Interview With Adrian Pasdar (Nathan Petrelli In Heroes)

Power: Flying

How do you feel about Nathan? There seems to be some underlying ambiguity about his character?

It’s close to playing a Richard III-type character but in a modern dimension. All I need is a physical kind of abnormality to befall me, like hump or a limp then I would have a really Shakespearian experience!

I don’t think he is necessarily concerned whether he is good or bad. I do think that there is a dark side that has to be dealt with, but the people who think they are good will probably turn out the other way on this show. It wouldn’t do me any good to speculate as to how I’m going to end up. I think there is both good and bad in this character which is interesting to play. I am as much a fan who is along for the ride as the public are with this character and where he ultimately is going to go.

Would you agree that your character is defined more by his relationships than his superhero power?

Yes, I find these relationship dynamics are more interesting to play than the perceived super power, they have written that very well. The relationships that I share with my mum, with Peter (Milo Ventimiglia), with my wife and with Niki (Ali Larter), all those elements are angling together toward defining who Nathan Petrelli is to himself and his potential constituency.

Ultimately, when you’re in the game of politics and you’re a man like Nathan Petrelli, there is only one seat that you want and that’s behind a desk in the Oval Office.

As we take this journey, we may find ourselves in the White House and that should make these relationships even more interesting.

Were you excited by the prospect of flying in the show?
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Interview With Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura In Heroes)

Power: Can Bend Time And Space

Can you tell us a little bit about your character and what his powers are?

My character is Hiro Nakamura. He’s an office drone in Japan and he’s a big comic book enthusiast. He learns that he can bend time and space, so teleportation and chronokinesis, and he’s just absolutely exhilarated with the fact that he can do this. It’s been his dream all along and he’s so happy that he’s been chosen.

The character is a big sci-fi and comic book fan. Is this a trait which you relate to?

I believe so. I am definitely a big enthusiast of science fiction and special effects. I grew up with Japanese Manga (Japanese comics), so I know a lot about the Manga world.

I really, really love the character and I believe the writers are doing an amazing job writing Hiro and bringing who I am into the character and extending me in terms of being a big comic book enthusiast. “Heroes” is a big extension of who I am.

There is an online graphic novel which goes hand-in-hand with the series. How important is this to the show? How does it feel to see yourself in cartoon form?

I think it’s just absolutely wonderful. When we went to the comic convention, we had a screening of the pilot episode and we knew we had something absolutely special and magical when we saw the fans’ reaction. We knew we hit it right on the head and that we had served the comic book community really well. And you know, in particular with Hiro being the comic book enthusiast as he is, he’s somewhat the representative for that voice of comic book fans. To have him as part of a comic book too is just absolutely thrilling, both in support of the character and for myself.

You worked on special effects before becoming an actor. Do you find yourself looking over people’s shoulders as the effects are produced for the show?
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Heroes and Villians

I accidently watched Heroes on BBC2, while being enprisoned in a hotel and it was a nice diversion from the usual drivel on TV. As I’m still actually going through the chapters at the moment, watching chapter one and chapter two was a welcome recap, enabling me to take in more of the story and notice things which I’d never noticed before, and notice things which aren’t apparent if you don’t know what happens in the forthcoming episodes (erm.. if that makes sense).

It seems to get better with each viewing too.

I’m glad that BBC2 bought up the rights to show Heroes, as it deserves a wider audience. It’s skillfully written, with argueably great acting, and the subtle effects are perfect. Tune in, or miss out!

More articles on Scifi UK Review for Heroes, including interviews with the cast.

The official Heroes BBC2 site; where you can explore Mohinder’s office and play games, download media and read up on the series.

Interview With Ali Larter (Niki Sanders In Heroes)

Power: Has A Protective Alter Ego

What were your first thoughts on your character when you first came across the part?

When I read the pilot I didn’t actually know what direction it was going other than the fact that you’ve got a really complicated woman who’s just trying to get by. She’s trying to be a great mother to her son and her world’s really crumbling around her. So, it wasn’t about what kind of power she was getting, it was just about her dealing with her life and wondering if she’s going crazy and what’s happening to her.

Where we’re leading to is that there’s going to be duality within my personality. So there’s one side that has to conform to society’s roles and laws and the shadow side that can actually live out the dark fantasies that, you know, are repressed within all of us.

But we’re going to get a little romance, we’ll get a little bit of cheekiness in it and the amazing thing about this writing is that it really pushes me.

You have a son in the show, how did you find it playing a mother?

Noah’s incredible. He makes my job easy. Watching his relationship with his mother has been a huge inspiration for me. She’s so open and so giving, we discussed the scenes before and hang out whenever we have a chance. They have an incredible connection. Noah and I use as much as we can from that to inspire us within our roles.

I think that as a woman, there’s a side in all of us that really has this desire and this need to protect a child. Watching my nephews there’s definitely that side within me that would do anything to protect them. So I guess I understand that.

I’ve just been around kids my whole life. So it really hasn’t been a struggle for me at all. It’s been a natural transition and I just think it’s a really interesting unique relationship.

Your character has an inherent sexuality, do you think it is important to stay in shape? How uncomfortable are the more risqué scenes?
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Interview With Greg Grunberg (Matt In Heroes)

Power: Can Read People’s Minds

Can you tell us about your character Matt?

He’s an LAPD cop, he’s got dyslexia, he can’t advance and become what he really thinks he should be, which is a detective or something more important, be where the action is. He can’t do this because he has dyslexia and can’t pass the tests and now suddenly, he’s hearing voices. He gets the one ability that a cop needs to solve crimes as quickly as possible and be the best he can be. But this then changes the rest of his life.

Your character can read minds, how does he feel about keeping his mental powers a secret?

It’s going to be a constant struggle for my character. He’s having issues with his wife. They’ve not been at each other’s throat, but there’s a conversation they always have where she says, “Hey, why can’t you be satisfied with our lives?” And he wants more.

What I love is that it’s not as simple as telling people, “Hey, this is what’s happened.” People aren’t going to believe you, they’re going to think you’re nuts, how do you handle it. When my character first realizes that he can’t control it, it’s an amazing thing.

The scripts are so great. When I read them, I get an idea of what a cool idea it would be to read people’s minds. I’m like, “Oh, this would be great.” It’s on such a simple level, I read and it’s just like, “Wow, that’s the greatest way to use it.” I’ve already shot a little bit where I’m using it to satisfy my wife.

What does the future hold for the characters? Do they become a team of superheroes?
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Interview With Tim Kring (Executive Producer Of Heroes)

Where did you get the inspiration for this series?

The germ of this idea came about a year ago now. I was supposed to develop a show for NBC and I became fascinated with this idea of a new paradigm of the serialized large ensemble show. I happened to see two movies that sort of moulded together in my mind. One of them was The Incredibles. And the other was the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Charlie Kaufman. I started to blend those two things in my mind over the next few days because I loved both of them. Mixing the idea of people who had superpowers trying to struggle with their everyday lives with these people that you could pass on the street and never think twice about. In my mind, those two things started to come together and that was the genesis of where the idea came from.

How does this show differ from other serialized dramas?

With this show I wanted to start from the very, very beginning. Looking at when people would discover these abilities. It’s very much a journey of the hero in the classic sense of the term. We watch their growth and their journey through the course of the show and ultimately, gain this kind of wish fulfillment that you or I could be these people. This is their journey from very ordinary to extraordinary people.

The show has some fantastic cliffhangers. Have you found it hard to maintain the suspense and intrigue with so many different plotlines?
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Q) Hi i’d just like to say that I love the new drama “hero’s” (sic) but….. as each epesode is only about 45 minuter long, is or would it be possible to watch the whole epesode in one go? As the breaks every ten minuter are verry anoying and just pointless!

A) Thank you for your enquiry. It’s the old arguement that adverts during shows are a royal pain in the scifi’ness., and should be moved to inbetween programmes. The thing is, they need to sell ads during airtime, and during shows so people actually ‘have to’ watch them. I agree, they should stop commercials during shows, but, unfortunately, it ain’t gonna happen.

If you try speaking to The Scifi Channel, I’m sure they’ll give you a definite answer.

By the way, I agree that Heroes is good entertainment.

Find all articles on Scifi UK Review for Heroes.

Q) Hi just watching Dark Angel and during a break they said I could download the first episode of Heroes (the new upcoming sci fi series) from scifiuk. I cannot see it anywhere or anything about Heros.

What is going on?

A) This is the official Heroes Page.

And it sure does look like it’s gearing up to be quite a cool series.

Let’s hope the powers that be don’t can it after one series. Just getting the ‘Bring Back Heroes Petition’ drawn up as we speak…

Only joking, this series looks set to be one of many, so keep a close eye on story development.

More articles, images and interviews for Heroes on Scifi UK Review.

Succulent Scifi For All You Heroes Out There!

Will Heroes Re-ignite British TV?

So you’re interested in one of the highest rating Scifi tv programmes since Lost?

Here at Scifi UK Review, we’re keeping a close eye on the series; to see how it progresses. Will it be canned halfway through, as such other delights as Farscape and I-Man were destined to be?

Heroes will be broadcast on the UK Scifi TV Channel from 19th February (a double bill of episode one and two), initially for 9 episodes, but judging by NBC’s decision to extend, it will be increased to 23 episodes!

From the creators of Lost, this explosive new drama entitled Heroes - a show about ordinary people discovering their extraordinary powers - is currently the number-one new show in America. Weekly figures are in excess of 14 million and increasing every week.

Heroes is predicted (not sure by who) to be a global phenomenon and looks set to grab the imagination of UK viewers when it premiers on the Scifi TV Channel in a few days time.

As a total eclipse casts its shadow across the globe, a genetics professor in India uncovers a secret theory – there are people with super powers living among us. Amongst these are a high school cheerleader who learns that she is totally indestructible; a gifted artist whose drug addiction enables him to paint the future; a young man who develops a way to stop time through sheer will power; and a single-mother stripper who learns that she has an alternate personality with homicidal tendencies. In Los Angeles, a jaded cop discovers that he can hear people’s thoughts, a revelation which puts him on the trail of an elusive and sadistic serial killer.

As we follow their lives week-by-week, we discover that their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the Earth from Armageddon.

Each blockbuster episode costs $2 million to make and is littered with CGI and special effects usually reserved for Hollywood films. The breath taking action sequences and cutting-edge drama are guaranteed to keep British viewers gripped from start to finish.

Creator Tim Kring says of the upcoming show, “We sort of made a pact internally that we weren’t going to be the show that made you wait for stuff.”

Working alongside Kring (also creator of long-running crime drama Crossing Jordan), is Damon Lindelof (Lost co-creator) and Jeph Loeb (television writing credits include Smallville and Lost, as well as writing credits for Batman and X-Men comics). With these credentials behind Heroes, there is little surprise that it has been hailed as X-Men meets Lost.

Find all articles on Scifi UK Review for Heroes.

If You Like Heroes, You’ll LOVE This!