Brendan from Suosikki Magazine N:o 11/01

Thanks Postman for sending this in, and getting permission for Crashdown to repost.

For A Demand Of Readers: Brendan Fehr “I Work 70 Hours A Week”

Text: Stephanie Conwell/Celebritext (Suomen Kuvapalvelu), Translation: Heidi Lysmä, Pics: Lehtikuva

Roswell`s Brendan Fehr lives a dream. 23 years old guy lives alone in one of worlds interesting metropols, Los Angeles. Suosikki did make a dive to Brendan`s world of living. Here you are!

Is making of Roswell still as fun as earlier?

Brendan: Defenetly! Usually making a TV-role is just doing the same things all over again in your role but luckily it is different to us. This is the side of acting that I enjoy the most. I don`t like to do same things all over again. I like to do new things and find new sides from my character. Michael suprises me and I enjoy it. Of course all of we casts have a moments when everything is boring but you get over those moments just like you do at school, work or in everything what you do at your life. They pay good money from it too so you should not complain about anything because all of us have a really wonderful job.

Have you been satisfied to your character during the development of the serie?

Brendan: Mostly yes. Actually I like all others characters as well. One day I did watch pilot episode from a video and I noticed how lonely and dark kind Michael was then. First he did feel himself as a outsider but now he is a part of the group. It is really easy to notice the difference it is very suprising you got to watch it from the tape if you have a old episodes on video tapes. Of course Michael still is a rebel spirit, he got most fire in himself but he has little calmed down. Sometimes I miss that Michael when he was a outsider. At the moment Michael is in a crossroad with his old himself and current himself. He tries to get in balance with many kind of feelings and thoughts of him. Maybe I don`t even know what kind of Michael he will turn to be at the end. Maybe writers will give me more freedom to development my role or then they will do something else. I don`t know. This not knowing and try to make balance makes the role very interesting.

At first you weren`t happy about your Roswell- role?

Brendan: That time I lived at Vancouver and woman who did choose casts to X-Files and Millenium did have order from Fox to choose Roswell casts as well. She had supported me in many things earlier and she did recomed the Roswell role for me. My manager did joked about it saying that serie was about aliens at school. Then I did think that no way I am not going to be part in this. “What would be my chances to get a career if I turn to be a guy who is playing many years an alien that goes to school in nowhere? Then my career would never start” I did think then. I did get a script for a serie and an advice that I would not say no before I have readed it. It was worth of it and at the end I did really like it.

At first you should have been at role of Max but you ended up in a role of Michael what happened?

Brendan: That is true. Producer David Nutter was in a audition with Jason Katims. They asked me to do some parts of scenes of Max. Carly Pop (Popular) and I did act about a hour and half playing Max and Liz. Pieces did lock on mostly because that we were good friends and we did know each other feelings and other important things for making a scene. They did show a green light for us and we went to Los Angeles to next audition. After reading the script I was sure that role of Michael was best for me but producers of the serie wanted me to be Max. Nutter did call me at night after the auditions and he did listen to other as well. At the end he was in a middle of the situation. ans said to me that role for Max is firts for me but they have planned to give a role of Michael to me as well. I did a good job as Max but when Michael step on to me I did know that there is no turning back. I was twice as better as Michael and everyone sensed that.

Is that true that they selected you as firts in the serie? Did TV company have difficulties to find right cast for the serie?

Brendan: That is true. I did take two months after they did have many actor and actress to make they audution for different roles. I did afraid that whole thing is going to end in my hands because month till they suppose to start filming they haven`t found actor for Max and there were problems to select other cast to their roles as well. Then everything did happen fast and we did start filming on time.

Burn out is more than possible when you take a look at your filming schedule?

That`s right. Five days a week. That is nothing at all yet, but longness of every day can be 14 hours. Schedule is that way strange, but I can tell it to you: Monday 6.00 – 20.00, Tuesday 8.00 -22.00, Wednesday 10.00 – 24.00, Thursday 12.00 – 02.00 and Friday 14.00 – 04.00. On the other hand we have easier periods as well. For example when filming that you are part in it scheduled to be later you can come to place later. We have 70 hours of working in a week. You don`t party much at the weekends because there is lot of lack of sleep from a week and you have to practise your lines for a next week too.

What is a difference between Brendan and Michael ?

Brendan: Michael has a goal and he is ready to do what ever it takes to achieve it. When I have a goal I try also get to it with shortest way and fast too. I am more, more, more friendlier that Michael and more social than him. In that case Michael has development lately. He has been very lonely but in tha situatuion has also been fixed. On the other hand Michael likes to be alone if only he has some one who he can turn to at the end. I am little same kind as he. I like to be alone but in sometimes I miss good and safe company. Sometimes I can even go to party with myself but I have to know that I have friends and family whose company I can always return.

You did have to move from Winnipeg to Los Angeles. The change must be big one. How have you accustom to Los Angeles?

Brendan: Not a bad place but if I won`t be a actor would I live here? No! I would move back to Canada. I have many good friends at Los Angels and we have fun together. There is must to do at here. We have beaches and tempatury is enjoyable throught a year. I would have lot things to complain about Los Angeles but then I will have lot of complains about many other places I have lived as well. It is awesome to be 23 years old, live alone and sometimes go out the popularity is not a problem. of course everyone could move away from home and get a 9 – 17 job. but it this work you meet new people everyday and no day is the same. I don`t meet that work would be harder but differently it certainly is. I will enjoy my stay at here as long my best friends have energy to visit me here. It same to me even I would live at Timbuktu even when one on my best friends is with me.

How has Roswell increased number of your fans?

Brendan: People recognize me at the street, at the mall and in a night life… Before I was a actor I tried to recognize celebs in different places. Now it feels strange when you have switched a place and people recognize me. I haven`t got use to it that someone come to talk to me as I was Michael. You can`t like that guy so much. Television has a great power to people.

Rumor tells that you liked very much to be at school?

Brendan: There is nothing unusual about that. I know lot of people who have liked to be at school and miss those free and funny times. I did like my teachers and my school. I am still in touch with lot of my school timed friends. I a small time in Winnipeg there have been lot of changes. In a while ago I was a small boy and now a young man. Everything has happened so fast but luckily city still has a part for slow living rhyme. There I don`t have to argue or negotiate over things like at work: ” I don`t like about this line, Why do we have to do this, Why does not this sixth take would not qualify”. At holidays everything is different. silence takes over your soul but I don`t want to keep in to silence for too long. I am restless guy, I will get bored soon and then I go on with my friends.

You did managmet Winnipeg Blizzards- Icehockey team match?

Brendan: I was very nervous. I did have to sing a song before the game. It is a tradition before the game. I am a actor not a singer. Being with guest and managmet did not bother me but that singing thing did make me very nervous. My cheeks were red my hearth did beat strong and my voice did shiver. Everything did go well at the end but that was that kind of experience that I would not like to be soon again.

You have also visited Miami and Las Vegas. Did you like the places? Do you gamble?

Brendan: Miami and South Beach were too hot for me. I did not like Florida and I could not think to move there. I did visit Universal Studios and because my VIP- card I did get a really good tour at there. Las Vegas did not do any kind of effect on me either. You can spend a one weekend at there and that`s it. Seven Card Stud and Let It Ride are my gambling favorites. I still enjoy more playing somewhere else that Las Vegas.

Do you have a tattoo??

Brendan: I have spend three years thinked about one but I did not know to decide what kind of tattoo I would like to have or would I have any tattoos at all. Then I finded one that I could not say no.

Click on the links to see a larger version of it.

Brendan Fehr article – Part 1
Brendan Fehr article – Part 2
Brendan Fehr article – Part 3