ALIAS endings he wanted, STAR TREK 11 and having superpowers.> Send to a friend

Greg Grunberg is most famous as being Eric Weiss on J.J. Abrams popular spy thriller series ALIAS, but his new role on TV takes him in a slightly different direction. On HEROES, premiering Monday Sept. 25 on NBC, Grunberg plays Officer Matt Parkman who happens to be a police officer with the ability to read people’s minds. iF MAGAZINE got  a chance to visit the set recently and talked with Grunberg about his new prime time TV role, his chances at being in STAR TREK 11, and how he wanted ALIAS to end. 

 

iF: How do you feel about your superpower, do you wish you could have another one?

 

GREG GRUNBERG: No! This is a great super power. The scene we’re getting ready to film, I’m making love to my wife and doing everything she wants me to do without her telling me to, because I’m reading her mind. That’s just awesome! That’s the greatest thing ever!

 

iF: Now, you’re overreaching storyline is you on the hunt for a serial killer correct?

 

GRUNBERG: Well, I’m hunting and being hunted by this dark force that is after all of us [the heroes]. I’ve already been swallowed up by it and spit out. So now I’m just trying to figure out what it wants.

 

iF: Will we see superhero teams forming in the second season?

 

GRUNBERG: Actually you’ll see them way sooner than that. We are on episode five right now, and by episode six, there are some characters that have connected and shared their superpowers with each other already.

 

iF: Were you a comic book person before you were cast?

 

GRUNBERG: Honestly, no. I was never into comic books before this.  Now, maybe I will be a little bit more.

 

iF: How much input do you get into your characters?

 

GRUNBERG: Tim [Kring] is so great to work with creatively. On the set, if I don’t understand a line, he is all about making it make sense. He gets into the organics of the character and the situation. Jesse Alexander came over and he’s executive producing. All of these guys are great. We have the best front office.  We have Craig Beeman, Tim Sale, and Jeph Loeb. These guys are unbelievable.  They’re all show runners and we have them as producers.

 

iF: Since Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have comic book backgrounds, do you find them pushing you to read certain things or look at certain books?

 

GRUNBERG: No, not yet. It’s like poker. If you’re not in that world, and you have a conversation with Jesse… I don’t pretend. I don’t say “Oh yeah I saw that movie, [frowns] oh f**k!”  I have such a respect for the genre, and the writing.  You have to write the world, not just the characters. 

 

iF: What about working with J.J. Abrahms?

 

GRUNBERG: I think J.J. writes worlds in the best way.  All of his things are character driven, like FELICITY and ALIAS. I had the best of both working with him.

 

iF: Speaking of J.J. are you going to be in STAR TREK 11?

 

GRUNBERG: I hope so! I was speaking to Alex [Kurtzman] and Bob [Orci] and J.J. and I asked them what I say when someone asks me. I would love to have a big presence and be an evil character. On MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3, it was only four days because it was a movie and such a small part, but it was so great working with everyone, it was a DREAM! I told them, though, that in this one there was no way I was sitting in make-up for eighteen hours for one line.  J.J. said “Sure there is.” And dammit yes I will! I just want any part of it. I’ll be on the set, I love to hand out and spend time with him.

 

We did a pilot called THE CATCH together that didn’t get picked up, but it was still an incredible experience for us. We love to work together, but the timing has to be right. I don’t want to create a show with J.J. for someone else to star in, I want to star in it and keep working with him.

 

iF: Any preference between working in film and television?

 

GRUNBERG: No. As long as its good material and good people. I love TV, and I’ve been really lucky about this, but I love being the guy everyone wants to hang out in their living room with. With film, you have to have a huge presence, to get the point across. I’m everybody’s best friend, and I don’t mind being that guy. 

 

iF: How long is your story arc in HEROES?

 

GRUNBERG: I know what’s happening with my character through the first nine episodes, and it’s pretty incredible. The stuff they’ve had me do this far is pretty amazing. Like I said I like to use humor, and with this role it’s easy to do. They’ve also come up with some pretty emotional things for me as well.

 

iF: Knowing that things are going to change a bit from the pilot I’ve seen, some of the heroes will become villains, but you seem like a pretty nice guy?

 

GRUNBERG: That’s a good set up isn’t it? I pushed so hard for the last scene of ALIAS to be Arvin Sloan walking into an office and saying, “Sir, I did the best I could.” Then I would spin around in a chair and say, “Very good, thank you.” J.J. was never going to take me to the dark side. In this I do have opportunities to take advantage of my powers, I mean think about it, I can read everyone’s mind.  At this point, by episode five, I still can’t quite control it and it’s still a blur.  Eventually, I will master it, and when I do it’s going to be cool. None of is know whether we will be completely good or bad yet though.

 

iF: Do you have a favorite other character on the show?

 

GRUNBERG: Everyone’s favorite character is Hiro [Masi Oka]. He embraces his abilities and loves every minute of it. You just love a guy who knows what he’s got, and wants to show the world what he can do. I love his character because he’s so sweet, and because of his innocence. Masi is the greatest guy, and he’s going to be the breakout character that everyone is going to love. I’m trying to steal that and make them love me. [Laughs] 

 

iF: What is the greatest challenge to a character who has to listen so intently to what everyone is saying?

 

GRUNBERG: It is a challenge to listen, and I hope that people think it’s believable. I didn’t want it to be rubbernecking all over the place, and there is a certain level of that confusion and where it’s coming from. They haven’t done the sound yet, and I don’t know if it’ll be in the voices of the people. My power is being inside someone’s head, and what might that sound like. The challenge is to not look stupid doing it. The promos that they took from the pilot, those are really cool, and I’m happy with the way it looks.

 

iF: Did you talk to psychics or anyone who can supposedly read minds?

 

GRUNBERG: No. [Laughs] That would’ve been so odd. I do want to do a scene where I’m sitting with a tarot card reader. I would give it right back to them and freak them out. They would just be saying, “Holy sh**! How do you know that?!” 

 

I did do a ride along with a cop, and you know I did play a CIA agent for a while, but the main thing is for me to look natural.  

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