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By
Suzanne

Interview with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and
Breckin Meyer of "Franklin & Bash" on TNT 6/5/13
TURNER ENTERTAINMENT
Moderator: Kristina Stafford
June 5, 2013
2:00 pm CT
Operator: Good day everyone and welcome to the Turner
Entertainment Hosted Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer
Franklin and Bash conference call. Today’s conference is
being recorded.
At this time I’d like to turn the call over to Kristina
Stafford. Please go ahead.
Kristina Stafford: Thank for joining the Mark-Paul Gosselaar
and Breckin Meyer conference call. Season three of Franklin
and Bash premiers with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday,
June 19, at 9:00 pm on TNT. The conference call is now open
for questions. Please press star, 1 to ask a question. Thank
you.
Operator: And again that is star, 1 to signal for a
question. If you are on a speakerphone please make sure your
mute function is turned off to allow your signal to reach
our equipment. We do ask at this time that you limit
yourself to one question and re-queue for follow-up. Again
that’s star, 1 for a question.
And we’ll go first to Jamie Ruby with Scifivision.com.
Jamie Ruby: Guys thanks so much for doing the call today.
It’s great to talk to you.
Breckin Meyer: Hi.
Jamie Ruby: So can you talk, sorry, so can you talk a bit
about how Stanton’s changes and also the addition of Rachel
to the firm, can you kind of talk about how that’s going to
change and affect their process at the firm?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Breckin, why don’t you take the first
question?
Breckin Meyer: All right. Thanks Mark-Paul. I will do just
that. I think with the addition of Rachel it is basically,
you know, Stanton always had this kind of blind threat to
us, which was about the New York office, and I think by
bringing Rachel in he really has - I mean he’s gotten a
little close to us and he - it doesn’t hurt to have somebody
behind him, or next to him, who really doesn’t like us.
And I truthfully think Rachel genuinely - she knows we’re
good at our jobs, but I don’t think she likes us very much,
as opposed to Malcolm who really does. And Stanton really
does enjoy Jared and Peter. It reminds him of himself.
And Rachel is much more of a corporate shill where she does
not like them, doesn’t like the way they do business, and
they if they can bring in good clients she’ll tolerate them.
But I think it actually helps Malcolm’s character keep a
tighter leash on us by having Rachel around and by having
Rachel in his hip pocket, so to speak.
I also just bored myself to death answering that question
because the question was good it was my answer I think is
the problem.
Jamie Ruby: No, no it was good.
Operator: And we’ll take our next question from Danielle
Turchiano with L.A. Examiner.
Danielle Turchiano: Hey guys thanks for doing the call. So
in addition to adding Rachel, obviously the big change this
season seems to be that you guys are moving out of the house
and moving to the beach house. How does that open up the
world, if at all, and what kind of crazy adventures can we
expect from these guys on the sands of Malibu?
Breckin Meyer: I’m going to give this over to Mark-Paul
Gosselaar.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: All right I’ll try not to bore everyone
with my answer like you did with yours. Well can we talk
about the circumstances of why we’re living in Malibu
Breckin? Is that a big secret or is that something that we
can talk about?
Breckin Meyer: No you can totally talk about it, but I’ve
got to tell you you’re off to a shit start of not boring
them.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: I agree with that, totally agree. We
are - we need to move somewhere else. We end up moving into
Stanton’s old beach house. And I guess what that does for
the show is it just gives it a different light where, you
know, we were in Silver Lake and now we’re in Malibu, so of
course we’re going to have different characters coming in.
And one of the characters that actually comes in towards the
end of the season is Rob Lowe. He’s our neighbor and there’s
a little storyline with him that’s sort of a runner that
starts in the middle of the season and then ends at the
finale.
But yes the boys are on the beach and, you know, we - it’s
just a different atmosphere. We get to - I mean Breckin gets
to take off his shirt, which is going to bring in huge
ratings and...
Breckin Meyer: Anybody want to see a skinny white guy?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Who doesn’t? That actually is a new
show on TNT, Skinny White Guy.
Danielle Turchiano: Yes.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: But no it gives us a breath of a
different air, yes.
Breckin Meyer: We - I personally like the Silver Lake feel.
There was something sort of dark about it, but it might have
been a little too dark and this kind of lightens it up and,
you know, the guys get to go surfing, and the beautiful
people, and it’s Malibu, who doesn’t love Malibu?
Operator: And we’ll take our next question from Curt Wagner
with RedEye.
Curt Wagner: Hey guys I’m kind of sad you aren’t coming to
Chicago this summer.
Breckin Meyer: We’re sad as well that we’re not coming to
Chicago. How are you doing?
Curt Wagner: Everybody’s asking me about it. I’m doing all
right. So I wanted to find out was it nerve-racking or fun
to strip in front of Heather Locklear?
Breckin Meyer: You know, we’ve both been (stripping) off
camera for so long with Heather that I think it was really
comfortable because we’ve been, no, I think I will say, you
know, we did the first - the season premier with Piers
Morgan where we’re naked and I was the one who drew the
small straw, so to speak.
I was sitting next to Heather with my little naked cover and
pack over me and I realized while I’m sitting there that
this woman’s been married to Tommy Lee, who’s not less
endowed than me, but it was a little nerve-racking.
And I think in general when you have to be like naked on
screen or shirtless and stuff it’s not the most comfortable
experience and being next to Heather who has been around
larger men ((inaudible)).
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Well Piers Morgan he was a good sport
as well and having to do that - having to - we had to
actually physically stand up in front Piers pretty much
naked and he was a good sport about it.
Curt Wagner: Well Heather, on our call earlier today, said
you guys had nice butts, so.
Breckin Meyer: Well she’s not wrong.
Curt Wagner: So there you go. Tell me about having Heather
on. Has it been a lot of fun with her and did she come in
and was it just kind of clicking right away and everything?
Breckin Meyer: Yes. Mark-Paul do you want to do this?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Yes she’s a sweetheart. I mean she came
onset, she’s always prepared, and she fit right in with the
family, and has a great sense of humor and doesn’t take
herself too seriously. She was a perfect fit for all of us
on the set and the characters. And yes I think she had a
good time. We had a good time with her. She’s - yes she fit
right in.
Operator: And we’ll take our next question from Suzanne
Lanoue with The TV MegaSite.
Suzanne Lanoue: Hi guys how are you doing?
Breckin Meyer: Good. How are you?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Hi.
Suzanne Lanoue: I’m good. I love the show and especially the
cast is great. Are there any - you have a new cast member,
the blonde girl that’s moving in next door. Can you tell us
more about her?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: The blonde, oh the doctor...
Suzanne Lanoue: The Australian.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Yes Nicky, played by Nicky Whelan. She
and I have sort of a romantic little thing going on that
sort of - I guess it travels throughout the whole arch of
the show this season. But yes she’s a single mother, she’s a
kinesiologist, she’s blonde, she’s probably a perfect woman
for Bash.
And yes they try to make things work throughout the whole
season. So it’s just a - it’s a fun little, you know, little
relationship color that we throw in this season. And then
Breckin actually has...
Suzanne Lanoue: Well I was just going to - go ahead.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: What was that?
Suzanne Lanoue: I was going to ask that.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Yes Breckin talk about your
relationship Breckin.
Breckin Meyer: My relationship, we bring back, which was -
we had a guest on the first season, Rhea Seehorn, who plays
D.A. Swatello, who her big quote that I loved from the first
season was she wanted to stab herself in the eye with my
tiny little body because she just hated Jared and hated
Peter and we always beat her in court.
And this, you know, Rhea’s on - Rhea was on Whitney for the
last two seasons, I guess, so we couldn’t get her that
often. And now we were lucky enough to work it out that she
could come and do a couple of episodes. And I think I speak
for Mark-Paul and I both, she is one of our favorite guest
stars we’ve had on the show. She’s just so game and so much
fun and she’s such a fun adversary for Jared and Peter.
And this season she’s back and Jared and her go toe-to-toe
and end up, even more so, end up - it gets a little heated
in the argument department and then it gets a little heated
in the bedroom, which is nice and fun. And so Jared has some
angry sex this season, which is also another show coming to
TNT called Angry Sex.
Operator: And we’ll take our next question from Dan Pedersen
with We Heart TV.
Dan Pedersen: Hey guys how are you doing?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Hi Dan.
Breckin Meyer: Hi, what’s going on?
Dan Pedersen: Not a lot. Yes I had a question about working
with Malcolm McDowell. I think most of us know him from his
role in A Clockwork Orange and he seems like a pretty
intimidating guy, but what’s he like to work with?
Breckin Meyer: Well he’s great. Mark-Paul - I mean really
this show lives or dies with Malcolm, Mark-Paul Gosselaar
and I’s relationship. And ever since the beginning Malcolm’s
just so game. He’s been doing this so long he’s kind of been
through all of the bullshit and he’s seen prima donnas and
whatnot and he just loves working and he loves having a good
time and he really enjoys the character and we just, I
think, Mark-Paul and I both just adore him.
You know, we went up to Ohio to go golfing with him and we
were just kind of giddy that we get to, you know, I love
that I can call Malcolm McDowell my buddy, you know, he’s so
great. And he sets a really great tone on the set, which is
know your stuff and we can have fun, but know your stuff.
And yes he’s just fantastic. Mark-Paul do you want to add
anything to that?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: No I mean everyone always asks, “Is he
as terrifying in person as he is on the screen?” And I mean
he can be, I guess, but you just realize what a terrific
actor he is and just a terrific person in general. Family
man, you know, with his three little boys and his wife and
they’re just - they’re all lovely. I mean you can’t say a
bad thing about Malcolm.
Operator: And we’ll take a follow-up from Jamie Ruby with
Scifivision.com.
Jamie Ruby: Hi again. So do you think this season because of
Rachel that the two of them are going to have to grow up a
little bit maybe?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Yes I mean I don’t think they
necessarily grow up. They just - there’s just now someone
that’s pushing back. I think what we - what happened in the
last season is that there were no boundaries for the guys.
They kind of ran amuck, especially being equity partners
with the firm, but there needed to be someone above them.
And I think the show is its best when Franklin and Bash are
up against some form of authority, someone above them. And
whether they get that from a judge or whether they get that
from, now, Rachel I think it strengthens our show.
So I don’t necessarily think they grow up. They kind of
discuss the fact that they - are they going to continue this
lifestyle forever. They are in talks of, you know, when we
move is this - do we move separately or are we going to live
together? But growing up - I think they are pretty grown up.
They just have a different approach to things.
Operator: And we’ll take another question from Danielle
Turchiano with L.A. Examiner.
Danielle Turchiano: Hey again. I was actually hoping you
guys could talk about translating your relationship and your
working, well working relationship, from Franklin and Bash
to Men at Work. And Mark-Paul if you could talk a little bit
about your guest appearance on that show and Breckin, you
know, was it just literally saying to him, “Hey come be on
my show?”
Breckin Meyer: Yes, I’m sorry, what was the first part of
the question about our working relationship?
Danielle Turchiano: Yes translating your working
relationship from one show to the other.
Breckin Meyer: Oh I think - I mean Mark-Paul and I, and it’s
rare, but we have such a good working relationship and a
personal relationship that it makes going to work just fun.
I mean we have such a short hand with each other and we
definitely know each other well enough to know when to leave
the other one alone, or to bug the other one or not and we
have just a great time.
And the second we started Men at Work it was just a matter
of - it wasn’t a matter of if, it was just a matter of when
can I have Mark-Paul on the show and when can I have - what
would be the right role. And there were a couple of times
and finally schedules lined up for the season finale when
Mark-Paul was available.
And it was great because it’s a fun episode with a ton of
people. I mean there’s J.K. Simmons, and Kevin Corrigan, and
Amy, I’m sorry, not Amy Smart, Meredith Hagner is in there,
it’s a big wedding thing and Mark-Paul is there and it was
kind of like our big fun Love Boat premier. So I was glad to
be able to bring him.
And as far as our working relationship honestly, Mark-Paul
can tell you if it’s different, but I - it’s really similar
to how we work on Franklin and Bash. We just we both kind of
just collaborate all of the time.
Operator: And as a reminder if you would like to signal for
a question please press star, 1. We’ll go next to Suzanne
Lanoue with The TV MegaSite.
Suzanne Lanoue: Hi again. You were saying before about...
Breckin Meyer: I didn’t let Mark-Paul say anything on that,
I’m sorry, I didn’t let Mark-Paul answer that question and I
should let him speak.
Suzanne Lanoue: Oh sorry. Go ahead if you want.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: No, no, no that’s okay. I put it on
mute every time you speak, so I didn’t really know whether
or not you finished.
Suzanne Lanoue: You were saying before that Jared gets a
girlfriend and has some sex. Does it - so that means we get
to see you with your shirt off again?
Breckin Meyer: My shirt’s definitely - well now, you know,
once they moved us to the beach that was kind of...
Suzanne Lanoue: A given?
Breckin Meyer: Once they said we were going to the beach we
both went to the gym.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Speak for yourself buddy.
Suzanne Lanoue: So and then my other question would be are
we going to get to see, I’m blanking on her name now, Claire
Coffee again?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: She did not make an appearance this
last season. She’s kind of busy.
Suzanne Lanoue: Yes still on Grimm. All right thanks a lot
you guys.
Operator: And we’ll go next to Craig Byrne with (Caselighttv.com).
Craig Byrne: Hi, thanks for speaking with us. At how long in
the, sorry about that, how long in the season are the guys
going to stand for having their office split up?
Breckin Meyer: Not long.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Yes that goes on for quite a bit. I
don’t know, depending on how we air the shows, how long that
wall stays up, but it stays up for at least three episodes
or so. Yes a little longer than the boys would have liked,
but it’s definitely a tactic used by Rachel to try to split
them up and really just to show that she has the power to do
it more than anything else. Breckin?
Breckin Meyer: Yes I believe what you just said. I think we
- the guys don’t like the wall as much as Mark-Paul and I
didn’t like having the wall there. So we definitely tried to
get it down as quick as possible.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: That’s true.
Operator: We’ll go to Dan Pedersen We Heart TV.
Dan Pedersen: Hey again. You guys have a lot of pretty cool
guest stars on this season and I was wondering if there was
anybody who were just dying to have on the show for next
season?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Oh for next season.
Dan Pedersen: Or this season if they’re still shooting, you
know.
Breckin Meyer: Yes. I don’t know we always talk about - I
mean, you know, we have our dream cast. I know we always
wish that we could get Jeff Bridges to come on as, you know,
Peter’s dad or something fun like that.
Dan Pedersen: Yes.
Breckin Meyer: I think honestly we’ve been really lucky with
the cast we get and occasionally we get to even, you know,
make suggestions and bring people on. But I think there’s
just so many. I mean I think Mark-Paul’s mentioned Jeff
Bridges. I’ve mentioned I’ve been dying to have Michael
Keaton come on, just people, you know, if you have a show
you’re hoping that like you can go down your wish list and
be like, “Well I’ve always wanted to work with this person,
so I wonder if we could get them?”
Operator: We’ll go next to Jamie Ruby with Scifivision.com.
Jamie Ruby: Hi again. So what continues to challenge you the
most?
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Working with Breckin. That’s pretty
challenging. It’s been three years now. He hasn’t really
changed. I thought that from when we filmed the pilot that
he would change. You know, we dated then and then, you know,
we had the marriage and in the marriage he just never
changed. So that’s been pretty challenging. What about you
sweetheart?
Breckin Meyer: What has been the challenges of - is that the
question?
Jamie Ruby: Yes.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: The most challenging.
Breckin Meyer: What are the most challenging? Honestly I
think I mean it’s the first time I’ve ever done a show. I’ve
never done an hour long drama and never done something
that’s gone past, you know, season one, I think, or season
two really.
But I think keeping it fresh and interesting for, not just
the audience, but also for the actors, so you want to keep
adding things and you want to keep the show going. You want
it to be true to what it was, at the same time finding ways
to make it new and exciting and interesting. And I think
that’s always a challenge with shows that go on and knock on
wood we get to keep doing it and hopefully keep evolving the
characters.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: I mean all kidding aside though, for us
showing up to work is not a problem. You know, we absolutely
love the people that we work with, we like playing these
characters, we - I mean every day we come to work prepared
and ready to work.
And that’s - it’s a shame that we only get to do ten because
we always say ten goes by very quickly for us. And we would
love to do more because we have such a great time on the
set, and we have a great time with each other, and with the
writers, and the producers, and the cast and the crew. I
mean we just have a great environment to work in. So there’s
not much of a challenge for us to work on this show.
Operator: And we’ll go next to Dan Pedersen, We Heart TV.
Dan Pedersen: Hey guys again. You guys have a really good
onscreen rapport and you’re really funny together. Is all of
that scripted or do you do any improv or anything like that?
Breckin Meyer: You know, there’s a lot of...
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: No we do improv quite a bit. I mean
Breckin is, obviously he’s talented in writing, so he sort
of can write. I mean I think you kind of - you do that
right? I don’t really know what your process is, but I think
you do write a little bit at night, like alternates and
stuff like that and I kind of riff off of your alternate.
But and we...
Breckin Meyer: Yes, yes and I think we, you know, knock on
wood, we’ve been - we’ve - the creators of the show, the
exec producers, know now. We kind of have all banded
together. We know we’re all very comfortable with who these
characters are and it’s now gotten to a point where we’re,
you know, we stray a bit for just the fun kind of ins and
outs of scenes we riff a lot. The night before I’ll go over
something and come up with an idea of maybe just an
alternate reference or something, if it’s a pop culture
thing or whatever.
But we always clear it with the producers and say, “Hey what
do you think of this?” And it’s such a collaborative
environment down there that we just start riffing and to me
that’s some of where, even if it’s just for us to keep it
exciting and interesting, that’s something where the best
stuff on the show, in my opinion comes from is just the
relationship between Jared and Peter, the little riffing
they do; the capping on your friend; the goofing off.
And a lot of that comes on the day with Mark-Paul and I just
kind of giving the scene a couple of, you know, once you do
the scene a couple of times you find something new, you find
something fresh and it works. So we...
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: And we do that pretty...
Breckin Meyer: ...we’ve been given a lot of leash to - we’ve
been given a lot of leeway to be able to riff a bit.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: And the producers and writers know that
we do it pretty selflessly and we’re - a lot of the times if
there’s a note from you and I to each other it’s for the
other person. Like if there’s an alternate we sometimes hand
over that alternate to the other character saying, “This
would be funny if you did this.” So they know that we’re
doing it for the betterment of the show and we’re not doing
it in a way to be selfish and bring the spotlight onto one
character or the other.
Operator: And Miss Stafford we have no further questions in
the queue at this time.
Kristina Stafford: Thank you so much for joining today’s
call. As a reminder season three of Franklin and Bash
premiers with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, June 19,
at 9:00 pm on TNT. A transcript of this call will be
available within 24 hours. Thank you Mark-Paul and Breckin
and thank you all for participating.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Thank you.
Breckin Meyer: Thank you.
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