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Total TV

Total TV Magazine

What's it like working with Kevin Williamson?

The hottest man alive, the busiest man alive, I mean this guy like owns the keys to the kingdom right now. It's incredible. He's caught up in this whirleind of really legitimate hype, you know, Scream 1, Sceam 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, I mean it just generates all of his money. And we just got really lucky that this was his first television project. I mean it's nice and he's such a good guy, you know. And he's really a perfectionist and the scrpits that he writes are really easy to do. There's not a whole lot of acting required cause his dialogue rolls off the tongue, you know, he writes in a manner in which people speak, which makes it extremely easy for a person like me just to go out there and say the words and regardles of what else I'm doing, If I'm saying the words, It's OK.

What was it like doing promo stuff for Dawson's in New York City?

Totally surreal. They flew me and James up there for the Seventeen magazine function, which was truly one of the more bizarrre experiences of my life. We step out on stage, me and James, both in our Blues Brothers suits, cravat ties and the hats. Everybody starts screaming. They had no idea who we were, just screaming for the sake of screaming. It was so funny. They rolled the clip, not ont of them was watching the clip. It was so crazy. And then the next day, wake up -- so tough -- wake up, get all cleaned up, dress myself, which is really the hardest thing I had to do all day, get into the limo service and drive to our Entertainment Weekly photo shoot in you know this beautiful loft somewhere in New York. Wearing this $2000 suit that they put me in, the nicest piece of clothing I will ever wear, and then take my limo service back to the hotel. Oh, what a day/ It's killing me. So that was my weekend in New York.

Whats the hardest part you, the biggest challenge?

Trying to be funny. I mean it's just -- it's just something new to do but like I said, you know, it's written well which makes my job so much easier, it's unbelievable. If it was written poorly or if I had to struggle with it, I don't know maybe it would be difficult but because we have good writers putting through into the dialogue, into the actions that we're putting on screen, my job becomes so easy. I just basically have to show up and know the words that they've written for me and I'm golden. So really the hardest part is just apdapting myself to working these hours and you know, learning how to contain my energy so that I'm still awake by the time I get to the end of the day. Cause I am generally a fairly boisterous guy.

The show's publicist said that you're reading John Locke.

Yeah, she's proud of me for that. For whatever reason it's my particular bent as I have an interest in philosophy. Michelle readds Herman Hesse and I read John Locke and Bertrand Russell and for right now it interests me. I'm going through and trying to read them -- any knowledge is good knowledge, so the more you read the better. I've been trying to get through John Locke's Essays on Human Understanding but it's reall kind of droll stuff, you know, he's a brilliant guy but not such and eloquent writer.

You sound pretty fired about education in general.

Well I mean -- coming from my mouth it's a alittle hypocritical considering the -- heinous education that I've recieved so far. But yeah, I mean post-secondary, going to a university is a major goal of mine -- you know, when this dries up.

When you say heinous education?

I have a G.E.D, that's the extent of my...

But you read John Locke.

It doesn't mean...it makes no difference. It's just that the G.E.D is a farcial test. I've never been more ashamed of myself in my life than when I got to the end of that test and just went, oh, god, I can't believe I just did this. They give you 7 hours.

So you're planning on going back at some point?

I definately -- intend on -- going to a post - secondary institution. I mean I'm not a grades-orientated person, I have no desire to be an A or B student, that's not what drives me. But just learning in general. And going to school just to -- sit amongst, you know, a group of my peers and reap the benefit of having 40 minds tackling a problem which means that you are inevitably going to have 40 different views on which way to do it. And just learning from that. I think it's great. I mean I think it's the biggest blessing of the university atmosphere. I can read all the book I want but I can only think with one mind and I don't have access to a bunch of different people who are tackling the exact same circumstances that I'm tackling and I just-- I can't wait to dive in there and do stuff like that.

What is your parents' attitude about the whole experience?

Well parent singular, just my mother. My mother wants me to go to college. But she rationally understands that absolutely this is not something that I could say well, I'll do this after collegr. Hollywood will wait on me. So she knows. And as much as she'd like me to be going to university right now, she's pleases as punch that I'm getting to do something that I enjoy doing and it's setting me up to do whatever I want for the rest of my life. If this show were to run a couple of years, I would be happy to have a comfortable enough cushion that I could go to college and have a couple of years without being in the immediate jeopardy that most kids are, when they trun 19, when you move out on your own for the first time and you know that you work you start-out job. And 90% of my friends right now are going, oh man, this is not high school and this is not my parents' house, what am I doing? So -- so yeah, I mean this is just -- it's a golden opportunity and i'm just thankful that I'm able to be here and my mother absolutely understands that. I mean it's huge having your parents' support, I mean it's massive. So yeah, because it's just me and my mother and my little sister, it's-- you know, it's immeasureable having her behind there.

What's your major criticism of other teen drama shows like Party Of Five?

Before this show I didn't really watch a lot of teen-orientated dramas. And I don't know if I'd have major criticism. I've seen Party of Five a couple of times and it just-- you know, it represents these trials and turmoils-- less so of growing up through High School which is what our show's about but more just you know, family relations, pain, that's part of being a teenager. And you know it's difficult and your relations between your family members are inevitably going to change throughn these years. And then you have your shows like Beverly Hills 90210 which is really -- it's more escapsm cause I don't know anybody who owns a porsche. And then My So-Called Life I've seen a couple of times and I think that was a good show, that was a really good show, but it's just -- there was no happy time, you know, those kids were always--it was always some sort of heavy melodrama, from what I saw. I mean this is all very spotty knowledge becase I haven't seen every episode. I think that's the difference. I hope the difference between our shows, is that yeah, teendom is tough and it's difficult and it can be very uncomfortable but there are happy times too. So think if we do it right, you know, the more holistic approach, both sides of the coin, you know, yeah, life is hard sometimes but life is aso really good sometimes as well. So I think that's the difference.

I think at some point people get tired of all th whining on these shows.

You know, there are tragic parts in people's lives but not all the time. Nobosy'd life is entirely tragic. I really hope nobody's life is entirely tragic or you-- you'd give up and you'd kind of just shut down as a human. So--and tragedy's only poignant if you have happiness, you know, you can only really appreciate true tragedy if you've had joy. So I think you know if we do our job right here you get to see a more holistic view of going through your teen years. And I think that's really important. It's portraying something that is positive and good and you know monumental earth-shattering life changing decisions are not made every three seconds. I mean dealing with the pain and tradgedy life in general is godd and it's-you know, it's postive to have it out there because misery loves company. And you're going trough a rouhg time and you see a kindred spirit on televison, which is a very intimate medium, because your bringing it into your house and you're sitting in your living room watching these people probably week in, week out. So you get to know these people very well. It's--you would need to show the other side as well, I mean these people need to have a good time. Life has to be good sometimes or else we might as well all do a lemming leap. It's got to be good sometimes.

How about your experiences with the public?

I got two marriage propsals from Japan after the Mighty Ducks movies came out. From Japanese girls. Yeah. The nation of Japan. They wrote me letters and expressed their desire to have my hand in holy matrimony. It's bizarre.

Did you ever write back to the Japanese girls?

No, I didn't. I never wrote back to the Japanese girls.

That's too bad.

Yeah. I'm sure they moved on the the next Mighty Duck. I don't know, maybe they had a list. I probably wasn't even at the top of the list.

What do you think about comparisons to the Brat Pack?

I've never minded being compared to anybody, you know. I mean if you want to--that's actually a funny comparison, like Emilio Estevez would get a kick out of me being compared to him 10 years ago. But being compared to the Brat Pack, that's not a problem. The Brat Pack were successful actors and they made good movies and seminal movies that marked their age. So I have no problem being compared to someone--I mean especially if I'm being compared to someone successful. Sure. Compare away. It doesn't bother me. You know, people are always like, man, I don't like being compared to so and so. You want to compare to the Brat Pack, feel free. I mean I don't have a problem with that. If you wanted to compare me to Joe, the guy who fixes plumbing, than that might be a different story.