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by Will Glover
The News Herald Panama City
As Ben Linus in ABC's hit drama "Lost," Michael Emerson is cunning, intimidating and mysterious, with a gentle, measured and sometimes eerie voice. In a conversation with the actor last week, Emerson was engaging, enlightening and insightful, as he hinted at what's to come in the highly anticipated final episodes of the season.
"Lost" returns a week from tonight, and Emerson, who earned an Emmy nomination for his role, said viewers' perception of his character may change by the end of the writers' strike-shortened season. (Five episodes are left this season, including a two-hour season finale May 29.)
Emerson, speaking from Hawaii, where the superb show is filmed, told me the cast is about "midway" through filming the final five episodes, one of which likely will include a "Bencentric" episode, when we'll find out something about Ben's past - or future (or both).
"Ben has a lot to do in the next few episodes, and he does it in a lot of different places," Emerson said with a mischievous laugh. "We will move around in time: forward, backward and sideways. It's going to be pretty interesting."
Emerson said some new characters will be the catalyst to altering viewers' perception of Ben, seen by Jack (Matthew Fox) and John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) as the enemy leader who also is a valuable hostage.
"We have new characters coming in that are so wicked and dangerous. . . . That naturally, sort of, tips the sympathy scale a little bit. So, I think you're going to like Ben a little bit better just because there are some guys so much worse than him, and you begin to sympathize with his position and his mission, which continues to be sort of . . . murky. But the waters of the show are very muddy right now. . . . I find I have to go back and rewind and watch things just to keep stuff straight in my head."
A preview of tonight's episode shows Ben's "daughter," Alex (Tania Raymonde), in potentially mortal danger, and she pleads with Ben for help. So far, viewers have been left to debate the nature of their relationship, which Emerson described as a bit complex.
"I think every human contact Ben has, has control issues involved. By the same token, I don't think that means that Ben is incapable of empathy, or a feeling of tenderness, a wish to care for or nurture a person. He's a complex character. It's one of the pleasures of playing it, actually."
Emerson has played Ben longer than any other role in his acting career, which has its roots in Florida. "Acting is my second career. I used to be a magazine illustrator in New York. At one point in the '80s, I sort of decided to give up the rat race, and I was with someone at that time that was a Floridian. So I moved to St. Augustine, and eventually I found myself doing community theater work in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. I realized this is my, sort of, true calling. "So, Jacksonville was my base of operations for the first . . . eight or 10 years of my actor life. I did a lot of plays there; I did a lot of plays around the South, you know: Little Rock and Jackson and Montgomery." (For tourists visiting here from the Magnolia State and other Mississippi transplants like me, Emerson once performed at the New Stage Theater in Jackson.) "Eventually," he continued, "I got to the point where I had a lot of experience and I thought I was a pretty good actor and I wanted bigger challenges, so I had to make a decision between going to New York and starting up there, or trying to find one of these conservatory programs that I was hearing about. My brother-in-law was a graduate of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and he seemed to have an enviable career, like doing classical plays all over the place. Well, I thought, maybe that's what I should do." He spent two years getting his masters in fine arts at the University of Alabama-affiliated program in Montgomery before returning to New York and working in theater.
He later won an Emmy for a guest performance on "The Practice," and a few years later, he's intriguing us with Ben, who Emerson called a "long-range strategic" planner with a "great understanding of human psychology." And Ben seems to be doing what he thinks is best for the island, Emerson added.
"I think you're going to find a stronger sympathy with Ben's mission, whatever it is, as you watch these next several episodes," he said.
Viewers also will continue to see the rivalry and power struggle between Ben and Locke. "I think they have a sort of essential, psychological sympathy for one another. John Locke always seems to hear what Ben says, and Ben always seems to hear what Locke says. At the same time, they are competitors, and I think Ben has known that about John Locke as long as John Locke has been around. And now, there seems to be a competition, or a battle, for who is representative and spokesman for the island, or for the powers of the island. And I think Ben feels that he's losing his grip, and John Locke is on the rise."
But don't count Ben out, Emerson said. "For the most part, Ben doesn't give way to emotions, and he's a pragmatist. You'll notice how anytime a door is closed for Ben, he doesn't sit down and cry about it; he looks for the next door. He has a sort of gracious acceptance of fate."
So what is the fate of the islanders? For Ben, regret seems to play a factor.
"You're going to see that Ben has many massive regrets," Emerson said.
"I could tell you right now what I think Ben's greatest regret is, but in a new episode he will have greater regrets," he said with a laugh that indicated to me something big's about to happen.
"These next few episodes are full of events. Many explanations are coming. But you know how 'Lost' operates. Every time they answer a couple of mysteries, they also impose another set of mystery. It's like two steps forward, three steps back, I guess."
Indeed.
If you view
What: "Lost"
When: 10 p.m. Thursdays
Network: ABC
The News Herald Panama City
As Ben Linus in ABC's hit drama "Lost," Michael Emerson is cunning, intimidating and mysterious, with a gentle, measured and sometimes eerie voice. In a conversation with the actor last week, Emerson was engaging, enlightening and insightful, as he hinted at what's to come in the highly anticipated final episodes of the season.
"Lost" returns a week from tonight, and Emerson, who earned an Emmy nomination for his role, said viewers' perception of his character may change by the end of the writers' strike-shortened season. (Five episodes are left this season, including a two-hour season finale May 29.)
Emerson, speaking from Hawaii, where the superb show is filmed, told me the cast is about "midway" through filming the final five episodes, one of which likely will include a "Bencentric" episode, when we'll find out something about Ben's past - or future (or both).
"Ben has a lot to do in the next few episodes, and he does it in a lot of different places," Emerson said with a mischievous laugh. "We will move around in time: forward, backward and sideways. It's going to be pretty interesting."
Emerson said some new characters will be the catalyst to altering viewers' perception of Ben, seen by Jack (Matthew Fox) and John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) as the enemy leader who also is a valuable hostage.
"We have new characters coming in that are so wicked and dangerous. . . . That naturally, sort of, tips the sympathy scale a little bit. So, I think you're going to like Ben a little bit better just because there are some guys so much worse than him, and you begin to sympathize with his position and his mission, which continues to be sort of . . . murky. But the waters of the show are very muddy right now. . . . I find I have to go back and rewind and watch things just to keep stuff straight in my head."
A preview of tonight's episode shows Ben's "daughter," Alex (Tania Raymonde), in potentially mortal danger, and she pleads with Ben for help. So far, viewers have been left to debate the nature of their relationship, which Emerson described as a bit complex.
"I think every human contact Ben has, has control issues involved. By the same token, I don't think that means that Ben is incapable of empathy, or a feeling of tenderness, a wish to care for or nurture a person. He's a complex character. It's one of the pleasures of playing it, actually."
Emerson has played Ben longer than any other role in his acting career, which has its roots in Florida. "Acting is my second career. I used to be a magazine illustrator in New York. At one point in the '80s, I sort of decided to give up the rat race, and I was with someone at that time that was a Floridian. So I moved to St. Augustine, and eventually I found myself doing community theater work in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. I realized this is my, sort of, true calling. "So, Jacksonville was my base of operations for the first . . . eight or 10 years of my actor life. I did a lot of plays there; I did a lot of plays around the South, you know: Little Rock and Jackson and Montgomery." (For tourists visiting here from the Magnolia State and other Mississippi transplants like me, Emerson once performed at the New Stage Theater in Jackson.) "Eventually," he continued, "I got to the point where I had a lot of experience and I thought I was a pretty good actor and I wanted bigger challenges, so I had to make a decision between going to New York and starting up there, or trying to find one of these conservatory programs that I was hearing about. My brother-in-law was a graduate of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and he seemed to have an enviable career, like doing classical plays all over the place. Well, I thought, maybe that's what I should do." He spent two years getting his masters in fine arts at the University of Alabama-affiliated program in Montgomery before returning to New York and working in theater.
He later won an Emmy for a guest performance on "The Practice," and a few years later, he's intriguing us with Ben, who Emerson called a "long-range strategic" planner with a "great understanding of human psychology." And Ben seems to be doing what he thinks is best for the island, Emerson added.
"I think you're going to find a stronger sympathy with Ben's mission, whatever it is, as you watch these next several episodes," he said.
Viewers also will continue to see the rivalry and power struggle between Ben and Locke. "I think they have a sort of essential, psychological sympathy for one another. John Locke always seems to hear what Ben says, and Ben always seems to hear what Locke says. At the same time, they are competitors, and I think Ben has known that about John Locke as long as John Locke has been around. And now, there seems to be a competition, or a battle, for who is representative and spokesman for the island, or for the powers of the island. And I think Ben feels that he's losing his grip, and John Locke is on the rise."
But don't count Ben out, Emerson said. "For the most part, Ben doesn't give way to emotions, and he's a pragmatist. You'll notice how anytime a door is closed for Ben, he doesn't sit down and cry about it; he looks for the next door. He has a sort of gracious acceptance of fate."
So what is the fate of the islanders? For Ben, regret seems to play a factor.
"You're going to see that Ben has many massive regrets," Emerson said.
"I could tell you right now what I think Ben's greatest regret is, but in a new episode he will have greater regrets," he said with a laugh that indicated to me something big's about to happen.
"These next few episodes are full of events. Many explanations are coming. But you know how 'Lost' operates. Every time they answer a couple of mysteries, they also impose another set of mystery. It's like two steps forward, three steps back, I guess."
Indeed.
If you view
What: "Lost"
When: 10 p.m. Thursdays
Network: ABC
Castmates fascinate new 'Lost' actor
Apr. 23rd, 2008 09:26 pm ABC/MARIO PEREZ From left: Jeremy Davies, Rebecca Mader and Sam Anderson in "Lost." |
( Rebecca Mader talks about being on LOST. She also mentions how nice Michael Emerson is. That part of the text is towards the bottom and is in boldface type. Enjoy.... )
Source: AZCentral.com
The dirt on ‘Lost’
Apr. 22nd, 2008 09:15 pm ABC |
By Katherine Nichols
knichols@starbulletin.com
Working on a hit television show sounds glamorous. Until you actually do it. On this day in a jungle in Heeia, on
 ABC |
Oahu's Windward side, slate-colored skies threaten rain. On the set -- a brief yet bumpy off-road drive from base camp, where trailers and a rudimentary buffet are stationed -- the crew erects two canopies. But humans don't warrant shelter. Cameras and monitors do. A communal can of bug spray and canvas chairs provide the only respite from mud, wild foliage and aggressive insects.
In those chairs sit actors Michael Emerson, Terry O'Quinn and Jorge Garcia, dutifully subjecting themselves to makeup artists who proceed to worsen their appearance. An artist dips a brush into a painter's palette to add more purple blotches under Emerson's eyes. Another tends to O'Quinn's scar. Garcia tilts his head to accommodate a hair specialist who fiddles with his long locks. Next up? Faux dirt on arms and neck.
It's all part of the much-anticipated return of "Lost" on Thursday, which signals the beginning of what the crew calls "Season 4.5." The episode features Michael Emerson (Ben Linus) in a pivotal role involving strenuous work (horses! fighting!) that launches the furious ride to the May 29 finale.
In those chairs sit actors Michael Emerson, Terry O'Quinn and Jorge Garcia, dutifully subjecting themselves to makeup artists who proceed to worsen their appearance. An artist dips a brush into a painter's palette to add more purple blotches under Emerson's eyes. Another tends to O'Quinn's scar. Garcia tilts his head to accommodate a hair specialist who fiddles with his long locks. Next up? Faux dirt on arms and neck.
It's all part of the much-anticipated return of "Lost" on Thursday, which signals the beginning of what the crew calls "Season 4.5." The episode features Michael Emerson (Ben Linus) in a pivotal role involving strenuous work (horses! fighting!) that launches the furious ride to the May 29 finale.
The writers strike interrupted what began as a stellar year, with the first eight episodes landing solidly in Nielsen's Top 10. Everyone returned to work last month, and a mighty scramble to finish five of the eight remaining episodes ensued (subsequent seasons will compensate with extra episodes). Everything must be completed before the hiatus begins next month. So multiple units shoot scenes from several episodes in various locations simultaneously, not necessarily in chronological order, leaving the actors moderately confused about continuity and their characters' state of mind at any given moment.
During the alfresco makeup session, Emerson consults director Paul Edwards about Ben. The word "sociopath" floats in the air. One moment Ben is charging about, shouting orders. The next he mopes and whines. "I'm just curious about the change of character," says Emerson. Next to him, Terry O'Quinn plants a yellow straw hat on his head between scenes, strums his ukulele and sings in a soft, melodic voice, letting his large hunting knife dangle at his side.
After a brief lunch break at 4 p.m., the night session begins. Along the way, there's a campfire to monitor, and someone with arms the size of a cyclist's thighs must move rocks. Nearby, a crew member practices his steady cam shots by running alongside anyone who appears in his path. Another tinkers with a fake shotgun.
The actors don't sit for long before it's time to do it all again. Repetitive performances must stay fresh. Several rehearsals take place before any film is shot. Each scene finishes with directions to the camera operators about extreme close-ups and angles, as well as discussion among the actors about the mood or timing of lines and movements. Before the director shouts "Action!" trucks, vans, cranes and dozens of people must fall silent. And they do this again and again, reminding any observer just how many hours of work necessitate every 30 seconds of compelling television drama.
During the alfresco makeup session, Emerson consults director Paul Edwards about Ben. The word "sociopath" floats in the air. One moment Ben is charging about, shouting orders. The next he mopes and whines. "I'm just curious about the change of character," says Emerson. Next to him, Terry O'Quinn plants a yellow straw hat on his head between scenes, strums his ukulele and sings in a soft, melodic voice, letting his large hunting knife dangle at his side.
After a brief lunch break at 4 p.m., the night session begins. Along the way, there's a campfire to monitor, and someone with arms the size of a cyclist's thighs must move rocks. Nearby, a crew member practices his steady cam shots by running alongside anyone who appears in his path. Another tinkers with a fake shotgun.
The actors don't sit for long before it's time to do it all again. Repetitive performances must stay fresh. Several rehearsals take place before any film is shot. Each scene finishes with directions to the camera operators about extreme close-ups and angles, as well as discussion among the actors about the mood or timing of lines and movements. Before the director shouts "Action!" trucks, vans, cranes and dozens of people must fall silent. And they do this again and again, reminding any observer just how many hours of work necessitate every 30 seconds of compelling television drama.
 ABC |
( Few will argue the depth of Michael Emerson's talent. Read more... )
SOURCE: Star Bulletin
