After 193 episodes spent playing fan favorite Manny Santos on the hit Canadian series DEGRASSI, actress Cassie Steele knows a thing or two about making it. Unfortunately, she didn’t bother to pass along any of that career advice to her latest role that sees Steele step into the shoes of wide-eyed newcomer Abby Vargas on the sexy and scandalous new series THE L.A. COMPLEX. So just what’s it like playing a naive Hollywood neophyte struggling to make her mark in the beloved business we affectionally refer to as show? Well, we recently had the pleasure of catching up with the talented actress to find out just that. See for yourself, after the jump.

At one point did THE LA COMPLEX change from a DEGRASSI spin-off to an entirely different show?
Cassie Steele: THE LA COMPLEX was originally a spin-off and I feel like even a few months before we were ready to film it a discussion was still being had as to whether my character would be Abby or Manny [from DEGRASSI]. It was a toss up whether the Network wanted it this way and what the audience would accept, but they ended up going with Abby and I think it was a great choice because we’re a very different show from DEGRASSI. Intense, real, adult.

What can you tell us about Abby?
She’s just a young girl who really really wants to make it as an actress. She’s got a big heart, she’s striving to achieve everything, trying really hard and doesn’t let anything knock her down. She’s also very emotional, very sporadic, has all these little idiosyncrasies and is a great girl. I want to be her friend!

Having spent some time in Los Angeles yourself, was Abby an easy character to relate to her?
I guess she’s pretty similar in a way but I feel like I went down to Los Angeles a lot younger than 21. I went down at 17, 18 where I was living by myself and — like Abby — it was really hard for me. When you go from working on a show constantly to living by yourself, trying to get another job, it’s a lot of pressure and I ended up just making my second album there because I didn’t want to audition. It was too much pressure. But I think Abby definitely has some qualities that I have and I can definitely relate. The great thing about Abby is that she doesn’t get in those dark places that we all can get to, those ruts that make people dark. Abby doesn’t let her setbacks get her down, she stays positive which I really admire.

One imagines that in order to “make it,” Abby will be forced to make some very interesting decisions along the way. That being said, what kind of trouble can we expect your character to get into?
She’s going to get into a lot of trouble. It’s not necessarily in the industry trouble, it’s just what she has to do to stay down there. She doesn’t have any money, she got kicked out of her apartment, she ends up stripping at one point and trying to and failing. It’s just what she needs to do and that’s what she really struggles with in these episodes, she doesn’t have a dime to her name, she’s forced to stay with her friend Nick who wishes they were more than friends. It just comes down to what people will do to stay in the city and succeed.

Much like Abby does living in THE LA COMPLEX, you’ve also watched as fellow actors like Nina Dobrev [THE VAMPIRE DIARIES] and Shenae Grimes [90210 go on to have enormous success. What's that like as an actress?
I think it's amazing. I mean, you kind of already know where they're going. It's not big surprise that they're there, it's what they set out to do. I feel like they're the people who focused the most and just really went out to get everything and we all saw it. Nina [Dobrev] is just the hardest worker I’ve ever known, Shenae [Grimes] is really strong headed and will go after what she wants, while Aubrey [Drake] has been doing music since I met him and that was ten, eleven years ago so it’s been awesome and no surprise.

New episodes of THE L.A. COMPLEX air Tuesdays at 9PM on MuchMusic in Canada

You’ve seen the commercials. You’ve heard the hype. Now there’s only one thing you want to know: Which of these new midseason shows are worth watching and which should be avoided at all costs? In this continuing series, we give you the scoop on some of the most highly-anticipated shows of 2012, with today’s subject being a new series from the executive producers of DEGRASSI entitled THE L.A. COMPLEX.

The Plot: THE L.A. COMPLEX follows the lives of twenty-somethings living in the same apartment complex in L.A. trying to make it as actors, dancers, producers and comedians. Relationships begin and end, the need to succeed is tested and all characters are pushed to their breaking points.

The First Impression: After the mixed messages we left with following a recent set visit that had us slightly unsure as to the tone of the show, we’re pleased to report that THE L.A. COMPLEX successfully managed to hit all of the right notes. Zany, yet not as outlandish as MELROSE PLACE; Dramatic, albeit not in that after-school special kind of way made famous by DEGRASSI, THE L.A. COMPLEX gets serious credit for successfully infusing their initial batch of episodes with an ideal mix of drama, humor and scandal. More importantly still, thanks to the adorable Abby Vargas (Cassie Steele proving there is indeed life after DEGRASSI), the once-famous Raquel (Played by the surprisingly hilarious Jewel Staite who finally gets an opportunity to shine on a show that doesn’t involve space) and an immensely likeable supporting cast of Hollywood hopefuls, creator Martin Gero’s (BORED TO DEATH) sharply penned pilot does the one thing every new series must in ensuring its survival: Get us to care about the increasingly sordid lives and complex careers of the characters residing in the “Lux.”

The Concern: Well, aside from the fact that a paltry six-episode commitment doesn’t exactly give audiences much time to find this deserving new series, our only real concern stems from its premiere date. Which is to say, whichever Network executive thought premiering a series that has “scorching summer series” written all over it at the height of midseason television madness in January needs to reevaluate their programming strategies.

The Verdict: Has us ready to proclaim that we can’t remember the last time we had this much fun watching Canadian television.

THE L.A. COMPLEX premieres Tuesday January 10th at 9PM on CTV and MuchMusic in Canada with subsequent episodes airing Tuesdays at 9PM on MuchMusic starting January 17th.

Premiering tonight on Global TV in Canada, BOMB GIRLS chronicles the scandalous and sordid lives of a remarkable group of women working in a munitions factory tasked with building the bombs that fuelled the fight for freedom overseas against Germany during World War II. Your very own TV Addict recently had the opportunity to chat with stars Antonio Cupo, Jodi Balfour and Meg Tilly. Find out what attracted to them to the project and why you should tune in for yourself, after the jump.

BOMB GIRLS premieres on Wednesday January 4th at 8PM on Global TV in Canada

What drew you to such a morally-bankrupt character as Fitz?
JASON:  The opportunity to play such a wonderfully flawed character doesn’t come along every day, especially when you’re Jason Priestley and you carry the kind of career baggage that I do. The simple answer is that Fitz has it all, and as an actor, allows the opportunity to utilize all the tools in your toolbox.

To date, what is the one thing you most admire about Fitz and why?
JASON:  I love everything about Fitz. I have to. But I really love his honesty.  He is honest to a fault, and not as a weapon, as I think some people are some times. He truly is.  And I think that is admirable. I think the world would be a better place if more people were more honest.

Fitz’s journey does not feel like he is in search of his conscience, but rather he is looking for redemption or it is a journey to be a better man.  What do you see as the true underlying theme of the show?
JASON:  I see the show as a tragedy. It is the death of the Fitzpatrick family, and it is slow and it is painful and it is funny as hell!

With the weight of his conscience (Larry) always hovering around, Fitz seems even more bound and determined to doggedly-pursue the life he lived before.  Do you think any real cracks are showing in his facade of his former bad-boy lifestyle?
JASON:  I think that as this point, Fitz has figured out how to utilize Larry for his own purposes. I don’t think Fitz wants to change. Change has to come from within, and Fitz is having way too much fun to change.
 
Do you have a sense that Fitz’s soul has been shattered into a million tiny pieces and that he is soul-searching? 
JASON:  Not a chance. The only thing Fitz is searching for is the next party!

Why do you think Fitz stays in his tiny, carved-out world?  Why doesn’t he aim higher and make a move out of his father’s car dealership?
JASON:  Fitz is a product of a very dysfunctional family.  Look at his father, his mother, sister.  You can imagine the environment he grew up in. You can only know what you are taught, and if you are never taught to learn on your own. . .

The show seems to be an exploration of emotional imperfections in all its characters. It is a journey for all of them, and not just Fitz.  Is that why he doesn’t leave the comfort and security of his cocooned life?
JASON:  The show is a psychological examination of Fitz, and why he is the way he is, and the examination, of course, extends to the other characters. That’s really what the show is. People think the show is this crass comedy. I don’t look at it that way. I find it to be a tragedy.  There is so much pain and sadness in the lives of the characters in our show, and the show is really about the psychological damage that was caused to Fitz in his childhood and how that has manifested today.
 
What  do you feel would be a better career for Fitz than car salesman?  Or do you see it  as the perfect fit for the character?
JASON:  It is absolutely the perfect fit. There is nothing else he could do.
 
Do you think Larry is as powerless as he seems?  He seems only to be the “voice of reason” in Fitz’s life and doesn’t seem to really be pushing Fitz towards reformation.
JASON:  A lot of Larry’s motivations come up in season 2, and the answers, I think will shock some people.
 
How much say do you have into the future of the show, storylines and character development?
JASON:  Sheri has such a great vision for our show and these characters, I try not to get in her way.
 
What are some of the challenges and rewards to starring in a show that you both produce and direct?
JASON:  Challenges include: That I’m writing this to you at 2 AM after a 15-hour day. Rewards include: I’m making a show that I am truly proud of.
 
To date, what has been the most memorable and fun moment to do on the show?
JASON:  There is a big stunt I did at the end of season 2. I can’t tell you what it is, but, when people see it, know that it was really me that did that stunt, and it was -10 [degrees Celsius] that night!

What can you tease about the upcoming 2nd season, which has just begun airing here in the United States?  What should viewers keep an eye out for? 
JASON:  Well, first of all that aforementioned stunt. Other than that, season 2 is a much deeper examination of Fitz. Why he is the way he is.  His fears, phobias. Why he needs his parent’s love and approval all the time. And there’s a “Beaver Moon Prophesy”, a “Necropedifeliac,” a new employee at Fitzpatrick Motors,  and one Dot Foxley, who makes Fitz’s life even more miserable.
 
It  was announced that you’ll be co-starring in the upcoming mini-series based on Stephen King’s BAG OF BONES.  Can you talk about your role in the mini-series?
JASON:  I have a minor role in the mini-series. I play Pierce’s character’s agent.
 
Who do you play and how does the character figure into the story? 
JASON:  I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.
 
What drew you to this role since you seem to be busy with so many projects at the moment?
JASON:  Having the opportunity to work with Pierce, whom I’ve known for a while but never had the opportunity to work with and it was right before we went back to Fitz, so the timing worked out at well.
 
Since  your character Chris Brody was not killed off on HAVEN, is there a chance you could reprise that role in the 3rd season?
JASON:  That’s something we haven’t even discussed.  The show has just been picked up, which is great, but there have been no discussions about a return of Brody at all.
  
Or  would you prefer to leave the door closed since Audrey Parker passed on the opportunity to pursue a relationship with Chris?
JASON:  That ‘s a good question, Brody is kind of damaged, but so is Audrey. Who knows?
 
What was it like directing the episode “Lockdown” for HAVEN?
JASON:  “Lockdown” was challenging. I’m not going to lie to you. Anytime you are going to be stuck in one location for one hour, it’s going to be a challenge. But I think I pulled it off quite well. I had great actors. Both the regular cast and the guest stars all did a great job and really carried that hour of television for me. It was up to me to keep it visually interesting, which I think I did. I think the episode works really well.
 
There seemed to be a lot of gun-work in “Lockdown,” were there any specific challenges to directing an episode with so much gun-play?
JASON:  Not for me. I’m very comfortable around guns, always have been. Guns are totally second nature to me.
 
What are you distinct memories from working on HAVEN?
JASON:  The biggest thing I think everyone remembers this season on HAVEN is the rain.  It rained for two months straight!  It was unreal!  It was so bad that for a gift at the end of the season, the producers gave everyone a raincoat.
 
What other projects are you working on that you would you like your fans to keep an eye out for?
JASON:  Right now, I’m working on taking a vacation!
 
With such a long and varied career behind you, what are some of the key elements that you look for when considering a film or television project?
JASON:  I try to work with talented people and have a good time.  Sometimes you make mistakes.  We all do.  But that’s just the way it goes sometimes. That’s how you learn.
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to check-out Jason’s current comedy series CALL ME FITZ, which airs Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. on DirecTV (Sundays at 8:30PM on TMN in Canada), and also be on the look out for his role in Stephen King’s BAG OF BONES on December 11th and 12th on A&E.

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

For Canadian television viewers, they are well aware of the sensation CALL ME FITZ, which has been recognized as one of the most groundbreaking comedy series on television. For American viewers, CALL ME FITZ may be a still undiscovered gem.

Returning for its second season, CALL ME FITZ is set to blow-minds again with its piercing, ribald adult-humor. It is a no-holds barred look at a morally-bankrupt car salesman who gets a second chance at life, or rather a chance to get to know his better-half while still exploring all the decadent desires life has to offer. In this case, Fitz’s better-half is himself. After a freak accident literally split him in two, creating a separate identity in the form of his conscience known affectionately as Larry (Ernie Grunwald), Fitz is literally haunted by himself. Larry may be a stalker, a corporeal ghost, an angel, or simply a physical manifestation – or better yet, maybe Fitz is lying in a comma somewhere dreaming this whole wild-ride adventure up. Whatever the case may be, Larry is a constant presence in Fitz’s life – for better or for worse.

Deftly portrayed by Jason Priestly as the conscience-challenged Fitz, the character shines with affectionate humor and hilarity. But make no mistake, this series caters generously to the adult audience and borders on extreme with its liberal sexual innuendos, profanity and other outrageous situations. There is simply no subject too sensitive to be considered off-limits and the series gleefully embraces its naughty side.

While the initial concept may have been to try to rehabilitate or curb Fitz’s more base and exaggerated lifestyle of booze, women and moral depravity, Larry is not the angel on Fitz’s shoulder. Larry is a man — albeit a man with a bit more sensitivity to those who Fitz encounters, whether it is friends, family or just the rest of the world at large. Larry is only a physical reminder of some of the checks-and-balances that Fitz should have in his life. Larry is not really there to make Fitz a better man; he is only to serve as a reminder that there is a choice. So, at times, it feels as if Fitz is perhaps the wicked influence on Larry, daring Larry to embrace his wild-side; rather than Larry being the voice of reason to curb Fitz’s impulses.

So it is a tug-of-war between Fitz and Larry in each episode as each new life challenge is presented. From trying to find the perfect birthday present for Fitz’s father to evading a thorny police investigation, the intertwined lives of Fitz and Larry provide an ideal backdrop to explore whether a person can change or even wants to change. With dogged-resistance to alter his lifestyle, Fitz is the poster-boy for bad behavior, who does not want to change a thing about himself or his life – not even when confronted by his “conscience” Larry.

In a confection of humor and surprising warmth, CALL ME FITZ is a guilty-pleasure that deserves to be sampled. The first season is currently available on DVD and the second season returns Thursday, November 3rd on DirecTV. (Season 2 can currently be seen on HBO Canada)

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower). Tiffany also writes as a columnist for NiceGirlsTV.

While headlines would have you believe that the likes of Rick Mercer, Callum Keith Rennie and THE BORGIAS were among the big winners following last night’s 26th Annual Gemini Awards (Think: Canada’s Emmy equivalent), we like to think that the biggest winner was us. No really, despite the fact that the nominating committee has yet to take our suggestion for an “Outstanding Television Blogger” category seriously, we did get the opportunity for a brief one-on-two chat with two of BEING ERICA’s biggest stars. Meet Erin Karpluk (Erica Strange) and Michael Riley (Dr. Tom), the talented twosome who were only too happy to take a few minutes to discuss the future of the show, what’s fans can expect from the upcoming fourth season and which famous actor they’d like to see step into their roles in the proposed ABC reboot. See for yourself after the jump.

BEING ERICA returns with brand new episodes this September 26th at 9PM on CBC in Canada.

Photo Credit: G. Pimentel Photography courtesy of ACCT

Perfectly timed to coincide with the much-anticipated second season premiere of LOST GIRL this Sunday September 4th on Showcase in Canada, theTVaddict.com was recently given the opportunity to interview series star Anna Silk. Unfortunately, since we don’t know our Silk from a Succubus, we clevery decided to pass along the exclusive one-on-one to our very own special LOST GIRL correspondent Melissa Girimonte, who was only too happy to take up the task of trying to squeeze some second season intel from the highly secretive Silk. See for yourself, after the jump.

Since discovering the truth about where she came from and the existence of the Fae clan, your character Bo has remained very neutral in terms of choosing sides. In light of the recent attack on the Elders do you think this upcoming second season will put Bo in a position where she might be forced to choose a side?
Anna Silk: Bo learned a lot in the first season and is now smarter and stronger coming into the second season. She also knows she has to be more accountable for her actions, that they have consequences and I think she is more conscious when it comes to navigating the politics [between the light and dark sides] and protecting the people that she loves, her friends and her family, Kenzi, Dyson and Lauren. I don’t know if she’ll necessarily be forced to choose sides, but I think there is something out there that is even bigger than Bo realizes and it’s probably more than she can even handle.

Now that Bo has learned the truth about who her mother was, is there any chance she’ll start to doubt her goodness knowing that she came from such malevolence?
Definitely she will. Bo learned what she is and who she is, well, more what she is at the beginning of the first season and now she is starting to learn who she is. She knows some of her roots, but there are still a lot of questions that have gone unanswered and I think she does question those roots. Some things that do happen during the second season — which I can’t give away — are definitely red flags for her and raise a lot of potential for evil. It’s a scary time for Bo.

In the second season premiere, Bo seems to have more control over her powers. Have we seen the full extent of her powers as of yet?
No we have not, definitely we have not. I don’t even think Bo has seen that yet and that’s all I’m going to say about that!

One scene that really stands out in the second season premiere is the one that has Dyson telling Bo what he gave up to help her out. There was a look between the two characters that kind of spoke to the fact that neither one of them realizes the extent of their feelings towards one another. Is it possible that their relationship has evolved beyond pure lust and into a more emotional connection?
Yeah I think so. That was certainly something that Kris [Holden-Ried] who plays Dyson and I had discussed. I think that Bo had never had a relationship before, she’d never been in one and here she is in this relationship with Dyson… and with Lauren as well. Two real relationships with lovers in her life that aren’t dying.

Speaking of Lauren, in that first episode back, there’s almost a caretaker vibe where Bo is caring for her, she’s under a lot of stress and strain carrying for the Ash. What I know a lot of readers want to know is are we going to see some more sparks between Bo and Lauren this season?
Bo and Lauren’s storyline has become so popular which I’m really proud of and I’m really happy about. There’s definitely more to come with Lauren and Bo this second season.

You’ve heard about the segment of the fandom that refers to the two of you as “Doccubus,” right?
[Laughs] I have, I love that. They call her, Dr. Hotpants or something? I called her that on set yesterday and she laughed.

Without of course giving too much away, is there a specific episode you’ve filmed that you can’t wait for the fans to see thus far?
Everytime we get a new episode it’s really exciting for us. We read it, we’re excited and there’s something new for the fans to learn so I think I’m just excited for the fans to see them all because there is such an arc this season for Bo and for all these characters. That said, our last episode, episode 9 for us, was something really challenging for all the actors, we were all on set together and it’s going to be a really funny episode. It’s going to be kind of a stand-alone episode because it’s a little bit different than what you usually see.

Would it be safe to see that the tone of the show is darker this season?
I think there is always that balance of having the sort of darker tone that the show has but also having a lot of comedy in there, but I think the theme of the second season and the sort of journey that Bo has to take is certainly not comical, it’s a really big deal and a really important journey for her, the people around her and for the Fae. There’s definitely a lot of humor in the show too, but there are some darker moments, more-so than first season.

LOST GIRL season 2 returns to Showcase in Canada this Sunday September 4th at 9PM and stars Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried, Ksenia Solo and Zoie Palmer

Melissa is a Toronto-based TV blogger and music journalist. A TV fan since birth, it was only in recent years that she discovered her love for writing about what she was watching. After contributing to several online and print magazines as a freelance writer, she started her own TV blog, The Televixen, in 2008.

If you’re anything like this TV Addict, odds are fairly certain that you spend an inordinate amount of time scratching your head over some of the shall we say more curious decisions TV Networks make when it comes to some of your favorite shows. But what about the actors involved in the shows themselves? As one might imagine, having starred in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, the short-lived pilot-turned-internet-phenomenon NOBODY’s WATCHING and NBC’s less-than-successful KNIGHT RIDER reboot, actor Paul Campbell has a unique perspective on such matters. One that he was only too happy to share during a recent one-on-one promoting ALMOST HEROES, a new original comedy series that recently premiered on Showcase in Canada.

As a young actor you made the decision to leave BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fairly early on for a larger role on a potential pilot that didn’t end up getting picked up. Do you ever look back at decisions like that and wonder, what could have been?
Paul Campbell: No. I found that this is the business that you can’t afford to ever look back and say what could have been. Because when you have those sort of decisions to make — decisions where I either stick with a show [BATTLESTAR GALACTICA] where there are no guarantees that this character [Billy] is ever going to be more than a sideline player or try my luck with a pilot I had just booked — there’s no value in looking back. I’m constantly faced with those decisions. Should I take this Canadian series that I’m on, should I got to Romania and shoot a movie, what am I missing, as an actor, there is always going to be that “What If?”

As an observer on the periphery of this business we call show, it’s always interesting to uncover the thought process that goes into those type of seemingly career-altering decisions.
Well I was in Los Angeles testing for PSYCH which is on USA Network and I got a call from Ron Moore saying that we just got wind that you’re testing for this show. This was very early on in Season 2 and that point I wasn’t on contract with BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, I was a per episode basis where there were no guarantees, so I would constantly find myself flipping through the script to see if my name was on the cast list to see if I had been killed. So I thought, “Why not?” I have an opportunity to test for this big USA show and he called me while I was at the Universal lot right after my test for PSYCH and he said look, you’re going to either have to commit where we lock you down for 5 years or we’ll probably have to start thinking about writing you out. And I decided that ultimately it was best if we went our separate ways and they were really great about writing another 10 episodes for me before Billy finally bit the bullet so to speak.

But on the plus side, Billy’s death is one of those cool ones that really stuck with fans. After-all, if you want to die in a series that is destined for greatness, you want to do it early on and in a big way like Ian Somerhalder on LOST, rather than in the fourth or fifth season when nobody really cares anymore! But we digress. Your next experience was on a pilot called NOBODY’s WATCHING produced by Bill Lawrence that after not getting picked up turned into somewhat of an internet sensation. What was that experience like and what was it like working with Bill Lawrence?
Yeah NOBODY’S WATCHING was actually the project that first took me away from BATTLESTA GALACTICA. That was the pilot that I booked after the miniseries. It was phenomenal working with Bill and actually, Bill co-wrote that script with Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan who are showrunners on COMMUNITY, which is phenomenal. For me it was the first time doing comedy and because it was a hybrid of single camera stuff — which I actually preferred — and a live action studio audience it was the best of both worlds. When the show failed to get picked up, Bill Lawrence very savvily leaked the pilot onto YouTube. I remember being back in Vancouver having taken he news very badly after almost being guaranteed that we were which is the dream and all of sudden I got a call from my manager saying that you guys are on CNN and they’re doing a feature on NOBODY’S WATCHING. Within a week it just went from zero to millions of hits, we where doing talk shows, on CARSON DAILY, and because Warner Bros. had sold it at the time, NBC who originally passed said we’ll order 6 scripts but contingent on your ability to build an online following. If you guys build a big online fan base we’ll have a big built in audience when we go to air. So we spent 4 to 6 months — Bill, Neal, Garrett and Taran [Killam] who is now on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — shooting viral videos. We had such an incredible outpouring of support that it looked like NBC was going to pick us up, until the last minute. When they changed their mind and said we’re going to give you an hour of Primetime for a special. There was a big announcement at TCA [The Television Critics Association Press Tour], and the next day they phoned and said we have no intention of ever doing the show. That was my first Hollywood wake up call.

And not the first time NBC would completely screw you!
NBC has such a wonderful history of shooting themselves in the foot. I don’t know what’s going on over there but they have a really hard time of getting things right. Which is not to say they don’t have some really great shows, some of their comedy — COMMUNITY, 30 ROCK of course — but man they just can’t seem to make it work.

And speaking of not making it work, your next project was on KNIGHT RIDER, a reboot which on paper seemed like a sure bet. At what point as an actor did you realize that this wasn’t going to work?
Almost immediately. And this happens with a number of projects that I’ve done — there are so many friggin’ cooks in the kitchen on both the production and executive level — where everybody has got to get their two cents in yet nobody really is willing to take a risk. Everybody wants to play it so safe and with KNIGHT RIDER, they tried so hard to appeal to everybody, they appealed to nobody. Patrick Massett and John Zinman, who had written a lot of stuff for FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS which was one of the best shows on TV (again, NBC dip-shits!) those guys wrote a couple of episodes for KNIGHT RIDER. I read their first draft before they had submitted to Network and it was fantastic, I mean we would read it and get so excited about it. Really, dark, really edgy stuff that would finally allow us to make episodes that would force audiences to sit up, take notice and take us seriously. But when they come back with the shooting draft, following notes and revisions from NBC, it was a piece of shit. Everything good about the script, they dumbed it down, brightened it up, saying we wanted to have dads watch with their sons and then they would throw in a bunch of woman in bikinis. What Dad is going to have their son watch a bunch of woman strut around in bikinis? I mean are you appealing to the kids, or are you appealing to the 18-49? That was the problem! There was one episode when the Kit Cave had been raided, it was all blown up and the set decorator came in and they put colored streamers everywhere, bright pastels saying the show was too dark, we want to “happy” the place up a bit. At that point the cast all looked at each other and went, that’s it, we’re cancelled. Like who is making these decisions? It’s so frustrating to see something that has a lot of potential just go through that filter and come out a big streaming turd.

At least you’ve been able to keep your sense of humor through all of this.
I’ve been in the business for 8 going on 9 years — and by the way, for the record, I hate it when people say 8 going on 9 as if you don’t know what the next number in the sequence is! But I’ve gotten to the point where I’m really starting to enjoy being relaxed about everything and much happier taking control of my own choices. Saying, you know what, maybe that’s not the greatest script or maybe that has the potential to not be the greatest project, but it sounds like a lot of fun, let’s do it.

Is that the type of thinking that brought you to Canada?
Actually, that was Visa issues! Immigration seemed to get really really strict in California really fast.

So what was it specifically that attracted you to ALMOST HEROES?
It couldn’t be more of a comedy if it tried. It’s one of the most fun things — I say that NOBODY’s WATCHING was probably the most fun I ever had in part because it was the first comedy I ever did — but this is the second most, if not equally the most fun I ever had. Ryan and Jason Belleville who created the show, I’ve known for years. I actually met through Taran Killam. They pitched the show a couple of years ago to CBS who really liked but didn’t have room on their schedule, so they ended up selling it to Showcase. ALMOST HEROES is a single camera half hour comedy about these two brothers. One of whom went off to Harvard, the smart savvy cool brother, while the other stayed home to goof off and live behind their Father’s comic book shop. When the father passes away, the Harvard brother comes back to the funeral and ends up sticking around to help his brother run this failing comic book shop in this shitty strip mall set in Toronto.

ALMOST HEROES airs Thursday nights at 9PM on Showcase in Canada.

Sitting atop Toronto’s luxurious Four Seasons Hotel to promote his new series ENDGAME, actor Patrick Gallagher sure has come a long way from his childhood roots that saw him growing up in the small Canadian town of Chilliwack British Columbia. Just don’t tell him that.

“My father taught Shakespeare and Chaucer in a Community Theater in Chilliwack and there really was nobody like me,” explained Gallagher. “Living in this sort of bubble, you really got this chance to kind of develop your own eccentricities and unique way of thinking which really was a catalyst for doing something different.”

Unfortunately for Gallagher, when you come from a family of Ph.D and Master’s degrees (“I’m half Chinese and there is huge emphasis on education”), doing something different wasn’t exactly in the cards. At least not at first.

“I went to Douglas College just to get my parents off my ass but I failed out,” admitted the actor. “I like learning, but doing the work was not my forté, so I left to go to the National Theatre School and decided that it was going to be a career.”

And quite a career it has turned out to be. Since graduating in 1993, Gallagher has made a name for himself on both sides of the border, parlaying smaller Canadian roles in the popular DA VINCI’s franchise (Both INQUEST and CITY HALL incarnations) into notable film and television roles in the likes of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Night at the Museum, TRUE BLOOD and a little show called GLEE.

“I’m really thankful to have done GLEE because a show like that can change an actor’s career,” said Gallagher, who fans may remember fondly as McKinley High’s first football coach who fought for the attention of guidance counsellor Emma Pillsbury. “It made it easier to get auditions and it raised my profile, but the thing I like most about it — aside from great exposure — was that it also a character that I don’t think people necessarily think of me playing. Which are the ones that are actually easier for me and more of my ethos. Not the tough guy,, the sensitive guy like my character in MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE, those are the roles I like doing.”

Particularly when they end in time to free him up to do larger more substantial roles, like the one that kicks off tonight in ENDGAME (10PM on Showcase in Canada) that sees him playing Hugo Lum, the head of hotel security tasked with keeping taps on their most troublesome albeit brilliant guest Arkady Balagan (played by BIG LOVE and 24 alum Shawn Doyle)

So just what advice does the 42-year-old have for fellow Canadians itching to make it big in Hollywood?

“I’ve done very well because I am Canadian and I started my career here. People always want to run to Los Angeles, but they shouldn’t discount what an advantage it is to be able to work on the volume of work up here. ” said Gallagher. “We’ve got great training facilities, great schools, and you can learn how to be on a set and be an actor without a lot of the pressure. I don’t know how the hell people do it in Los Angeles. I know brilliant actors who can’t even get an agent down there. Everybody wants to run but we’ve got something really good here, huge amounts of work.”

ENDGAME premieres Monday March 14th at 10PM on Showcase in Canada