FringeTelevision Interview: Anna Torv Conference Call

Yesterday, Anna Torv spoke with a handful of journalists, including our own Adam Morgan, and spilled some details on her character Olivia Dunham, Fringe's upcoming episodes, as well as her past experiences on the show. We got a chance to ask two of your submitted questions, right around the 13:30 mark (listen for the proctor introducing Fringe Television). Anna was very careful not to give away any spoilers, but she does hint at some things to come.

Listen Now:


Here are some of the interesting answers from the call:

On the Observers:

"We're shooting the final episode at the moment, and we're starting to get more of a glimpse into what their function is."

On Olivia and Peter:

"I hope they stretch [their romance] out as long as possible. I think that's what makes it fun."

On her favorite scene:

"We shot a scene recently in Walter and Peter's hotel room, where we've just discovered some things about Olivia's past. I loved shooting that. It was the first time where I felt Olivia inched her way towards that dynamic between Peter and Walter. But I can't say anything more!"

On the potential move to Canada:

"I love New York. It will be really sad to say goodbye to all these guys that have put their blood and sweat into this season."

Click here to read the transcript of the interview

M. Hughes: Anna, I really enjoyed seeing the soft side of “Olivia” in this first episode coming back. Kind of tell us as you prepared for that with these two kids you were acting with here, the niece and then the boy that was found. Did you do anything special like talk to the kids ahead of time or anything like that to kind of get to that side of her?

A. Torv: Particularly with Spencer, who plays the younger guy in “Inner Child” [the episode airing Tuesday, April 7, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT], he was just like a dream of a kid to work with, and you kind of, I mean, I don’t know. I hate it when people talk down to children, and he certainly, I don’t know. I just loved him, actually. I think we got on really well, and I think it kind of shows in that episode.

M. Hughes: Yes, it does. Yes.

A. Torv: Apart from hanging out, like you would with a normal actor, or being there when they call “action”….

M. Hughes: Roughly how old is he?

A. Torv: I think he’s 10, 10 or 11.

M. Hughes: One other thing….totally different thing. Yes. Since you were here last, we got a chance to see the first season of Mistresses on BBC America, and your role there was fascinating, and I was just wondering, particularly the romance scenes you had with Shelley Conn, I mean what was that like to film those scenes?

A. Torv: I don’t know. It was like any romance scenes you film with anybody. I was blessed with Shelley, who is a beautiful actress and a beautiful woman, and we kind of had fun. We just went about our business like you would shooting any other scene, really.

M. Hughes: Okay. Cool. It was fun. Thanks a lot.

A. Torv: Thank you.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Blair Hagada with E! Online.

B. Hagada: What will we discover about “Olivia’s” past?

A. Torv: We slowly start to discover some – I never know what I can and what I can’t say – but we start to discover some things that sort of happened to her when she was really little that she doesn’t really remember, but they start to kind of – you start to see the stories or the lives of “Peter” and “Walter” and “Olivia” kind of begin to interlace a little bit, and you sort of see how their paths have crossed before.

B. Hagada: Do you think that they could be related?

A. Torv: At this point, no, I don’t think so.

B. Hagada: Do you know who or what “The Observers” are and what the motivations behind them are?

A. Torv: Do I know who “The Observers” are?

B. Hagada: Yes.

A. Torv: Meaning, where they’re from or what their function…?

B. Hagada: Yes, anything about them.

A. Torv: No, but we’re shooting at the moment the final episode, and we’re sort of starting to get a little bit. We’re sort of starting to more of a glimpse into what their function is.

B. Hagada: Great. Thank you so much.

A. Torv: That’s okay.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of David Martindale with Hearst Newspapers.

D. Martindale: Hello, Anna. I love the show. You’re really wonderful in it.

A. Torv: Thank you.

D. Martindale: At my softball game last night, I think I saw “The Observer” milling around the concession stand, and I was very concerned.

A. Torv: He was at a football game, wasn’t he, not so long ago.

D. Martindale: See, he’s everywhere.

A. Torv: Yes.

D. Martindale: Which do you enjoy more as an actor, and even as a viewer, when you get to an episode in which “Olivia” gets lots of action, fighting, gunplay and so on, or when the crazy science elements of the show take center stage?

A. Torv: I love it when I’m in motion. I love doing sort of the rough and tumble, running and gunning. I know that when we’re in the Lab, I just get to be the question machine. I get to watch the boys sort of have fun at “The Walter and Peter Show,” so that’s, I don’t know, both for different reasons. I don’t know which would be my favorite.

D. Martindale: Cool. Do you like doing scenes with the cow?

A. Torv: Yes. I don’t get to do that many scenes with Gene, unfortunately. Usually it’s “Walter” of milking her or “Peter” getting him in trouble for having her in the Lab.

D. Martindale: Is it just hysterical when this cow is on the set?

A. Torv: Usually when we have the cow on the set, we also have a whole lot of other animals because we’re in some laboratory, so there’s always the wranglers that bring her on, you know, sometimes … we’ll have monkeys or little hairless rats, so it just becomes a menagerie.

D. Martindale: Wow, that’s funny. Thank you so much. I’m going to come back with more questions.

A. Torv: Okay.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Anna Ben Yehuda with US Weekly.

A. Yehuda: Hello, Anna. How are you?

A. Torv: I’m well, thank you. How are you?

A. Yehuda: Good, thank you. I was wondering how is it that your husband is not on the show anymore? Did he distract you while he was on the show or boost your performance?

A. Torv: All the scenes that we had together were kind of like odd anyway. We were always in dreamscape, so we were always sort of, you know … not quite sure what reality we were in, so I don’t really feel like we actually got a chance to really feel opposite each other. I was always saying, “You’re a ghost,” and he was always saying, “No, I’m not.”

A. Yehuda: Are you happy that he’s not on the show anymore, or would you rather him stay?

A. Torv: I don’t know. I don’t know really. I don’t know. I guess we’ll see what they decide to do.

A. Yehuda: Thank you.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Shane Singh with TV Guide Magazine.

S. Singh: I have two questions for you. The first one is now that Fringe is being broadcast in Australia, and I know that you kind of bounce back and forth between New York and your homeland, how is the reaction there?

A. Torv: Well, it was sort of on for a little while, and then it went off, and I actually didn’t know that it had gone on again, but I haven’t been back since we started shooting the show, so I don’t know. I know that my mom is thrilled.

S. Singh: And what are some of your favorite characteristics about the character of “Olivia”? What about her do you really kind of like to explore?

A. Torv: I’m trying to think … that she just kind of … her sense of duty. I like that I play a character where I kind of go to work and I sort of put her armor on, her dark suits and her badge and her gun, and I like that … God, I don’t know what my favorite bits are. I don’t know, I guess her sense of duty, her absolute ability to honor her word, and I’m not sure.

S. Singh: Thank you.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Stacey Harrison with Tribune Media Services.

S. Harrison: Thanks for talking to us today. I was wondering. The show, from a viewer’s perspective, it’s been interrupted a few times, and it can be kind of hard to catch up, but what has it been like production-wise? Have you had stops and starts, or have you been constantly filming?

A. Torv: No, we’ve been constantly filming. We shot the pilot in Toronto at the beginning of last year, and then we had like a month where we waited to see if it was going to be picked up, and then when it was, we’ve shot, with the exception of like a ten-day break over Christmas, we’ve been shooting nonstop. Yes.

S. Harrison: One of the things about the “Harris” character, you know, when he was first brought in, it was sort of mentioned that they had a history together, he and “Olivia.” It hasn’t been brought up much since then. Is that something we’re going to see in future episodes explored?

A. Torv: Yes.

S. Harrison: Yes.

A. Torv: And we just, we actually just shot an episode. We actually just finished shooting an episode last week where we do go a little bit into the “Harris” character, and we find out what side, you know, he’s on and what his motivations really are.

S. Harrison: Thank you.

A. Torv: He falls back, yes. I love Michael Gaston [actor who plays “Agent Sanford Harris”].

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Joshua Maloni with Niagara Frontier.

J. Maloni: Anna, thanks for your time today. I really enjoy the show. I’m wondering. I know you can’t say a lot about plot points, but looking at the final scripts and filming the final episodes of the season, what sort of is your reaction? Are you surprised? Are you excited? Can you tell us a little bit about sort of, you know, your feelings reading those final scripts?

A. Torv: Yes, I’m really excited, and things kind of like, I think because we’re gearing up for the end of the season, we sort of started to, I guess, things sort of started to get a little bit more cemented. We shot an episode a little while ago, one of the last ones directed by Akiva Goldsman [Oscar-winning screenwriter of “A Beautiful Mind” who wrote and directed the episode “Bad Dreams,” airing Tuesday, April 21 at 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT], and I think that kind of pushes it into a different direction but not into a different world. It sort of pushes us a little bit deeper into some of the things that we’ve been touching on, and we’re shooting the season finale at the moment, and I’m really excited. I’m excited at the prospect of where the show could go. If we’re lucky enough to shoot a second season, I think it’s going to be really great.

J. Maloni: I want to follow-up on what one of my colleagues asked you a minute ago. In terms of the long pauses between the episodes, I know that personally, as a fan, that I’m going to have to go back and sort of reference the last episode before we go into next week’s episode a little bit, but do you think it sort of has stunted the show’s momentum, or do you think maybe it’s alienated fans at all having these long breaks?

A. Torv: I don’t know. I hope not. I really, really hope not. I don’t know. I think we’re kind of lucky in that if you are following it, there are things to follow, but if you are just dropping in, I still think that you’re going to be able to get your head around it. You’ll be able to grasp where we’re at. I don’t know. That’s the sort of decisions that are, you know, way above me. And I’ve been on a couple of different shows that have had really big breaks and then come back, and it hasn’t affected it at all, and some that it has. So I’m really hopeful that people, you know, tune back in and go on the journey with us.

J. Maloni: Me too. All right. Great. Thanks, Anna.

Moderator: Our next question is from the line of Ian Spelling with scifi.com.

I. Spelling: Other than meeting your husband on this thing, how different has the experience, the Fringe experience been versus whatever expectations you had heading into it?

A. Torv: Gosh, I don’t know. It’s been … I hadn’t done anything quite so ambitious and so plot-driven before, and when I say that, I mean the stories and the cases that you’re covering. It’s not what I expected at all. It far exceeded my expectations.

I. Spelling: [Co-creator/executive producer Alex] Kurtzman and [co-creator/executive producer Roberto] Orci have said that they’re gearing up at some point to get “Olivia” and “Peter” together. How eager are you to see that happen?

A. Torv: A couple of episodes ago, he was chatting up my sister, so I don’t know how they’re going to resolve that [ laughs], but I certainly hope they wait until that’s sort of sorted out. [Laughs.]

I. Spelling: Is it something you’re eager to play? Is that something that you’re interested as an actor in playing?

A. Torv: I think that I don’t know. I think it’s always – I hope that they sort of stretch it out for as long as possible. I think that’s what makes it kind of fun when it’s like, “Oh, are they or aren’t they? What’s going on?” I think there needs to be a few more close calls before they, you know, start heading down that track, because then you’ve got to break up and get back together again and the whole bit, right? [Laughs.]

I. Spelling: Good deal. Thank you.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Adam Morgan with Fringe Television.

A. Morgan: Anna, what’s been your favorite scene to shoot so far and why?

A. Torv: What’s been my favorite thing to shoot so far? See, I never know what I can say and what I can’t say…. But I shot a scene … you’d think it would be some big, explosive kind of thing, but we shot a scene recently that was just in “Walter” and “Peter’s” hotel room, and in it “Olivia” has just discovered some things about her past and some things that “Walter” is connected to, and I loved shooting that because it was the first time that I felt like “Olivia” really inched her way into that dynamic of “Peter” and “Walter.” She’s been kind of on the outside, and they’ve got their things to deal with, and she’s kind of wrangling them constantly. But this sort of like gave me just a little of glimpse into what could be like having everything, realizing everything is a little bit entwined. Therefore, there becomes a little bit, just that little bit more conflict, like really emotional conflict between them, and I think that’s fun, particularly because these are the three, your central three. I actually loved shooting that, but I can’t say anything more because I’ll get into trouble or something [laughs].

A. Morgan: Have you enjoyed shooting in New York, and what are your thoughts on the potential move to Canada?

A. Torv: I have loved shooting in New York, and it’s the same way that we felt after we had an amazing crew in Toronto that broke their backs making the pilot. I don’t know. It’ll be really sad to say good-bye to all these guys who have put in all of their blood and sweat for this season.

A. Morgan: Thanks a lot, Anna. I appreciate it.

A. Torv: Thank you.

Moderator: The next question is from the line of Sean Daly with TV Talk.

S. Daly: Hello, Anna. How are you?

A. Torv: I’m good. How are you doing, Sean?

S. Daly: We love the show. I mean, these breaks for my listeners have been a nightmare, but anyway, welcome back. The scenes between “Olivia” and “Nina,” those have been great and intense. Are we going to see more of that relationship between the two of you?

A. Torv: I really hope so. I love Blair [Brown who plays “Nina Sharp”] and I love the character “Nina,” too. There’s, yes, a little bit more. We actually had Blair in the FBI for an entire day, which was such a treat because usually we just shoot these scenes on top of these buildings, you know. She does all her stuff in one day and then we say good-bye, but she was hanging about a bit, and she’s a joy to have on set. But, yes, things sort of start to – things are starting to fray, and “Nina’s” got a lot of answers.

S. Daly: Also, any thoughts on the first season? We’re rolling towards the season finale. Any thoughts looking back? How was the first season for you, and what are you looking forward to in the second season?

A. Torv: I’m looking forward to – I’m really excited to come back with a little bit of perspective. You know, you’re working, and so you’re so in it, and your brain – you know, we’re doing ADR for one episode, we’re doing B Unit work for another, and starting up A Unit on another, so you constantly have your head over these four things. And it sometimes doesn’t feel like anything ever gets finished or all completed. I’m excited to sort of take a step back actually and look at what we’ve done and sort of plot out where everybody is now at the end of it.

S. Daly: Good. Any thoughts about who should play “William Bell”?

A. Torv: I don’t know. I don’t know. We keep putting names in the hat. I don’t know. I’m excited to see what way they end up going with that because he could kind of be – I just don’t know what way they’re going to go. I’m really, really, really excited … I hope we really do get to really meet him.

S. Daly: It’s a great show. Again, welcome back. Thank you.

A. Torv: Thank you.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Steve Eramo with TV Zone Magazine.

S. Eramo: Thanks for taking the time to do this today. I wanted to find out, first off, what were some of the initial challenges, acting-wise, you found stepping into this role? And how have you seen “Olivia” further grow and develop, as you’ve gone on in the series?

A. Torv: I’m still – I still – there’s an art to it that I haven’t mastered yet of following the trails, you know, and yet still maintaining a sense of character, but yet having a focus so totally on: we need to find this, we need to find that. I haven’t done anything with such momentum before. That’s been challenging. Also, you are constantly dealing with different events and different happenings each week, keeping that in your head and knowing where you’ve been and where you’re going, that’s been kind of tough.

I think, now we’re getting to the end, I think that it’s taken “Olivia” a little bit of time to find her place in the world too. I think that she’s lived – I think she had lived a life that was very systematic, this is where we go from A to B to A to B, and everything was kind of neat and ordered and organized, and she knew who she was and where she was. And I think that’s actually where you met her in the very, very first couple of scenes in the very, very first episode. I think it took her a while to kind of get herself back together. And I think, by the end of this season, that she’s definitely a different person, and I think that her objectives are different. I don’t know. That wasn’t really very concise, was it?

S. Eramo: No, I understood exactly what you were saying. In addition to your work on Fringe, I’m thoroughly enjoying your performance in Mistresses. If you don’t mind, I just wanted to ask, as far as that character is concerned, what may be not only with some of the challenges playing that role, but what maybe did you enjoy most about playing her?

A. Torv: About “Alex”?

S. Eramo: Yes.

A. Torv: I’m trying to think. That feels like a while ago. I have to think back. I don’t know. I loved “Alex.” She was just so hard in the beginning.

S. Eramo: Yes.

A. Torv: I loved that. I loved the beginning of that. I loved that she was just so self-righteous, so harsh, like “I don’t want you” and then inevitably ending up having her heart kind of broken.

S. Eramo: Right.

A. Torv: Also, that was a nice little journey. It was like a nice little “gimme,” a six-episode arc, and you knew where she was going, so you could plot that out. You could be as harsh as you wanted knowing that you were going to get softened up in the end.

S. Eramo: Listen, again….

A. Torv: I thought that was a beautiful series. I mean, Shelley Conn and Sarah Parish, and Sharon Small, all those women, it was pretty much an honor to be cast, to tell you the truth.

S. Eramo: Well, again, I thought you did a great job in the series, I really did. Listen, continued good luck and success with Fringe.

A. Torv: Thanks so much.

S. Eramo: Bye-bye.

A. Torv: Bye.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Wendy Despain with Fox Fix.

W. Despain: Thanks for taking my question. One of the things that I love about watching the show is all the great computer generated effects. What’s it like as an actor to be working with all these things that will be put in later?

A. Torv: It’s kind of like a half done for real, and half done later. We have amazing special effects guys that do a lot of the practically [meaning with props, make-up, prosthetics, etc.] so you’ll be looking at these bodies or these guts coming out and a lot of it is actually done with prosthetics and actually looks incredible on set. And then they go and add to it and make it really, really special at the end [by adding visual effects in post-production], so you’re always kind of a bit “wow.” Yes, so actually, there’s not that much that you don’t have any visual stimulus at all for, but a lot of it is a real team effort.

W. Despain: Well, I have to admit that some of them, I just get really grossed out. Is it something that you have to deal with on the set that, like, “Wow, that was shocking?”

A. Torv: Yes. Yes, some of it is awful. We have an episode coming up. I can’t remember which, I’m not sure how many weeks in, but coming up. It hasn’t aired yet, where there’s a crash, and we end up with these bodies in the Lab. And we find these things in these bodies, and when you see that episode, they were really, I mean those bodies were revolting. I don’t know how the guys actually ended up … actually one of the funniest things [laughs], this isn’t gross, but regardless of what show we’ll be working on. I walk into the Lab to do a scene, and we’ve got these three bodies lying in these body bags that we eventually open, so there are actors in there. I walk in, and there’s these three young kids lying in these body bags. One is lying with just a head and hands out reading a book, totally out of place. [Laughs.] The other has got an iPod in and blood splattered all over his apron. You’re like, “What is this show?” [Laughs.]

W. Despain: Thank you for taking my questions.

Moderator: The next question is from the line of Meredith Woerner with IO9.

M. Woerner: Thanks so much for doing this. I don’t know if this has been mentioned before because I was a little late coming in, but I’m curious if you talked about, there’s been hints of you possibly having like clapper superpowers. Will you be investigating yourself? Are there any more things that were done to “Olivia” that we don’t know about?

A. Torv: We do start to find out what was done to her when she was little, and we also start to figure out what – I think that the episode where she turns the light box off, that's been shown, isn’t it? “The Ability” [episode] when you find out that she maybe has some special ability” And you start to delve, we do get to delve a little bit into that, to work out why she has that ability or superpower or if it’s something that’s been done to her. Yes, we start to. I’m terrible at these plot questions because I never know how much to give away or not, so it sounds like I’m being really shifty, but I’m not. I’m just trying to compute what’s illegal. No, not illegal, but what’s OK to say.

M. Woerner: I totally understand. Also, sometimes it seems like there’s a pushback at the FBI office against “Olivia,” but yet at Massive Dynamic [the powerful company run by “William Bell” and “Nina Sharp”], it’s such a more embracing place for her, especially with the female CEO [“Nina Sharp”]. Is “Olivia” struggling with gender politics at all?

A. Torv: I don’t know, and they never make any kind of issue about it, which I’ve been constantly really impressed and happy about it, to tell you the truth. The most that she’ll ever say is, “Yes, I’m sorry I wear my emotions on my sleeve sometimes.” But she never says, “Is this because I’m a woman?” or ever anything like that. I like that that’s not an issue, actually.

M. Woerner: Me too. I do too, and I look forward to seeing more of your possible superpowers. Thank you.

A. Torv: Yes. It’s possible.

Moderator: The next question comes from the line of Ramsey Isler with IGN.

R. Isler: Hello, Anna. How are you today?

A. Torv: I’m very good. Thank you.

R. Isler: I was wondering if we’re going to see a follow-up story on “Olivia’s” stepfather.

A. Torv: I’m sorry. You kind of cracked up a little bit when you were asking that. Could you ask again?

R. Isler: Are we going to see a follow-up story on “Olivia’s” stepfather?

A. Torv: Not yet, no.

R. Isler: I guess my next question is, what was your favorite episode so far?

A. Torv: My favorite episode?

R. Isler: Yes.

A. Torv: I really loved filming “Bound” when she gets kidnapped, and then she wakes up, and they’re giving her a spinal tap, and she wakes up and breaks out. That was just so fun because it was so clear and concise, and it was just on the move, on the go. She gets out. Then “Harris” arrives. Then she was trying to find vials that she’d hid away. It was just bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. I found it really easy to follow, and it was kind of energetic, and I really loved filming that.

R. Isler: Thank you very much.

Moderator: The next question comes from the line of Troy Rogers with the DeadBolt.com.

T. Rogers: Hello, Anna. How are you?

A. Torv: Good, thanks. How are you?

T. Rogers: I’m great. With the press release for this episode, it says there’s a resurfacing serial killer. I’m just wondering. Can you tell us anything about how he displays at least one of the bodies, because it’s publicly, right?

A. Torv: Because it’s what did you say?

T. Rogers: He does it publicly, doesn’t he?

A. Torv: Yes. He calls himself “The Artist” and he sends invitations to his artwork, which are always displayed in public places, kind of really creepy.

T. Rogers: Yes, it sounds interesting.

A. Torv: Yes.

T. Rogers: You also mentioned that you liked the running and gunning aspects of the thing. What parts of the science do you like?

A. Torv: I love the stuff that delves into moral and ethical dilemmas, like what people’s boundaries are, what’s appropriate and what’s not. How far do you go in order to find an answer. And particularly with the “Peter,” “Walter” and “Olivia” dynamic, it’s always changing. Each week, one will be a little bit more gun-ho about wanting to get to the bottom of it no matter what it takes. That's probably the bit that I like the most, actually.

T. Rogers: Now also is there anything about “Olivia” you don’t like or would like to see evolve over time?

A. Torv: I would love … and I don’t know where they’re going, so this is purely conjecture … I love – and actually that ties in with your other question with the science stuff – I love it when it really is fringy science. One of my favorite little bits was really, really early on where “Peter” and “Olivia” are going, and they find this girl strapped to a gurney, and “Olivia” runs off. “Peter” is on the phone to “Walter,” and he’s getting phonebooks and speakers trying to pump this girl’s heart back up, and using kind of what’s around. And, I like “Olivia” when she becomes a little renegade, when it’s kind of not by the book, and she goes, “I’m going to do it this way.” I like it when she gets a little not quite as straight-laced as she is most of the time.

T. Rogers: Just one more quick thing, a little off topic. I wanted to know what was it like shooting The Pacific with Spielberg and Hanks?

A. Torv: I only had a little tiny part in that, and I had been in the U.K., and I went back to Australia to do it, so it was lovely. We shot it in Melbourne, but I didn’t get to – I think the guys, all the boys had just an absolute ball because they all got to go and do boot camps and they were out and about. But I did all of my stuff on a sound stage.

T. Rogers: That’s going to be fun. I can’t wait to see that.

A. Torv: Yes.

T. Rogers: Thanks a lot.

Moderator: Our next question comes from the line of Daniel Fienberg with HitFix.com.

D. Fienberg: Thanks for doing this call. Going back to what you were talking about earlier about sort of the long duration and hoping people come back. Without spoiling anything, what you use as a pitch to bring people back into the show?

A. Torv: Well, I think, particularly if you have been watching it, we really do start to pull ideas from previous episodes and things start to come together, and not necessarily the way that you would expect them to. You definitely feel the momentum of the show coming to a climax, and if you’ve been watching, you’ll like it. And I think it only gets better.

D. Fienberg: How about if you haven’t been watching, what would you say to bring someone in who just has been skipping it so far, but can they still get in now?

A. Torv: Yes, absolutely. Now is your chance, right? Well, it’s still sticking very much to the original plan for the show. I know that J.J. [Abrams, co-creator/executive producer] has been saying this for ages. This is absolutely a show that you can just start watching. You’re going to catch up. Like, the first episode back, you’ll catch up. You’ll understand who everybody is. Usually there are a couple of different layers, there’s the overarching mythology and little ongoing bits and pieces that come in. But then there’s also a story that’s just for that particular episode, so I don’t think it’s something that you have to watch all the time. If you’re just tuning in, or if you’re a previous viewer, I think you’ll enjoy it. That’s a terrible pitch [laughs].

D. Fienberg: You gave it a shot. Thanks a lot.

Moderator: The next question comes from the line of Brian Gallagher with MovieWeb.com.

B. Gallagher: I was just curious if there are any new guest stars we’re going to be able to see in these last few episodes, and also, do you guys have any plans for Comic Con this year?

A. Torv: We just did a Comic Con not so long ago in New York, which was great fun, and I’m not sure when the other one, when the next one is. But hopefully, if we’re still on the air and we’re invited. And recurring characters that pop up, well, “Harris” [played by Michael Gaston] comes back. I love “Harris.” I think he’s a really cool character, and we find out a little bit more about him, and also “David Robert Jones” [played by Jared Harris] kicks back in, who is the scientist that we met in the German prison who escaped. We see a little bit more of him.

I’m trying to think who’s recurring that has already appeared. That’s all I can think of.

B. Gallagher: Also guest stars that might be notable?

A. Torv: Who have we had come in? I can’t think. I’m so sorry.

B. Gallagher: No worries. Thanks a lot.

A. Torv: Sure.

Moderator: Alyse Wax of Fearnet.com, your line is open.

A. Wax: Lost has seemed to kind of gotten lost in itself. Is Fringe going to get so caught up in itself that you kind of feel like you’re lost in a web, or is the whole storyline plotted out?

A. Torv: I don’t know how much of the storyline is plotted out, but I know, and I’ve said that before, and I say that because I know that the guys creating this show are adamant about it not getting totally convoluted and have been from the start. I think that was part of the game plan in the beginning is that we would manage. And I think that we are managing really well to kind of straddle that procedural and serialized drama so that if you miss an episode, you’re not going to be lost.

A. Wax: Great. Thank you.

Ars Technica: Mad Science and Secret Codes in Fringe

Ars Technica has an in-depth article explaining the various clues, puzzles, and Fringe Easter Eggs that are hidden throughout Fringe. Of course, FringeTelevision.com is mentioned as the comprehensive place to follow all the clues in the show.

Erica Sadun's article mentions The Observer appearances, Next Episode clues, and also takes a crack at decyphering the mysterious Fringe symbols or "glyphs", but it looks like this Fringe puzzle may be the Kryptos of Fringe clues.

If you'd like to take a whack at it yourself, Fringepedia has a compilation of all the glyphs shown during the commercial breaks.

What Would You Ask: Walter Bishop

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll get the chance to chat one-on-one with John Noble, who plays Fringe's most iconic character, Walter Bishop. Submit your questions in the comments, and I'll try to include as many as I can!

What Would You Ask: Olivia Dunham

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll get a chance to ask the talented (and beautiful) Anna Torv a few questions about Fringe, thanks to the generous folks at FOX.

Sound off below, and I'll try to squeeze your good questions in!

Fringe Moves Down Under

It turns out Fringe won't be moving to Canada after all. But it's not staying in New York, either.

Our inside source confirmed this morning that Fringe will move production to Melbourne, Australia next season, in the homeland of stars Anna Torv and John Noble (Olivia and Walter). Fellow Aussies Nicole Kidman and Paul Hogan will join the cast as Olivia's mother and William Bell, respectively.

As a result of the time change (Melbourne being across the International Date Line), Fringe will air Tuesday mornings at 6:00 AM EST in the United States.

Writer/Producer JR Orci could not be reached for confirmation, as he's currently putting another shrimp on the barbie, but he did say that beginning with next week's episode, Gene will be killed and resurrected every week, in the spirit of South Park's Kenny.

Fringe's Kurtzman And Orci in L.A. Times

The LA Times has a nice story about Fringe co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and their history of working together, likening themselves to Kirk and Spock - two opposites who work well together.

Fringe is only mentioned in passing, but in the Fringe Spoilers section, Roberto Orci answers some very direct questions about what's coming up on Fringe.

Joshua Jackson On The Fringe Set

Popsugar and TenGossip.com have some behind-the-scenes photos of Fringe heartthrob Joshua Jackson.

Exclusive: Mitchell Loeb Interview

Last week, the man behind the icy eyes of Mitchell Loeb, Chance Kelly, was kind enough to chat with me about his role and experience on Fringe. For a look at his work, check out ChanceKelly.com. Don't let Loeb's countenance fool you: Chance is a wonderfully nice, down-to-earth guy.

Adam Morgan: As an actor, what are the challenges in playing a morally ambiguous character like Mitchell Loeb?

Chance Kelly: Thank you for coming up with a niche category for Mitchell Loeb. I like that: “morally ambiguous.” I am happy to hear you describe him this way, because many people come up to me and simply say, “Oh, you’re a bad guy on that show.” The funny thing is, kidnapping, attempted murder and two (or three) other successful murders notwithstanding, Loeb is actually a fiercely patriotic and committed soldier in a very complex and multi-tiered predicament. What viewers should keep in mind is that behind every decision he makes, no matter how harsh it may seem (ie: “honey, you have to kill her”; knocking off that broad with the formula, or knocking off one of his teammates, etc.) there is a motivating factor stronger, bigger, and more compelling than anything we are seeing on screen. That is one of the keys to the success of this program. Follow the Pattern. All roads lead there. I would say the only major challenge is fixing in on the specific factor that motivates those specific decisions.

Adam Morgan: You do a great job making viewers empathize with your character (like your reaction to Loeb's wife's death), despite being portrayed as a villain. How do you strike that balance?

Chance Kelly: Again, I understand that on the surface, Loeb appears quite villainous, but trust me, he’s a good guy. Trust me. In war there are no winners, only soldiers. And in life, aren’t we all somewhat morally ambiguous? Regardless of what we may want others to believe?

Click here to read more...

Adam Morgan: Did the writers give you a lot of backstory, or did you come up with a history for Loeb yourself?

Chance Kelly: The writers, I believe, give plenty if one pays close attention (and I would venture to guess that you do, Adam). I feel they have given me multitudes toward who Loeb is.

Adam Morgan: What was your favorite scene to shoot? Which was the most challenging?

Chance Kelly: Though there were many, let me share a few:

• Lying on my back in a coma while John Noble talks about his whacky food cravings, intermittently petting his son with backhanded doses of affection. There’s something about that guy’s voice, his demeanor, his entire persona that I just love. He’s like that uncle that would take you to the movies your parents were on the fence about. He’s so damn cool and one of the best damn actors I’ve ever been around. I love that dude. He’s my hero.
  
• Talking to Lance Reddick in his office before going into a convulsive seizure (due to a bio-engineered alien parasite strangling my heart). Again, though I never worked with Lance, we know some of the same people and it was as if we’ve known each other a long time. That went for Chance as well as Loeb. Just some connection that, kudos to the casting pros on this show, manages to pair individuals with fabulous chemistry.
  
• Talking to Anna in my trademark prison orange: this chick is great. She is a pleasure to work with and is as humble as the day is long. Though Olivia is dynamic and at times near-superhuman, Anna also brings this humble vulnerability to Olivia which is much of what makes her character so compelling. Also, she told me while we were shooting that scene that she married John Scott. MAZELTOV! I just thought that was one of the greatest things I had heard in a long time. Though I don’t know Mark, and I only know Anna a little, I was so very happy for them and it just seems like such a great thing for something so real to come out of something so fantastical…or something like that (plus, I just feel a euphoric level of liberation getting back into my prison orange).

Adam Morgan: What's your experience been like with the cast? Any good stories from the set?

Chance Kelly: On that first episode I did [In Which We Meet Mr. Jones] (ie: The Boy In the Plastic Bubble), Anna and Josh were wheeling my comatose body in on the stretcher in the bubble and she was squeezing this breathing pump thing that was fixed in my mouth and every time she squeezed it, my mouth would puff up, and I’m pretty sure she didn’t realize that her squeezing it was actually doing anything. I think it was just one of those things we do while acting, trying to stay in the moment.

Anyway, in between takes I picked my head up, and having been laying there pretending to have been in a coma for the better part of two hours, my voice didn’t work so well. Plus, I was the boy in the plastic bubble so it was hard to be heard and to effectively communicate with the outside world (now I know how that poor boy so deftly portrayed by Travolta, must have felt). In the rush to set up for another take, I said it once unheard, and tried it again, again unheard, and then a third time, and this time it came out as a thunderous growl to this polite Australian girl who only now heard this large, gruff, double-agent with a bio-engineered parasite clutching his heart howl: “DON’T SQUEEZE THAT THING ANYMORE…IT’S BLOWING AIR DOWN MY THROAT!”

I’m not sure who was more mortified. Anna, for having unknowingly been doing anything that might have been bothering anyone, or me, who never meant to growl at that nice girl. It’s just hard to effectively communicate from inside a plastic bubble!

Pre-production for that episode also brings back funny memories. I told my wife (my real wife), "Yeah, I got this job on this new show." That’s about all she knew about it until she answered the phone one day and started receiving instructions about the preparations required for her husband’s portrayal of a man with something horrible happening within his chest cavity (the caller being very Fringe-esque by not getting any more specific than that).

One of the requirements of these preparations involved my reporting to this dude’s basement, somewhere in Jersey, on a Saturday morning to lay on a floor and have a couple of dudes pour goo all over my naked chest and form some kind of body cast. My wife: “What the hell kind of show is this!!!” Hey baby, work is work, you know? Anyway, the dude’s last name was Kelly, and you know, us Kelly's Semper Fi always roll strong in solidarity, so I figured what the hell. He promised me I could be done in time to get back to coach my son’s football game. So, I show up out there in Jersey somewhere, and if the dude wasn’t named Kelly, I would have thought I was in some re-creation of that Silence of the Lambs scene where...well, you know the scene.

Anyway, Steve Kelly and I soon realized we were kindreds-not-too-far-removed, so I trusted him to pour whatever goo all over my chest that he thought appropriate and necessary in the name of creating ground-breaking television; besides, he told me I didn’t have to shave my chest…not that I wouldn’t have shaved my chest, I mean, listen, Chance Kelly has always been a team-player and I’ve done it once or twice before, but frankly, I’m just not really a part of that sub-division that shaves chests and waxes and gets manicures (well, only if absolutely necessary). I am not really of the metro-sexual ilk, but more of a retro-sexual….a guy who probably should have been born in my grandfather’s generation (or somewhere between that and the Civil War), who feels more comfortable around a barbeque than a boutique.

So Kelly and the other dude spread the goo all over me, all the while we are discussing the lubricating prowess of the petroleum jelly that they had generously applied to my chest hairs in advance of the goo that was now hardening all over my chest and all the hair on it. I trusted Kelly with my chest, my chest hair, and pretty much would have trusted him with my life, until...

The first sign of trouble was seeing his reaction to my reaction when he first tried to remove the hardened plastic cast from my chest. Man, that hurt. Pulling out chest hair always hurts more than you think it’s gonna. Anyway, his wince from my wince caused more of a deep and prolonged concern from somewhere deep within my chest cavity (hey, maybe these preparations really had a higher meaning) that I was the dude connected to all that chest hair that this now-hardened plastic cast was so intent on ripping out of my very pale skin. But the truth is, we laughed the whole way through it and, take it from a man who knows, there is no stronger bond between two (heterosexual) men than meeting in a crisis involving the threat of having one’s chest hair violently removed from one’s body and summarily being rescued therein by the versatile improvisation of a tactful, resourceful special effects dude and a precisely navigated pair of tape cutters.

Adam Morgan: What's it like watching one of your episodes when it airs? Do you watch with your family and/or friends?

Chance Kelly: My wife and I love the show. We will always watch (and always is forever).

Adam Morgan: How was working on Fringe different from Generation Kill or Law and Order?

Chance Kelly: I'd never done sci-fi before. Not to pidgeon-hole it, because that doesn’t necessarily do Fringe justice, but there is a strong sci-fi element to the show and that element is utilized in such a powerful and effective way that I think it is a legitimate way of categorizing the show, along with calling it a great drama, a great mystery, a love story, an international thriller, and funny as hell, etc. The experience has been unlike anything else that I’ve worked on. The linear quality to most productions is simply absent from Fringe, and of course, this is ultimately a good thing…you never know what exactly is going to come next on this show: as a viewer, as an actor, as part of the production team. It’s a little unsettling at first, but isn’t it interesting how life imitates art around this show? My experience with the production is something akin to what I would imagine Loeb’s dealings with Massive Dynamic might be. An austerity that repels some is a relentless gravitational force to others.

Adam Morgan: You've become a fan favorite. Will we see Mitchell Loeb in any of these last six eps of the season? Would you want to be a part of the show if and when it returns for a second season?

Chance Kelly: I would love to continue with the show in the exact capacity in which Loeb figures back into the Pattern...which he does quite significantly.

Adam Morgan: What was it like working with M. Night Shyamalan on Unbreakable? How many takes did you shoot for that great one-shot fight with Bruce Willis? This is one of my favorite movies!

Chance Kelly: Working with Night was great. He is a super nice young guy. It was a great opportunity to die at the hands of Bruce Willis, who is another infinitely nice and infinitely young guy (six takes). I look forward to dying at the hands of both Bruce and Night many times more in the future.

Adam Morgan: Tell us about the project you're writing, The Soul of a Man. What makes you passionate about it? How've you found the challenge of writing different from acting?

Chance Kelly: As you can probably tell from these ridiculous responses, I am very much a frustrated writer. Yes, I am passionate about my project, The Soul of a Man. It was hatched many years back from my dreamlike concept of It’s a Wonderful Life meets The Sixth Sense meets Jacob’s Ladder meets Cool Hand Luke meets To Kill A Mockingbird.

Now, this concept was first born and summarily morphed into several incarnations as a feature-length screenplay. However, after working with it and developing it, I came to realize (and be convinced) that it is much more fit for episodic television. I am passionate about it because the title is what it is about and what it comes from: The Soul of a Man. This is the soul of a father, a husband, a brother, a friend, a son, a stranger, a neighbor, a Christian, a member of society who tried to be upstanding, in spite of prevailing forces and challenges, the soul of a man. There is so much to be passionate about within this story. It is as much of Chance Kelly as I can give while remaining effectively fantastical and worthy of 48 minutes of programming each week.

Also, check out this funny NCAA commercial starring Chance Kelly.

Anna Torv in Allure

Anna Torv is featured in the April 2009 issue of Allure magazine, under the Beauty Reporter section as "Allure's Face". Anna talked to Hanna Morrill about her accent, Fringe gore, Joshua Jackson, and Cate Blanchett.

Click here to read the article text.

Allure's Face: Anna Torv

Anna Torv has played an unfaithful lesbian, a gifted equestrian, and, in the video game Heavenly Sword, a blade-wielding ninja. ("Sometimes you do things you're really proud of; sometimes you don't," she says.) Now at age 30, the Australian actress has landed a starring role - and a new husband, costar Mark Valley - on Fox's thriller Fringe. "I've always wondered if I could come to America, master the accent, and mix it up with the big boys," she says. Mission accomplished.

How is your accent?
I can't say the word "anything/" I can't hear what I do wrong. Everytime I say it, it's wrong. IN-ything. AHN-ything.

What's it like filming the gory parts of Fringe?
It's revolting. They use fake blood that's this gooey, syrupy makeup. The have different colors depending on whether it's from an organ or just a cut. The boys seem to like it, so they get thier hands dirty, and I just observe.

Did you know your costar, Joshua Jackson, was a heartthrob?
No, I didn't. But it didn't take long to get the picture. Everyone on the set calls him Pacey.

When will you kiss?
I'm sure we'll drag it out for at least a season.

Annoying question: Do you think you look like Cate Blanchett?
People have been saying that since she became, you know, Cate Blanchett. I've met her, an in person we look nothing alike.

Lance Reddick: How Much Does Broyles Know?

Fox's Fringe website has a new video titled "How Much Does Broyles Know?". Lance Reddick talks about his character Phillip Broyles, Massive Dynamic, Good and Evil, and his favorite Fringe episodes (In Which We Meet Mr. Jones and Bound).

Fringe Television One Year Old Today

We've come a long way since our first post, and there's a lot more in store. We're working on a new look, new features, and we'll be bringing you exclusive interviews with the Fringe cast and crew.

As the last six episodes of the season get closer, the excitement is building. The chances of Fringe getting a second season look good, so we look forward to celebrating birthday number two.

A big, big thanks to you, the fans, for making it worthwhile!

Fringe Interview: Joshua Jackson on Peter and Walter

E!'s Kristin Dos Santos has an exclusive interview with Joshua Jackson where he discusses Peter's daddy issues.


The E! Online article also has my Fringe Preview video for "Inner Child" (Hi Kristin!), which you can also find in the Fringe Spoilers section, along with some spoilery screenshots.