During the second season of ‘Killjoys’, I’ve been fortunate enough to interview some of the actors who portray key supporting characters for my SciFi Encounters column at USA Today Happily Ever After. With the season finale this week, I thought it might be fun to collect the interviews in one place for you, so here they are, reblogged – Pree, Alvis, Fancy and Lucy! (With permission from USAT/HEA.)

No spoilers but cool to hear from the actors!

Unfortunately I didn’t get  chance to connect with Khlyen, Bellus or Pawter.

(I also interviewed Michelle Lovretta, the amazing creator and showrunner, at length before the season began, which can be found here on USAT/HEA, as well as Part I of my notes from a group interview last week with Aaron Ashmore (Johnny) and Luke MacFarlane (D’avin), which are with my episode recap here. For my Archive with links to all the episode recaps and more, go here.)

Have added their twitter handles since the #killjoys cast actively tweets

Thom Allison – Pree           @ThomAllison

Veronica: What are the good, bad and fabulous about working on a science fiction show?

Thom: GOOD: The fan base is huge for the genre and they are sooo committed. When they like you, they really like you.  Our fans have embraced us so warmly, it’s been a little overwhelming.

BAD: The need to be original is crucial because there seems to be so much good Sci-Fi out there.

FABULOUS: My wardrobe and make-up. I mean, come on. Our designer Trysha Bakker gets to go to town on Pree’s looks.

Veronica: I must totally agree about the wardrobe!  What was your favorite scene (either season) and why?

Thom: The scene at the gambling table with Aaron Ashmore in Eulogy in S2 Ep1. When we had our fake lovers’ quarrel, we could barely get through it. Everyone was laughing and in such an extra great mood that day.

Veronica:  That scene in the casino was hilarious for sure and it really felt organic to the two characters, as if they just decided WTH and took off with the spat, escalating the insults, which of course is a testament to the skill of the acting, in my  opinion. And when Johnny dissed Pree’s mother and all the bad guys were so horrified – quite the fun moment.  As an actor, what is your favorite aspect of the character you play?

Thom: I love that Pree is so forthcoming yet he still has so many secrets. Having a secret is great fun as an actor. I can lay in nuances that will pay off later, even if a secret hasn’t been written yet. I also love that Pree is so sassy. He has the greatest lines which is a gift.

Veronica: Great lines, great delivery! Since we’re primarily a book blog, what book or books are currently on your To Be Read list?

Thom: Been given Andrea Martin’s Lady Parts. Love her and looking forward to reading it.

You can learn more about Thom Allison and his projects at the Internet Movie Database  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047709

Tamsen McDonough – Lucy         @redTamsen

Veronica: What are the good, bad and fabulous about working on a science fiction show?

Tamsen: Good: the endless and unpredictable creativity of characters, situations, plots, creatures, etc, etc.

Bad: waiting to see all the SPFX

Fabulous: two words. THE FANS

Veronica:  What was your favorite scene and why?

Tamsen: Veronica, as you’ve had a preview of all the episodes in Season 2, you know that there are some exciting scenes coming up that will be really fun for the viewers!

Veronica: Fair enough, no future spoilers, but in this episode I personally loved the Lucy-Johnny kiss and the fireworks she set off! As an actor, what is your favorite aspect of the character you play?

Tamsen: I just love playing ‘Lucy’ the Killjoys’ AI spaceship as, not only is it an amazing challenge to play a non-human character, she’s sassy, loyal and unapologetic about her like and dislike of various characters.  I’m also convinced she desperately wants to be human, so her dreams and insecurities are really fun nuances to play.

Veronica:  Since we’re primarily a book blog, what book or books are currently on your To Be Read list?

Tamsen: Actually, just a few days ago, I was forcing my love of Christopher Moore novels (especially Lamb) and  The Princess Bride by William Goldman onto a friend, and he retaliated by suggesting The Martian and Fight Club. Otherwise, American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson and piles of other comedic biographies are at the top of my list… The Life and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton and Yes, Please by Amy Poehler were my most recent reads and now I’m completely hooked on comedic bios.

For more on Tamsen McDonough you can visit the Internet Database of Movies http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1206747/

Morgan Kelly – Alvis the Scarback Monk       @Morgansam

I’ve been fascinated by the character of Alvis the monk since the first season and recently had the chance to interview actor Morgan Kelly who portrays this multi-faceted man.

Veronica: What are the good, bad and fabulous about working on a science fiction show?

Morgan: That’s a tough question. There’s a lot to love about being on a science fiction show. The incredible sets, the space-gadgets and weapons etc but for me personally, one of the best things about Alvis is his costumes.  I get to wear a cape.  For work.  All of Alvis’ costumes are hand made by the incredible costume department so every single piece of clothing is made with love….I guess wearing a cape to work probably falls into the “fabulous” category.

Veronica: No argument about the cape! What was your favorite scene (either season) and why?

Morgan: I have a couple favorite scenes.  As an actor I’m all about the “connection”.  Sure it’s fun doing fight scenes and running through the sewers but I really enjoy the one-on-one scenes where there is some sort of emotional connection.  The scene in ep. 3 season 2 where Dutch is hallucinating from the mossipedes and Alvis has to pull her out comes to mind.  That being said, I also really liked the scene in season 1 ep 08 where Alvis runs through the acid rain to save John.  That was badass.

Veronica: Both of those scenes you mentioned are favorites of mine but I particularly remember the run through the black rain as a jaw dropping moment for me as the viewer – it was GREAT. Badass indeed 🙂  That whole season one episode was thought provoking, for what it showed us about Alvis…. As an actor, what is your favorite aspect of the character you play?

Morgan: My favorite thing about Alvis is that he is this dark, brooding character with the weight of the world on his shoulders but he also has a wry sense of humor that has been a lot of fun to play.  What I appreciate about the show so much is that there aren’t any two dimensional characters, everyone has a clear motive and point of view which is all an actor can really ask for.

Veronica: Since we’re primarily a book blog, what book or books are currently on your To Be Read list?

Morgan: I’m actually reading two books at the moment.  A couple years back my sister gave me East of Eden by John Steinbeck and it changed everything for me.  I’ve systematically been going through all his books and right now I’m at Sweet Thursday.  I am also a HUGE fantasy fan.  My library is probably 95% fantasy right now.  The other book I am reading is Fool’s Quest by Robin Hobb.  I’ve been reading her books for over 20 years now and think she’s great.

You find out more about Morgan Kelly and his projects on the Internet Movie Database at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1225457/

Sean Baek – Fancy Lee        @SeanBaekTO

Veronica: What are the good, bad and fabulous about working on a science fiction show?

Sean:

• The good: I think that story-telling is one tradition, perhaps the longest tradition in human history, that every race, culture, creed, faith/religion, etc., shares. So, it is good to be a part of telling a story that is set in such a unique science fiction world, such as “The Quad” in KILLJOYS, where, really, ANYTHING is possible.  You really get to go along with the creator’s and the writers’ imagination and get to be on the “creative ride” together, which is A LOT of fun.  I’ve always wanted to work on a Sci-Fi show, so playing Fancy Lee in KILLJOYS has truly been a blessing thus far in my career as an actor.
• The Bad: Honestly, I really can’t think of any! (At the moment, anyway! LOL!)
• The Fabulous: Being able to work with many different, amazingly talented writers and directors for the show. It’s really fantastic to work with unique visions that enhance the through-line of the show as a whole.  Also, being able to enjoy the experience along with the fans of KILLJOYS – the intelligent, caring, and wonderfully committed fans – is pretty fabulous. Nowadays with social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.), there are more opportunities to connect with people who are like-minded, globally.  I think that is quite neat – instantly AND closely connecting with people. With this “story-telling,” we all become a part of a community.

Veronica:  What was your favorite scene (either season) and why?

Sean:  I have to say that my favourite scene is from Season 1, Ep. 106 (“One Blood,” written by Annmarie Morais), where my character, Fancy Lee, executes the Level 5 Warrant.  Throughout that episode, I got to show who Fancy Lee was quite a bit more than before. In the final moments of that episode, fulfilling that Level 5 Warrant on a former RAC Agent named Big Joe (I believe Fancy Lee did it for his fellow Killjoy, Dutch, really) and stating, “The warrant is all,” I think, really captured the essence of being a Killjoy, as well as Fancy Lee as a character.  There was honour, respect, care, and commitment in that decisive act of Fancy Lee’s, in my humble opinion.  (Note: Big “sorry” to Tony Nappo – a wonderful, talented actor I know who portrayed Big Joe so well.)

Veronica: I agree, that was the episode where we came to understand a lot more about Fancy than just his amazing skills and expertise.  I really love the character, who intrigued me from the very beginning. I still tend to think of him as similar to the character Paladin from the classic TV show “Have Gun Will Travel” in my own head ….just something about the cool way Fancy operates. High class all the way!  As an actor, what is your favorite aspect of the character you play?

Sean: I really like the mysterious aspect of my character.  In Season 1, Ep. 101 (“Bangarang,” written by Michelle Lovretta), Fancy Lee’s first appearance, for example, is quite mysterious.  There isn’t much expositional introduction; he just appears in a scene, has a brief talk with Dutch.  But, in that short moment, without much exposition, we sense that there is history between those two characters and that Fancy Lee could be “bad news,” depending on who you ask.  Brilliant writing, if you ask me.  Even in Ep. 106 (“One Blood”), where Fancy Lee is featured more, we get a glimpse of what Fancy is capable of, but we don’t necessarily get the “whole picture.”  As a huge fan of mystery myself, I quite like that about my character – we know there’s “more than meets the eye.”  I also love that within Fancy Lee’s badass self lies a tech geek that likes to build and modify gadgets and weapons.

Veronica:  Since we’re primarily a book blog, what book or books are currently on your To Be Read list?

Sean: What We All Long For, written by Dionne Brand, was recently recommended to me by a good friend of mine, so I’m planning on reading that.

** If there’s room in the article – I would love to give a special shout-out to all my KILLJOYS family, starting with our super talented and hard-working creative team helmed by Michelle Lovretta, the producing company, Temple Street Productions, all of our wonderful writers & producers, Space Channel, Syfy, my talented fellow cast mates, and our awesome crew. **

Veronica: Always room to acknowledge the team!

You can learn more about Sean Baek and his projects at the Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0046303/