done the reading of the literature and all of those things and she finally got accepted into a medical school. So she showed up to begin attending as a student and they said it was a joke, they really didn’t intend for her to come to the medical school. So she held her feet to the fire and insisted on being accepted because she had the letter of acceptance. So they let her in, but then they would not allow her to go to labs and they wouldn’t allow her to go to some lectures. They ridiculed her and she was ostracized. As time went on she earned their respect and she graduated number one in her class.
—Read the full interview on LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!

Interview with National Women’s History Museum President Joan Wages

Walking around downtown Washington DC is like passing by a kaleidoscope of museums. For lifelong political lobbyist Joan Wages, however, one museum is missing – a museum celebrating the achievements of women and one that can stand toe-to-toe with all the rest in Washington. Since 1996 the National Women’s History Museum has worked to make that dream a reality.

Right now the home of the National Women’s History Museum is a website instead of a physical site. The online home of the project supports online exhibits and information about how to get involved with the museum and its goals. If you do get involved, you’ll certainly be in good company. One of the most ardent supporters lobbying for a permanent home for the historical record of our nation’s women is none other than Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep.

Legendary Women was lucky enough to speak with Joan Wages, the President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, about the importance of preserving the history of our nation’s women.

Why do we need a National Women’s History Museum? Why is it important to recognize women in history specifically?

Well we need a National Women’s History Museum because women have been left out of the telling of our national story. If you look at our history textbooks today, only one in ten figures is of a female. If you look at our national parks for example, less than eight percent of the statues are of a woman leader. Soif young girls growing up are looking around and they’re not seeing themselves reflected as our national story is being told, then we need to change that.

Who are some of the women from history that you would honor in the museum?

Well we will certainly honor the women who founded the suffrage movement like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott. We would honor various women in various roles. For instance Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, who in the 1940s was the first woman to get a PHD in mathematics from Yale. But she went on to create the first computer compilers, which are the precursors to today’s computers and then she co-wrote COBOL which is a computer program that is still used by the Defense Department. She is  an example that women have succeeded in every field, made significant achievements, and have had a great impact on our society. Yet we don’t know who they are.

Yes, that actually ties into my next question. History is filled with a lot of “legendary” women whose contributions are often overlooked or minimized. Could you tell our readers something about one of your favorite historical women they might not have known?

One of my favorites is Elizabeth Blackwell, who was the first woman to graduate from medical school. She had applied to numerous schools and they kept turning her down because she was female. Yet she had all the same experience that young men would have had in that day and age – the way that they prepared to go to medical school is that they would “practice” with a doctor. So she had spent time practicing with a doctor and had done the reading of the literature and all of those things and she finally got accepted into a medical school. So she showed up to begin attending as a student and they said it was a joke, they really didn’t intend for her to come to the medical school. So she held her feet to the fire and insisted on being accepted because she had the letter of acceptance. So they let her in, but then they would not allow her to go to labs and they wouldn’t allow her to go to some lectures. They ridiculed her and she was ostracized. As time went on she earned their respect and she graduated number one in her class.

—Read the full interview on LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!

Filed under Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Cady Stanton Interviews Joan Wages Meryl Streep National Women's History Museum Susan B. Anthony Women's History awesome historical ladies legendarywomen women's history month

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Interview with “Chloe Chronicles” Creator Mark Warshaw
“I’m Chloe Sullivan, and I’m here to bring you the truth,” said Allison  Mack’s intrepid girl reporter in the first installment of the “Chloe  Chronicles”. Mark Warshaw also wanted to bring television viewers  something — more content. In the early aughts Warshaw was on the cutting  edge of interactive content when he pitched the idea for Chloe Sullivan  to visit an even smaller screen: the computer screen.
Before you could tweet along  to your favorite TV series or live-stream a baseball game on your  phone, Warshaw was figuring out that the internet could work as another  channel for television content. Plugged-in viewers, more passionate than  ever, were seeking alternative ways into their favorite television  shows. Warshaw already knew that as the brain behind all the  “Smallville” tie-in websites and DVDs. Still the “Chloe Chronicles”,  which he helped create, were a fairly new concept. This was material  that tied into the show’s mythology but could only be found on the web,  engaging fans and working well for then-sponsor AOL. Suddenly you could  use the web to tell more stories and who better to tell stories than  “Smallville“‘s favorite truth-finder? 
Since  the “Chloe Chronicles” first bowed in 2003, Warshaw has gone on  to work on a variety of other trans-media projects such as web content  for NBC’s late “Heroes”. Now it seems like every genre of television  show has dabbled in interactive content. When Warshaw and the  “Smallville” brass were conceiving the “Chloe Chronicles”, however, it  was a brand new arena. After the success of the “Chloe Chronicles” Chloe  once again picked up her digital camera and reporter’s pad in “The  Vengeance Chronicles”, another tie-in web series.  Legendary  Women was lucky enough to speak with Warshaw about working with Allison  Mack on the “Chloe Chronicles”, the plucky appeal of one blonde girl  detective and what the future holds in store for trans-media content. How did the “Chloe Chronicles” come about? Could you tell us a bit about your experiences working on them? At the time (Smallville  Season 2 - 2002), Warner Bros and AOL were one  company.  AOL was just starting to experiment with online video  distribution.  They asked for a behind-the-scenes video tour of the  Smallville sets.  We had been having some good success with extending  the Smallville story online with the Smallville Ledger, Torch and  LuthorCorp websites and asked if we could instead take the opportunity  to tell more stories in the online space with video.   They  liked the idea and so I took Allison Mack out to lunch and asked her  what she really wanted to do with the character of Chloe.  She had been  underutilized on the main series to that point.  The fans were pissed.   They loved Chloe and wanted more.  So Allison shared her vision of  turning Chloe into a character who could inspire girls to take action  and make change in the world.  With that, we created the idea for the  Chloe Chronicles — an investigative news series where Chloe picked up  where the stories on the TV series left off.  It was her crusade to  expose what was really happening in Smallville.  We used webisodes,  websites, comic books, mobile and other interactive experiences to  create stories fans could engage with and participate on a deeper, more  connected level. What was it that made Chloe a good character for an online series? She was the POV of the fans.  She was deeply concerned about the  ongoing conspiracy and mystery of the series so there was a wealth of  fun interactivity and deep mythology we could build into her  Chronicles.  Plus, Allison was so talented and in the first two seasons  of the series, the TV show needed to spend a lot of time establishing  the Clark - Lex and Clark - Lana relationships.  This left less screen  time for Chloe.   What transmedia does is create space were you  can explore your lesser used characters and develop them some more. It  costs less so there’s a better opportunity to take risks. The online  space served as a perfect storm for this.  Plus, the Chloe character was  by far the most digitally savvy of the cast.  She was always on her  computer or cell phone digging up info so Clark could go off and save  the day.  So using Chloe as the main star of the online part of the show  was a natural fit.What did you like best about writing for Chloe? What do you think makes Chloe a strong female character? Chloe was based on a real person named Dana Fox who is now one of the  top screenwriters in Hollywood.  At the time, Dana was the assistant to  Al Gough and Miles Millar.  Dana has brilliantly sharp wit to her and  this inspired a lot of the Chloe snark that became the character’s  voice.   Of course — Allison brought a ton to this as well.   She grew up in a very musical household so if you listen to the way she  delivers her lines, there is a beautiful rhythm to her dialog.  This  combination was gold to the Smallville writers.  You get to speak the  truth through a super strong female character and try your best to  infuse the dialog with some bite as well.   Chloe also stood  for the “Truth” in the inspiration for Superman’s “Truth, Justice and  American   Way” equation.  So writing Chloe gave you the license to go  right to the core of what was really happening on Smallville.  You could  be honest with the fans.
— Read the full interview on LegendaryWomen.org about Warshaw’s thoughts on Chloe Sullivan, working with Allison Mack and the future of transmedia HERE!

Interview with “Chloe Chronicles” Creator Mark Warshaw

“I’m Chloe Sullivan, and I’m here to bring you the truth,” said Allison Mack’s intrepid girl reporter in the first installment of the “Chloe Chronicles”. Mark Warshaw also wanted to bring television viewers something — more content. In the early aughts Warshaw was on the cutting edge of interactive content when he pitched the idea for Chloe Sullivan to visit an even smaller screen: the computer screen.

Before you could tweet along to your favorite TV series or live-stream a baseball game on your phone, Warshaw was figuring out that the internet could work as another channel for television content. Plugged-in viewers, more passionate than ever, were seeking alternative ways into their favorite television shows. Warshaw already knew that as the brain behind all the “Smallville” tie-in websites and DVDs. Still the “Chloe Chronicles”, which he helped create, were a fairly new concept. This was material that tied into the show’s mythology but could only be found on the web, engaging fans and working well for then-sponsor AOL. Suddenly you could use the web to tell more stories and who better to tell stories than “Smallville“‘s favorite truth-finder? 

Since  the “Chloe Chronicles” first bowed in 2003, Warshaw has gone on to work on a variety of other trans-media projects such as web content for NBC’s late “Heroes”. Now it seems like every genre of television show has dabbled in interactive content. When Warshaw and the “Smallville” brass were conceiving the “Chloe Chronicles”, however, it was a brand new arena. After the success of the “Chloe Chronicles” Chloe once again picked up her digital camera and reporter’s pad in “The Vengeance Chronicles”, another tie-in web series.

Legendary Women was lucky enough to speak with Warshaw about working with Allison Mack on the “Chloe Chronicles”, the plucky appeal of one blonde girl detective and what the future holds in store for trans-media content.

How did the “Chloe Chronicles” come about? Could you tell us a bit about your experiences working on them?

At the time (Smallville  Season 2 - 2002), Warner Bros and AOL were one company.  AOL was just starting to experiment with online video distribution.  They asked for a behind-the-scenes video tour of the Smallville sets.  We had been having some good success with extending the Smallville story online with the Smallville Ledger, Torch and LuthorCorp websites and asked if we could instead take the opportunity to tell more stories in the online space with video.

 They liked the idea and so I took Allison Mack out to lunch and asked her what she really wanted to do with the character of Chloe.  She had been underutilized on the main series to that point.  The fans were pissed.  They loved Chloe and wanted more.  So Allison shared her vision of turning Chloe into a character who could inspire girls to take action and make change in the world.  With that, we created the idea for the Chloe Chronicles — an investigative news series where Chloe picked up where the stories on the TV series left off.  It was her crusade to expose what was really happening in Smallville.  We used webisodes, websites, comic books, mobile and other interactive experiences to create stories fans could engage with and participate on a deeper, more connected level.

What was it that made Chloe a good character for an online series?


She was the POV of the fans.  She was deeply concerned about the ongoing conspiracy and mystery of the series so there was a wealth of fun interactivity and deep mythology we could build into her Chronicles.  Plus, Allison was so talented and in the first two seasons of the series, the TV show needed to spend a lot of time establishing the Clark - Lex and Clark - Lana relationships.  This left less screen time for Chloe. 

What transmedia does is create space were you can explore your lesser used characters and develop them some more. It costs less so there’s a better opportunity to take risks. The online space served as a perfect storm for this.  Plus, the Chloe character was by far the most digitally savvy of the cast.  She was always on her computer or cell phone digging up info so Clark could go off and save the day.  So using Chloe as the main star of the online part of the show was a natural fit.

What did you like best about writing for Chloe? What do you think makes Chloe a strong female character?

Chloe was based on a real person named Dana Fox who is now one of the top screenwriters in Hollywood.  At the time, Dana was the assistant to Al Gough and Miles Millar.  Dana has brilliantly sharp wit to her and this inspired a lot of the Chloe snark that became the character’s voice. 

Of course — Allison brought a ton to this as well.  She grew up in a very musical household so if you listen to the way she delivers her lines, there is a beautiful rhythm to her dialog.  This combination was gold to the Smallville writers.  You get to speak the truth through a super strong female character and try your best to infuse the dialog with some bite as well. 

Chloe also stood for the “Truth” in the inspiration for Superman’s “Truth, Justice and American Way” equation.  So writing Chloe gave you the license to go right to the core of what was really happening on Smallville.  You could be honest with the fans.

— Read the full interview on LegendaryWomen.org about Warshaw’s thoughts on Chloe Sullivan, working with Allison Mack and the future of transmedia HERE!

Filed under legendarywomen Interviews smallville chloe sullivan Allison Mack chloe chronicles mark warshaw chlark john glover clark kent tom welling

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From the Big House to the Big Screen: The Story of Chris Petry’s film “Marilyn”
Written by a convicted felon from prison and filmed on a shoestring  budget, the story behind the making of director Christopher Petry’s  “Marilyn” is almost as fascinating as the film itself. The movie tells  the story of a bank robber on the run (Ryan Robbins) who takes a runaway  woman (Allison Mack) under his wing. Her volatile personality and  dreams of becoming a singer change him forever.
“Basically it’s a character movie,” Petry said in a phone interview with  Legendary Women. “The two actors really carry the whole show.”
—EXCERPT —
It also helped to be working with friends. For the titular role of  Marilyn, Petry cast “Smallville” co-worker and friend Allison Mack.  Despite the role being unlike anything Mack had played before, Petry was  confident in her abilities as an actress to portray anything thrown at  her. He had complete faith in her chops as an actor to pull off a far  different role than what audiences were used to seeing her play.
“She does a complete 180 from Chloe,” Petry explained of Mack. “She’s  playing a street girl who is basically a borderline hooker and a  runaway. And she nailed the role exceptionally. She’s a wonderful  talent.”
Once on set, Mack really dove into the character of Marilyn. Having  watched Mack play a character she established and built from the ground  up for ten years on “Smallville”, Petry was amazed to see her process in  creating a completely different kind of character. Marilyn, a runaway  and drifter from South Carolina, allowed Mack to flex a different set of  acting muscles than her time playing hard-driving career woman Chloe on  “Smallville”.
“She nailed the accent and she just lived in the accent,” Petry said  of Mack’s process of getting into character for Marilyn. “Even off set  when we weren’t rolling camera, that’s just how she spoke. I don’t think  she wore shoes for I don’t know how long, so her feet were filthy,”  Petry laughed. “She just let herself become the character.”
—Read the full in-depth profile of “Marilyn” Chris Petry’s film with Allison Mack at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!

From the Big House to the Big Screen: The Story of Chris Petry’s film “Marilyn”

Written by a convicted felon from prison and filmed on a shoestring budget, the story behind the making of director Christopher Petry’s “Marilyn” is almost as fascinating as the film itself. The movie tells the story of a bank robber on the run (Ryan Robbins) who takes a runaway woman (Allison Mack) under his wing. Her volatile personality and dreams of becoming a singer change him forever.

“Basically it’s a character movie,” Petry said in a phone interview with Legendary Women. “The two actors really carry the whole show.”

—EXCERPT —

It also helped to be working with friends. For the titular role of Marilyn, Petry cast “Smallville” co-worker and friend Allison Mack. Despite the role being unlike anything Mack had played before, Petry was confident in her abilities as an actress to portray anything thrown at her. He had complete faith in her chops as an actor to pull off a far different role than what audiences were used to seeing her play.

“She does a complete 180 from Chloe,” Petry explained of Mack. “She’s playing a street girl who is basically a borderline hooker and a runaway. And she nailed the role exceptionally. She’s a wonderful talent.”

Once on set, Mack really dove into the character of Marilyn. Having watched Mack play a character she established and built from the ground up for ten years on “Smallville”, Petry was amazed to see her process in creating a completely different kind of character. Marilyn, a runaway and drifter from South Carolina, allowed Mack to flex a different set of acting muscles than her time playing hard-driving career woman Chloe on “Smallville”.

“She nailed the accent and she just lived in the accent,” Petry said of Mack’s process of getting into character for Marilyn. “Even off set when we weren’t rolling camera, that’s just how she spoke. I don’t think she wore shoes for I don’t know how long, so her feet were filthy,” Petry laughed. “She just let herself become the character.”

—Read the full in-depth profile of “Marilyn” Chris Petry’s film with Allison Mack at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!


Filed under Allison Mack Chloe Features Interviews chavis chlark chloe sullivan chlollie chris petry christopher petry legendary women marilyn marilyn the movie smallville legendarywomen

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Chris Petry Talks “Smallville”, Chloe Sullivan and Lemurs
Recently Legendary Women was lucky enough to speak with “Smallville”  producer and director Christopher Petry by phone. Petry has worked on  the CW’s superhero drama since its beginning, starting as a production  assistant parking cars. By the end of the series ten years later, Petry  was a producer and director with independent film work under his belt.While  cooking up a delicious dinner for himself, Petry shared some inside  dish about working on “Smallville” since the beginning and how the show  created their own super heroine legacy in the form of one Chloe  Sullivan.
—EXCERPT
So clearly we are highlighting Chloe for the month of February at Legendary Women. What did you think of Chloe’s journey throughout the course of the show?What  did I think of it? Oh I think it was an awesome character. I mean it’s a  character that, we’re taking all these DC characters that are  established by other writers and are established within this world. And  here we have a character that as a collective group, you know our show  runners right from the beginning, our writers and then to Allison Mack,  to take a character that has never existed before and now exists in our  world and make her like a superhero. In fact she is a superhero, she was  Watchtower right? So to create that seed and for Allison to grow it  into this character, that’s probably my favorite thing. You have all the  geeky comic guys creating superheroes and then we got to create one of  our own out of thin air.Do you know if the original conception for Chloe changed over the years?I  cannot say for certain but I’m sure it did. Every year we would do an  overhaul of the characters and where their arcs were going and what not.  And then also the cast brings certain things to the show, like Allison  would. If she had chemistry with someone than you’d start developing it.  As a part of a series you have to imagine, and I’m speaking for our  writers which I wasn’t one, they did a great job of seeing what Allison  would bring to the table and writing to that. They would blueprint and  the cast would put forth great performances and story arcs. Allison Mack  is just a phenomenal actress though.What was your favorite moment for Chloe’s character on the show?My  favorite Chloe moment? Gee, there were a lot of moments. I didn’t like  when she was always pining over Clark. I would have to say I think I’d  go with the very end when you see where her character got to, at the  very end of the show when she was telling the whole story through a  comic book to her child. That’s pretty awesome. Again that’s a testament  to Allison’s commitment to the show and the show runners. Keeping her  on contract for that period of time and getting her to have a great  character wrap-up and a whole arc to the series. Not all the characters  got to do that.What would you say your favorite moment working with Allison was?My  favorite moment working with Allison? I would have two different  answers. For Allison the actress, just being with her and Justin Hartley  when she’s trying to leave and they have a big romantic moment where he  won’t let her go and they kiss. That was my favorite moment directing  Allison; it was just awesome working with her and seeing her craft  getting her there. As for Allison the person, working hand-in-hand with  her when she directed her episode was very memorable. I enjoyed that.  Watching her grow and learn and seeing what a director she became, those  are my favorite moments working with Allison.
—Read the MUCH longer full interview about Smallville, Chloe and Lemurs at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!

Chris Petry Talks “Smallville”, Chloe Sullivan and Lemurs

Recently Legendary Women was lucky enough to speak with “Smallville” producer and director Christopher Petry by phone. Petry has worked on the CW’s superhero drama since its beginning, starting as a production assistant parking cars. By the end of the series ten years later, Petry was a producer and director with independent film work under his belt.

While cooking up a delicious dinner for himself, Petry shared some inside dish about working on “Smallville” since the beginning and how the show created their own super heroine legacy in the form of one Chloe Sullivan.

—EXCERPT

So clearly we are highlighting Chloe for the month of February at Legendary Women. What did you think of Chloe’s journey throughout the course of the show?

What did I think of it? Oh I think it was an awesome character. I mean it’s a character that, we’re taking all these DC characters that are established by other writers and are established within this world. And here we have a character that as a collective group, you know our show runners right from the beginning, our writers and then to Allison Mack, to take a character that has never existed before and now exists in our world and make her like a superhero. In fact she is a superhero, she was Watchtower right? So to create that seed and for Allison to grow it into this character, that’s probably my favorite thing. You have all the geeky comic guys creating superheroes and then we got to create one of our own out of thin air.

Do you know if the original conception for Chloe changed over the years?

I cannot say for certain but I’m sure it did. Every year we would do an overhaul of the characters and where their arcs were going and what not. And then also the cast brings certain things to the show, like Allison would. If she had chemistry with someone than you’d start developing it. As a part of a series you have to imagine, and I’m speaking for our writers which I wasn’t one, they did a great job of seeing what Allison would bring to the table and writing to that. They would blueprint and the cast would put forth great performances and story arcs. Allison Mack is just a phenomenal actress though.

What was your favorite moment for Chloe’s character on the show?

My favorite Chloe moment? Gee, there were a lot of moments. I didn’t like when she was always pining over Clark. I would have to say I think I’d go with the very end when you see where her character got to, at the very end of the show when she was telling the whole story through a comic book to her child. That’s pretty awesome. Again that’s a testament to Allison’s commitment to the show and the show runners. Keeping her on contract for that period of time and getting her to have a great character wrap-up and a whole arc to the series. Not all the characters got to do that.

What would you say your favorite moment working with Allison was?

My favorite moment working with Allison? I would have two different answers. For Allison the actress, just being with her and Justin Hartley when she’s trying to leave and they have a big romantic moment where he won’t let her go and they kiss. That was my favorite moment directing Allison; it was just awesome working with her and seeing her craft getting her there. As for Allison the person, working hand-in-hand with her when she directed her episode was very memorable. I enjoyed that. Watching her grow and learn and seeing what a director she became, those are my favorite moments working with Allison.

—Read the MUCH longer full interview about Smallville, Chloe and Lemurs at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!!

Filed under Allison Mack Chloe Chloe Sullivan Chlollie Chris Petry Interviews Kristin Kreuk Lana Lang Marilyn Marilyn the movie Smallville legendary women legendarywomen

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‘The Pregnancy Project’ Director Norman Buckley Talks About Teen Moms and Stereotypes
Norman Buckley knows about OMG moments. As the director of such   scandalous teen fare as The CW’s “Gossip Girl” and ABC Family’s  “Pretty  Little Liars” Buckley’s been around the block when it comes to   outrageous teen behavior. His   newest outing could be something out of a “Gossip Girl” storyline, but   it’s actually the very real story of a one girl brave enough to try  and  change the way people think.
In “The Pregnancy Project” debuting Saturday January 28th at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime Network, Buckley directs a film about Gaby   Rodriguez’s unorthodox social experiment for a school project. The   17-year-old pretended she was pregnant for six months, fooling friends   and family, to open a dialogue about teen pregnancy in her community.   What Gaby discovered was the very real stigma attached to being a   pregnant teen. She soon found herself the newest item in the   mean-spirited high school gossip mill. 
Gaby only told her boyfriend, her mother and one of her eight   siblings the truth about her pregnancy. Her boyfriend’s parents were   left totally in the dark, as were most of her friends and family. Six   months and several fake baby bumps later, Gaby revealed her secret in a   school assembly. Her project titled “Stereotypes, Rumors and  Statistics”  made headlines, first in her town of Toppenish, Washington  and then  nationwide. 
Gaby was motivated to start her experiment after some real life   experience with teen pregnancy. Her mother got pregnant for the first   time at the age of 14 and her older siblings also dealt with the issue.   Gaby wanted to explore the societal effects of getting pregnant as a   teen, but also wanted to stress that it isn’t the end of the road. 
Needless to say, Buckley had a fascinating story to work from for “The Pregnancy Project”.  The   movie, staring “Spy Kids” actress Alexa Vega as Gaby and “Scrubs” Judy   Reyes as her mother premieres this Saturday on Lifetime. 
Legendary Women was lucky enough to speak with Buckley about   his thoughts on the movie and what it says about teen girls and   pregnancy. What was it that drew you to “The Pregnancy Project” and Gaby’s story?
I was intrigued by the script, particularly the idea that a high   school girl undertook such a complex project.  I spent a lot of time   thinking about why she would do it—there was nothing easy about it and   it was a charade she had to keep up for months.  When I read her book I   came to understand that her family relationships had a lot to do with   the decisions she made, and this provided a great opportunity for  drama.
Recently teen moms have been a hot topic issue,   particularly with the popularity of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen   Mom”, as well as films like “Juno”. While I don’t think any of those   programs outright glamorize teen pregnancy, one of the things most often   overlooked is the way pregnant teen girls are viewed and treated. “The   Pregnancy Project” seems to take a hard look at how pregnant teens are   treated and stereotyped. Can you talk a little about that and why you   think this aspect missing from other teen pregnancy narratives is   important?
I think there are no hard and fast assumptions that can be made about   any individual’s life—a pregnant teen or anyone else.  The decisions   one makes, or the lack thereof, are different for every person.  One   of the primary themes of Gaby Rodriguez’s project was that people jump   to assumptions quickly when it comes to pregnant teens, without having   any basis for these ideas. She used this as a springboard to examine  the  whole issue of stereotypes and how the assumptions of others can  have a  debilitating effect on the self-esteem of a person.
— Read the full interview with Norman Buckley at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!

‘The Pregnancy Project’ Director Norman Buckley Talks About Teen Moms and Stereotypes

Norman Buckley knows about OMG moments. As the director of such scandalous teen fare as The CW’s “Gossip Girl” and ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” Buckley’s been around the block when it comes to outrageous teen behavior. His newest outing could be something out of a “Gossip Girl” storyline, but it’s actually the very real story of a one girl brave enough to try and change the way people think.

In “The Pregnancy Project” debuting Saturday January 28th at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime Network, Buckley directs a film about Gaby Rodriguez’s unorthodox social experiment for a school project. The 17-year-old pretended she was pregnant for six months, fooling friends and family, to open a dialogue about teen pregnancy in her community. What Gaby discovered was the very real stigma attached to being a pregnant teen. She soon found herself the newest item in the mean-spirited high school gossip mill.

Gaby only told her boyfriend, her mother and one of her eight siblings the truth about her pregnancy. Her boyfriend’s parents were left totally in the dark, as were most of her friends and family. Six months and several fake baby bumps later, Gaby revealed her secret in a school assembly. Her project titled “Stereotypes, Rumors and Statistics” made headlines, first in her town of Toppenish, Washington and then nationwide.

Gaby was motivated to start her experiment after some real life experience with teen pregnancy. Her mother got pregnant for the first time at the age of 14 and her older siblings also dealt with the issue. Gaby wanted to explore the societal effects of getting pregnant as a teen, but also wanted to stress that it isn’t the end of the road.

Needless to say, Buckley had a fascinating story to work from for “The Pregnancy Project”.  The movie, staring “Spy Kids” actress Alexa Vega as Gaby and “Scrubs” Judy Reyes as her mother premieres this Saturday on Lifetime.

Legendary Women was lucky enough to speak with Buckley about his thoughts on the movie and what it says about teen girls and pregnancy.

What was it that drew you to “The Pregnancy Project” and Gaby’s story?

I was intrigued by the script, particularly the idea that a high school girl undertook such a complex project.  I spent a lot of time thinking about why she would do it—there was nothing easy about it and it was a charade she had to keep up for months.  When I read her book I came to understand that her family relationships had a lot to do with the decisions she made, and this provided a great opportunity for drama.

Recently teen moms have been a hot topic issue, particularly with the popularity of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom”, as well as films like “Juno”. While I don’t think any of those programs outright glamorize teen pregnancy, one of the things most often overlooked is the way pregnant teen girls are viewed and treated. “The Pregnancy Project” seems to take a hard look at how pregnant teens are treated and stereotyped. Can you talk a little about that and why you think this aspect missing from other teen pregnancy narratives is important?

I think there are no hard and fast assumptions that can be made about any individual’s life—a pregnant teen or anyone else.  The decisions one makes, or the lack thereof, are different for every person.  One of the primary themes of Gaby Rodriguez’s project was that people jump to assumptions quickly when it comes to pregnant teens, without having any basis for these ideas. She used this as a springboard to examine the whole issue of stereotypes and how the assumptions of others can have a debilitating effect on the self-esteem of a person.

— Read the full interview with Norman Buckley at LegendaryWomen.org HERE!

Filed under Features Interviews Norman Buckley The Pregnancy Project Lifetime Pretty Little Liars Gossip Girl Chuck The OC Alexa Vega Gaby Rodriguez Judy Reyes Scrubs Spy Kids Legendary Women LegendaryWomen

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Being Human Cast Preview a Darker Season Two 
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a vampire, a werewolf and a  ghost walk into an apartment. The premise of Syfy’s BBC remake Being Human, back for a second season January 16th, might sound like the beginning of a joke but the show takes itself deadly seriously.
Last season vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer) and werewolf Josh (Sam  Huntington) moved into a new apartment in an attempt to live a normal  life. The only problem? The apartment’s previous murdered tenant Sally  (Meaghan Rath) hadn’t quite vacated the premises.
As the new roommates settled into their unconventional living  arrangement, the show itself began to settle it’s identity crisis. The  start of Being Human’s first season hewed much too slavishly to  the British original, without adding much meat to the story. As the  show broke free into it’s own mythology and storylines, however, it  became a much more interesting beast.  The evolution continues as the  second season delves further into vampire politics, ghost abilities and  what it really means to be a werewolf.
“If season one was about putting these people who are at risk into a  safe environment, well season two is all about what is that risk about?”  said Witwer during a conference call with reporters last week. “These  people are in trouble and we’re going to see a lot of that trouble this  year. We’re going to see why they need so badly to have a sanctuary  because things get a little bit darker this year.”
“Temptation is a beast” is the tag line for this season of Being Human and in the first two episodes the show hints that our favorite  roommates will have a lot to tempt them to the dark side.  Thankfully,  they all have each other to lean on. If there’s one thing that worked  almost immediately in the first season, it was the chemistry between the  three leads. Indeed, listening to them joke about how much nicer Witwer  is after getting enough sleep (between 42 and 48 percent) and about  Rath’s kidnaper-kidnappee mentor relationship with Witwer, it’s clear  how much these people like each other. That affability shines through on  screen and makes scenes the roommates share together sparkle with humor  and goodwill. The only downside of this natural chemistry is that it  makes the audience want the roommates to never leave the apartment.
“We have so much trust and faith in one another and we just know when  we’re in a scene with one another, it’s going to work” said Huntington.  “It’s going to be fun and it’s going to be loose and it’s going to be  natural.”
Be excited, because according to the cast the second season sports an  episode where the core group will be in just about every scene  together. But don’t expect that unity to last. With the show delving  into the darkness, the roommates will be more fragmented than ever.
“This season you will see a lot of tension between the three  roommates because we all are on our own journey and trying to get  ourselves out of these really desperate situations” Rath said. “When we  do come together there’s a question of can we still relate to each other  and how non-judgmental are we actually going to be towards each other?  And that generates a lot of tension between us.”
Also generating tension is a possible old flame of Aidan’s played by Dollhouse’s  versatile Dichen Lachman, no stranger to kicking some serious booty.   Her vampy character Suren pulls Aidan back into a life of vampire  politics he had no intention of returning to, with new temptations to  return to his old ways.
“She represents a lot of what he wanted, a lot of who he wanted to  be,” Witwer said. “She’s thrown back into the mix and the problem is  that Aidan is now a different guy.”
Speaking of the vampire Aidan used to be, Witwer teased that we’ll  learn more about Aidan’s old bad boy ways. Seems like he didn’t used to  be such a nice guy when he hung out with Bishop (Mark Pellegrino).
“In the first season if he’s trying to kick the habit in a drug  addiction sense, well the first thing he’s got to do is stay away from  his old drug buddies. And this season he can’t,” Witwer explained.  “We’re going to see some of his old character traits that he had over  the past 200 years start to resurface. We’re going to learn firsthand  why everyone seems to be afraid of this guy.”
Things are no easier for Sally and Josh. Josh is dealing with some  unlikely speed bumps in his relationship with girlfriend Nora (Kristen  Hager). Sally, meanwhile, is at loose ends since missing her door to the  other side at the end of last season. Expect to see her start getting  herself into some dangerous new hobbies. Sally’s experimentation with  the darker side of haunting does have an upside for Rath though.
“In season two we do get to see Sally in some different outfits,”  said Rath, referring to changing up her usual casual leggings and  sweater uniform.
We might also see Aidan become less of a messy eater. Witwer  explained that he’s often requested to rein in the blood-on-everything  approach to Aidan’s vampire dinnertime.
“It’s like the vampire equivalent of a Carl’s Jr. commercial,” Huntington joked.
Still, this season sadly won’t be all fun and games for the supernatural besties on Being Human.  That’s a shame, because the likable cast plays onscreen humor just as  charmingly as they do riffing on each other. There are some legitimately  funny moments in the first two episodes of the season, most occurring  when the cast is interacting. But don’t expect the rest of the season to  be a barrel of laughs.
“We’re really trying to keep our reactions to all this giant  supernatural stuff very grounded. And in terms of the dark stuff that  comes up, I mean the messed up thing is that at first you’ll see our  characters react with horror and shame and all this awful stuff,” Witwer  said. “Then as time goes on you might see them kind of get used to it  and that hopefully will be a very sad thing to watch.”
Being Human returns to Syfy on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST starting January 16th.
— Read the full article and comment (if you’d be so kind!) at Huffington Post TV HERE!

Being Human Cast Preview a Darker Season Two

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost walk into an apartment. The premise of Syfy’s BBC remake Being Human, back for a second season January 16th, might sound like the beginning of a joke but the show takes itself deadly seriously.

Last season vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer) and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) moved into a new apartment in an attempt to live a normal life. The only problem? The apartment’s previous murdered tenant Sally (Meaghan Rath) hadn’t quite vacated the premises.

As the new roommates settled into their unconventional living arrangement, the show itself began to settle it’s identity crisis. The start of Being Human’s first season hewed much too slavishly to the British original, without adding much meat to the story. As the show broke free into it’s own mythology and storylines, however, it became a much more interesting beast. The evolution continues as the second season delves further into vampire politics, ghost abilities and what it really means to be a werewolf.

“If season one was about putting these people who are at risk into a safe environment, well season two is all about what is that risk about?” said Witwer during a conference call with reporters last week. “These people are in trouble and we’re going to see a lot of that trouble this year. We’re going to see why they need so badly to have a sanctuary because things get a little bit darker this year.”

“Temptation is a beast” is the tag line for this season of Being Human and in the first two episodes the show hints that our favorite roommates will have a lot to tempt them to the dark side. Thankfully, they all have each other to lean on. If there’s one thing that worked almost immediately in the first season, it was the chemistry between the three leads. Indeed, listening to them joke about how much nicer Witwer is after getting enough sleep (between 42 and 48 percent) and about Rath’s kidnaper-kidnappee mentor relationship with Witwer, it’s clear how much these people like each other. That affability shines through on screen and makes scenes the roommates share together sparkle with humor and goodwill. The only downside of this natural chemistry is that it makes the audience want the roommates to never leave the apartment.

“We have so much trust and faith in one another and we just know when we’re in a scene with one another, it’s going to work” said Huntington. “It’s going to be fun and it’s going to be loose and it’s going to be natural.”

Be excited, because according to the cast the second season sports an episode where the core group will be in just about every scene together. But don’t expect that unity to last. With the show delving into the darkness, the roommates will be more fragmented than ever.

“This season you will see a lot of tension between the three roommates because we all are on our own journey and trying to get ourselves out of these really desperate situations” Rath said. “When we do come together there’s a question of can we still relate to each other and how non-judgmental are we actually going to be towards each other? And that generates a lot of tension between us.”

Also generating tension is a possible old flame of Aidan’s played by Dollhouse’s versatile Dichen Lachman, no stranger to kicking some serious booty. Her vampy character Suren pulls Aidan back into a life of vampire politics he had no intention of returning to, with new temptations to return to his old ways.

“She represents a lot of what he wanted, a lot of who he wanted to be,” Witwer said. “She’s thrown back into the mix and the problem is that Aidan is now a different guy.”

Speaking of the vampire Aidan used to be, Witwer teased that we’ll learn more about Aidan’s old bad boy ways. Seems like he didn’t used to be such a nice guy when he hung out with Bishop (Mark Pellegrino).

“In the first season if he’s trying to kick the habit in a drug addiction sense, well the first thing he’s got to do is stay away from his old drug buddies. And this season he can’t,” Witwer explained. “We’re going to see some of his old character traits that he had over the past 200 years start to resurface. We’re going to learn firsthand why everyone seems to be afraid of this guy.”

Things are no easier for Sally and Josh. Josh is dealing with some unlikely speed bumps in his relationship with girlfriend Nora (Kristen Hager). Sally, meanwhile, is at loose ends since missing her door to the other side at the end of last season. Expect to see her start getting herself into some dangerous new hobbies. Sally’s experimentation with the darker side of haunting does have an upside for Rath though.

“In season two we do get to see Sally in some different outfits,” said Rath, referring to changing up her usual casual leggings and sweater uniform.

We might also see Aidan become less of a messy eater. Witwer explained that he’s often requested to rein in the blood-on-everything approach to Aidan’s vampire dinnertime.

“It’s like the vampire equivalent of a Carl’s Jr. commercial,” Huntington joked.

Still, this season sadly won’t be all fun and games for the supernatural besties on Being Human. That’s a shame, because the likable cast plays onscreen humor just as charmingly as they do riffing on each other. There are some legitimately funny moments in the first two episodes of the season, most occurring when the cast is interacting. But don’t expect the rest of the season to be a barrel of laughs.

“We’re really trying to keep our reactions to all this giant supernatural stuff very grounded. And in terms of the dark stuff that comes up, I mean the messed up thing is that at first you’ll see our characters react with horror and shame and all this awful stuff,” Witwer said. “Then as time goes on you might see them kind of get used to it and that hopefully will be a very sad thing to watch.”

Being Human returns to Syfy on Mondays at 9 p.m. EST starting January 16th.

— Read the full article and comment (if you’d be so kind!) at Huffington Post TV HERE!

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