Entertainment
Adrian Holmes chats “Elysium,” “Arrow,” and His Upcoming Projects
Adrian Holmes can be seen in this summer’s hit “Elysium.” Adrian plays the role of Manuel, opposite Matt Damon, Jodi Foster, Sharlto Copley, Diego Luna, and Alice Braga.
Besides being in that film you might have seen Adrian in “Red Riding Hood” starring opposite Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman. He also worked with Academy Award winner Adrien Brody in “Wrecked.”
Adrian has been on many television shows as well. He is on “Arrow,” “Continuum,” and “King & Maxwell.” Adrian was kind enough to answers some of my questions about “Elysium” as well as other questions on his work on TV.
Art Eddy: You are in the summer blockbuster film “Elysium.” Tell me about your role in the film?
Adrian Holmes: I play Manuel who is a gangster and weapons expert. A tough guy that gets the job done by any means necessary.
AE: What was the audition process like?
AH: It was the same as any other project really. I had originally gone in for Krugar and then was called in for Manuel and got another call back and the rest is history. I was very happy, as you can imagine.
AE: Any cool stories behind the scenes stories from that set?
AH: We had some cool poker nights in Matt’s hotel room while shooting in Mexico City. A lot of laughs and good times had. Was like a real family experience.
AE: What do you hope people will take away from this film?
AH: I think there are a lot of themes to be explored in this film. Very thought provoking and subject to interpretation. One message is, that the course of the future is not static but changeable if we are willing to change ourselves.
AE: I like your role on “Arrow” as Lt. Frank Pile. Tell me a bit about working on that set.
AE: Everyone is very cool actually. I love working on Arrow and I really enjoy playing a very authoritative character like Lt. Pike.
AE: You also worked on “Smallville.” As a comic book geek and you being in a few of these comic book themed shows I have to ask are you fan of comics as well?
AH: Yeah I read a few but not too crazy. However I am a HUGE Superman fan so getting to be a part of “Smallville” was a real treat for me.
AE: In the film “Red Riding Hood” you got to work with one of my favorite actors Gary Oldman. How was it like to work with him?
AH: The best acting class I could ever ask for. I learned a lot from one of the greats for sure! He was very down to earth and we got along very well. Great level of focus, and we shared a lot of laughs.
AE: Another thing I saw that you did was the voice of Mace Windu for “Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles – The Phantom Clone.” I am a big “Star Wars” geek. So I have to ask how was it to take on the role of Mace Windu?
AH: That makes two of us! (Laughs) I love me some “Star Wars!” It was a huge honor and surprise when I got the opportunity. I am a fan of Sam Jackson as well so to step into his shoes as Mace was so surreal. I hope it’s foreshadowing for the next “Star Wars” movies they’re about to make. Would love to play a decedent of Mace Windu and keep the purple lightsaber alive!
AE: I have read two of your personal quotes, “Walk by faith not by sight” and “Be ready so you don’t have to get ready!” I like those. Are those your motivational phrases?
AH: Yeah they’re two of a few quotes I use to keep my sword sharp. Gotta stay positive!
AE: What is the next project you are looking out for?
AH: I’ll be going to Montreal next to be the lead in a new series called “19-2” that I’m very excited about. It’s a cop drama that will be a nice change for me from the sci-fi world for a while. After that I would love to do another big action film. I just love to be versatile and try new things.
Aug 15th
Charles Baker talks about the last season of Breaking Bad and the hopes for a spinoff show
Charles Baker stars on the hit AMC series “Breaking Bad” as Skinny Pete. He is a drug distributor that has been friends with Aaron Paul’s character since high school. He can be described as a guy that just got in with the wrong crowd.
What originally was supposed to be a one episode gig with the credit of ‘Skinny Stoner,’ turned into ‘Skinny Pete’ in the matter of two episodes. Baker recalls the moment he stepped on set of season one and loudly proclaimed the lines “Yo! I’m Skinny Pete!” Five years later, and ‘Skinny Pete’ has become a household name that resonates with every “Breaking Bad” fan, with fan art sent to him on a regular basis.
A native of Washington D.C. and raised in Hawaii, Baker got his start acting in elementary and high school, always participating in school plays and musicals. During a stint as a member of a band in college, he overheard his bandmates talk about how he lacked any stage presence and he took it upon himself to improve and enrolled in acting classes.
Besides “Braking Bad” Baker can now be seen in a variety of television and film including the upcoming NBC series “The Blacklist” opposite James Spader to premiere this Fall and Fox’s “The Good Guys” opposite Colin Hanks.
I spoke with Charles about “Breaking Bad”, Skinny Pete, and what is coming up next for the talented actor.
Art Eddy: You play Skinny Pete, a drug distributor that has been friends with Aaron Paul’s character, Jesse Pinkman, since high school. I read that your character was supposed to be in just one episode. Tell me how it went from a one-time role to you having a reoccurring role on this hit series.
Charles Baker: I was originally hired to be just a skinny stoner in Episode 4 of the first season. That was really my name, skinny stoner. I was ready for that. (Laughs) About a week later they called me back and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come back.’ They really didn’t say much after that. It was kind of a quick thing.
They sent me the script. They flew me in. I got there and the first thing I noticed was I got to yell, ‘Yo, I’m Skinny Pete!’ I was like that must be my name now. I’m Skinny Pete now. Bryan Cranston came up to me right before we were about to shoot a scene in Tuco’s office.
Bryan was walking by and turned and made a B-line to me and said, ‘Man, I heard a lot great things about you and I am so glad you are here. Did you hear about how this came about?’
I said no and that I was really curious. He said that they originally hired Matt Jones, “Badger”, to do this scene. This was the scene where he introduces Walt to Tuco. After they shot their first episode with Matt Jones, they realized that he was a good actor, but he brought a level of goofiness to the role that they weren’t really expecting.
They didn’t think that he was hard enough or tough enough to have done prison time with Tuco and survive. They were kind of in a hurry to figure out who do we get to be this guy. Do we create a new character or what? Vince Gilligan luckily remembered me and said let’s get that stoner dude. He was pretty good. Let’s just bring him back.
Luckily for they brought me back. I have only done a few bit parts on television before so I was thrilled. That’s kind of the dream of an actor. Get pulled in for a bit part and then they say, ‘Hey I love that. Let’s keep you.’ Here I am on the best television show in history.
AE: I also hear that you get a lot of fan art from people who dig your character and the show. What has that been like and what type of fan art do you get?
CB: I have a deep love for all forms of art. My mom was a painter when I was real young. I still have her paintings. I studied violin when I was a child. I love all forms. I have taken dance, tap, jazz, and ballet. I have studied Shakespeare. All forms of art is just a wonderful expression of the human spirit and the soul.
The artists that have contacted me and said, ‘Hey I saw this picture of you and I would love to do a drawing of it.’ To hear that is overwhelming. A lot of incredible artists have done portraits of me. I am not exactly Mona Lisa, so it has got to be one of the most flattering to ever happen to me. My wife has them all framed. She has a wall of different portraits of me as Skinny Pete, me as myself. There is one where it is of me and my kids of an Instagram picture that I took.
It is so endearing to me. Not only do they do these pictures, but they send them to me. I am not being asked to pay for these things. They are not asking for money. They are doing it for the love of the show and somehow I have inspired them. You see it everywhere. They have had art exhibits and in museums where it was all about “Breaking Bad.” So many artists create stuff not just from the show, but about imagery about the show. It is kind of amazing to me.
AE: “Breaking Bad” is a phenomenal show. For you what makes the show such a big hit?
CB: One, I am a huge fan of the show myself since it started. It is neat that I am such a different person from that character that I can disengage myself from the fact I am in it while I am watching it.
Matt Jones made a great point why it was so successful. I totally agreed with it. A lot of people know people like Badger and Skinny Pete. A lot of people in this country are affected by drugs one way or the other. That is real to people. Zombies attacking the world, that is not as real to people.
1960’s newsmen is a riveting story, but not really real to people. This story really connects with people, because it could be any of us. We all know someone who has had severe medical problems that their insurance wouldn’t cover. They were desperate. We have all been in that place. At one point you might have thought to sell drugs or something.
That is part of it. We manage to sympathize with Walt. It is kind of the zeitgeist of this time. Insurance doesn’t cover health bills and you can’t make it if you are making an honest living. A lot of people feel that way right now. That is why we are all pulling for him.
AE: This will be the show’s last season. As an actor is it hard to say goodbye to your character and the show?
CB: It really is. Every time I hear the rumors of the Saul Goodman spinoff I get a little excited. They got to use me a little bit don’t they? As an actor I don’t want to be Skinny Pete for the rest of my life. I want to be Hamlet someday. I don’t expect it, but I at least like to have that hope. Skinny Pete has become such a huge name for a lack of a better word.
It will just be fun to just stick my head out and say ‘Hey I’m still here bitches,’ every now and then. Especially if I do get to be Hamlet. Then pop out and say ‘To be or not to be….Boom! Yo, what do you think of that bitch?’ I think that would be fun.
AE: You are going to be in the new series called “The Blacklist.” Can you tell me a bit about the show and your character?
CB: On “Blacklist” James Spader is the lead. Pretty much for most people that is all you got to say and they will say, ‘Yea I will watch that.’ He plays one of the FBI’s most wanted, who for reasons only known to him right now, turns himself in to the FBI with the agreement that he helps them catch people that are worse than him.
I got this awesome job of playing, if he was Batman I would be Alfred. I am his driver, his butler, his confidant. If he pulls something out of his butt and is kind of magical it is probably me standing behind him holding it there for him. It is definitely a cool character. It is a different kind of thing from Skinny Pete. He is articulate. He can spell. He actually gets to shave, which is nice. I don’t know what will happen for this character yet, but there is so much potential there.
Aug 9th
Josh Blacker talks about his role in “Elysium”
Josh Blacker is no stranger to the sci-fi genre. He has appeared in many great films and TV shows like “Supernatural,” “Stargate: Atlantis,” and “Fringe.” Now Josh landed a major role in the summer blockbuster film “Elysium,” playing the role of the character named “Crowe.”
Josh is an avid athlete, being fiercely competitive on the squash courts, and holding belts in three different martial arts. I was able to chat with Josh on his role as Crowe and what he looks to do in the future.
Art Eddy: So you are in the summer blockbuster “Elysium”. Tell me about your character and a bit about the film.
Josh Blacker: “Elysium” is a sci-fi action movie set in 2154. Earth is a lost cause and the ultra-rich have built a massive space station called Elysium where they live in pristine mansions, well away from the grime and crime of Earth. My character is a South African mercenary called ‘Crowe’. He’s an old school professional soldier that works with Kruger (Sharlto Copley) and Drake (Brandon Auret). They are hired to protect Elysium from any manner of problems, including illegal aliens. Crowe is rough, tough and both physically and mentally intimidating.
AE: Did you have to work with a lot of green screens since it was a science fiction film? If so how was that?
JB: Working with Neill is great because he really wants to have his movies based in as much reality as possible. That includes the sets. Most of our sets were built on various sound stages in Vancouver. The only real green screen work that was done was in the environments that couldn’t be built in a sound stage, due to the sheer size and complexity of them. For example, the space ship we fly around in was built down to the tiniest detail. But, when you see the ship flying and landing and crashing, there was a degree of green screen involved.
AE: What was it like to work with big names in the business like Matt Damon and Jodie Foster?
JB: In a word: unbelievable. I’ve admired and respected both Matt and Jodie for years. Matt is as down to earth of an actor and person as there is. He’s welcoming, collaborative, and incredibly funny. It’s easy to see why he’s such a bankable leading man. Jodie is a genius; to watch her work is mesmerizing. She was an absolute pleasure to work with; dedicated, focused and generous. And, she’s also got a great sense of humor!
AE: You are no stranger to the genre of science fiction with all the great films and TV shows like “V,” “Fringe,” and “SGU Stargate University.” I take it that you are somewhat into that genre.
JB: I don’t really think of the projects I work on in terms of genre. I just like to work on good stories and sci-fi is a genre that allows for some terrific story telling. The universes you can create in sci-fi give you freedom to tell some unconventional stories and free you from the constraints of traditional drama and period pieces. Ultimately, I want to tell fascinating stories that viewers can connect with.
AE: Which show that you worked on in the past is the closet to “Elysium?”
JB: “Elysium”, and Neill’s vision, is such a unique project. I can’t think of anything that comes close to the breadth and depth of story and character that Neill has created. I’d say it’s an amalgamation of many of the projects I’ve worked on – the Us vs. Them of “V”, the desperation of wanting to be somewhere else highlighted in “SG:U” and the complexity and intrigue of “Fringe”.
AE: I am intrigued about your project “Focus” where you wrote and acted in. Tell me about that film.
JB: Focus is a feature length comedy I co-wrote with my producing partner, Christopher Young. It’s a workplace comedy about a guy who has one day to save his job, defeat his enemies, and not get dumped by his girlfriend. I’d say it’s a cross between “Office Space” and “Trading Places”. We are in the process of shopping it around to various distributors and festivals. You can find out more at the official site www.focusmovie.net
AE: Was it easier to act in a film that you wrote?
JB: In some respects it was easier in that I knew the character inside and out. And, of course, if a line didn’t work or a scene needed a change, I could change things up without offending anyone! However, it was definitely more challenging trying to keep the character and my choices fresh because we had worked so closely on the script for so long.
AE: What is the next project that you are working on?
JB: I continue to audition and consider various projects in Vancouver, Toronto and LA. At the same time, I’m working my producing partner on a new script, which is a feature length drama that deals with soldiers coming back from war and the emotional, psychological and physical barriers they encounter. It’s a fascinating project that is near and dear to my heart. We hope to get funding and start shooting in the summer of 2014.
Aug 8th
Devon Bagby Talks About the Showtime Hit Series “Ray Donovan.”
Devon Bagby can be seen in the brand new Showtime hit series “Ray Donovan” as ‘Conor,’ son to Ray, played by Liev Schreiber and grandson to Mickey who is played by Jon Voight. He has also worked on the DreamWorks animated project “Puss and Boots” and also guest starred on an episode of “CSI: NY.”
Devon was able to chat with me about his role on “Ray Donovan” and what he learned from Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight.
Art Eddy: First off I have to say congratulations on having “Ray Donovan” being picked up for another season on Showtime. How exciting was it to hear that news?
Devon Bagby: It was absolutely amazing. I felt so proud of Ann Biderman. Her writing and creation is genius and our team of writers have a talent of bringing her characters to life. I’m always excited for the next script and the table reads brought an energy to our entire team. Just being at the table reads made you feel like season 2 would be coming. Ray Donovan was cast perfectly. Every single cast member brings something unique to the table and there is a character for every audience member to love. I am so blessed to be a part of this team.
AE: Did you and rest of the cast kind of see this coming since the pilot episode broke records of viewership, becoming the biggest premiere of all time on Showtime?
DB: I think most of us knew it was coming from reading the scripts. You could tell just reading the scripts with the cast members together that something special was happening. I mean really, Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight, Paula Malcomson, Eddie Marsan, Dash Mihok, Pooch Hall, Kerris Dorsey as a family.
Then pack on top of that, Steven Bauer, Elliot Gould, Johnathon Schaech, Denise Crosby, Brook Smith, James Woods, Rosanna Arquette, Ambyr Childers and more. It is just an overwhelming amount of talent. When you have that much talent sitting at one large table, it’s like lightning bolts.
I’ve often wanted to count how many years of experience, how many films, TV shows and plays this cast has accomplished. It would be an amazing figure for sure.
AE: You play as Conor, who is the son to Ray, played by Liev Schreiber and grandson to Mickey who is played by Jon Voight. What has it been like to work with them?
DB: It’s been surreal. I am having the opportunity of a lifetime. They have both taught me so much. They have taken me under their wings and taught me hands on tips based on their experience that you cannot learn in an acting class. I am definitely a better actor after working with them and I learn something new every day. They are forming who I am as an actor along with the amazing directors. I will always be grateful to them. 
AE: Do you ever ask them about any acting tips since these two have been in the business for a long time?
DB: Jon and Liev have both given me advice. They are eager to make the scene real. That’s what I love about them. Between the both of them there is over 75 years of acting experience. As an actor life doesn’t get better than that. Ray Donovan is the best acting school any actor could possibly ask for.
AE: How has your character evolved from the first episode to now?
DB: Conor is getting older every episode. He is entering his teen years full force. He is starting to take on some character traits of the male role models in his life. He has a temper but if you notice he has a special bond with his father. He can’t lie to him. He has no problem lying but he won’t lie to his Dad. Conor also has a way of finding trouble. I have a feeling that Conor will continue to find trouble as we watch him grow up.
AE: What was the audition process like for this role?
DB: I had to go back quite a few times. When I met Ann Biderman, Bryan Zuriff and John Papsidera all together there was a very good energy in the room. The next meeting included our award winning director Allen Coulter. I had no idea who he was as I was only 13. The very minute I met this man I knew I had to work with him. I wanted nothing more in my entire life. The way he directed me during the process brought my instinct out. It immediately felt like i had arrived as an actor. I was blessed the day I met him and I was blessed they all chose me.
AE: You also were in an episode of “CSI:NY.” What was it to be on that set?
DB: “CSI:NY” was a great show. I think meeting Gary Sinise was the highlight of “CSI:NY” for me. I respect him as an actor immensely. I hope to work with him again in the future.
AE: What is the next project that you are looking to work on?
DB: When I’m on hiatus from “Ray Donovan”, I’m looking forward to a feature film. I have read a few scripts but haven’t found the right one yet. I have faith that it will come soon. Things move fast in Hollywood.
Aug 1st
Going to the Vans Warped Tour? Don’t forget to get your Wicked Audio Swag Bag
Wicked Audio, manufacturers of stylish headphones for the rocker in all of us, recently teamed up with ZING Revolution and Virtual Piggy as official sponsors for Vans Warped Tour this summer.
In its 19th year, Vans Warped Tour is once again journeying through the United States and Europe as the top alternative rock tour in America. Big names at this year’s show include Hawthorne Heights, Forever the Sickest Kids and Motion City Soundtrack. Tickets are available now on Live Nation.
You can find Wicked Audio’s edgy audio line at the ZING Revolution tent. From in-ear buds to over-ear headphones, concertgoers can purchase Wicked Audio’s collection of high quality headphones that won’t compromise your individual rocker style. With options like Wicked Audio’s Heist, Metallic, Mojo and Wicked headphones, everyone will find their perfect pair.
ZING Revolution is also offering its wide selection of eDevice skins as the official vinyl skin distributor for the Warped Tour. ZING Revolution is a leading provider in pop culture and personalized cases and skins for electronic devices. Virtual Piggy, a website that teaches kids the responsibility of online spending through parental supervision, will also be at ZING Revolution’s tent.
Check out Wicked Audio, ZING Revolution and Virtual Piggy at the ZING Revolution tent when Vans Warped Tour stops by your town from June 15th to August 4th.
If you can’t make it to Vans Warped Tour this year, you can check out Wicked Audio’s collection of headphones at www.wickedaudio.com.
Jul 19th
Bonnie Bernstein explains how Campus Insiders takes fans deep inside college sports
A new mobile app launched by Campus Insiders takes fans deep inside college sports with game highlights, interviews and a behind-the-scenes perspective of the trending stories of the day, from on-camera hosts Bonnie Bernstein and Seth Davis, as well as top college analysts, former coaches and special contributors.
Campus Insiders is the online destination and leading digital content syndication source for college sports fans. The app is free and now available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It provides an interactive user experience that enables college sports fans to access the same content available at CampusInsiders.com, along with the insight and perspective of Campus Insiders’ stable of experts, including broadcasters Bonnie Bernstein, Seth Davis and the nearly 100 Insiders from college campuses across the country.
The Campus Insiders app features breaking news and video alert, video on-demand, filtered by sport, and daily original programming, including live programming (starting this Fall) featuring Bonnie Bernstein and Seth Davis.
I had the great pleasure to speak with Bonnie Bernstein about the Campus Insider website and app, her career in sports journalism, and much more. Be sure to click on the link below to listen to the entire interview.
Art Eddy: You and your team at Campus Insiders created a very cool app. Tell me about the app and why people should download it to their smartphone or tablet?
Bonnie Bernstein: The app is one of the many Campus Insider platforms we have. Of course we have the website, we have the app available for your mobile, your smartphone, and iPad. Just like the network that was in its fledgling stages we have written editorial and video, but we are really emphasizing the video right now.
All of the different segments that we create during our live shows will also be available on demand on the app. In the event you miss my show or Seth Davis’ show you can find it any time. We have a whole written editorial side Pete Fiutak, our managing editor, he is terrific.
One of the really exciting pieces is that we are shooting for by the time the college football season starts, the ability to live stream games. We have exclusive digital rights to some of those smaller conferences like Mountain West, West Coast Conference. We are working on the Patriot League. We are in discussions with some other conferences. Just like so many people go to their television to watch games, you are going to be able to watch it on your app or online at Campus Insiders.
AE: One of the cool things I like about the app is the behind-the-scenes content. What made you guys decide to do that?
BB: We really wanted to our name to as a literal extent as we can. The whole premise of Campus Insiders is that we will have our “insiders” embedded on campuses all over the country. If there is a breaking story ESPN, CBS, or Yahoo would send a reporter to that site. We are going to have our insiders embedded on campuses, embedded with the teams, dealing with the coaches on a daily basis.
We are really encouraging to break their news with us. These are play by play guys, color guys, beat reporters, newspaper reporters. They are all the reporters that are covering these teams. We are incentivizing them to break stories with us. Give us that inside look. What is going on in practice and send us an Instagram photo. If you are on sideline and there is a star player who is questionable because he tweaked his ankle, get that information to us.
We really want to take our viewers and our fans inside what we do as a network. We are in this day and age where we are all trying to get our heads around what is it that make a video go viral. What my sense is that it is not the polished journalistic video unless of course you are breaking news. It is that raw behind the scenes how are you making the sausage kind of video. We want to take people inside our production meetings and let them see how it is that we are deciding what we are going to be talking about during my show. Go into the control room and see how the producers are working. See how the directors are working the shots. That is a really exciting part of what we are doing and it is kind of unique.
AE: Tell me about the site Campus Insiders itself. What was the catalyst to start up that site?
BB: Campus Insiders is a partnership between IMG College, which is America’s largest college sports marketing firm, and Silver Chalice. (Silver Chalice) is a digital media company that was founded by Jerry Reinsdorf, who owns the White Sox and Bulls.
Silver Chalice has already had success, most prominently with the ACC Digital Network, which fairly recently superseded the SEC Digital Network as the number one most viewed college sports site. IMG College was looking for a way to take all of their great properties and the relationships they have with their schools and create content with it.
So IMG College spent a year talking to the AOL’s, the Yahoo’s of the world and trying to find the right digital media partner and came upon Silver Chalice. After a lot discussions they felt as though we were the best fit. They understand the extraordinary production value that we bring to the table and we partnered up.
AE: What drove you to get into sports journalism?
BB: I have always maintained that you are a product of your own environment and both of my parents are die-hard sports fans. It is basically that simplistic. When I was a kid we didn’t have remote controls that you could steal from mom and dad and put on whatever you wanted to watch. You physically had to walk up to the television and change the channel. If you knew my dad you know that he is tall and imposing. Whatever dad wanted to watch, the kids are watching.
It is not just my dad, my mom is a die-hard sports fan. Both of them grew up in Brooklyn. Die-hard Dodgers fans. When they moved out west and the Mets came into town. We are a baseball family. We are a football family. My parents are more passionate about the NBA and my mom in particular with hockey than I am.
When I would be out covering games for the NFL on CBS I would call my mom. You are covering the game and you can’t keep an eye on everything else that is going on. My mom would be the human sports ticker. The Jets lost. The Giants lost. This one threw for four touchdowns. Because I was exposed to sports at such an early age it was just something that naturally rubbed off on me.
I did a lot of creative writing. I remember the third grade and fourth grade I have always been an athlete. I played soccer when I was five and gymnastics, my primary sports, when I was seven. I did that for fourteen years all the way to the University of Maryland.
I realized very early on that not only did I love sports, but I loved writing. I decided to find a career that enabled me to tap into both of those passions. I wrote about sports in my high school’s paper and specifically went to the University of Maryland because of the reputability of their journalism school. Wound up gravitating toward broadcast, which wasn’t really in the plan. I really wanted to write for Sports Illustrated, but I loved the TV classes at Maryland and I sort of stuck with it. Twenty plus years later here we are. I feel very blessed that I established a dream early on and I have really been able to achieve it.
AE: How tough was it and is it still today to be a woman in sports journalism?
BB: Well relatively speaking I think it is easier. The Lisa Olson’s, the Lesley Visser’s, and the Christine Brennan’s of the world paved the way for us. Years ago women were not allowed to be in locker rooms. So just that very fact that we are enables us to do our job.
I think the thing that people don’t realize is that we are not going into locker rooms because we want to. The simple fact of the matter is that we are on deadline. Once the game is over you have to get in. You don’t have time to wait for players to take their showers, to put their jewelry on, their suits on and walk outside and be all relaxed. You got to a story to write or you got a TV show to get ready for. So more than anything it is a matter of time.
In terms of the perception of women in the business I think that it has gotten better overall. To a certain degree I think that it is an individual thing. I think it is incumbent upon any woman who wants to get into sports journalism to take pride in her work. I hope that fans make their judgment on sort of a case by case basis. If you are good at what you do and you do it well consistently, then there is really no room for people to criticize. Unless they simply don’t feel that women have any business covering sports that they haven’t played.
People are certainly entitled to their own opinion. The one thing that I don’t think that fans understand is that there are many, many men, who cover sports, who haven’t played that sport as well. When you take that into consideration, the fact that I played a Division I sport, from a psychological and preparatory stand point puts me on par with anybody. I know what the mental process is like to prepare and to be in the heat of competition and the amount of focus that it requires. So when I am formulating questions they are coming from experience.
AE: What advice would you want to give women who are thinking about a career in that field?
BB: Well I would say don’t just watch sports, but really listen. By that I mean don’t watch the big game on a Saturday night with a bunch of friends at a bar. If you really want to learn about sports not only do you learn by watching, but by listening to what the play by play, the color announcer, the sideline reporter are talking about. You would be amazed at how much you can learn about sports.
Watching the games. Watching the specialty shows, like College Football Live, there are so many shows out there. The other thing that I would really recommend is networking. If you are in college right now or in high school, make sure you seize all the opportunities. Intern or serve as a runner for the networks when they are coming to cover the events. Show them that you have that passion and that you are willing to take that initiative. Collect those business card and stay in touch with those people. You never know that those folks that you meet along the way can be a tremendous resource in helping you get a job.
AE: You have covered a ton of great sporting events like a few Super Bowls. Is there an event that stands out more than others?
BB: I would say two in particular. The very first Super Bowl I covered which was down in Tampa in 2001. The Ravens Giants (game). New York kind of got pounded, but it was the first Super Bowl that I have done sideline for. It just so happened that I was assigned to the Giants sideline.
I had to interview Jim Fassel before the game. Just having access to the team and the coaches before the game and I remember the day before the game. The Giants has their final run through. I walked with Fassel from midfield to into the tunnel as he was going into the locker room. Just having the ability to have that conversation with a coach about what is going on in his mind as he is preparing his team to play in the “holy grail” of NFL events. I really took the time to soak that up.
The other big one was the Maryland run to the 2002 National Basketball Championship. I went to Maryland and I was there from late 80s early 90s. I call it the dark days of Maryland basketball. I got there and we were not too far removed from Len Bias. My freshman year the basketball team the coach there got nailed for all of these NCAA recruiting violations.
Gary Williams came in my sophomore year. He was faced with probation, TV bans, and postseason bans. It really was a mess. I did stuff for our school. I did campus newspaper, campus radio station, and campus TV station. I had the chance to meet Gary Williams when I was a sophomore in college.
So to see all of his hard work culminate in a National Championship, when I got the opportunity to cover every single one Maryland’s games with Jim Nantz and Billy Packer. To be standing on the court at the Georgia Dome watching the players standing on the podium. Watching themselves in highlights of one shining moment was so surreal. I sort of felt like very few people in that arena that night that could appreciate how monumental of a moment that was because where the program came from. It was really, really special to me.
Since Bonnie is well versed in every aspect of sports I asked her opinion on the whole Johnny Manziel situation. To listen to her take on that issue, challenging Dan Le Batard and his father to a showdown with Bonnie and her mother on a sports show, and the entire interview click here.
Jul 18th
Actor Tim Jacobs chats about “R.I.P.D.” which opens this weekend in theatres
Tomorrow the film “R.I.P.D.” hits the theaters. The film stars Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side.
I was able to chat with Tim Jacobs who stars in the film along with Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, and Kevin Bacon. Jacobs plays a “Deados” character who helps out Bacon’s character Hayes. Tim explained what the audition process was like and what he learned from being on a movie set.
Tim has done theater as well. We talk about the difference between shooting a film and performing on stage.
Art Eddy: You are in the film “R.I.P.D.” that comes out this Friday. Can you tell me a bit about your role and the basic plot of the film?
Tim Jacobs: “R.I.P.D” is about a supernatural police force (Rest in Peace Department) that is charged with finding and “arresting” evil souls that somehow escaped judgment and are hiding on earth. Nick (Ryan Reynolds) joins the force after being gunned down in raid. He and his partner Roy (Jeff Bridges) chase down the evildoers (Deados) and bring them to justice.
They get all they can handle when they meet Hayes (Kevin Bacon) as he threatens to destroy the world. In the movie, I was one of the Deados that worked closely with Hayes to bring about the end of the world as we know it.
AE: What was the audition process like?
TJ: This was the best audition I have had in a while! The casting call they put out was for athletic men over 6 feet tall. The night before the audition, they asked us to come dressed ready to move. They didn’t tell us if it was indoors or outdoors or what we would be doing so I dressed like I was going to play flag football in November.
When we arrived, we filled out all the proper forms and met with the stunt coordinator. From there it was basically a physical fitness test. We did push-ups, pull-ups, jumped rope, box jumps, and even some stage combat. From there, they picked who they liked and sent the rest on their way. From there we went immediately to wardrobe and were measured for costumes. It was all kind of a blur.
AE: The film was based of the comic book from Dark Horse Comics. Did you read the comic series at all?
TJ: We had a copy of it with us when we were shooting. I did peruse it, but never read the whole thing.
AE: The film also stars a bunch of great actors like Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, and Kevin Bacon. Did you get a chance to pick their brain on working in Hollywood?
TJ: While we did work with those guys, we didn’t really get a chance to converse for long with them. The time between takes was never very long, so while there was chatter, it wasn’t anything substantial. I will say that Jeff Bridges is an incredible person. I don’t think I saw him once without a smile on his face between takes. Kevin Bacon is also hilarious, but we already knew that.
AE: What will you take most from that experience on the set of the film?
TJ: My first time on a movie set was invaluable. You always have to keep your head on a swivel. The entire set changes between scenes. People are all moving where they need to go and woe to you if you get in their way. It is all fast paced on the set.
AE: I know that you have done theater as well. Do you prefer one over the other?
TJ: They are both entirely different beasts. Movies are wonderful for how big they can get while still having incredibly intimate moments. The number of takes you can have means that you can strive for perfection. In a live theatrical performance there is no second take. What you do is what the audience gets. The thrill of live performance is something that is hard to replicate. That being said, I don’t think I have a distinct preference for one over the other.
AE: Did you go to acting school to hone your craft?
ATJ: I started acting in middle school, but didn’t get serious about it until after my first year of college. After dabbling in photography and criminal justice, I decided that what I really wanted to do was be myself in many different iterations.
As an actor, I am allowed to takes parts of myself and relate them to my characters and bring those specific parts out on stage. It really is taking a microscope and turning it in on yourself. I did go to college at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and earned my degree in Theatre.
AE: What advice can you give other young actors who are looking to get into acting?
TJ: Don’t get discouraged, we all get rejected. Be realistic though. If you are not going to put 100% of your effort into being an actor, you probably won’t be the next superstar. It is hard, but if you love to act, it is worth it.
Jul 18th
Adam Savage from “Mythbusters” talks about the show’s 10 Year Anniversary and more
If you ever have watched “Mythbusters” you know that the show’s co-host Adam Savage has a deep passion for science. He and his partner in crime, Jamie Hyneman, along with the rest of the “Mythbusters” crew is celebrating the show’s 10 year anniversary this season.
Savage is a modern day “Renaissance Man.” Not only is he heavily involved in science, but Adam had a love for the arts. In his free time he sculpts and has had his work on display in San Francisco, New York and Charleston, West Virginia.
Adam has done special effects work from notable films and TV shows. He has worked on props for films like “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones”, “Galaxy Quest”, and “Terminator 3.”
I was able to chat with Adam about the longevity of “Mythbusters,” sculpting, and his work on film sets.
Art Eddy: First off I have to say congrats to you and the rest of the crew on “Mythbusters” for celebrating the show’s 10 year anniversary this year. I know the cliché is time flies when you are having fun, but do you feel like the show has been on for that long?
Adam Savage: No. Not at all. We kind of joke about it. When we go back through the stuff that we have done the thing that lets us know that it has been that long is that it is kind of an unbelievable mountain of things we did when we start to review for new episodes. We would be like oh I think that we already have done that.
We will remember a whole bunch of things from that episode we did seven years ago. For the most part we are having so much fun that I can’t remember what we did a couple of weeks ago.
AE: Do you have a favorite all time episode?
AS: It is impossible to choose. There are so many categories of things that were great to do. I love “Duct Tape Island” and “Duct Tape Cannon”, escaping from the Grand Canyon with Duct Tape. I think that these are really wonderful stories that were fun to tell.
I enjoyed very much the hybrid storytelling of jumping outside the standard “Mythbusters” format to still tell a story that was a true story in terms of the physics and in terms of the materials. I also love shows where we have done research that was genuinely part of some actual scientific published paper.
When we did “Drain Disaster” where we had manhole covers being blown off from the sewer. That was actually part of a published scientific paper that researchers helped us with that and we helped them. They were the leaders in their field of investigating the composition of gases at near supersonic speeds in sewer explosions. They never had the ability to build an experiment as large as the one we were able to build with their help. We were really proud that we were able to contribute to that.
All told with the storytelling and the problem solving in the science, really a high point and a great example of the highest ideal for both me and Jamie is “Lead Balloon.” We really feel that “Lead Balloon” shows this beautiful balance between taking something that is essentially mundane like building a bag that holds air that is made out of rolled lead. It demonstrates how difficult the process is, how much you kind of have to see into the future to understand on how to solve that problem. The way that Jamie and I worked together in a kind of unique way in which the participation of the two of us exceeds what one of us could do on our own.
AE: Was there ever a time where you went back after the show and did an experiment because you didn’t trust the results the first time?
AS: That is an interesting question. There are times when we are trying to do something sensitive. We actually might send the crew out so that we can really concentrate. When it is really working we are able to film everything that we are doing all at the same time.
There are times where we need all of our concentration on the experiment itself and not be thinking about the storytelling. We might send the crew out while we fix it or figure out what’s wrong. Wrap our heads around what is happening. Then bring them back and backfill what happened. No one ever made a lead balloon before.
That’s another thing that I am quite proud of over the years. I know we have done several things on this show that no one has ever achieved before. Most of those thing are quite mundane, but it is lovely to be first somewhere.
AE: At what point or which season did you and your co-host Jamie Hyneman feel like you had something special in “Mythbusters?”
AS: That all really happened quite slowly for us. We were originally hired talent on “Mythbusters.” We learned how to be on television while being on television. It is actually the same way both of us learned most of our professional skills over the years. We call it “the learn while you earn program.”
Given that it took us a while to really understand that the show’s structure and story was based on our enthusiasm. The best episodes were the ones where we were having the most fun. Not necessarily the genuine fun, but the ones where we were most involved. The science was really interesting to us or the experimental methodology, or the build, or the mechanics or the physics, those were the ones that sang.
I guess it was about two and a half or three years in that we really started to understand that. I feel like that was right around “The Hindenburg” episode, which I think is episode 60, where we really genuinely began to feel like the show was ours. We had a handle on it. We knew how to approach these problems.
AE: You are also are a sculptor. How did you get into that form of art?
AS: That’s interesting because it’s something that I have been thinking about a lot right now. I grew up with a father who was a working artist, a painter. He engineered his whole life so he could work for three or four months of the year and pay for his mortgage. He would spend the rest of his time painting full time. I mean like four to five hours a day every single day.
I grew up with a lot of artists. Art is a conversation. It is not just a conversation between the artist and the culture. I think that at its best it is a conversation between the culture and itself. The artist is a conduit to what the culture is thinking about itself. So there is a wider consciousness there.
Freud might have called it the oceanic feeling, but I think of the artist as a kind of conduit. I spent a lot of time in my early 20s in being an artist. There was a switch when I discovered these skills that led me so creatively as an artist also fed me creatively and professionally in special effects. I made a turn.
I don’t think that I have stopped being an artist. I don’t think that I have stopped having that conversation with my culture, but I put it in a different context. I am in the process of looking at the things I do in my personal life like replicate movie props that I loved, film things that I want to film, and try things that I want to try out. I am starting to think about them in the context of how they fit into the culture that I am a part of and how I might be a part of the conversation.
AE: I love the fact that you have done special effects for “Star Wars Episode I and Episode II.” What were some of the parts of each film that you worked on? 
AS: For “Episode I” I got to work with a wonderful longtime ILM employee named Larry Tan on Nute and Rune’s Neimoidian shuttle. So when it lands on Naboo and you see the shuttle on the deck in Naboo and the two characters get out, the home landing bay, the interior of it I got to build it. I worked on the design of it with Doug Chiang, the production designer, and I got to paint it and light it. It was really thrilling. It was one of my first big jobs at ILM getting to work on a spaceship which was all I wanted to do since I was 11 years old.
For “Episode II” there are a bunch of exterior close ups of Padme’s apartment. That was actually a model. My friend Fon Davis and I built a large six foot tall model of Padme’s apartment with the windows and interior all accurate so that they could match up the inside and outside.
I think one of the most fun things I have worked on the whole time I was at ILM is the space shuttle for Clint Eastwood’s movie “Space Cowboys.” That was a team about six of us that spent three or four months, maybe even longer, making what I think must be one of the most accurate models of a space shuttle ever built for film.
AE: Speaking of “Star Wars” I saw a video of you and Jamie talking about your favorite film characters. He said Chewbacca was like Jar Jar Binks. I have to say I was stunned when I heard that. How much “hate mail” did Jamie get?
AS: I have no idea. I just viewed that as so incendiary. I have to chalk it up to that Jamie was just merely in a bad mood and looking for a fight. I can’t accept in any way that a human can look at Jar Jar bouncing around the world and look at Chewbacca, this wonderful example of the ultimate right hand man and think that they are in all comparable in any way, shape or form.
To listen to the entire interview click here.
Jul 9th
Alison Teal talks about being “Naked and Afraid”….the new show on The Discovery Channel
Alison Teal, adventurer and filmmaker, who can be seen on a brand new Discovery Channel series “Naked and Afraid” where Alison’s survival skills are tested as she and a companion are left stranded, and quite literally, exposed to one of the world’s most extreme environments with no food, no water, and no clothes. They must survive on their own for a full 21 days, with nothing but one personal item each and their knowledge. “Naked and Afraid” is set to premiere June 23rd.
Alison’s Adventures, is a documentary film series created by Teal herself, to make the world a smaller place by sharing the wisdom of exotic cultures, showcasing authentic people, and entertaining the kid in everyone through storytelling that captures the mystery and intrigue of life’s adventures.
I was able to ask Alison about her unforgettable adventure on “Naked and Afraid,” filmmaking, and her love for the outdoors.
Art Eddy: You took part in the Discovery Channel series “Naked and Afraid.” For those who don’t know about the show two people, a man and woman are put in an extreme environment with no food, no water, and no clothes. This show looks very extreme and pushes the limits. How tough was it to be on this show?
Alison Teal: It was wild! One of the most challenging experiences of my life. It was literally life or death survival in the most extreme environments on earth. In my case I was on an uninhabitable island, almost on the equator in the Indian Ocean. I was dropped on the island with a man I didn’t know and we were completely naked and unfamiliar with our surroundings. For 21 days we have to try work together despite our very different personalities and backgrounds and create a “home away from home” with literally nothing to work with – plagued by misquotes, rats, sharks and the worst storm of the year!
AE: Tell me what were some of the major differences between your thoughts before you took part in the show to what actually happened to you in the show?
AT: At first when the producers contacted me I was like, “you want me to do what!!!” But then when I learned more about the show, and then actually went through the experience, I’m forever grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it – my life is changed forever.
“Naked and Afraid” basically takes a step back in time to showcase a sort of “Adam and Eve” concept of two strangers dropped into the wild and forced to work together to survive. There is no prize and it is not a competition. It is simply a challenge that I signed up for to test my own skills, perseverance, connection with nature, and ability to work as a team with a complete stranger. In our current day and age “Naked and Afraid” is the ultimate survival challenge, but at the same time it is an interesting study on how it must have been to live in an ancient primitive culture and an eerie look at what would potentially happen if a sort of Armageddon hit and we could no longer go to a drive through Starbucks.
Even though I was pretty nervous to take on the challenge I knew I would have a strong qualified male partner to help me out, BUT when he got injured the first day and I had to provide for the both of us, my skills were put to the test and I even shocked myself with my incredible ability to adapt, overcome, and survive the Island From Hell!
I now have eternal appreciation for everything from a coconut to a supermarket to bottle of sunscreen to family and friends.
AE: Looking at your bio and your website Alisosnadventures.com you seem to enjoy the outdoors and living life to the fullest. Did being on this show make respect the outdoors even more?
Being in “Naked and Afraid” definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for nature and most importantly what nature can teach us if we listen and observe. Miracles are happening around us every minute, but we just have to take a moment to recognize them. Every time I thought to myself, “I don’t know if I’m gonna make it,” something magical would happen to ensure my survival. For example I spent forever watching the daily patterns of the eels and finally, when we are almost at the brink or starvation, I got one!
AE: If you could have taken one thing with you on the show what would it be and why?
AT: A chocolate bar. Oh and my pink surf board! I would lay in our shelter at night dreaming of a chocolate bar. And my pink surf board it one of my best friends and I think it would have been like ‘Wilson the volley ball’ in Tom Hank’s Castaway. My partner Jonathan got injured the first day and I had to take on a lot of the challenge on my own, so it would have been nice to have something else for moral support and a way to relieve stress! Although I was so weak from hunger it would have been more like floating then surfing.
AE: What was the biggest fear for you to overcome on the show?
AT: I have an extreme fear of eels after getting bit by one as a child in Hawaii…this was a fear I had to overcome as you will see it in my episode. Also, I’m not a fan of being naked in a close proximity with a man I don’t know for almost a month’s time. But luckily Jonathan was very respectful and even when I was freezing and we had to cuddle to stay warm he was a gentleman about it!
AE: On the show’s website I saw many fans, take a big interest in you. How was it to become a star and have people follow you on Facebook and Twitter?
AT: I’m a huge people person and I really love to make friends around the world! My Alison’s Adventures films series on my website is based upon teaming up with locals all over the word and sharing their stories in a way to connect everyone into a bit global family. Now with this Discovery Channel show, I’m excited to reach even more people and I hope that they feel comfortable to reach out to me on social media with any questions, comments, or ideas!
I love interactive media and how it is making the world a smaller place, and I believe this is a great opportunity to get involved! I’m blessed to have an incredible photographer Sarah Lee capture my adventures and the stunning images have really helped to grow my fan base by actually showing people what it’s like to grow up in some of the most extreme/fascinating places on earth and meet the primitive people who taught me my survival skills.
AE: You also are a filmmaker and you document your adventures. What made you decide to become a filmmaker?
AT: I’m a soul surfer, survivor, and adventurer and spent my childhood home-schooled in a whirlwind of high adventure by extreme expedition parents — my papa is a world-renowned photographer whose work has been featured in numerous outdoor magazines including National Geographic, Outside and Patagonia, and my mom is a legendary Yoga teacher. I grew up living in a six-foot by six-foot tent in some of the most primitive, inaccessible, and often dangerous mountains, jungles, and uncharted wilderness areas that cover the face of this planet.
What was and is normal family life for us is light years away from most peoples’ idea of normal, but for me it was the only life I knew from the moment I was born until I first saw the inside of a school room on the high slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal at the age of eleven.
A school with other children. And a teacher.
Inside a building. How strange. How weird. How exotic.
Dying to have an all-American college education, I received the blessing of a scholarship to the University of Southern California and after braving the jungles of Los Angeles and a real school, I graduated summa cum laude from its highly acclaimed film school. My thesis film Rita, a Himalayan adventure showing how I got my first taste of being inside a school won international acclaim at numerous film festivals including Telluride.
After graduating USC film school, I grabbed my surfboard, camera, and laptop and set off around the world to make a film series which would offer viewers a special passport into my global family and their mind blowing secrets of survival, sustainability, and happiness – through humorous and inspirational story telling. After eight years of filming I have just edited and released my first Alison’s Adventures films on my website www.alisonsadventures.com
AE: What is the next big adventure you are looking to set off for?
AT: Now that I have my first Alison’s Adventures films completed I’m excited to go on a, slightly less life threatening, “School Tour” adventure and inspire/educate kids across the nation on culture, customs, survival secrets, and dreams – fully clothed and happy of course.
My goal for my Alison’s Adventures film series it to enlighten and educate the kid in everyone through humorous entertainment that leads to action!
In each film, I team up with a local companion who will guide me through their universe, and offers you all a firsthand look into their culture, customs, and secrets to survival, sustainability, and happiness.
Each film calls attention to global, environmental, and human issues through entertaining story lines that educates and inspire viewers to be a part of the solution.
I’ve launched a crowd funding campaign to help me achieve this goal and I would be forever grateful to anyone who can donate to kick start my school tour! You will see the link on my homepage www.alisonsadventures.com
Jul 8th
Actor Brendan Penny Explains His Role on ABC’s “Motive.”
ABC’s new show “Motive” focuses not on who committed each crime, but why the crime took place. The killer and victim are identified at the start of each episode, leaving viewers with a twist on the typical who done it type of show.
I was able to talk with actor Brendan Penny who plays Detective Brian Lucas. His character is a young and eager officer fresh out of working in financial crimes looking to make a name for himself.
Brendan gave me some insight into “Motive” and how he prepared for this role.
Art Eddy: The new ABC show “Motive” takes a new look at the crime-drama genre. Tell me a bit about the show and your character, Detective Brian Lucas.
Brendan Penny: The best way to describe ABC’s new show “Motive” is, it is a whodunit. Right away you see get to see who the killer and the victim is, so the whole show is figuring out how they are connected, and what was the motive for the crime.
I play Detective Brian Lucas. He is a young, ambitious man, fresh out of financial crimes, looking to get his feet under him as a new homicide detective. He is a very “good” person with good morals, and has many quirks.
AE: The show is produced by the same people who worked on “Dexter” and “The Mentalist.” Do you see any influence from those shows on “Motive?”
BP: The similarities between “Dexter” and “The Mentalist” with “Motive” that stand out for me is that it is very suspenseful writing with great detail. I am a big fan of both those shows.
AE: Your character is an up-and-comer looking to learn from his colleagues? How did you try to portray that in your character?
BP: As for preparation for this role, it was really nice to have a meeting with the writers and get a good sense of what they thought about the character. To be honest, it was really right on the page and I just connected with him and the dialogue.
I was lucky enough that the writers and producers really gave me the freedom to make Lucas different from the other detectives in our group. I did more in depth analysis of the character than anything else.
AE: Did you talk to any police detectives before you guys starting shooting the series to get some perspective on your character?
BP: We did meet with some detectives who work for VPD. It was very informative and they were very open to discuss everything from day to day procedures to handling working in such intense environment. They were really nice people
AE: The show identifies the killer and victim in the start of each episode. Usually that is not the case with these types of shows. Does that put any pressure on you and the rest of the cast to keep the audience involved in the show?
BP: I don’t think it adds any pressure at all to keep people involved. I believe that the way the show is set up, you are instantly sucked in, and so you want to see the next scene. You just have that feeling like you have to.
AE: You work with a very talented crew. How is it to work with actors like Lauren Holly, Kristin Lehman, and Louis Ferreira?
BP: Working with Louis, Lauren and Kristin is a privilege. Louis is one of the funniest people around, and Lauren is an absolute treat. Did I mention she is in my favorite movie of all time, “Beautiful Girls?” So I was pretty pumped to work with her.
AE: Have you gotten any feedback so far from fans of the show?
BP: We have gotten some great feedback from the show, which is always nice. Also, we got picked up for a second season, so that speaks volumes in its own.
AE: I also read that you are filming a movie called “The Virginian.” Can you talk about that movie at all?
BP: “The Virginian” is a movie that I just shot with Trace Adkins, Victoria Pratt and Ron Pearlman. It is an old style western about murder, deceit and love. It was an absolute blast, and the cast was terrific to work with.
Jun 27th
