Perdita
18-11-2008, 15:09
It must be hard joining the cast of one of the biggest TV shows in the world, right? Recently I caught up with two of the new additions to Heroes - Brea Grant, aka The Speedster, and David Lawrence, who recently debuted as the Puppetmaster - to find out just that.
Do you mind it when fans approach you?
Brea: "No. When I'm grocery shopping? Maybe a little. Not grocery shopping, actually. The only place it bothers me is the gym. In the gym, I want to be alone, I want to sweat alone!"
David: "It's a joy for me. That's the kind of problem you want to have. That you're reaching people. Whether they're touched by what you do or they're creeped out by it, you're changing their lives in some small way. I've been a morning radio host for 30 years and I've opened up car dealerships and supermarkets in the past. The people that show up at those things are wearing vests with pins and thick glasses saying, 'I listen to your show every morning'. I'm used to it. But I'm not used to people walking up to me and word for word repeating what I've said on Heroes."
Almost like puppets themselves! So what sort of reaction have you had, then?
David: "The number one reaction I've had is lots of email around the theme of 'can you teach me to do that thing with your fingers? I want to use that on my wife!'"
How was it joining the cast of a show like this?
Brea: "Scary for me, but that's just me because I get nervous all the time."
David: "For me it was my first network show. It wasn't just joining the cast of Heroes, it was also joining the cast of the number one show of its kind in the world at the time. I just loved it."
Were you both fans of Heroes before?
Brea: "I was, but he was a bigger fan than me!"
David: "Huge fan. I was counting down the days to the release of the Blu-ray version of season two. I went and bought a new player because my old Blu-ray player had the wrong profile and wouldn't play some of the features of the new disc, so I had to upgrade. I loved the show."
And are you making more appearances going forward?
David: "I cannot confirm or deny my role going forward. I would love for the fans to just let the show happen though! You'll be surprised with what happens to some of your favourite characters and villains."
Brea: "I was originally four episodes, then they continued it beyond that. It's been amazing. They keep around people they like, which is great."
So is a promotion to the regular cast on the cards?
Brea: "Possibly! We'll see what happens."
David: "Did you ask if I'm open to being a regular member of the cast? I don't know how they could fit me in as a regular, but I'm open. I am so open. I am wide open."
Are there cast members you haven't met yet?
Brea: "I've met everyone but I haven't worked with everyone. I meet people in the make-up trailer a lot!"
David: "This is the first time I've met Brea."
Brea: "That's true. I haven't met a lot of the villains, actually."
David: "What's great is when [the cast] walk up to me and say 'you creepy man'. Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli) and I went to the same acting school and had the same acting coach, so we had common ground there, but everyone's approachable. I could drive onto the lot now and say 'hi' to the make-up people and the wardrobe people, just to keep in touch, and go to the screenings on Friday afternoons. It's just so easy. I wouldn't presume to do that on any of the other shows I've been on."
Do you mind it when fans approach you?
Brea: "No. When I'm grocery shopping? Maybe a little. Not grocery shopping, actually. The only place it bothers me is the gym. In the gym, I want to be alone, I want to sweat alone!"
David: "It's a joy for me. That's the kind of problem you want to have. That you're reaching people. Whether they're touched by what you do or they're creeped out by it, you're changing their lives in some small way. I've been a morning radio host for 30 years and I've opened up car dealerships and supermarkets in the past. The people that show up at those things are wearing vests with pins and thick glasses saying, 'I listen to your show every morning'. I'm used to it. But I'm not used to people walking up to me and word for word repeating what I've said on Heroes."
Almost like puppets themselves! So what sort of reaction have you had, then?
David: "The number one reaction I've had is lots of email around the theme of 'can you teach me to do that thing with your fingers? I want to use that on my wife!'"
How was it joining the cast of a show like this?
Brea: "Scary for me, but that's just me because I get nervous all the time."
David: "For me it was my first network show. It wasn't just joining the cast of Heroes, it was also joining the cast of the number one show of its kind in the world at the time. I just loved it."
Were you both fans of Heroes before?
Brea: "I was, but he was a bigger fan than me!"
David: "Huge fan. I was counting down the days to the release of the Blu-ray version of season two. I went and bought a new player because my old Blu-ray player had the wrong profile and wouldn't play some of the features of the new disc, so I had to upgrade. I loved the show."
And are you making more appearances going forward?
David: "I cannot confirm or deny my role going forward. I would love for the fans to just let the show happen though! You'll be surprised with what happens to some of your favourite characters and villains."
Brea: "I was originally four episodes, then they continued it beyond that. It's been amazing. They keep around people they like, which is great."
So is a promotion to the regular cast on the cards?
Brea: "Possibly! We'll see what happens."
David: "Did you ask if I'm open to being a regular member of the cast? I don't know how they could fit me in as a regular, but I'm open. I am so open. I am wide open."
Are there cast members you haven't met yet?
Brea: "I've met everyone but I haven't worked with everyone. I meet people in the make-up trailer a lot!"
David: "This is the first time I've met Brea."
Brea: "That's true. I haven't met a lot of the villains, actually."
David: "What's great is when [the cast] walk up to me and say 'you creepy man'. Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli) and I went to the same acting school and had the same acting coach, so we had common ground there, but everyone's approachable. I could drive onto the lot now and say 'hi' to the make-up people and the wardrobe people, just to keep in touch, and go to the screenings on Friday afternoons. It's just so easy. I wouldn't presume to do that on any of the other shows I've been on."