Post by kellykapowskilover on Jun 9, 2009 11:18:38 GMT -5
Hey, Mark-Paul. Where are you right now?
In Los Angeles ... Sorry, I have a banana in my mouth.
That's OK. It's breakfast-time, that's permitted. So, are you having a really busy week?
Yeah, it's actually been a pretty big week for me -- a lot of courtroom stuff. It's been a crazy season so far. We've really just picked up the pace on the stories and expanding the characters and taking all kinds of fun and different angles which open up different points of view ... new characters and new romances. Just more of everything.
And we get more episodes, too.
We do. But as the pace has quickened, the stories have sort of slowed down in a way. We're taking our time a little bit more with the stories and the characters, which is a luxury of having 15 compared to 10 of last season. Now that we have the pickup, it's nice that we can bring in new characters and really flesh out the relationships.
A lot of viewers latched onto this show pretty early. Why do you think that is -- was it the Steven Bochco factor?
That's definitely a factor, and I think we had a great lead-in with The Closer. I think people are always compelled to watch legal dramas, this one is just from a different perpective -- it's not just focusing on prosecutors and cops, but public defenders and their clients. It's a different voice. People you'd normally revile you find yourself rooting for.
Can you preview the new season at all? What's ahead for your character?
My character got a haircut! (Laughs)
Yeah, that seems to be the big news!
I know, it works for the first episode, but then it kind of dies away -- which it should. That's one of the reasons why we did the haircut, to just stop the distraction. You know, we don't want people, every time my character walks onscreen, to go, "Oh, the hair." We want them to actually know what's going on with the story and with the characters. So we decided to get in front of that train and do something about it.
So it's mentioned on the show?
Oh, yeah. It's a big part of the first episode. And from then on there's nothing ever said -- and there shouldn't be anything ever said about hair again.
Hopefully.
Hopefully! I say that, and then after we premiere there's something ... "We need the hair back! We're putting a wig on Jerry!" (Laughs) Also, with new judges, we're bringing on John Michael Higgins as a new judge and there's some new romances as well. But mostly just more complex, interesting cases and more clashes with judges and prosecutors.
I told readers I'd be talking to you, and I got an insane number of questions, so if you don't mind, I'll ask a few. Leslie says, "I’ll admit I only started following your career when you joined the cast of NYPD Blue, but I was wondering what characteristics you like best about your current character on Raising the Bar. He’s so over-the-top sometimes, but I love to cheer him on (even when he’s getting into trouble).
Yes, it is that brashness of Jerry, it is that lack of conformity to a system he feels is compeltely corrupt, that I feel is fun to play. In a way, I feel Jerry is a hero for the poor and powerless. I don't have the same points of view as Jerry all the time. I may swing into that direction once in awhile, but I don't have that crusader attitude that I'm going to make a difference. So it's an extreme challenge to play this character, but those characteristics are what makes it challenging and fun to play every day.
The most popular question by far involves Jimmy Fallon's plan to reunite the Saved the Bell cast. Do you want to take part in it?
In some capacity, I will take part. I can't give up too much. I will be on Jimmy's show June 8, and the only thing I can say is that I don't think I'll disappoint.
That's good news.
I'm not giving anything away. I'm not gonna say, but I think we're gonna have some fun.
Is there a dream role you'd love to play some day, maybe in a biopic or in a live action version of a favorite book? -- apronk
I feel that sometimes I should have a character or dream role at the ready to say in case somebody asks. The way our business works, that doesn't come about too often, so right now this is what I'm focusing my time on. But yeah, I'd love to work with other directors and other actors. I'm open to reallly anything, as long as I'm enjoying myself.
A person recognizes you on the street. What is the most common thing they say? -- bkhoffman
It just depends on what generation it is. Some of them will say, "Hey, Zack! Where's Kelly?" Others are fans from Blue. The current thing is this Fallon reunion and whether we're going to get together. That's a pretty big question people are asking, so that's why I wanna do something fun with it. But yeah, it's fun. People are following your career and are invested in it, so it's a nice feeling.
Are your kids old enough to realize what you do for a living?
I don't know. My son's 5, and if he sees a Saved by the Bell episode, he'll say, "That's you, Dad, when you were younger!" I don't know if he completely grasps that I'm on television. He's obviously come to the set many times and sees the cameras, but I don't know if he understands that the cameras capture what I'm doing.
Does he ever watch Saved by the Bell reruns -- and, if so, what does he think of them? -- Janae M.
Yeah, I watch them every once in awhile if they're on.
And they're on all the time!
I know, but I don't watch a lot of television. If I am, I'm watching ESPN or some sort of sports channel. But yeah, I enjoy it. I'm watching a character, so I don't critique myself as much as I used to. I was young, I was making different choices. If I was playing that character now I might make different choices, but I can enjoy it now for what it is. I get a kick out of it.
I would like to know if he was intimidated when he started working on NYPD Blue. That’s a tough job, following Smits and Schroder. -- Scott S.
Yes. But I wasn't intimidated by Smits and Schroder and feeling that I had to (fill) someone else's shoes, because I didn't know what kind of character I was going to play until maybe a month before I started that role. What I was intimidated by was acting opposite Dennis Franz. I just wanted to do so good just for him. The first time I met him, he gave me a huge hug, and from that point on I was able to put things aside and work with him. He was great, and he was such an inspiration.
What factored into your decision to abandon comedy and shift entirely into dramatic roles? -- Noah
There's no concerted effort to do that. It's just the opportunities presented in front of me have been drama, and that's where my career has gone. I'm completely open to doing comedies -- I remember when Pushing Daisies came out I wanted to be a part of that. I look at Chuck and think, "That would be fun to play." I'd love to be in a comedy.
Several readers, including one named Corey, asked if you still keep in touch with cast members from Saved by the Bell.
Yes, probably the two I speak the most with are Tiffani and Mario.
What's on your I-Pod? -- Lupe D.
I have a lot of old stuff on my iPod. I feel like one of those old guys who says, "There's nothing good in this current generation!" I feel like such a loser saying that. But I just rediscovered Pink Floyd -- Dark Side of the Moon has been playing for awhile. Probably the newest purchase I've made was Metallica's newest album.
Is it good?
It's awesome. I mean, if you're a Metallica fan from the beginning to, like, The Black Album, the new album is awesome. It seems like a throwback.
"What did he do with that giant phone (from Saved by the Bell)? Is it at his house?" -- David B.
No, I wish. You know, the funny thing is I was doing press last year for Raising the Bar and a female employee of a radio station brought out a big white cell phone -- the same one from the show -- and she said it was in her father's closet, and she had me sign it. And I thought "Wow, this is is awesome." I almost wanted to buy it from her. So no, I don't have one, but I'm currently looking for one because it could be used as a good prop.
By the way, what kind of cell phone do you use now?
iPhone. I'm a Mac person.
In Los Angeles ... Sorry, I have a banana in my mouth.
That's OK. It's breakfast-time, that's permitted. So, are you having a really busy week?
Yeah, it's actually been a pretty big week for me -- a lot of courtroom stuff. It's been a crazy season so far. We've really just picked up the pace on the stories and expanding the characters and taking all kinds of fun and different angles which open up different points of view ... new characters and new romances. Just more of everything.
And we get more episodes, too.
We do. But as the pace has quickened, the stories have sort of slowed down in a way. We're taking our time a little bit more with the stories and the characters, which is a luxury of having 15 compared to 10 of last season. Now that we have the pickup, it's nice that we can bring in new characters and really flesh out the relationships.
A lot of viewers latched onto this show pretty early. Why do you think that is -- was it the Steven Bochco factor?
That's definitely a factor, and I think we had a great lead-in with The Closer. I think people are always compelled to watch legal dramas, this one is just from a different perpective -- it's not just focusing on prosecutors and cops, but public defenders and their clients. It's a different voice. People you'd normally revile you find yourself rooting for.
Can you preview the new season at all? What's ahead for your character?
My character got a haircut! (Laughs)
Yeah, that seems to be the big news!
I know, it works for the first episode, but then it kind of dies away -- which it should. That's one of the reasons why we did the haircut, to just stop the distraction. You know, we don't want people, every time my character walks onscreen, to go, "Oh, the hair." We want them to actually know what's going on with the story and with the characters. So we decided to get in front of that train and do something about it.
So it's mentioned on the show?
Oh, yeah. It's a big part of the first episode. And from then on there's nothing ever said -- and there shouldn't be anything ever said about hair again.
Hopefully.
Hopefully! I say that, and then after we premiere there's something ... "We need the hair back! We're putting a wig on Jerry!" (Laughs) Also, with new judges, we're bringing on John Michael Higgins as a new judge and there's some new romances as well. But mostly just more complex, interesting cases and more clashes with judges and prosecutors.
I told readers I'd be talking to you, and I got an insane number of questions, so if you don't mind, I'll ask a few. Leslie says, "I’ll admit I only started following your career when you joined the cast of NYPD Blue, but I was wondering what characteristics you like best about your current character on Raising the Bar. He’s so over-the-top sometimes, but I love to cheer him on (even when he’s getting into trouble).
Yes, it is that brashness of Jerry, it is that lack of conformity to a system he feels is compeltely corrupt, that I feel is fun to play. In a way, I feel Jerry is a hero for the poor and powerless. I don't have the same points of view as Jerry all the time. I may swing into that direction once in awhile, but I don't have that crusader attitude that I'm going to make a difference. So it's an extreme challenge to play this character, but those characteristics are what makes it challenging and fun to play every day.
The most popular question by far involves Jimmy Fallon's plan to reunite the Saved the Bell cast. Do you want to take part in it?
In some capacity, I will take part. I can't give up too much. I will be on Jimmy's show June 8, and the only thing I can say is that I don't think I'll disappoint.
That's good news.
I'm not giving anything away. I'm not gonna say, but I think we're gonna have some fun.
Is there a dream role you'd love to play some day, maybe in a biopic or in a live action version of a favorite book? -- apronk
I feel that sometimes I should have a character or dream role at the ready to say in case somebody asks. The way our business works, that doesn't come about too often, so right now this is what I'm focusing my time on. But yeah, I'd love to work with other directors and other actors. I'm open to reallly anything, as long as I'm enjoying myself.
A person recognizes you on the street. What is the most common thing they say? -- bkhoffman
It just depends on what generation it is. Some of them will say, "Hey, Zack! Where's Kelly?" Others are fans from Blue. The current thing is this Fallon reunion and whether we're going to get together. That's a pretty big question people are asking, so that's why I wanna do something fun with it. But yeah, it's fun. People are following your career and are invested in it, so it's a nice feeling.
Are your kids old enough to realize what you do for a living?
I don't know. My son's 5, and if he sees a Saved by the Bell episode, he'll say, "That's you, Dad, when you were younger!" I don't know if he completely grasps that I'm on television. He's obviously come to the set many times and sees the cameras, but I don't know if he understands that the cameras capture what I'm doing.
Does he ever watch Saved by the Bell reruns -- and, if so, what does he think of them? -- Janae M.
Yeah, I watch them every once in awhile if they're on.
And they're on all the time!
I know, but I don't watch a lot of television. If I am, I'm watching ESPN or some sort of sports channel. But yeah, I enjoy it. I'm watching a character, so I don't critique myself as much as I used to. I was young, I was making different choices. If I was playing that character now I might make different choices, but I can enjoy it now for what it is. I get a kick out of it.
I would like to know if he was intimidated when he started working on NYPD Blue. That’s a tough job, following Smits and Schroder. -- Scott S.
Yes. But I wasn't intimidated by Smits and Schroder and feeling that I had to (fill) someone else's shoes, because I didn't know what kind of character I was going to play until maybe a month before I started that role. What I was intimidated by was acting opposite Dennis Franz. I just wanted to do so good just for him. The first time I met him, he gave me a huge hug, and from that point on I was able to put things aside and work with him. He was great, and he was such an inspiration.
What factored into your decision to abandon comedy and shift entirely into dramatic roles? -- Noah
There's no concerted effort to do that. It's just the opportunities presented in front of me have been drama, and that's where my career has gone. I'm completely open to doing comedies -- I remember when Pushing Daisies came out I wanted to be a part of that. I look at Chuck and think, "That would be fun to play." I'd love to be in a comedy.
Several readers, including one named Corey, asked if you still keep in touch with cast members from Saved by the Bell.
Yes, probably the two I speak the most with are Tiffani and Mario.
What's on your I-Pod? -- Lupe D.
I have a lot of old stuff on my iPod. I feel like one of those old guys who says, "There's nothing good in this current generation!" I feel like such a loser saying that. But I just rediscovered Pink Floyd -- Dark Side of the Moon has been playing for awhile. Probably the newest purchase I've made was Metallica's newest album.
Is it good?
It's awesome. I mean, if you're a Metallica fan from the beginning to, like, The Black Album, the new album is awesome. It seems like a throwback.
"What did he do with that giant phone (from Saved by the Bell)? Is it at his house?" -- David B.
No, I wish. You know, the funny thing is I was doing press last year for Raising the Bar and a female employee of a radio station brought out a big white cell phone -- the same one from the show -- and she said it was in her father's closet, and she had me sign it. And I thought "Wow, this is is awesome." I almost wanted to buy it from her. So no, I don't have one, but I'm currently looking for one because it could be used as a good prop.
By the way, what kind of cell phone do you use now?
iPhone. I'm a Mac person.
