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By Suzanne

Interview with Marcia Cross and Robert Vaughn, guest stars on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" on NBC 2/24/15

I was very sorry to miss this call....I was sick and couldn't make it. I love both of these actors! I grew up watching "Man from U.N.C.L.E." starring Vaughn, a favorite of mine, and Marcia Cross was originally on "One Life to Live" years ago, before she went on to greater fame in "Melrose Place" and "Desperate Housewives." I'm sure this episode will be fabulous.

NBC UNIVERSAL
Moderator: Erika Lewis
February 24, 2015
1:00 pm CT

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Law and Order Special Victims Unit Press and Media Conference Call.

During the presentation, all participants will be in a listen-only mode. Afterwards, we will conduct a question and answer session. At that time, if you have a question, please press the 1 followed by the 4 on your telephone. If at anytime during the conference you need to reach an operator, please press Star 0.

As a reminder, this conference is being recorded Tuesday, February 24, 2015. I would now like to turn the conference over to Erika Lewis, NBC Publicity. Please go ahead.

Erika Lewis: Hi. Thank you (Chris). And thanks to everyone for joining us today. We're very happy to have two special guests on the line; Marcia Cross and Robert Vaughn, who will guest-star on SVU this Wednesday at 9:00 pm on NBC.

Please feel free to ask a question and one follow-up question during your turn. And you can re-register if you have any further questions. Thank you very much and we'll get started.

Operator: And, ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to register for a question at this time, please press the 1 followed by the 4 on your telephones. You will hear a three-tone prompt to acknowledge your request. If your question has been answered and would like to withdraw your registration, please press the 1 followed by the 3. If you're using a speakerphone, please lift your handset before entering your requests.

One moment please for the first question. And our first question comes from the line of Courtney Vaudreuil with Ohsogray.com. Please go ahead.

Courtney Vaudreuil: Hi, thank you for taking my call this morning. Can you hear me okay?

Robert Vaughn: Maybe a little louder, yes.

Marcia Cross: I can.

Courtney Vaudreuil: Okay, wonderful. So my question is for Marcia. And after coming off of a long time on Desperate Housewives, you've taken a bit of a break. Is your plan now just to kind of keep your toes in the water with SVU or are you thinking that you're ready to get back into another series?

Marcia Cross: A little of both. It was a wonderful opportunity to go back to work, I thought, which was really, really funny. It was a little bit under the radar because I thought, you know, the show has been on a long while and, you know, just go, you know, how it feels to get back -back into it. And lo and behold, of course, it's a huge show with zillions of fans, so I don't know what I was thinking there . And a great show, so I'm really happy that I got to do it.

And in terms of getting back, yes, I think I'm ready but it's tricky right now because I'd like to do something a little bit different and so I have to kind of just hold out for that and wait and see and not just kind of jump back in just because I'm ready to work.

Courtney Vaudreuil: Thank you.

Marcia Cross: You're welcome.

Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Brandon Rowe with SpoilerTV. Please go ahead.

Brandon Rowe: Hi. How are you both doing today?

Robert Vaughn: Very well, thank you.

Marcia Cross: Great. Thank you.

Brandon Rowe: So my first question is for Robert. Could you tell me a little bit about your character in this episode?

Robert Vaughn: Yes, I'll tell you only a little bit because there's a lot to say and I won't take all that much time. The character's name is Walter Briggs. What he is, is an internally famous literary lion along the lines of Hemingway or Norman Mailer.

But in addition to that, he's also a considerable lover. He has been married six times and, by his own admission, he's had hundreds of lovers; meaning, I presume, women, of course. And he is getting on in years, in the early stages of dementia.

He is married to a much younger woman named Charmaine played by Marcia. And this is the beginning of the plot of the story. I don't want to get too much into the plot of the story other than the fact that Charmaine loves him very much, but she also wants to cover herself in terms of what happens when he dies and his will is probated.

And she thinks that possibly if she has another child, that she'll get more from the will. Bear in mind that she loves the man, but she's, as I say, covering herself or covering her butt, as you might say.

Anyway, that's basically the character.

Brandon Rowe: Thank you. Additionally, I was wondering if you had a - had a chance to see the trailer for the new Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie and...

Robert Vaughn: No, I have not seen it. I understand it's quite exciting and I wish them all great good luck. I haven't had a chance to see the trailer.

Brandon Rowe: Thank you.

Robert Vaughn: Hello? Hello, hello?

Brandon Rowe: Oh, yes, I'm here.

Marcia Cross: Oh, there.

Brandon Rowe: Just - thank you.

Operator: And ladies and gentlemen, as a reminder, if you would like to register for a question at this time, please press the 1 followed by the 4 on your telephones. Our next question comes from the line of Waddie Grant with the G-List. Please go ahead.

Waddie Grant: Hello. How's everybody?

Robert Vaughn: Very well, thank you.

Marcia Cross: Great. Thank you.

Waddie Grant: Thank you. My question is to Marcia. I wanted to ask you about, you know, coming back to TV after taking a break. Do you remember when you initially missed acting and what prompted that thought?

Marcia Cross: When I - when I - I'm sorry, what did you say? When I what? Started? I didn't hear that.

Waddie Grant: When you missed. Missed - when you missed.

Marcia Cross: Oh, what I've missed? Have I missed acting?

Waddie Grant: Oh no, my question is while you've been on break...

Marcia Cross: Yes.

Waddie Grant: ...do you remember a point or do you remember a time when you actually missed acting and what prompted that thought?

Marcia Cross: Oh, you know, truthfully, when I finished, I was exhausted, so on a physical level I just really needed to rest. But I think for me, my friend calls me a unicorn, which means really - I mean I love to be in the world of stories and story-telling and acting. I mean it's really where I feel home.

As much as I love being a mother and being a housewife is really not my thing. So it was so wonderful to go back to work and I think for me I just have to get back to what I love doing because it really is so much - it feeds my soul and makes me happy. So I'm...

((Crosstalk))

Waddie Grant: Wonderful. Wonderful. And my follow-up question for you is, some of these blockbuster television series have gone on to become movies and I was wondering if Desperate Housewives were to become a feature film, would you think about - or would you consider reprising your role as Bree Van de Kamp?

Marcia Cross: Marc made it very clear that he is never going to write a movie, so I don't even have to think about it.

Waddie Grant: All right. Thank you very much.

Marcia Cross: You're welcome.

Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Nikki Huff with NBC.com. Please go ahead.

Nikki Huff: Yes, hi. Thanks for talking to us.

Marcia Cross: Sure.

Nikki Huff: So I actually have two questions for you guys and I was wondering, can you talk a little bit about what it was like to work together? Had you guys ever met before?

Marcia Cross: Do you want to take this one, Robert?

Robert Vaughn: Not as far as I know we haven't - well, no, I - I - as far as I know we haven't met before.

Marcia Cross: No, we have...

Robert Vaughn: Perhaps in my younger days I...

Marcia Cross: No.

Robert Vaughn: ...I may have had too much to drink and met her and forgot about it. Although I think I could never forget about her, no. A lovely lady, lovely to look at, lovely to work with.

Marcia Cross: Oh, thanks, Robert. Shall I answer now?

((Crosstalk))

Marcia Cross: It was a - yes, it was a thrill for me because he's a bit of a legend and it wasn't really hard to imagine, you know, that sort of future for myself and he just kind of has what it takes on and off the screen, so it was quite a thrill.

Nikki Huff: Great. And then my second question is actually for Mr. Vaughn. So, can you talk a little bit about what made you want to take the role?

Robert Vaughn: Well, yes. I'm 82 years old and so when I get a chance to get a role that I can really sink my teeth into, which has multiple levels to it, which this one does, I always say yes, because who know when the phone might stop ringing and I'll no longer be vertical and then I won't have as much fun as I've had in my life doing the work I love...

Nikki Huff: Yes, great. Great. Well, thank you.

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, as a reminder, if you would like to register for a question at this time, please press the 1 followed by the 4 on your telephones. Our next question is a follow-up question from the line of Brandon Rowe with SpoilerTV. Please go ahead.

Brandon Rowe: Hi. So my other question is for Robert. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about how different it is to prepare for a guest role on a television series versus going for a run on a stage play.

Robert Vaughn: So I couldn't quite understand that. Could you say that again?

Brandon Rowe: Oh, sure. I was wondering how different it is for you to prepare for a guest role on a television series versus for a stage play?

Robert Vaughn: Well, of course, in a stage play you have a long, extended rehearsal, doing the entire play; whereas, very often in television you'll only rehearse and work on scenes that are going to be done the following day. That's the chief difference, is a long time rehearsal period for a play and just a day of rehearsal for television shows the following day. Okay?

Brandon Rowe: Thank you. Yes, thank you.

Operator: And there appears to be no further questions on the phone lines at this time.

Marcia Cross: Nice.

Erika Lewis: (Chris), I'm sorry. This is Erika. I actually have one question from one of our Twitter followers. They're asking what projects you both have coming up and where they can see you next.

Robert Vaughn: Well, I have two movies that have not been released. One is called The American Side. It deals with kind of a mystery that was shot in Niagara Falls on the American side.

The other one is called Gold Star, which is the story of a very successful, internationally famous Olympic marathon runner who late in his life has a stroke and I play the entire movie without being able to speak, called Gold Star.

Erika Lewis: Wow, that's wonderful.

Robert Vaughn: Okay. Thank you.

Erika Lewis: And Marcia?

Marcia Cross: Not a thing. I am just now leaving two pilot seasons, seeing what's out there and hopefully there'll be something coming my way. I'm not sure yet.

Erika Lewis: That's Great. Thank you. And it looks like we do have just two more questions left, so hold on one second.

Operator: And our next question does come from the line of Anne Easton with the New York Observer. Please go ahead.

Anne Easton: Hi. I was just wondering what was the most interesting part of working on this episode. Anything surprising happened?

Robert Vaughn: Well, the most interesting thing of working on the episode was the oddball character that I was playing. He was always things to different people and that was the interesting thing. It was a terrific cast and I met - got to meet some of the people on Law and Order for the first time, which I have watched since its beginning.

Anne Easton: Cool. And you, Marcia; anything exciting, interesting or happy accident of any kind?

Marcia Cross: You know, for me I think it was an interesting journey because I was very much in love with a younger man - I mean - I'm sorry. I was the younger woman to an older man at one point in my life, whom I love dearly. And, you know, I had imagined that that might be the course at some point. So for me it was interesting to kind of relive that time of my life and how that - how that might have played out had my future been not what it is now. Does that make sense?

Anne Easton: Wow. So it was really, really personal for you?

Marcia Cross: Yes.

Anne Easton: Very cool. Thank you.

Marcia Cross: You're welcome.

Operator: Our next question is a follow-up question from the line of Waddie Grant with The G-List. Please go ahead.

Waddie Grant: Thank you. My question is for Robert. Similar question that was asked of Marcia. Did you take any personal experiences into account while playing your role for this episode?

Robert Vaughn: No. Fortunately, dementia has not set in so far in my life.

Waddie Grant: Nor anyone you know personally? I hope not you.

Robert Vaughn: No, not me. No, I don't really know anyone who has been suffering from this. I know of many friends of mine, well-known people, starting with Charlton Heston and the people I have worked with who did suffer from Alzheimers and died from Alzheimers. Also including Peter Falk. Peter Falk was a friend of mine. He had a similar fate. Well, and...

Marcia Cross: Ah, I can tell you, Robert, then they come...

Robert Vaughn: Well, of course, Ronald Reagan; although it didn't come to be well-known, but was suffering from Alzheimer's during the latter years of his administration.

Waddie Grant: Right. And for you, Ms. Marcia, what would you say the similarities are between Bree Van de Kamp and Charmaine Briggs?

Marcia Cross: You know, I've never even thought the two of them in the same breath. So I - I really - it's a whole different - whole different character for me.

Waddie Grant: Wonderful. Thank you.

Operator: Our next question is a follow-up question from the line of Brandon Rowe with SpoilerTV. Please go ahead.

Brandon Rowe: Okay. So my last question for you both is, you know, you both have really wonderful careers in film and television, so I was wondering if you could talk about what have been some of your favorite moments in film and television?

Robert Vaughn: Yes, I've had the great pleasure and honor, and all those words, of having played Hamlet twice; once when I was just out of college and then once again later on during the time I was doing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. I played it at the Pasadena Playhouse. And Laurence Olivier once said that the ultimate goal of all post Elizabethan thespians is to play Hamlet. Well, I had that goal twice resolved and twice done, so I'm very, very happy about that.

As far as film is concerned, I did a series called Washington: Behind Closed Doors, which was really the story of Watergate. The situation was - so then Jason Robards played Richard Nixon and I played H. R. Haldeman, Nixon's main assistant, for which I got the Emmy that year. So those are the two things that stand out in my mind.

Marcia Cross: Oh, wonderful.

Robert Vaughn: Yes, those are the two things that stand out in my mind.

Marcia Cross: Robert, I'm going to find that and watch it. Great.

Robert Vaughn: Okay.

Marcia Cross: My turn?

Brandon Rowe: Oh, yes.

Marcia Cross: Did you want to continue with Robert? I'm sorry.

Brandon Rowe: Oh, no, I think...

Marcia Cross: He's finished?

Operator: And there appears to be no further questions on the phone lines at this time. Erika, I'll turn the call back over to you.

Erika Lewis: Hang on just one second. I think, Marcia - would you mind - would you mind repeating that question and Marcia can answer?

Brandon Rowe: Sure. So my question was, which, - you know, what are some of your favorite moments in - over your career?

Marcia Cross: Wow. Well, I would say that in the early days when I finished school and got to do Twelfth Night in - both in Hartford and at the Old Globe and I did another production, Two Gentlemen of Verona, at the Old Globe. Those are some highlights and of course Desperate Housewives was, you know, a thrill from beginning to end.

But I think - I'd like to think that my third act is where the best is going to come from me. So I'm actually looking forward to the future and at some point also getting back to doing stage work.

Brandon Rowe: Thank you.

Marcia Cross: Yes, you're welcome.

Erika Lewis: Well, thank you to Marcia and thank you to Robert for joining us today. We're so happy to have you.

Robert Vaughn: Thank you.

Erika Lewis: And we hope everyone will tune in tomorrow for SVU at 9:00 pm on NBC. Thank you so much.

Marcia Cross: Great. Thanks. Bye, Robert.

Robert Vaughn: Goodbye, Marcia.

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude the conference call for today. We thank you for your participation and ask that you please disconnect your lines.

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