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Christian Faith is very important for you. How do you see the violence in the show or on television and in the world in general ? · I think that if you read the Bible, it will be very violent. The world is a violent place. And my job, if you want to speak about faith, God gives me the possibility to be an actor, a narrator but it’s my gift. You received the one to be a journalist, to be able to ask questions, to do researches. We all received different gifts. Mine is to become another person, to give the life to a character and if this character is violent or drug addict, this is my responsibility to play it as realistic as possible and to tell this story. That’s how we’re changing things, with these stories. During generations, people have used the religion to tell people what they could or couldn’t do, to control them. I’m not agree when someone tells me : “ You can’t be a good person to play a so violent person in a movie."
WAT is a succeeding show. What did you think at first ? · I always was very optimist concerning shows in which I played because I don’t throw myself in a project if I didn’t like the script. I thought that the show had the potential to work for a long time when I read the script of the pilot. I wanted to be a part of this show. I think it’s a very good show. Jerry Bruckheimer is part of it and CSI is the most watched show on TV. So, when they put us just after CSI, that could only work.
· However I think that we could have had a more important success more quickly. For WAT, the success arrived rather slowly. It’s not like for Grey's Anatomy or Lost. This did not arrive right away. But some shows have a big success at first then it falls. That’s note the case for WAT.
What’s the reason according to you ? · I think that it’s particularly due to the advertising and the money which is invested for that. I was part of a lot of shows where a lot of money was invested in marketing. WAT succeeded without that because of the quality of its scripts, actors are good.
It’s a show produced by Jerry Bruckheimer yet ( CSI, Cold Case,...), Why doesn’t it have as much as advertising ? · I don’t think it needs it. They put us jsut after CSI. This show being the most watched series, we keep the viewers. On thursdays nights there was Survivor, CSI then WAT and we had a very good audience the whole evening. They had to think that the show had already have rather good results and that they didn’t need it. And CSI already have a lot of commercials. There was some time where WAT’s audience lowered a little and they did a little more advertising. But, at this time everything’s ok.
You played in a lot of good shows but most of them stopped after the first season. Didn’t you have the impression of having been cursed ? · No because Georges Clooney was part of 12 pilots or maybe 14 that didn’t work and I don’t think he’s cursed. I tell myself that’s already very difficult to be able to show a series on TV, to be able to do a series or even to sell the pilot, to produce it then that it keeps on during more than one season. It’s like winning to the lottery. I’m very proud of the shows in which I played, unfortunately some didn’t work. But I’m not the main actor of this show ( WAT ) so maybe that’s why ( laughs ).
What’s going to happen in the 6th season ? · I think that my character is in recovery but there’s always a danger something’s happen, that he falls again. I would like he gets straight some things with his father and maybe a little bit of romance…
With Samantha ? · Maybe but I think that Martin is ready to move on. But we never know…
Is it true that you quotes the Bible when you sign autographs ? · Sometimes. Someone saw me did it once and said that I always did it. But it depends for who I sign the autograph. I often meet people who are sometimes discouraged and that needed a little encouragement, hope and if I can share that with them and inspire them a little, I do it. Sometimes, our world may seem sad and you just need a smile.
Your motto in the life is « I can make everything thanks to the Christ who gives me the force » (from the Bible). · People find their force in different manners. I’m very grateful of doing what I do, of being able to be an actor in a successful show, to have a family, friends, to be able to come here in Monte-Carlo. There are a lot of things for which I’m grateful. It’s a gift when we give you something like that. It’s your responsibility to manage this gift. It’s my responsibility when I’m working to create an environment where everybody feels good because if I want to keep being an actor or director, I have to be some sort of leader and show the example for that others follow it.
From where are yours Christian beliefs coming from ? Your family, your education…. · A little bit of all that, my parents, the school I attended, people I met, the different experiences…I had a rather interesting life, maybe I’ll write a book some day. I try to live my life with the less fear as possible and to be enough open on what happens. By example, we can’t always control everything in life. We never know who we can meet. I never was afraid to talk to people. By example, I was in a train in Vienna in 1987 and I went to meet young people and then we began discussing, we became friends, we visited Budapest together and years later, one of them invited me at his wedding and I met my wife over there. I like adventure, I like to travel.
Have you already met people who didn’t make the difference between Martin, the FBI agent and Eric Close, the actor ? · Yes but I tell them every time : « Here’s the FBI’ phone number, call them. » ( laughs )
Have you already met real agents ? · Yes, once I was at a golf tournament in San Diego. I was watching Tiger Woods and someone approached me and he discreetly showed me his badge.
Do you have FBI agents, experts on the set ? And how do they help you ? · Yes, they see to it that we don’t look stupid when we get through the door, when we arrive on the crime’s scene. They help us t be as authentic as possible.
By example when Martin loses his cold blood…Did they tell you some anecdotes ? · Yes, it happens. The police had to deal with criminals, that implies sometimes children what can gets your nerves but you have to self-control.
This FBI department doesn’t really exist ? · No, it doesn’t exist. It’s pure fiction. But that’s what’s good with this show. They had this idea after the Shaundra Lily’s case, the young woman who disappeared in Washington. Jerry Bruckheimer noticed this story and thought that a show could be made around this.
How did you find yourself on board of WAT ? · I received the script, I read it, I liked it a lot and I really wanted to be a part of this project.
Do you read the feedback’s viewers on your character ? · Yes and the feedbacks are usually positive. What I like in WAT is the fact that we deal with social problems that everyone’s feeling.
WAT actually deals with real subjects like pedophilia, Katrina,... Which episode had the biggest effect on you ? · There’s an episode of the 2th season titled Wannabe where a young boy constantly is annoyed by girls and boys at the school. They make fun of him all the time. The boy lacks of self confidence and at the end he tries to hang himself. It was a very moving episode. This episode was aired in a lot of schools through the country. I don’t understand…we try to raise our children so that they become good person. I tell my children stories about my childhood, how children tormented other students. And as an actor, I add a lot more emotions in my stories so that was a lot more strong ( laughs ). I think these stories had an effect.
· When I was a child, I was annoyed by some pals but I did the same thing to others children. While growing, I realised that it wasn’t a good thing. There was a boy that we annoyed all the time. One day, all the band pestered him until he cries then we all run away. I stopped and I rejoined him and told him : “ I’m sorry. Why would you not come at my place ?” And we became friends. But 20 minutes before, I was like the others, pestering him.
Thank you to Eric Close for answering our questions. Good luck. ( June 2007 ).