TV News: ‘True Blood,’ ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ ‘Dollhouse’ at C2E2

Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version

Michael Trevino & Candice Accola of “The Vampire Diaries”

Another TV hit with a bloodsucking theme is “The Vampire Diaries,” currently in its second season on The CW Television Network. Based on a book series by L.J. Smith, the show is set in fictional Mystic Falls, Virginia, a town haunted by supernatural beings. It follows the life of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), who is involved in love triangle with two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon.

The C2E2 panel consisted of Elena’s childhood friend in the series, Tyler (Michael Trevino) and also her close friend Caroline (Candice Accola).

Dear Diary: Candice Accola & Michael Trevino, C2E2, March 19th, 2011 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Questions: Michael, how difficult was it as an actor to transform into a werewolf character?

Michael Trevino: It was probably the most challenging thing I’ve done as an actor. I’m glad we didn’t rush into it, it was written gradually and brilliantly. We had an amazing crew and we shot on a closed set. I was in a very vulnerable state the whole time and it took a couple weeks of preparation to get there, and one day of rehearsal before. We shot it in two days, back-to-back 14 hours days, where I was chained up and basically naked.

If it wasn’t for the crew, and my colleague Candice, I wouldn’t been able to get through it. The things you don’t see behind the scenes, that aren’t in the script, for me to get there emotionally is like running a marathon. And Candice helped me with that pacing. In scenes where she is trying to get me to calm down, there is no dialogue, but she just put it upon herself to keep me calm. It really helped me, and if it wasn’t for things like that, I wouldn’t have got to it as easily.

Question: Candice, what do you hope happens with the relationship with Tyler? And who is the best kisser on the show?

Candice Accola: A girl doesn’t kiss and tell. [laughs] As for Tyler, I think is depends on the circumstance and the intention of him coming back. That’s going to be the biggest factor.

Eliza Dushku and Tahmoh Penikett on “Dollhouse”

Writer and Director Josh Whedon followed up his very popular ”Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series with a spotlight series for Buffy cast member Eliza Dushku. It was the short-lived but intriguing science fiction cult show “Dollhouse.” Dushku also served as producer on the show, and appeared at the Dollhouse panel.

Dushku played Echo, who was a “doll” or “Active” for the Los Angeles “Dollhouse,” a series of facilities that hired out these human beings to wealthy clients. The idea was that after each assignment – which ranged from romantic interludes to high-risk criminal enterprises – the memory and personality of the Actives were wiped out, and they would exist in a child-like blank state until re-programmed for the next assignment. Echo is unique because she retains bits of memory even after the “wipes,” and gradually became more self aware.

Also on the panel is Tahmoh Penikett, who played FBI agent Paul Ballard on the show, trying to crack the secrets of the Dollhouse. Pennikett also played Karl “Helo” Agathon on the SyFy series “Battlestar Galactica.”

Panel of the Dolls: Eliza Dushku & Tahmoh Penikett, C2E2, March 19th, 2011 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Question: Eliza, what were some of the challenges as an actor that you had to experience in ‘Dollhouse?’

Eliza Dushku: We kept trying to find the doll ‘expression,’ it was a blank slate look, and how do you keep that interesting? I’m very expressive and gesticulate a lot, and they told me not to do that. [laughs] The doll was an interesting challenge, because I have multiple personalities as it is, so that was up my alley. It also made great lines out of ‘I like broccoli.’ [laughs]

Question: Tahmoh, what was your view of the evolution of ‘Dollhouse’?

Tahmoh Penikett: It was tumultuous at times, when Josh was describing the ideas and arc that the characters were going to have, it would have taken a very different direction. Based on the original pilot, things would have happened so much differently. We had to cannibalize the pilot into the first three episodes, so we didn’t start that well. I had to keep reminding myself who I had met, and Josh had to put notes in the script to keep us straight on it.

The relationship between Echo and I was finding its feet in the first season, but it became clearer as I began to know my character. For example, it took a while for me to find Echo, was I an idiot? It came together with the line, ‘The Dollhouse is real.’

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com