La NBC se hace con la serie de "CONSTANTINE"

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- Nuevas imágenes promocionales (24-10-14):





- Constantine stars Matt Ryan, Harold Perrineau and Charles Halford on their shoot with TV Guide Magazine!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuDcEMWdFLc

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- Constantine 1.02 Promo "The Darkness Beneath" (HD):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GISUox9kmc



- Nuevas imágenes BTS (24-10-14):



(@mattryanreal: We are watching and working #Constantine @NBCConstantine
@TheLauraRegan: This guy. Not big on rules. Lighting up screens tonight as #Constantine @mattryanreal @NBCConstantine)


- Nuevas imágenes promocionales junto a los actores de Grimm:





Añadidos los enlaces y rátings del 1.01 "Non Est Asylum". Podéis encontrarlos AQUÍ

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- Constantine 1.02 Sneak Peek "Meet Zed Martin":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS9tpAcFDD0


- Constantine 1.02 "The Darkness Beneath" Sneak Peek 2:

http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/10/consta ... ss_29.html

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- Constantine 1.01 "To Hell and Back: Non Est Asylum" (Digital Exclusive) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1okpAwCSQM0

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- Descripción oficial del 1.04 "A Feast of Friends":

1.04 "A Feast of Friends" (14/11/14): UN DEMONIO CON APETITO ASESINO SE LIBERA EN ATLANTA - JONJO O'NEILL ESTRELLA INVITADA -- Cuando el viejo amigo de Constantine (Matt Ryan) Gary Lester (la estrella invitada Jonjo O'Neill) accidentalmente libera a un poderoso demonio en Atlanta, John se ve forzado a determinar exactamente a qué está preparado para sacrificar en su batalla con el inframundo. Harold Perrineau y Angélica Celaya también aparecen.


http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/KingPatel/news/?

- Nuevas BTS stills del 1.01 "Non Est Asylum":

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- Constantine "Fall in Love with Constantine" (Promo):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iLgmzbgets

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- Stills del 1.03 "The Devil's Vinyl":

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- Matt Ryan habla sobre el encuentro con Zed, perder su ropa y reunirse con la gente de Newcastle (TVLine):

Matt Ryan habla sobre el encuentro con Zed, perder su ropa y reunirse con la gente de Newcastle
Por Kimberly Roots / 31 Octubre 2014, 7:00 AM PDT

At 4:30 on Thursday morning, a short time before the sun begins to peek over the horizon, Constantine lead Matt Ryan wraps his last scene of the day and goes home to rest.

Just a few hours later, he’s on the phone with TVLine. Doing press on minimal shut-eye isn’t fighting fiery hellbeasts, but it can’t be the most fun he’s ever had, either.

“I’ve just woken up,” the actor says good-naturedly, his Welsh accented voice sounding a little rougher than usual during a chat about his new NBC drama. “I’ve put my eggs on the stove, poured myself a coffee.”

When we remark that it’s impressive he’s able to string words into sentences on not much sleep, Ryan laughs. “We’ll see about that.”

The main reason we’ve rousted the actor from some much-needed slumber: This week’s episode of his supernatural drama introduces Zed, a mysterious female character from DC Comics’ Hellblazer. (She was the one sketching John at the end of the premiere.)

Where Liv — whose departure at the end of the series’ premiere was a permanent one — was a wide-eyed neophyte regarding the supernatural, Zed (played by Telemundo star Angélica Celaya) knows a little something about the dark side. Read on as Ryan previews what to expect from the new series regular and forecasts other Season 1 additions to Constantine’s ragtag band of the damned.

TVLINE | Zed first appears in Friday’s episode (10/9c). Do they get along at first?
No, they don’t. What’’s interesting is, John thinks she’s stalking him. She’s got a picture of him that she’s been drawing, and he’s like, ‘Who is this woman?’ But then he finds out that she’s got some kind of abilities going on. He’s got this case, and he feels that she could be useful.

She’s feisty. She’s someone with this special ability, with a very secretive past, who’s slightly tormented. But at the same time, she’s very driven and gets up in John’s face and doesn’t take any of his s–t.Constantine Season 1 Preview Matt Ryan

TVLINE | And he dishes out a lot of it
He does. And you know what? As we go down the line, he puts out more s–t. With any show, you have the pilot and then a few episodes, and you really find your groove, the writers, the characters and everything. We really feel that we’ve taken it to some interesting places. Some of the stuff we’ve got in the episodes is crazy.

TVLINE | How crazy?
In one episode, I’m naked, covered in blood, doing a sermon while I sacrifice a chicken. [Executive producer] David Goyer co-wrote that episode. I think the writers sit in the writers’ room and go, “What can we do to Matt Ryan this week?” [Laughs] Some of this s–t they put me through, man… [Laughs] It’s great, they way they’re really sticking to the Hellraiser stuff. It’s getting really dark, as well.

TVLINE | John Constantine is a hero who is not a well man.
I think that’s the great thing about him, and that’s the great thing about playing him. He’s tormented, he’s guilt-ridden. He’s got all of this s—t going on underneath him, but then he flips the bird. He gives the middle finger. What’s so interesting is playing those shifts. As an actor, you get to play some of the real deeper emotional stuff going on and also some of these great one liners, where he just doesn’t give a s–t. We actually did a scene last night where, in the middle of all of this stuff going down, there’s this one line. And the director’s like, “I’m not too sure about this line.” And because I’ve been doing this for a while now, I was like, “Look, trust me. That’s John. Even in the middle of that, he pulls one out of the hat.” And it really worked. I love that about the character. I think that’s really unique to him.

TVLINE | Friday’s episode takes place in a Pennsylvania mining town. Is Constantine using the map Liv left as a way to find where trouble is brewing?
For now, yes. That’s how he tracks down the rising darkness to gain redemption for his soul. It’s kind of a selfish pursuit, but it’s not at the same time, because he’s trying to save humanity from the rising darkness… They use the scrying map to find out where the rising darkness is surfacing and head it off, so to speak.

TVLINE | We meet Papa Midnite in the episode that follows.
[Makes satisfied sound] Papa Midnite.

TVLINE | Is he a one-off? Or will he be around again this season?
He comes back. He comes back a few times. What’s great about that relationship is, they’re uneasy allies. We see them go through working together and then hating each other and needing each other. They’re both practitioners of magic, but Papa Midnite’s rather specific to voodoo, while John’s a street magician. He uses whatever he needs to get what he wants. He mixes and matches his magic. That’s a conflict between them, as well. We see him come back a few times this season.

TVLINE | You mentioned that he’s an uneasy ally. Does John have any easy allies?
No. Exactly. There’s a great line… at the end of the pilot: “Who would walk my path with me? Who would be crazy enough to walk this path with me?” It’s good. He’s lonely. He’s a lonely soul at the end of the day, because he’s driven by this compulsion to seek out the dark things in the world. But that’s also his addiction and his adrenaline rush and what drives him.

TVLINE | In the pilot, we heard a little about the events that surrounded Astra’s damnation. Will that incident be revisited in the episodes that follow?
We introduce a bunch of characters from the Newcastle Crew, where that incident took place. There was a whole crew of people around John at that time. In Episode 4, we see Gary Lester. And we get to see Anne-Marie. If we get the back nine [episodes], we’ll definitely be visiting some other characters from the Newcastle Crew and definitely be doing an episode that takes us back to that time.

http://tvline.com/2014/10/31/constantin ... -ryan-zed/

- Angelica Celaya Promete que Saltarán Chispas entre Zed y John (E!Online):

Angelica Celaya Promete que Saltarán Chispas entre Zed y John
Por Sydney Bucksbaum 31 Oct 2014, 8:00 AM PDT

Constantine is going to look very different in tonight's episode.

Gone is the wide-eyed, damsel-in-distress Liv (Lucy Griffiths). Taking her place is the mysterious, unpredictable Zed (Angelica Celaya), and when John Constantine (Matt Ryan) meets her in episode 2, he won't know what hit him.

"We got a little tiny glimpse of her at the end of episode 1, but episode 2 is going to be really fun," Celaya told E! News with a laugh. "She's just insane. She's going crazy. Zed is tormented by so many visions and she draws to get them out of her head. There are so many things that she has questions about. And one man starts answering them, Constantine."

When executive producers Daniel Cerone and David S. Goyer decided to replace Liv with Zed as Constantine's new leading lady, they also decided to make a few tweaks to the Zed that comic book fans all know and love.

"The creators behind this decided to make Zed Latina," Celaya said. "I'm giving her a little bit of sass and attitude. She cuts the B.S. I'm bringing in the sarcasm that I read in Hellblazer, definitely. But I'm making her more street smart and more 'hood. It's not very easy for Constantine to manipulate me, and I throw him for a loop."

But there's a reason behind Zed's tough exterior, and that will be explored in later episodes.

"Anybody who is this tough in real life, it's usually because of something," Celaya said. "There are layers to her and walls are going up because she's trying to hide some things. She has to be tough because she's running away from something really deep and personal."

When Constantine and Zed first meet and Zed finally starts getting some answers about who she is and what she can do, Celaya promises that major sparks are going to fly.

"It's a crash!" she said with a laugh. "It is a crash. A crash of emotions, a crash of thoughts, a crash of everything. It's like a big WTF moment for Zed. Everything starts making sense, all the dots starts connecting. And Constantine is such a master of talking his way out of things and manipulation, so of course he's going to think he can manipulate Zed as well. Just give her a second and then bugger off, but Zed is not prepared for that. She's going to hunt him down like a dog and not take no for an answer."

Will that turn into anything romantic? "There's big tension there," Celaya teased. "They can't keep their eyes off of each other! But I can't say more than that. With everything that's going on with both of them, Zed feels protection and camaraderie and admiration for Constantine as they fight the rising darkness and evil. Within that, of course it's tough when you're battling life and death and heaven and hell to have something going on there!"

Hey, we wouldn't put it past these two powerful souls, especially since both Celaya and Ryan told us that Zed and Constantine are going to have a confrontational relationship.

"They both believe in the greater good of humanity and they're going to team up to go against the rising darkness but because Zed believes in mankind and believes that people can be good and they deserve a second chance, that's when they butt heads," Celaya said. "That's when Constantine is more practical. Zed feels more than she should because she knows people's true emotions, whether they're lying or telling the truth, things from their past or future just by touching them. That affects how she sees a certain situation vs. John who is very practical. John thinks with his head while Zed thinks with her heart, and she will stand up to him for what she believes in."

http://uk.eonline.com/news/593573/const ... d-and-john?

- Angelica Celaya sobre el interpretar a la Latina de Armas Tomar 'Zed' (Variety):

Angelica Celaya sobre el interpretar a la Latina de Armas Tomar 'Zed'
por Kevin Noonan 31 Octubre, 2014 | 10:58AM PT

“Constantine” star Angelica Celaya always wanted to play a DC Comics action hero, but as a teenager she had her sights set on a slightly more well-known figure.

“As a normal little girl growing up in the States, all you think about is Wonder Woman,” Celaya said during a recent roundtable interview with reporters. “I told my mom, ‘Mom, I want to be Wonder Woman.’ And she was like, ‘Mija, you haven’t even been an actress.’ I don’t know, I just know that I [needed] to work with DC Comics.”

When she read the part of Zed in NBC’s adaptation of DC’s “Hellblazer” comics, though, she saw a key difference between the character and her childhood heroine – unlike Wonder Woman, Zed is by no means a hero, let alone a superhero. She’s just a person, or as Celaya says, a survivor.

“She’s not a hero, not to herself,” Celaya said. “She wants to help, she wants to survive and believes that everybody else should have the opportunity to change their own destiny.”

It was Zed’s personality that Celaya identified most strongly with, seeing some of herself in the sarcastic, oddball psychic.

“I didn’t know there were other female badasses out there, and then I read Zed and I see her sarcasm and the way she is in-tuned to the arts and very expressive and really creative,” she said. “That is me. She’s very punk, very alternative, that’s very me. I see myself 10 times more [in] Zed than if I were ever Wonder Woman.”

Zed, a character who has appeared intermittently in the comics, is a sketch artist in the show who can feel and see emotions and memories by touching people and objects. She sees Matt Ryan’s John Constantine, an exorcist and dabbler in the dark arts, in her visions, drawing him and his demons over and over again in her apartment before bumping into him mid-adventure. She quickly leads to a breakthrough in his case, saves his life and establishes herself as a worthy partner to the troubled British demonologist.

The opportunity to play a strong, female, Latina protagonist on the show — especially one whose feelings and emotions are her singular strength rather than being portrayed as a weakness — is a point of pride for Celaya.

“It’s not stereotyped, she just happens to be Latina,” she said. “[Latinos] are embracing it because I think they finally get to see someone who is represented in the DC universe, a Latina — that is so badass. She’s not the victim, she’s not all, ‘Protect me, save me.’ No, she’s badass.”

Celaya’s character was not originally in the pilot of the supernatural drama, but producers decided to change direction following the series order from NBC, and instead wrote Lucy Griffiths’ Liv Aberdine, initially planned as the female lead, out of the show, teasing Zed at the end of the series’ first episode and then introducing her in full in the second, airing Oct. 31.

She didn’t audition for the role until after the pilot had been produced, but Celaya quickly became invested in the character and the world of the show. Without spoiling what the series may or may not include, Celaya said she was on board and excited for the bizarre and dark turns that her character takes in the comics – including one plot that sees Zed nearly becoming the mother of the second coming of Christ. She was so enthusiastic about one aspect of the character that she took even the producers by surprise.

“I asked … when am I going to be able to shave my head?” Celaya said. “[The producers said], ‘Do you know you’re the only actress I know who’s excited about shaving her head?’ Honestly, I think with the way it happens in ‘Hellblazer,’ it makes it much more dramatic when her head is shaved. They told me … hold out for season four.”

http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/constan ... 201344343/

- Entrevista con Matt Ryan de "Constantine" (spoilertv):

Entrevista con Matt Ryan de "Constantine"
Por Lisa Macklem 01 Noviembre, 2014

I had the pleasure of talking to Matt Ryan who plays John Constantine on Constantine today. What follows is a quick round up of some of the questions, answers and spoilers. Ryan hails from Wales and has a long history of doing West End Theatre in London. A full transcript should follow in the next day or two. Q = question and MR = Matt Ryan.

Q: Was there one thing that you latched onto to help you develop the character?

MR: The history, the backstory. And within those, the flashbacks helped and the relationship with his family, his sister and the Newcastle crew.

Q: How did you work on John’s accent?

MR: He’s from Liverpool but also lived in London quite a bit. I didn’t want anything exactly like my own accent. I worked on a London accent for a while and then went with a more Northern accent. I wanted something working class and gritty. I didn’t want it to be all about his accent though. So I made it a more subtle nod to the Liverpudlian accent but made it more accessible for network television.

Q: Which of the storylines scare you the most?

MR: The Dangerous Habits story is my favorite and the one I find scariest. It’s about lung cancer and is a very human storyline. It was the first I read. I had about two and a half weeks to prep for the pilot. I couldn’t read all of the stories beforehand.

Q: What can you tell us about the Zed, Manny, and Chase stories coming?

MR: Chase is John’s oldest and closest friend. He provides a logic to John. John is a demon addict and Chase grounds him and is good in a fight. John and Manny are like two gunslingers. The need each other but there’s conflict there. They don’t want to be in each other’s company, but they have to be. There is a really interesting dynamic that will develop there. It takes a shift, but I can’t say more… Zed. She gets in his face and won’t take his shit. Her ability is very useful to John. There’s a chemistry between them which could develop. She’s very mysterious. They are both reluctant to reveal their pasts to each other.

Q: Did you have any hesitation taking the part, knowing that there was this established fan base? Who would you like to see appear in the show?

MR: After doing my research, I just thought this would be a great character to play. It’s iconic and that could make you nervous or you can see it as a challenge. I try to stay true to the DNA of the character. I’m busy with the day to day filming, so I don’t feel the pressure.
You will see the Newcastle Crew – Gary Lester, Anne Marie Flynn. I want to see Satan, the first of the fallen, but it will take a while for us to get there.

Q: Dr Fate’s mask was in the Pilot. Are there plans or are you looking forward to more DC characters? Are there plans for any crossovers?

MR: The Millhouse contained lots of easter eggs, including Pandora’s box, and the Dr Fate mask. You saw Jim Corrigan already and his character became a cult figure in the DC universe. You’ll also see Papa Midnight and Judas. The episodes are self-contained but the characters help to root the episodes and each character brings out different sides to John.
Aside: Ryan said he didn’t know if there would be crossovers with other DC universe shows – such as Arrow. He hasn’t heard anything to that effect.

Q: What sets Constantine apart?

MR: It’s down to John’s character. He’s a working class, anti-hero. It’s also the relationships. He’s not a superhero and that sets him apart.

Q: How do you get into character?

MR: It depends on the scene or on the day. I like to listen to classical music for the darker stuff. I also listen to punk rock. I may switch it up – I have very diverse musical tastes. I use music and the comics for motivation. There’s always a physicality to him, especially in the comics.

Be sure to come back for the full transcript to read about the casting and auditioning process that Matt went through and what he wanted to be for a brief time before he decided to become an actor!

http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/11/interv ... ntine.html

- Nuevas imágenes promocionales:

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- Descripción oficial del 1.05 "Danse Vaudou":

1.05 "Danse Vaudou": CONSTANTINE Y PAPA MIDNITE DEBEN UNIR FUERZAS PARA HACER DESCANSAR A UNA AMENAZA MORTAL – EMMET SCANLAN Y MICHAEL JAMES SHAW ESTRELLAS INVITADAS – En New Orleans, el inusual conocimiento de Constantine (Matt Ryan) de una sucesión de crímenes lo mete en problemas con el Detective Jim Corrigan (la estrella invitada Emmett Scanlan). Debe formar una profana alianza con Papa Midnite (la estrella invitada Michael James Shaw) cuando un ritual voodoo que ayuda a la gente a comunicarse con sus seres queridos fallecidos toma un giro mortal. Charles Halford y Angélica Celaya también aparecen.

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ ... /?a=110357

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- Constantine 1.02 "Miner Threat" Clip (Episode Highlight):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x4FQVdPvoY


- Constantine 1.02 "To Hell and Back: The Darkness Beneath" Featurette (Digital Exclusive):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwtt4Eapeyk


- Constantine "Ravenscar Institute Patient Debrief: John Constantine" Featurette (Digital Exclusive):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6EZ9joJEpA




Añadidos los enlaces y rátings del 1.02 "The Darkness Beneath". Podéis encontrarlos AQUÍ



- Constantine 1.03 "The Devils Vinyl" Promo ("Next: It's Midnite on Constantine"):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LvIG87WyuM

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- BTS Stills del 1.02 "The Darkness Beneath":




- Nuevas imágen BTS del 1.03 "The devil´s vinyl":



(@mattryanreal: Behind the scenes ep #thedevilsvinyl #PapaMidnite #Constantine @NBCConstantine @MarkVerheiden @JohnConWriters
@mattryanreal: Some behind the scenes for ep 3 #Constantine #PapaMidnite @NBCConstantine @MJShawNuff
@joelle_carter: Had a great time working w @mattryanreal & @AngelicaCelaya on @NBCConstantine. Check it out now! Xo #Constantine)

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- Stills del 1.04 "A Feast of Friends":




- Nuevas imágenes BTS (04-05 Nov 2014):



(@mattryanreal: Ep 4 a feast of friends with my bud @ONeillJonjo #Constantine @NBCConstantine
@mattryanreal: Chas @Charlie_Halford picking fun ep 3 @NBCConstantine #Constantine @JohnConWriters)

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- Entrevista con Matt Ryan - Constantine (starrymag):

Entrevista con Matt Ryan - Constantine
Por starrymag | 04 Noviembre, 2014

Q) You’re playing a character that people already know from comic books or from the movies. How is that different in your preparation?

A) It’s different in the fact that there’s so much source material which is a great thing actually. It’s different and it’s a great thing when you create a character because you start from scratch and you kind of build it from the ground up. But with this you have such amazing source material that you can keep on going back to that and keep on finding new things. There are so many amazing kind of obviously stars who played him and so many amazing writers have written him. And they all have their own little takes on him so it’s great that you have the opportunity to have so much material in terms of viewing and keep on going back to.

Q) I was wondering, with that wealth of material to dig into, was there one thing in particular that you really latched onto about John, like who he is and how that provided entry into the character?

A) I think basically the history is obviously very important to any character that’s had – when you create a character normally you create a whole back story for him no matter how big the role. And I think that all the back story that you get throughout the comics, all the flashback stuff, the stuff of his sisters, his niece and all the aspects is fascinating. His relationship with all the Newcastle crew is something that kind of – it’s something you can root the character in, you know? So that was kind of probably the most important thing for me as – is the back story really which was something that you build upon from there.

Q) Can you just take us a little bit through the casting process? How did you come to learn about this part and how extensive was the audition process for you before you got it?

A) Oh wow, it was quite a ride to be honest with you. I was doing Henry V in London in the West End with Jude Law and the Michael Grandage Company. And at the audition – it was pilot season obviously, so there were a lot of auditions coming up. So Kate Dowd was casting it in the UK so I went in for an audition, did a tape, we sat at the table. I actually had really long hair and a big bushy beard. And I can remember them – my agent calling me and saying, “Look, they really, really like you, but they can’t really see past the beard.” And I was like “Well, I’m in the middle of a play. There’s not really much I can do about that.” I’d been on a movie called Sunday Paper about four or five years ago or something, and I actually bleached blonde my hair for that so it was kind of a similar look. So we sent out all the – but by that time I think I’d already done about four or four tapes or something with different notes. And I already had a conversation with Daniel and David as well, via Skype to give me notes and stuff. So kept on doing all of these tapes and – but still, I had this big beard. And then I was going to kind of try and get a night off the play to fly over to test. But unfortunately due to some circumstances with a member of cast in the play, I wasn’t able to take a night off. So I kind of had to let that test go really, in a way. And – and I think they used my tapes or something. But I think they couldn’t see past my beard. So I think they went back to the drawing board and started looking again. And then they came back about a kind of week or so later and said “Look, we still really like you and we want you to retape.” So retaped again. So I ended up doing about – about six audition tapes or something. And I think one of the notes which was really funny was my agent said that David Goyer had mentioned that we really liked Sasquatch, no but he’d seen the beard. And eventually the play ended. I ended on a Saturday night when I would have the kind of – the wrap party so to speak, of the play and jumped on a plane first thing in the morning, flew over. I think it was a holiday in America on that day so all of the hair salons were – were shut. So I had to have a friend of mine come over – come over and cut my hair. And then the next day I went in and tested and then went to the studio network in process – testing process and then the – and then the network testing process And – and then eventually got there man. It was quite a ride to be honest with you. It was quite a long process in that – it’s definitely the longest kind of audition process I’d been through. And it – and it was such a thrill then when I actually got the job.

Q) I was wondering if you could talk to us at all about how you worked on developing a different accent for John, than the one you normally have?

A) Yeah. I mean to be honest with you, because John’s originally from Liverpool and then he’d been in London a lot and it’s a comic book so it’s – it was kind of up for grabs, you know? And I talked to a lot of the guys about it. But I thought that the main thing that was important was for me to kind of try and get the essence of John rather than kind of playing an accent, you know? But then I didn’t want to do something that was exactly the same as my accent. I just wanted to kind of make a kind of sort of nod to him really. So I kind of worked with – first I think I was in a play in London. I worked on doing this with a London accent for a while. And there was something that just wasn’t sitting right with it. And then I started playing around with a kind of – a Northern accent, a British Northern accent which is a lot stronger than the one that I’m actually doing now. And it kind of felt right because it felt like working class and kind of gritty and it was in the right ballpark. But at the same time, I didn’t want to just spend so much time playing an accent and making him all about an accent. So what I decided to do was just concentrate on the – on the essence of the character and then – and then kind of giving the kind of subtle nod. I changed certain vowel sounds and – and just (decided) to give a node to him then. So it’s kind of a Northern accent based on some – some of the Liverpudlian sounds but obviously it’s not a strong Liverpudlian accent. I don’t think that that would kind of be very accessible to – for a network show on television. But I’d like to think that that’s – there’s a subtle nod in there to where – to where John comes from. And also I’m from Wales but my accent isn’t exactly very strong Welsh anymore because I’ve traveled so much. So I left Wales when I was 19. And John left Liverpool when he was younger as well. So I kind of took that balance of if he’d left somewhere when he was younger, then he’s traveled and kind of – so I just added a subtle nod of Northern.

Q) So tell me what are some of the characters or story lines from the series that scare you the most?

A) My favorite is the Dangerous Habit one. That was one of the first I read when I first got the part. And there was a – they only had two in a week – 2-1/2 weeks to prep for the pilot and obviously I hadn’t read 300 or so comics. And I can remember thinking at the time wait, we can’t do this yet. I have to read every single comic before we do it. I didn’t feel that I was going to get – do it justice without reading all the comics. But the Dangerous Habit kind of – run was my favorite. And also probably the most scariest as well, because the fact that it’s lung cancer and it’s a very human story and that kind of scared me quite a lot and was also one of the reasons why it was my favorite.

Q) I’m wondering if you can talk a little bit about your character’s relationships with Zed and Manny and Chas and what’s coming up in the next few episodes.

A) Yeah, sure. Well with Chas, Chas is John’s oldest friend and closest friend and the only one who’s been around for – and who hadn’t died although Chas does die, but has an extraordinary gift so he keeps on coming back. But what’s great about – about Chas is that he kind of provides a logic to John whereas John is kind of someone – he’s an addict. He’s a demon addict if you like. And he kind of provides a grounding to John. And he’s helpful in a fist fight as well. He’s kind of the brawns to John’s brain. And John’s scrappy, you know? He’s not afraid to get into a fight. But at the same time he’s – Chas could probably help him out in a lot of situations there. With Manny, what’s really interesting is they’re almost like two gunslingers kind of standing opposite each other that need each other but they could shoot each other at any time. Or it’s as if they kind of – with this relationship there’s – there’s a kind of conflict there. They both kind of don’t really kind of want to be in each other’s company particularly. But they know that they have to and that they’re both useful to one another. So I think there’s a really interesting kind of conflict there. And what we see with Manny developing is that John and how Manny helps John and kind of how that relationship sort of develops is there’s a very interesting dynamic actually – I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say about it – between them. After about episode 4 where John and Manny kind of their relationship takes a shift and moves in a slightly different direction. But it’s a kind of uneasy kind of relationship which makes for kind of a lot of tension and a lot of conflict. Zed is a feisty one, let me tell you. She’s great because she’s someone who gets in John’s face, doesn’t take any of his shit. She’s not afraid to smack someone in the face when it comes down to it. And she also has this unique ability which John – it’s very useful for John. So they need each other as much as – as much as the other. But at the same time there’s a chemistry between them which could develop into something more. She’s mysterious. She has a mysterious background. And what’s interesting about these two characters is they work together on some level but then they’re both reluctant to reveal each other’s past to each other. So, there’s a constantly kind of looking out of the corner of each eye with each other which is really interesting. And then there’s the kind of sexual chemistry between them as well which leads to a really kind of fun play in between the two of them. And that relationship throughout the series, will kind of develop in a very interesting way, I must say. But I don’t know if I can say much about that. With Chas – with the whole point that he can’t die now that he comes back in the pilot. We actually get into that as well and his whole back story which is a really great episode. And how all that came about. So we should be in for some interesting stuff with all those relationships.

Q) I wanted to know did you have any hesitations taking the role knowing that it’s based on the DC Comic and there are a lot of fans that are dedicated to the comics? What character from the comics would you like to see on the show?

A) Oh, interesting. Well first of all, like when I was auditioning I’d actually just been offered a play in London. And I think there was a time where the play was going to go away. They needed to know before I had the time to kind of fly out and test.So there was a moment of me going should I – should I just do the play, you know? It’s a pilot, I don’t know if I’m going to get it. It’s a pilot, you don’t know if it’s going to get picked up. I was offered a lead role in a – in the National Theater in London. And I was kind of going I don’t know if this is maybe something I want to do. But after a kind of – the more research I did on the character I was just like it’s such a great opportunity to play – to play a character like this that I couldn’t kind of pass up on it. But I didn’t really have any reservations in terms of how iconic the character is. I think that’s something that can make you nervous but at the same time it’s a challenge. And I like that challenge. And I think that you throw yourself into it and you give your interpretation of it and try and stay true to the DNA of the character and hope that the fans of the comics, kind of like it. But there is always a little bit of pressure. But, you just throw yourself into it to be honest. We get to see a bunch of the Newcastle crew. We meet Gary Lester, we meet Annmarie Flynn. But I would most like to see Satan, to be honest, the first of the fallen. But I think that would, you know, take a while for us to try to get there. But he’s probably the biggest one, right? So to have that showdown it goes back to that Dangerous Habits one again. It’s the fact that whole bit where you face the devil and and it turns out to be holy water and all that. It’s just when I read that I was like this is awesome, you know? So probably Satan.

Q) So, coming from theater to this kind of show I mean obviously it’s a unique TV show just in general. But coming from theater, it’s obviously a big shift also. What has been kind of a challenge for you for this show, in getting into this character?

A) I always love switching between mediums. It’s always a great challenge. You do theater for six months and then you do a film and it’s just such a different medium, you know? I think that that was kind of one of the biggest challenges at first is I’d been on stage doing a Shakespeare play swinging a sword and then the next minute there’s a camera in my face. And it takes you kind of a day of being on set to go oh, hang on, what’s this thing in my face again? And getting back into sync with working with a camera operator and all that sort of stuff. So that was probably the biggest challenge.

Q) In the first episode of course, we see the Dr. Facemask. So are you looking forward to possibly there being more DC Comics characters outside of the Constantine world possibly coming in?

A) Yeah, man. Yeah. It’s something that I’m really excited about. Like the Millhouse where in the pilot, there are so many ba Pandora’s Box and as you said, Dr. Face Helmet. And we get to see Jim Corrigan who becomes The Spectre. And yeah, it’s just such an amazing world, the occult universe and that – the occult DC Universe. And I know that especially if we get the back line that David was saying that we’re going to be introducing kind of a lot more from that universe as well. So it’s just an exciting thing man. It doesn’t become then just the demon of the week. Do you know what I mean? What’s great I think about this is that this is kind of – I wouldn’t say it’s procedural but we do have an individual story each week. But we’re introducing Papa Midnite from the characters, Jim Corrigan, Annmarie, Gary Lester. I think if we go to the back line we might be introducing Judas and kind of there are all of these great characters which have different relationships with John. And then in effect, bring out the different sides of John. And that’s really interesting then to kind of – sort of to kind of study these relationships rather than having just something that’s completely separate from John and that relationship with the characters built within the structure of the episodes so you always have something to kind of – to root the episode in, which is always great. And it’s – it’s really exciting.

Q) What do you feel sets Constantine apart from other shows of its kind? There are a ton of supernatural shows out there, but none quite like Constantine. And why is that?

A) To be honest with you, I think it’s down to the central character of John. And that’s what made the comic books unique, you know? The kind of anti-hero, working class anti-hero, wisecracking street magician, you know? He’s someone who sacrifices his friends to get what he needs. And you still love him as well because he has this compelling urge to save humanity even though he does it with a cigarette and a whiskey all the time, you know? So I think it’s him. It’s him. And then in effect the relationships that he has with the other characters around him. And I think that’s kind of what’s unique to him. He really is an anti-hero. And he’s not a superhero in tights, you know? He’s a working class man that is for the people. And I think that really kind of sets him apart from those things.

Q) Did you always want to work in this industry while you were growing up? Or did you have other professions in mind?

A) Oh man. Well first of all, when I was a kid I was in Les Miserables. I played Gavroche in Les Miserables when I was like 10 I think, in the West End, in London. And then I always wanted to kind of do something in the arts. But when I went to school it kind of all dropped away man. It just like falled all away and I was a dropout teenager kind of running around on the village green having a crack, having a laugh and stuff. And my parents are great. They kind of like just let me go and be a kid. And then I kind of came back to it. So, in the meantime, when I was on that kind of five – I think it was about five years when I didn’t want to do anything in the industry, I was into motorbikes a lot and I used to ride motocross bikes. And so I wanted to be a mechanic and a motocross racer at one point, you know? So that was another ambition that was going to be mine. And I still have a huge passion for motorbikes now. But I’m kind of glad that I didn’t go into it.

Q) Given that you’re the star of this show and this is a big American TV production, are you feeling any sort of pressure or how are you acclimating yourself to being sort of the focus of this new series and all of the attention on you? And how are you handling all of that?

A) It’s a new experience, you know? It’s something that I’ve never encountered before. So, at various different points there’s been different turning points where – in Constantine that I’ve never come across. And I feel like you just throw yourself into whatever work you’re doing. You concentrate on that. And we work so many hours as well that there’s not the time to stop and think oh my god, what is this I’m doing, which is – which is kind of a good thing because you kind of have to be in the moment and just go with it and keep your work going, which is what I love doing. There’s not so much kind of perspective on it then. And I think that if we had a three month break right now I’d probably go what the hell just happened, do you know what I mean? But at the moment I’m still kind of like right in the mix of it. Kind of down in the dirty kind of working every day. And that’s kind of where I like to be as well. With my head in the work and kind of concentrating on that, you know? I think it’s been a hell of a ride and it’s been really, really good fun as well. And I’ve really enjoyed it man. And I’m just taking it all in my stride and trying to enjoy it.

Q) Matt, how do you get into the place mentally, to successfully portray your character who deep down is seeking that redemption that we all see him have a lot of pain over?

It’s interesting. I used to – depending on the scene or depending on my mood, you know, it – in the day and what kind of scene we’re shooting, I’ll use music mostly I think. I’ll listen to kind of classical music for the darker stuff. I listen to like Schoenberg and stuff. And then with some of the other elements of the character, I listen to punk rock or I’ll switch it up as well, you know, with music. I like a broad range of music so I’ll switch it up depending on kind of what – what the mood takes me. But I use kind of music as a – as a motivation. And also the comics. I always have a comic with me. And I – and I’ve jumped around so much in the comics that I couldn’t tell you how they go in any order to be honest – honest with you. But – but I always have a comic with me so that if there’s any time that I’m not feeling kind of connected to it, I can just pick it up, look at a panel and go oh, yeah. And what’s great about them as well, there’s always a physicality to – to John in the comics. So there’s always something to connect you to – to it that way as well. So yeah, there’s music and carrying a Hellblazer with me everywhere I go.

Q) In addition to Constantine, people enjoyed seeing your work in the film Armistice. What maybe you enjoyed most about playing that character? I thought you did an awesome job.

A) Well what’s interesting is that’s a movie that we produced with my – with – with my film company and it was directed by a friend of mine, Joseph Morgan, who is my best friend who’s actually here in Atlanta which is amazing, on “The Originals.” And what was the most challenging thing about it was I was doing Hamlet at the time with Jude Law again, back in London. So I was doing all my stuff on a Sunday. So I was doing eight shows a week and then traveling up to Stratford Upon Avon which is where we were shooting. And shooting this moving, you know? And I think we came across all of the challenges that you do on a low budget movie. And especially when it was our first movie we – as a company. We hadn’t made anything so we came up against a bunch of obstacles in that way. And I think kind of – trying to kind of executive produce something and overlook something at the same time as doing eight performances of Hamlet a week, was quite a challenge. But it was good man. I enjoyed it, you know? And the second movie we did which is called 500 Miles North, where me and Joseph play characters opposite each other again, but it’s just such a different movie, you know? Armistice is a genre thriller movie and 500 Miles North is this kind of comedy road trip movie. So – so it was really great to kind of – to play something completely opposite with him. And we learned a lot on the first movie, a lot – made a lot of mistakes that we kind of put into practice for the second where you’re better, you know? And hopefully when we go to our third, if we get there, then, we’ll have learned even more.

Q) I know Constantine is on a different network than some of the other comic book shows like Flash or Arrow. Has there been any discussion of the possibility of characters from each of those shows crossing into your show or you crossing over into their shows?

A) Not that I’ve heard of. I mean I don’t know what goes on kind of in the DC office or what all those guys talk about. But so far I don’t have any kind of information on whether that’s going to happen or not.


http://starrymag.com/?p=4710

- Michael James Shaw sobre el llevar a 'Papa Midnite' a la TV (HitFix):

Michael James Shaw sobre el llevar a 'Papa Midnite' a la TV
Por Daniel Fienberg 07 Noviembre, 2014

Some of the biggest, baddest figures in DC Comics lore have been making their way to the small screen lately.

We just got Ra's al Ghul on "Arrow," Captain Cold on "The Flash" and Victor Zsasz joining the already bursting rogues gallery on "Gotham."

On Friday (November 7), NBC's "Constantine" gets in on the action, introducing immortal mob boss and voodoo aficionado Papa Midnite in an episode titled "The Devil’s Vinyl."

Debuting in the first "Hellblazer" comic, Papa Midnite has had a varied relationship with John Constantine over the years, sometimes providing begrudging assistance and sometimes getting in Constantine's way.

Playing Papa Midnite in this recurring incarnation is Michael James Shaw, such a relative newcomer that NBC and WBTV eschew prior credits to call him merely "a recent graduate of Julliard."

I got on the phone with Shaw this week and learned about his unexpected personal connection to the source of Papa Midnite's powers, as well the genius costume designer who helped him tap into the character.

We also discussed Shaw's highest profile prior credit, namely a stint as an extra on a little show called "The Wire."

Check out the full Q&A below.

HitFix: This is a pretty major career splash for you. When you were in the audition process, did you feel like your being relatively fresh to this particular game was going to be an advantage or did you worry it might be a disadvantage?

Michael James Shaw: I think for this role I had no clue. I went in for a casting director that I'd been in for a lot of times throughout the years and we had a good relationship. It's weird, because you never know when you walk in a room if it's gonna be the right part, but for some reason that day, the cards were in my favor and I don't think it mattered much about my experience. It was just, "Are you right for the role?"


HitFix: When you first read Papa Midnite on the page, what made you feel like you were, indeed, right for the role?

Michael James Shaw: I really enjoy playing villains, I've played a lot of them in my life. Also, when I audition, it's not really about, "Oh, I'm gonna book this part." It's moreso a chance to get to step into another person's shoes, another character's life and when I started reading up about him -- Because I had never read any Constantine books, I'd seen the movie with Djimon Honsou and I enjoyed it, but I had no details about the world -- so as I started researching about Papa Midnite and his background and his history, I was like, "Oh, this is really deep and juicy." I don't know. I just kinda latched onto it and now the rest is history, I guess.


HitFix: The character's powers have roots in actual religious and mystical traditions. How much research have you done into those traditions?

Michael James Shaw: I have a couple aunts who practice the Yoruba religion and there's a lot of resource material you can find. I was very careful about finding information that was honest and true and then making sure that we were not actually casting any real spells in the process of creating some of the incantations that we speak in the show. That was kinda a fun research project, but also a little scary, because you never know what you can unlock if you say the wrong words. That was really a fun process, digging into that culture, or multiple cultures actually -- Santeria, Vodun and, of course, Yoruba.


HitFix: Tell me about more about your aunts and what their response was when you talked to them about this?

Michael James Shaw: Well, their response mainly was one of caution, just to be careful. Those things are very real for practitioners and if you're not familiar with what you're doing it could wreak havoc in your life if you don't know what you're tapping into. And it's very real and some people may not believe in it, but I believe it's very real.

HitFix: Does that put extra pressure on you? Not just the "avoiding doing an actual incantation" part, but playing a role like this when it's got that personal and familial side to it?

Michael James Shaw: You have to believe it! As an actor, you have to believe what you're playing, but then again you have to set up a certain amount of "What is false and what is reality?" so that it doesn't slip into something where you can't come back, but I think in all fairness, it's based on a comic book that was fictional material, so we can easily make sure that the world does not tip into this place where, "Oh. We're crossing the boundaries of reality."

HitFix: I just personally like very much that you're playing a superhero/comic book character, but that you have this grounding to it. Was that something you were able to mention to the casting directors when you came in?

Michael James Shaw: Well no! This is something that I got from reading mainly the Papa Midnite "Hellblazer" [comics]. That's what really gave me the information that, "Oh, this is a real person who is seeped in a culture and a reality that I can find reference to here in the world. It's not completely fictional." There's some references in his life and in his journey throughout the world, because he's immortal, that I can latch onto that actually do exist. Whereas if you're woking with Superman, he's an alien, so it's stuff that's completely fictional. But Papa Midnite is a fictional character based off real, tangible elements.


HitFix: You mentioned that you enjoy playing villains, but in the comics, Constantine and Papa Midnite have a relationship where they go back and forth between being adversaries and tenuous allies. What can you tell me about the dynamic as we start the relationship here on the show?

Michael James Shaw: [He first checks on what he can say to avoid spoilers.] In this first encounter, Constantine and I are after an object of great value and we both need it for different reasons and it's a pretty hard fight to get it. I don't know if I can say anymore than that, but it's a fun fight to watch between the two of us.

HitFix: Are you more drawn to the adversarial side of the Midnite-Constantine relationship than the uneasy allies side, then?

Michael James Shaw: I enjoy them both. Even in Papa Midnite being an [ally], there's still a great amount of tension between the two of them. Nothing is ever completely resolved. I think that's the fun of it. How do you put whatever differences in your past aside to work for the greater good or maybe a greater evil -- Who knows? -- but that's the fun of it, the compromise and why one has to compromise.


HitFix: One thing that's pretty consistent about this character in all of his iterations is that he's a very snappy dresser. Talk a bit about what this guy wears and how that puts you in a Papa Midnite frame of mind.

Michael James Shaw: Well, our costume designer Mari-An [Ceo], she's a genius. I guess her approach to Papa Midnite was to combine a lot of the essence from the book, from the two incarnations in the books, and kinda create this very dapper, but still grounded-in-the-earth, kind of image. The textures and the actual cuts of the clothing, they contradict each other sometimes, but it creates this very... It's not like a pimp or it's not like a gangster, but it's kinda posh and a little Hugh Hefner-esque, but still with that grit. It's hard to describe, but you'll see what I mean and I think all of those adjectives and images will click together when you see it, because she's genius.


HitFix: Have they had the time yet on the show to fill in Papa Midnite's backstory? Have there been any flashback opportunities for you so far?

Michael James Shaw: No flashback opportunities yet, but there have been some moments of allusion to his past and I think it will all add up in the end. The fans of "Hellblazer" will definitely get their fill of Papa Midnite.


HitFix: Is this the kind of thing where it becomes harder to make this character mysterious, inscrutable, what-have-you the more you learn about him? Does it become harder to keep the mysterious edge to this guy the more you play him?

Michael James Shaw: No, I think you get to show a bit more of the humanity, which is even more shocking, to see that "Oh wow, they may have had evil intentions at one point, but this is why... This is who they really are." You may not agree with what's going on, but you get to see the human underneath whatever actions the person is making and I think that is... Whew. It's huge in terms of wanting to see more of a character. Humanity is essential.


HitFix: Just as a last question. Your IMDB page has your first credit listed as "Homeless Man" on "The Wire." Is that a real credit or one of the many mysteries of the IMDB?

Michael James Shaw: That's actually a real credit. When I was an undergrad, I ended up doing some background work on "The Wire" and there's a scene with me and Bubbles where we're waiting in line at a soup kitchen. It was almost like six years ago, maybe more than that, but it was something that I did in my second year of undergrad and there was a picture in the Washington... I forget which paper it was, but it was a posting about "The Wire" and the new Season 5 and it was me and Bubbles on the front page of this small paper in DC. It was a small credit that I had as an undergrad.

http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-print/in ... %20to%20TV

- Michael James Shaw sobre Papa Midnite: Si sigues los cómics, no puede ir mal (comicbook):

Michael James Shaw sobre Papa Midnite: Si sigues los cómics, no puede ir mal
Por Russ Burlingame 07/11/2014

Tonight will see Michael James Shaw making his Constantine debut as the hugely-anticipated character Papa Midnite.

One of the most layered, complex and sometimes perplexing characters in the Hellblazer canon, Midnite is a powerful mystic whose ethical code is...let's just say his own to figure out.

Shaw spoke with ComicBook.com about bringing the character to the screen.

Can you give us a read on how you intend to play the character?

As inscrutable as possible.

Does a character who rides the fence of good and bad gives you more range of motion in terms of your portrayal?

Yes. I think that all the characters teeter on good and bad all the time, even Constantine. You may not even know as a character if you're doing evil or doing good, you're just going after what you want and letting the audience decide if it's good or bad. You can track some things in Constantine's history where he's not totally been on the good side in his actions all the time.

That's certainly been part of a show so far; people come in, they have a history, they don't like him. Is it a fair assumption that Papa Midnite will come in with that baggage as well?

We're definitely jumping in midway through their relationship. It's filled with all the baggage of their history and it's very clear that they're sometimes friends and sometimes adversaries in the first moment. You know there's a huge history here and John is reluctant to actually enter [Midnite's] realm because of that.

In the feature film, Djimon Hounsou was a highlight. Did you look to that for inspiration or did you avoid that to craft your own take?

I kind of avoided it. I'd seen the movie before but I also realized that these are different writers. It's a different team executing this version of the story and I wanted to adhere to what they were doing as opposed to latch onto stuff that was done before.

Also, they're all drawn from the comic books. So if you're going from the comic book material, you can't go wrong.

Is that something that you talk with DC Entertainment about? I've heard that everywhere, from The Flash to Man of Steel.

I think it's common sense but I think DC's done a good job with not embellishing what's already been done. It's great -- that's why it's still around. That's why these comics have been running for so many years. There's proof in the pudding: the stories work, the characters work, you don't have to do more than what's already there.

Did you start with more current comics, or did you primarily go back to Alan Moore for research?

I jumped right in with the Papa Midnite miniseries. That was the first title that I looked at and that was pretty informative [laughs]. That told me a lot of his backstory.

When you play a character with a ton of backstory but most of it will probably be kept quiet for now, do you use that to inform the performance?

Yeah, it makes it fun. It gives you a firmer ground to stand on if you know a lot about the person. You don't necessarily play everything at one moment but as you're reading the script, you can be like, "Oh, that moment ties to this that I read about," or...well, I don't want to give anything away. But you can always reference the moments because the writers are studying the comic books thoroughly and finding ways to bring stuff in. It's great when they're on set with you and you can talk about a moment and flesh out some dialogue or just have a conversation about how great the scene was.

How do you put your own spin on a character with so much backstory and baggage and history?

You're naturally going to. Every human being is different so how you would approach any given character or any given sport, you're going to play it your way. With the same rules, you're going to play it your own way because you're a different vessel. That's part of the fun of it, is to see what another actor would put on this character or what part of themselves they will bring out. That's the joy of it and that's how you make it your own, is bringing out parts of yourself that reflect Papa Midnite. Then that's your own individual interpretation.

Is it really cool that you have your own hashtag? They're making sure that the world knows you're coming.

Oh, it's insane. I was at home, watching the episode on Halloween night, and I was getting ready to go out for a drink, putting on my shoes as I was watching the teaser, and I was like, "Oh!" They put me as the tail ending on the teaser, and I thought the episode was going to come out later in the season. It was a pleasant surprise.

Is there one thing you really want people to watch out for in your performance?

[Long pause] Stick around for the end of the episode. Stick around for the end [laughs].

http://comicbook.com/2014/11/06/constan ... a-midnite/

- Michael James Shaw sobre el interpretar a Papa Midnite (givememyremote):

Michael James Shaw sobre el interpretar a Papa Midnite
Por Marisa Roffman 07 Noviembre, 2014

Papa Midnite — a familiar face to “Hellblazer” fans — makes his first appearance on CONSTANTINE tonight…and his relationship with John is, well, complicated.

I spoke with CONSTANTINE guest star Michael James Shaw (Papa Midnite) about taking on the role…

Were you familiar with “Hellblazer”?
Michael James Shaw: I was not. I did read a lot of comic books when I was a kid…but “Hellblazer” wasn’t on my map. But I had seen the [CONSTANTINE] film with Keanu Reeves.

Did you read up about the character when you landed the role? Or did you want to start fresh?
MJS: I actually got a hold of the “Papa Midnite” origin “Hellblazer” prior to shooting, and I was [looking at that] in reference to who he was. And after that, I was able to get a stack of “Hellblazer” and Constantine books and dive into that.

What can you tease about his introduction in the series?
MJS: You’ll get a nice glimpse into his world, the texture of his world…and it’s very different from anything you’ve seen thus far on the show.

What can you share about his complicated relationship with John Constantine?
MJS: You’re right, it’s complicated. It’s a long past that’s very rocky in terms of them getting along: working against each other; sometimes, reluctantly, working with each other. And you see that right away — they have a history that is not so clean.

Will we be getting any flashbacks, either to their relationship before the TV series, or what Papa Midnite has been up to?
MJS: I can’t say at this moment, but I’m hoping we will.

Can you share if we’ll be seeing Papa Midnite with other people outside of John?
MJS: Yes, I do interact with other characters. Not so much in this coming episode, but later in the season, I can say yes to that.

Has he gotten to meet Zed?
MJS: [Pauses] No comment. [Laughs]

Fair! Since you’re working quite a bit with Matt Ryan (Constantine), what kind of prep have you done to make sure your dynamic is what you want it to be?
MJS: We just got in there and tackled the scene, but he’s a great actor to work with. He comes from the theater, so we immediately had a jumping [in] point — I had seen him in a play in New York; I had seen him in “Hamlet.” He’s a great guy to work with. He’s very supportive, a generous actor. I couldn’t ask for a better team captain for the show. His energy is infectious. It’s so great to be led by his energy.

What can you share about how Papa Midnite fits into the show’s overall storytelling?
MJS: There is a darkness rising that is greater than what anyone can imagine in the world of CONSTANTINE. And it may require multiple [characters] to take this power down.

Do you feel like Papa Midnite is a character who can — or should — be redeemed?
MJS: That’s an interesting question. I feel like every character is — I wouldn’t say redeemable, but they are human. Therefore, as an audience member, you can see into their souls and you can see why they do the things they do. Ultimately, the humanity will shine through, regardless if it’s tainted or dark or warped, humanity is what makes these characters connect to us, regardless of what the archetype is, whether it’s villain or hero or antihero. It doesn’t matter. Every character has flaws in this world, and I think at the end of the day, that’s what makes us want to watch. And at the end of the day, every character has some kind of humanity — unless they’re a demon. [Laughs]

In a genre series, special effects are often a big part of filming. How has that experience been like for you?
MJS: It makes it really fun, actually; you get to really use your imagination. You know from reading the script what’s supposed to happen, and you, the directors, the camera operators, you get to build that based on what happens in the room. And then CGI comes in at the end and puts the icing on the cake, and comes and fills in the image.

But you get to craft with your imagination. You’re acting with nothing, sometimes, or pretending that something is happening. And you have to believe it. And if you believe it, and everything in line…it’s kind of magical if you can just trust your imagination. Oh, it looks so great when it’s finished and done.

Since there is this blueprint of who this character was — and could be — in the comics, is there anything from his established story that you hope to get to do?
MJS: Ooh. Let me think about that for one second. [Pauses] There’s so many things he could do. I would kind of want to see his origins played out. That’s way down the line. But that could be fun. [Laughs]


http://www.givememyremote.com/remote/20 ... a-midnite/

- Charles Halford abre un nuevo camino en "Constantine" (CBR):

Charles Halford abre un nuevo camino en "Constantine"
Por Casey Gilly 07 Noviembre, 2014

John Constantine, the sarcastic occult detective who was a staple of the Vertigo line throughout its history before making a jump to the main DCU, has recently made another unexpected leap -- headlining NBC's primetime "Constantine" series. As longtime fans have tuned in to see how the translation from page to screen gets made this time around (after the much-maligned 2005 film starring Keanu Reeves), one character's centrality to the show has been a particular source of joy for readers of "Hellblazer": Constantine's old friend and dependable cab-driver Chas, played by Charles Halford.

Fresh off his brief but attention-grabbing turn as Big Bad Reggie Ledoux on the hit HBO series "True Detective," Halford is looking to settle in to a long-term gig on "Constantine." The emotion and humor he brings to the role of Chas has been one of the highlights of the show so far, playing the straight man (and conscience) to the anti-hero Constantine. CBR News spoke with the actor, finding out more about how he came to the series, what audiences can anticipate from his portrayal of Chas and what other comic books he'd like to see on the big screen someday.

Charles, how did you get connected with "Constantine?"

Charles Halford: It was pretty regular. I got a casting breakdown and they were looking for a guy like me for Chas. The rest happened really fast. I went in and read with [casting director] Felicia Fasano. I hadn't met her yet, so that was an exciting thing to do. She was impressed with what I did, so two days later I was meeting with [showrunner] Daniel [Cerone] and Matt [Ryan] doing a chemistry read. About three days after that, I was meeting [writer/producer] David Goyer. Two hours later, I got the call and a week later we were in Atlanta shooting. It was pretty fortuitous that my part in "True Detective" was pausing the same time as the casting, so that helped as well.

Were comic book movies and shows something you were interested in pursuing?

I've always been a fan of comics. In my early teenage years I kept up with comics, or tried to. I had a lot of friends that were really into it and do comic book podcasts and are into the movies. With "Constantine" it was particularly exciting, and sort of kismet, because that was a comic I was really into. I didn't fully understand it when I was younger but I liked the graphic imagery. I remember when the film came out -- which I still haven't seen all the way through -- scratching my head and going, "This is the comic I used to read...?" My comic book fan friends weren't into it, so I continued to pass on seeing it. Then when I read this pilot, I thought it was so cool, especially that they were revising that property. I really wanted to be a part of that world. It's the coolest job in the world.

What makes "Constantine" such a cool adaptation?

We're really trying to adapt it as well as we can -- that's our main goal. I went into the writers' room on one of my first trips back to L.A and I talked to [series producer] Mark Verheiden and I said, "So what's the vibe for the show? How big is the story arc?" and he goes, "Read the comic books." They're structuring the story lines like the through lines for the comics. Like episode 4. When I read that episode I thought, "This is straight from the pages of "Hellblazer." There's been a couple of episodes like that, where it just feels like it jumped right off the page. We're really trying to serve the mythology of the comic books. I mean Matt has done a fantastic job of interpreting John Constantine. DC has really opened up their occult universe to us and have been really supportive of us putting characters in that are straight from the pages, and kind of helping keep it really in good service to the comic.

I'm glad that you mentioned the occult elements. So far we've gotten to see your character, Chas, display some of his powers. What is it like playing a character with supernatural abilities?

Well, it's a lot of fun. Of course, his ability is to take abuse and come back and that'll get explained a little bit later, but I really like the way that they've developed that. I feel like we operate in this realm in the occult but also try to keep the show hyper-natural, you know? Like there are all these things that go bump in the night, but it's like it's just happening. Chas in particular has a good grasp of that after running around with Jon as much as he has. You find later, as in the comic books, that Chas has a family, so to try to balance a normal life with meanwhile rising to the call of duty by Constantine's side after awhile becomes an interesting dynamic. In terms of supernatural ability, I almost consider Chas' situation more of a detriment to a real life, you know? It's in the scripts that it's not a pleasant experience to die and come back! And we see more of that as the show goes on as well.

Do you get used to seeing your own death in the scripts over and over?

Yeah, it's kind of a fun little game to see a) if they kill me and b) how brutally!

Are you doing any of your own stunts for the show?

I do as much as I can. I don't mind taking some lumps, but there are some things where they just won't let me!

What have been some of the coolest situations you've gotten to film as Chas so far?

In episode 10, Chas really opens up in the storyline. For me as an actor it goes from like a two to a ten, just in terms of information. I've spoken with the show's creators and the showrunner about Chas in the show. I love the comics, but there's obviously some inventions for the character in the show with, the supernatural abilities and things like that. So I was really trying to dig in and get information, but when I finally got my eyes on that script -- it was emotional to see the various aspects of this character, and what all happened to lead up to the events in that episode. We go back and explore how John and Chas have bonded and what their loyalty means.

We have a lot of great guest stars coming -- every week there's something amazing. From the sets they're finding and building for us to live in, to the recurring characters and actors we have joining us. Everyone is going to love Papa Midnite. Michael James Shaw is great in the part. It's such a fun ride and I'm really happy that it's on television. We can have a weekly installment of "Hellblazer!"

Any roles you'd like the opportunity to play?

I don't wanna jinx it! I'm staying open but I'm a little superstitious. I feel really lucky to play the roles that I've played so far.

Any comics you'd love to see make it to the big or small screen?

I love "Animal Man," so I'd love to see something done with that. Like any other "Hellblazer" fan, some adaptation of "Swamp Thing" would be great. Anything else would fall below those two. Those two would be my little comic fan dream.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=56931

- Papa Midnite está aquí: entrevista con Michael James Shaw (ksitetv):

Papa Midnite está aquí: entrevista con Michael James Shaw
Por Craig Byrne, 07 Noviembre, 2014

You can't have Sherlock with Moriarty, or Superman without Lex Luthor... inevitably, those arch-enemies come into play. For John Constantine, in the Hellblazer comic books, one of his great foes was the immortal Papa Midnite, who comes to the TV series Constantine with the third episode, which airs at 10PM (ET/PT) tonight (November 7) on NBC.

Michael James Shaw plays Papa Midnite on TV, and we spoke to him about what it's like to bring the character to life, starting with the inevitable question: Will we see all of the aspects an abilities of Papa Midnite from his first appearance?

"You don't get to see every aspect of him in his first episode," Shaw teases, though he promises some "kick-ass action" from our first encounter with the character. What brings Papa Midnite to the show? "Let's say that him and Constantine are battling for a very important objects," Shaw says.

In the comics, John Constantine and Papa Midnite were often at odds, only uniting when necessary. Shaw tells us that on TV, we'll see that same dynamic. "They're definitely enemies, but always in life, when you really need something, you manipulate things a certain way to get what you want, or vice versa. Or, there may be something bigger that you have to fight together," he says. "There are a lot of different ways that you could end up interacting with someone you hate, but it's all for personal gain or something bigger than yourselves. It's unfortunate that happens sometimes, but sometimes you've got to do it, you know?"

Shaw was not aware of Papa Midnite's prominence in the Constantine mythology when auditioning, but upon getting the role, he read up on the character quite a bit. The Constantine version of Papa Midnite has shoes and jewelry that helped Shaw get into the Papa Midnite character, and the character in himself has quite a sense of style, merging what we've seen in the comics. "He's pretty dapper, actually, with a very Earthy edge to him. I feel like in a way, his style is a compilation of the many versions you've seen of him in the comic book. But it definitely is more modern; not so much a pimp or a shaman in a grass skirt. The updated version of those two compilations," he explains.

Being part of a project like Constantine is "unbelievable" for Mr. Shaw, as is the fan base. "It's unbelievable," he says. "It's like a community of avid readers and fans of the story that I didn't know existed. I read comic books as a kid, and I'm familiar with a lot of Image books and whatnot, but I had no idea this book existed, and I'm so happy to be a part of that world now."

What's next for Papa Midnite? Shaw won't say, but we do see that the November 14 is an adaptation of the "Hunger Demon" story that introduced the character. Could we see him next week? Tune in to see.

http://www.ksitetv.com/interviews-2/pap ... shaw/45982

- Ángel Terrestre: Un Vistazo a Manny de Constantine (dscomics):

Ángel Terrestre: Un Vistazo a Manny de Constantine
Por Tim Beedle 07/11/2014 - 10:00am

When compared to Gotham or The Flash, Constantine may seem to have pretty small cast of core characters, but every single one of them comes directly from the comics. Well, all of them except for one: Manny, the mysterious angel who was first introduced in the show’s pilot and will play a key role in the episodes ahead.

“The only character that’s our own creation in the show right now is [Manny],” says Executive Producer Daniel Cerone. “There were many angels [in the Hellblazer books], but we needed to give John a sort of personal angel.”

Don’t think for a moment that this was an arbitrary decision. As fans of Hellblazer, the seminal Vertigo series upon which Constantine is based, already know, spiritual struggles and questions of faith are a big theme in John Constantine’s world, and the producers wanted to make sure that was represented on the show as well. However, to do this effectively, they needed to adopt a different approach than the comics.

"NBC is very interested in the whole Judeo-Christian, heaven-and-hell, salvation/redemption, guilt/torment… They really wanted to explore those as themes,” Cerone says. “Hellblazer does that really well, but it does it in John’s inner monologue. The greatest quotes from the comic book and some of the deepest thoughts…[they’re] in the panels, they’re his interior monologue. What Manny enabled us to do was sort of give him a personal angel who’s a very complex, questionable and dubious character himself to bring that out in the dialog.”

“We’re able to have a lot of difficult conversations in terms of why bad things happen to good people,” adds Executive Producer David S. Goyer. “Why does God allow that to happen? That’s certainly a conversation in all its iterations that’s discussed quite a bit on the show.”

Manny is embodied by actor Harold Perrineau (of Lost and Oz fame), who faced a challenge unique among his fellow cast members. How do you build a character who is new to Constantine’s world, and have him feel as natural and well-suited to it as Chas and Zed, two characters who have been a part of Hellblazer since its first few issues?

“I read the comics,” answers Perrineau. “But then in order to start building the character, I talked to Daniel quite a bit and one of the heads of NBC. And then I went back to the Bible. I went back to Christian stories. Angels have really interesting stories that come out of the Bible and out of people’s ideas and spirituality. They’re really questionable characters, angels.”

Viewers can expect Manny to fall in this “questionable” category as well. The angels of Constantine’s world are far different than the always benevolent beings serving a peaceful higher power that may be more commonly portrayed in American entertainment.

“What’s fun for us is that we know why this character was brought into our storytelling,” says Cerone. “We have a design and plan, and Harold doesn’t entirely know it. By design! We talk everything through episode to episode, but we don’t want to tip our hand.”

We can expect to get a clearer picture of what that agenda is as the show goes on and Manny takes a more prominent role. One thing that’s clear, this angel doesn’t seem to be acting entirely altruistically.

“We’ve created a mythology where angels have the power to reveal themselves to us, but they typically don’t,” explains Cerone. “When we created the character, I was really channeling [Wim Wenders’] Wings of Desire. There are these beings that have been here since the dawn of time to chart and sort of guide our spiritual development, but they’re powerless. They’re not enabled to do much of anything. They’re there to comfort with an invisible hand and a whisper, but they can’t affect change, and after a millennia of that, I would think you would get a little sick of it.”

Adds Goyer, “We haven’t exactly dated how long Manny has been around. He saw the Great Flood. That gives you an interesting perspective on a character that’s been around that long and witnessed that much human history, but also witnessed a God who has committed a giant act like that. He’s got a very unique take on the world and on humanity.”

As for Manny’s take on John Constantine, well, that’s a lot clearer.

“They’re not [friends]!” Perrineau makes clear. “But then sometimes Manny is his guardian angel. It’s complicated. It’s a really interesting relationship. At times it’s really antagonistic. He’s not a likable guy, Constantine! From an angel’s point of view, he’s just not a likable fellow.”

Sounds like Manny’s going to fit in with the rest of the DC Universe just fine.

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2014/11/07 ... ines-manny

- Constantine 1.03 "The Devils Vinyl" Clip 1:

http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/11/consta ... nyl_7.html



- Nuevas imágenes promocionales:

[Shelby]

- Constantine 1.03 "To Hell and Back: The Devil´s Vinyl" Featurette (Digital Exclusive):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6LBn9r8xvs


- Constantine 1.04 "A Feast of Friends" Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flsQJG3HFz8



Añadidos los enlaces y rátings del 1.03 "The Devils Vinyl". Podéis encontrarlos AQUÍ

[Shelby]

- BTS Stills del 1.03 "The Devil's Vinyl":