The Gaily Grind - 22/Aug/2013

[Source]

Is Recently Out ‘Prison Break’ Star Wentworth Miller Dating Actor Luke Macfarlane?

by Adrian Garcia | on August 22, 2013

After “Prison Break” star Wentworth Miller, age 41, came out as gay Wednesday in an open letter addressed to Russia declining an invitation over that nation’s anti-gay law, Luke Mcfarlane is now making headlines as his rumored boyfriend.

Miller and Macfarlane have been linked together since 2007 after Perez Hilton forcibly outed Wentworth and then said the two were dating according to a ‘reliable source.’ In this picture, the two are riding around in the car laughing. In October, Wentworth went on to deny any gay rumors in an interview with German In Style magazine, adding that he would like to have a girlfriend and a family, but for the time being he wanted to focus on acting.

According to the Perez Hilton June 24, 2007 article:

“Wentworth and Luke have been secretly dating for almost six months now,” says an impeccable source close to the pair. “They’ve been very quiet about their relationship, obviously, as Wentworth is not out of the closet.”
Things between the pair are so serious that the couple are talking about moving in together, we hear.
“They spend a lot of time at each other’s houses,” says our mole. “Wentworth has been pretty reclusive since he’s become famous and he’s been even more of a shut-in since he started dating Luke.”
The pair are so close that McFarlane has even accompanied Miller to Asia to film some recent commercials and adverts, our source tells us.

Luke Mcfarlane, a Canadian actor who played the character Scotty on Brothers & Sisters, bravely came out in a 2008 interview with the Canadian Globe and Mail. Regarding his decision to come out after years of speculation in the press regarding his sexuality, Macfarlane said:

I don’t know what will happen professionally … that is the fear, but I guess I can’t really be concerned about what will happen, because it’s my truth. … There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are and what’s been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself – so this is the first time I am speaking about it in this way.

Miller has yet to reveal if he’s dating Macfarlane or anyone in particular at the moment. You can read his ‘coming out’ letter sent Wednesday to the St. Petersburg International Film Fest, declining to participate because of Russia’s anti-LGBT laws.

“I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government,” Miller wrote. “The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.”

*Side Note:If you think you know someone that might be gay, lesbian or bisexual, do not force them out of the closet. Let them decide to come out on their own terms when they are ready. It is no one’s decision but their own to announce their sexuality to you or the world.

CTV - 12/Aug/2013

[Source]

Friendships and relationships are put to the test during an epic brunch-quest on 'Satisfaction'

L-R: Leah Renee as Maggie, Luke Macfarlane as Jason (Photo courtesy of CTV)

by: Nadia Maciel
Date: 8/12/2013 10:27:00 AM

During an epic quest to find a good brunch spot, tensions in friendships and relationships start to grow as Mark decides to have a bro-breakup with Jason and replace him with Simon on this week’s episode of “Satisfaction.”

Because of Jason’s (Luke Macfarlane) busy schedule between school and hanging out with Maggie (Leah Renee), Mark (Ryan Belleville) starts to think that Jason never has any time to hang out with him anymore, and becomes fed up with being on the back-burner of his life.

Check out the latest 'Satisfaction' episodes here

As a “trial separation,” Mark decides to temporarily move out of the apartment he shares with Maggie and Jason, and live with Simon (Pat Thornton), where they discuss the possibility of becoming roommates.

“You’re my R2D2 to my C-3PO,” Mark tells Simon excitedly in a preview for the episode.

Check out photos from the episode here

Meanwhile, Maggie (Leah Renee) also becomes increasingly irritated with Jason’s indecisiveness after he is indifferent when she tells him about a promotion she has been offered at work – leaving Maggie to wonder if Jason really does care about her future.

Still vying to get Mark’s attention after worrying he will be replaced by Simon as his best friend and wanting to prove that he does indeed care about Maggie’s life decisions, Jason divides his attention between Mark and Maggie throughout the day, as the gang looks for a good brunch spot in Toronto.

"Satisfaction" airs Mondays at 8pm ET on CTV. You can also watch full episodes online at CTV.ca.

CTV - 08/Jul/2013

[Source]

‘Satisfaction's' Luke Macfarlane says his new comedic role is a dream job

By Sheri Block
Date: 7/8/2013 10:11:00 AM

Luke Macfarlane has studied at Juilliard, starred in countless theatre productions and won acclaim for his dramatic acting in film and television, but the London, ON-native says he couldn’t imagine a better next step than playing a comedic role on “Satisfaction.”

“I really wanted to do a comedy. It was a goal of mine. I want to have a long career and I think the thing you need for that is to have diversity,” says Macfarlane, who previously played a leading role on “Brothers and Sisters” and guest roles on “Person of Interest” and “Smash.”

“It’s been a dream job in so many ways.”

In “Satisfaction” Macfarlane plays Jason, a PhD student in a long-term relationship with Maggie (Leah Renee). Together the couple navigates the challenges of being in a couple and being in their 20s, alongside their single friend and roommate, Mark (Ryan Belleville).

Macfarlane says the show – and the hilarious situations the characters find themselves in – offers a fresh perspective to this often tumultuous time.

“It’s a comedy that feels relevant – it’s a single camera, it’s not a multi-camera, and it doesn’t feel like a throwback to anything. I’m just grateful to try this thing on that I’ve always wanted to try and hopefully be moderately successful at it.”

Though his degree at Juilliard, theatre experience and dramatic roles didn’t train him for acting on a sitcom per se, Macfarlane says there are plenty of transferable skills.

“There’s a lot of comedy in theatre and ‘Brothers and Sisters’ certainly had comedic moments,” says Macfarlane.

Even though there has been comedic elements in everything he has done, “Satisfaction”  is the first time Macfarlane’s sole focus has been on making things funny and he says it’s all about not over-thinking things.

“That’s part of comedy. You kind of have to access the softer part of your brain and just look for the joke.

“I don’t do standup like Ryan (Belleville), but I am willing to embrace it.”

In addition to the challenge of working on a comedy series, Macfarlane also enjoys being back in his home country to film the show.

“It’s amazing. This is the first time I’ve lived back in Canada for more than a week in 15 years. I see all my high school buddies, which is helpful for this, too. I went to a bachelor party (recently) and I felt like I was in an episode of this show,” he says with a laugh.

He also likes that the show is not hiding the fact it films in Toronto.

“It’s not some generic ‘anywhere.’ It’s Toronto. We’re not making Don Valley Parkway jokes but we’re not hiding the fact we’re from Canada, which I think is important.”

“Satisfaction” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV. Full episodes are also available online at CTV.ca.

News1130 - 27/Jun/2013

[Source]

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tiffany Brown/AP
Images for Discovery Communications

School may be out, but TV’s still on with a bevy of summer offerings

Bill Brioux, The Canadian Press June 27, 2013 2:20 pm

School’s out, but is TV in? With television now a 52-weeks a year business, plenty of new offerings are available this summer. Some are the usual mindless distractions — witness Nik Wallenda’s tightrope stunt across the Grand Canyon last weekend — plus all those dumb guilty pleasures like “Big Brother” and “America’s Got Talent.”

Yet summer has also been the time of year when two of TV’s most intense dramas — “Breaking Bad” and “Dexter” — return, this year for the last time.

So something for everyone, just like the rest of the year. A look at what might lure you back indoors — or keep you close to your tablet:

NEW CANADIAN ORIGINALS

“The Amazing Race Canada” (CTV, July 15). Olympic hero Jon Montgomery will get to gulp beer from coast to coast as he hosts this all-Canadian version of the popular reality series. “Body Break” fitness couple Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod are among the competitors. The entire series stays within our borders, eliminating hundreds of hours of delays going through customs. Talk about a road block!

“Satisfaction” (CTV, Mondays). This made-in-Toronto comedy stars Luke Macfarlane (“Brothers & Sisters”), Leah Renee (“The Playboy Club”) and Ryan Belleville (“Almost Heroes”) as a couple and their buddy all crammed into the same downtown apartment. Hilarity ensues. Several guest stars are scheduled, including Jerry O’Connell, Jessica Pare (“Mad Men”) and Andy Kindler.

NEW SCRIPTED IMPORTS

“Ray Donovan” (The Movie Network/Movie Central, premieres Sunday). Liev Schreiber stars as Donovan, L.A.’s best professional fixer, the kind of guy who could get even Rob Ford or Paula Deen out of a jam. There are several big names among the cast, including Jon Voight as Donovan’s bad news dad and Elliott Gould as his mentor and partner. There is something ‘seen it before,’ however, to this slick antihero who helps others but can’t straighten out his own messed up family.

“The Bridge” (FX Canada, July 10). Two detectives, one American, one Mexican (Diane Kruger, Demian Bichir), team up to hunt down a cross-border serial killer. Based on a Danish/Swedish drama

“Camp” (NBC, premieres July 10). Rachel Griffiths (“Brothers & Sisters”) stars as a camp counsellor in this bit of summer fluff shot in Australia.

Starting Aug. 4, Showcase has the Brit hit “Broadchurch,” an 8-part murder mystery starring David Tennant (“Doctor Who”).

ALREADY STARTED

“Under The Dome” (CBS/Global, Mondays). Millions caught the series premiere last Monday and may now be trapped under this dome, which inexplicably landed with a thud over a small U.S. town. Canadian Rachelle Lefevre plays a newspaper editor and Dean Norris from “Breaking Bad” is suspicious sheriff “Big Jim” Rennie. From master of suspense Stephen King.

“Saving Hope” (CTV, Tuesdays). A show with perhaps the dumbest premise ever — a love triangle set in a hospital where one guy is in a coma — became last summer’s biggest scripted hit in Canada. Buddy has now woken up and he sees dead people. Guest stars Erin Karpluk, Peter Keleghan, Gregory Smith and Jason Priestley join regulars Michael Shanks, Erica Durance and Daniel Gillies.

Also already underway: Marc Cherry’s “Devious Maids” (Sundays on Lifetime) and the drug cop drama “Graceland” (Thursdays on Bravo).

RETURNING DRAMAS

“Dexter” (The Movie Network, premiering Sunday). The eighth and final season finds our hero (superbly played by Michael C. Hall) still trying to juggle life as a dad, brother and serial killer. A murder at the end of last season had tilted this stayed-too-long series towards what should be a bloody interesting conclusion.

“The Newsroom” (HBO Canada, returns July 14). If you like great characters and actors who all speak like Aaron Sorkin, this show’s for you. All that smartypants dialogue wears me down after a while.

“Breaking Bad” (AMC, returns Aug. 11). There can be no happy ending for Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as this edge-of-your-seat thriller heads to the big Meth bust in the sky. The same night “Bad” returns, AMC launches its new drama, “Low Winter Sun.” The corrupt cop caper is based on a British miniseries, with the setting shifted to Detroit.

Also back are “The Listener” (CTV), “Continuum” (Showcase), “Rookie Blue” (Global), “Rizzoli & Isles” (Bravo), “Suits” (Bravo), “True Blood” (HBO Canada), “Perception” (Bravo) and “Magic City” (Super Channel).

RETURNING COMEDIES

The countdown to the final episode of Winnipeg-produced “Less Than Kind” is on at HBO Canada (Sundays). “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” comes to FX Canada with a catch up airing of Season 8 beginning July 4. “Wilfred” is also back Thursdays on FX Canada. CTV has the new season of “Hot in Cleveland” Sundays.

NEW AND RETURNING REALITY SHOWS

“Supermarket Superstar,” kind of a “Dragons’ Den” for the food industry, launches July 22 on Lifetime. Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson pushes nine beefy contestants past their limits in “The Hero” (Thursdays on Slice). “Summer Camp” (July 19, Slice) is basically “Big Brother” at the beach.

Otherwise “Big Brother” is back for a 15th season (airing constantly on Global/CBS). Also back: “America’s Got Talent” (City), “The Bachelorette” (ABC/OMNI), “MasterChef” (CTV/Fox), “So You Think You Can Dance” (CTV/Fox) and “An Idiot Abroad” (Discovery).

Improv fans can rejoice July 16 when “Whose Line is it Anyway?” finally returns with all new episodes on The CW. Best news of all: Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady are all back.

___

Bill Brioux is a freelance TV columnist based in Brampton, Ont.

CTV - 24/Jun/2013

[Source]

Finding ‘Satisfaction’ in young adulthood the central theme to new CTV comedy

(L-R) Luke Macfarlane (Jason), Leah Renee (Maggie) and Ryan Belleville (Mark) in a scene from 'Satisfaction'

by: Sheri Block
Date: 6/24/2013 9:38:00 AM

In the new CTV comedy series “Satisfaction,” Canadian funnyman Ryan Belleville plays a perpetually single guy trying to figure out how to impress the ladies and wondering where the next party is, all the while trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

This tumultuous period of being in one’s 20s is something that Belleville, an award-winning stand-up comedian, says anyone can connect with.

“I think everyone can (relate) to a certain extent. There’s that, ‘What am I doing?’ The older you get you still feel like, ‘I’m still a kid, right?’ But you realize the rest of the world is saying, ‘No you’re supposed to be a grown up,’” says Belleville, who is also a writer on the show.

“When you’re 19 and partying there’s no consequences to it, but when you’re a little older and you go out and party, you have to go to work the next day, you still have to pay bills.”

The single camera show, now available to watch at CTV.ca, takes a humorous look at the challenges of young adulthood and modern relationships through the eyes of Mark (Belleville), and his friends and roommates Jason (Luke Macfarlane) and Maggie (Leah Renee), a couple in a long-term relationship.

See photos from the episode here

While Jason and Maggie are serious about their commitment to each other, they also see the appeal of Mark’s single lifestyle, and vice versa.

“It’s so easy to romanticize a couple. When we’re alone we want to be single, when we’re together we want to be alone so I think it’s a great contrast and that continues throughout the show,” says Macfarlane, who is also known for his role on the TV show “Brothers and Sisters.”

Renee, who has appeared in everything from “The Playboy Club” to “Degrassi,” says the “grass is always greener” mentality is a theme that comes up a lot on “Satisfaction.”

“Those (relationship questions) are all things you think about and deal with while you’re also trying to figure out what’s the job I’m going to do for the rest of my life, who am I going to be with, where’s my place in the world?”

In the premiere episode, titled “The Blackout Cometh,” a massive power outage sweeps over the city and has Jason and Maggie trying to settle an argument without the use of the Internet, while everyone else comes together to party.

“There’s something about the camaraderie that everyone experienced during the (2003 northeast) blackout, I’m sure a lot of Torontonians lived through . . . that brings out the best and worst in people. Their problems seem relatable and funny,” says Macfarlane.

Meanwhile, Mark tries to save six months worth of thawing frozen food and the financial hardship that would come with its expiry, something Belleville says he can also relate to all too well.

“I was so broke (when I first moved to Toronto) I was eating Minute Rice and I would steal from (my roommates), just condiments, just a little bit of salt or soya sauce to put on my rice, to a point where I got so emaciated that these friends of mine and this girl I was dating a little bit took sympathy on me and food just started showing up at my place.”

“Satisfaction” is based on the real-life experiences of executive producer and creator Tim McAuliffe, who has written for “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,”“The Office” and “Corner Gas.”

When McAuliffe first moved to Toronto from Montreal several years ago, he lived with two friends who were a couple, and experienced many of the things Mark is going through on the show.

“We just had a lot of parties, we had a lot of fun but there also a lot of drama and a lot of very real relationship things. (The couple) was dealing with their things, and I was either in a long distance relationship or I was not, trying to date and stuff. It seems so relatable.”

Over the course of the season, Mark will find himself doing everything from working on his pick- up skills to trying not to get sucked into a relationship.

So is McAuliffe worried he might be revealing a little too much about his personal life?

“All the time,” he says with a laugh. “You’re always wondering, ‘I’m going to sell myself out for a joke,’ but it’s worth it. There’s so many different moments in this series where things that happened are super embarrassing.

“(But) you’ve got to mine those experiences or else it just doesn’t seem believable.”

lfpress.com - 24/Jun/2013

[Source]

London native Luke MacFarlane content landing role in new TV comedy series

By Joe Belanger, The London Free Press
Monday, June 24, 2013 9:23:49 EDT AM

Luke Macfarlane left London 15 years ago to pursue an acting career. (WENN)

It’s been 15 years since Luke Macfarlane left London to pursue an acting career.

But former friends and fans can grab a front row seat to see him in their own homes Monday.

The 33-year-old actor will inhabit the small screen as one of three stars in the new television comedy series, Satisfaction, premiering Monday at 8 p.m. on CTV.

Macfarlane’s already earned his TV stripes playing Scotty Wandell, gay husband of Kevin Walker, in the hit drama series, Brothers and Sisters, that aired on ABC for five seasons ending in 2011.

The new show is described as “a relationship comedy about three 20-somethings struggling with the next step and trying to figure out how to get satisfaction.”

Macfarlane plays the role of Jason Howell, whom he describes as a “nerd working on a PhD in plant genetics” who lives with his girlfriend, Maggie Bronson (Leah Renee), a bartender at a local sports bar, and best buddy, Mark Movenpick (Ryan Belleville), a computer programmer who prefers to be unemployed.

In the series opener, Jason questions his own life path and decides he wants to perform live music. Maggie books him into the open mic spot at the bar before realizing she’d made a mistake. Meanwhile, Mark is in a dry spell and can’t seem to meet women, so Maggie suggests he needs a new “wingman” and suggests a coffee shop owner, Simon.

Macfarlane is a graduate of Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts. He graduated from London Central and then went on to the Juilliard School for the arts in New York where he starred in productions of Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, The School of Night, Blue Window, The Grapes of Wrath, and As You Like It before graduating in 2003.

In 2010, Macfarlane landed a major role in the Tony Award-winning revival of The Normal Heart, in a cast that included Ellen Barkin and Jim Parsons, who famously plays Sheldon Cooper on the hit CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. The Satisfaction premiere follows it on CTV Monday.

Besides his acting career, Macfarlane says his main passion is renovating his Los Angeles heritage home, designed by renowned architect Albert C. Martin, who built Los Angeles City Hall and many other significant buildings in southern California.

The actor, who is openly gay, says he’d love to have a family one day. He said the entertainment industry has made progress in its attitude toward gays and lesbians “but it’s something that still needs to be addressed in our business. A little more acceptance is necessary.”

London music fans may recall Macfarlane as the lead singer in the band, Slipnaught, that included guitarist Graeme Cornies, guitarist Nate Kreiswirth, bassist Dustin Harris, drummer Nick Richard and auxiliary percussionist Jim Lewis. The band broke up in 1999 as the members each pursued their post-secondary education and training.

Kreiswirth and Cornies now live in Toronto writing music for television and movies but keep in touch with their former bandmate.

Macfarlane’s been in Toronto for about four months shooting the new show, returning often to London to visit his mom and old friends.

“I just got a message from my mom (Penny, a retired nurse) asking me to fix a light fixture,” Macfarlane said with a chuckle.

“It’s been great being back. And I love Toronto and getting back to see my mom. She always encourages me and has really being excited about me being nearby.”

joe.belanger@sunmedia.ca

--- --- ---

MORE ABOUT SATISFACTION

Guest stars scheduled to appear throughout the season, include Gordon Pinsent (Away From Her), Jerry O’Connell (The Defenders), Tommy Chong (That 70s Show), Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas), stand-up comedian Andy Kindler (Just for Laughs), and former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark.

Satisfaction is written by creator Tim McAuliffe (The Office), Mark Critch (Just for Laughs), Jason Belleville (Little Mosque on the Prairie), Tim Polley (Dan for Mayor), Jenn Engels (Less Than Kind) and Ryan Belleville.

TV, eh? - 24/Jun/2013

[Source]

Jun
24
2013

Interview: Luke Macfarlane on comedy, sex and getting Satisfaction

Posted by Diane Wild

By Adam Langton for TV, eh?

Tonight, CTV's latest sitcom offering Satisfaction will be debuting at 8pm. The show stars Luke Macfarlane and Leah Renee as a loving couple, with comedian Ryan Belleville playing their best friend and roommate. As detailed in the breakdown, Satisfaction is about struggling with the next step. Whether it's committing to a career, a relationship, or living arrangements, it's not easy being a twenty-something when you're torn between your immature past and your potential future. Luke Macfarlane took a few minutes out of his busy press day to chat with me about the show.

First off, I read that you're from London, Ontario. I actually went to grad school there and I was curious: do you ever make it back for any London Knights games?

No, unfortunately not! I've learned a bit about hockey but was never a big hockey fan. My father worked at the University, however. He was actually the director of Student Health Services for almost twenty years.

Oh wow, good for him! Perhaps he and I crossed paths, who knows?

Well that depends, did you have any psychological counselling?

I think we'll save that for off the record. (laughs)

(Laughs) okay!

 So with your acting background through Over There and Brothers and Sisters and your recent appearance on Person of Interest, you're well known for your drama chops. I was wondering if switching to comedy came as a relief, or is it a challenge?

Oh it's definitely a challenge. It was something that I really, really wanted to do. I actually had a conversation with my agent after I finished Brothers and Sisters. I said you know, when I look at the actors that I really admire, they've all done their time in comedy. And I really, really, really wanted to do it, so I started reading comedy scripts. I got a lot of responses with people saying “I don't know if we think Luke is funny.” Then, it was a relief when I read this script. Not only did I think it was super, super funny, Tim (McAuliffe)'s script, but they also said “we think you're funny too!” So it's definitely something that is scary and a challenge and I'm learning so much. But if you're going to stay in the business for a long time you have to be willing to do everything.

Sounds like a perfect match. So how is the tone, on set? Is it a lighter and goofier tone than you're used to, even when you're not actually rolling? Or is it business as usual?

It's funny. We do laugh a lot, for sure?there's always laughs on set, no matter what. I will say of this show, the pace at which we film is so fast. We just get through so much material. I have never worked this hard in my life, ever; the hours that I've been keeping… when I was doing other shows in the past, I would come in and do a couple of days a week. This is every single day at the crack of dawn. So that's hard, but laughter is the way that we get through the day.

Tell us a little bit about Jason Howell.

Jason Howell is a PhD candidate in plant genetics … so something that's really exciting to a lot of people, I'm sure (laughs). Tim actually intentionally wanted Tim to have a job that sounded really boring. He kind of is the nerd of the group. I've got this beautiful, beautiful, intelligent, quick-witted girlfriend and I think that we wanted him to be smart on the page and maybe not as smart when it came to more practical matters.

Are you an academic type, like Jason?

I do think I am a bit of a nerd, although it's such a cliche for people to say that now. I think I am a nerd. When I was making my decision of what I wanted to do in life I had a very real interest in going into the sciences. And I applied to the Applied Sciences program at [the University of Toronto] and I also auditioned for Juilliard, and I instead went down the path of acting as I somehow got into Juilliard.

Well I was reading how during the development of Satisfaction there was a heavy emphasis on keeping Jason's relationship with Maggie very much about love ? they didn't want their relationship to be about fighting and bickering. Is that very clear in the script or did you guys have to sort of bring that love to life while shooting?

Leah (who plays Maggie) and I get along so well, so that was really easy. And, although love is not the same as sex, when the show actually starts you find Jason and Maggie goin' at it in a few inappropriate places in the house.

So it's part of the struggle of living with a roommate and how you try to have a private life in the company of somebody else. So that's definitely something present. We want to show that these guys are all really bonded in the problems that they face. It's really easy, Leah and I get along really, really well. And they certainly write us as a very affectionate couple.

Well I think I should post this interview as fast as possible ? tell people about the opening sex scene and make sure that all eyes are on CTV tonight!

I really hope so! I'm really, really optimistic and I have to say, honestly, I've been lucky to be a part of a lot of things but I feel so strongly about the quality of this. I'm really proud that it happens to be Canadian. I've always wanted to come back and work here. I am really, really proud of the show and I hope that everyone else likes it as much as I do.

the TV addict.com - 24/Jun/2013

[Source]

A Candid Conversation with SATISFACTION Star Luke Macfarlane

By theTVaddict on June 24th, 2013

Good News: BROTHERS & SISTERS star Luke Macfarlane is coming back to television tonight! Bad News: Only those fortunate enough to live north of the 49th parallel [Translation: Canada] will be able to see him. Starring in a new single-camera comedy called SATISFACTION, Macfarlane plays Jason Howell, a twenty-something, who alongside girlfriend Maggie (Leah Renee) and roommate Mark (Ryan Belleville) struggle with the usual things twenty-somethings struggle with. Which is precisely why we were afforded the opportunity to catch up with Marcfarlane on the set of his Toronto shot show early last week to talk about his newest comedic departure and reflect on life during/after BROTHERS & SISTERS. See for yourself, after the jump.

Before we get to your new project SATISFACTION, this TV Addict can't resist delving into the project that turned you into a household name! Did you ever imagine a one-off guest spot on BROTHERS & SISTERS would turn into five years?
Luke Macfarlane: No, it was the kind of great story that you hope for. The creator of the show had known me from another series, so I had met them very early on in the process and originally auditioned for the part of Justin. But since ABC was really in love with another actor [Dave Annable] for that role, they did me a total solid and invited me to come on for this little part that ended up being Scotty. So I came on, did it and it just turned into more and more and more. It was a dream, it really was and I was so very grateful for not just the role, but to the fans. Because I think they had a lot to do with it, responding to my character that led to the Producers bringing me back.

When you're in the midst of shooting a series like BROTHERS & SISTERS, is there time for you and co-star Matthew Rhys to grasp the importance of such a relationship on primetime television?
I don't know if you can ever really feel it, but the writer's took it very seriously and Matthew Rhys and I took the acting of it very seriously. It's always really moving to be stopped on the street. Even two weeks ago at the gym, a guy came up to me, one who you might not think would be a fan of the show and said, “I used to watch that show with my roommates in college and because of that show I was able to come out to them.” I remember thinking… Oh wow… that was not where I was expecting interaction to go!

Well it must happen a lot, because between QUEER AS FOLK and WILL & GRACE, I think BROTHERS & SISTERS did an awful lot in terms of changing people's perceptions about the LGBTQ community.
That's so nice of you say. Nowadays there are so many gay voices on network television now and I like to think Kevin and Scotty's relationship was one of the most authentic and real.

Of course, Hollywood loves to pigeonhole actors. Was proving you could do something different one of the things that attracted you to this latest project?
It's so easy to do one thing, do it well and keep doing it until that one thing dries up. But if you want to stay in this business for an extended period of time you have to do everything. And that was a big part of me wanting to do this project. To see if I could do comedy, which seems to be very popular these days. Also, to play a straight character as well.

Has it been a challenge post-BROTHERS & SISTERS to get casting directors, writers and producers to see you as a straight leading man?
They know they can't say that, but I always felt that. I always felt that it was something I had to fight against and overcome. That said, it's also funny because while BROTHERS & SISTERS was a successful show, it wasn't WILL & GRACE, so I have been able to get by. It was also not a hugely popular show in Hollywood, where people only watch four shows [Editor's Note: Most likely BREAKING BAD, MAD MEN, GAME OF THRONES and HOMELAND!]. I think it will be harder for actors on more popular shows, like those kids from GLEE for instance.

Yourself alongside co-stars Ryan Belleville and Leah Renee are the three faces of this show. Is there pressure that comes with your face on the poster?
It's really terrifying and totally scary but also exactly what I was saying about trying different things. You hope that you can do them successfully and that people will accept you for it. But I don't know, I really have no idea. I know I'm working harder than I've ever worked on any other show. That being said, I feel relieved, from what I've seen, I think the show is funny, so we'll see.

Having presumably started out your career as a struggling actor with roommates, is it safe to assume that you could relate to a show that saw you live with two other people in a cramped apartment?
Totally. Like my character I'm a bit of a nerd! In fact, I love driving and when I was driving across the country to start filming here I spent some time talking to the show's creator Tim McAuliffe where I was telling him that I got a National Park Passport to visit all these National Parks along the way. And Tim was like, “Okay, we're working that into the scripts because that is so corny!.”

BROTHERS & SISTERS had a seemingly endless stream of, well, brothers and sisters, while SATISFACTION features three cast members. What was it like working with Ryan and Leah?
I hated them immediately! [Laughs]. I got along with everyone. It really couldn't have been a better combination. Ryan is stand-up comedian and is really comfortable being the ham, where as Leah and myself play more of the grounded characters. But I feel blessed, because in the past it's not always been the case where you show up on set.

The show has attracted some very high profile guest stars, including MAD MEN's Jessica Pare. What's that been like?
She was lovely and knew Tim [Creator Tim McAuliffe] from back in the day. Jerry O'Connell who was also on our show and was a really hard worker and hilarious. I'm grateful to [Network] CTV because someone has to pay for this and they obviously see value in the show to spend that kind of money on guest stars.

The show's title, SATISFACTION, is somewhat ambiguous. What does it mean to you?
I like that about the show. It feels more like a throwback to those classic comedies where the premise was pretty loose. Think THREE'S COMPANY. Nowadays so many shows have these complex premises like HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER or THE CLASS!

I love that you threw out such a random reference to THE CLASS. A comedy cancelled far before its time!
Well, I loved it and one of my best friends was on that show, but you know pitches, like 100 QUESTIONS, which was a show that didn't last very long is another example of a very specific pitch. And what I love about this show is that it's about these people and what happens to them. SATISFACTION is a title that touches on lots of different themes: Relationships, life, money, food, sex. I think it's broad, but I like that we don't feel trapped down to any concept that often gets in the way of shows.

You seem to be a real fan of television which is nice because it's always disappointing when one interviews actors who don't actually watch!
I love television. As an actor I think it's the medium you want to be in. In a movie some guy may write a beautiful script where you have to somehow find your way into it. With TV shows, the actor gets to really take charge of the character and who he becomes and what his life develops into it. It sort of unfolds in a much more organic way. TV, when it's a good job, see actors working with a family and evolving together.

SATISFACTION is a Canadian shot series. Is there a difference between working in TV North versus South of the border?
The fast answer is no because the technique is the same, but I do have a story from my time spent on Canadian sets which may illuminate a point. I had to come into a costume fitting and I forgot a suit I was supposed to bring and when I came in, the look on the costume department's face was that I completely let them down, like it was a huge f*ck up! Where as in the United States, they would have sent me nine messages, sent someone to pick it up, with the assumption being that the actors are kind of useless. In Canada, they give you more responsibility as an actor and treat you more like a capable human being. There's far less coddling. I might get knocked for saying that but actors in the United States become divas for a reason!

And finally, I can't wrap this interview up without one reference to your brief stint on SMASH! Did you know before signing on the the role that the show wouldn't see a third season?
It would have been nice. but I think I knew the show wasn't coming back. There was always a possibility but it was a nice thing. I've known the Producers for a long time, and the episode director Michael Morris was one of the directors on BROTHERS & SISTERS, so it was really nice to touch base with all those people. I had so much fun working with those people and just to be part, in a tiny way, of what was such a fantastically huge failure was really fun. I loved it.

SATISFACTION airs Mondays at 8PM on CTV in Canada.

THE TELEVIXEN - 24/Jun/2013

[Source]

The Cast & Creator of Satisfaction at the 2013 CTV Upfront

By thetelevixen Published: June 24, 2013

CTV’s new comedy series Satisfaction kicks off tonight at 8pm and I’m excited to check it out. Yes, they’ve had some successful comedies in the past, but none have really clicked for me. Satisfaction has both a cast and a premise that I can relate to as someone who was once in her 20s, living in Toronto, and torn between being a responsible adult and trying to hold on to fun, frivolous youth.

At the 2013 CTV Upfront earlier this month, we met the creator of the series, Tim McAuliffe, and the cast, Luke Macfarlane, Leah Renee and Ryan Belleville. Here’s a little clip of them that includes Macfarlane talking about his shift from dramas like Smash and Brothers & Sisters to a homegrown comedy, and a rundown on some of the amazing guest stars that will be appearing, including Jessica Paré and Gordon Pinsent!

HUFFPOST TV - 21/Jun/2013

[Source]

'Satisfaction': CTV Comedy Channels 'New Girl' And 'Friends'

HuffPost Canada TV | By Bryan Cairns
Posted: 06/21/2013 2:45 pm EDT | Updated: 06/21/2013 3:13 pm EDT

Everyday life can be a hoot and a holler. That philosophy is certainly evident in CTV's new series, "Satisfaction."

Created by Tim McAuliffe ("The Office," "Up All Night," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"), the 30-minute comedy follows Jason ("Brothers & Sisters" Luke MacFarlane), his long-term girlfriend Maggie ("The Playboy Club"s Leah Renee), and their bromantic roommate, Mark ("The L.A. Complex"s Ryan Belleville) as they struggle to make ends meet, keep their relationships thriving and their sanity in check while somehow living "harmoniously" under one roof. Naturally, hilarity ensues.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in Toronto, a quick tour of the "Satisfaction" studio reveals an apartment, a coffee shop, a store and a pub/bar. There's definitely a "Friends" vibe to the surroundings -- with a dash of "Beverly Hills, 90210" -- considering Jason "Brandon Walsh" Priestley is directing this episode.

Today's first scene finds a snazzily dressed Mark rifling through birthday cards for money to take a girl out on a date. Each empty one is whimsically discarded in the air until he finally hits the jackpot: three dollars. A few takes later, the sequence changes. Jason, wearing a form-fitting green T-shirt and blue denim jeans, frantically speeds by Mark, who is sleeping on the couch.

"There's a mouse in the cupboard," announces Jason.

"I feel like ordering pizza anyway," replies a dazed and groggy Mark.

During a break from their tongue-in-cheek banter, MacFarlane and Belleville sat down with us to discuss comedic chops, relatability, and suppressing their laughter.

HuffPost TV: How does it feel to be back on your home turf, doing a Canadian series?
Luke MacFarlane: Very little of it feels any different than any other show I've done. A set is a set and material is material. We all work on the same thing. It's nice to be near my family again. They are happy about that. I've really enjoyed coming back and the only reason I found this project is I really wanted to do a comedy. My manager was like, "This is the funniest thing I've read." I read it and felt the exact same way.

None of your recent projects has been comedic. What appealed to you about the genre?
LM: The biggest thing I want for my career is to have longevity and the best way to do that is to do everything and not be afraid. The more you limit yourself and what you're comfortable doing, the less opportunities you are going to have. Your ability to stay in the business a long time cuts down. A lot of the actors I really admire have all done comedy and it can be harder. I don't know why exactly. I think there's this whole other aspect of rhythm and the timing of a joke you need to practice.

What excited you about the premise, Ryan?
Ryan Belleville: The thing that drew me to the show was definitely the writing. Being in the U.S. reading tons and tons of comedy scripts every year, it just totally stood out. There's a lot of horrible stuff out there. "Satisfaction" was awesome and it was Canadian. I knew Tim before from the comedy scene. It [the script] was really funny and it takes place in Toronto, and it was shooting in Toronto. I find that appealing as a guy who has a kid in Toronto vs. Los Angeles. The number one thing, though, was it is really funny.

I like doing comedy because everyone needs to laugh. You always have a great time on set. I've worked on dramas before and it can get a little heavy. There's drama here where people are tired and it's really hard. But, generally speaking, we're always laughing and having a good time. Also, you feel good about making people laugh. When people come up and say, "Hey, I saw your show. It was really funny," or "You really made me laugh," it means a lot.

Are you a funny guy?
LM: I don't know. That is to be determined. It's definitely scary. I saw some of my old buddies and they were like, "Of course you're doing a comedy. You always made us laugh." I play more of the traditional straight man in the show, but he has his funny moments.

Can you introduce us to your characters and their circumstances?
LM: Jason Howell is a PhD candidate in plant genetic engineering. I'm smart, but I think it's also very boring. That's part of the charm. I remember Tim saying he wanted to come up with what sounded like the most boring job. I disagree with him because I'm a bit of a nerd, so I think it's interesting. Jason lives with his girlfriend Maggie of about four years, and his best buddy Mark Movenpick from undergraduate school. In school, they were each other's wingman. Mark was always getting into a little more mischief, but they played off each other well. I don't think Mark was able to let go of those college years. He wasn't able to let go of his roommate, so they have this strange relationship where they all live together. Of course, there's that funny thing where we aren't really making any money, so we have to make it work by all living together.

RB: Mark is sort of a third wheel who hijacks everything all the time. They are three friends who get along. It's not like they are always angry at Mark. They are really good friends, but it's at that point in life where they aren't as compatible. Jason and Maggie are trying to focus on being a couple and doing couple things, but they still enjoy having the fun single life and feeling that they're young and can party. I'm the guy who's too deep in that world and can't relate to the relationship life. I'm the single yin to their committed yang.

McAuliffe infused his life experiences into "Satisfaction." Do you identify with your alter-egos?
LM: It's totally universal. There's that time in your life when you get out of college and are figuring out the mysteries of becoming an adult. For me, when I first moved to Los Angeles, I lived with my buddy and his girlfriend, so I can totally relate to that. You're terrified and excited about where life is going to lead you. It's a really interesting time in your life where there's a lot of anxiety about where you're going to go, because you really have no idea whether that's marriage or relationship or work. All that stuff created a great playing field to work in.

RB: I lived in Toronto in a horrible apartment, super-broke. I literally only had Minute Rice to eat and I ate that for a week. I would steal my neighbour's condiments just to put a little bit of soya sauce on my food. I was getting so light and skinny and underweight that girls that I was flirting with would start showing up to bring food to my house. They felt sorry for me, which is totally sweet, but not good to impress a lady. I relate to Mark in that sense of being broke and single, but he is the nth degree of that.

The various sets are reminiscent of "Friends." Are the comedic elements in that wheelhouse or is it more of a dry sense of humour or slapstick or wacky?
LM: The humour is so personal and Tim's sense of humour is really unique. I would be very reluctant to describe or relate it to anything. It's less sentimental than shows of a different era. The humour tends to be a little goofier and we play with time a lot. It's very non-linear storytelling. We flash back in time a lot and sometimes very quickly. I don't know if they'd agree with this, but there's this whole generation that grew up watching "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy," where you can really do anything and are not locked into linear storytelling.

There's touching aspects to Maggie and Jason, but at the core of it, a lot of the humour comes from silly goofy times. We definitely push the envelope too. We obviously can't swear, but you can bleep it out. It's a way of getting around that sort of censorship where everyone knows exactly what is happening. We show pornographic pictures, but we just digitize them. There's stuff like that which is self-conscious in a good, funny way.

RB: It is kind of "Friends" in that the characters are grounded, and it's all about relationships between people you're close to. Tonally, I think it's a lot like a "New Girl." It's a little quirky and fast-paced, but we're not all crazy antics all the time. Probably the most antics-filled episode is the first one where we have a blackout. "Satisfaction" is quite serious at times and Tim really wanted to make people like the characters.

What happens in the premiere about the blackout?
LM: In the first episode, you get thrown into the world madly. We debated what the first episode was going to be. We ultimately went with what takes place during the blackout, which I think a lot of Torontonians can relate to. It's like the world kinda shuts down. How does everyone deal with that? Maggie and Jason are going through a very typical relationship quandary where they are trying to debate who's right. Because they have no Internet to figure out the answer, they go back and forth a little bit. Of course, Mark gets up to some rotten antics.

How do you manage keeping a straight face during filming?
LM: Oh my God. Patrick Thornton makes me crack up all the time. I feel I have so much to learn, so I'm in awe of these comedians. They really do make me laugh.

RB: We crack each other up all the time on set. Especially when you're on hour 13 of the day, something just happens. Me and Pat will be joking around and we can't stop laughing. Then you feel guilty because everyone wants to go home, which only makes you laugh harder.

"Satisfaction" premieres on Monday, June 24 at 8 p.m. on CTV.

See some shows from CTV's Fall 2013 fall lineup below.

thestar.com - 21/Jun/2013

[Source]

Luke Macfarlane ready for comedy in Satisfaction

London, Ontario native stars in CTV series debuting June 24 with Leah Renee and Ryan Belleville

BELL MEDIA PHOTO

Ryan Belleville as Mark Movenpick, Leah Renee as Maggie Bronson and Luke Macfarlane as

Jason Howell in CTV's Satisfaction, which debuts June 24 at 8 p.m.

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By:Bill Brioux Special to the Star, Published on Fri Jun 21 2013

Luke Macfarlane decided that there was just too much drama in his life. So he switched over to comedy.

The London, Ont., native starred for five seasons on Brothers and Sisters, where he played husband to Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys from The Americans), one of the “brothers” on the series.

Before that, he was a modern-day soldier in the front-line drama Over There.

“That was my first television show,” says Macfarlane, a Juilliard grad with off-Broadway credits before landing the FX soldier series. Legendary executive producer Steven Bochco was the showrunner. What could go wrong? Macfarlane could already see himself “on the cover of every magazine.”

Then the series was cancelled after one season. “It really put into perspective how difficult the entire process is and how rare it is to really connect.”

Fortunately, he rebounded straight into Brothers and Sisters and a five-year U.S. network run.

He's hoping for similar luck on his new series, Satisfaction (debuting June 24 at 8 p.m.).The CTV sitcom, created and executive produced by Tim McAuliffe (The Office, This Hour has 22 Minutes), stars Macfarlane opposite Toronto native Leah Renee (The Playboy Club).

They play Jason and Maggie, a frisky young couple who share their downtown apartment with Jason's BBF Mark, played by Ryan Belleville (Almost Heroes). Pat Thornton, Thomas Mitchell, Nikki Payne and 22 Minutes funnyman Mark Critch, as shell-shocked neighbour Gary Breakfast, make up the comedy ensemble.

Between takes on the Toronto set, Macfarlane said he is hoping to emulate the career paths of actors like Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling: “guys who were able to straddle everything,” he says.

Cooper, he points out, went from TV drama (Jack & Bobby) to action shows (Alias) to Broadway before becoming a film star in The Hangover and Silver Linings Playbook.

Macfarlane has been on a similar path. Satisfaction is the 33-year-old's first job back in Canada in ages. “Since I graduated school really,” he says.

The move back to Canada and into comedy couldn't come at a better time, figures Belleville.

The Just for Laughs comedy fest veteran has felt that, for several years, there's been a sitcom “vacuum in Canada.” Like a lot of Canadian performers, he tried his luck in the States, enjoying a short run on the 2005 Fox comedy Life on a Stick, where he worked with fellow Canuck Rachelle Lefevre (Under the Dome).

The Calgary native returned in 2011 to co-write and star in the Showcase comedy Almost Heroes. That failed to stick, but he's optimistic about Satisfaction.

“I feel like there's a renaissance, like when Flashpoint came out and Rookie Blue, and all the networks realized, ‘Oh, we should make dramas' . . . and I feel like, right now, that thing is happening for comedy.”

There does seem to be, if not an explosion, a surge in Canadian comedy production. Besides CBC's Mr. D, City is producing two sitcoms: Seed (like Mr. D, shot in Halifax) and the fall four-camera sitcom Package Deal, starring Harland Williams. Besides Satisfaction, CTV has the shot-in-Toronto sitcom Spun Out, which stars Dave Foley as the head of a PR firm. The comedy will join their schedule sometime next season.

Macfarlane says he's impressed that CTV is “trying to create a comic voice that also feels really contemporary and urban. We've seen comedies out of Canada featuring “rural dwellers,” he says, not naming Corner Gas. He likes that both Satisfaction and Spun Out are set in the city.

Renee says she's ready for her comedy close-up, too, and enjoying this cast. “Luke and Ryan are like my brothers. We've been joking around and hanging out all day.”

The series is based on McAuliffe's real-life experience sharing a city apartment with a couple while he tried to make it as a comedy writer.

Jessica Pare, who guests later in the season, used to crash on the couch of that apartment, long before her Mad Men success. Other guest stars include Andy Kindler, Gordon Pinsent and Jerry O'Connell. Jason Priestley and Mike Clattenburg (Trailer Park Boys) are among the directors.

Belleville's character is pretty much based on McAuliffe. His advice to the actor: “You need someone incredibly funny to play me, so don't even try.”

As for Macfarlane and Renee, Critch says not only do they have the comedy chops, they're perfectly cast as romantic leads.

Quips Critch: “They're attractive enough for American television.”

Playbill.com - 28/May/2013

[Source]

THE "SMASH" REPORT: Season Two, Episodes 16-17, or "Give 'Em That Big Finish"

By Ben Rimalower
28 May 2013

Christian Borle and Luke Macfarlane

Photo by Will Hart/NBC

Playbill's weekly recap, with notes and comment, of the latest episode of the NBC musical drama series "Smash," about the dreamers behind Broadway musicals. Here's a look at the May 26 finale episodes, "The Nominations" and "The Tonys."

The Outer Critics Circle Nominations: The Beginning of the End. Hit List has 11 nominations to Bombshell's 10. Sign of things to come?

Tom is sweating out every moment of this awards season—and he's got to win this Outer Critics Circle Award to shore up his chances for a Tony nomination, without which he may never direct again. He's so distracted that even while watching fellow nominated musical The Gathering Storm, he can't stop checking his phone every 15 seconds to see if he won the Outer Critics Circle Award. The good news is, he won. The bad news is, he's a real nuisance to the gentleman sitting behind him, who happens to be a Tony nominator, and reportedly gay-and-closeted Hollywood hunk Patrick Dillon (played by Luke Macfarlane). Tom tries to make it up to him by sending him a token bottle of wine, but then finds out that's technically attempting to bribe his way to a Tony–and could really mess up his chances–so he goes to Patrick Dillon's apartment building to intercept the delivery. He almost succeeds, but winds up in a tug-of-war with Patrick over the wine bottle, which ends in red wine all over the place... including Patrick's designer clothes. Ouch. Now, about that Tony...

Meanwhile, Julia's distracted getting divorce advice from Eileen and decides to use Eileen's lawyer, which pisses off her soon-to-be ex, Frank, so much so that he says he's gonna take her for everything she's worth. This was not a no-fault divorce! The first thing Julia has to do for the legal battle is write a letter to Frank telling the story of her extra-marital relationship with Michael Swift. So, Julia's got her hands full!

Ivy would be feeling all right if not for the morning sickness, which is making her late for her entrances - she almost misses curtain call one night. Sam and the gang are worried about her, some wondering if she's using again. If they only knew! She leaves it open with her doctor as to what she will decide to do about the pregnancy. She wants to talk to Derek, but he keeps blowing her off. Unfortunately, Ivy is caught in this dark state by some fans outside the theatre, and without thinking it through, makes an unfortunate offhand remark about Hit List only being on Broadway because Kyle died. This gets captured on video and reaches everyone, causing—to say the least—much bad feeling. She does manage to tell Sam what's really going on with her, so at least she has one friend on her side.

Mara Davi

Photo by Craig Blankenhorn/NBC

Karen and Daisy win the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical, respectively, for Hit List, but Jerry is still pessimistic about some of the show's Tony chances – particularly for Kyle's Best Book of a Musical nomination, since the show is sung-through. This very much upsets Jimmy, who is fiercely committed to Kyle's legacy. Also, Jerry is so annoying. I'm not sure if it's Michael Cristofer's triumph that he successfully makes me hate his character, or a failure (actually going too far), but it really gets under my skin how his every sentence sounds as if he's coughing or sneezing through it.

Hit List, however, has bigger problems than Kyle's legacy. Ana is suing Derek and Jerry for wrongful termination, accusing Derek of giving Daisy her part in exchange for sex. When Derek admits this, Jimmy is angry, specifically, at Karen for not telling him. Jerry threatens Derek, who says he will take care of it. In an odd little confrontation between Derek and Karen, Derek tells Karen to tell Ana to call off the lawsuit and inform her that she will have a career—he'll even help (he does get her seen for the national tour of Once and she books it). Karen snaps, "Maybe some things are more important than a career like self-respect." Really? Come on, "Smash," don't let's waste our precious last two hours on Karen's saccharine proselytizing.

Karen demands that Daisy leave the show, but Daisy laughs in her face. After all, she won the Outer Critics Circle Award. Is it just me or this like the greatest thing that ever happened to the Outer Critics Circle? Like, if I were the Drama Desk Awards, I'd be seriously pissed off right now!

During the Outer Critics Circle Awards ceremony at Table 46, Julia dedicates her win to Kyle, but Jimmy is angry because he's gotten it into his head (after a provocative interview with Michael Musto) that Julia is giving people the idea she had a big hand in the writing of Hit List, and that it's taking away from Kyle's legacy (hurting Kyle's chance for a Tony). When Ivy tries to apologize to Jimmy for what she said about Kyle and Hit List, a big group argument breaks out between Julia, Tom, Jimmy, Ivy, Derek and everyone until Eileen reminds them they are professionals at an awards ceremony. Well, she's half right.

Christine Ebersole and Cheyenne Jackson Photo by Will Hart/NBC

Christine Ebersole and Cheyenne Jackson
Photo by Will Hart/NBC

When Tom sees Patrick coming out of Bombshell, Patrick tells him loved the show, and that he was moved at the Outer Critics Circle Awards by Tom's graciousness (despite a bad Lena Dunham joke, Tom had shown class in humbly sharing credit with Derek). Tom begins to think he may have a chance romantically with the dashing Patrick. Later, when Tom is nominated for a Tony, Patrick sends Tom a bottle of the same wine Tom had spilled all over him. Hmmm....

Nobody sends Ivy a bottle of anything congratulating her on two Tony nominations (Best Actress in a Musical for Bombshell/Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Liaisons). As a matter of fact, Christine Ebersole forgets to read Ivy's name for Bombshell, and I was so invested in Ivy's plight that the litany of words I had for Ms. Ebserole's omission are unprintable in this column. Thank God, it was just a mistake, and she quickly apologized and announces Ivy's nomination too. I was, it must be said, rather keyed-up in general for these fictional Tony nominations. I clapped out loud for Kyle's nomination—totally falling, hook, line and sinker, for the suspense "Smash" had set up for me. Cheyenne Jackson, co-announcing with Ebersole, adds that Kyle is the youngest person in history nominated for Best Book. Derek also sets a record, or rather equals one: Bob Fosse's (three nominations in one season). When Michael Riedel of the New York Post asks him about this, he strangely confesses his entire story with Daisy and Ana, and then takes to drinking alone in bed for the next few weeks. The Tony nominations score, by the way, is 13-12, with Hit List again in the lead.

The pressure of all this is brought to life in a full-cast sing-through of "Under Pressure," culminating in them all standing in a circle glaring at each other onstage at the Marriott Marquis. For no reason.

Leigh Conroy coaches her daughter Ivy on Tony Awards etiquette, using clips of one of her own wins as an example. This is very strange because it's real footage of Bernadette Peters winning for the 1999 revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Despite this annexing of real-life Bernadette Peters' career into Leigh Conroy's, we soon see footage of Times Square, lingering on a Follies poster with Bernadette Peters' name in big print. What other roles are we to believe Bernadette Peters has played in the world of "Smash"? I guess, with new musicals like The Gathering Storm and The Beauty Queen of Lenane jauntily tossed into existence left and right, one can easily fill in any holes created in real-life careers as collateral damage of "Smash" scripts. If Leigh Conroy played the Witch in Into the Woods, maybe Bernadette starred in a musical version of "Baby Boom" around the same time… Anyone? Anyway, Leigh Conroy notices Ivy putting on weight, but thinks it's stress eating and scoffs at Ivy's suggestion that she might take some time off after the Tonys. A career in show business is about momentum!

Katharine McPhee and Jeremy Jordan

Photo by Will Hart/NBC

Eileen, though, takes a couple of days off to remind herself there's a world besides Broadway, and goes to visit Nick in prison – only to learn he's been out for three weeks. Perhaps another TV program would explore Nick's not having called Eileen, but this is the series finale of "Smash"—and this is "Smash"—so Eileen finds Nick at work at a diner and brings him a tuxedo. He's her Tony Awards date. Boom. Next loose plot thread.

Karen tells Ivy about Derek's state. (At some point these two appear to have buried the hatchet again—perhaps that scene is on the cutting room floor as well? Music videos don't just make TV time for themselves, you know!) Ivy goes over to Derek's to try to help, but she doesn't get the chance to tell him she's pregnant.

Ana needs Karen's help. She's taking the Once tour and rescinding her lawyer's letter. They corner Derek at Table 46 and let him know he's off the hook once again, but Ana wants him to know he's a bad person and she knows it. More proselytizing, but at least it's not Karen! Ivy hears the whole thing. Derek is finally ready to talk to her, but she's on Ana's side.

Julia meets Frank at a diner. She finally comes clean about the exact timeline of her Michael Swift affair and what it meant in context of their marriage. They finally seem to find some peace in separation.

Meanwhile, Karen convinces Jimmy to take a night off from performing (since he's sick) and gives him a ticket to watch the show. He loves it and is so filled with pride, he even apologizes to Julia. Jimmy asks her to accept Kyle's Tony if Kyle wins, because he doesn't plan to be there (we seem Jimmy giving up the loft, but we don't know yet where's he's going or why). Julia tells him to stop sabotaging himself. This is his moment and he's got to take it! Jimmy heeds Julia's advice and shows up as planned to take Karen (dressed like a pink Evita Peron) to the Tonys. He even has an extra ticket (Kyle's) so Ana can come.

Debra Messing
Photo by Will Hart/NBC

Daisy wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical. It's the fifth award for Hit List, which seems to be sweeping. Julia says she actually is rooting for Kyle to win over herself. He does. YAY! KYLE! Jimmy gives a good speech and gets a standing ovation. I actually tear up. Julia and Tom are so happily made up that they're actually talking and miss the announcement of their own (joint) win for Best Score until a cameras in their faces and "Let Me Be Your Star" is blaring. They give a cute, short, sweet speech as BFFs.

Derek wins for Hit List and takes the stage to a volley of boos and hisses. He thanks the voters for judging the work, not the man, and also thanks, "someone I love very much. I owe her everything. Ivy Lynn." Right into the Bombshell number, "Let's Be Bad." Perfect.

On a high of good feeling, Derek takes Ana and Karen backstage and fires Daisy. The Hit List cast is thrilled. No one wanted to perform with that bitch anyway, so she was going to have to do a solo. Now, instead, the whole cast (including Ana) does an a capella "Falling Through The Sky," in their formal wear. It's kind of great, although I wonder if Ana's bailing on the Once tour, or what's going to become of the part of Diva in Hit List—oh, wait, the "Smash" writers don't care anymore! There is no tomorrow! At this point, you kind of expect the Best Musical winners to zip up through the ceiling in a great, glass elevator!

Patrick Dillon congratulates Tom and Julia. He's flying back to LA. Would they consider writing a movie musical? Are they still a team? They happily answer yes to both. Then, as Patrick walks away, Julia convinces Tom to ask him out. Tom runs after him, asks him out and impulsively kisses him. Patrick says he's flattered but he's not gay. Tom responds, "That's how all my straight friends kiss me." I guess we're supposed to think it was a passionate kiss. It was a little short. I could be convinced either way. I guess we'll never know!

Now to present Best Actress in a Musical, three-time Tony nominee Marin Mazzie. After a strategically placed commercial break, Ivy Lynn wins. All is well with the universe. She thanks her mother and there is no applause. Maybe this audience is as confused as I am about who's Bernadette and who isn't.

Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee

Photo by Will Hart/NBC

Finally, Bombshell defies the expectations strategically set up by first half of the episode and wins Best Musical in a burst of wonderful events, including Eileen almost missing the announcement to offer some loving encouragement to the Tony-bereft Karen, Rosie O'Donnell presenting the award, Eileen inviting Derek onstage to share in the triumph, and Susan Blackwell in a wordless cameo as Jerry's date giving the entire "Smash" team the stink-eye.

At the after-party, Jimmy wants to talk to Karen. She doesn't want to hear it right now, but he plods on, telling her that he turned himself earlier that day in for years ago abandoning a girl who OD'ed as his date at a party. The good news is, the girl is fine, and Jimmy's conscience is clear at last. The bad news is, he's going to jail for 6-18 months.

Tom picks up a remote control to watch with Julia "their" number that they missed earlier, and we see "Karen" and "Ivy" as themselves (not their characters in their musicals) duetting in white sequins in front of a "Smash" sign. It's a fabulous Shaiman & Wittman answer to a Kander & Ebb number, "Give 'Em That Big Finish."

Throughout the number, we see Derek and Ivy happy together expecting their baby; Jimmy and Karen kissing goodbye for now; Julia going back happily to Michael Swift; and Eileen and Nick smiling together.

The girls wave us goodbye. And that is end of "Smash."

Check out Playbill.com's Screening Room with musical and dramatic moments from "Smash."
(Ben Rimalower is the author and star of the critically acclaimed Patti Issues now its ninth hit month off Off-Broadway. Read Playbill.com's coverage of the solo show here. Visit him at benrimalower.com and follow @benrimalower on Twitter.)

GREGINHOLLYWOOD - 28/May/2013

[Source]

Had “Smash” returned for third season, Luke Macfarlane may have returned with it

By Greg Hernandez on May 28, 2013 5:56 pm |

Oh please, as if I’m not already grieving the end of NBC’s Smash enough already.

Those who watched the two-hour series finale on Sunday saw Luke Macfarlane of Brothers & Sisters fame do a guest spot as a closeted actor who has some serious chemistry with Tom (Christian Borle).

In the closing moments, the two shared a rather passionate kiss.

Now I’ve just read that had the show continued on to a third season, there were plans to have Macfarlane’s character return.

‘We obviously didn’t get that far to make a deal with Luke, but our goal was to create a relationship for Tom that was real and lasting and not filled with the baggage of all he had gone through with Sam,’ executive producer Joshua Safran tells Entertainment Weekly.

Macfarlane’s character, even post-kiss, insists to Tom that he is not gay. Safran says he is.

‘In the script he said “I’m not gay” and then they kissed. But the actors very much loved the [other way]. But I worry that it reads for the audience that Tom takes advantage of Patrick. No, Patrick is really gay. … We were interested in a season 3 idea of Tom working with this man who he was in love with and [who] was in love with him but who wasn’t out. So he finally found the relationship that worked but there was this huge stumbling block.’

Well, someone as talented at Luke Macfarlane will surely be back on our TV screens on a regular basis soon – I hope! Until then, he has a thriving stage career to keep him busy.

Below are all of Luke’s scene from the finale:


Luke in Smash by cjordan1962

gay.com - 28/May/2013

[Source]

WATCH: Luke Macfarlane Goes Back in the Closet for 'Smash' Finale

By Brandon Voss May 28, 2013, 10:20 a.m.

While everyone was busy buzzing about Behind the Candelabra Sunday night, NBC's Smash ended its run with a two-hour series finale.

“I don’t want [viewers] to think they are going to be left hanging, because they won’t be,” out showrunner Josh Safran said previously of the Broadway-centric drama's inevitable ending. “The season has a beginning, middle and an end… [And] it just gets better and better."

He wasn't kidding! Titled "The Nominations" and "The Tonys," the series finale episodes wrapped up both of Smash's shows-within-a-show with a smashing final bow — and a pretty gay one at that. Along with Behind the Candelabra's Cheyenne Jackson, out actor Luke Macfarlane of Brothers & Sisters fame appeared as Tony voter Patrick Dillon, a famous actor rumored to be gay. Thanks to his flirtatious interactions with star Christian Borle as gay composer-director Tom Levitt, we said farewell to one of the gayest shows on television with a surprise same-sex kiss.

Josh Safran told EW that Luke and his closeted character — who "is really gay," thanks very much — would have probably returned for the third season had Smash been renewed: "We were interested in a season 3 idea of Tom working with this man who he was in love with and [who] was in love with him but who wasn’t out. So he finally found the relationship that worked but there was this huge stumbling block." Damn.

Watch all the Luke scenes and nothing but the Luke scenes in the video below.