Terry Interview

(cj) During the Festival Großes Fernsehen, actor Terry O'Quinn came to Cologne in order to promote the German premiere of „Lost“'s fourth season on new premium cabler FOX Channel. Christian Junklewitz and Dominik Ahrens spoke with him for Serienjunkies. Right at the start of the interview, a very calm and kind O'Quinn cleared the rumour (spread, e.g., on wikipedia) that he has ever been a bodyguard: „If I was gonna start some kind of rumor, it would be one that I wouldn't have to back up...“

How do you keep up with everything that is going on on «Lost»? There are so many places on the island, so many time frames. How do you cope?
I only have to keep track of John Locke. I only have to know what he knows. In fact, the more difficult challenge is not paying attention to the things I am not supposed to know. John Locke doesn't have to keep track of everything, because he only knows what he knows.

But you have to keep track where on the time line all these things are supposed to happen to John Locke?
Yes, but in Locke's case, so far, he has only had the past and the present. As far as I know. Nobody has told me anything else. Both of those things are very clear to me and they are very clear to him. So, it's really not a challenge to me. It's more complicated for the fans of „Lost“.

How far in advance do you know what is going to happen to John? And I mean this more in terms of character development rather than plot development.
I don't know far at all. We are about to start shooting season five in the States, and I don't know how that begins. At the beginning of season four, we may have gotten the script two weeks before we began to shoot. By the end of the season, we got the script the day before we started to shoot. So, we don't know far in advance. The writers are very secretive, even with us. I would prefer they didn't tell me things I don't need to know because these are viewers' secrets I have to protect. I don't want them. It's not necessary.

So, the writers don't even tell you: We want to take John in this or that direction? You only get your screenplay, and that's it?
That's pretty much it. What I learned is this: Don't ask. Because they can't tell you. If I had a cast of twenty-some people I wouldn't tell any of them anything, ANYTHING.

There is a rumor that your colleague Matthew Fox is the only cast member who knows what the solution of the mystery in „Lost will be? Is that true?“
I have no idea. I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks he does. If he came and told me „I know what's gonna happen“, I would say „Ok, what?“, and then he would say „Well, I can't tell you“, and I'd say „Well, I don't believe you.“

it is said that the character of John Locke was specifically written four you...
That I also don't know. I wasn't actually told that. I was told that when they were gonna cast the show that they thought of me for John Locke. I think, when they conceived of this show that they didn't necessarily know where it was going, and I think, in the course of the development of the story they began to write for me. Because they see the tendencies of an actor, and they see things that they like, and they may begin to write for that actor. But I wasn't aware that the character of Locke was written with me in mind.

So, this is nothing that could have changed the way you approached the part as an actor?
No. I approach all my work in pretty much the same way: I try to figure out why a character is behaving the way he is, and I base my performance on those reasons. What are his needs? If they said: „This was written for you“, I don't think that would give me licence to do anything I wanted. I think I would still have to follow the script as I understand it.

Are you a sci fi fan yourself? Is „Lost something that you'd watch?“
I might. I think you have to be very attentive to watch „Lost“. I don't know if my schedule would allow me. Sometimes I compare it to the Rubik's Cube. If you stayed with that, you might watch „Lost“. I kept a Rubik's Cube for about three minutes, and then I moved on.

I am just a fan of good film and television. It may or may not be science fiction. But I am not a fan of science fiction per se. I won't watch something simply because it is science fiction.

But we noticed that you have played quite some roles in this genre (e.g., «The X-Files», «Millenium», «Alias»). Is this something that just happened, or was it some kind of careful career planning on your part?
I didn't plan it at all. It's something that just happened. I think it's just coincidence. I don't know why I ended up on those sort of iconic television programmes. I am grateful, of course. But if there is a reason why I get cast in those things I don't know what it is. And I don't want to know what it is, because then I might try to over-do it.

You have extensively worked on shows of both Chris Carter and J.J. Abrams. Can you tell us how you developed this relationship to two of the most influential showrunners of the last two decades?
In both cases I simply went into auditions for a role. They didn't seek me out. My agents called me and said, for example in the case of J.J. Abrams: „Will you go on an audition for a role on «Alias»?“ A lot of times, actors in Hollywood, if they think they are of a certain renown, they don't think they need to audition. I have never been one of those because I almost always needed a job. So, I said „Of course, I will.“ The particular episode was a sort of recap of „Alias“, all the way up to this point. I was a FBI man who was questioning Jennifer Garner, and we did about 27 pages of dialogue in a couple of days. And I think everybody was impressed by that, so they kept me on the show whenever they had to spout a lot of pointless information. They called me Mr. Exposition... That was a blessing, because it was a wonderful cast. I think J.J. Has a gift for putting people together that mesh well. And I think he has done it again.

Prior, to „Lost, what was your favorite show to work on?“
It was probably „Alias“. But also „Millenium“ and „The West Wing“. They seemed to have really talented and professional casts. And for me the most satisfying aspect of being an actor is woriking with other good, professional actors. That's the best thing about my job. That, and getting paid really well.

Payment is actually a good trasition to our next question: Last season got interrupted by the writer's strike. What will happen next season? Will there be a walkout by SAG?
I don't know. I'm not in the middle of that turmoil because in Hawaii, we are removed from it. The last impression I got was that there was about a fifty-fifty chance. Of course, I am in a position like: Can't we strike when I don't have a good job which is most of the time? Every actor who has a really good job doesn't feel like going on strike. But there is only a few of us. Most of us at any given time are unemployed.

How is working on Hawaii? Is it one big vacation between shooting the scenes? Or is it even harder than to just work on a sound stage in Los Angeles?
Sometimes it's like being trapped on vacation - or being crashed on a deserted island. Except, it's not deserted. It's just not home. I love Hawaii, I love to work there. My two favorite places that I've worked so far are Hawaii and Vancouver. But when I'm not working it's a very small island. And I tend to get a little island fever. That being said, I can't count my blessings, I am happy to be working there. So, I will never complain about this job.

Was there a big farewell party for Dominic Monaghan after season three? Or will we see him again?
I don't know. The answer to the first question is: No, there wasn't. I said my farewells to Dominic more privately. The partys tend to happen at the beginning, during the honeymoon period of shows. It is when everybody gets together and goes like: „Wow! We are successful!“ And you tell stories like: „Guess how people reacted to me on the street?“ But as you become more accustomed to it people become a little bit more private with their plans - and where they are going with this golden ball of success. You begin to not share it so much.

What about friendship within the cast?
I haven't tended personally to keep a lot of friends that I worked with. My friends are pretty much the people I raise my kids with in Maryland. I have a lot of acquaintances in the business, and probably I have more in common now with Michael Emerson on our show than with anybody else. We throw the word love around a lot, especially in Hollywood. „I love them all dearly“ - well, I don't love them ALL dearly. But I like them all pretty well. And I am always happy to go to work with these people. And that is not true of every cast I have ever worked with.

Are there any bets on which cast member might be the next to win an Emmy for «Lost»?
If I was a betting man, I would say Michael Emerson. You will see a lot of Ben in Season Four, and he does great work, brillant. If my wife would let me, I would vote for him myself, but I got to vote for me (laughter).

Because she's been to the Emmys now, and she likes to party, and you get a lot of free stuff. So, I said: „It would be ok if I simply got nominated, and didn't win?“ And she said: „Yeah, that would be ok.“ I don't think it's likely this year. I don't predict a nomination for myself.

But if Michael Emerson didn't get one, I'd be surprised.

On the internet, we came across some websites which seem to suggest that you are the source of rather erotic fantasies from some of your female viewers. How do you cope?
Could you write them down for me? (laughter) Because I don't think I have seen them yet. I would like to have those, just to be able to show them my wife once in a while. How do I cope? I haven't been confronted with this problem. But I look forward to it. I haven't met them, and maybe if I met them, I would rather they stopped. But I like to live with my illusions. I can pictures them now, all of them. And they are gorgeous!

I am sure they are! Mr. O'Quinn, thank you very much for this interview!

source : serienjunkies