Heather Medway Appreciation Site  
Heather Medway, TV Guide Chat, October 13, 1998 
TVGEN: We're chatting this evening with Viper's Heather Medway. Welcome 
         to the chat room, Heather! 

         Heather Medway: Hello everyone! 

         TVGEN: VIPER is airing everywhere...with a brand-new season of adventure! 

         Marty2634: Hello Heather, what is the show VIPER about and what role do 
         you play in the series? 

         Medway: The show is a crime-fighting, action/adventure show. There is a car, 
         VIPER, that transforms into an armored car. I play Detective Cameron 
         Westlake. There are two of us that operate the car, Joe Astor and I, and we 
         chase the bad guys. 

         Stormrider79: So what's it like behind the wheel of a Dodge VIPER? 

         Medway: It is great. It is a really fast car. It fishtails too easily because it is 
         really light. It is a drag car, really. We have done some stunt driving in it. It is 
         unflippable. The only person who has flipped one is Kelsey Grammer. We have 
         tried and can't. 

         Marty2634: Hello, Heather, did you always want to become an actress? 

         Medway: No. I thought it would be the last thing on earth that I would ever do. 
         I went to college to be an oceanographer, and then stuff happened. I went to 
         University of Tennessee (on scholarship) and decided to move to NY and 
         model. It lead to a commercial, which led to acting. 

         Frankie_Waters: How do you like filming in Vancouver, BC? 

         Medway: I love filming in Vancouver. The people are great. It is by far, on a 
         nice day, one of the most beautiful regions. It is just hard to live in two places 
         (Los Angeles and Vancouver). 

         krykit: How could you blow up the old VIPER???! 

         Medway: It was a great thrill. 

         wolf7498: What is it like to work with James McCaffrey? 

         Medway: It is great. He is fun and funny and very disarming and a really good 
         actor. I am so grateful to work with him because it has been a great experience. 

         emwycedee: How do you feel about the possibility of romance between your 
         character and James McCaffrey's? 

         Medway: I think it is always a possibility. I think it is certainly in both 
         characters' minds. I think there will be a long period of testing the waters before 
         anything will happen. 

         Frankie_Waters: What episode are you currently working on? 

         Medway: It is called "Seminar from Hell," and it is actually going to be an 
         awesome episode. The character Lena from last season comes back with a 
         vendetta and the character of Julien comes back, and we are basically held 
         hostage. It is like Die Hard and is really an insane episode. A lot of action. It 
         should be a really good one...very suspenseful. 

         TVGEN: What kinds of bloopers arise on the set? Is there someone in 
         particular who's the big joker? 

         Medway: We have bloopers all the time. We have a really tight schedule but a 
         really loose cast. There is a lot of fun that we have. Jay Downing has probably 
         done the most calculated bloopers — entering scenes wearing garter belts and 
         pantyhose. But we all love to cut up. 

         emwycedee: I hear the VIPER vehicle had some nifty changes this year. What 
         are some of them? 

         Medway: I sort of learn about them as they come. The first one was the 
         hovercraft function, where in visual effects, the car sinks to the bottom of the 
         bay and resurfaces as a hovercraft. It was a really nice effect. It really worked. 
         And there is a fire-extinguisher effect, like Predator. 

         hoagie100: Your husband is a producer on the show. What's it like to work 
         with him? 

         Medway: Actually, we are engaged. It is interesting. It's got its real benefits. 
         He understands what is going on with me and he understands what is going on 
         with him. All in all, it is good. 

         emwycedee: What attracted you to the part of Cameron Westlake? 

         Medway: What I like about this character is that she is an independent woman. 
         She is not defined through a relationship through a man. She is her own person. 
         It is a strong, professional, intelligent character. 

         jdw143: Do you do your own stunt work, or do you have a double?  

         Medway: Both. I have a great stunt double and whenever they let me and I feel 
         it is OK, I do as much as I can. Like this past weekend, there was a jump 
         through a second-story window. Both Jim and I said we could do that. It is fun. 
         I'm glad I did it. I would recommend this at home, though. I mean 
         WOULDN'T! 

         kevin534: Heather, what types of physical training do you have to do to get 
         ready for the show? 

         Medway: None. I am real tomboyish by nature, so running, jumping and 
         fighting is real comfortable to me. And I haven't been to the gym in two years 
         and I have to do something, because I'm losing my mind. 
                                                                       
TVGEN: Did you have to do a lot of research for Det. Westlake? 

         Medway: I didn't do a lot because there wasn't a lot of time, but before we 
         started shooting our first season, which was shot in Calgary, I did some shifts 
         with the local police department when they were out on calls, and did some 
         firearms training and boxing lessons. 

         Marty2634: Hello, Heather, any big-name celebrities planning on appearing on 
         VIPER this season? 

         Medway: It is hard to know in advance, but Dorian is back from the first 
         season for a few spots, and Mackenzie Phillips and Bill Macy. But I usually 
         don't know in advance. 

         utujmf: Heather, what is a typical day for you on the set? 

         Medway: A typical day starts with going through hair, makeup and wardrobe. 
         It can be as early as 5 or 5:30. Each day it gets later and later until Friday and 
         Saturday, where we shoot until 3 a.m. Each day is about 12 to 15 hours. And 
         we have a second whole unit that goes out. Sometimes we are shooting two 
         shows in one day. 

         rwcar4: Heather, will you be in any movies during the off-season of VIPER? 

         Medway: I haven't done a lot in the off-season, because the work level is so 
         intense that I really need a break, and also because I am not home when I 
         work. But I did do a movie-of-the-week for Lifetime, called Life of the Party: 
         The Pamela Harriman Story. It is on this month. 

         TVGEN: What's in your CD player? 

         Medway: The Doors and the Doors. I love Counting Crows — huge fan. Pearl 
         Jam — huge fan. I like REM, U2. I like old stuff. 

         Stormrider79: What was it like being on Seinfeld? 

         Medway: It was a blast. They were fun to work with and worked great 
         together. No wonder it was a hit show. It was a really talented group of people 
         who worked well together. Larry David is brilliant. I felt lucky because it was a 
         great script, too. 

         TVGEN: What do you do for fun in your spare time (assuming it exists)? 

         Medway: What I used to like to do (when I had spare time): I liked riding 
         horses...jumping, English style. I was learning, but loved it. I like gardening, 
         mountain biking. All things outdoors I like. 

         MickeyC_16: Hey, Heather, I just wanted to say that you are one of the most 
         beautiful actresses on television today. 

         Medway: Wow. Thank you. 

         rwcar4: Have you visited any of the Internet web sites about you or the show? 

         Medway: Twice I visited the Paramount web site. Once to check it out and 
         once to see if they updated it for the new season. I didn't know there was 
         anything related to me. I don't want to look. 

         Frankie_Waters: Do you ever get to drive the Defender in real life, during 
         filming? 

         Medway: Yes. It is a concept car that actually costs about a million dollars to 
         design. You wouldn't know to drive it! Because it is a concept car, it is 
         designed for looks. It is stripped down and hasn't been designed for real 
         people. Or for people who are really small with long legs. It is kind of weird. 

         The_Hooded_Demon: Why did y'all change the color of the car? 

         Medway: Because we blew up the old one. Also because there was a new 
         driver, and it gives us an opportunity to update the whole show. A new season 
         and a new image. It is a much better car. 

         Frankie_Waters: Rumors of a VIPER soundtrack and video collection have 
         come about. Are any of these true? 

         Medway: I never heard any rumors to this effect. 
VIPER93_97: Heather, how did you get involved in the show? 

         Medway: I just auditioned. My agent sent me out for it and I did the scenes. I 
         was the only person who tested for the role. 

         kevin534: What is your favorite episode of the show? 

         Medway: Tough. Of what has aired, this season's premiere. After that, the one 
         we are shooting now, or the one before. 

         Prelude_10: What car do you drive in real life? 

         Medway: A jeep. Actually, for the first time ever, I have a new car. I am 
         leasing a Jeep Cherokee. It has 2,000 miles on it and I've had it almost a year. 
         It still smells like new. 

         Frankie_Waters: Do people notice you in public on a regular basis? 

         Medway: In Vancouver, they do, because of the good time slot. But nowhere 
         else, really. 

         shan720: Have you ever worked on stage, and if so, how does it compare to 
         working in front of the cameras? 

         Medway: Yes, I have, in NYC. And it is totally different. Working on the stage 
         is in some ways easier, because once you have rehearsed it, it just goes until 
         you are done. And filming is very start-and-stop, it is hard to build a rhythm. 
         Also, there are a lot of really, really technical things that can get in the way of 
         your concentration. 

         But that is also the advantage of TV. You can do it again and do it better. There 
         is also the separation from the audience. There is no way to immediately gauge 
         a response. 

         Thanks for logging on and watching the show. 

         TVGEN: Thanks for being here, Heather....Goodnight everyone! 
 


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