Bill Sadler’s Oct 29th AT&T WorldNet(R) Community Port
Thanks to kylaluvsroswell for posting this on the Roswell 2 board
William Sadler
Actor, Roswell
October 29, 2001MODERATOR: Welcome to the AT&T WorldNet(R) Community Port chat event. Tonight we’re speaking with William Sadler.
MODERATOR: This chat is Copyright (c) 2001 AT&T WorldNet(R); all rights reserved.
MODERATOR: Welcome to the AT&T WorldNet(R) Community Port chat event. William, we’re very excited to have you here today. How are you doing?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I’m doing very well. Thank you. I’m excited to be here too.
silver hand print: So how were you cast for this part?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I did a film called Disturbing Behavior with David Nutter, the summer before the Roswell pilot was to be cast and David directed the pilot for Roswell. He called me up and asked me if I would like to do the role. I told him I would if he “used me well.” I’ve never done a long-running TV series before. It’s always been movies.
Maloney: What is the difference between filming big screen as opposed to small screen projects? Which do you prefer?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: Very good question. The biggest difference between working on film and TV is the amount of time that you will get to spend on each scene. It takes 8 days to shoot 1 hour of Roswell. That’s all you have. The writers have to come up with 22 new episodes every season. So you’re always in a tremendous hurry to finish the episode on time. With a film we shoot an average of 2 pages a day. You’ll shoot a 105-minute movie in 8 weeks or so. The Shawshank Redemption took 11 weeks to film, plus 2 weeks of rehearsal. You can spend a lot more time and care on each moment, each scene, each choice you make when filming a movie. So, you just have to crank shooting TV!
maxsgrl: How do you feel about the move from the WB to UPN?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I was very pleased by that move. I felt that the WB never left us alone to do what we do well. We got memos constantly from that network about Katie’s hair, about this scene, about that camera angle. They were all over us. This wonderful show that we had created in the beginning got pushed and changed until we didn’t recognize it. They sort of fixed it until it broke. UPN seems so far to be happy to let us do the thing we do well. So, I like UPN very much.
pappatony: What affect has the move from WB to UPN had on the show?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: The food is better! And we all have better-looking hair this season! They have better hairstylists on the UPN.
mooncovered: What’s it like to work with a generally younger cast than yourself?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: They just look younger. We do a lot of plastic surgery out here! Seriously, it’s fun working with all these young people. They help me in and out of my trailer and sit and read to me sometimes in the evening. They’re very nice kids. I like them a lot. They may be young, but they’re getting very good at what they do, becoming seasoned pros. They are a lot of fun to play off. I don’t like to think of myself as the oldest member of the cast. I rather describe myself as the alpha male of the tribe. If we were gorillas, I would be the silverback!
LindaLucille: Bill, have you had any hints that the writers might be considering a way to put you back as sheriff, or is the singing going to be the way they are heading?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: Does that scare you? Do you have a problem with me singing every week?? Jim Valenti is going to pursue his singing career just a little while longer. Then I think he will get back into the world of crime and punishment and investigating criminals and so on. I don’t think he will ever be the sheriff again, but I don’t think he can stay away from that world. I’ve heard hints that he will get back into the law and order business and the band won’t pay the rent for very long. He’s a professional lawman first.
silver hand print: Can you explain the change in the direction of Valenti’s role in the show? I mean he went from Sheriff to a singer? I could understand if he became a PI or opened a security business or something.
SPEAKER_William Sadler: Mid-life crisis! I think the writers were looking for something completely different and fun for him. I think they wanted to see him do something outrageous, a little showier. I also sing and play in my life. I’ve been singing and playing for years. I believe that’s where they got the idea. Someone must have played them a tape of my songs. I was happy to see it happen. There are a couple of songs coming up on an episode that I wrote. There’s a song called T-SHIRT MAN on an upcoming episode that I wrote. I co-authored a Blues Song called ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN as well. I would still like to keep my band alive even if I become a PI or something. Now that I’ve discovered this side of myself, I’d hate to lose it.
maxsgrl: So far we haven’t seen Maria’s mom, this season. Is the show going to get you two together? I think that would be a great match! Kyle and Maria would be great as brother and sister, couldn’t you just see it?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: Nothing would make me happier than to see Diane Farr come back to the show! I love the flirting and fighting that went on between Jim Valenti and Amy Deluca. But Diane is starring in a show that films in NY right now, and we can’t have her. She’s a great actress. She’s so fun to work with, but she’s booked! I’m afraid if Jim’s going to have any romantic entanglements this season, they’ll have to be with other people – my apologies to the Jim & Amy folks.
maxsgrl: Are you anything like your character, in real life?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: Ha! I love these questions! I suppose so. Yes. In some ways I am. I think Jim Valenti is more serious-minded than Bill Sadler. Jim is the respectable parent person around Roswell – the serious police officer, father and authority figure. I tend to be a little less serious. I mean I used to do stand-up comedy when I was in high school.
NicciStar: Do you have any Kids? And are they fans of Roswell?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I have one daughter who is 15. She is a BIG fan of Roswell. Yes. Well, she’d have to be, wouldn’t she? Otherwise, we’d cut off the TV privileges!! The other night my wife and I were watching the episode where Jess Ramirez proposes to Isabel. They were together, then they weren’t, then they were together. My daughter was so tortured by the back and forth relationship and so happy when they got together. She just went ballistic over it.
MODERATOR: How does she register your role, being “Dad” and all?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I think my daughter is very cool with my role on the show by now. Ever since the day she was born she’s been around movie sets and television studios. We have a pretty normal father-daughter relationship. I think she’s proud of what I do, and likes that people know who I am. I don’t think it’s a big deal for her to see her father on TV anymore. Her whole life he’s been up there.
MorganFan: Do you feel the cast has good chemistry?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: Yes. Over the years it’s been fun to watch the chemistry develop between different actors on the show – between Nick and Katie, or Nick and myself, or Shiri and Jason. There’s a lot of electricity between these people. Most of it is good. There’s a lot of chemistry. I love to watch, for example, Katie and Adam (Isabel’s new boyfriend). I think they’re great together. They giggle as much off camera as they do on camera! So, yes there’s chemistry.
GinaMaria1981: Hey bill, my friend and I have been in Covina this summer and watched you shoot, and we would love to come again. So could you please tell us if you are shooting at the end of the year?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I don’t know what my shooting schedule is next week, much less at the end of the year! You’ll just have to keep an eye out for us. One or 2 days of every episode is filmed in Covina. We never do an episode that doesn’t go to Covina for something. I’ll be looking for you!
NicciStar: Hi William, I’m in Australia. We love you and Roswell down here. Will you be coming down soon, because we hear rumors that you are coming down for a Roswell Convention? I hope you are!
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I heard those rumors too. I’m just not sure whether I’ll be able to make it. I love to hear that our show is watched all over the world. It’s exciting to think that a performance of mine plays just as well on the other side of the planet! I did theatre for many, many years…including a year and 1/2 on Broadway, in Biloxi Blues with Matthew Broderick. We sold out every performance, 1200 seats a night….and more people saw last Tuesday night’s Roswell than that entire year and 1/2 on Broadway. There’s an awesome power in these little boxes in our houses.
AndieRose: I heard you will be directing a Roswell episode. Is this true?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: Yes. I will be directing episode #18. So, mark it on your calendars. Set your VCRs to record. I’m very excited about the idea of directing. I have a feeling I’ll be good at it since I’ve been in the business this long. I’ve seen it from the other side of the camera for many years. It’s fabulous to sit behind the camera and help “steer the boat.” So, I’m totally jazzed!!
crfulton: How would you describe your experiences with the Internet? I understand you’ve gone from being an absolute newbie to “cyber-guy”. :-)
SPEAKER_William Sadler: That’s me! I’m totally cyber-guy now. Really, I’m not sure I would call myself cyber-guy. I have a lot of fun with digital cameras and zooming around the Internet on my I Mac. Just don’t ask me how to explain how it works! I’m in no way an expert on these matters. Anyone under the age of 18 knows far more about this than I do.
Maloney: What are your personal beliefs on the existence of aliens?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I’m sure that life exists on other planets in this universe. That’s a certainty. I don’t believe they’ve come here yet. It’s been one of the fun things about playing Valenti. The idea that when he finds out they are aliens, they are indeed aliens. It changes his whole life. You can’t find that out and remain “normal” anymore. Picture yourself realizing that the person who lives next door came from 200 light years away. Your life would change from that moment forward. You’d have to try to get on with your life, but nothing’s the same.
MODERATOR: Well how long before we see Jesse experience this?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I don’t know the answer to that. I would assume he’ll find out eventually, but I don’t know when. It should be fun when it happens!
delta1975: What is your favorite episode so far, and which actor do you have the most fun with?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: My favorite episode so far was “We are Family,” I think. There was the Christmas episode last year too. While I have fun playing with all the other actors, Nick Wechsler is a special favorite. He’s an incredibly talented actor and one of the silliest men I’ve ever met in my life. He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. If the world ever gets to see that side of Nick Wechsler, we’ll all be working for him someday!
polyesterbride: What project(s) in your career are you most proud of?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: The one that stands out the most for me would be The Shawshank Redemption. It was a wonderful experience, all the way around. It’s such a great movie. It’ll be interesting to see how people respond to it 10-15 years down the road. Some movies seem to be forgotten quickly, and other you can watch over an over again and they’re always great. It’s beginning to look like Shawshank is one of those – and Roswell, of course!
MODERATOR: Well, we’re almost out of time for this chat event, William. Do you have any final comments you’d like to share with us?
SPEAKER_William Sadler: I would just like to thank the people who supported us throughout the first two years, and into this year. I love the fans for this show. The show should’ve died when the WB dropped us, but we didn’t because of our strong and VOCAL fan base! I hope we make lots more Roswell’s for you. I’m having fun doing it.