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By Suzanne

Interview with Matt Frewer of "Eureka" on SyFy 9/9/09

I was so excited to learn that I might get to talk to this man. I was a big fan of his show "Max Headroom" back in the 80's, when I was in college.  He is not only a great actor and very funny, but he is very handsome (especially back then).  When that show got canceled, I watched his sitcom "Doctor, Doctor", which I loved. Over the years, he has been on many many TV shows and movies, generally doing outstanding character roles.

Here is the conference call/interview that I, and others, had with him. The purpose of it was to promote his return to the SyFy show "Eureka" last week. Unfortunately, I did not receive the transcript until this week. I apologize to you for that, and I hope you find the interview interesting nonetheless.

You can watch Eureka on SyFy, Fridays at 9/8 c, plus it does repeat later in the week. Also, you can watch it on iTunes. It's an awesome show, very smart, funny, and well worth watching.

Coordinator: Hello and welcome to the Eureka conference call. At the request of NBC this call is being recorded for instant replay purposes; a transcript of the call is also being made. With us on today's call are Kevin Endsley of NBC and Michelle Rosenblatt of Syfy.

Michelle Rosenblatt: Hi everyone. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time. We're very excited that Matt Frewer has agreed to answer some questions. He's going to be coming back as Taggart this Friday, September 11 at 9:00 pm on Eureka. So let's start the call.

Coordinator: Thank you. If you would like to ask a question please press star 1; to withdraw your request press star 2. The first question comes from Troy Rogers, deadbolt.com.

Troy Rogers: Hi Matt, how are you?

Matt Frewer: Very well, Troy. Thank you.

Troy Rogers: Now it's good to have Taggart back. I just wanted to know what was it like being directed by Joe Morton?

Matt Frewer: Actually it was great. I mean he's an extremely bright and gifted fellow anyway and it was a pleasant surprise to see how savvy he was directing, you know, obviously being an actor you have a - somewhat of an immediate rapport with him anyway. And there was kind of a shorthand there.

But on top of that the was just great fun. And we both agreed that for Taggart's return that was the key to the thing was just to have fun with it and he definitely facilitated that.

Troy Rogers: Nice. Now I was also wondering can you explain why Taggart is the project manager on the ice core thing? I thought he was the resident dog catcher, animal expert guy?

Matt Frewer: Yeah, so did I. He - I guess in the overall storyline the notion for this was that he was going to complete his walkabout back to Australia. And the whole deal with Taggart is that he always gets waylaid somewhere interesting. And this was his next port of call was to do ice core samples - take ice core samples in the Arctic so there you have it.

Troy Rogers: Okay. So he's actually the guy the found that?

Matt Frewer: Yes.

Troy Rogers: Okay all right. And one more thing a little off topic but I thought you looked really cool as a White Knight. And I just wanted to know what can fans expect from Alice in December?

Matt Frewer: Oh it's - well it's an updated version of the story. And much darker in tone than the - than Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. But visually it's amazing. And it's - it was great fun to do. And Nick Willing, the director, did a brilliant job on it. And I think it's - it's going to do really well. I have high hopes for that one.

Troy Rogers: Yeah it looks really good. Well thanks a lot, Matt. Good to see you back in Eureka.

Matt Frewer: Thank you, Troy. Thanks.

Coordinator: The next question comes from Suzanne Lanoue, TV Megasite.

Suzanne Lanoue: Hi Matt. Thank you for talking to us.

Matt Frewer: Oh you're very welcome Suzanne.

Suzanne Lanoue: I was very excited when they said I could talk to you last week but I was on a flight - during - when the original time was and I was like oh no. I'm a big fan ever since Max Headroom, and I also loved Doctor Doctor.

Matt Frewer: Oh thanks a lot, thank you.

Suzanne Lanoue: I was so mad when they canceled it.

Matt Frewer: Yeah, yeah, join the club.

Suzanne Lanoue: Yeah. So you were in Watchmen and you've been doing a lot of projects lately. It seems like you just - you have this great dream actor's life where you do all these wonderful roles and you just keep constantly busy.

Matt Frewer: Yeah, I'm very lucky that way, blessed in fact. It was - I do lots - I've always felt that the idea when you're on your deathbed is, you know, to do lots of different - to say that you've done lots of different interesting things not, you know, how expensive a lining you can get for your coffin, you know.

Suzanne Lanoue: Right. Well do you have any special secret to - besides being a talented actor?

Matt Frewer: Oh God, I don't know. I mean, I've always sort of had this - this word lodged in my head, quicksilver. And I think it's wise not to pigeon-hole yourself because there's so many people that are willing to do it for you. So I - I like the feeling of being able to slip in and slip out of things and not be so cemented into one image or one role that you can't escape from it.

I mean, that said the Max Headroom thing I was, you know, lucky in a way that the barrier of the rubber makeup provided a certain anonymity that I could hide.

Suzanne Lanoue: Yeah, that's - well you've certainly done what you set out to do.

Matt Frewer: Oh thanks.

Suzanne Lanoue: And do you think - what did you think when they suddenly took this sort of flirtation you had with Jo and then revved it up and then...

Matt Frewer: And then whisked it away?

Suzanne Lanoue: Yeah.

Matt Frewer: It's sort of like real life I guess. I don't know. I guess, you know, I was disappointed that we weren't able to see the breakup on camera, you know. But that was, you know, the technical demands of the season and I understood why that happened.

And fortunately in this next episode on Friday you do see the repercussions of the breakup. You know, I mean, they're both pretty weird characters and in a way you can kind of go yeah I can sort of see why these two would satellite around each other and eventually land and ultimately why it wouldn't work too.

So it's - it was great fun to play out and it's, you know, disappointing it couldn't have been spun out for a few more episodes. But there we have it.

Suzanne Lanoue: Right, well I'm glad we get to see resolution. I didn't like when they sort of did a throwaway.

Matt Frewer: Yeah.

Suzanne Lanoue: Oh he's too old for you. It's like what?

Matt Frewer: Right, yeah, yeah, I know. Oh well there we are.

Suzanne Lanoue: Thank you.

Matt Frewer: Methuselah, you know.

Suzanne Lanoue: Thank you.

Coordinator: The next question comes from Jim Iaccino, Media Boulevard Magazine.

Jim Iaccino: Hi Matt.

Matt Frewer: Hi Jim.

Jim Iaccino: Hi. I've been a fan of yours for a long time .I remember you in not only Max Headroom but a regular in PSI Factor and (Aiken) plus all these new movies, Dawn of the Dead and Watchmen. I mean, apart from Jim Taggart's character in Eureka what one film or series did you really enjoy making?

Matt Frewer: You mean lately or throughout...

Jim Iaccino: Or throughout your entire career, you know.

Matt Frewer: I don't know, there - I guess all these things are kind of like - they're like house guests and, you know, some are unwanted and you can, you know, and you're quite happy to show them the door and other ones you, you know, you really long for them to come back and you mean it when you say please, you know, please anytime, the door is always open.

And I definitely felt that way about something I just completed, the White Knight on Alice.

Jim Iaccino: Okay.

Matt Frewer: It's - for some reason that one really got under my skin.

Jim Iaccino: Cool. And is there a possibility you think that if the ratings really go through the roof that they might make more or even...

Matt Frewer: Oh God, yeah, I mean, that would be fantastic. That would a wonderful thing to work on on a more long-term basis, absolutely. And, yeah, yeah, fingers crossed. I mean we live in hope, you know, we'll see how it does in December.

Jim Iaccino: Cool And one final question about Jim Taggart and his role in Eureka, can we assume that you will be alive at the end of this episode with the possibility of maybe more?

Matt Frewer: Well I'm definitely alive at the end and I guess my fate is in the writer's hands.

Jim Iaccino: Okay. Well that's one of the reasons why I really tuned into Eureka from the start because I really didn't know too much about Collin Ferguson but I knew a lot about you and so that was one of the reasons. I really enjoyed your stint.

Matt Frewer: Oh thank you very much, you're very kind, thank you.

Jim Iaccino: Okay. And I hope to see more of you in the future so take care of yourself.

Matt Frewer: Me too. Thanks so much, thanks a lot.

Coordinator: The next question comes from Drusilla Moorhouse E! Online.

Drusilla Moorhouse: Welcome back to Eureka.

Matt Frewer: Oh thank you, thank you.

Drusilla Moorhouse: I have to say I don't know if you saw anything but your appearance on the preview at Comi-Con probably I think elicited the greatest response from the fans.

Matt Frewer: Oh wow, that's good to hear. Thank you.

Drusilla Moorhouse: So how many episodes are you planning to be on or is it just this one?

Matt Frewer: Gosh, I don't know. I'm rather hoping that if the show the gets picked up then I'll be back for at least a couple more after this one and hopefully more. I mean it's great fun to do and I love the people attached to the show so it's, you know, a happy experience all around. So I just got to - I'm sort of in a wait and see mode.

Drusilla Moorhouse: So as far as - well you filmed this episode - is there any kind of resolution that would mean that you might not come back or...

Matt Frewer: No.

Drusilla Moorhouse: Okay.

Matt Frewer: I mean it's pretty much business as usual once I’m back, you know, I mean after the kind of, you know, initial where have you been, oh I've missed you all we're pretty much right back into the flow of the character interaction. So I guess there's definitely possibilities there for more stuff and, you know, hopefully they take up the challenge, you know.

Drusilla Moorhouse: But this is the only episode you filmed?

Matt Frewer: This is the only one I filmed, yeah.

Drusilla Moorhouse: Okay. Well we hope to see you back soon. You're our favorite.

Matt Frewer: Thank you - thank you very much, me too.

Coordinator: The next question comes from Ian Spelling, sifi.com.

Ian Spelling: Hey there. Thanks for doing this.

Matt Frewer: Oh you're welcome, Ian.

Ian Spelling: I got to ask, did you do this episode just to shut everybody up so they'd stop asking where's Taggart and when are you coming back?

Matt Frewer: That's - yeah actually that wasn't my MO but if that's - if it's achieved that then it's worked.

Ian Spelling: So it's got to make you feel wanted all the appreciation of everybody excited to see you on the thing.

Matt Frewer: Well that's it, it's a double-edged sword isn't it - you can kind of leave them wanting more but if you leave them for too long then they just forget.

Ian Spelling: And really the question I had was about the White Knight character. What interests you about the character? Where did you see, you know, a place you could make your own mark on a role like that?

Matt Frewer: That's a good question. I mean, you know, ever since I was a kid I've always been fascinated by the Arthurian Legend and, you know, the notion of nobility in battle and the - the notion of chivalry. And, you know, that's a - whether to not that's a dying theme in today's world.

And then the offer of the White Knight came along and the writing was just beautiful and it was something that I just leapt at. I mean, it was great fun to do. Nick Willing the director and writer did an immaculate job on it. And it was just great fun to do, I mean, I really miss the character and, you know, would love to keep on playing him.

Ian Spelling: Well that's the question I - just as a follow-up it was your understanding you shot this as kind of a backdoor pilot or was it a one-off and now everybody is saying hey it's really cool it could wind up being a series?

Matt Frewer: Yeah, I think we're in a wait and see mode. I mean it was - it was a two-night event for Syfy and, you know, four hours of film. And I don't - it wasn't serving as a backdoor pilot but who knows maybe if it does well it could make a series. I mean, that would be fantastic if it did. It was great fun to do and like I said I'd love to do more of it.

Ian Spelling: Good deal. Thank you very much.

Matt Frewer: Thanks.

Coordinator: Once again if you would like to ask a question please press star 1. The next question comes from Jim Iaccino at Media Boulevard Magazine.

Jim Iaccino: Hi Matt again. This is Jim.

Matt Frewer: Oh hi Jim.

Jim Iaccino: Hey, after watching PSI Factor and Taken where you played some interesting characters there I really wanted to know if you personally yourself believe in the paranormal or even aliens from outer space? What's your view?

Matt Frewer: You know, I'm perhaps more from the show me state. I need to sort of to see it. That said I'd be foolish to think that we're the only ones in this vast universe. And but no I kind of need to see it. But like I say that said I do believe that there are intelligent beings out there I just haven't come face to face with them yet.

Jim Iaccino: Okay. And I did especially like you on PSI Factor. I know it was a spin-off of sort of the X Files but unlike the X Files you did do a fantastic job with your character over the years. In fact I think it was on for a couple of years at least four seasons and...

Matt Frewer: Yeah.

Jim Iaccino: ...and you were in I think three of those four seasons. So I really liked your performance.

Matt Frewer: Oh thank you so much, thanks a lot.

Jim Iaccino: Yeah, so take care again.

Matt Frewer: Thanks Jim, thanks.

Coordinator: At this time there are no further questions.

Michelle Rosenblatt: All right well thank you everyone for taking the time, I appreciate it. So don't forget that Eureka airs this Friday at 9:00 pm. The episode is directed by Joe Morton. And Matt will also be starring, as everyone knows, as the White Knight in Alice which premiers this December.

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