Monday July 11th is a big day for Syfy (nee: the Sci-fi channel), as it kicks off their summer programming. At 8pm, Eureka will return for season 4.5. At 9pm, it’s the return of Warehouse 13, and to cap it all off Syfy will debut Alphas.
In Season 4.5, (spoilers if you aren’t up to date with Eureka) Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) continues to deal with the ramifications of their trip to 1947. Now an accident of astronomical proportions is the impetus for Global Dynamic’s most ambitious project yet. The entire town tries to go where no man has gone before, scientist is pitted against scientist, hero against hero. Of course their relationships will be tested and yada yada yada.
Colin Ferguson was kind enough to sit down with reporters, along with co-star Salli Richardson (Allison Blake on the show) and without further ado, some highlights from that chat:
On how the cast has changed since day one…
Colin Ferguson: Okay. Yeah, it’s sort of been an amazing thing to watch actually, to – because you know we all obviously have actors of all different ages in the cast, and so we’ve watch sort of the younger members of the cast sort of grow up and become artists in their own right, and that’s been an amazing journey to follow.
But I would say, as far as all the adults go, it’s sort of stunning that we haven’t had more problems. You hear about casts and sort of insiding and whatnot, and everyone really gets along. I think we get along better now than we ever have, and that’s a really odd thing to be, for our calendar of six years, into a process like this and to find everybody sort of really, you know, doing – going above and beyond to respect each other’s process and respect, you know, the foibles and the complications of working together.
So as far as the people go, we’ve never gotten along better.
On their chemistry together…
Salli Richardson-Whitfield: You know what, I think from the very beginning when Colin and I first did our first scene together, you know, you never know if you’re going to have chemistry with someone, and ours just – it just – you know, it s just naturally there. And I know this – I feel really corny when I say this, but there’s something that clicks, because obviously off camera we’re very brother/sister, you know, jokey-jokey, you know, “Oh, God, we’ve got to kiss.”
But, when – as soon as that camera rolls and I look into Colin’s eyes, there’s something that clicks and I always find an instant connection that makes all of my feelings just sort of come right up to the forefront, and I feel everything I’m saying with him. And it’s – you know, it’s very lucky for, I think, for us and for me, I just naturally have a wonderful connection with him when we’re working.
So, it’s – I love it and we know how to work with each other on and off camera. I know what he needs to do to get what he needs, and he knows what I need, and we make allowances for each other and we try not to step on each other’s toes.
On what excites them most about the upcoming season…
C. Ferguson: Okay, sure. Yeah, I mean, well, we pick up sort of right where we left off at the end of, I don’t even know what numbers that – you know, it’s Syfy, right, so it’s like 4.3, it’s 5.2, I don’t know what season we’re on.
So, we pick up right where left off with sort of the big sort of arc of the season, is the (Estreas), it’s the (Estreas) Project, basically Eureka going into space. And I was concerned when we started it that it was going to sort of be just sort of a path like, “Oh, this is, you know, the mission de jour that we’re going to on for 13,” but actually balloons and blossoms into this fantastically complex plot.
And then, at the end of the season you’re about see it kicks into the whole next year in a way that you completely don’t expect. So, it’s sort of this – what I’m really looking forward to seeing is sort of everyone even next summer going, “Oh, my God. Really? We’re – that’s happening now?” Because it’s sort of Eureka going into space and do they go into space, and it’s really interesting.
Salli, on Directing her first episode…
S. Richard-Whitfield: Oh, I love it, lord over. That’s exactly what it – well, I did one last season, I guess you guys will be seeing that coming up this season. I don’t know. But, I – and I just finished the one that I’m shooting this season. Actually, just finished editing it yesterday, and I just love it.
You know, I had to – it’s such a different thing from acting and it’s so – you really have to be a – my micromanaging in real life has – it works very well for directing, and I just – it’s sort of something that I would like to be the next step in my career. I have a great – you know, luckily I have wonderful actors, you don’t really have to direct that much more than say, “Can you tweak this one line?”
And I just found that I think that it’s something that comes naturally to me and you don’t know it until you get in there and do it. And I don’t know, I just – I’m hoping to do more and more of it. And really, directing on Eureka has to be one of the best training grounds that any director could have because you get to do these wonderful dramatic story lines, but at the same time you get to learn about visual effects and green screen and you have stunts, you have comedy.
And I – well, I have – I’m learning such a great – these great skills to go to any other show that, and particularly not very many women know how to do, let alone Black women in this industry. So, you know, action is a man’s – you know, action and visual effect stuff is usually, you know, the job that they hire men to do, so I feel very blessed to learn these skills that I can take on and do – hopefully do a lot more things.
