On the Fence

in the It’s not easy being a part of one of most anticipated shows in cable history. When AMC’s Better Call Saul debuted early last It’syear, it broke all records for a scripted series premiere, thanks to its status as a prequel spinoff of Breaking Bad. “It’s impossible to meet all expectations, no matter what you do,” says Rhea Seehorn, lawyer Kim Wexler on Saul, whose second season began in February. “But this satiates a lot of people who wanted to see more shows like Breaking Bad, with really rich writing and characters. I think the second season is even stronger than the first,” adds the actress, who was previously seen on TNT’s Franklin & Bash NBC’s Whitney. Seehorn’s legal eagle struck a chord with viewers in Saul’s first season thanks to the are-they-or-aren’t- they relationship between her and lead character Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk). “People come up to me and say that the scenes in the nail salon when he’s painting her toenails are so sexy, even though nothing overtly sexual is happening,” she says with a laugh. “It’s the deep intimacy of two people who have been together for a long time, and that’s a BIO PICK type of sexiness that I don’t often think is shown on TV.” With suitcases and boxes just arriving back at her Los Angeles home after months of living in Albuquer- que, New Mexico (where Saul is filmed), Seehorn still isn’t sure whether to unpack. “I’d be beside myself if there’s a third season and I get to keep telling this story.” On the Still, she’s also supposed to be planning her wedding. “My fiancé and I have been engaged for over a AGENCY GARDNER/GRID DAVID BY HAIR MANAGEMENT; ARTISTS PAUL/EXCLUSIVE JEFFREY BY MAKEUP GROSSMAN; JORDAN BY STYLING BARBU; ODESSY BY PHOTOGRAPH year.” Also, what started as a small ceremony with closest friends and family back in 2014 has grown into Fence a larger-than-planned party. “I’m seriously in love with the 300 people I’m working with right now, so that’s not really a small wedding at all!” —Maria Neuman inmix the To rewrite an American tragedy, James Franco takes to time-traveling in Hulu’s 11.22.63. Time Reprised When Stephen King sat down to write 11.22.63, he posed a whale of a “what-if” — As for 11.22.63, which was produced by Warner what if someone could travel back in time? And what if that traveler could change Bros. Television, Carpenter says the biggest thrill the course of history by stopping the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? was to collaborate with Stephen King (who also is an exec producer on the series, along with J.J. Abrams Such is the premise of the book and the subsequent nine-hour limited and Bryan Burk; Kevin Macdonald directed the pilot, on which he is also an series that debuted in February on Hulu. Starring James Franco, Chris Cooper, exec producer). “We were pen pals while I was writing it, and I would tell him Josh Duhamel and T.R. Knight, the series takes flight on a time-travel journey whenever I was making a big story change. His response was to be unflag- unlike any other. gingly supportive.” “This is such a barn burner of a story,” says Bridget Carpenter, the series’ While she still dabbles in stage — she’s writing a musical adaptation of showrunner, executive producer and one of its writers. “It’s a story with a plot Freaky Friday for Disney Theatricals — television remains her medium of the Wthat is swift and yet, at the same time, so lush with characters who we come moment. “Every year I feel like there’s more reason to be in love with TV.” to know and love. The reason I loved the book was because the premise, while —Kathleen O’Steen like a runaway train, offered readers detours to get to know these people.” Franco stars as Jake Epping, a twenty-first-century English teacher who takes on the larger-than-life mission. But in doing so, he finds a life — and yes, love — in the 1960s that he’s loath to leave. “I always joke that it’s a love story dressed up like a Jason Bourne thriller,” Carpenter says. HOLZBERG MARK BEN The show was shot in part at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, site of the assassination, where Carpenter says the crew took great care to replicate every aspect of that infamous motorcade. “Our costume designer and production designer closely watched every frame of the Abraham Zapruder film to re- create the iconic images,” she says. “And it was eerie — we even shot in [the backyard of] Lee Harvey Oswald’s apartment.” Her biggest surprise? “That we had very little to do digitally to bring that area of Texas back to the 1960s. It still all looks very much the same.” Carpenter began her career as a playwright but segued into television as a writer and producer on NBC’s Friday Night Lights. “That show became a love affair for me,” she says. “I didn’t know you could care so much about a television show before that.” 10 EMMY inmix the In an unexpected walk-on, a veteran editor learned how hard it is to act naturally on set. Here’s his advice for actors wishing to avoid the proverbial cutting-room floor. BY JORDAN GOLDMAN, A.C.E. Making the Cut The most terrifying day of my life was the day I “acted” on walk to the motor pool hallway? Was I heading to a spill? Then I should be in a camera. hurry. Or had I already finished cleaning up the problem? In that case, I should We were shooting the final episode of The Shield. Word came up to my act more relaxed. cutting room that the director, Clark Johnson, wanted me on set to do a cam- But why was my mop dry? If I was leaving the bathroom, then the mop eo. I was told I’d be a janitor crossing in the background of the police station. should be wet, because I had either used it to clean a spill or just dampened it I walked over to the set, where Wardrobe gave me a set of coveralls and to clean something. Wouldn’t it make more sense if I had been filling a bucket work boots. Then I was handed a mop. The assistant director said, “You’re here in the bathroom and was taking my mop and bucket to the site of the going to exit the bathroom and walk across the bullpen to the motor pool spill? But it was too late to convince Props to give me a bucket. We were about hallway.” to roll. As the crew scurried around setting up the shot, I stood in the bathroom The ADs locked down the set. Then I realized that I didn’t know what my and started to worry. It had been a long time since I’d been in musicals back cue was to come out of the bathroom. Tin high school. My mind flooded with questions. What was my motivation to A panic attack started to brew. If I screwed up this cross, it would ruin 12 EMMY the entire scene. On TV, the police station would seem like it was full of real But what if I had gone through all that trauma and then been cut out of people (the actual actors) and one dummy pretending to be a janitor. I was on the show? What if I’d been a real actor, who had prepared and auditioned the verge of ruining everything and letting down all of my friends. On the final and worked hard for this moment, and I was cut out? I would have been very episode of the entire series, no less! upset. I heard, “Action!” With no idea of what else to do, I waited for a five count, then stepped out of the bathroom carrying my mop. The forty-foot-long There are specific things actors can do to avoid winding bullpen set seemed to telescope out into a room four miles long. up on the cutting room floor. Some are in your control, and Somehow I managed to will myself into motion. When I got to the motor others (like being cut out for time constraints or story flow) pool hallway 1,000 terrifying years later, I passed the room where Clark and aren’t, but most can be mastered before arriving on set. the crew were watching the take on the video monitors. Through the door, I From a practical point of view, the primary tasks of the actor are to: could hear Clark exclaim, “What the hell is with that janitor? Why is he running • stand in the right places across the room like that?” • say the right words I thought I would die. After the AD called cut, I crawled back to the bath- • be directable room, too embarrassed to look at anyone. • convince the audience that you are the person the story claims you My friend Rich Cantu, the B-camera operator, must have seen the terror to be… in my eyes. He pulled me aside. “When you hear Dutch’s second line,” he said, • …experiencing the events and emotions that the story claims you are “come out of the bathroom.

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