Por Christina Radish 09 Feb, 2015
On Episode 15 (called “The Scarecrow”) of the Fox series Gotham, Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) set out to stop Gerald Crane (Julian Sands), a biology teacher who has been harvesting the glands of his murder victims. He’s a man on a mission to eradicate the emotion of fear, which he sees as a hindrance in the development of the human species.
During this exclusive interview with Collider, actor Donal Logue talked about the biggest surprises that have come with being a part of Gotham, why he wishes he could hang out in the writers’ room, how nice it is to have the job security of already knowing they’ll have a Season 2, wanting to go darker, that he’d love to see some of Harvey Bullock’s home life, and why working with Jim Gordon is a case by case adjustment for Harvey.
Collider: When you do a show called Gotham, there’s already a certain weight to it, but what have been the biggest surprises for you?
DONAL LOGUE: One thing that’s interesting is that whenever something starts, like the school year when you were a kid, it feels like such a significantly huge time in your life and how much life has changed. What’s surprising is how quickly it’s going by. All of a sudden, we’re almost done with Season 1 and they’re talking about doing Season 2. It’s going fast. Harvey Bullock hasn’t been as deeply involved in the last couple of months, as I was initially, so it’s a bit different. I feel a little bit more on the outside. But, I’m more excited about seeing all these different people doing different stuff on the show. It’s hard for me, with my Catholic guilt. I’m like, “Just give me shit to do, man. I’m there, and I’m willing to work hard.” We have a lot of cool guests that come on. It’s been cool to see The Riddler become darker and funkier. It’s great. He’s been having to play, I wouldn’t say a restrained note, but this weird Edward Nygma note, and now he gets a crack. It’s good.
How much fun has it been to have Cory Michael Smith pop in and out at unexpected moments?
LOGUE: He commits to it. What’s great is that I’m so used to him in that persona that when he cracks it, it’s gonna be cool. I was watching Cory in the trailer for Olive Kitteridge, as a young man in a car, just talking, and then he’s Pee-Wee Herman style on the show. We’re tight. We have a good group of people. It’s not surprising, but it’s just the way that world gets, organically, when you get to know each other really well. When the camera is rolling and you’re doing the scene, when you’re hyper-aware that that’s what you’re doing, it’s never as natural and great and organic as it can be. What’s awesome about working on this is that, in the lunchroom we hang out with everybody, just talking about life and joking, and we have a camaraderie on the set. We hope we’re successful enough at doing this to ensure ourselves the chance to hang out, all day. It’s just hanging out. I’m a professional hanger outer. I’m a super liability, too. I joke around and I’m like a hyper-active child.
How far ahead are you told about what’s coming up on the show?
LOGUE: It would be so cool to get into the storytelling of it, as well. When you’re wrapped up in something that’s 24 hours a day, you’re wrangling with those issues all day. I don’t know what’s coming down the pike in Gotham. Part of me goes, “Man, I just wish I could be in the writers’ room. Do you need someone to make you guys coffee?” I just want to be a part of the flow of it. There are so many cool worlds that can unfold.
Having been in the business as long as you have, how nice is it to know that you have a second season before you finish the first?
LOGUE: I’ve never had a Season 2 before I’ve been done with Season 1. That’s never happened to me before. It’s crazy! I’ve never had that security. My kids are here (in L.A.), so that’s hard. It’s not hard. I’m not gonna say shit’s hard because it’s a blessing, but this has been a long three years for my children, who are teenagers. I’ve just gotta figure out how to get more committed to getting back, every second that I can, to Los Angeles. It’s amazing. It provides us with our life, but I don’t want to be a shitty dad. I don’t want to be around only to be like, “We’re going to the World Series for Fox,” which is the way it’s going down. They’re cool. They understand. They’re young men, and we can really talk about stuff. I’ve never had this kind of security before, so I’m appreciative of it.
What do you enjoy most about playing Harvey Bullock, and what would you still like to see with him?
LOGUE: I want to see it go darker, and I’d like to go home with him. I have that stuff all explored in my own mind, whether we show it or not. Every once in awhile, when he’s braggadocio about his love life, it would be fun to see what his internal life is.
How is Harvey adjusting to working with Jim Gordon?
LOGUE: It’s on a case by case basis. It changes a lot. Sometimes he’s the asshole who doesn’t like Jim Gordon. Sometimes he loves him to death. It changes. We’re on top of it because sometimes it doesn’t always track. Harvey was dying to get Jim back from Arkham, but then he says something casual. We help smooth the storytelling out completely and track the logic of everything. I don’t know what the hell is going to happen at the end of the season. I guess it’s going to be some big dramatic arc. I honestly don’t know what happens a couple days beyond the next bit of filming.
At least, if there is a big cliffhanger, you know there will be some resolution in Season 2.
LOGUE: Gotham is such a big world. I was a guest on Vikings, Law & Order and Copper, and even for those short periods, there’s something about you, as an antagonist, where the plot points are so intense that you’ve gotta die because you can’t stay. I’m just adjusting to this new role.
Are there any characters that you would love to see Harvey Bullock tangle with, in some way?
LOGUE: I wanna be the villain. Villains have fun. There’s no real specific person. Just from a fan point of view, the Scarecrow’s stuff was really interesting. I know this show is pretty broad, but I want it to terrify when it’s terrifying. Every once in awhile, when you can see shades of the person’s real interior life, I think that’s interesting.
http://collider.com/gotham-season-2-don ... interview/
- Cartagena sobre el mantener la Ley como Renee Montoya de "Gotham" (cbr):
Por Bryan Cairns 09 Feb, 2015
Jim Gordon isn't Batman, so it's probably understandable that on his own, he's unable to maintain law and order in Gotham. That's where Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen come in. Detectives in the Major Crimes Unit of the Gotham City Police Department, Montoya and Allen are equally dedicated to eradicating crime and cleaning up the city. In short, they have Gordon's back.
However, as is the way in Gotham City, Montoya isn't without her own personal baggage. A recovering alcoholic, Gordon's police compatriot has her fair share of secrets, including a romantic history with Jim's fiancée, Barbara Kean.
Victoria Cartagena, who brings Montoya to life on the Fox series, spoke with CBR News about reimagining Renee for a live-action TV series, her character's sexuality and complicated relationships and saving Jim Gordon. And, for fans of her character's comic book counterpart, she offers her thoughts on the possibility of viewers seeing Montoya eventually undergo the transformation into the Question.
CBR News: How much exposure had you had to the Batman universe before joining Gotham?
Victoria Cartagena: I watched the Adam West Batman as a kid after school, so that was my exposure. Then, I've seen every Batman film since then in the theater on opening weekend. I don't think I can say that for any other superhero films. I'm definitely Team Batman.
The "Gotham" casting process was one famously shrouded in secrecy, with many actors not knowing which role, or sometimes what show, they were auditioning for. What was it like for you?
The exact same thing. I wasn't given the script until a few days before we started shooting. For the audition, we had fake sides and a fake character. It was awesome because I was just excited about going in for the audition. Then I was excited to be playing Renee Montoya. Then I got to read the script and was fascinated. It just kept escalating.
Renee is a fairly long-running Batman character who has appeared in numerous comics and cartoons. How would you describe "Gotham's" version, and what, if anything, do you draw from previous incarnations?
The show has its own take on Renee. I can certainly see the parallels with the comics, which has definitely helped me develop her. From what I read in the comics, she's bold, persistent, tough -- basically, a badass. I'm really looking forward to her growth.
She was also one of the first DC Comics heroes to come out as gay. Are you surprised at how much "Gotham" has explored her sexuality?
I'm thrilled by it. I'm not necessarily surprised by it, but I'm happy the way it's been handled on the show. She's a woman, she's Latina, she's a cop and she happens to be gay. I appreciate the fact they even explored Montoya being gay, and showed her in a romantic relationship. It's been handled tastefully.
I do feel some pressure because she means a lot to people. You really want to do her justice and not disappoint anyone. I tried to do my homework, read about her, understand her intentions and go from there.
What are your thoughts on the Renee/Barbara relationship?
I'm not too sure how much I can say about where they currently stand. I've enjoyed playing a different side to the character. When they are together, we certainly see a more vulnerable Montoya, which is nice. It's always great to play Montoya with her guard down, because most of the time she's tough.
"Gotham" features plenty of brawls, chases and gun-slinging. How exciting was it to have Renee and her partner Crispus save Jim Gordon from Victor Zsasz?
I loved it. That was probably my favorite scene. It was really exciting to see Montoya save Gordon after falsely accusing him for many weeks. Saving him from Zsasz was the perfect way to set up that alliance and really show that the GCPD could be trusted, that they are one of the good guys.
Would you like Renee to partake in more of those action beats?
Definitely. I'd love to do more. They are so much fun to watch. It really gets the adrenaline going and you are rooting for them. Everyone loves an action sequence, and you learn a lot.
In the comics and cartoon, Renee was a beat cop paired with Harvey Bullock. Would you like to see more interaction between the two of them on "Gotham?"
There's that one scene we did in the pilot, in the diner -- I laughed reading it. Seeing them trying to gel would be hilarious. They are complete opposites. It's interesting to see people try to come together from different backgrounds, different values and different outlooks on life. It would result in moments of levity and comedy. I think they would find a common ground as they did in the comic books. They are detectives and need to get the job done.
Renee had issues with Jim in the beginning, to the degree where she even warned Barbara about him. How has Renee's perception of him changed?
Maybe Renee sees that they are more alike than she realized initially -- besides being attracted to the same kind of woman. They both believe that there is a lot of good in the world. As dark as Gotham City is, they are fighters. They are warriors. They are going to fight for good, no matter what it takes. If they can get past that earlier friction that they had, I think they could be great allies, as they are in the comics.
Jim even tells Bruce Wayne that if anything bad happens to him, Renee and Crispus will take care of things.
That was great. I loved the fact that they had the future Batman, the future Commissioner, the Question and the Spectre together. All these people move on to greatness.
"Gotham" is the jumping off point for many heroes and villains, and you just mentioned Renee's costumed alter ego. Do you feel they've planted the seeds for Renee to become the Question?
Because "Gotham" is an origin story, I think all the seeds are planted for all the characters. That's what is so great about the writing. I really appreciate the fact that they are taking their time to develop and explore each character in depth.
In the comics, there's a moment that serves as a catalyst: she becomes an alcoholic and hits rock bottom. On the show, if Renee were to fall off the wagon again, it would force her to really look at herself and become more self-aware and become the person she's meant to be. That being said, this show definitely has its own take on it, so you'll have to wait and see what triggers her.
Her partner Crispus dies in the comics. Do you and Andrew ever get concerned for his safety?
No, not really. We just go with the flow. I have so much fun with him and we're having a blast. We're just living in the moment and enjoying it. It's superstitious to even talk about that.
As a Batman fan, what have you enjoyed about being part of the DC Universe and the Batman mythology?
Because I'm one of those fans, I can't wait to read the scripts. I can't wait to tune into the show every week to see where everyone's story is going. "Gotham" has such a rich mythos, and everything they can pull for us is amazing. Then there's the production values and getting to see something that has been in your mind this entire time. You get to see what Gotham looks like. They bring the whole thing to life, and do it incredibly well
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=59162
- La estrella de GOTHAM Camren Bicondova nos da la primicia de la Season 1 (AssignementX):
Por ABBIE BERNSTEIN 09 Febrero, 2015 / 01:52 PM
On Fox’s GOTHAM, in its first season Mondays at 8 PM and already renewed for a second, we are in the world of young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) as he slowly learns the life lessons that will later allow him to become Batman.
We also meet the incipient versions of a number of Batman’s future adversaries. Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) has already adopted the moniker the Penguin and morgue worker Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) loves posing riddles.
Of all of Batman’s nemeses, his relationship with Catwoman is perhaps the most complex. Camren Bicondova’s teen Selina Kyle has quite a way to go before she adopts that identity, albeit she does love her feline friends, but she and Bruce are well into their friend/foe dynamic.
Bicondova, who looks even younger in person than she does on GOTHAM, is with her mother at the Hollywood W Hotel rooftop premiere party for Fox stable mate EMPIRE. The actress, who previously appeared in the film BATTLEFIELD AMERICA, talks about her work on the series adapted from DC Comics’ classic BATMAN.
AX: How are you enjoying GOTHAM? Are you enjoying the reception it’s getting from viewers?
CAMREN BICONDOVA: Yeah, I’m definitely enjoying it. I’ve loved the feedback that I’ve been getting and I’ve loved experiencing filming. It’s been great.
AX: Did you know anything about Catwoman as a character before you got involved with GOTHAM?
BICONDOVA: I knew that she was a very fierce character, but that was pretty much all I knew. But once I knew that I got the role, I started researching the comic books and TV shows and movies. That’s where I learned that she’s a very independent woman.
AX: Did you have to learn anything in order to play Selina, like how to perch like a cat?
BICONDOVA: Not necessarily, because I’ve been a dancer since I was five, so I’ve been able to utilize that, and I’ve been taking some parkour lessons, so I’ve been able to utilize that as well. I’ve just kind of incorporated everything.
AX: Selina lives on the streets of Gotham City. Did you do any research into homeless youth?
BICONDOVA: I kind of just went with my gut. I watched movies and documentaries based on homelessness, but I don’t necessarily treat her as a homeless kid. I didn’t really focus on the homelessness part, I focused on the surviving part.
AX: Do you have a favorite episode or a favorite scene that we’ve seen so far?
BICONDOVA: No. I love every one of them. It’s just been really exciting to film. And I’m also really excited for EMPIRE.
AX: Are you involved in EMPIRE, or are you just here to support it?
BICONDOVA: No, I’m just here to support. I’m just really excited to be able to watch it, and to watch GOTHAM on Mondays and EMPIRE on Wednesdays.
AX: Is there anything we should know about GOTHAM right now?
BICONDOVA: Selina Kyle is on the run and she’s going with the flow, keeping on the down-low. And that’s all I have to say for the Selina Kyle aspect. But I’d just say watch GOTHAM.
http://www.assignmentx.com/2015/camren- ... interview/