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Bloggers & Sisters - October 27, 2008
Luke Macfarlane Interview (Part One)
Hey there, readers, this is your dutiful intern Jeff signing on to 'Bloggers & Sisters' for the first time. Upon wandering onto the fourth floor of Stage 6 in September, I've had the pleasure of leeching onto the talented writing staff of 'Brothers & Sisters,' hoping to retain an ounce of their talent, creativity, and general awesomeness.
Expect great things this season.
Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Luke Macfarlane, who plays Scotty Wandell, husband of Kevin Walker, and pester him with some questions about his career, his Canadian heritage, and of course, his inclusion in the 'Yummy Yummy Screw' section of Perez Hilton.
Jeff: You're a series regular this season, correct?
Luke: Yes. It's very nice -- as an actor you always want a stable job, so…Brothers & Sisters looks like a pretty stable job.
Jeff: Is this your first series?
Luke: Actually, I was on a series that only lasted a season. On FX, it was called Over There.
Jeff: So, you're from Canada?
Luke: Yes, a place called, London, Ontario. It's about two hours southwest of Toronto. It's a college town…Yeah, it was actually a very good place to be raised.
Jeff: So you started at the beginning of the series?
Luke: I was in the third episode. In the first season, I think I did seven episodes, maybe eight. And then I came back in the second season, and did the same thing. Yeah, lo and behold, it turned into something permanent, which is always really kind of a nice thing. You know, it actually came as a bit of shock.
Jeff: Really?
Luke: Yeah. I was coming back and I was doing some of these episodes and I was still a guest star. I was talking with Matthew and I was like, "Do you know what they have in mind for us?" and he said, "Yeah, I think we're getting married." And I said, "What?"
Jeff: Nice.
Luke: Yeah, the actors are always the last to know.
Jeff: How do you think Scotty's evolved over the last few seasons?
Luke: He's definitely changed a lot. It's interesting with TV because you kind of jump in and you really don't know where the narrative is going to go, so you make bold choices, and you kind of get to tweak as you go along. And unlike with a play script, you don't know where it ends. So yeah, he's definitely changed a lot. I think Scotty's now less concerned with sticking his nose in other people's business. I think he's become more confident in himself.
Jeff: So the wedding episode ? you mentioned you were sort of the last to know ? how was shooting that?
Luke: Oh, it was really wonderful. It kind of felt like we were doing something big, and it was done with great care from the costumes to the script. I know that David had spoken with someone who had officiated gay marriages, so that the words would be accurate and in line. And it was beautiful, you know. I felt like we all felt like were doing something special.
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| Luke Macfarlane, as Scotty, says "I Do" |
Jeff: And then with Proposition 8…?
Luke: Yeah, it was interesting ? that happened after we did it. There was kind of that great synergy that happens when your work is in line with the world. It was very exciting, and continues to be exciting.
Jeff: So have you noticed a lot of the fan reaction to your character?
Luke: I actually try not to pay attention to that stuff. It's always funny when I hear people talk about Scotty, like "Oh Scotty, he's a fan favorite!" So I was like, "Oh, that's nice!" Really, though, from my personal experience I try to stay away from message boards and all that stuff.
Jeff: So you didn't see your photo spread on Perez Hilton on Monday?
Luke: I heard! It's always funny how your friends from high school are the ones who tip you off. I got two e-mails from friends, like, "Hey ? you're on Perez Hilton!" I try to stay away. Because you're always going to look, and see all the nice stuff, and then you're going to come across that one line that annihilates you, and you're just going to feel bad for a week. So, I learned my lesson early on.
Jeff: So you have a good working relationship with Matthew Rhys?
Luke: Yeah, very good. I think we both come from theatre backgrounds, so our approach to the material is very similar. Yeah, he's an incredible actor, an incredible guy. I couldn't be happier.
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Bloggers & Sisters - November 4, 2008
Luke Macfarlane Interview (Part Two)
Writers' Intern Jeff Bibeau continues his interview with Luke Macfarlane...
Jeff: So you went to Juilliard?
Luke: Yeah, it was wonderful. As a guy who came from London, Ontario, I didn't know really anything about the theatre. It was a perfect place for me to go because I could be stripped down, you know… do the whole broken down and built back up thing. I didn't have a lot of ideas of what theatre meant.
Jeff: Do you prefer stage to screen?
Luke: It's an impossible question. But both are very different. It's been, frankly, too long since I went back to stage. So I'm looking forward to hopefully doing something on stage soon.
Jeff: Any possibilities?
Luke: No. I'm locked in. ABC owns me. (Laughs)
Jeff: So are you recognized a lot out and about?
Luke: Um…no, I'm not really recognized to tell you the truth. I had a very nice girl push me in the airport last week (Laughs) But no, I'm actually not recognized that much. I grow my beard out and wear a hat. (Laughs)
Jeff: So any other exciting projects coming up?
Luke: Well, the two other passions in my life are biking and cello. I have a race coming up which I'm looking forward to ? a 40 mile mountain bike race. And, uh, I started taking cello again ? I played for thirteen years and I gave it up when I went to Julliard ? and I just started taking lessons again about 6 months ago. Sometime in the next year, I want to have a recital.
Jeff: Do you prefer the United States to Canada?
Luke: You know, the one thing I say about that is that I love going home and it's a great place. I would never turn in my Canadian passport. But I will say that America feels like a good place to be a young person. There's just so many possibilities and job opportunities and such.
Jeff: Do you get to go home a lot?
Luke: Not as much as I want to. I got to go home for Canadian Thanksgiving, and I go home for Christmas.
Jeff: Nice. And your family is all still there?
Luke: Yeah.
Jeff: Do they get to come down here a lot?
Luke: Yes. My twin sister has visited me, and my older sister and my mother have all come individually. When you live in Los Angeles, people tend to want to visit you, especially during the winter months. (Laughs)
Jeff: Without giving too much away, what can we expect from Scotty this season?
Luke: His career is going to take an upturn, so that's exciting. He'll finally be making money like the rest of the Walkers. (Laughs) And, you know, they're doing a really good job of keeping the relationship between Scotty and Kevin really honest, with little tensions here and there.
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| Scotty proves his mad culinary skills, it's all about presentation |
Jeff: So married life is good?
Luke: Married life is good so far. No roadblocks yet.
Jeff: Scotty's a chef ? do you cook?
Luke: No, I love cooking, I love food. But…I'm not a cook. I have fantasies of it one day ? in fact, my friend and I have been talking about taking a cooking class. But, no. (laughs)
Jeff: Any other similarities or differences to Scotty?
Luke: We look shockingly similar. (Laughs)
Jeff: Yeah, I noticed that. It's very disarming.
Luke: Of course, when you're on a television show, you're always drawing from your own experiences. I admire Scotty very much, I think he has a lot of tenacity.
Jeff: So you're not as tenacious?
Luke: No, I don't think I am. (Laughs) Scotty's drawn me out a bit, I think.
Jeff: Is there any approach you like to take when you're working on a character?
Luke: It was funny you know, one of my favorite things is doing all the research. When I do a play, I read as much as I can about it. It was funny, when I got this role, I didn't know really to start with the research. Scotty didn't have a job, and I really didn't know anything about him. I remember going to Facebook and going to people's profiles and trying to like steal traits from them. Thinking that I could find Scotty somewhere in the Facebook universe and I could somehow look at a picture of somebody and copy stuff. But there wasn't a lot of research I could really do on Scotty.
Jeff: (Laughs) You can drown in the Facebook universe.
Luke: Exactly, and just go for miles and miles and miles. But, you know, since he's become a chef, I've been reading a lot of cook books. I like to read; I like to research.
Luke was an absolutely pleasure to hang out with and was more than happy to take time out of his day to talk to me, and to the readers – so keep an eye on Scotty this season and Luke in all his future endeavors.
You can catch Luke and that crazy Walker clan every Sunday at 10pm on ABC – but if you're on this blog, you should already know that. This season is going to be awesome – take it from the intern. I'm not on payroll.
Until next time –
Jeff Bibeau
Writers’ Intern
