Interview: Christian Slater On My Own Worst Enemy

By Julia Diddy
Fancast.com

With iconic roles such as Pump Up The Volume, Heathers and True Romance under his belt, did anyone ever doubt Christian Slater had it in him?!? (The capacity for some serious evil twin action, that is.) Beyond landing a matinee idol for the lead, NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy is poised to leap into the fall fray with even more serious street cred - including a stellar supporting cast that encompasses the likes of Alfre Woodard, Madchen Amick, Saffron Burrows, and James Cromwell, and a premise that would look like the makings for a particularly hairy day even for James Bond.

Emerging from under cover long enough to face a telephonic press panel, Christian called in from the set to discuss how the classic spy story plays out within the limited square footage of one singular psyche. Following are the Q&A highlights:

This is quite an acting exercise because you get to do two very different characters. And what I was kind of wondering - is there ever a point where they just jump together? Are you able to pretty much focus all day on Henry or focus all day on Edward, or are you jumping back and forth from one minute to another when you’re shooting the scenes?

Christian Slater: Yeah, we are - you know, I think in the first episode it was pretty specific, you know, who I was playing on what particular day. But as we’ve moved on, we’ve gotten to do a lot of fun things, and the other personality starts coming on in the midst of being in the middle of like a fight or something like that - you know, having a hand-to-hand fist combat with a guy on a train and starting to feel the other character coming out who doesn’t really know anything about fighting. So it’s been - that’s been challenging and fun.

And are the two so embedded in you by now that you can easily jump from one to the other, or is that still a hard thing to do?

CS: Well, you know, as we peel the layers of this onion and continue to delve deeper and deeper into these characters, I think I’m going to continually be discovering new things. And the writers - it feels like they’re just unleashed and coming up with a lot of interesting and creative scenarios and situations to put both of these characters into. So, you know, for me it’s a continual process of discovery.

Were the dual personalities the aspect of this that made it irresistible to you? Which is to say, if the show were only about Edward and not Henry would it have been - would it have done it for you?

CS: I think the dual personality aspect was certainly something that I enjoyed about this particular script. I thought the title was great fun. I thought, you know, taking the Jekyll and Hyde type of premise and, you know, of putting that sort of angel and devil on your shoulder sort of scenario - and blowing it out into such an extreme way was something that was very identifiable and very interesting.

I was wondering who you’re most like, who you’d probably be friends with, who you like to play the most, and/or who is easier to play?

CS: Well, it’s been interesting as we’ve gone along. I think in the beginning when I first, you know, read the pilot and we were - we started filming, you know, I thought gosh you know, I really want to be Edward. You know, Edward is this, you know, “cool guy,” tough guy. And as we’ve gone along, I’ve discovered that I really like Henry and find him to be, you know, a very relatable character, a very human guy. And I’m certainly enjoying, as we go along, discovering more and more things about that particular character.

And for me, hopefully I’m - well I don’t ever want to be the extreme of Edward, so I’m somewhere in the middle between the two. But if I could hang out with on in particular, I’d probably feel a lot safer with Henry.

Are you a fan of the genre of spy movies?

CS: Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

And do you have a favorite?

CS: Well yeah, I love Sean Connery. I grew up watching all of, you know, his films as Bond, and I love Daniel Craig and think he’s a great Bond. So I have - yeah, I’ve traditionally always loved this genre.

In terms of the [high] production value, the action, the storyline [of this show]……….is that sort of what you wanted or is that sort of what you needed if you were going to commit to a television series?

CS: Well, you know, it’s always a risk and a gamble whatever project you get involved with. But I can honestly say - I mean, Ben Silverman and Terry Weinberg, and Katie O’Connell really kept up their end of the agreement. They told me that each week they were going to try and put a movie on TV every week and as far as I can tell the production value and the things we’ve been able to do have been extraordinary. And the crew and the team that is assembled is beyond first class. So it’s like to show up to work everyday is a phenomenal pleasure.

[Are these] type of roles………fun for you, and how much do you think it sort of plays to your acting strengths?

CS: I mean, is it fun for me? It’s like we were shooting stuff yesterday, you know, running through these dark corridors and, you know, having a gun battle. And it does go back a little bit to being a kid playing in my backyard, I’ll be honest with you. And I enjoyed doing it then and I certainly enjoy doing it now. And this particular show certainly provides me the ability to, you know, do the two very distinct personalities. So on every level it’s a unique and interesting challenge.

One of your characters, you know, is this intense operative and he speaks many, many languages. How many languages you actually speak in real life, and [have you had to] fake it until you made it as far as languages go on the series?

CS:Yeah, some - well, you know, they - as far as the series goes they, you know, have brought in dialect coaches and, you know, they give me - they record the stuff on CD and give it to me with enough time to sort of prepare and get ready. And the languages that we’re tackling so far have been Russian and a little Chinese, and some German.

Is there one that’s particularly hard?

CS: Well, I guess it’s all about listening. You know, I try and just listen to the specifics in what the teacher is telling me to do and get the details as much as possible. And so it’s specifics and repetition. That is really the trick so far that I’ve discovered to kind of get a sense of what the languages are.

Your show is going to be running on Monday nights, and you’ve got a great lead in with very popular (fan base) genre shows in Heroes and Chuck. What would you say to that audience to convince them to stick around and check out your show? And what do you think your show offers to the comic book fans?

CS: Well, this show has so many, I think, phenomenal twists and turns. I think we’ll continue to keep audiences guessing. We have continual storylines, and I think some characters that are very well developed and are in the process of being developed, and some really great actors. I mean, James Cromwell and Alfre Woodard, and Saffron Burrows, and Madchen Amick - they’re all just very, very interesting characters. And I hope people enjoy it as much as I’m enjoying making it.

You’ve had such a long and amazing career. I was just wondering if - looking back, if there are one or two projects that stick out to you that you’re especially proud of?

CS: For me, you know, I go way back probably to a film I did called Pump Up the Volume that I enjoyed a great deal, and I loved playing that character. And he kind of had a bit of a dual, split personality thing going on as well. And so I think with this particular show it’s reminiscent in some ways of that.

You’ve done guest starring spots on other television shows, but now you’re not just the star of this show, you’re actually two stars of this show. So how has that been for your work life and to that life balance that you’ve got?

CS: Well, I mean for me, I love to - when I go to work I love to work. I don’t - I always - it’s difficult when you show up to work and you end up sitting in a trailer all day and you feel like wow, you know, what was the point of this……? So for this I can honestly say I haven’t spent a lot of time hanging out, sitting still. It’s been like jumping on board of a very fast-moving train and, you know, just hanging on and keeping up, and enjoying the ride as much as possible. And it - there is a lot of bouncing back and forth and a lot of twists and turns. And it just - it never stops moving. And I seem to really respond to that kind of atmosphere.

Do you have a plan to maintain that energy level through 22 episodes?

CS: I think just, you know, take care of myself, hang out with people that are supportive and caring, and nurturing. And, you know - and when you go to work it feels much more like a - because the crew is so great and I’m really enjoying working with all of these people, it hasn’t felt tedious or agonizing. It’s felt pleasurable and like a real fun experience. We’re spending a lot of time laughing and being creative. And the directors that have come in have been phenomenal and wonderful, and incredibly easy to work with, so that makes the job that much easier.

One thing I was wondering about was, as someone who started in several cult films like Pump up the Volume and True Romance that have really stood the test of time, do you feel like a TV show can have that same sort of impact and staying power?

CS: I think so. I mean, certain shows have been quite historic. A lot of the shows that I grew up with - well I mean come on, Star Trek is certainly……a show that had staying power and, you know, I was a huge fan of shows. Without a doubt, shows, if they’re done well with integrity and have interesting characters that people can relate to, certainly have the ability to stand the test of time. And if people are putting their heart and souls into them, it comes across.

Could you just expand a little bit on the - what you said before about the connection between this and Pump up the Volume with a split personality character?

CS: Well, in Pump up the Volume, you know, I think I played pretty specifically a very shy kind of - a shy high school kid, you know, who by night was this guy who had this other personality that he was - only felt comfortable being in the privacy of his own room, you know. So I like the duality of that. I like sort of the Clark Kent/Superman aspects of that particular film.

As a long time move actor, what do you like or dislike about the storytelling differences with working in television?

CS: Well, I mean, it’s a phenomenal experience to come in every eight days and, you know, be handed a new script and, you know, see the direction that things are going and the questions that are being answered. You know, for me as an actor having done theater and having done movies, it’s like you show up and you get to tell that one whole complete story within two hours that night or over a certain period of time - 30 days or however many days it takes to make the movie. With this, it is a continual unfolding journey and it really is up to the writers and how creative and clever, and interesting they’re feeling and willing to be.

And I can honestly say………… I mean, John Eisendrath and the direction he’s been taking the show, I couldn’t be more excited or - you know, it makes me laugh. It makes me - it’s fun to sit in the read-throughs and hear the other actors go, “Oh my goodness……….” - you know, because they haven’t read the scripts yet. So it’s fun to hear that they’re genuinely surprised.

In the past you kind of — for better or for worse — had sort of like a bad boy image if you can call it that. Do you think that sort of helped you get the role…….. ?

CS: I don’t know if it specifically helped me get this particular role. You’d probably have to ask the director or producer, or somebody in charge. But I don’t know, I think - honestly, I was in London doing a play over there, and Terry Weinberg and Katie O’Connell came over. And, you know, we had a meeting and I think they, you know, had seen the play and got a sense that this might be something I could participate in. And they told me about this particular story, and it sounded very interesting to me. Then Ben Silverman was relentless in his pursuit. And it was just one of those opportunities I think I would’ve been crazy not to agree to.

How much creative input do you have into Edward and Henry?

CS: As we’ve gone along and I’ve worked with the directors and with John Eisendrath, it’s been great. The relationship - if I have a question about a particular moment or a particular scene, or feel like a particular action would be more Edwardian — that’s kind of the word that we’ve come up with now — or Henry-esque, the directors and John have been very, very happy to hear the suggestion. And often at times have incorporated it into the script.

The supporting casting is really strong. You’re definitely the draw of the show, but it sounds like you have really good people around you. Were you involved with kind of casting Madchen and Mike O’Malley and Alfre? I mean, they all just really brought a lot to the show and I think they’re going to really hold you up even more.

CS: Oh yeah. No, I could not be more thrilled with the people that are involved and the kids that I have also on the show, Bella Thorne and Taylor, are incredible. And I think there’s going to be some really interesting storylines to delve into in later episodes with those particular characters. But yeah, as we’ve gone along with Saffron and James Crowell comes in, in the next episode I think it is, and it just - it continues to move in that particular direction. And it’s thrilling. I couldn’t be happier.

Story wise, is your home life going to get pulled into more of the spy world or the, you know, the other side because I just assume these images of Madchen Amick, you know, doing these kind of adventure-esque scenes, you know - like she gets pulled into things where she doesn’t know what she’s doing either.

CS: She’s - I mean, working with her, I tell you, it’s one of the greatest experiences of my life. She is just - I don’t know - I love her. I mean, the chemistry that I feel with her is just - it’s very special. And I certainly look forward to whatever the writers do have in mind. Yes, I mean, of course there are going to be some very interesting things and scenarios for her to have to deal with, and for me to have to deal with as far as relationships go and, you know, dealing with a marriage and this kind of extreme circumstance.

When I read the pilot, I was struck by the fact that both Edward and Henry seem to be surrounded by a group of women who take care of him. And I’m wondering if you can talk a little bit about working with the women in the cast, specifically Alfre Woodard, but also the woman who plays your assistant, and your wife, obviously - Henry’s wife?

CS: Yeah. Well Alfre is - she’s certainly a phenomenally strong actress and is great, and is I think, a perfect matriarch for this, you know, for this kind of environment. And she carries herself with great authority. And what can I say? I mean, she’s just - she’s a powerful actress, so I’m glad that she’s kind of the one holding the leash on Edward and Henry. And Saffron Burrows is - couldn’t be a better therapist. She’s intelligent and sharp, and I think emotionally a very, very strongly developed character. And Madchen is just full of life and I think really represents a great deal of the heart and soul of the story, and what keeps Henry and Edward grounded.

Can you say anymore about James Cromwell’s role?

CS: Yeah. James Cromwell plays a character called (Trumble) who really is, I would say, the head of the organization. He is the big boss of the organization, kind of overseeing everything.

Obviously, Henry and Edward don’t really know that one another exists. Do you think there are going to be clues along the way that they find that kind of gives them a heads-up that something is not quite right?

CS: Well yeah, I think in the - in this first episode it’s called Breakdown, and the microchip that is implanted into Edward’s brain has started to break down. And the two personalities are beginning to merge and a lot of chaos starts to ensue. And, you know, they do find different ways to communicate with each other and, you know, writing signs on each other’s hands so when they do come to they can see what they’ve been up to. And as the show develops they find much more technological ways to stay informed.

I was just curious as to whether or not you think My Own Worst Enemy will end up crossing genre - something like a show like Lost does? For instance, you’re not sure if it’s science fiction, fantasy, adventure. Do you think the show will end up going that way?

CS: I certainly think it has that possibility. Again, it’s going to come down to what the writers choose to do and what direction they feel is the best possible direction to take the show in. I mean I certainly see it as a very human story and relatable story, and identifiable story. So I think that will keep it grounded in a certain sense of reality.

Do you think if this show is a hit that either Henry or Edward will get their own show?

CS: That would be interesting to see a spin-off. Yeah, in one or another direction. We’ll see what happens.

Have [you] ever felt like [you’ve] had two personalities struggling for control?

CS: I think as you grow in life, I mean, you do………..let’s see, the easiest way to sum this up I think, is just to say the fastest way to know who you are is to first know who you’re not.

When I was watching the pilot, I immediately thought of what we’re hearing about Joss Whedon’s new show, Dollhouse, and the similarity between the premises. And I’m wondering if you - if there was ever a moment on set where people thought, uh-oh - this sounds similar, or this sounds the same, or if there was any concern about that?

CS: I haven’t specifically heard anything in regards to that, but I think if you look at entertainment, it’s always a version of something else. Even when I was doing Robin Hood, they were making another Robin Hood in another forest somewhere else in London. So it’s - there’s always scenarios like that. I mean, this particular scenario is a Jekyll and Hyde type of story or a Hyde and Jekyll kind of story. So it takes a particular genre scenario and tries to update it and dealing with a similar premise, tries to make it its own.

I guess the question is why now? I’m sure you’ve been, you know - I know you’ve dabbled in television in the past. Was there something outside of the quality of the script that kind of made you think this would be a good time to kind of plant my feet in TV for a couple of years or hopefully many years?

CS: I think it was the enthusiasm and passion initially displayed by Ben Silverman and Terry Weinberg, and Katie O’Connell that got me so excited about this particular opportunity. And also the people on my team, (Tracy Brennan) and a whole - (Michael Catcher), everybody was very, very enthusiastic.

Are you guys shooting primarily in LA?

CS: Yeah, primarily in LA - every now and then a quick trip to Moscow and Germany just to do some exteriors.

Are you doing a lot of the stunt work and have you been training with weapons and stuff like that?

CS: Yeah, yeah, they’ve been great about getting me involved. We’ve got a great stuntman, (Ian) - I wish I could give you his last name right now. I can’t think of it. But he’s fantastic. I’ve got a great stunt double who’s fantastic. But for me I enjoy getting involved in the fights. I love doing it. I, you know, took Kempo Karate for two and a half years and I just started to go back again because I would like to get my black belt. I’m two belts away from getting my black belt personally. So I’d like to continue to do that and incorporate as much of what I know into the movements that Edward is capable of doing.

And also weapons training, have you been doing that kind of stuff, too?

CS: Yeah, yeah, we’ve been working with the guns and a lot of - yeah. I mean, they - we’ve went in and ran around with the guns and we haven’t done so many things with like weapons or swords although I did have a good fight the other day with a pair of handcuffs that went well.

MY OWN WORST ENEMY premieres Monday, October 13th at 10/9c on NBC. If you can’t wait for the full monty, check out this sneak peek here on Fancast!