Disclaimer: The following is a summary of the
question and answer session. No recording devices were allowed so
this is from notes and I don't know shorthand so I tried to get down
the basics but keep in mind this is not a transcript - only a
summary. I need to point out that the sound system wasn't the best
so it was often impossible to hear the questions asked. I will try
to give you the main points that the speaker touched on with actual
quotes in bold. Occasionally a bit of my own opinion may come
through regarding a question or answer. I mean no disrespect to
anyone who may have asked one of these questions and apologize ahead
of time if I offend anyone. Keep in mind, I'm just another person
with another opinion so don't let it get to you.
Nick Lea's Q&A
Following the film clips featuring his character Alex "Ratboy"
Krycek, Nick Lea comes out on stage to wild applause. He immediately
starts looking for a chair and finally finds one and sits down,
saying hello and thank you. Right away, some people in the front row
come up to the stage and hand him a neon green sign which reads - All
Hail The Rat King. He takes it smiling and after reading it and
setting it aside, proceeds to sit down again. In the process he
nearly tips the chair over. He says, "That could have been
embarrassing."
He starts out by telling a story about the last time he was at DFW
airport. He was coming back from Costa Rica and was frisked by
security or customs. As the man was on his knees behind Nick
reaching up to check on a particularly private area, he started a
conversation on where he might have seen Nick before. When he told
the guy he was an actor and worked on The Commish, the guy recognized
him and, as he continued his thorough search, proceeded to hold this
long conversation to Nick's mortification.
He discussed how he got the role of Krycek. He had been in the
first season episode GenderBender and he and Rob Bowman had worked
really well together. When it came time to cast for the character
Alex Krycek, Bowman was there pulling for Nick. He talked about how
he feels there's not a lot of good storytelling on TV; that it's a
bit of a wasted medium. He feels The X-Files is a great show because
the creators and the audience get to use their imagination. He feels
very fortunate; very lucky.
At this point Nick turned the floor over to questions from the
audience. The first one had to do with how much the actors knew
about the scripts beforehand. He said he doesn't ever know what is
going to happen with his character and when he first gets a script he
opens it up to see if he's still alive at the end of the episode. He
commented on getting the script for the last two-parter and opening
up to the scene where he kisses Marita and saying "I'm doing
what!?!"
The next person asked if he had trouble filming the scenes where
he has to kiss with the crew watching. He talked about how it was
different for XF because there isn't a lot of kissing or sex on the
show. Then he said, the exception was Mitch. "Mitch'll do
anything." He continued to discuss the scene he had with Laurie
Holden in "Patient X" and how they talked about it beforehand; how
they wanted to approach it and how it should look. Then they
discussed whether they should just kiss beforehand to get it out of
the way. They decided not to and just went with the moment during
filming. He said they clicked teeth but continued the shoot and he
thought it turned out fine. He commented on how he was rambling,
"God, I talk a lot don't I?"
Someone asked him about the internet and whether he participated.
He said he's not an online person but hears about it from some of his
friends who are on all the time. He commented that he was still
stuck back in the early eighties then offered up that he did have a
touch-tone phone. The audience member was the "Keeper of The Nicholas Lea
Homepage, one of the best on the web", and when she asked if he
had seen the site, he said he had visited quite recently and thought it was a
good page. Her question was about "The Kiss" with Mulder. Nick said
he thought it was hilarious. When he found out it was in the script
he thought it was great. He said it was in, then they almost removed
it from the script, but that it ended up back in the script by the
final shoot. He commented that it wasn't homoerotic in his opinion
but "more of a good luck kiss, a Russian thing." He said
while they were filming it they couldn't stop laughing; him, David,
Chris...all of them. It took something like 14 takes and CC kept
saying stuff like, "Closer to the mouth. Closer to the
mouth."
The next guy asked Nick what it felt like to be the most hated man
in America. This got a lot of boos and razzing from the audience who
clearly disagreed with the assessment. Nick then asked the guy,
"How does it feel to be the most hated man in the room?" The
guy then asked about his Canadian broadcast show "Once A Thief". He
told the audience that it had been fun to shoot but that it had been
canceled. He thought if it did get picked up in the states it might
be on Showtime. He made it sound like he wasn't sad about it being
wrapped, probably hoping to move on to other projects. He said he
was on to bigger and better things and had just had an audition for a
role in an Al Pacino movie which also starred Russell Crowe.
A comment from somebody who said they wanted to see more Krycek
and would he be in more episodes coming up. He said he definitely
would be in more episodes and reiterated the fact that he's always
checking the latest scripts wondering, "Do I die in this one?"
Asked about the most difficult episode he's been in he named
Tunguska/Terma. He said the hardest thing was learning his lines in
Russian. He doesn't actually know Russian so had to learn his lines
phonetically. He found that he was concentrating so hard on saying
the lines correctly that it made it difficult to inject the emotion
needed for the scene.
He was asked about whether he is aware of or has read any of the
slash fan-fiction on the net. He said he'd seen it and said,
"About that, let me assure you...", and let the sentence trail
off. Very funny. He said he didn't think anything would ever happen
between Mulder and Krycek on the show commenting that they would just
"admire each other from afar."
Another question regarding Krycek being bad and if he was going to
die anytime soon. He once again said he won't be dying anytime soon.
He went on to discuss the character and how he can't really play him
or consider him "bad". He says the character is the way he is for a
reason and you have to try to present him as someone who's had
something happen in his past to bring him to where he is and what
he's doing. (At this point a plane went over. We had to deal with
this because we were, in fact, at an airfield.)
Nick was asked about the missing arm and whether it made filming
difficult. He said at first they had a prosthetic device that looked
like a "big glove - something you'd buy at Thrifty's" which
was really difficult and he asked if he could switch to something
more comfortable. They came up with the idea of using a painted
surgical glove on his hand. This meant that he would have to
remember to hold his hand in the same position but it was better than
wearing the first prosthetic hand. He was asked if they had told him
about the arm and whether he had approved ahead of time. He said,
"Absolutely!" He was all for it, giving him a chance to
expand the character and have something new to challenge him.
He was asked what his future plans are after The X-Files goes into
the history books. His first two choices were tennis pro and going
on a golf tour. In reality, he wants to continue pursuing his
acting.
Someone asked him about the special effects on the show and he
told the story about the mask he had to wear when filming Apocrypha.
He said he thought it was pretty cool wearing the mask at first with
all the goo dripping out but it got old quick. He said one day he
got on set, into make-up and ready to go when they called a break for
lunch and he had to sit around in his mask and wait. He also
mentioned that they shot the entire sequence with him exuding the oil
alien on top of the spacecraft then saw the dailies and decided it
had been too dark and they needed to shoot it all over again. The
other effects story he told was about his scene dangling off
Skinner's balcony in Tunguska. He said they wanted to have him
standing on a platform just below the balcony when they shot it but
he didn't think it would look realistic enough. He ended up hanging
from a harness, 17 floors up by one arm. He said it was
"frightening but exciting."
Someone asked the same question about what happens after The
X-Files and Nick said, "What, like a spin-off?" Lots of
repeat questions. The person tried to rephrase or clarify the
question and it turned into an amazing rambling sentence that I
couldn't pick a question out of and apparently Nick couldn't either
since, when the person finished he said, "I think you're
insane." He immediately said he was just kidding but it sure
cracked me up.
Someone asked if there would ever be an episode like "Musings of
Alex Krycek". He said he was really interested in seeing something
like this so we could find out Ratboy's backstory. He said when he
got the role, and as it progressed, he sort of made up his own
version of Krycek's past. It's nothing that he talks about, it's
just for his use as he creates the character.
The next question was whether he knew if Krycek would ever get the
arm back. He asked if the person meant the actual arm or a
mechanical, electronic arm. He figured a mechanical arm would be
pretty cool but he really didn't know what was going on in Carter's
head.
A question about whether the show was going to be over after this
season and the movie. He said the show will continue and added,
"But you didn't hear it from me!" He also mentioned that he
wouldn't be in the movie. He commented on how busy he had been and
that, when he saw the extent of the role they were considering, he
figured it was more of a token appearance so decided against it. He
says they can save his movie appearance for the next one.
He was talking about Rob Bowman and how much he likes working with
him and how much he feels he owes him for getting him this great gig
on such a great show. He said, "Every time I see Rob Bowman I
give him a dollar."
I missed the actual question but he started talking about the
extent of the role of Krycek originally. He was hired for three
episodes only, Sleepless, Duane Barry, and Ascension. At the end of
Ascension he was supposed to be found out and turned in by Mulder.
Since his character was working out so well they decided to make it
more nebulous so they'd be free to bring him back. To do this they
just had him disappear. When he first read it he wasn't that happy
because he thought they were just going to have him vanish without an
explanation but the way it turned out was much better than the
original idea so he's very happy.
Someone asked how involved Krycek actually is with the Elders. He
said it's obvious from his scenes with the Well Manicured Man that
they have some sort of past and have known each other for awhile. At
first, it was just Krycek working for CSM since they really didn't
have a Syndicate as such written into the show. But now he says
Krycek is really on his own, sort of a free agent. He said Krycek
is "just out there trying to stay alive."
He was asked how he liked working with William B. Davis. He said
WBD was a real gentleman and very focused. He commented on how he
hasn't had any scenes with him lately since he's off on his own now
and most of his scenes are with Duchovny.
The next person commented on how he was even better looking in
person. This elicited a huge cheer. Then they asked about the
physicality of the role. He said he does his stunts himself if at
all possible. They usually have to hold him back. For instance, in
Terma he read about the scene where he rolls from the bed of the out
of control truck with Mulder at the wheel and decided that he could
do that stunt himself. They had to tell him no for insurance
reasons. He said somebody (I don't remember if it was one of the
directors) will be asked if a stuntman is needed for a particular
scene of Nick's and will usually say, NO. He said he's had his share
of bumps and bruises but nothing major; no breaks. Then he said,
"I'm no Jackie Chan!" He said he's a fan of Harrison Ford and
his work in movies like the Indiana Jones series and The Fugitive.
He says when Ford is supposed to be taking a punch he actually looks
like he's getting punched.
The next question was what would he like to see Krycek do in the
future. Nick said, "Ummm, how can I answer that differently."
He said he's pretty happy with the direction his character is going.
He's getting some sex on the side (a Marita reference, perish the
thought!), getting to beat up Mulder, and he thinks this is all good.
Asked about his character's motivations he said he liked playing a
shadowy character with a past. He said Krycek was enigmatic,
slipping in and out of the light and dark.
He was asked what his first acting job was. He said he was in a
local Vancouver production that featured a real-life psychologist and
the actors on stage would act out emotions. He was told by one of
the people there that he did a good job and he said, "I was like
'Yeah. I've got it going on.'" It really psyched him up and
gave him some confidence that this was something he could be good at.
He was asked who his favorite actor was and he started off saying
it was really difficult to pick since there are so many actors he
respects. He finally said Jimmy Stewart and Meryl Streep.
The next person mentioned being from Austin and Nick said he
really liked the area and thought it was pretty. He said he'd been
there three years earlier and asked the person what that great place
to go swimming was. It was Barton Springs and he said that place was
really sweet; a really pretty place.
Someone asked about working with Melinda McGraw (Melissa Scully)
on The X-Files. They worked together on The Commish and he said it
was fun because they knew each other and had some history together.
He said they had dated but no longer did though were still good
friends.
Talked more about his character and whether Krycek thought he was
doing these things for the betterment of man, the FBI, his country.
Nick said he thought the character started out working for the FBI
and thought his work with CSM was a service to his country. He
actually believed that spying on Mulder was the right thing to do.
But now he says Krycek has learned some hard lessons and had some
doors shut in his face. He's turned into a different character. He
started out this fresh-faced guy, and that was sincere but now he's
changed. He has a thirst for power and revenge.
He was asked about working on Sliders. He said he was considered
for the role of what would have been the 5th slider. He did about
three shows and said it was fun. He commented that he wasn't sure if
he would have wanted to go that route anyway. He said he's very
careful now about what roles and projects he chooses. He has some
priorities which include working on building a strong career and
continuing to work on The X-Files.
Asked if he believed in extraterrestrials, Nick said the romantic
side of him believes. The side of him that likes to think that
anything is possible. He went on to say that he heard a scientist
who worked on the SETI project talking on NPR and thought about what
the chances were that we were alone with all the galaxies and all the
planets out there. He figured it would be nice if extraterrestrials
were out there.
Someone mentioned his role as Cory Raines on Highlander: The
Series and whether he thought he'd get a chance to reprise the role.
He said he didn't think so, that it was just a one shot deal. Then
she (I think it was the same person that asked this question) asked
if she could come up and get a "good luck" kiss like the one he gave
Mulder. He was nice enough to say yes and she went up onto the stage
and was the only lucky soul to receive this special treatment during
his stage appearance.
The last question was whether he was like his character. Nick
said, "You mean without the killing part?" He said he thought
he shared with Krycek the desire to succeed. That both of them were
career driven, something that most of his ex-girlfriends would attest
to. He's intense, much like the character. He said that on the
show, Krycek is always in heightened situations onscreen. It's tough
because of that. He went on to say that this intensity is similar to
how he approaches his career, "But I don't kill producers."
He feels that Krycek is driven by revenge now. He wants to get back
at whoever did him wrong.
Following the last question he said thanks for making him feel
welcome and left the stage.
March 23, 1998
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