Eureka co - executive producer Amy Berg bring out some particular on how James Callis and Wil Wheaton add up to join the cast , what she looks for in a guest star , and which Firefly ammonia alum is her “ white whale . ”
Since unite the penning faculty of Syfy ’s Eureka for this forthcoming time of year , co - executive manufacturer Amy Berg has played a bad part in recruit some writing style MVPs for guest shots : MVP like Battlestar Galactica ’s James Callis and Just a Geek author Wil Wheaton . Here , she reveals some of the methods to her rabies .
When look for a science fiction icon to throw away , what are the quality that you look for ?
Honestly ? Talent . That ’s really the bottom line . We ’re not go to cast anyone solely because they have geek cred . The other question we ask ourselves is , “ Does this person fit in ? ” Eureka has a very specific tone — it ’s skill fiction , sure as shooting , but it also has a lot of heart . And it ’s funny . To see an actor who can order a jape in one vista and get their heart break in the next is not an easy project , regardless of genre .
Had either James Callis or Wil Wheaton seen Eureka before you enlist them ?
James is a fan of the show . He jumped at the chance join Eureka and was specially excited when we told him what we had in mind for his role . Casting him was serendipitous , really . In Vancouver , the soundstages for Battlestar Galactica were next door to Eureka , so James was already friend with some of our regulars . And then when his name appear on a cast leaning for Dr. Grant , our eyes light up . He is a genuine talent .
As for Wil , he ’ll be the first to tell you that he does n’t learn a whole bunch of video . He ’d seen Eureka , but was n’t all that familiar with it . I had throw him on my last show , Leverage , so there ’s a certain amount of trust between us . He knows I ’d only come to him with a role he could really have sport with . We got together last hebdomad to talk shop class , and I gave him a lot of DVD of the show . Apparently he marathoned his way through all of them and is now a Brobdingnagian devotee .
What brand of tomfoolery will you have them doing for you ?
I ca n’t really verbalise about Dr. Grant . It ’s a bit on the spoiler - y side . Let ’s just say that Grant is unlike any character Callis has played , and unlike any persona we ’ve had on the show . He ’s an outsider trying to find his way . James is hold a blast with the part . And he stimulate to mix it up with Colin Ferguson ’s Carter , which is fun for both of them .
Wil plays Dr. Isaac Parrish , the head of the Non - Lethal Weapons Division at Global Dynamics . You find out pretty quickly why he works with NON - lethal weapons . He ’s brilliant , but not exactly someone who occupy direction well . I drop some metre talking to Wil about the character — the backstory he ’s created for the guy is totally on period . Should be a howling episode . [ Which is shooting now , according to Wil Wheaton ’s blog . ]
I bang Callis is around for more than one instalment . What about Wil ?
Callis is around for the season . Wil ’s character , Dr. Parrish , is potentially recurring . We ’d love to have him back .
Who else is on your hist list ? Who ’s the dreaming get that you eff you ca n’t ?
There are a bunch of folks we ’d enjoy to have and who are interested in play with us , but it ’s just a matter of finding the correct part . There are very few meaty node roles in time of year four , which I think is great . It intend we ’re telling narrative about our masses .
We ’d enjoy to find something for Felicia Day , who just enfold a Syfy movie telephone Red . Felicia ’s a devotee of the show and I really think she ’s a perfect fit for Eureka . It ’s the word and wit she brings to her persona that I hump — whether it ’s The Guild , Dollhouse , or whatever . She ’s so approachable . She ’s someone you check on CRT screen and say , “ I bet we could be Quaker . ” But , you fuck , not in a creepy room .
I also have something in mind for Grant Imahara , who is the robotics tech on Mythbusters . Grant and I beat to know one another on Twitter — he was arbitrarily quoting lines from an episode of something I ’d compose and so I dismiss a promissory note to say hi . I ’m hope Discovery countenance us borrow him for a little while . There are always programing and budget thoughtfulness , especially when we ’re looking to chuck people who live and turn outside of Vancouver .
Mark Sheppard is also a supporter , someone I always keep in idea when upchuck anything . He ’s just so damn good . One of those actors who point up in a conniption and makes everyone around him well . Speaking of BSG common people , we also have our optic on Edward James Olmos . We already know what character he ’d make for . Hopefully it ’s a story that comes together in the back half of the time of year .
As far as dreaming the impossible dream … Jaime Paglia , our conscientious objector - creator , would have intercourse to have George Lucas pour down up somewhere . He ’s a guy who has really inspire Jaime over the class . Personally , my impossible get is Nathan Fillion . Because , well , he ’s Nathan Fillion and I ’m a geek girlfriend . It ’s how we roll . But he ’s a little officious with Castle , which just got piece up for another season , and I ’m guessing ABC has an exclusivity clause on him . You ca n’t see it , but mighty now I ’m making my distressing face .
Eureka is back with new sequence on July 9 .
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