Author => Diane

Will you watch NCIS Red? In the Bullpen with Phillydi!

Welcome back to In the Bullpen with Phillydi! These are exciting times for the NCIS franchise with a two episode preview in March of the latest spinoff series NCIS Red. I recall only four short years ago when NCIS (a JAG spinoff) gave birth to a new series, with new characters and a new location. Of course, that show would be christened NCIS Los Angeles and go on to become the second highest scripted show on television. So with the announcement of a new NCIS spinoff, I had to wonder what Shane Brennan’s creative objective was behind the new series. The first two shows are cash cows for the production company and CBS, so we can’t deny that money would be a good reason. But there is also a lot of pride that goes into creating these two stellar shows every week that I would like to think there is something more than just wanting to squeeze an extra buck out the franchise.

I believe the NCIS(LA) team of producers, writers, actors and crew work hard every week to bring to television a first class product and the viewing public has responded accordingly by crowning these two shows the top scripted dramas on the air today. Brennan’s company has the day to day production of these shows down to a fine science. Why not take this successful recipe to the next level and find another NCIS series that the audience might find just as exciting and entertaining? It’s been a winning combination so far and it can help renew and revitalize the franchise.

Yet here is always the danger of over saturation. Will we get tired of watching this kind of procedural crime solving genre? Some fans may find a favorite show out of the three and stick with it but like the CSI family before it, there is always an audience for top of the line television drama. And even though there is a shelf life to every show, I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that the NCIS family of shows will be around for a long time to come.

What’s unique about NCIS Red?

Apparently, this is a team without a home. This new group gets to roam the country as nomadic agents taking on assignments as they come. Without a place to hang their hat, will standard operating procedures change in the way they perform their job and work together as a team? I was surprised to read their missions would only be on American soil. I expected a mobile unit would be able to fly anywhere in the world at a moment notice which would be a really handy group to have around. But it’s still early and things could change.

The group now has faces and names and a cast of fine actors to go with it. There is Analyst Roy Quaid (John Corbett) who is the experienced veteran of the group. Kai Ash (Edwin Hodge) is the tech specialist in the unit who can do a little bit of everything. Dave (Scott Grimes) is the forensic specialist. I can’t wait to see his mobile lab! Special Agent Claire (Gilian Alexy) will give Kensi and Ziva a run for their money… and for the first time there is a female lead, Paris (Kim Raver) will head the team. Paris, who is a formidable team leader, is also a loner. Seems to come with the territory. Also, don’t forget Assistant Director Granger (Miguel Ferrer) will also bring his dry, acerbic humor to the new team. Let’s see how often he rains on their parade!

There is already news on the backdoor pilot in which Sam and Callen will team up with the NCIS Red in search of a suspected terrorist in Idaho. Although Callen will be checking Pairs out as a possible love interest (only mild flirtation for now we’re told), it seems there are still some embers smoldering from a previous relationship between Quad and Paris. I don’t know if I can take another angst filled relationship….but bring it on!

So what will make YOU watch another NCIS procedural drama?

Check all buttons that apply:

Exciting and well written scripts ripped from current and real life events
Writers, producers, actors and a first class technical crew who are the best in the business
Stunts and live action scenes that go BOOM!
A strong male lead (Gibbs) that makes us believe in his convictions no matter what
Endearing characters such as Abby, Eric and Ducky who charm us, make us laugh/cry and want to hug them back
Tough female agents (Kensi and Ziva) that take everything that life throws at them and come out stronger despite the adversity
Complex and angsty characters like G. Callen yearning to uncover the secrets from his past
A will they or won’t they love affair between the terribly complicated Densi
A tiny but formidable team manager (Hetty) that makes you believe that anything in life is possible and always achievable!

If you are like me, you have checked off every one of those buttons. Just like the characters of NCIS and NCISLA, I want to believe in the new NCIS Red team and I want to care about them as human beings. I want to know what makes them tick and I want to become invested in the little moments that make their predecessors so remarkable. Give me characters that I love AND love to hate… and you will have me at hello!

There may be some growing pains in the first season as there was for both NCIS and NCISLA. As much as I liked Kate on NCIS I think the addition of Ziva has made the show much more interesting and exotic. On NCISLA it was obvious that Dom was a weak link in the first year but was brilliantly replaced by irrepressible Deeks who helped Kensi shine and become the kick ass Blye we have all come to know and love.

NCIS Red has a lot going for it coming from a royal lineage of great shows. But it has two hard acts to follow. It’s not going to be easy to live up to the high standards of the characters and storylines of the shows that came before it. But if anyone has a chance of striking pay dirt three times in a row, its Brennan and company. As long as he creates the best in quality television for the viewing public, then we have everything to look forward to and much to gain. Good luck NCIS Red! Your audience awaits!

So tell us what you think of NCIS Red? Will you watch the new show? What are you looking forward to (or not!) with this new group of characters? Leave your comments below….we want to know!

Follow our continuing coverage of NCIS Red at http://www.ncislamagazine.com/category/ncis-red/

Wanted (4×17) Review by Phillydi

Chris O’Donnell directs LL Cool J in a scene from Wanted.

Wanted (4X17)

WRITTEN BY: R. Scott Gemmill
DIRECTED BY: Chris O’Donnell

Season Four is definitely the year of Sam Hanna. We have had the opportunity to peek inside the doors of casa Hanna to discover the moments that define him as a family man and husband. In Wanted the revelations continue with the return of Sam’s wife Quinn or Michelle depending on which role in life she is currently playing. At this time it looks like Mrs. Hanna wants to return to her former CIA undercover work and Sam doesn’t approve. He’s worried about his family and who can blame him? Getting involved again with a psychopath killer like Sidorov can lead to no good. But why should she give up a career she loves? The problem is when you have children, someone has to be responsible for their upbringing if the other dies. In this lethal mission, they both could be leaving behind orphans.

It’s great to see Chris O’Donnell adding directing credits to his resume and who better to interpret the character of Sam Hanna than the man who plays his alter ego, G. Callen. O’Donnell knows his character’s partner very well and should bring some new insight into the problems that Sam will face as he deals with stopping Sidorov and keeping his family safe. Sam Hanna wears his heart on his sleeve most of the time and I think O’Donnell will be able to find ways to exploit the positive and negative traits and turn it into a captivating episode.

Sidorov is up to his old tricks, killing off a would-be assassin and leaving behind clues and video of the murder for his rival, Kirkin. The team needs answers…so where do you go to get all the Russian gossip on the streets of LA? Arkady Kolcheck of course! (Do we all look alike?) He has his suspicions why Sidorov would want to kill his rival but this also means Sidorov has returned to sell the stolen nukes and Sam’s wife is back in the game. And so is CIA Officer Michael Snyder…who Kensi and Deeks are trying to keep out of the way while Sam and Callen continue the investigation on their own. Snyder’s interaction with Densi throughout the episode was definitely the highlight of the show for me.

Now that Sidorov is back, Sam is afraid that he and his partner, Greshnev know exactly where his family lives and has been watching Michelle the whole time. If she was made…she is in extreme danger. Fake Roger from season three’s The Watchers is back and we find out he was really a CIA officer (now working with Snyder)…and he has returned this time to help Michelle. Sam has no other choice than to go undercover again as David Forman and Michelle must return as Quinn. I enjoyed the conversation between Sam and Michelle addressing the nature of their work together. (At least no one is trying to kill us on date night.). You can tell it’s a conversation they have had many times before. It’s a dangerous life for both of them and I don’t know how you work out that conundrum. The bad guys will always keep coming and your family will always be in harm’s way. Sidorov is forcing her to kill Kirkin within 24 hours or she’s dead too.

Callen is now responsible for Michelle life after Sidorov finds a way to get rid of Sam and the weight of that assignment doesn’t fall so easily on his shoulders. Despite having to adjust and adapt (Hetty’s orders), he doesn’t want to ever face Sam, if he fails. In the meantime, Kensi has her own plan to go after Sidorov and it looks like it includes Deeks going undercover in a spa to romance Kirkin. I thought Deeks was a goner when he came right out and introduced himself as LAPD, but in his inimitable way our favorite detective is able to convince Kirkin to go along with the plan…. despite a few tense moments underwater.

The scene in Venice beach was a challenge to film according to O’Donnell but it was an exciting end to the episode with Sam saving the day. Synder may have been the CIA officer you loved to hate, but I was really sad to see one of the best Densi antagonists gone. In the end, Sidorov and the nukes are still missing….and as Hetty says…this is far from over.

O’Donnell did an admirable job as a first time director and from all the behind the scenes pictures and videos, it looks like he had a great time. I look forward to seeing him return behind the camera again soon.

Show Highlights:

-Every scene with Deeks, Kensi and Snyder. Magic.

-Nice to see even Sam and his wife have their little tiffs and domestic misunderstandings like any other married couple. Forget it Sam…you’re not going to win. (What are you two doing sneaking up in here like the damn Hardy boys?)

-Did Snyder just call Hetty a garden gnome? Oh no he didn’t…..oh yes, he did! He is going to wish he watched Deeks dislocate his wrist instead!

Best Lines in the Show:

Kensi: I’m so alone.

Deeks: Does this mean we’re not looking for a German nail spa? Kensi? Liebchen? (Add that to your list of Kensi kicknames!)

—-

Callen: It means it’s only a matter of time.

Snyder: When he does, we need to be there…preferably without Sonny and Cher here.

Callen: Yeah, that’s not going to happen.

Deeks: I got you babe.

—-

Deeks: Ok, this is going to be hard to believe, but I’m not exactly following the Kensi logic train. Apparently it doesn’t make stops in my neighborhood.

Bromance Moments:

Kolcheck: You two, still together? That’s nice. You’ve lasted longer than any of my marriages. What is secret?

Sam: We don’t go to bed angry.

Callen: I let him drive.

—-

Sam: Thanks for having my back in there partner.

Callen: I will take a bullet for you but wives are a whole other thing.

Sam: I’ll remember that.

Callen: I don’t have a wife so….

Sam: Stop talking.

Callen:….so I’m not talking from experience.

Sam: So you should really stop talking. But you won’t.

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Densi Moments:

I loved seeing Kensi and Deeks open up the episode with their classic Densi banter:

Kensi: How would you describe how we settle arguments?

Deeks: I apologize even when it’s not my fault…typical male, female dynamic. Why?

Kensi: What’s your greatest fear?

Deeks: Quicksand…no headhunters…headhunters and being buried up to my neck in an ant hill which headhunters do.

Kensi: So basically anything in a Tarzan movie.

Deeks: Pretty much.

Kensi: Do you have any reoccurring nightmares?

Deeks: Just the one with Hetty and the burning monkey.

Kensi: What?

Deeks: I thought everybody had that. I know Eric does. That’s awkward.

Kensi: What other job would you be doing if you weren’t in law enforcement?

Deeks: Gigolo.

Kensi: Seriously?

Deeks: School teacher.

Kensi: Really?

Deeks: Who lives a double life as a Gigolo. Why are you asking me all these questions?

OMG…bridal magazines, biological chocks and baby making? I’m still trying to process all that! What has gotten into Kensi?

—-

Snyder: You two really think you can stall and keep me here all day?

Deeks: I don’t know, can we?

Kensi: How we doing so far?

What follows is one of the best head to head banter sessions that ECO and Daniela have ever put forth on an episode. Supersillious? Plain brilliant!

—-

Sobatino thinks there is something between Kensi and Deeks! As much as Kensi denies it….the chemistry between her and Deeks is there. Come on Kens!

—–

Synder is also getting his chance to pull Deeks strings too, dissecting his partnership with Kensi. I don’t think Deeks is too happy that Synder thinks she is only his partner. Look at his face! Yep, Snyder has touched a chord. I think this is the first time I’ve seen out and out jealousy in Deeks. Oh, one of these days….

—-

Deeks… naked… in…. a… spa. I really don’t need to say anything else, do I ladies?

—-

Yes, like a dog, he’s leaving his smell on Kensi….oh and the look he gives Sobatino! You are way out of your league, Sobatin, baby…and you are playing with the master now!

—-

BEST DENSI EPISODE EVER! I think I’m tearing up along with Kensi! Finally! Thank you Shane Brennan for moving the relationship a little bit further along! YES!

And I’ll leave you with this:

Deeks: You smell like sunshine ….and gun powder. Two of my favorite things.

Now I’m crying….

Check out our interview today with Marcus Giamatti. What a memorable guest star performance! He was a delight to speak with and get to know! We are taking a break next week with a replay of Recruit. In two weeks, it’s the highly anticipated debut of the new NCIS franchise…NCIS:Red. Callen and company will join the new undercover team in a two part crossover. Join us back here at NCIS Magazine for my next review.

Follow me on twitter at @phillydi.

Interview with Marcus Giamatti

When Marcus Giamatti found out that LL Cool J would be tossing him around in the Pacific surf, his first reaction was: You’ve got to be kidding! But Giamatti survived the ordeal and is back again this week to play CIA Agent, Michael Snyder in the follow up episode to Rude Awakening. From soaps to a series regular in Judging Amy, Giamatti is an accomplished television, film and stage actor, on and off Broadway. Marcus is also a professional guitarist and for the past 30 years has been a member of various Los Angeles bands. He has lent his talents to live and session work with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, and Dwight Yoakum. In this exclusive interview with NCISLA Magazine, we sat down with Marcus to talk specifically about his recurring role on the episode Wanted and how he enjoyed being directed by Chris O’Donnell.

What was it like to return to NCISLA as the CIA agent we all love to hate, Michael Snyder?

First of all, from an actor stand point, it’s a great part. When you do bad guys like this or guys you love to hate, although I wouldn’t call him a bad guy…he’s a little unsavory but they are always fun to play. You can really sink your teeth into something within him and it’s really cool doing those kind of parts on this show. So from an actor’s stand point, to be able to go back and play him again is terrific as opposed to just a onetime guest spot which is also great but then you get into the character and for an actor it’s fantastic. Also as an actor who supports his family, it’s always wonderful to get a couple of episodes to be earning money and I’m very appreciative having all those things.

I love the show too and the guys are all fantastic. Chris O’Donnell directed this episode and he was just really, really a quality person and a really good director and it was the first episode he ever directed and I didn’t know that and he was excellent. He is a great guy and fun and he has a wonderful attitude…they all do. And all those things coming together made it a great job.

Did you find that being an actor really helped O’Donnell as a director?

It always does because of the language that we speak but as an actor he knows what it is totally like on the other side. He was easy to communicate with…very clear and like I said, he had a great attitude about it and he was so relaxed for first time ever directing. That makes me more relaxed when there is a confidence coming from the director and a good attitude and we know we’re not reinventing the wheel and we’re having fun and you can feel it throughout the entire set, crew and the actors. I can’t say enough about what a wonderful person he is…very down to earth…just a great guy.

You had a lot of pivotal scenes with LL Cool J in Rude Awakening. What was it like to be thrown around in the Pacific surf by this guy?

First of all, he’s a great guy and he takes his work very seriously. He is very focused and is very present for you to work with and he is another really good guy and so prepared. He was great to work with. In terms of the fight scene, from a cynical stand point I was like…”You got to be kidding!” It’s like grabbing on to a rock face of a cliff. He’s a big guy but he is like a rock. When you are with someone like that who you are fighting with (and I’ve done martial arts)…with a guy like that you just let him run the show and you don’t try to push back. He was very respectful and controlled and excellent at the physicality of fighting which is a tricky thing especially on television because you got to make it look like it’s real. So you got to go for it. It’s my job to let him do that, because you can’t really fight back against a guy like that…I was never worried or scared because he was so good and so in control and respectful. It was easy. I had to go into the water a lot with a tie and shoes which was interesting and we did that for a couple of hours. But hey! It’s a job and a good pay check and you do what you got to do but it was fun.

What was it like to choreograph that whole scene?

We kind of set what we were going to do once we were in the ocean and how he was going to throw me around but once we were in the water it all goes out the window because the waves kept tossing me around like a rag doll. Then of course, you move for the close up on stuff and he’s got me by the scruff of the collar and he’s holding me under water and he did that to me for a couple of hours and my shoes filled with sand and my pockets were filled with sand and of course when you see that on TV it goes by so fast and it took six or seven hours to shoot.

Giamatti as CIA Agent Michael Snyder

Did you do any specific preparation in preparing for this role?

I was really, really excited to have the audition for this kind of character and I’ve been doing more and more of those types of guys so I was really excited when I got the opportunity to do it. I think the wonderful thing in playing a guy like this, he is incredibly confident and he is arrogant, but you can’t really play the arrogance. He’s so really confident that he knows what he’s doing in his job with his intimidation of people and how he pushes people around. He’s kind of pathological in that sense. He does what he has to do to win. It’s so great to know I have free range to play this guy like he’s a James Bond who is so confident and focused…and has no doubt in his mind at all and that’s how I approach him. It’s really cool to play someone like that who is that sure of himself.

In Wanted, who do you share the screen with?

On this one I was with Eric Christian Olsen and Danielle Ruah who are wonderful and really easy to work with. I have a scene with Eric in a car and he’s a very loose, funny guy so most of my stuff was with them.

What was it like working on the set of NCISLA?

They are all really different. This one is great because I worked on NCIS with Mark Harmon too and it’s similar in that you have very successful shows and everybody is very relaxed. There’s a confidence and relaxation throughout the entire place because we all have a job. It’s also successful and popular and you can smell it when you walk in within 10 seconds and it’s a great vibe to have. No one is worried that they have to prove too much because it’s already done. It puts you at ease and there’s no worry about it. For me, I’ve already gotten the job and I know I have a couple of episodes. So it’s just a relaxed environment as opposed to ones where you go on and you’re not sure if you are going to be picked up or what’s going to happen next week. But this one’s a dream gig and it’s all about the confidence knowing that it’s just going to keep going.

Did you know in the first episode you were going to be returning?

Yes, I did. You often go on auditions and you don’t know if it’s possible and in this one they told me right away and they gave me dates and put me on hold which was fantastic…and to be on one that is such a good show and a popular one is really great!

You are an actor and professional musician. Was it hard to decide what career track to pursue?

I’m also a writer, I write features for a couple of baseball magazines. So there are a bunch of things I do. But these are all things I’ve always done. I started playing music when I was seven with the classical guitar and kept playing music. Then there was acting and there was no other thing I ever wanted to do. I went to drama school and you hope your life will go a certain way that you envision and it really doesn’t go that way but to keep your life creative I fell back on something else to do. Whether it was music or whether it was writing, 25 years later I’m still doing it and I’ve gotten work doing all those things which is great because I’m blessed being able to work doing all three. There wasn’t any question that it was what I wanted to do…not that it hasn’t been a struggle because it’s very difficult. But I was lucky and when things weren’t going as well, I was able to do more music and when that dipped I was able to do more acting.

I love doing it all. I come from the theater world and I loved doing plays like Shakespeare, and I thought that when I got out of school I would be doing that and movies and then it turns out that you find the business dictates where you are going to find your work. I got work in television which is fantastic because I’m a character actor and I get to play all different parts. I’m just as fulfilled doing that as I would have been doing theatre. With music it’s the same thing. I’m classically trained as a musician on the guitar and again, you think you are going to be doing that kind of stuff but I wound up doing more country and western which led to rock and roll which I love.

What are you working on next?

I’m doing a film in the next couple of weeks called the Curse of Elmers Grove. It’s an independent film. I’m doing another guest spot soon that I’m really excited about too. Eddie Murphy is doing a pilot of Beverly Hills Cop. They are making a TV show of it so I’m excited to get to work with all those guys. I just did another episode of Bunheads with ABC Family and it’s a different part in that I’m playing the uptight Jewish dad….it’s a teenage comedy kind of thing and very different and a recurring role. I also have written a piece for MLB.com for spring training. In terms of music I was just sent something from a girl by the name of Robin O’Brien and her producer from Chicago is doing her records so I’ll be doing some session work on her music.

Would you enjoy getting back into a full time series like Judging Amy?

Sure. I would love to. I was on Judging Amy for six seasons and it was an incredible experience working with Tyne Daily and it was a great cast. After a couple of years you know you are going to keep having a job and it helps your pocket book obviously, and you have a place to go all the time and when you get to play a character for six years like that there are so many things you can do with it and there is nothing else like it.

Thanks go out to Marcus for taking the time to sit down and chat about his return visit to NCISLA. You can follow Marcus on his web site: www.marcusgiamatti.net

Lokhay (4X16) Review by Phillydi

Lokhay (4X16)

Written by: Joseph C. Wilson

Directed by: Diana C. Valentine

We always love to see Joe ‘Boom-Boom’ Wilson’s name on a new NCIS Los Angeles script and with this episode we’re also excited that the talented Diana Valentine is sitting in the directing chair for her first time leading the NCISLA team behind the camera! As you may know, Diana usually works as the show’s Script Supervisor so it will be interesting to see how her experience transfers over to her new assignment. Although this is not her first time directing a hit show (Nip Tuck), I’m sure her work on NCISLA since 2009 will serve her well.

Tonight, Sam feels honor bound to help an old friend search for his missing nephew despite the conflicts it may cause at work. The friend was a village elder in Afghanistan who granted him what’s called Lokhay and hence the title of the episode. He vowed to protect Sam during his escape from the Taliban and protect him at all costs. When missing boy is abducted at the beginning of the show, Sam seeks the help of Eric and Nell to covertly find information on the accident. Of course, Sam is prohibited by Granger and Hetty to use company time to find the boy, but he cashes in on his personal leave to make good on his promise. But wait! Good ol’ Eric finds a loop hole! The footage of the abduction shows a well-known terrorist (played by Cas Anvar) who recruits local Muslims to the Taliban. What’s he doing here in the States? Deeks fears he may be trying to put together his own cell and possibly go after the three stolen nuclear bombs currently possessed by arms trafficker Isaak Sidorov? Great way to set up next week’s episode!

After a drive by at the laundry mat that Amir’s family owns, it looks like his friend is involved in more ways than Sam can imagine. Yusef past is coming back to haunt him because the Taliban will never forgot his act of kindness to Sam. But Sam is stunned and the burden of repercussions is on his shoulders now. Callen warns Sam he’s thinking with his heart and not his head and we all know how big Sam’s heart is. But Sam knows the Taliban will not give up and only playing by his heart will he be able to save his friends.

At the end, Sam finds that all his good intentions have turned against him and what Hetty feared the most has come to fruition. That big heart has gotten him into a lot of trouble this time and now his life is on the line. This has happen to us all at some point in time without such dire consequences but it still hurts when someone you care about turns against you. Hetty knows it’s time to save Sam, physically and emotionally.

This episode had a lot of solid moments and was well played out. Despite Amir’s defection to the Taliban, Yusef had no other way out. He did what he had to do despite the odds. The final scene with Sam was very touching and despite having to go where his heart takes him…Sam would not have it any other way.

Boy! Does Hetty give out the best punishments or what??!

Highlights from the Show:

It’s sad to see Sam question his actions when it comes to his friends. It injures him to see those around him always getting hurt. This is a giant of a man that takes everything personally and strait to the heart. (Callen “You got a big heart Sam, like a big giant teddy bear….you want to hug.”). But Hetty sees a downfall in all of this….it’s good to do the right thing…but it may be clouding his judgment. Not good in his line of work.
Although this was a Sam-centric story, I have to admit this episode really helped to move the Densi storyline along just a little. At least they are starting to talk to each other…. BIG step forward.

Best Lines from the Show:

Eric: I’m even terrified to even repeat what Hetty said she would do to me if I ever helped you off the record again.

Deeks: Well, hello Clarice!

Kensi: What’s a good kid like Amir doing with a handgun?

Deeks: Protection? Maybe he read somebody’s diary….memoir.

Nell: The term Ambassador is used multiple times as well as the phrase…death to all infidels.

Granger: These guys need to get new material.

Callen: Buckle up…take notes. (My new catch phrase!)

Bromance Moments:

I enjoyed Sam telling Callen that Hetty knew all along he had been hiding out in the boatshed for three months. The expression on Callen’s face was wonderful.
No one can do a chase scene like Sam and Callen! What a great 360 degree turn around! Really enjoyed the way that was captured on film. Fancy driving is right…..Despite the injuries to the Challenger!

Densi Moments:

After bailing out on Deek’s birthday, Kensi knows better than try to get out of the financial seminar Deeks is so excited about….oh wait! Surprise, surprise Deeks doesn’t want to go either. Do these two ever share a meaningful conversation? I think if they really knew what was going on inside each other’s mind they would freak. As Sam says….”Wow.”
Well, at least Deeks realizes they don’t know everything about each other yet. …and asks Kensi to tell him something he doesn’t know about her. Not a good idea. I’m not sure why Kensi has to react with violence every time Deeks does or says something she doesn’t like. I think Deeks gets hurt more by Kensi than the bad guys!
Deeks does what all good friends (future lovers?) do….they try to help friends accomplish their dreams which is why he suggested taking Kensi to the seminar after reading her memoir. Is Deeks including himself in her future family? Hmmm.
Deeks was a stripper! I don’t think she was hoping to find such a tasty morsel of information when she asked Deeks to share something about his past. Yes, Kensi….BEST DAY EVER!!! Boom!

Great collaborative effort between writer and director! We look forward to seeing Diana in the Director’s chair again very soon! Thanks also to Cas Anvar for sitting down with us for an interview on his guest star role as the Ambassador. Check out his interview today on NCISLA Magazine. We’ll be back next week with an episode where we will see the return of Sam’s wife and her reentry into the world of undercover work. See you back next week, right here on NCISLA Magazine!

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Interview with Cas Anvar

Cas Anvar loves playing the bad guy….as long as they are richly textured, complicated and never two dimensional. This week on NCIS Los Angeles, Anvar gets to play exactly that kind of character as he guest stars as Haakim Habib (the Amassador) on the latest episode Lokhay. We had the pleasure to spend some time getting to know Cas and finding out more about his time spent on the NICSLA set. Although playing the villain is fun, Cas really has a yearning to star as the heroic, unwilling action hero. Very shortly….this wish will come true. Let’s welcome Cas Anvar to the NCISLA familia and get to know more about this talented actor, director, writer and producer.

Can you tell us what drew you to a career in acting?

I used to teach acting when I lived in Canada and I used to tell my students if you can imagine doing anything else in life that will make you happy other than acting…do it. The only way to thrive in this industry and this craft is that it has to be your one sole passion. It has to be able to get you out of bed in the morning.

I got started in high school…I played the lead role in Hamlet…the first role I ever played and I was completely terrified. My English teacher threatened to fail me in English if I didn’t try out for the audition so I was basically extorted into auditioning! I’m a bit of a geek and comic book, science fiction lover, video gaming and because I was so into this world, Shakespeare kind of came naturally. I really loved it and did really well. Once I got bitten by that, it’s kind of hard to go back to normal life. I tried to make my parents happy. I tried to go into the sciences, I tried to go into psychology, or to become a doctor, biochemist, chemical engineer and all that stuff which I love but I couldn’t stop thinking of acting and I couldn’t get off the stage. Finally my parents said “Look, if you are going to do this, you may as well do it right” so they let me go to the best school in Canada. It’s called the NationalTheatreSchool. I started my own Shakespeare company after that and I acted and directed and did a lot of movies and shows and came out to LA and the rest is history.

Like Anthony Azizi, another NCISLA alum, you come from a very exotic background…can this help or hurt a career?

Anthony is a great friend of mine. It is a double edge sword. Anthony, myself and probably about a half a dozen guys are all each other’s competition. We’re all going up for the same part or the same project. That’s kind of a blessing in LA in the sense that the average blond, blue-eyed American boy is going to be going up against hundreds of others who are their competition. But because we are a small niche market we all know each other and the completion isn’t that fierce. But the other side of that sword is that there are not that many roles. When we get a nice role that is written for us then we have a great chance of getting it. One of the things that is hard is to try and break down the stereo types and try to get in there and play some characters that are Middle Eastern or Asian and I do a lot of East Indian roles as well. And they are not always terrorists or bad guys or corner store owners or doctors. We’re romantic leads and leading men, but it takes time for the ethnic minorities to work their way through the general media.

The good news is in the last ten years, after 9-11, the media had to pay serious attention to the stories that it was writing and it became incredibly in-depth, textured, layered and real. Since there is so much focus in that part of the world (Middle East) everyone wants to know what’s going on. For actors it’s a kind of artistic blessing because we are now getting roles that we never thought to have before. Even the role I’m playing in NCISLA is a sophisticated, intelligent, complicated role. Regardless of what type of character he is, he’s not a two dimensional character.

©casanvar

We’ve seen the pictures you tweeted when you were on the set of NCIS Los Angeles and you look ominous! Can you tell us a little bit about your character….who did you work with on screen…

This is my second NCIS show. I did the original one with Mark Harmon. But on NCISLA, I had a tough crew with me, and he (The Ambassador) is pretty bad ass. I worked with everyone on screen, but mainly with LL Cool J. He was the one I had the most action with. I got Chris coming in and we had a bit of an altercation and Daniela and Eric come in at the end of the scene.

There is a difference in working on NCISLA versus NCIS. Although both were great, the team was great, and the people were great. When I went on NCIS it had already been around twice as long, so you had a little bit more of a well-oiled machine going on and Mark Harmon is a seasoned tv guy. He kind of runs that ship with a velvet glove. When I walked on the set, I hadn’t met Mark Harmon before, so I was kind of nervous and he looks at me and says, “Hey, Cas! How ya doing? I hear you ran a Shakespeare company.” I don’t know how or why, he had completely researched me! He was shooting the breeze with me talking about Shakespeare, talking about acting, and he made me feel like totally one of the family. Which was such a smart thing to do because my nerves disappeared instantly and when we were rehearsing scenes he would say “Come here Cas, when we’re rehearsing this scene, here’s what we want to do.” He totally brought me into the scene and asked me how I envisioned it, and that rarely happens.

On NCISLA it’s a much younger vibe. All the leads are much younger, vibrant feel. It had a much different feeling like being with your friends at school. There is a lot of creativity, energy and fire. Everyone is trying to top one another, and they are doing a great job but there is definitely a different energy.

Can you tell us any stories about your time on set?

When I went into the meeting with the costumers and the stunt coordinator, Troy popped his head and said he was wracking his brains because he had to find a stunt double for me and LL Cool J is a big guy and he said you don’t want to take that hit yourself. I told him though I was really comfortable doing all my own stunts and everyone was raising their eyes because I don’t know if you have ever met LL Cool J but he’s a big guy, a very well built guy and apparently he enjoys the action scenes and they were advising me to let the stunt guy do the scene because he has to kick me in the chest…so I thought maybe I will let the stunt guy do the scene!

©casanvar

How do you prepare for a procedural show like this?

One of the benefits of doing a guest star role, by the time you audition, you have gone through all of your scenes during the audition. So once you get the role, you have worked your butt off to get it and you have made all your choices and decisions then you put it all out there in an audition. So if you get the role, you know you performed the way they envisioned. All your homework is done by that time. In order to prepare to do a bad guy, I have to find something inside me that I could feel as passionately about and do the things that this character has to do (in the role). If this character is doing something religious or for a cause, normally those things would not affect me to the point where I may commit an extreme act. So I have to find something inside me that would make me behave in that way. What would make me sacrifice my life? What would make me act in such a way that my life wouldn’t matter? So it’s really deep and dark and personal and then you find that one little thing that you could possibly grab on to and fan that fire and turn it into a flame. So you have to constantly try to find out what my character is passionate about or not passionate about. I then use the lines in the script and go from there.

What type of roles do your gravitate towards?

I have been very blessed in my career because when you are a minority it’s so easy to be slotted as a terrorist or East Indian store owner and I got a lot of those roles to be honest…and I have fought really hard. I’m lucky because I don’t have an accent but I can do all sorts of accents. I’ve done doctors, and lawyers, and I’ve played a Kramer-type character once in this piece, Are you Afraid of the Dark? I love comedy and I don’t get to do comedy anymore because I guess I don’t look funny when I walk into a room…but I am! I won’t lie…because I love playing villains and bad guys as long as they are rich and textured and have a lot to do. I love the character in NCISLA because he was a really tasty character to play. I didn’t get to be just two dimensional and evil. There was a lot of layers to him and shades of gray and I love that!

I am working on a film that is in development right now where I want to play an action hero. I want to play a kick ass, every man; unsuspecting guy who gets thrown into a world that he has no idea about and has to rise to the occasion to become a hero in order to save the world. That kind of character, the heroic, unwilling hero, that’s my next objective. I want to play the unwilling action hero.

Director or actor…what role are you more comfortable in?

It goes in stages….each one of those things requires a different part of your brain, and is all consuming. I go through the stage where I’ve had enough acting, I can’t handle anymore rejection, I can’t handle any more of putting my heart out on a chopping block…I just want to tell a story. So I’ll write and I’ll direct and that uses a completely different part of your brain. It gives you control and you have way more control and power to realize your vision when you are behind the camera. And then after you do that for a few years you are completely drained from all the money procuring and the long hours and you just want to get up there and be a character. I don’t want to have to worry about anyone else’s lines, the schedule, the story. I just want to worry about my character and do it as best as I can. So for me it’s a beautiful kind of balance…a dance that goes back and forth. Sometimes I do it all at the same time like this movie that I am working on now which I am acting, directing and producing. Sometimes it’s a tough balance but it’s exciting as well.

How did you come up with the idea to produce a feature film of the hit video game series Assassin’s Odyssey?

It’s based on my experience with Assassin’s Creed. I did the voice for Altair who is like the Captain Kirk of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. When I took over the role from another actor, the creators of the game told me, that gamers are really crazy cats. They hate change. They are going to be all over you and I said am I not doing a good job? They told me you can be doing an Oscar winning performance and that doesn’t matter, they won’t care because they hate change. And you are going to get mobbed by them until they play the game and see that you do a really good job and it will pass over. So I was kind of freaked out. People were either loving or hating me. My buddy said to me, ‘You better watch out Cas, one of these gamers is going to put a hit on you’. I thought that would be a really good idea for a movie! So we wrote this script about this guy who is an actor who plays the voice and becomes a huge video game character and changes something that was blasphemous to the gamer world and they put a hit out on him. So the highly trained, highly fanatical gamer assassins come after him and he has to run for his life across the city and he discovers that he has absorbed the powers from the video game characters that he playing…he has to become a hero and collect a team of people who are going to take down this evil organization that is so bent on world domination because they are so obsessive about world order and will do anything to keep order in their video game universe and even kill people.

It’s about 60-70% done and we have a bunch of production companies that are interested in it and they liked the trailer and they also liked that Altair is playing the lead. It should be done in the next couple of months. But the gamers are fantastic…a great group of people.

We would love to know what you are doing next? We hear you are going to be playing Dodi al Fayed in a biopic about the late Princess Diana?

Diana is going to be pretty fantastic. It was directed by Oliver Hirshbiegel who is the Oscar nominated director of Downfall. Naomi Watts is playing Lady Di and she is spectacular and she captures her mannerisms, her voice, her movements and everything about her. She is bang on. It’s about the last two years of her life and all the drama that took place. It really shows her off as this incredible woman, complicated woman. She really was an amazing woman with the biggest heart and the best intentions. That’s coming out at the end of the year and I play Dodi.

I’m also going to be at the San Diego Comic-Con and Wonder-Con meeting all my sci-fi, gamer and comic book fans. And there is another film I’m for that is shooting in April, so I’m just waiting to get the green light on that and I have other Comic-Con in New Zealand and Australia that are coming up later in the year that I’m looking forward to as well.

It was a real pleasure to speak with this versatile actor and we want to thank him for his valuable time in answering our questions regarding his career and time working on the set of NCISLA. We look forward to his upcoming feature film, Assassin’s Odyssey based on the hit video game and the Diana biopic which will be in theatres later in 2013. Make sure you check out Cas’ future guest appearances at upcoming Comic- Con festivals by going to his web site: www.casanvar.com and following him on Twitter @casanvar.