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By Suzanne

Interview with Colin Ferguson and Salli Richardson-Whitfield of "Eureka" on Syfy 6/29/11.

This is one of my very favorite shows, and these two are great. I am so glad I got to speak with them. It was so funny listening to them. They are a riot together. I hope you enjoy reading it, too.

Syfy
Moderator: Sharon Liggins
June 29, 2011
3:30 pm CT


Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by and welcome to the NBC Universal Eureka conference call.I would now like to turn the conference over to Sharon Liggins. Please go ahead.

Sharon Liggins: Hello, everyone, I’m Sharon Liggins. I’m the publicist for Universal Cable Productions and Eureka, so thank you so much for taking time to join our Eureka conference call.

Joining us from the cast is Colin Ferguson, who plays Sheriff Jack Carter, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, who plays Allison Blake. Season 4.5 of Eureka premiers Monday, July 11 at 8:00 pm, kicking off Syfy’s new Monday night lineup of scripted originals.

I’ll now hand it back to the operator to start the call.

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, as a reminder to register a question, please press the 1 followed by the 4 on your telephone. You will hear a three-toned prompt to acknowledge your request. If your question has been answered and you would like to withdraw your registration, please press the 1 followed by the 3. If you are using a speakerphone, please lift your handset before entering your request. One moment please, for the first question.

Our first question comes from Pattye Grippo from Pazsaz Entertainment Network. Please proceed.

Pattye Grippo: Hi guys, thanks for talking with us today.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Pattye Grippo: So let me ask you, how do you think the dynamic within the cast has changed, you know, as the show’s progressed, now that we’re in the fourth and a half, I guess we’ll call it, season?

Colin Ferguson: Gosh, Sal, you want me to take it?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, because I’m not quite sure...

Colin Ferguson: Okay...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: It’s sort of been an amazing thing to watch actually, to - because 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 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, the foibles and the complications of working together.

So as far as the people go, we’ve never gotten along better.

Pattye Grippo: Well, that’s great. And Salli, let me ask you then. In what ways would you say that you are most like and least like your character of Allison?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, it’s funny. I think that I’ve actually - our characters have become even more alike as the seasons have gone one. She’s - I think that I’m not quite as, Colin may disagree, as hard and as tough as I seem.

In this, the last season or so, you get to see a much softer side of Allison and of - with her being a mom, but still having to juggle work. So, I think that we’ve - our characters actually have come much closer and she’s very much like me now.

Pattye Grippo: Oh, great.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Pattye Grippo: And let me end with this the, Colin, you’ve been both an actor and a director now, which of these do you find more challenging and which do you prefer?

Colin Ferguson: Well, actually, ask Sal. Sal’s also been an actor and a director at this point...

Pattye Grippo: Oh, okay.

Colin Ferguson: ...two times over, as has - Joe Morton is also our - one of our actor/director-(type in it).

What do I like more? At this point, I don’t know. It really - about a year ago I would have answered the question saying, “Hands down, directing.” It was new, it was fresh, it was so exciting, and now the three episodes and a movie at this point and I sort of get it, and I really embrace both in the same way now. It’s - it really is project by project, scene by scene in, what you can really do.

I think I’m tired at this point, to give you honest answers - an honest answer to the question is I’m really tired, so I need - I’m looking forward to a break so I can sort of replug in and get more energy to do anything at all. But what I like about directing more is that you get the questions - you get the story earlier, you can affect change in a more profound way, and stay with the story longer, and that’s a really rewarding process to go through.

As an actor, you really are a professional athlete or a hired gun, you sort of show up on the day and you do your little magic and that’s what goes on tape. And you’re like it’s a gun slinger-type job. The problem is you show up so late that sometimes you can’t affect the change that you’d like to.

So, it’s good and bad for both, but I think we’d all sort of have the same answer; we really, really enjoy doing both.

Pattye Grippo: Okay, well, great. Thank you both very much for your time today.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Colin Ferguson: Thanks, Pazsaz.

Operator: Our next question comes from Mike Hughes from TV America. Please proceed.

Mike Hughes: Yeah, a question for both of you. Here you are on one of the most high-tech series and the first episode coming back you’re both riding horses, which I got a kick out of. First of all let me ask you, had you been - had you guys ridden horses in other roles before, and what was it like?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well...

Colin Ferguson: Take it away, Sal.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...I’ll start with that. I had ridden before, literally, I mean pretty much my first big film moving to L.A. I had to ride a horse and I’ve done maybe another job, but I think for all of us we had some time before to get on some horses and get it back together.

Luckily for me I was supposed to look ridiculous on the horse, so I didn’t have to be an expert. And Colin, I don’t think he’ll answer this, had ridden a lot of horses, but he’s very athletic, so he always gets everything together.

Mike Hughes: Is that…

((Crosstalk))

Colin Ferguson: I had ridden a couple of times, but not anything profound and not something where I’d say I was comfortable. And as much as we get a bunch of work, it was mostly the stunt doubles. When you see the final show…

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I know, we were very angry about that.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, it was like, “What the hell.” but it was fun. Anytime you get to do something like that where you’re sort of outside of your zone it’s fantastic. And it’s more, for me anyway, it was less about the actual skill of riding the horse and more about getting to know your horse.

So after a couple days it was significantly easier because you just knew the horse’s idiosyncrasy.

Mike Hughes: And then I just wanted to ask you...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And of course, Colin has the mean horse.

Mike Hughes: Okay.

Colin Ferguson: I did have the mean horse. He kept biting on me and…

((Crosstalk))

Colin Ferguson: ...and I was like, “Is it me?” And then the trainer was like, “No, that’s what he does. That’s just how he…

((Crosstalk))

Mike Hughes: And then, I wanted to ask you just to philosophize about that in general, it’s such an unusual show that you can pick up a script and have no idea what kind of a weird direction take yet, and you range all the way from comedy to romance to, like in this one, mostly dead-dead serious drama, and then you find yourself riding a horse and so forth.

What’s it like when you pick up a script and find one of these weird surprises?

Colin Ferguson: Okay. Well, it depends on the surprise. I mean sometimes you open up the script and you go, “Oh, that’s going to be amazing,” and then you open up a script and you go, “Really? Like, really?”, and we’re going to - okay? “All right. All right.”

Because it could be the middle of winter and they’re like, “Okay, so you’re stuck in t-shirts on the top of a blizzard,” you know and then...

Mike Hughes: Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: ...you cuss them - and what were you going to say, Sal?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, I was going to say that’s what is so fun about doing the show too, is that we get to do - you’re not stuck in a goofy comedy all the time, you’re not stuck just doing straight drama or straight little get ups.

You really get to do different things all the time and I think that that’s what keeps it fresh for us, and why we continue to get better because you keep - you get to stretch and you get to do different things and I think that’s why the fans like the show. It’s - you’re not bored by the same thing every time.

Mike Hughes: Okay, cool. Thanks.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah. Thanks, Mike.

Mike Hughes: Yeah.

Operator: The next question comes from Reg Seeton from TheDeadbolt.com. Please proceed.

Reg Seeton: Hi guys, thanks for taking the call.

Colin Ferguson: Hello, Mr. Seeton.

Reg Seeton: And Salli, can you talk about some of the issues that Allison has with Jack now, in relation to where things left off?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, gosh, I hope I know what - where - he thinks this is funny because I never know we - by the time we get to this season I don’t know what’s going on. I think that...

Colin Ferguson: We’re shooting right now - we’re in the middle of shooting the season that’ll air in 2012, so we sort of have all that downloaded into our head, and so it’s now sort of going, “Right.” So, about a year ago…

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I think that that the issues that we have now, now that we’re trying this new relationship on, or seeing if this is going to happen, that puts a different dynamic into working together. So, it’s like working with your husband or wife, how do you now balance both of the two things? And I think that that’s where we start getting into trouble with each other.

Of course nothing can ever be perfect because that would be boring with us if we were just all lovey dovey and everything was great. So, I think that that’s where we start getting into trouble, how can we work together and do both, and where is that line?

Reg Seeton: And Colin, is Jack oblivious to how Allison is feeling or does he have a hard time admitting it?

Colin Ferguson: No, I don’t think he’s oblivious, but it’s a funny thing asking me about relationships; not my forte. I’m not terribly good at it. But no, he’s not oblivious, but at the same time it’s difficult when you’re working with someone and having a relationship with them, as these two characters do. So, you have to give each other more space and you have to give each other sort of the latitude to be - to have more off days than, you know, normally you would.

And also she’s - Allison is a character that has two kids, so there’s - you really got to move slowly and be really patient with that, you know, if you’re going to try to partner with that. So, I think he’s patient, I think he’s aware of it, and I think he’s - but we’re dealing with something in the next episodes we shoot, which is that he’s not aware of, so there are still bumps and problems to come.

Reg Seeton: Great, thanks guys. Good luck.

Colin Ferguson: Thanks.

Operator: Our next question comes from Joshua Maloney from Niagara Frontier Publications. Please proceed.

Joshua Maloney: Hi, Colin. Hi, Salli. Thanks for your time today.

Colin Ferguson: Hey, Joshua.

Joshua Maloney: So the two of you are really fun to watch together on screen. You’ve got really good chemistry. Talk a little bit about that process, how that evolves, and what you like about working with the other person.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, let me stress - let me figure this out. No...

Colin Ferguson: How do you lie? How do you come up with a good lie, Sal.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: 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 s just naturally there. And I feel really corny when I say this, but there’s something that clicks, because obviously off camera we’re very brother/sister, jokey-jokey, “Oh, God, we’ve got to kiss.”

But, 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 very lucky for us and for me, I just naturally have a wonderful connection with him when we’re working.

So, 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.

Colin Ferguson: And I made - and that definitely attributes to Sal. I mean, we haven’t had a fight in six years of working together, and that’s not because I’m easy to work with, that’s because Salli’s amazing to work with. She’s just top notch and, Sal, I’m actually really flattered and floored by your last answer to that question, so that was really sweet. Thanks.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, it’s true.

Joshua Maloney: So, obviously the first half of the fourth season, a lot of substantial things happened on the show. For the second half of this fourth season, if you guys could put yourself back into that mindset, what sort of is the most exciting thing for you? What are you sort of excited about the fans seeing as we approach this new season?

Colin Ferguson: I’m looking forward...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Colin, I’ll let you have that one.

Colin Ferguson: Okay, sure. Well, we pick up sort of right where we left off at the end of, I don’t even know what numbers that - 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 be just sort of a path like, “Oh, this is 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 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.

So, I’m looking...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I think...

Colin Ferguson: ...forward to - yeah?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, I was saying, I think that’s what so hard for us is that, I mean really all these episodes that we’ve shot that you may not see for a little while, that - everything is just getting so much better and in - and it’s like you just want everyone to know and you want them to see all this great stuff that’s coming. They’ve really put everything together well, so it’s sort of hard to hold back and not tell you everything that’s going on because it’s so exciting.

Joshua Maloney: Right.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Joshua Maloney: Well, we’re definitely looking forward to it. Thank you, guys, for your time today.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, thanks, Josh.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Operator: Our next question comes from Curt Wagner from RedEye. Please proceed.

Curt Wagner: Hey, guys. Thanks for the time.

Colin Ferguson: Hey, Mr. Wagner.

Curt Wagner: I wanted to start just, Colin, thanks for showing me to Jaime office when I ran into on the lot last summer...

Colin Ferguson: You’re welcome.

((Crossstalk))

Curt Wagner: ...and for not calling security. And Salli, hello from your hometown.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, very good. Very good.

Curt Wagner: Now, I wanted to talk a little - I guess you guys talked a little bit about Jack and Allison being together, finally, with no issues. I’ve - at least for a little while anyway. I’ve seen the first three episodes of this round and I’m kind of loving it.

Has that been fun for you to know that, you know, there’s no problems, we’re going to get to do this for a little while? And then also, do you, when you see the scripts, sort of wait for the shoe to drop - the other shoe to drop like I am right now too?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Right, I think they’ve found a way to put us together, but not make it boring.

Curt Wagner: Right.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, it’s never straightforward. I mean, that’s what I really liked about it, and that’s what actually Sal and I fought against really hard for a long time, because the temptation is like, “Oh, they’re together. Now you guys kiss in every scene,” and we’re sort of going, “No, no, no, no, no, it’s not realistic and it’s not interesting.”

And they’ve done a really good job of having very real problems that you deal with in relationships that keep it both I guess affectionate and clear that there’s love there, but at the same time very clear that it’s not easy, and (life) is not easy and relationships aren’t easy, and I appreciate the realism of that.

Curt Wagner: All right, cool. And then, last year you sort of rebooted with the new timeline and everything and it - I feel like it really energized - like reenergized the show a lot, and that seems to still be going through with these new episodes. I really kind of want to talk about a lot of detailed stuff, but I know we can’t do that.

But, could you guys just sort of talk about how things change when you had the new timeline? And also, are you surprised that the show’s been around and lasted so long?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I think you’re always surprised when your show gets picked up the first time. But now I think the show is so good, like I said, especially the ones we’re shooting now in these last few seasons, that I would be more surprised when we’re not picked up because it’s such a good show now and it’s just gotten so much better.

And then, Colin, you talk because I’m forgetting the other part of your question again.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, the other part was sort of the timeline reboot and how it energized...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Right.

Colin Ferguson: ...the - I would agree with that. I think the show is as good as it’s ever been. That had to do with sort of a big shift down here in the writers room and, sort of finally finding our footing and getting our way back after the writer’s strike and all of the big Hollywood problems that happened. It made it really difficult even to know if you were going to have a job.

So, we have a really solid group of writers and a really sort of core group of people that hasn’t changed, so that’s why it sort of feels really energized and is really firing on all cylinders.

As far as the reboot and the energy that happens with that, I think that’s symptomatic of the changes that happened. We really found our footing and the reboot was sort of this symbolic gesture on behalf of the network that we were allowed to do what we wanted to do. I mean, they went in to the network and said, “We want to go back in time, and then come back and change everything and never address it.”

And normally when you got into a network and say that they go, “No.” One of the biggest characters on the show is the Town, so to change the Town is a really tall order and it was a big sign off on behalf of the network as a gesture to say that the writers knew what they were doing. And I think the writers sort of, when they got that gesture, they filled confidence and it just redoubled on itself until we sort of had the energy that we have now.

Plus, the casting that’s gone on has been...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: ...unbelievably helpful. I mean we’ve got Felicia Day, we’ve got Wil Wheaton, we have Wallace Shawn coming in, we have Dave Foley coming in, and it’s just - I mean, God Bless recession, right? Like, those names - that’s great to get all those people in to the show. You know, so and...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And they fit perfectly and we love them. I mean, these are people...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...who they don’t come on and you’re like, “Oh, my God, can we get rid of these people as soon as possible.” Their just wonderful people to be around and you - and they just fit in our show so perfectly.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, and also what’s happened is they’ve - there was a decision made to write me lighter because I was just getting too tired and really bored at the sound of my own voice, unlike this (unintelligible), which clearly I’m not for the sound of my own voice.

But, the - like - and so what happened was all of a sudden these characters who were so developed and so worthy of having this big long plots are getting way more screen time, and very deservedly and I think it makes the show a lot more interesting.

Curt Wagner: All right. And then the last thing, Salli, what did you do with your big cutout of Allison that you took from Café (DM) last year?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, it’s so funny. It is sitting in my children’s playroom and I think it’s so Mommy can be there when I’m stuck in Vancouver. But, yes, I did steal my cutout and it is literally sitting in the corner of their playroom. And my little boy, every once in a while...

((Crosstalk))

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...he goes, “It’s ma.”

Colin Ferguson: That’s great. It’s big brother, but big mother, right?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Right.

Curt Wagner: That’s awesome. All right, thanks. So, we’ll see you in San Diego again.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Okay, see you soon.

Curt Wagner: Bye.

Colin Ferguson: Bye.

Operator: Our next question comes from Sheldon Wiebe from EclipseMagazine.com. Please proceed.

Sheldon Wiebe: Thanks for doing this.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, no problem.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, pleasure.

Sheldon Wiebe: Just wondering, Colin, if you were a little disappointed in the Canucks this year.

Colin Ferguson: I’m from Montreal myself, so...

Sheldon Wiebe: Ah.

Colin Ferguson: ...although I would have loved the Canadian team to win, to be honest the Bruins played better and you can’t (progress if) the better teams are winning.

And as far as the Canucks go, you know, you’re going to drop a game 8 to 1, don’t do that in the in the Stanley Cup final. You just don’t get to do that, so...

Sheldon Wiebe: Terrific, thanks.

Colin Ferguson: ...you know, hats off to them. They played a (great game).

Sheldon Wiebe: Okay, as for the show, it seems like this season, I guess it’s 4.5 or something, there’s a lot more emphasis placed on interpersonal relationships. And I’m just wondering which ones you enjoyed reading in the scripts more as they were being developed, the slow progression that finally is starting to pay off between Jack and Allison, the more combustible Jo and Zane, or the tentative baby steps that are happening between Fargo and Dr. Holly Marten?

Colin Ferguson: Fargo and Holly.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Fargo and - I vote for Fargo and Holly too.

Colin Ferguson: Fargo and Holly.

Sheldon Wiebe: Why?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Because they’re both so darned cute that - I’ll say that because he can’t say that. Go ahead, Colin.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah. No, they’re just great. It’s one thing when a relationship started, going through its paces, and that’s where - we’re into ours and no one finds their own (lives) too interesting.

But, that’d be funny, wouldn’t it. Like, “No ours is the most interesting,” by far.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, ours is really by far the best story line.

((Crosstalk))

Colin Ferguson: …some of the best work on the show. And to be honest, you didn’t mention it, but I would say my second one is actually Henry and Grace.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yep.

Colin Ferguson: I really like that relationship too. There’s something really warm and there’s something really warm and genuine of both of those relationships and I respond to them in a way. It’s also really nice to - that they have these relationships going, so I think I respond to that. But, that’s why I like them.

Sheldon Wiebe: Cool. And lastly, yet another relationship, will we see anymore of the Sarah/Andy relationship in any substantive way?

Colin Ferguson: Yes, a very...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Okay...

Colin Ferguson: ...substantial way, yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah.

Sheldon Wiebe: And this...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, they’re - that’s also a great relationship, but - and I know it’s really popular, give Sarah the house, and he’s a robot, and all that stuff. But - and they’re all fantastic actors. So really, Grace is in two relationships, you might say, as Sarah...

Sheldon Wiebe: Absolutely.

Colin Ferguson: ...and Fargo; double duty.

Sheldon Wiebe: Can you tease the Sarah/Andy just a little, give you us a little hint?

Colin Ferguson: Sure, yeah. They take their relationship forward in a very profound way and we all have to make do as we live inside of her.

Sheldon Wiebe: Sounds wonderful.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Sheldon Wiebe: Thanks so much for your time.

Colin Ferguson: Thank you so much.

Operator: Our next question comes from Keshaunta Moton from Poptimal.com. Please proceed.

Keshaunta Moton: Hi, thank you for taking the call.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Hi, thank you.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, pleasure. Thank you for calling.

Keshaunta Moton: We talked earlier about, Colin, you’re a director, but Allison you - I mean, Salli, you’ll be directing an episode this season. Can you tell us more about how it felt to lord over your - rest of your cast mates?

Salli Richardson-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.

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 it’s something that I would like to be the next step in my career. I have a great - 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’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.

I’m learning 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 action is a man’s - action and visual effect stuff is usually 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.

Keshaunta Moton: Okay. And Colin, how was it for you? Were you like a model actor or were you like poking at her with a stick?

Colin Ferguson: No, I mean it - the funny thing is its really nice when one of us does direct because it’s always great to have a cause to rally behind. We’ve done, I don’t know how many episodes, close to eighty at this point, and you go, “Okay, great. At least there’s a reason to show up today,” you know? (But I go with) Salli’s episode it’s like, “Oh, great. Okay, well this is sort of cool.”

And to the extent, what Salli’s saying, it’ s not only that you have to know how to do it on our show, I mean we’re a cable show, so we don’t have $4 million a week to get this stuff done. You can’t learn on the fly, you have to know how to do it and know how to do it quickly. You can’t figure it out. So, it’s great training ground because it’s trial by fire, which is fantastic.

When I’m directing I’m all about making the day, and being relaxed, and I like a calm environment at this point, so I respond to how Salli directs because she’s very calm and she knows what she wants.

Keshaunta Moton: Okay. And what has...

((Crosstalk))

Keshaunta Moton: ...been your guys’ favorite Allison and Jack moment so far?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh.

Colin Ferguson: Favorite moment? I’d go back to magnetic fence.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I know - well, that one we have that was in our first season we got stuck together on this fence, but I also like when I was pregnant and the baby was kicking, that - do you remember that?

Colin Ferguson: Oh, yeah. That was - we were on the couch.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yes, we were shooting this wonderful scene in my office when I was enormous at the time, and it was a very sweet scene where he’s touching my stomach. But literally, when we were shooting every time Colin would touch my belly the baby, because I was really pregnant, the baby would kick right on his hand, like with every single take, Little Dre would go crazy in my stomach, so it was kind of funny.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, and Dre is a model athlete at this point in his life, so it really is no surprise that he ended up kicking on queue every single time.

Keshaunta Moton: All right. Thank you, guys.

Colin Ferguson: Thanks.

Operator: Our next question comes from Jenny Rarden from TVIsMyPacifier.com. Please proceed.

Jenny Rarden: Hi, guys. Thank you so much for taking our calls.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Colin Ferguson: Hello, Jenny.

Jenny Rarden: Colin, I’ve spoken with you before. It’s been a while, but I have to say that when I got the notice about being able to talk to you both I was absolutely thrilled, because I’m unashamedly a Carter and Allison (shipper).

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, God.

Colin Ferguson: Man, you’re -go Jenny.

Jenny Rarden: And in - then in addition to Carter and Allison, I’ve been a big Jo and Zane (shipper) too. While the timeline shift worked out well for your characters, it didn’t work out so great for them as a couple. Can you give us any good news regarding their relationship on the episodes coming up?

Colin Ferguson: Well...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Can we?

Colin Ferguson: ...we can. They go through a lot and they keep going through a lot for the next year. And really, as of right now, we’re still on the fence on if they’re going to pull through, and that’s a while later. Those two go through the - they go through it, you know? They definitely love each other, but that - but it’s a hard one. It’s hard to watch sometimes when two people keep missing each other in the night, and then ultimately do or don’t get together you go, “Oh, God, guys, just figure it out.”

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And isn’t...

Jenny Rarden: Right.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...that real life?

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Jenny Rarden: It is. It is. Well, what is - my other question is, what’s the rest of the season looks like for Carter and Zoe? Will we be seeing anymore of her in Eureka?

Colin Ferguson: Yes. Jordan definitely came back a couple times that season. She was actually over here yesterday. She’s my designer. I’m getting some renovation done on my house and I’m going to be out of town, so I’ve (unintelligible) Jordan. She did. She came by with my contractor, (Leif), Jordan and myself and she’s handling all the design.

Colin Ferguson: So, I’m going to come back to a house that she - Jordan is designing, which is…

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And that a 21-year old is designing.

Jenny Rarden: That’s great.

Colin Ferguson: Exactly. Yep, my closet’s going to be filled with Forever 21. Yeah, no, it’s great. I mean, it’s one of my favorite relationships and it’s been amazing to watch her grow from a 13-year old to now being 20 and watching her life bloom into what she’s created it today, and yeah, I love her and I love that relationship, and yes she comes back.

Jenny Rarden: Great. Well, thank you guys very much.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Colin Ferguson: Thanks.

Operator: Our next question comes from Suzanne Lanoue from The TV MegaSite. Please proceed.

Suzanne Lanoue: Hi, one thing I really liked about your guys’ show is how it really emphasizes the science in the science fiction, and I was wondering if either of you had much of an interest in science before you joined the show?

Colin Ferguson: Yes, definitely.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Me would be no. I stumble through all my tech talk. Great to the guys they - they love that joke because I’m always...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, which is a great blooper reel that we won’t ever show. A great blooper real.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: We know when we’re doing a read through when they’re giving me this tech talk and we’re just reading the script for the first time and I’m like, “Oh, you guys are killing me.” I’m fine once I...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...get there, but that first time I go through it I’m like, “Oh.” So, I...

Colin Ferguson: Well, we also mess with Salli, and Sal actually my sister was in Hawaii two weeks ago and she was like, “Oh, we’re going to Haleakala to hike the volcano.” We play - because we’ll purposely mispronounce words for about ten minutes just before Salli has to do it, like Haleakala. Like, I think it’s Haleakala. I’m pretty sure it’s Haleakala. Is it Haleakala? It’s (pronounced) - it’s Haleakala. So...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And I hate messing up on stuff, so I’m like, “Stop it. Stop it. I can barely remember this as it is.” So for me...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...it’s very hard, but Colin is very - the person who doesn’t really have to do it, probably is the one who would be the best at it.

Colin Ferguson: I like it. I like science. I like the words. I like the thing. I mean we go into it in a show in an intensely more detailed manner than I ever do on my own, but I’m always interested in sort of what’s going on technologically.

Suzanne Lanoue: Do you ever get fans coming up to you and asking you strange questions about the science and stuff on the show, like the…

((Crosstalk))

Colin Ferguson: No, when fans come up to me it’s always like, “Are you the Dirty Jobs guy,” you know? And I’m like “No,” and it’s like, “Oh, you’re the Eureka guy. You’re smaller than I thought.”

Suzanne Lanoue: Is that...

Colin Ferguson: I get - I take that to mean I read as incredibly manly on screen, that’s what I think that means. But I’m six feet, I’m not small. So, I don’t know what...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: No, he’s not - yeah. I’m always...

Colin Ferguson: ...I’m mostly...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...surprised that people, especially when we go to Comic-Con and stuff like that, I’m always surprised that they aren’t asking more questions like that, because our fans, they love that stuff, but they don’t seem to ask - they really like the relationship stuff, which is cool.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, and...

Suzanne Lanoue: Right.

Colin Ferguson: ...I’ve got to say, our fans are amazing. It’s like the most respectful, kind group of people. You hear the myth, and I’m going to call it a myth, Sci-Fi fans being crazy and intrusive and, boundary issues and all that stuff. And so, coming into it people were sort of like, “Whoa, watch out,” and I’ve found exactly the opposite experience.

People - they’re like, “Oh, really like the show. Thanks. I don’t want to disturb you, but,” you know, and really, really respectful and differential and I love our fans.

Suzanne Lanoue: Oh, that’s so nice. I’m sure the fans love you too. I’ll speak for them and say they do.

Colin Ferguson: I believe you.

Suzanne Lanoue: My last question was - now it went out of my head. See, that’s what I get for trying to be funny. Oh, I know.  Is there anything else you can tell us about what’s coming up this season or next that you can divulge, any spoilers, or anything?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Can we...

Colin Ferguson: Can’t really divulge any spoilers. We’ll be strung up and hung if we do, but I mean what we said already, which is the (Estreas) stuff, it’s - and that’s the key work for the next season. And then that key is off the next season after that. Sal, do you remember any episodes in particular?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Are you (being)...

Colin Ferguson: Obviously, we have the...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...funny?

Colin Ferguson: ...first one, so we have the one where the power goes out. We have - what the heck is - oh my lord, my brain is just shutting down. I remember the...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I don’t remember anything.

((Crosstalk))

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And I let him know in the beginning, I don’t remember anything.

Colin Ferguson: She has no need...

((Crosstalk))

Suzanne Lanoue: I’m sorry. I didn’t get that. What?

Colin Ferguson: No, we actually can’t cite anything that we have coming up. Sorry. It’s - we’ve been warned about spoilers and what not, so we can’t help you on that.

Suzanne Lanoue: Well, that’s (okay). Thanks for trying.

Colin Ferguson: Okay, thanks.

Operator: Our next question comes from Brandon Sites from BigDaddyHorrorReviews.com. Please proceed.

Brandon Sites: Hi. Thanks for taking my call - or I’m sorry our calls. My question is for both Colin and Shelli (sic). Now, with the Eureka show there’s a lot of things that seem to be way out there, like the change in the timeline, for example. How are the two of you able to relate to all the unusual things going on in the show so that you can turn in a performance that is - that’s real?

Colin Ferguson: That’s actually difficult. It requires a lot of communication and it requires a lot of trust. And you build that up with, for example, the vis effects guys, you know, over time. Acting to green screen is - if you don’t know how to do it it can be one of the more humiliating things that you can do, because you don’t know to ask certain questions. You don’t know to say, where’s the outline? How big is the explosion? Is everybody going on the same queue? No, stop this. Okay, we need everyone moving on the same queue. Can we move the queue to unify everybody?

And it’s all those sorts of tricks and necessities that if you don’t do you’ll see the show and I’m sure you’ve seen it where you’re like, “Wow, that doesn’t work,” you know?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, and it’s so funny that that stuff has sort of become second nature now...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...for us, you know?

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, absolutely.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And I think that it’s helped us to go direct this stuff because you realize that you know how to direct it because you’ve had to act it so much that you don’t - you’re not as lost as you may have been if you had never done - had to be an actor doing visual effects all the time.

Colin Ferguson: Well, a lot of times you’ll be working with an actor and you’ll see them, and you’ll see them drowning. You’ll see them flailing on something. And the perk of having - of being an actor is, gee on this one show, probably done 500 days, is that you can sort of go, “Oh, I know where they are. Okay, this is what they need.”

And you can come and go, “Right, I’m going to give you a queue for that moment so everybody can get on the same thing.” And it’s usually something like that, which is the silliest easiest thing in the world to do, and it’s night and day for an actor. It makes all the difference.

And the fact that you can provide it for them they go, “Oh, thanks,” because they, you know, not sure if they can ask for it or not sure what they should ask for, but they know they’re not hitting it and they’re sort of looking around like, “Please help me”.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: (Yeah).

((Crosstalk))

Brandon Sites: And my other question - I’m sorry, my other question is, what’s been your guys’ favorite scientific invention on the show?

Colin Ferguson: Favorite scientific invention? The (bosencoladicsider).

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, right

Colin Ferguson: My latest - (well, that they) make some castings from space, which cracks me up. It’s like, “Oh, fire up some (bosencoladicsider). We’re going to catch something from space.” You know how hard that is? It was like, “Okay, fire it up.” And then there’s that one scene where Zane’s like, “I got an extra bosencoladicsider.” Yeah, funny stuff.

Well, just to get back to the other question for just a fraction of a second. The other thing that you do is you make it physical and you make personal with the science. It’s the only way to make it through. You choose, is it hot, does it smell, does it sound - is it loud, is it bright, do you have to struggle to see it? It’s all those things that you can put into your body and the choices that you make about it that you use to unify it with everybody.

So, when you go into a scene like that you also say, “Okay, this is loud or this is really bright,” and you know if everybody’s sort of reacting the same way it just helps. And any little thing you can do to help sell, so that’s also how we deal with the science is that personalizing and physicalizing.

Brandon Sites: Okay, well that’s all the questions I had. Thank you for your time.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Colin Ferguson: All gone. I’m sorry, Sal, I spoke over the entire time. You’ve got the next question. I won’t - I’ll shut my mouth.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Is it - listen, you know I’ll come in if I have something to say.

Colin Ferguson: Okay. All right.

Operator: Our next question comes from (Kelly DiMarcio) from TheVoiceofTV.com.

Kelly DiMarcio: Hi, guys. How are you today?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Hi.

Colin Ferguson: Hello.

Kelly DiMarcio: Well, Eureka has such a wide appeal, I actually go hooked because my ten-year old daughter introduced me to the show.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh.

Kelly DiMarcio: What do you think is a special ingredient that gives is such a draw to all ages?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, I think - oh, you got an idea?

Colin Ferguson: Take it away, Sal.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh...

Colin Ferguson: I’m sure I do, yeah, I could - me? I could blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I mean for me, especially these last few years we’ve been doing it, I think it’s just really the mixture. We were talking earlier that we have comedy, we have love, we have drama, we have the big explosions, and I really think that there’s something for everyone.

And it’s also kept clean enough that you can have your ten-year old watching the show and you’re not having to usher them in the other room, but it’s not done in a corny way where adults can still enjoy the show. They really found a happy medium where anyone really can watch and enjoy it.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, we try to put in as much - I remember the first season, it was - the mandate came down and were always being chastised saying, “This is not a comedy,” you know, “Stop putting - stop doing that, stop putting the jokes in. This is not a comedy.” All the directors were told, “This is not a comedy.” Because they were coming off Battlestar and it was going to be serious and all that stuff.

And I think the comedy that we throw in and the writers write in really helps. It helps us take the sting off of ideas and be a little more self-aware and make it fun. When the show began I really wanted it to be dark and edgy and all this stuff, but then as we started hearing from people, like, “Oh, we watched this - we watched this with our parents or I watched this with my kids, and my grandparents watch it.”

And I guess I’ve gotten older I’m really proud of that. I’m really proud - I mean, it’s a little better than it used to be, but for the last bunch of years it was all CSI and all murder and rape and just TV was hard, and it was really nice to do a show that people could watch together. It became a source of pride for us.

So, what makes that work? I think we got lucky. We - the right combo worked and we were on a network that was patient enough to keep us on the air and if we knew what worked we could probably do it again, which...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah...

Colin Ferguson: ...is impossible.

Kelly DiMarcio: Well, I can tell you as a parent, I really appreciate that I can watch the show with my daughter and enjoy it with her. And she wanted me to ask, what is the funniest thing you can recall that’s gone wrong on the set so far this season?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Has gone wrong?

Colin Ferguson: That has gone wrong? Yeah, there’s always something going wrong. What happened this year? Some things go wrong and they’re not funny, like when Frasier had his collar bone ripped out this year. That was funny.

Kelly DiMarcio: Oh.

Colin Ferguson: It was the one stunt I’ve ever said, “You know what,” I’d been going through a rough time personally and I said, “You know what, I don’t know the scene. I can’t do it. I just - have Frasier do it.” And Frasier went to do it and it tore out is collar bone and I was like, “Okay.”

So we have things like that, but I would say the funniest thing that’s gone wrong, what would that be? Probably Neil Grayson, a couple years ago, and jump in Sal if you have one, but when he was - we use this stuff called Methocel, which is - Methocel is the stuff that’s in McDonald’s milkshakes and it’s like a food additive. And one of the properties of Methocel, when you get covered in it, is that it wicks all the heat from your body, and then dries so it’s really, really cold.

So, basically getting covered with stuff is sort of always an exercise in - and you know Neil was supposed to shoot first and ended up shooting six hours later, so he was covered in this stuff. I think he was painted green, standing in his trailer for six hours and that's because you’re covered and you can sit down and you can’t do anything, (and he has glasses) and he’s functionally naked because he was naked in the scene.

So, he’s got this little banana hammock and a bathing suit on, going like - I - you know, that was - that provided us with endless amusement. And then, I guess right before we stopped shooting I was supposed to get - I was, peppered with paintballs, and those - they hurt, but there’s this giant plaque that they’re supposed to be pounding on, which they systematically missed more times than they hit over the course of the scene.

Kelly DiMarcio: Oh, no.

Colin Ferguson: And I’m supposed to be reacting like I’m in pain, which is like good and then after the scene, “Aren’t you bruised?” In like four or five different places for like a week. Those things kill, the paintballs, so we always get up to no good with stuff like that.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, Colin usually is the one getting tortured. I’m going to tell you...

Colin Ferguson: Yep.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...I can’t talk about it, I’ll be - Colin’s episode coming up, I think I’m going to get some torture in there. They found a way to torture me, but yes, he’s usually the one getting it all.

Colin Ferguson: Well, there was the one where I was - I still - I’m positive I got a concussion on that one when Matt was directing and he was slamming my head into the top of the jeep. Do you remember that? I was on the (crane), and they were like, “Just drop him,” and we couldn’t get the shot and he was like dropping me ten times in a row on the top of the Jeep and I was like, “Really”? And he was like, “What?”

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, I think there’s one where, and I don’t want to say who does it, because I’m not sure when it comes, but when you keep getting slapped.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yes. Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: That got old.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Kelly DiMarcio: Well, thank you so much.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you so much.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, and yes, and thank your daughter for watching for us too, it’s - we appreciate that.

Kelly DiMarcio: I will. Thanks.

Colin Ferguson: Okay.

Operator: Our next question comes from Anne Louise Bannon from YourFamilyViewer.com. Please proceed.

Anne Louise Bannon: Yeah, talking to Salli about the young kids watching and things like that, one of the things I’ve always been very impressed by with Allison’s character is the fact that she’s not only very smart and very good looking, she’s not a traditional scientist.

Salli, could you talk a little bit about what it’s like to be a role model in that way?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well Allison isn’t really - somehow I’ve become - I know - I seem to know all this science, you know, I really came in, I worked for the Department of Defense, but I was a medical doctor and...

Anne Louise Bannon: Right.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...somehow through osmosis now I know every bit of science that everyone else seems to know. But, I think it’s my daughter, who is six, loves watching the show, and for me...

Colin Ferguson: Oh, Sal, hold up. Sal, if I remember correctly, we had deemed that episode that it was going to be established, they were going to make you a nurse.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, yeah, and...

Colin Ferguson: Do you remember that?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Right, I was still...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...I was like, “Why a nurse?” Wasn’t I upset about that? I was like, “Absolutely not.”

Colin Ferguson: You were pissed off, yeah, and now you’ve made yourself a doctor and now you’re screwed. You’ve got to know everything.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And now I’m mad because I have to do - but at the time I felt that, you know, why wouldn’t this really intelligent woman, why wouldn’t she have gone all the way and gotten her medical degree.

But I think it’s wonderful for my daughter who usually only sees a lot of my friends who are in the acting business, because she loves the show. We get to talk about that there are other avenues for women and other jobs to think about, and that our show kind of shows that being smart is kind of cool and kind of fun, and she really gets that and she likes that about the show.

Anne Louise Bannon: Also, the character of Beverly Barlowe, who was in that first season, and then came back and I think she did at the time. I’m trying to remember now. But, are we going to be seeing more of Debrah Farentino?

Colin Ferguson: Yep.

Anne Louise Bannon: Oh.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: That’s all we can say.

Colin Ferguson: Yep, she’s coming back. But, that’s tied into like the spoiler of spoilers, so that’s about all I can say on that. But yeah, she’s coming back and coming back with a vengeance.

Anne Louise Bannon: Oh, that ought to be fun.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Anne Louise Bannon: Yeah. Okay, and I guess that’s it for me, but thank you, guys, for taking the time.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Okay, thank you.

Colin Ferguson: Well, thanks. Appreciate it.

Operator: Our next question comes from (Mary Pasqual) from Culture Brats. Please proceed.

Mary Pasqual: Hi you guys. Thanks for talking with us.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Colin Ferguson: Pleasure.

Mary Pasqual: Hi. My question is in the past you’ve done some character crossovers, will we be seeing more of that in the - with other shows this season?

Colin Ferguson: I think Grayson’s doing another one.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, is he? Okay.

Colin Ferguson: I think so. Yeah, I think he’s doing another - it’s so hard. I think they did one in February, so that’ll air this summer. He and Skaggs are - or he’s going to Warehouse 13 again, I believe, but I could be wrong, but I think that’s correct, and I don’t think anyone else is.

I mean the hardest thing is because we all shoot at the same time, so the idea that, you know, I could get free or Salli could get free is just not - it’s not in the cards.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, not...

Colin Ferguson: We’d love to. In fact, Jack and I, the Executive Producer of Warehouse 13 were actors together in a show in 1999, so I’ve known Jack for about 12 years and I’d love to go up and work with him on a show. I think it’d be hilarious.

Mary Pasqual: So, do you find that when you do character crossovers does it change the dynamic on the set?

Colin Ferguson: Well, I would imagine, speaking for myself, if I was to go over to Warehouse 13 and - it’s a tough one. You have how you like to work, but it’s their home and it’s their show, and what they need for their show trumps anything that you’re - that you could, - I know Jack and I know Eddie very well because we did The Circuit together for - I mean the (backing) Circuit for a while, and I did a movie with (Joann).

And so, I know - and then Saul did an episode of Eureka and Skaggs has been on Eureka, so we know them all and we know how - they’re so kind and respectful it wouldn’t be a problem. But, first and foremost in our minds would be like, “What do you guys need,” you know? “We’ll supply you with what you need.”

Mary Pasqual: Absolutely. And let’s see, actually I think that’s it. Salli, would you ever do a character crossover yourself?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, of course. Like Colin said, if they find the time I would love to go do it. It’s always fun to go do something different, even though we would be doing our character it’s fun doing someone else’s show.

I think that I’d - honestly I’d like to go over there and direct the show. I think that Colin would to.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah would be great. Good plug, Sal, good plug. Well done.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: (Have) us over. I think that - we’ll act in it if you let us direct it. How about that?

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, exactly, exactly, exactly.

Operator: Our next question comes from Jamie Ruby from Sci-FiVision.com. Please proceed.

Jamie Ruby: Hello, thanks for taking our call today. So how...

Colin Ferguson: Hi, how are you doing?

Jamie Ruby: Hi, good. So, how are each of you most and least like your characters.

Colin Ferguson: Hold on, I’m just Tweeting your thing right now, because you’ve been Tweeting the whole time, so now I’m Tweeting...

Jamie Ruby: Yes, I have.

Colin Ferguson: ...as you’re asking the question. Ah-ha, so what was your...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: No.

Colin Ferguson: ...question?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Okay, I can’t do...

Jamie Ruby: I had just...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...both, you’ll never talk to me, okay?

Jamie Ruby: I’m getting better at it. How are you both like and not like your characters?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, I answered this one earlier so, Colin, you go for it.

Colin Ferguson: Well, I’m a Sheriff in real life, so (that sums that up). No, I think - how would I say I’m like him? Personality-wise we’re pretty similar at this point. They’ve done an amazing job of taking the best of me and making it palatable for other people, so yeah, the personality is the same.

I guess the biggest difference would probably be relationships, I guess. He has a steadfast (and that’s how he makes things work), with Allison and he pushes through the problem, and that’s something that I’m working on in my own life.

A hard thing working out of town and trying to get something going back in Los Angeles, but that would probably be the biggest difference. But you know what, I’m working on it and...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And you’re also...

Colin Ferguson: ...I’ll figure it out.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...much smarter than they try to portray you.

Colin Ferguson: That’s true. Yes. I mean, yes, I can say that.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: You can’t say that. I can say that.

Colin Ferguson: All right, I’m a little - I’m (emphasis) slightly brighter than my character at times.

Jamie Ruby: Great. So, to both of you, what have you most learned about yourself since you started this show, or maybe the way you’re life’s changed the most?

Colin Ferguson: Well...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well...

Colin Ferguson: ...this is sort of crazy. Sal, do you want to take it or should I?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I feel like I have grown so much as an actress and have learned that I’m better than I knew I was. I’ve just learned to really trust myself and I mean we’ve been there a lot of years now and...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...you know, even though I didn’t come in there as a 20-year old girl, I’ve definitely grown up on this show and I feel like there’s nothing that you could throw at me as - in particular as an actress leaving here that I couldn’t do, and I’ve learned that from being on the show.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, I would say Salli is doing the best work she’s ever done. I would say even in between last year and this year it’s amazing to see someone who you think is like, “Oh, she’s Sal and she’s great and Sal, she knows what she’s doing, and she turned it up.”

I think she did a movie in the off-season. What was the name of the movie, Sal?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, I Will Follow, thank you.

Colin Ferguson: I Will Follow, which did amazingly, and the amount of confidence and presence and she’s added sort of this improvising aspect to her work right now, which was never really a part of what she would do.

She would all of a sudden this year it’s like, “I’m going to say this. I’m going to go over here. I’m going to do this,” and it’s like, “Oh, my God,” and it’s amazing to see all of this in her own way, add little bits to our repertoire as we go through things. It’s really encouraging.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, and Colin...

((Crosstalk))

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...has always had that, which is an amazing talent, that he can come up with the line right there and change this and do that, and it just happens so naturally. And that’s something I was always afraid of and Colin has never been afraid to be big and go there and try anything, and I’ve had to learn that and he…

((Crosstalk))

Colin Ferguson: Well, I don’t know my lines half the time anyway, so if I’m making them up that…

((Crosstalk))

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, that’s how you do it, okay.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah. It’s an intense lack of prep, let’s procrastinate a little bit more. No, I would say for me, it’s really interesting. It is something that you can mark the passage of time by because it has been six years and who you were six years ago and who you are now, they’re very different people.

I have a respect for my body that I didn’t before. I really try to not damage it so much. And that may seem just like, “Oh, he’s getting old,” but it’s more - it’s sort of respect and I have more respect for, God, I guess life and emotion and all sorts of things that I didn’t have before. I was sort of all about work before. And just the difficulty, this is not a fun answer, but the difficulty of shooting and the trauma and the tragedy of not being around those that you love, while you are doing 14 hours a day for five months in a row.

Sal has two kids, and the - we look to each other to sort of pull each other through and you end up having a huge respect for relationships and stuff like that...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: ...and that wasn’t there for me. I respected it, but not in the way that I do now. I really think they’re special.

Jamie Ruby: Okay, great. And lastly, what’s something that people for both of you that people would be surprised to know about you?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I play golf. On my time off I play golf every day. I’m a big golfer.

Jamie Ruby: Okay.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: That always seems to surprise people. They’re like, “Really, you don’t look like a golfer.” But - so there you go, that’s all I can think of.

Jamie Ruby: Okay.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, I guess people - I’m shy, in my own way and I think...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Really?

Colin Ferguson: ...when people get to know me - I’m brash and I’m all sorts of things, and there’s this one side of me which is very out there, but people who know me know me as someone who’s quite different. I mean, that’s always sort of strange for them when they go, “Oh, wow, he’s actually quite shy.”

Jamie Ruby: Well, I’m surprised to know that. So, all right, thank you guys so much.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I’m surprised to know that too.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah. Thanks.

Operator: Our next question comes from Erin Willard, from SciFi Mafia. Please proceed.

Erin Willard: Hi. It’s really terrific that you’re both on the call today. I’ve been a big fan...

Colin Ferguson: Thank you.

Erin Willard: ...of the show since the pilot. I am sorry, I came into the call late. I was on the Warehouse 13 call that we before this and, Grayson - yeah. You know, Grayson’s going to be on Warehouse 13 Episode 5, that’s what…

((Crosstalk))

Colin Ferguson: Oh, perfect.

Erin Willard: Yes. So, I apologize if you’ve gone over this but, Colin, I wanted to confirm that you were going to be a Comic-Con this year and not in some Eastern European country like you were a couple years ago.

Colin Ferguson: Yes, Sal and I both are going to be there. I...

((Crosstalk))

Erin Willard: Great. Last years’ panel were so much fun to watch, everybody seemed to be getting along so great and the friendship between the two of you is clear. It’s a treat to watch as a fan. So, do you enjoy being on the panel?

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, I look forward to it every year. It’s amazing. And I think we’re going to be in the big ballroom this year, Colin.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, really?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yes.

Colin Ferguson: Holy smokes. That’s going to - how many people does that take, because we had the other one that was like 4000. The ballroom’s got to be more than that.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yes...

Erin Willard: Yes.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...I heard that we’re going to be in the big ballroom. It’s just amazing to go this thing and you’re seeing 4000 plus people there and people sitting on the sides and people who couldn’t get in. It’s an amazing feeling walking on that. And it’s always fun when you’re there and you get to see one of the episodes with them.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah. I did WonderCon in San Francisco the year we premiered with Andy. We went up and we had this ballroom and there were ten people in the audience, five of them were just saving a seat for the next people that were coming in after us.

And so, to go from that where we were like, “All right, any questions? Any questions? Any - no, none yet? Okay, no worries. So, the show,” and you’re sort of waffling and trying to just fill space. And to go from that to the big ballroom at Comic-Con is - I mean it’s great. I really want to go out on top with this, so I feel we’re pretty close to it.

And what do you feel, Sal? What do you want to call it a day?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: You know, it’s such a hard thing. I can’t see it going on. You know, I don’t think we’re going to be there for 15 years...

Colin Ferguson: Right.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...but I think that maybe one more after this. I don’t know.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: But I didn’t think I’d be here this long, but...

Colin Ferguson: No, exactly. It’s not in our court at all. It’s always the network, but it’s been so great and it’s been such a special experience for us and now that we’re doing the main ballroom at Comic-Con it’s really nice. It’s been a great journey and there are a lot of really good memories for us, and that’s...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: ...going to be one of them.

Erin Willard: Well, Ballroom 20 is where you definitely belong and it will be a treat and it’ll be packed, I’m certain of it. Do you have any details about anything besides the fact that it’s going to be in Ballroom 20? Do you know about the clips or who’s going to be there?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I don’t...

Colin Ferguson: Just Sal...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Is it just me? I don’t know. Who’s going? Do you know?

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, it’s you, me, and Grayson.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Okay. Well, there you go.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, and I know we’re doing obviously the party that night and we’re flying out on the Friday, I believe, and we will be coming back on the Sunday. Have you booked your flight, Sal?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: No, they were just calling me about it.

Colin Ferguson: Well, you’ve got to get on it because there’s only one direct from San Diego, it’s Air Canada.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I know. I know. I heard.

Erin Willard: Well, I can’t wait. I can’t wait. It’s going to be great and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks then.

Colin Ferguson: Okay, absolutely.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Okay, good. See you there.

Operator: We have a follow-up question from Brandon Sites from BigDaddyHorrorReveiws.com

Brandon Sites: Thank you. My question is, what would you consider to be your definitive episode of Eureka?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Oh, that’s a good one.

Colin Ferguson: I think that there are a bunch of episodes that meant different things at different times for us, and I definitely clock them that way. I mean, they’re - I’ll talk as you think, Sal.

I remember when a good friend of mind, Johanna Stokes wrote, wow what was that called, it was Game, something about Game. It was like first or second season, and when a friend of yours writes an episodes that’s a great thing. I remember the first time Salli directed, that’s a big thing. I remember the first time I directed, which was, Your Face or Mine. It was a smaller episode and that was a huge thing for me.

So, there’s these more in point episodes all the way through, which sort of mean the world to us, as people - like the first one that (Alexandria) directed, we fought really hard for our script supervisor to get an episode to direct. She directed A Dead Zone before and is really one of the people who held the show together when it was going through rough times.

It was, (Lexi) and myself a lot of times, fighting for the best work that we could get. And for her to be rewarded and respected by getting an episode was absolutely huge for us as a cast. It felt like we’d had a big victor, and she could (unintelligible) amazing job.

So - and hers is this season. Hers is the bank episode...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Right, that’s why I’m so - it’s hard to think of them because I don’t know what you’ve seen, you know?

Colin Ferguson: Right. Yeah, hers is the bank episode. I don’t remember what the - her episode is the episode that has to do with the poster.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yes, which might be a very Eureka - I mean, I...

Colin Ferguson: Those...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ...can’t think of one in particular. I think when we find the ones that really have that middle ground of the comedy, that banter back and forth comedy that we have, and then they throw in some of the Syfy that that is a real Eureka episode for me.

There’s one’s you just read and you just go, “Okay, that is so Eureka,” with the comedy and a little bit of the danger. But, I can never remember exact ones.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, so that’s why it sort of goes for us because we are a family. We spend 14 hours a day together and, five, six days a week, a lot of the time, and so when someone get a huge bump it’s huge for us. It’d be like this year, (Ian), who is - oh, he was pulling (focus), he was second camera, he’s now our operator, and it was huge for us.

And (Herby), when he went from being - when he went to doing - when he (starting pulling focus), it was huge for us when people get promotions, and that’s the sort of stuff that really makes it for us.

Brandon Sites: Okay, well, I want to thank you once again for taking my - for taking our call. Thank you.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Thank you.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, thanks.

Operator: We have a follow-up question from Jamie Ruby from SciFiVision.com. Please proceed.

Jamie Ruby: Hello again, still Tweeting.

Colin Ferguson: Hello, Jamie Ruby.

Jamie Ruby: So, you guys obviously seem like you have so much fun. Could you talk about like something really funny that’s happened on set, maybe like a prank that someone’s played or, you know, just something that’s happened?

Colin Ferguson: We can’t really - we do little things with each other and sort of mess with each other a little bit, but we take it so we don’t have a lot of time to get done what we have to get done...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah.

Colin Ferguson: ...so I mean the pranks are such, where like if we were doing a serious scene and somebody pulled a prank and make us wreck a take, I mean as much as we have a ton of fun, you definitely have a look on everybody’s face of like, “Really? You know, that was - was that really necessary?”

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Yeah, there - I mean, we have fun. Some - I mean if the scene is funny and you feel like you have it, like I’m very safe with any jokes. I think the person can handle me making a face to them off camera during the scene.

Colin Ferguson: Right.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: And then, you know, Colin will look and look at me and laugh and go, “What are you doing,” or - because you’ll do that to me too, but nobody does that...

Colin Ferguson: Yeah.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: ... if there’s something serious, and you said, most of the time we are in a hurry and you don’t have time for jokes. We just want to do the best work we can and we only have another 15 minutes. So, jokes are not - pranks - you can do pranks on a feature, not on a TV show.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, most of our jokes, there are a tons of jokes on set, but they’re all when we’re not shooting. They’re all...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Right.

Colin Ferguson: ... like making fun of each other in between the take and the director yells, “Cut,” and then all of a sudden we’re making fun of what each other did in the scene and it was like, “Wow, really?” He’s like, “Yeah, I’ll fix that in the next one. That didn’t work out very well.” You know, we do a lot of stuff like that.

I remember Jaime’s a big prank player. In the pilot, I believe. Was it the pilot where he was inside...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: He jumped out of a box.

Colin Ferguson: Yeah, scared the living hell out of me. Scared the living hell out of my, but that’s, again, the pilot where you have twice as much time to shoot the same amount of footage, so you have latitude to sort of, you know, play jokes on each other.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, and Matt Hastings loves to add some funny lines in, but it’ll always be - he’s one of our executive producers and directs a lot of our episodes, but it’s pretty much like once you have the takes he’ll go, “One more take,” and then he’ll add in a funny line that’ll surprise someone. But, it’s always after you got what you needed.

Colin Ferguson: No, no, and that was the most boring stuff ever because we don’t have any pranks on the set.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I know where the…

((Crosstalk))

Colin Ferguson: Too bad.

Jamie Ruby: All right. Now for both of you, what would be your ultimate dream role, or is there maybe somebody specific you want to work with that you haven’t?

Colin Ferguson: Oh, wow.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: A dream role? Colin, you’re going to laugh at me - just recently I was able to do this performance honoring Halle Berry for someone - for the Genesee Foundation and I performed as Lena Horne. And that’s something I’m working on trying to make happen and would be my ultimate dream, because I loved her as an icon and I loved to sing and I always loved her musicals, so that’s also why I’ve been pushing our show.

I don’t know how Colin feels about this, but I would love to do a musical Eureka. I’ve always - and I keep getting Tweeted about it too. People are like,, “When are you going to do a musical?” I would love to do that.

Colin Ferguson: Salli has an amazing singing voice. Like, when she got this job...

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Colin has a - Colin is a great singer too.

Colin Ferguson: I do not. You can’t - no, no, there are different levels of singing, right? There are people who can like, you know, with enough work I can hold a tune, and that’s about where I’m at, with enough work I can hold a tune. Salli has a fantastic singing voice. I mean, huge range, which she…

((Crosstalk))

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Well, we’ll sound really good in the studio. That’s all that counts.

Colin Ferguson: Oh, that would be great. A musical would be fine.

Jamie Ruby: Well, what about your dream role, Colin?

Colin Ferguson: What about me what?

Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Your dream role?

Jamie Ruby: What...

Colin Ferguson: My dream role? I’d really like to do something where I conceived of it, shot it, maybe acted in it, and then edited it. It’s - coming from TV where we, out of necessity we have to move so quickly, it’d be really nice to move slower and take some time or something and really sort of hone it.

So, it doesn’t really matter what it is, as long as it was with friends. I really want to work with my friends at this point doing stuff that I want to do. I think a lot of actors feel that way these days, particularly with the Canon 5D being so comparable to, you know, the F23, Viper, or the Genesis or all the different cameras that we use. In fact, we’re using the 5D more and more and more and that’s a cheap camera that you can get from the - a (consumer) line anywhere in the country.

I think that with the technology finally getting to the place where anybody with a story can tell it, it’s a really exciting time to be someone who wants to tell a story. So, I’d like to do something like that I think and see where I fall on my face there.

Jamie Ruby: Okay. Well, I hope you don’t fall on your face, but okay. Thanks.

Colin Ferguson: Well, at least really it’s like I’m fine with that. I just want to like, “Oh, that’s where I sucked.” It’s like, “Okay, I can fix that,” you know?

Jamie Ruby: All right. Thank you.

Operator: Ms. Liggins, there are no further questions at this time.

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude the conference call for today...

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