2008

Maggie accompagné par John Landis répondent sur la saison 3 de Psych et sur la série.

Version Anglaise:

Psych" is a great USA network series that had the season finale back in February.
 
Actor James Roday plays Shawn, a police consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose ‘heightened observational skills' and keen detective instincts allow him to pass as a psychic.
 
The series has impeccable casting, witnessed by Shawn's relationship with his father, Henry (Corbin Bernson) who taught him the ropes of police work.
 
Roday's sidekick, the chill Dule Hill also adds to the alchemy.   His role is a complete departure from his straight-forward character of "The West Wing."
 
Psych season three premieres on July 18th.  Reruns of the show air Sundays at 8 p.m. on NBC.
 
Maggie Lawson, who plays Juliet O'Hara in the series, spoke to Monsters and Critics about the upcoming season of Psych.  She was joined by director John Landis.
 
Maggie, what happens in Season 3 of Psych?
 
Maggie Lawson: Well, there are all kinds of exciting things that are happening in Season 3 of Psych. So far - and we’re at episode - we’re starting Episode 6 right now. There - we meet Shawn’s mom, which is a big deal. Cybill Shepherd plays his mother and there is...
 
John Landis: Wait, plays James’ mother?  I didn’t know that. That’s great.
 
Maggie Lawson: She’s in the first couple episodes and then we’re seeing how the storylines are going to play out. But I will say this year our episodes are bigger. We just finished a daredevil episode. (Jeff Leahy) had a bunch of stunts.
I just think I’m so lucky to be on a show that I think just continually gets better and better and we push ourselves to be better and better.
 
This season we add a lot of different elements to the show.
 
You see a little more of an emotional side to Shawn, James’ character. And there’s just some weight that hits really hard this year. I think it’s going to be a great season.
 
We’ll start to see a little more of the maybe romantic side in Shawn’s life play out a little bit more with well, I’m not going to give too much away - it’s going to be a really good year and we’re so excited that John’s directing us again.
 
John Landis: They’re sort of blackmailing me into doing it but that’s okay. I’ll tell you, you direct a cable show - it’s insane. It’s exactly the same amount of time and exactly the same job as directing like an hour on network and an hour on cable and it’s a third of the money. It’s like, wait a minute. 
 
That for the DGA anyway, not for the SAG people. But for the DGA people it’s like, hey wait a minute. How did this happen? But the truth is Psych...
 
Maggie Lawson: It’s because you love us so much.
 
John Landis: Well, unfortunately it’s true. Psych is a very unusual show in that they all, the cast, really like each other because let me tell you it doesn’t happen very often. And it’s a pleasant group of people and I really am a fan of James Roday’s and Maggie Lawson’s.
 
Yeah, they’re blackmailing me, the f*ckers. That’s what’s happening.
 
Maggie Lawson: We have so much fun on the show and yes, the comedy and shenanigans, if you will, that you see on screen is probably doubled off screen.
 
We’re always - it almost becomes some sort of game or challenge to crack the other one up, especially when it’s their close up.
 
I tend to be a little more professional - no. But James and Dulé, it is very, very funny. It’s very hard, even if you look at our blooper reels, it’s very hard to get through a take without one of them trying to do something to crack - I mean it really does become a game.
 
John Landis: There’s a very real problem when you’re shooting and someone gets the giggles because it’s like laughing in class or church. It’s contagious and it gets worse and it becomes more and more intense and for directors who are on a schedule, sometimes it’s completely annoying because they can’t get through a take.
 
Maggie Lawson: It’s true. When we get the giggles it’s very hard to - which happens pretty much every day at some point - but yes. I can understand how for a director that would be like so frustrating because you have to cover...
 
John Landis: Also it’s frustrating because sometimes it’s funny.
 
But you can’t - it’s like having children. It’s, okay, we’ll have a time out now until Maggie and James and Dulé are ready to shoot. because they do - they’re having entirely too much fun. And they get paid.

© Monsters and Critics

Sur le tournage de Psych, Maggie parle du jeu vidéo auquel joue James, Dulé et elle même depuis la fin du poker, de l'épisode quel tourne roller derby et l'entrainement qu'elle a eu, de la saison 3, de Juliet, de ses retrouvailles avec Cybill Shepard, elle revient aussi sur l'épisode de la saison 1 sur la reconstruction de la guerre, sur Vancouver, de James & Dulé, l'épisode The Breakfast Club...

Version Anglaise:

I feel like every time I share a new interview from my visit to the set of Psych I say, “This was my favorite interview of the day!” Is that true? What can I say, they’re a likable bunch the Psych crew. I thought I loved the show before meeting them but, man, has its place in my heart grown ten times since my set visit.
 
Detective O’Hara truly is one of my favorite characters on the show and meeting Maggie Lawson only reinforced that. Earlier in the day, before Maggie would introduce herself to me, we had some downtime between interviews and were talking about the pilot episode and how Juliet was added to the cast after Anne Dudek’s character, Lucinda, didn’t test well. The funny thing is that I actually liked Lucinda but I can’t see how she would ever have worked as well as Juliet does. And I’m not just talking about the hints of a Juliet/Shawn pairing, something I go back and forth on myself, I just mean the way she fills the gap between those at the police department and Shawn and Gus. It seems like she’s almost a buffer between the two and I don’t think the Lucinda character would have worked as well.
 
Since we wouldn’t have Juliet if I had been the test audience for the show, I guess I owe my thanks to those who didn’t like Lucinda. Especially since then I never would have met Maggie Lawson and she’s kinda awesome. A skinny miny though! I mean, not that I ever thought she was big in any way, I was just struck with how much skinnier she is in person compared to on screen. I know they say the camera adds 10 pounds but I haven’t really noticed that on others that I’ve met. In one day I had that thought twice, with Maggie and then Tim. Weird. She’s adorable, though, and was very sweet. Plus, she was completely comfortable talking and joking around with us. That always makes for a fun interview.
 
Speaking of…
 
    Note: This interview contains some vague spoilers for the upcoming third season of Psych and some not so vague spoilers (though nothing that will spoil the mystery) about the sixth episode of the season “Talk Derby To Me.”
 
So don’t worry about all these… [talking about the multiple recorders on the table]
 
Maggie Lawson:    No, that’s okay. I did a conference call the other day that I guess was very similar. There were about, like, seven people on the phone, and the phone kept getting disconnected, and the interview is—the transcript of the interview was so spotty. It was like, “Wow, I sound schizophrenic.” But anyway.
 
Was that the Fear Itself teleconference?
 
ML: Yeah. Yeah. It was really fun, but then there were these clicks going on and of course doing any interview with John is a treat. He’s great. All right. Fire away.
 
Dulé says that he’s the Master of Mafia…
 
ML: [does a double take] I’m sorry. Really? I will say this about Dulé— He’s not the Master of Mafia because I am but Dulé is very good at reading people. Probably the best of all of us. But sometimes he gets a little over-excited and he gives too much away. But no, he’s really good. He’s really good at the game. I’ll give him that. James is very good at the game. But I’m the best. It’s true. Anyway, I really don’t know what else to say, except that they’re liars, anyone else who says they’re better at Mafia than I am.
 
Are you better at picking out the Mafia or are you better at being the Mafia?
 
ML: I think a little bit of both. I think I’m actually better being the Mafia because I play that innocent thing. I don’t know if you guys are familiar with the game at all?
 
Yeah.
 
ML: Okay, yeah. So when somebody wakes up the next morning that I’ve killed, I’m always like, “Oh my god, who would kill them?” Anyway. And no one’s really on to my game yet, so it’s kind of nice. I can play that innocent—
 
We won’t print that part so they don’t catch on…
 
ML: Little—oh, no. I mean, honestly I’ll just switch it up. I’ll just switch it up next time. That’s what Dulé had to do because I was on to him. But yeah, that’s to replace poker. Season 1 and Season 2 it was poker and this year it’s Mafia, so.
 
So who brought that game to the group?
 
ML: I’m guessing James and I did because it was a friend of James’ that introduced us to the game. And I played years ago and then I hadn’t played – I mean, I’m saying, like, seven years ago, and I hadn’t played since. And then I had a going-away party before I came up here, and one of James’ friends came over. And she was like, “We’re playing Mafia.” And we were like, “Oh, this is so lame. What is this game? Why is everybody going to play? How do we get out of this?” That was at 9:00 p.m., and at 3:30 everyone left. So needless to say it was a hit, and we brought it to Vancouver.
 
Tell us about your role in this episode.
 
ML: This episode, so Episode 6 we’re about to wrap, was a roller derby episode, and I have to go undercover to break up a ring of thieves, basically. And best experience ever. I am addicted. I’m not kidding. They would be like, “Maggie, Maggie, you can [mines taking off the skates] – it’s lunch.” And I’d be like, “Yeah, I’m leaving them on. I’ll just be over here, skating and hurting people.” But no, it’s been—god, it’s just been so much fun. I had a couple days of training. I had one day of training in L.A. and then I had a day of training in Vancouver, and then four days of shooting the actual stuff. And it was just so much fun. It just kept everyone pumped. We had a couple of really long days that went into nights, and we just were having so much fun so it didn’t really feel like a super-long day. But wait till you see me. [she laughs]
 
Any desire to join a league now?
 
ML: You know, the Derby Dolls in L.A., yeah, one of the girls on the team, Mila—actually two girls on the team. Sydney is actually in the show and then Mila sort of trained me in L.A. a couple weeks ago, and she said that I could come – even if I don’t join the team, because obviously I live in Vancouver half the year, that I could come work out with them at least and come to some of their practices. So that will be happening. Just because I’m already like, “Oh, I want to do more.” But you know, it’s by far the skimpiest clothes I’ve ever worn on Psych, ever. And eyelashes galore. And oh my god, it was so much fun.
 
What’s your derby name?
 
ML: Maniac. And then at one point Shawn is having to disguise himself as well, and he disguises himself as Maniac 19, President of the Maniac fan club. And they have something like 698 hits on the blog and counting. So yeah, good times. I think it’ll be a really fun episode with a really good ending.
 
How’s the season going so far?
 
ML: This season has just brought – I mean, we are just so pumped because it has been – the shows have just continually gotten better and better, and bigger and bigger, and funnier. And we have some of the best guest stars. This year we have Cybill Shepherd and we have Steven Weber and Rachel Leigh Cook, and we have coming up Gary Cole and yeah, we’re just so lucky. I think we all just feel so lucky because we’re on a show that we really push ourselves to deliver the best. The goods.
 
We just watched the season premiere….
 
ML: Oh, you did? Oh, good. I haven’t even seen it yet. Tell me what happens. I hear it’s awesome. [the Panel nods in agreement] Yeah? All right, good.
 
We’re getting into the characters a little more and not just what happens in the police station and what happens at the Psych office and how Shawn has to get in and out of situations and the detectives have to come in and have to be proved wrong every time. We’re getting into our lives a little bit and the relationships a little more, so it’s really becoming – I really think this season we’re just nailing it, not to sound snobby, but…
 
I teared up a little there at the end, and I don’t think I’ve ever teared up for Psych before.
 
ML: Right? I think there are a few of those moments this year so far, and we’re on Episode 6. Touching moments. Definitely the more dramatic moments. And we’re just—we’re so blessed that we, as a cast, as crew, writers, producers, everyone across the board is just, we are so in love with the show. So everything, we always just want to make it better. So everybody comes to play.
 
So what’s happening with Juliet this season?
 
ML: What’s happening? This year so far again we’re getting—we’re exploring a little bit more the Juliet-Lassiter relationship on not a romantic level but just on more of a personal level. Taking an interest in the other one’s lives. We’re teaming up more rather than bickering. And we see a little bit of a softer side to both characters. And I think later on in the season we’re going to see a lot of changes in Lassiter’s world and in Juliet’s world. And exploring just what she and Shawn really think of each other. That’s all I’ll say about that. And just again this year – it’s like with every season I feel like – first season I was the new detective at the Santa Barbara Police Department and so it was all about sort of negotiating all the men. And then Chief Vick was around more so I had more of a pal last year and I was getting more comfortable. And then I think Juliet this year is really secure in her job. And I think the personal side of her life is struggling a little bit more. So hopefully we’ll get into that a little bit.
 
So you can’t say 20% more romance?
 
ML: 20%. No, I think everything is just 20% more. [laughs at the look on our faces after that dodge] Everything. Every character, too. Not just the Juliet/Shawn move. We see some of Shawn’s world a little bit and maybe a little bit of his past as far as relationships go. And Henry’s world. And seeing Cybill and is he going to be dating? What’s going to happen there? And Juliet, and is she going to be dating? Is she going to be dating [Shawn]? All of that. And Lassiter as well. So 20% better. Twenty percent more for every character.
 
Did you spend any time with Cybill while she was on set?
 
ML: I did. I just love her. I love her so much. She was—this is really funny, actually. When I was 17 it was my first job in L.A. I played her daughter on her sitcom, on Cybill.
 
No kidding?
 
ML: Yeah. So she had her family and then she had her show. And I was this girl that they hired to play her daughter to come on for an episode, which is really funny because I was just from Kentucky. It was one of my first roles, and I was wearing a skirt that was up to here [puts her hand high up on her thigh], a shirt that was down to here [hand goes to above her bellybutton]. I was smoking. Had tattoos. And was like—they had to bleep out some stuff that I was saying. I was that Hollywood starlet kind of character. And so when she came up here we had a really nice laugh about it because that was a long time ago, and I won’t tell you how long ago. You know, last week, when—so yeah, we had a nice laugh about that. And then we had a fun scene together that I actually don’t know if it made it in to Episode 1. Is it still in there?
 
No…
 
ML: Oh, maybe it’s in Episode 2 then, where I’m seeking some counseling from her. Anyway, so she’s wonderful. She was such a delight. I think she had a good time. And always smiling and so gracious to everyone. So yeah, that’s the Cybill experience.
 
So you went undercover in a roller derby episode. Are there any other things you’d like to go undercover and try in the series?
 
ML: Oh, gosh. Everything. Yeah. That’s when I have the most fun I think because as an actress I get – in the episodes where I go undercover – to play many different roles. So it’s really fun for me; when those episodes come along I get to really sink my teeth into something. In this last episode I got to be a detective, I got to be a roller derby girl, I had to almost get caught and my cover blown at one point, and then there had to be a softer, sweeter sort of romantic side as well. So yeah, I would go undercover as anything. I see characters all the time and I’m like, “Oh, I want to do that. How could Juliet go undercover in a pageant? How could Juliet go undercover as a _______?” I don’t know. So yeah, I think anything they want to throw at me I’d be willing to do. I can’t really think of any one character I’d like to go undercover as though.
 
Well, you nailed the sorority girl already.
 
ML: That wasn’t too much of a stretch. [laughs] That wasn’t so much sinking my teeth into anything as just being natural. No, I’m kidding. That was a lot of fun. And Season 1 especially, because I was really trying to find the character, and then they were like, “Oh, by the way, here you go. You get to play college and ditzy and wear pink and not suits all the time.” It was really fun. But that was kind of the same for roller derby as well. It was like this tough side to Juliet that she really enjoys exploring.
 
We just finished talking with the costume designer. So have there been any costumes that you got to wear that you’ve been really pleased with?
 
ML: Oh, well, yes. Yes. There was a—this year?
 
Or at all.
 
ML: Well, Season 1, I don’t know if you remember the “Weekend Warriors,” the Civil War re-enactment episode?
 
Oh, yeah.
 
That was really, really fun. Except that we were shooting out in these meadows that were filled with bugs, and I had a gigantic hoop skirt on. So at one point we were getting ready to roll, and I had these long bloomers on. By the way, I absolutely loved the outfit. It was one of the most fun because I come out having this musket and it’s like last minute and they’re sewing up my—it had a corset kind of back to it, and Shawn and Gus are having to pull it really tight. It was all really silly fun.
 
But yeah, at one point I’m like, “Wow, that’s weird. What is that? I feel something on my—” I had these long bloomers on, and all I see is something about this big [holds her fingers about 3 inches a part] that was black. And it had made it up to about here [shows a spot on her upper thigh]. And I was like, “Oh, this is going to hurt. I know it’s going to hurt but I’ve got to do it.” And I was like… [smacks her thigh with her hand] And it was like, “Ah!” “Are you okay? Are you okay?” And I had them slit it open and the thing fell out. I could never find it on the ground. I still have no idea if I got stung or bit or what it was, but I’m not kidding it was this big [shows us the size again]. And the welt on my knee was about that big [makes big circle with her hands]. That’s my funny “Weekend Warrior” story. Those girls had it rough in those days. [we all laugh] [jokingly] And I don’t think they had Off! or Skin So Soft or anything. So that really sucked for them.
 
But I think my next favorite would have to be the roller derby outfit, just because it’s so unlike anything – well, I think the men on the set really liked those outfits as well. I’m not naming any names. Yeah. Fishnets and short shorts and cleavage and arm bands and dark eye makeup. It was just a really fun role to step into. The first day I wore it I was like, “Wow, this is the furthest I’ve ever been from myself, ever.” So own it. Just own it. And then by the end I was like, “Can I wear it again?” So now I’m kind of sad because yesterday was the last day I got to wear it.
 
How do you like working in Vancouver?
 
ML: I love working in Vancouver. This city is so wonderful, and we have by far the greatest crew I’ve ever worked with. And yeah, the city’s been really good to us, all of us. It’s really nice. We feel safe and we’re all happy. And we get the best of both worlds here. You get the urban, downtown life but then you get-you’re just surrounded by the most beautiful nature and mountains and lakes and oceans. And it’s really special.
 
So you’re getting used to the rain as well?
 
ML: Yeah. Yes and no. I can see where living here would be tough, but we’re so blessed in that we shoot from April to October. So we’re here for the nicest months. Yeah, we hit some rain on the bookend months, but yeah, it’s—I like it because the weekends come and we’re all so exhausted. And if it’s sunny out you’re like, “Oh, we have to go outside and do something. It’s so nice.” But when it’s raining you’re like, “We can just sleep all day.” You do what you want to do and you don’t feel guilty. Where in L.A. every day you wake up and you almost take it for granted. So yeah, I’d say that the 1 in 5 beautiful days that you get in a week here, they’re worth it because they’re so gorgeous. And you’ve sort of earned it. I don’t know.
 
Are there any guest stars that you’d like to see on the show?
 
ML: That haven’t already been on the show? Oh, gosh, that’s a good question. Yes. Anyone who wants to come up and do the show. That’s a hard question. I have to go back to that. More wrestlers? No. Sorry. As I look at Brad. We do have a wrestler this year.
 
Mickie James.
 
ML: Yeah, we have Mickie James who’s the WWE 2008 champion. Yeah, she was a roller derby girl in one of our episodes. She’s awesome.
 
Would you like to do a WWE type episode?
 
ML: That would be fun. Brad, Juliet goes undercover as a wrestler?
 
USA PR Rep/Brad: I think James is going to fight you on that because I think he’d probably like to go undercover as the wrestler.
 
ML: That’s true. That’s true.
 
USA PR Rep/Brad: It could be a mixed tag team.
 
That’s true. Oh, that would be funny, and weird. [we laugh]
 
USA PR Rep/Brad: Somehow Gus gets screwed in all that.
 
ML: I was going to say, that’s a—yeah, that would be funny, though, right?
 
USA PR Rep/Brad: That would be good. It had been talked about.
 
ML: Really?
 
USA PR Rep/Brad: Yeah, it had been talked about.
 
What kind of nickname could you come up for an episode like that?
 
ML: Oh. The title of the episode or for my own name?
 
Your name.
 
ML: Oh gosh, I’d have to come up with something good. What do they say? What is your porn-what’s your stripper name? It’s the street you grew up on.
 
And the name of your first pet.
 
ML: And my first dog. Yeah. I’d be Rosemary Snicky. [we all laugh] That’s what I’d go as. It’s not that porn and wrestling are at all connected. But I’m just not that – I don’t think that well on my feet when it comes to quirky names. James is really good at that. But yeah, so I guess I’d have to go with that…. Rosemary Snicky.
 
That’s a good one.
 
ML: That’s where I grew up and that was my first pet.
 
So how hard is it keeping a straight face working with Dulé and James?
 
ML: It’s not hard, it’s impossible. Yeah, there’s—it’s become now, now that it’s Season 3 and everyone’s very comfortable, somewhat of a game when it’s the other person’s coverage. So it’s like, “Oh, it’s Maggie’s close-up.” I can almost see Dulé and James in a corner, “Psst, psst.” And I’m like, “Oh. Every time? We have to do this every time?” But now I’m starting to get them back a little bit. So yeah, they play—it’s like some sort of challenge now where we’re all trying to top the other one for who can crack. But James is the hardest one. James is the hardest one to crack, and Tim’s the easiest one to crack.
 
Really?
 
ML: Yes. Yes. Because he has to be so serious all the time, and he’s not that serious of a guy. He’s a fun-loving guy. Yeah, so he’s very, very serious in the character. So if he starts to crack even a little bit, he’s gone. He’s gone. And then we all get the giggles and then we’re all gone.
 
That must have been tough when Mercedes Ruehl was doing that guest appearance?
 
ML: Oh, yes.
 
She was all over the place.
 
ML: Yes, she was. I actually wasn’t there for any of the shooting of the scenes, but I heard. I heard all about the giggling and the— yeah. John Landis directed that episode as well, so. He always – he gets very – he’s very funny. He loves us so much, but he hates when we get the giggles. [laughs]
 
Are there any questions that we should be asking Tim? Because I think he’s going to be coming up in the interview.
 
ML: Questions to be asking Tim? Oh, let’s see. What comes up for Tim this year? Can we talk about it? You can tell him that I said he is the first one to crack always. You can also tell him that I said that I am the best at Mafia.
 
I think everyone before you has said that.
 
ML: Exactly.
 
The next person that comes in, “Make sure you tell Maggie that I’m the best at Mafia.” Although Dulé did say that when he and James are together they are unstoppable.
 
ML: Okay, when—this is different. This gets interesting. Yes and no, because they frame – they like to frame people when they’re Mafia. That’s their kind of move. So now people are kind of onto it. Yeah. I was framed once, and—
 
Once?
 
ML: And that’s all it took. And yeah, so you can kind of spot their move early on. Dulé, I think, is probably the hardest to read until the third round in, and then he’s so vocal that you’re like, “Yeah, you’re dead. And you’re Mafia.” But no, yeah, okay. All right. No, they’re good. They’re good together. I’ll give them that. They’re good together.
 
Dulé did say that we would all be dead if we were playing with him.
 
ML: If you were playing Mafia with Dulé?
 
He said we would all be dead.
 
ML: Okay. I don’t know if that’s the best strategy, though. See, that’s why I think he loses because you have to be very strategic in who you choose to kill because you don’t want to give anything away. And you can’t just go killing everybody. So I think it’s really a bad move. I think he’d have to die early in that round. What a horrific game we’re talking about. This is really funny.
 
Well, you know, there’s a dead body in almost every episode.
 
ML: There is a dead body in almost every episode. How is that in Santa Barbara, this tiny, little, ocean, happy, sunny city? And half the population’s dead on our comedy show.
 
You should have an actual Mafia episode.
 
ML: [makes a 'you caught me face'] Shhhhh. That’s funny. That’s a good idea. I love that. [we all laugh] That’s really good. No, that’s good. I have plans. I have plans. Plans are being discussed that you know nothing about. No, that’s good. That’s a really good idea. Someone really smart [grins cheekily] must have thought of that. All right. Anything else?
 
Is there an ’80s reference that you’ve really connected to that you can relate to?
 
ML: An ’80s—? Oh, yeah, only the entire second episode of the season, I would say. It’s a John Hughes throwback. The music, the outfit. I mean, the whole thing. Which is really funny because I have to go undercover—
 
[checks with the USA Rep to make sure she can talk about it]
 
I have to go undercover as a member of the high school reunion that the episode is taking place at, and I show up in a prom dress that I never got to wear to my prom. So Juliet’s running around in undercover, really crinkly, shiny pink attire. And I have to – I’m undercover so I sort of have to convince everyone that I’m a member of the class. Like, “How are you?” Yeah. And the whole – it’s a whole John Hughes thing, so even the characters, some of the shots and the scenes. That I think for all of us just because that’s what we all grew up with was just—oh my god, it was so much fun. It was like finally, after all the ’80s references we have on the show we get that episode.
 
Have you got a great Psych-out?
 
ML: Not yet, actually. I’m—well, in the past we’ve had a couple of fun Psych-outs.
 
What was your favorite?
 
ML: One of them never made it, I think. Did “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” ever make it? I was lead singer on that one.
 
I think it’s on the website.
 
ML: Hmmm? Oh, it’s on the website. Yeah. That was probably the most fun to do. And the first one I ever did was “I’ll Make Love to You,” that Boyz II Men song. And that will always be close to my heart because we reference Chad Michael Murray again.
 
Yeah, he never comes up.
 
ML: [laughs] He never comes up, so it was kind of a fun—
 
Would you like him to be a guest star on the show?
 
ML: [gets excited] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. [looks like she's going to say more but stops herself] That’s all I’ll say.
 
Put him in the same episode with Billy Zane.
 
ML: Yeah, exactly. We should get Billy Zane in here and we should get Chad Michael Murray. I should stop talking. [laughs]
 
Well, thank you for coming.
 
ML: Well, thank you, guys. I hope that somewhere in all of that something makes sense.

© Ramblings of a  tv whore

Pour la diffusion de Fear Itself ou jouent Maggie et James lors d'un épisode, Maggie et le réalisteur de cette série et de Psych parlent de cette épisode, des différents personnages qu'ils interprètent, de Psych, de James, et du genre horreur et comédie...

By April MacIntyre Jun 20, 2008, 0:27 GMT

NBC "Fear Itself" is a new horror and suspense anthology that harkens the days of "The Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits." The latest episode to air on June 26 is "In Sickness and in Health" - an original script directed by John Landis ("An American Werewolf in London") and written by director Victor Salva.

A psychological gripper that centers on a beautiful bride’s (Maggie Lawson) wedding day when she receives a mysterious note that reads: "The person you are marrying is a serial killer," which then casts a shadow of doubt and suspicion on her happy occasion.

Monsters and Critics spoke with John and Maggie the other day.

 

I grew up with Rod Sterling and The Outer Limits as a kid and all these great anthologies, and I was wondering what imprinted you as a filmmaker growing up?  Which ones really knocked you out?

John Landis: Well, I grew up with The Twilight Zone.

I don’t know if you ever saw the movie but it begins with the scene - have you ever seen the feature The Twilight Zone? Well, the opening with Danny Aykroyd and Albert Brooks?

Yeah, that’s me.  I grew up with that show and grew up - very much that was the - what do they call them now, water cooler shows?

You came in the next day into the fifth grade going, “Oh my god, did you see? Anthony Meredith broke his glasses? “

The Twilight Zone had a huge impact on me and I thought The Outer Limits was very cool. I remember one where maybe it was Robert Culp?  But it’s when I was a kid.  I haven’t seen it since then but it made a huge impression where for some reason they took a human and were changing him physically into some kind of fish monster.

Maggie Lawson: Oh, I’ve seen that.

John Landis: Have you? Well, it really freaked me out but what was good about that show, The Outer Limits, was they treated it - by the way, Rod Sterling on The Twilight Zone, they often did funny things.

Outer Limits never did deliberately funny things; they were very, very serious in their stuff.  Whereas Twilight Zone could have a show where it ends, “It’s a cookbook.” ? Lloyd Bochner figures it out, whereas Outer Limits was always much more character driven. I

I don’t know what the f*ck I’m talking about.  I was influenced by the same stuff as everything else.  But Maggie’s 12 years old so she never saw any of it.

Maggie Lawson: I actually did. That’s not true. I did see - my mom is a huge fan of The Twilight Zone and so introduced me to it as well. So ha-ha John Landis, I have seen.

John Landis: All right. Okay. Well her boyfriend James Roday is a maniac horror guy. So he would have exposed you to everything by now I think

Maggie Lawson: Yeah he has.

You blended noir humor with suspense and - which is the hallmark of great horror - that tightrope between humor and edge-of-your seat kind of action.

John Landis: Well, what I like about that picture also it’s got a wonderful performance from Michelle Pfeiffer and David Bowie; they’re both great. But Maggie in this show, when you talk about suspense...

No I’m serious. What she does that’s so impressive to me is this character, this woman in jeopardy but it’s still what is the truth and stuff. She’s able to bring a level of reality to everything she does she said about, did you hear that earlier question about how do you act scared?

Yes

John Landis: It was interesting. I mean there’s sometimes when we were shooting something, we were shooting in the church and it was creepy.

Maggie Lawson: It was very creepy.  The locations were fantastic and John has a way of lighting and setting everything up so by the time you actually walk into the scene you’re like, wow, okay, this is not going to take a lot from me. I pretty much just have to walk in and take the scene for what it is because the church that we used was - oh, it’s fabulous.

John Landis: Well, it also is funny because in Edmonton, the arch - it’s a catholic church and the Archdiocese of Alberta for some reason would not allow us to shoot in any catholic property, which was disappointing.

I have shot in churches all over the world including Rome so I don’t know what their problem is but we ended up having to cobble our church together out of many different locations.

And so it - the big church where the - you’ll see lots of statues. I had every statue that wasn’t in every catholic image available we built - it’s an Anglican church we shot in so we had to build a confessional. We brought in the candles and the statues and everything and the church, luckily for us, had beautiful stained glass.

Maggie Lawson: Beautiful stained glass. But - and the statues and the whole setting, the church and the set pieces are kind of like their own characters even in the story. You see them regularly and they are, if you can imagine, the creepiest statues imaginable.

And I have to say, John, I have my St. Thomas statue here in my dressing room.

John Landis: Oh good. This just one funny thing happened.  I wanted lots of Catholic statues. the St. Thomas, St. Sebastian - everybody. . St. Francis.
And so the prop guy - we have to break - a statue is knocked over. A small - , like one of those three foot ones, and they’re usually made of plaster and painted. And I said, well, you can get these and they said, “Well, we don’t know, they’re very expensive.” I said, “No they’re not. Go on the Internet and go to plastersaint.com or something.”

Maggie Lawson: Only John Landis would know this by the way.

John Landis: But of course you go to catholic, you go to religious store, merchandise - anyway. So the prop guy very proudly brings in this white statue of St. Anthony I think. And he’s like three foot, he’s very beautiful and it looked great.

And he proudly showed me that in fact it was made of a high polyurethane kind of plastic - rubber; it was very tough. “And look at this, John. And look at - isn’t this great?” And I had to show him, “Watch this.” and I throw it in the air and it bounces on the floor. So I said, “See? That kind of defeats the purpose.  They had to buy extra ones so James and Maggie each got one.

Maggie Lawson: Yes. Yes. Yes we did.

John Landis: Maggie, where did you put yours?

Maggie Lawson: It’s in my dressing room.  Every morning I walk in. You should see the wardrobe people when they come in to like bring my clothes, they’re like, “Oh.”

John, what genre is your favorite to direct, and what do you get presented with script wise most often?

John Landis: Directors, just like actors get typed, and because I’ve made very successful comedies, it’s like oh, he’s a comedy guy.
But I like all genres. I mean I’d really like to make a Western. As a schlepper, as a young man, I worked on many Westerns in Spain, mostly Italian Westerns.

But my friend Walter Hill once said to me, “If they knew how much fun it was to make a Western they wouldn’t let us.” Because it’s so fun. I made Three Amigos in this country; I directed that and that was a comedy but it was a Western and since you ride around on horses it’s really fun.

But I as a filmmaker, I can do whatever story; I’m the storyteller. So if it’s a drama or a love story, whatever it is I’m perfectly capable of doing it.
However, the executives don’t think that way. They think what was he successful in? We’ll give him that. Just like actresses get typed. 

It’s sad but I think it’s kind of amusing that I’m a master of horror now. Although since I did those two shows I’ve actually, I guess, done a bit of horror. I like horror and fantasy and I want to stress that this particular episode, the screenplay by Victor Salva, when I read it, it’s not what you expect.

It’s much more of a throw back. It’s kind of like a woman’s picture, a girl in jeopardy picture. It has really no elements of the supernatural and it’s entirely - sits on Maggie’s shoulders.

Also,  it’s hard to approach this stuff without a sense of humor. But I think that’s true in every genre. I mean have you ever seen Psycho? Hitchcock’s Psycho? Norman Bates says, “Mother’s not herself today.”

I directed two episodes of Psych - that’s a USA show with James Roday and Maggie Lawson. And Maggie was on Psych - don’t get mad at me Maggie - but it makes me crazy. She’s under-used because working up there I just thought, man, this girl’s terrific and when I was given this script - I also, by the way, am a fan of James Roday, who is a very good, good actor and a really smart guy and really good actor.

I saw this as an opportunity. I called them. It was hard to work out but for me what’s exciting is this is a showpiece for Maggie Lawson because she’s playing a character so different than the character she plays on Psych and she carries the show. And James is not the loveable, lighthearted, wise cracking guy he is on Psych. He’s more like Heathcliff in this one.

Maggie Lawson: Exactly. He’s very creepy,

John Landis: That’s what worries me, Maggie.

Maggie Lawson: That’s so flattering and I take any opportunity I can to work with the wonderful John Landis because he is wonderful and he’s a master of many, many genres.

Maggie, what’s the secret to acting cinematic terror?

Maggie Lawson: Heavy breathing, eyes wide open - no. I don’t really know. I mean I think every character is different so I think it’s sort of finding - it’s literally putting yourself in the position. This was so interesting because it’s - this is more of a, as John was saying, this is more of a psychological...

John Landis: Nobody - they haven’t seen it so don’t give anything away.

Maggie Lawson: No I won’t. I won’t. I’ll be really good even though I like telling secrets. So this is more psychological and...

John Landis: It’s a real melodrama.  It is. It’s like an old radio play.

Maggie Lawson: I’ll just say it’s more about like the unknown, which a lot of times I think is scarier. And without giving too much away I’ll say that. So it’s sort of not knowing what you’re up against and the fear that comes with that.

It was more playing that. And John has a way of setting every scene and shot as realistic as possible so it wasn’t - there were some creepy, creepy nights and it wasn’t that difficult to put myself in my character’s shoes.

How was it working on network television?

John Landis: Well, You direct the same. The problem comes in post-production with the networks. Well, when you’re doing with anything on television, you deal with what’s called standards and practices. And interestingly enough this particular show, this - the one I did is really much more about character than gore  - or violence.

So I mean the violence in this one is all - I mean there’s violence but it’s mostly in your brain and this was an easy show in terms of censorship. I didn’t have a problem. I did have some creative issues with the executive producers but it’s strange because on a TV series like Psych for instance, the executive producer of Psych is Steve Franks, who is the creator of the show, which often means that he’s the writer, he’s created the show and the executive producer in television is the most important guy.

Directors tend to be traffic cops on a TV series. So it’s not your show; you’re working for them and it’s their vision. Like, no matter who directed an episode of Sopranos, it was David Chase’s vision and he was very in control.

And that’s true on sitcoms - so when I do Psych, for instance, which is my first experience, I’ve always been the executive producer so I never really had the experience of working for someone else like that.

We had disagreements but I had to understand it’s his show. So even though I disagreed he wins.

It’s not a problem. On this one, because it’s an individual anthology show, where NBC is using my name to sell it, I did have to fight because I really did disagree with some of the executive producers and it was annoying.

But I’m happy with the finished show and I’m thrilled with James and Maggie and I’m also thrilled with this guy Alwyn Komst - South African cinematographer did a fabulous job.

There are upshots to working on TV, none of which were on this show. But the upshot of working in television really that I find exciting is you get to, if you’re doing a series, even a comedic or dramatic series - doesn’t matter - you can tell a longer story. I mean I really love the miniseries; they don’t make as many any more.

But it’s a wonderful way of really exploring characters over time and I think that’s an opportunity in television that’s wonderful to really tell elaborate - , like remember HBO’s Rome. Or even the Sopranos where you can just really explore the characters.
The show with Glenn Close -  Damages - I watched the whole first season and it was great. I don’t know if I could watch it once a week because I’d get too frustrated but watching it, the way it played out I just really enjoyed it.

You can do a lot in television but there really - it’s a delivery system. Does that make sense? It’s not different than film.

Maggie, What was the experience like for you?

Maggie Lawson: It definitely feels more like an independent film -- the way you shoot it, the pace and the developing of the characters. You’re not creating a character over 16 to 22 episodes. You’re creating a story that has a beginning and middle and an end.

I really liked that. It did not feel like I was shooting a TV show. It was very much... and it was fun I think for James and I both to really sink our teeth into something different because the characters are just so different and the shooting style is very different and obviously working with John is always such a pleasure but definitely more like an indie film for sure.

John Landis: It was like shooting a low-budget movie.

Did you have to play against the idea that the audience might expect the two of you, or Maggie and James Roday, to interact as they do on Psych?

Maggie Lawson: Absolutely. I think we were both very excited to play characters that were so different from what we play on Psych.  In developing both of them the way they dress and even our looks and we went as far away from Psych as possible and John was very hopeful in that as well in sort of being in the whole process of creating a specific look.

For John to play this dark, , ominous, creepy kind of guy in Fear Itself is - I think it just shows the talent that in his brains.  I think we are completely different from our characters. In fact, as I was doing ADR and watching, and one of the things that stood out most was that this looks and is so completely different that I forgot that we play (hectic) Juliet O’Hara and Shawn Spencer on Psych,  so I hope the audience feels the same way.

John Landis: Well they’re actors. I mean that’s the thing people forget about TV stars because they’re playing the same characters every week.

I once worked with Don Knotts on a show and I was shocked. The guy was brilliant. And I realized because people just want to see Barney Fife, they want to see that nervous character that he, from (Steve Allen). He never got a chance to show how really good an actor he was.

So for me it’s very exciting that these two get to do this. Boy, are they different in this one.

I have to say there’s a wonderful moment in the Fear Itself episode when the character James plays and the character Maggie plays are actually getting married. And during the ceremony, there’s - you haven’t seen that yet Maggie - there’s a terrific thing where she looks at him and sees him in a way that is terrifying and it’s brief but it’s like uh-oh.

Maggie Lawson: Yeah and that you’re always rising up, your partner and picturing them for whatever the commitment that you’re going to make with them. So I think that there’s always a bit of a fear that goes with that. This goes a step further than what - I mean I think the normal fear is that  they don’t show up or that you’re going to pass out on the altar.

This takes it a step further and I have to say that the wedding scene, shooting it was - John is so good at setting a scene. I really do believe that our sets and the shots and the lighting - like they all play a role.

They are their own characters in the show. And walking into that church that day, I mean it did take my breath away. It was so creepy and ominous and then it’s the complete opposite of the day you’re supposed to be so happy and it’s supposed to be so beautiful and it’s supposed to be bright and cheery and it’s just, oh, it’s so perfect the way John set it up.

John, what is next for you?

John Landis: I’m going to Paris and then I’m going to London and then I’m coming back at the end of July for Comic-Con and then I’m going to Vancouver to direct an episode of Psych.

Maggie Lawson: Yay.

John Landis: There’s lots of movies, none of them ready to go.  By far the most difficult part of the filmmaking process is getting the money. And if you’ll notice by the product coming out it’s increasingly difficult to make small movies, unless they’re genre pieces and  I don’t know if I really want - I mean I could make another horror picture but do I want to?

I could make a stupid comedy but I don’t want to. I want to make something of quality. But I’m out there hustling.  I’m involved in a very exciting project -  kind of a biography of William Gaines.

Maggie, did you enjoy doing horror and would you like to do it again?

Maggie Lawson: I will do horror any day of the week that John Landis is directing it for sure.   I really enjoyed it actually, surprisingly more than I thought that I would. It was - it’s interesting in acting, when you have to put yourself in a character’s shoes in a situation, whether it’s, , funny and comical, light hearted, emotional.

Scary is a challenge.  There’s a fine line between being real, a level of reality to it, which I think is what makes horror work in a lot of ways. But then not making it over dramatic and not, and if an audience is taken out of a movie in a horror movie, even just for a second, it’s very hard to reel them back in.

So, it’s a challenge I think as an actor to play believable scared, believable horror, and terror. And I enjoyed it and it was a really fun adventure and project to sink my teeth into and something different than I’ve ever done before. So thank you John for that opportunity.

© M&C