Interview: Catching Up With Beau Mirchoff

Beau Mirchoff/Ron Tom/ABC

Many fans will remember Beau Mirchoff from his year-long stint on “Desperate Housewives” during the 2009-10 season, where he played Drea de Matteo’s son, Danny. Nowadays, he plays a character who gets himself into cringe-worthy situations, and while they are not quite the life-or-death situations his character on “Housewives” got into, to many teens, it might seem so. Beau plays Matty on the new MTV teen comedy series “Awkward.” If you remember your teen years like I remember mine, then you know everything is a big deal in high school. Beau takes me through these awkward times and spills the beans about this new project, which airs on MTV Tuesday nights at 11/10c.

Daytime Dial: As someone in my 30s, I wasn’t expecting to like “Awkward” as much as I do, but I have to tell you, I absolutely love it! It’s smart, funny, well written and well acted.

Beau Mirchoff: I think so too. I think there are diverse characters and that people of all ages can relate to the situation and to the characters. It’s a show about teenagers, but I think there is a little bit of everything for everyone. My mom is in her 50s, and I guarantee you this will be her new favorite show. I’m glad to be on something that people are really talking about.

DD: Tell me about your character, Matty, and the things about him that appealed to you as an actor.

BM: The characteristics that appeal to me are he’s lovable and he’s loving. Matty’s thing is, he wants to be perfect; he wants his family to be perfect, and he doesn’t want anything to look negatively on his family. He constantly wants to be liked and to please people. And does he do that in the wrong way sometimes? Yes, of course. I think most teenagers don’t have a clue how to handle most situations. They might think they do, but they don’t.

DD: While this is told from a girl’s point of view, the writers do a great job of showing how being a teen, whether girl or boy, is just plain difficult.

BM: I think they are often very similar, emotionally. Guys put on the façade that everything is cool, but deep down I think they have some of the similar problems with image, popularity and fitting in — finding a girl and being loved and all those types of problems.

DD: This seems like it would be a fun set to work on.

BM: It was awesome; it was fun; it was happy! Everyone was great and supportive. We always would run lines and talk about our scenes and our characters, trying to find new things in scenes that we hadn’t found before. We’d come up with new, creative ideas and run them by Lauren (Iungerich, executive producer/creator/writer). Every once in a while, I’d come up with a really good idea and it would work. Life on the set was creative and fun.

DD: Another fun and creative set you worked on was with the folks at “Desperate Housewives.” What was that experience like?

BM: Educational. I learned so much from all the people on that set with all those actors and actresses. They are pros and they know what they’re doing. I was very grateful to get that job. Not just for the recognition and whatnot, but to grow as an actor. You can only learn so much in acting class, but when you’re on set, it’s a whole different thing. I learned a lot from Jeffrey Nordling, who played my father, and Drea de Matteo, who was my mother. A majority of my scenes were with them. You learn a lot from just watching them work, and you see how they do it. That was what was most beneficial from that.

DD: I am a big “Sopranos” fan, and was so happy to see Drea on the show. How cool was it that she played your mom?

BM: Yeah, I had a big crush on Drea. I hope it didn’t read on camera. That would have been creepy, since she was my mom, but it probably came out. It’s inevitable. She’s quite attractive and so great at what she does.

Interview: Catching Up With Nicollette Sheridan

You can’t mention Nicollette Sheridan without thinking of her most recent alter ego, Edie Britt of “Desperate Housewives.” However, when you watch Nicollette in her new Hallmark Channel movie, “Honeymoon for One” — which premieres Saturday, Aug. 13 at 9/8c — Edie will be the furthest thing from your mind. In “Honeymoon,” Nicollette plays Eve Parker, a woman scorned who decides to travel to Ireland on what would have been her honeymoon. Along the way, she discovers love in the form of the breathtaking countryside, a sweet preteen named Kathleen, and a handsome (and irksome) outdoorsman named Sean.

Daytime Dial: What brought you to the Hallmark Channel, and to this movie in particular, “Honeymoon for One”?

Nicollette Sheridan: First of all, I really liked the character and I liked the movie. Hallmark is making beautiful movies that everyone can watch. And at times, they are dealing with slightly edgy material, so Hallmark has come a long way. And I do love that their movies are something the whole family can watch.

DD: Tell me about your character, Eve.

NS: Eve is hiding from herself and her intimate relationship by immersing herself in her work. I think a lot of people are guilty of that, and when something traumatic happens, she is forced to look at her life and make huge changes. And as we know, your career doesn’t wrap itself around you at night, and keep you safe and sound. Being present and being aware, and having a life filled with love, friendship and trust does. When you reach outside yourself and you do for others, it enriches many more lives, including your own. And that’s what I really liked about her journey.

DD: What were some of the aspects of her character that you could relate to or that you were really proud of?

NS: Well, she’s a very kind person, and she means well. Then again, she really needs to pull her head out of the sand and see what’s going on around her. And she’s a strong character. I like that she’s not a victim. It’s very difficult to go through a relationship breakup. Especially when somebody cheats on you, and though these things are very painful in her life, the outcome is a much better path.

DD: It’s very exciting and brave of her to go off on her own to a foreign country to clear her head and decide what she wants to do with her life.

NS: And it’s very out of character for her to do something like that, but her friends urge her to go. When she does, it’s very awkward at first, but she transcends all of that.

DD: What was Greg Wise, who played Sean, like to work with?

NS: Greg is a fantastic actor, and he’s very playful. We had a lot of fun shooting this film.

DD: And the location was just gorgeous! Where did you film, and what was the actual filming like?

NS: It was just stunning. We were in the most beautiful places. And I’d never been to Ireland, and coming from England myself, you have that expansive countryside, but it’s a much wilder feel in Ireland. I loved it over there. And of course I’ve been riding since I was a tiny little thing, and so for me to be out there and belting across the countryside on that white horse was heaven for me. It was just breathtaking over there. People are so nice and warm and friendly, and I’m looking forward to going back when I don’t have to work so I can really explore the country.

DD: A movie of yours that I absolutely loved you in was “Noises Off!” Do you hope to do some slapstick comedy like that again? Everyone in that movie was absolutely brilliant and I know you’re good at comedy. You’re good at the romance and the drama, but I just loved you in the slapstick, physical comedy.

NS: Thank you. That was a very special movie. It had an incredible cast, and we would all convene at a roundtable in the morning, and everybody would tell stories and just share in a way that I’d never experienced on a set before. Basically we rehearsed it as a play. And then when we were ready to start shooting, we would shoot eight pages at a time, all in one shot. It was pretty demanding, physically, because as you remember, we were up and down the stairs and all the backstage business. The outtakes from that film were hilarious. I do love physical comedy as well as drama, so hopefully there will be a bit of everything to come.

DD: What are your thoughts on all these remakes that seem to be happening? I know TNT is doing a remake of “Dallas.”

NS: I know! I just saw an ad for it. It looked exciting. There was a nostalgia that came with seeing the ad for the show, and I think the music and those faces that are so familiar to so many people … I think there is something comforting about it. And it looks exciting! You’ve got all those colorful characters, and I’m sure they are all going to do an incredible job with it.

Larry Hagman looked great and Patrick Duffy, and I noticed that Brenda Strong, who was Mary Alice on “Housewives,” is in it. I’m thrilled for her, because she’s a beautiful actress and one of the loveliest human beings that I know.

DD: If they decided to do a “Knots Landing” remake, would you be on board, or would you say, “Good luck, but my time on ‘Knots Landing’ has passed”?

NS: I haven’t heard about anyone speaking of doing that. I think that “Dallas” was a lot flashier than “Knots Landing.” “Knots Landing” was really the down-home, simpler, more-pained version. Just very real people going through real situations, but I haven’t heard if they are interested in remaking that.

DD: I know you’re involved with a lot of charities, especially animal charities. Can you tell me a bit about them?

NS: It’s always wonderful to place animals in homes, because there are so many unwanted furry friends that need a beautiful family to go to. So, that’s something that I like to help with. Also, I got involved with Guide Dogs for the Blind. It is such a wonderful gift to be able to pair up somebody in need with a set of eyes and a companion. That was a very fulfilling thing to be a part of.

Recently, there is this charity called Ride On that is with horses. It’s for the disabled — both physically and mentally, adults and children — and just through the love that you get through working with and riding horses. It’s an incredibly healing experience and gives them a sense of accomplishment to be able to ride and to be able to bond in that fashion. I’m going to have a little bit more free time coming up, so I’m actually going to get to be more hands-on with the people and the horses. Animals are such a gift.

Interview (Desperate Housewives): Joshua Moore Grows Up on Wisteria Drive

Joshua Moore (pictured, left; photo credit: Nathaniel Taylor) has played Parker Scavo on “Desperate Housewives” since 2008, portraying one of Felicity Huffman and Doug Savant’s children in their ever-expanding brood. While he is thrilled to be working with the high caliber of stars to come and go on Wisteria Lane, Joshua’s first major role in Hollywood had him working with the legendary Clint Eastwood when he was cast as an abducted child in 2008’s “Changeling.”

Daytime Dial: One of your first roles was in “Changeling.” What was it like to be directed by Clint Eastwood?

Joshua Moore: It really was an amazing experience, because it was one of the first big film projects that I had a role in. And working with Clint Eastwood was just amazing, because he’s so laid back. He just runs the set and knows exactly how to get people to do what he wants. He’s an amazing director -- one of the best directors I’ve ever worked with. And at the same time, you’re just in awe of him because it’s Clint Eastwood!

DD: Speaking of being in awe, there have been some huge, high-profile guest stars on “Desperate Housewives.” Has there ever been a time when you’ve been nervous to work with someone?

JM: I’m never usually nervous working with somebody, but my mom -- it’s really funny, but John Schneider just came on the show, and my mom used to watch “Dukes of Hazzard” religiously, so she freaked when he came on set. And when I heard Vanessa Williams was coming on the show, I was really excited, because I’m always impressed by her work.

DD: How is she to work with?

JM: She’s just great to work with. She’s one of the coolest people on set. I think she’s a really good actress, and she’s great in her role. She’s just a very cool person to talk to and hang out with.

DD: Of course things are never quiet on “Desperate Housewives.” What have been some of the crazier experiences for your character?

JM: Well, one of the crazier things that happened was when we were all on the street for the Christmas community street meeting, and they wrecked the plane through the street. That was probably one of the largest-scale crazy things that my character was involved in. What they actually did was they attached the plane to a rope, and they just pulled it through really fast. It was really cool to get to see them demolish the set like that.

DD: You work very closely with Felicity Huffman — she must be a wealth of information for you regarding acting and technique and such.

JM: You can learn a lot just by watching, but do I ask for help from her. She’s one of the most helpful people I’ve ever worked with, just in terms of giving advice or just helping you along to where you need to be with the scene. She’s amazing to work with.

DD: What are some of your favorite moments on the set, whether acting-wise or personal?

JM: Aside from the plane crash, I would say when we have a church scene. Whenever anybody gets married and everybody has to go down to that church, the whole cast goes. It’s always cool, because everybody is just hanging out and having fun.

DD: Do you have any hopes for the direction Parker will take? Do you have an ideal story line?

JM: I don’t have an ideal story line. Any story line is good as long as you’re a main part of the story line. That’s all that really matters, no matter what the content is. I’m just hoping that he gets some more forefront, focus parts where he’s a big part of the situation.

DD: I think in a couple of years he should start dating Susan (played by Teri Hatcher) to shake things up a bit.

JM: That’s not even that farfetched for “Desperate Housewives,” I’m sure.

Interview (Desperate Housewives): Helena Mattsson Gets Some Summertime Action

Dubbed "The Swedish Bombshell," Helena Mattsson surely is making her mark in Hollywood. With a part in prime time's hottest show, as well as 2010's biggest summer blockbuster (so far!), Helena is no longer flying under the radar. I caught up with her recently to talk about Iron Man 2, working with Robert Downey Jr., and playing a gold-digging manipulator on Desperate Housewives.

Daytime Dial: Iron Man 2 debuted at No. 1 its opening weekend and still dominates the box office. It's well on its way to becoming Summer 2010 biggest blockbuster. This all must be very exciting.

Helena Mattsson: Very exciting. It’s just a really fun movie that I am so glad I got to be involved in. I saw the first movie and I really liked it. I was really excited to be part of this one. I have a really small role, but that doesn’t matter because it’s an appealing thing.

DD: Tell me about your character, Rebecca.

HM: I can’t say too much (to not give anything away for those who haven't seen the movie yet), but I’m playing Rebecca, and I have this one big party scene where I sort of challenge Iron Man with his weapons, and there’s a lot of crazy stuff going on. I throw stuff up in the air. It’s a really big, crazy party scene.

DD: Was yours a physical role?

HM: Not so much. I get to run around quite a bit. I ended up taking my shoes off when we were shooting because I was running around. It was pretty exhausting. I wish I had more of the action stuff to do, that would have been fun.

DD: Is this the biggest project you’ve worked on so far? And what was the vibe on the set?

HM: It was just such a big set with so many people involved. They build all of these beautiful setups for the scenes and they had a lot of extras — just such a big production. It was really, really exciting to step into that and be part of it, and also to get to work with Robert Downey Jr. was really a dream come true. He is such an amazing actor and I admire him so much. I was a little nervous, but it was so exciting to get to work with him and everybody else on set.

DD: Is Robert a lot like his Tony Stark character?

HM: Yeah, I think he brings a lot of himself to his character. He is a character — very much a character himself. He’s a really, really nice guy and a lot of fun.

DD: It must have just been a very surreal experience, to be a fan of the first Iron Man and of the actors in it, and then you get to be in the sequel.

HM: Definitely. It was very surreal just to be a part of something you’ve seen. You’ve seen the first movie and it was such a big hit. Like I said, even though I have a small role in it, it was really, really exciting anyway just to be part of a project,

DD: It would seem to me that there are no small roles in a movie of this caliber!

HM: Definitely. I also definitely realized going to the premiere that this movie was very anticipated. People really loved the first movie and this one is going to be really big too. There were so many people at the premiere. It is definitely the biggest project that I’ve been a part of, which was really exciting. I wish I had a bigger role in it. Shooting was so much fun. I just wanted the shoot to go on. It was that much fun.

DD: Last fall, you also were in another action/sci-fi movie, Surrogates, with Bruce Willis, which is now on DVD. What was that movie like to work on?

HM: That was another really huge set with so many people. We shot in Boston and I was there for a few weeks. It was a great, great experience. That one was about robots, surrogate robots. It was really cool to be a part of an action film like that. It’s sort of a dream come true as well.

DD: You also have a role on Desperate Housewives as Irina, who happens to be Russian. You do a really good Russian accent. Did you work with a professional coach on that?

HM: My accent was really heavy when I first came here. I had a heavy Swedish accent. Although it’s not quite the same as the Russian. I have some Russian friends, and I really wanted the part so I made sure to really look to my Russian friends, and I really started to get the accent down. For some reason, it came easy to me. It’s really fun to do an accent like that because it brings a lot to the character.

DD: I think you are doing a great job with it, because it sounds very authentic.

HM: I was really nervous about that at times because they gave us the lines and the scripts and everything so last minute each time. At one point they gave me a long speech in Russian, and I had like no time to prepare. By the time I got it down completely, they changed it again. So I was really stressed out about that. Just to speak the language properly, you don’t think about that when you watch it. Sometimes there’s no time to prepare.

DD: I love the tug-of-war relationship Irina has with Lynette. It is fun to watch. Is it fun to play those scenes?

HM: Oh my God, it is so much fun to be the villain and to be manipulative. There are so many off-tones and so many layers that only the women understand among themselves. You can always read between the lines. It was a lot of fun. It is also a lot of fun to play a character that’s really far from yourself and really have fun with that and be the villain. So, I’m very excited about that.

DD: What do you like, if anything, about Irina, and how do you relate to her?

HM: Every time you play a character you have to justify everything that they do. As Irena, I had to justify what I was doing and everything, and sometimes that’s tricky to justify some of the things she does, but I made it work for myself. I justified my actions to myself. Purely for the fun too.

Dougray Scott Stars in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I recently spoke with Dougray Scott about his latest movie, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which is premiering on the ION network on Saturday, May 17th. I also was able to see a sneak preview of the movie, and I must say that it is a must see. Check it out:

For more than a century, the tale of Jekyll and Hyde has captivated the world imagination. In this chilling and diabolically clever reinvention, evil lives again.

Dr. Henry Jekyll (Dougray Scott, Desperate Housewives) is a well-regarded physician whose evenings are spent researching a rare and sacred Amazonian flower so potent it’s said to literally separate the soul, giving life to man’s Dark Self. The obsessive experiments to isolate its psychotropic properties happen to coincide with a series of brutal murders gripping the city with fear. Jekyll knows it’s no coincidence. While his nights are lost to him, he awakens with bloody mementos and violent memories of the screams of his victims. He knows the Dark Self is coming into his own. It’s even given himself a name: Mr. Edward Hyde.

Anxious to plead guilty, waive trial, face sentence, and be put out of his misery, where he can no longer do harm, Jekyll solicits the help of Claire Wheaton (Krista Bridges, Land of the Dead), a compassionate attorney attracted to unusual and lost causes. Agreeing to represent Jekyll, her case for extreme mental imbalance is convincing. Confined to an asylum, Jekyll realizes that he has lost control, that Hyde now emerges in both body and soul on a horrifying whim, and slaughters with equal abandon. Hyde also knows that Claire is looking to suppress him. What Hyde doesn’t like, he kills. And while Jekyll is safely locked away, Hyde isn’t.

Co-starring Emmy winner Tom Skerritt (Picket Fences), Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic classic is now ingeniously retold to terrify audiences anew.

Here is a snippet from my interview with Dougray: 

“I was definitely excited and very flattered to be offered the part — to play such an intriguing, iconic character from Robert Louis Stevenson’s very famous novella. I liked that Mr. Hyde is not a monster (as past films have portrayed him), but rather he is a believable alter ego.”

Watch this movie, if your cable/satellite provider offers the ION channel. If not, demand it! You won't be disappointed!

Tune in to Tuc This Sunday

If you're fortunate enough to get the Independent Film Channel (IFC) as part of your cable or satellite package, check out this Sunday's (Aug. 26th) episode of the hilarious comedy "The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman." None other than the fabulous Tuc Watkins (on-again/off-again David on "One Life to Live") is guest starring on the episode titled "Jackie Meets Her Match" at 11:30 p.m.

Even better news is that Watkins has been cast on "Desperate Housewives" this fall as one-half of a gay couple that sets up residence on Wisteria Lane. He joins another former "OLTL" star, Nathan Fillion (ex-Joe), and former "Y&R" teen Lyndsy Fonseca (ex-Colleen) on the hit show.

It's nice to see Tuc's talents being appreciated. Go Tuc!

Former Passions Star Enters Rehab

Jesse Metcalfe, who originated the role of superhunk Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on Passions, and later gained further hunk-type notoriety for his turn as John the gardener on Desperate Housewives, has checked himself into an L.A.-area rehab facility to "deal with alcohol issues."


The actor's rep told The New York Post: "He realized he had a problem and was anxious to deal with it immediately," adding that he "hopes that the media will allow him the privacy to deal properly with his treatment."


The 28-year-old actor has been creating a rukus around L.A., creating scenes with alcohol-induced erratic behavior, getting kicked out of hotels (The Mondiran) and bars, etc. As recently as Saturday night, according to one of my fave gossip columnists, E!'s Ted Casablanca, he was seen bar-hopping to at least four different clubs: Area, Mood, Element and Xenii.


I'm glad Jesse has been proactive in battling his demons, and here's to hoping for his successful treatment.