Posted: April 28th, 2018 | Author: ath389 | Filed under: News | No Comments »
The remaining parts of Ben’s interview with Stargate Command . To listen/watch the entire interview conducted by Chris Judge with Ben and Beau Bridges you can get a 1 month All Access pass for $20 USD. There are many interviews so worth it if you are a Stargate fan. I highly recommend if the video accessible in your country pay the fee and watch!
Part 3 opens with the clip from SG1’s 200th episode’s Farscape parody.
Ben : I had been on a scifi show that ran — Farscape — parallel to Stargate and on the same network no less. I had met the producers at a couple of different events. And I liked the guys. But the other thing is that I’ve never I’ve always early on in my career I was doing a really, you know, what would be deemed you know this kind of dodgy TV movie, really. There’s no cred to it. It’s like it’s kind of the place where actors go to die, you know.
Chris Judge : Wait a minute. You talking about playing Lee Majors?
Ben : No, not that!
Chris Judge : Oh, okay. I was going to say that was fantastic.
Ben : That’s for real, that was – that was, no but I was doing — I was doing a Daniel Steel TV movie.
Chris Judge : mhm
Ben : Right? And I was working with Christopher Plummer.
Chris Judge : That’s not bad.
Ben : And Christopher Plummer is an amazing actor. Always has been and always will be. I mean he was phenomenal. And, you know, I was kind of like, Why is Christopher Plummer doing this TV movie when he should be doing, you know —
Chris Judge : Right
Ben : That Oscar winning performance that he eventually won an Oscar for . And I think the bottom line is that you know, look, you work, you do the work. It’s a craft. You do the best you can with it. And regardless of the project, it’s not that science fiction in that period of time was considered kind of the actor ghetto. But then if you actually look at it, look at Farscape and Stargate, and look at how many secondary characters have gone on to become really huge A list actors. And it is a vast number. These days doing science fiction , great because you know the Marvel Universe has blown up and all that. But in those days, it was, you know it was doing a superhero was putting a cape on would have been considered a step down because people were still thinking about , it was a hold over from when there was a separation between TV and film. And either you are a TV actor or a film actor and people won’t remember that now. But coming out of the eighties and nineties there was this kind of division between oh he’s a film actor or he’s a TV actor. Or he’s this kind of actor. Or she is. And you know , so, but I 1) I never thought of it that way. I watched the show and I thought the show was really great. It was a job on offer. I’m supposed to be a working actor. So if you see something there that you say I think I can do something and it’s interesting to you, you’re lucky to have a job as an actor. Because I don’t know , I mean Beau can speak to this better than I can because he is from an industry family and because he has been in the business well since The Red Pony. I am at the CBS lot the other day and I’m walking in and they had these little stars on the outside so kind of like the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I see The Red Pony Beau Bridges. What is The Red Pony? “bleep” 1948 is The Red Pony. So you know if you’re an actor and you have any career and any length of career. I don’t , there are very few that don’t have a period where they need work and I think it’s just a no brainer, it’s really a no brainer . It’s a good show and it’s work. Why wouldn’t I do it? I — how else does one craft one’s career? It’s you take the job and it turns out — it can be good. It can be great. It can be bad. But you, I don’t know. It’s always a challenge. And it’s an exciting place. It’s an exciting time to go to Vancouver and you know strap on your P90.
Chris Judge : Well a little behind the scenes. I don’t know if you even know this. SciFi was very on the fence about renewing this for Season 8 after after Rick was leaving. And Miss Bonnie Hammer, our fearless leader at the time, said you know, quite a few names had come up, come through and they weren’t really sold on anyone. And your name came up and Bonnie said, You get Browder, you’re renewed.
Ben : Wow
Chris Judge : And that’s how (laughing)
Ben : Wow
Chris Judge : If only you’d known that when you were negotiating huh?
Ben : Wait a minute I want to push in on my face. Forget the gate push in on Browder.
Chris Judge : That also falls under the old and Chris you can’t say anything! Yeah I mean we were all kind of , well, all I mean, the only reason I knew it was because I golfed with all the guys. And everyone was kind of on pins and needles about both of you (indicating Ben and Beau Bridges) what was going to , because very much getting you guys really is what tipped the scales for us getting renewed for the next season.
Ben : Wow
Chris Judge : So to expand upon that. So if the show had gone to season 11, both of you, where would you have liked to have seen your characters go?
Ben : I don’t know. I don’t know what I’d want for my character. And I don’t know, you know back when, how many years ago was it now? 2007, ’06? Yeah ’07 was the last was the last season so it’s a decade now. The world and my world has changed since then. I think that if I was doing it now I would be probably far more interested in, in seeing more of the aspects of what it is to be in the military and the military life. The sacrifices these people make. You know, to a certain degree all of our characters had no personal life. And you know in a large part, that that’s a construct of what happens in the military and to military families. And also the effects that particular job and to understand what what it is that is required of a person in a chain of command. I am far more interested in that now than I was then. And you know if you look at you know we have we have a culture which is a very quick thing to say Thank you for your service. And yet the vast majority of Americans, 99% of them, don’t don’t have skin in the game. I mean, when you consider the families there’s more. But we have , we have been in perpetual war and the war on terror, you know every new enlisted person and commissioned person in the service right now their first ribbon is that they have joined at a time of war. So their reality is day in and day out their in a time of war. And so you know to a certain degree I think we we didn’t really hit that with Stargate at the time. But I think it;s relevant and you know we have a large population of soldiers who’ve come back with post traumatic stress disorder. We have military families who are all affected. And, you know and what do we get? We’ll get a Tweet about it, you know or a nod to it. But I would like to , I think that Stargate would be a good vehicle to actually take a deeper look at what’s really going on with the military and the people who are fighting these wars on our behalf.
Beau Bridges encourages Ben to tell about his son.
Ben : Okay so, when the Air Force liaison asks you know would say, Ben can you do this? Can you do this? Can you just go? I go , yeah yeah I can do this. And then they say Is there anything we can do for you? And I said I hear you give rides in F-16s?
Chris Judge : Did you do it?
Ben : So oh yeah. So they said, well I don’t know if we can make that happen.I said you know,it you know I’d like a ride in an F-16. That would be great. So they hooked myself and Brad Wright and Flanigan up to fly with the Thunderbirds. I went up with, who is now colonel, Scottie Zamzow. Scottie, and so I flew with Scottie for, I spent 2 hours doing insane things in a plane. I got down, I went If I had another life that’s what I’d be doing right now. So and they said Well there you go and they said and they said Is there anything else we can do for you. I said No but if you ever need anything from me, feel free to ask. My son is at the Air Force Academy. I didn’t know they were going to ask for my first born child.
Chris Judge : Well that is something we have in common. Both of our sons went to the Academy, the Air Force Academy.
Ben : Yeah she do take her slice don’t she (laughing by all three)
Chris Judge : The social,political climate is different now. Um and would be, so I mean you have Mitchell , sociopolitically , do you think your performance would be changed, altered at all, by the difference in society now? The difference in what the climate is in America now?
Ben : Would Mitchell’s portrayal be any different , I don’t know. My understanding of military life has advanced considerably since my son is at the Academy and he is technically active duty. I mean he’s a second degree you know a Cadet, Second Class. So he is active duty. He doesn’t move without the Air Force letting him fill out the paperwork to do it. You know what I mean? He’s not out in the field yet but he will be very,very shortly. So my understanding of what military life is has advanced considerably from that time because I have been going through it personally with my son and watching it happen. So it is directly connected to me. As far as the political climate, you know, the politics change and you know we are fighting changes. But what I understand about the military is that they are they’re apolitical in the largest sense. They fight for the nation. They answer to the president, whoever the president is. They’re not going to comment on what policy is. Yet at the same time they are very progressive you know if you look at what there’s a statement by the general who is currently running the Academy
Chris Judge : Wasn’t that fantastic?
Ben : Yea which is basically if you’re a racist get out. You don’t belong here.
Chris Judge : That guy was incredible.
Ben : Yea , this guy you know has flown F- 35s , he’s a pilot. you know he is an Academy grad and there’s a tendency to sort of view the military when I was growing up as this sort of conservative bastion , that is not the case. The Commandant of Cadets at the Air Force Academy is a female one star general who went to the Academy who moved to the Academy with her wife and kids. The military was way ahead on race. It’s way ahead on a lot of other issues because they’re about the job, about the job. You know they can pay the ultimate price and all of them to a certain degree they pay a price for doing that job. So I mean I don’t know that there would be a change in the commentary. I think the Air Force has been doing that for decades.
Beau Bridges : That guy (the head of the USAFA) said Our diversity is our strength.
Ben : Our strength. And that’s absolutely right. That was amazing. You know I can vouch for that. i have discussions with my son and no one cares about your politics, your gender, your orientation if you can do your job.
Beau Bridges tells a story about Coach John Wooden to tie into what Ben said about doing the job.
Ben : It’s interesting I think that all 3 of us were college athletes because I know when I meet someone who played college football , I kind of go , i know you and in general high level college sports you go I know that guy’s mindset. I know where they’re coming from whether it s a guy or a girl or whatever in large part I think because you understand the gist of what Coach Wooden was about which is how to get to a point of performance. And then when you walk into the arena it’s just I believe this is going to work out and now I’m just committed to doing it. It’s interesting you know that as a team
Beau Bridges : As a team
Ben : It’s all about which is what Stargate was about and that’s exactly what the Air Force is about what those things are about as opposed to the things which are about me which unfortunately is what a lot of social media is about. It’s always what I loved about acting in the beginning was the play,the play, the play and then when the audience comes along with you with the drama because that’s the thing. Like if your playing in a big game and you’ve got 70,000 people in the stands, you’ve been there (looking at the other two). you’ve been in the game right?(to Beau Bridges) and you feel the emotions, the flow and the drama of the game as you get into the second half and the last few minutes of the game they are an audience who’s with you and engaged in the drama. In many ways it’s far more important than the points on the scoreboard, there’s an amazing communal thing and that happens in the theater and to the degree that when we go out and meet the audience who watches Stargate that’s when we finally get the response , like when you (to Chris Judge) went on the USO tour and went Wow people really care about this! That’s the amazing power of a good story and good storytelling is the communal nature of it, not the me nature of it, not the Oh look a closeup of Beau looking out a window but when it informs the story and makes the story better then you go Yes, I have built a good chair. (acknowledging Beau Bridges’ description of acting being a craft,building something) I have built a chair that goes really well in this room.
Chris Judge : You had worked with Claudia previously
Ben : yes
Chris Judge : What if anything, how did your relationship change if it did, what was it like being with Claudia in a different form
Ben : well uh Claudia and I we were always working together in Farscape, when we went to Stargate we didn’t have very may two handers together. I think that was by design that they kind of kept us separate so it was a different working relationship. Personally our relationship was great . we’re great friends and we still keep up with one another to the degree that one does as you’re raising families in separate parts of the world or town which in Hollywood if you’re in a different part of town you might as well be a world away you know — That’s past the 405 you can’t go there!
Chris Judge : Right!
Ben : Once you get west of the 405, yea no I might go to Ventura but I don’t think I’m going to Altadena you know
Chris Judge : Right
Ben : Pasadena noooo
Chris Judge : Come on man this is Thursday at 1 in the afternoon
All three men laughing
Ben : How am I gonna get there?How am I gonna get back? I could get stuck there for days! If I get on the 101 and get pass the 134 it’s over! It’s such an LA cliche that we’re talking. I mean anyone who’s been around LA knows. Oh the 10? At what time? Oh the 405 by the airport? At 5:00? Do you think you could fly in tomorrow because I’d rather not make that trip to LAX at that time of day. How about you just take the redeye I’ll catch you on Sunday. Oh man.
The three still laughing. Personal note I have spent more of my life in southern California and I am laughing along!
Chris Judge : What truly was it like to shoot in the Arctic?
Ben : We were 300 miles north of Prudhow Bay. Prudhoe Bay is the edge of the Arctic Ocean . So we were 300 miles north on an ice floe. It was 40 below Fahrenheit which is the same as 40 below Celsius . Which means if you walked 50 feet you’d feel your skin freezing. It was amazing. We were living in plywood huts that were built on this ice floe, which moved I think it moved 40 kilometers in the week we were there, like just moving around. We landed on what’s called a lead where the ice floes separate it’ll refreeze and it’s smooth. You’re not always sure how thick the lead is but that was our airstrip which is near the base
Chris Judge : But you’re not sure how thick it is
Ben : No and when Amanda and I did this walk and talk they took us out on a helicopter, out us in a spot away from any visible thing other than ice and took off in the helicopter and we had a radio. They said ok start walking and talking. So we did a walk and talk, and we’re walking across the ice. And you’re listening for the hollow sounds because the previous, they do this biannually the Navy. This is with the Navy. The Navy jumped in and helped Stargate. Say hey you wanna go to the Arctic? We went Yea. Two years previous they lost a snowmobile through the ice because you know, you don’t know what the ice condition is. So you’re listening as you’re walking and Amanda and I are walking and there’s a helicopter that goes out of sight and we’re by ourselves and we’re think polar bears because normally polar bears are hunting. Normally you have someone with a gun with you. You don’t go out without a gun. We had a former well he was a SEAL, a Navy SEAL medic medical doctor who went out snow skiing, cross country skiing but he carried a gun with him strapped to his back. Every day that was his exercise. Just head out across the ice. So here, Amanda and I are in the middle of nowhere, nobody’s been there before. Nobody’s been there since because the ice has melted or moved. And the helicopter disappears and we’re just walking along in the middle of nowhere, it was mind boggling. So the did one pass and said we need to do another pass. Next time they come over they say where are you guys? Amanda and I were on the ground doing snow angels. It was phenomenal I mean the first few days you think Why am I here? This is insane. Nobody’s supposed to be here. Which is right because the polar bears will eat you. But, by the end of it, you felt like you were abandoning your comrades when you left, like I should be staying here chipping the ice. We had to get our own water. the only way we got water was we’d go to what was called blue ice, we’d chip it out and put it in a sled. Bring it back to the mess hall and they’d melt it down and that was our water supply. So we were literally mining our own water.
Chris Judge : Wow. So I was scheduled to go with you guys. I don’t know if you remember the safety meeting
Ben : Oh I remember your reaction!
Chris Judge : We were all in the safety meeting and the lead guy says First of all I want to tell you that you’re all gonna be safe. I want to tell you that but I can’t. So then he carries on and then he said and polar bears will track a human for 300 miles. You remember that ? (looking at Ben) At that point I stood up and I started to walk –do you remember that?
Ben : mimics Chris I am a reasonable human being, I am not going on this
Chris Judge : So I started to walk out and Whoa,Whoa Chris where you going? I was like look no offence but I’m looking at a room full of white people. Stand out in the snow. Who looks the most like a seal? Me! ( the other two laughing hard) So thank you but no thank you! So I march up over to the office. I’m like you can scratch my name off! I don’t need any of the Arctic gear. I’m not going! So Brad actually called me up when you guys were up there. He’s like Chris you don’t know what you’re missing. This is great! He’s yelling into the phone I’m like Brad I’m on the 16th hole.
Ben : Yea the sat phone was the only way we could communicate.
Chris Judge : What is it with those helicopters and just dropping people off places? They love doing that.
Ben : I don’t know. All I know it was the first time I’d been in a helicopter but I was so mind blown about being in the Arctic that we’d been flying probably 30 minutes before I realized hey this is the first time I’ve been in a helicopter. Literally it was so cold man it’s like it was 40 below. It’s that cold. It’s like this stuff freezes. You throw a cup of ht water in the air and it blows up! It is cold! It was so cold, i was like 30 minutes in the helicopter before I went this is the first time I’ve been in a helicopter.
Chris Judge : That’s great. Last comments for the fans?
Ben : It was a great ride and it was a fantastic time. It was a privilege to be part of it.
Chris Judge : Final question. If the fates align and some form of Stargate is brought back would you reprise your role?
Ben : Yeah.
Beau Bridges points out Mitchell is old enough to be a general now
Ben : I mean obviously the other alternative is actually there is a version of him back in the 1930s and 40s. We don’t know where he went after 1939.
Posted: April 14th, 2018 | Author: ath389 | Filed under: News | Tags: Ben Browder, Farscape, farscapenow, SG1 | No Comments »
Transcript of Ben’s responses to the questions from Stargate Command interview (Parts 1 and 2). It is classic Ben and the interview is very casual with the three actors Ben, Beau Bridges and Chris Judge ( sort of hosting) very comfortable and laughing a lot. The last 2 parts will be completed next week. The access for 1 month is $20 USD and if you are a big Stargate fan likely worth it.
Chris Judge : How did you get into acting?
Ben : (following Beau Bridges who refers to his Dad getting him into acting) I didn’t have any familyin the business. I didn’t know anyone when I was growing up that was an actor. I grew up in North Carolina. I went to college in South Carolina. And you are talking about the sixties, seventies when I grew up. But I had a friend who was into the “theatre” when I was in junior high school. He’d say come do a play and like Beau I was, you know, I was playing football, basketball, baseball, track. Then I played football in college, oh I guess all of us did our college athletic tour.
Chris Judge : Well some us went to Furman (referring to Ben) and some went to Oregon but but continue ( with humor)
Ben : Absolutely (laughing)My concussions are as good as your concussions trust me.
Chris Judge : Isn’t that the truth!
Ben : You know the University of South Carolina and Georgia Tech gave me my share. But when I was in college I’d continue doing theater ever — I’d do a couple of plays a year and of course the football coaches thought I was insane! And probably, you know not oriented in their direction. But I was I was I got talked into ( looks off camera and says that’s code for gay) Browder why are you spending so much time in the theater? Some of the fellas are worried. I literally got called into the coach’s office and he said “Browder some of the guys are concerned about the time you are spending in the theater.
Chris Judge : No!
Ben : Oh yeah. And I said what do you mean coach? And he went, You know in the theater. And I said Coach there’s 110 guys in this locker room, and they have girls in the changing room at the theater. And he weny Oh, okay I guess that’s alright. But later so I got talked into taking an acting styles class, which you know I had never taken an acting class in my life. And members of the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) did a week long workshop–
Chris Judge : Okay so you can’t just give abbreviations – Just go ahead
Ben : Okay so the RSC is the Royal Shakespeare Company. Ok, so in England, in the U.K. they send a touring company around the States and it’s a half dozen actors. And they do – we do scene work, and then we watch their productions and we talk about stuff. And I was doing scenes with members of the RSC, some Shakespeare. And at the end of the week I took a couple of the actors to one of the football parties. And we’re sitting around the keg because the drinking age was 18 in those days, and I said so do you think I can make a living at this? And they said Absolutely. And I went Ok. So I finished playing college football, and I went out and started trying to find a gig somewhere. And I was doing summer stock. And I was singing and dancing in the chorus.I was, you know, trying to pick up extra work somewhere on a on a film. And one of the guys I was in a dressing room with had an application for RADA. I said wek what is RADA? It’s the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. I said Where’d you get that? He goes Well, I am not going to use it — here take it. So I took the application, I sent it in, and I went to visit my brother, who was in the Army in Germany, and stopped in London and auditioned for RADA. I didn’t get in, but while I was there I hooked up with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Webber Douglas, LAMDA,all the English schools, Guildhall and I auditioned for a number of those. And I got into a couple of them. So I went to Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and did the classic English route, where I trained for three years and did nothing but learned – learned the craft, which is exactly how it’s , it;s viewed in England (looks at Beau who said acting is a craft not an art). It’s viewed as a craft, you know. I never – never thought about anything beyond where I was, which is well let me learn this. So I started – I started there. So I got into it by accident, happenstance and other people are saying What about this?
Chris Judge : Wow
Ben : And so yeah
Chris Judge : mm so what was your first gig in America?
Ben : Uh I left drama school. I did a small part in Memphis Belle and then, there was a transfer from the West End to Broadway of the Merchant of Venice with Dustin Hoffman. Peter Hall directed it and Judi Dench had directed the last show I did at drama school. So Judi worked with Peter and I knew exactly his style , how he liked the verse spoken. So when I went in to audition for him and he said but you’re an American and I was doing it English because I was playing English all through drama school anyway. And he goes, you know, well yeah great I want you to join the cast when you go to New York. So I went — my first gig in America was on Broadway.
Chris Judge : Wow
Ben : Mostly carrying a box and understudying, but it was still a gig, And I was standing on a Broadway stage, which you know, when you are coming out of from where I came from, where I didn’t even know a working actor, I was I was somewhere — I was in The Land of Oz you know. I was Through the Looking Glass down in Alice in Wonderland time, so. It was just a world away from anything I ever thought.
Chris Judge : On to the Stargate stuff — did either of you interact with your predecessors?
Ben : I did. I can’t wait for this one. The first thing I did was I watched all eight seasons of the show–
Chris Judge (laughing) : Okay wait. So okay we have okay we have a story. Tell how we first met. Do you remember?
Ben : I am trying to remember was it when did we first meet? The first time we ever spoke..
Chris Judge : I just happened to be going to the production office before we started season eight and the production meeting room was full of people. I’m like that’s odd. Like I wasn’t told about a read through or a production meeting or anything. So I just go in and say Hey why is everyone here? I see Browder like —
Ben : I remember this now, yeah
Chris Judge : And my first words to Ben were You already got the job quit kissing ass. Those were our first words and what did you say back?
Ben : I don’t remember
Chris Judge : I don’t remember either! But i thought we are going to get along great.
Ben : I think it was something like why don’t you bleep off Jaffa! Anyway so I watched all eight seasons and thought this is going to be fun. So I called Richard Dean Anderson. I called Rick and said so give me the lay of the land. What’s it like up there? And I got Rick-speak (laughter from the other two) Basically we talked for 20 minutes and he told me nothing.
Insert of clip of Mitchell and Landry saying Didn’t Jack tell you?
Chris Judge : So after 20 minutes did he say Who is this?
Ben :: He is like why are you calling? But I understand because I , you know I’d just come off a scifi show, and I know how scifi, science fiction fans feel about their shows and particularly the characters they love. And I was you know when I showed up to play Cameron Mitchell there’s two things I was aware of. One it is that I am coming into a team which had already been operating effectively for 8 years, that being Stargate as a production and you guys (indicating Judge) the actors, directors and everybody else. And the other thing is that I didn’t think the fans would be the least bit interested in someone who was trying to replace Richard Dean Anderson. So very early in the show, the first episode in the script, at the end of the first episode the screen direction is And we push in on Cameron Mitchell’s face. And you I was having the discussion when we shooting thethe scene, I said,Don’t let’s not push in on my face. Please don’t push in on my face. You can push past me and show the Gate because this show is about the team and it’s about the gate. And I don’t want the audience or anyone else to think that I am here to replace Richard Dean Anderson, that was my take on it, that it was becoming part of a team, not replacing Richard Dean Anderson which is a question that I’ve answered repeatedly at conventions. “How did it feel to replace Richard Dean Anderson?” You don’t replace Richard Dean Anderson. His name was above the titles. You know
and he was the guy for 8 years. And you don’t walk into a place and you know, assume the role of Papa Bear.
Chris Judge : Ben what were you reaction, observations when you first started working with us and our lack of traditional
Ben : well, what I remember is that, you know, I think it was and it may have been my first day on set was that you and I had a walk and talk and you had all the dialogue! Which is not traditionally Teal’c’s job. And you know it was — it was awesome. You would have to speak for 3 paragraphs and I would go Now what about this? And watching your frustration in having to say all the words, and I am just kind of walking along and enjoying it and you getting more and more pissed off. And the — but the other thing is that if is that I would do stuff and you would go you’re not going to do that. Really, really you are not going to do that. We were locked in that room in the with the (hands up and down –shrinking ceiling)and you started shooting the script is you shoot the gun at the wall. And I am going whoa, whoa, whoa man. I felt like it was very friendly like challenging. It was like okay can you step up to this game? This is our game. This is how we play it. Now are you ready to step up. And you know and here is the thing. It’s like my first day working with Beau how to, Beau is challenging to work with as well because he knows, technically heis about smart as they possibly come. So if he wants to do a scene a certain way, he will do stuff and you’re like That sucker just made the scene go. Day one and he is like , I’m like – He is forcing the cut. The man is forcing the cut. I remember saying to you(Beau) I don’t know if you remember me saying this or not I know what you are doing. I know what you are doing because I have a scene and of course you walk into a scene and you go The scene is all about me right? So I walked into the scene and it’s all about me and Beau walked into the scene and it is all about him. You know who won? (points at Beau). So you know he is doing this stuff where he is moving around the room right? And it’s like the director —(looks askance at Beau) did the director know or not that he was forcing the cut and I’m like He’s totally forcing the cut cause look he is moving on his line. Now they are going to have to move with him. They’re not going to cut back to me. I knew exactly what was going on so I said okay here’s my answer, I am not going to move at all. I am going to stay so still that they are going to that they won’t know when to cut away from me because I am not even going to blink because normally they cut on a blink or a head turn. They’re going to have a problem here, but it was wonderful because I just went Wow this man knows the craft of the camera and how these things work.
When Beau Bridges was explaining part of what made him accept the role was he would be allowed to help “form” the character. Ben interjects about Party of Five : I once I once was on a show and I had been on the show for 10 episodes before I found out my character was racist. It was Oh by the way you’re racist. I’m like what? I’m a what? And we’re writing you out. Like you’re killing him off for being a racist? It was, like, it was awful. If you, like, I have been playing this person and I didn’t have I didn’t have a racist thought in my head. And the audience is going , Yeah I knew it! I knew it all along. Look at his blue eyes.
Some photos that I am adding to accompany the talk —- mosy of the video is Ben looking to his right at Beau Bridges and Chris Judge so I am adding one from the front step at London (now Royal) Central School of Speech and Drama and from the Broadway Playbill.
