From Brad Oswald of the Winnipeg Free Press:
Quarter-century comic: Jonathan Torrens has been making a living for the past 25 years being a funny guy… in Canada
Twenty-five years is a long time to be doing anything. But working in show business? Steadily and successfully? In Canada? That’s the equivalent of several lifetimes all rolled into one. Jonathan Torrens, whose career path has taken him from Street Cents to Jonovision to Trailer Park Boys to TV with TV’s Jonathan Torrens to Wipeout Canada to Mr. D and Call Me Fitz, fully understands the magnitude of the accomplishment. Read more.
Joanna Cassidy (Call Me Fitz, BLADERUNNER!!) On Making TV in Canada and The Writers of Call Me Fitz
(Photo by Derek Langer)
I asked Joanna what making TV in Canada means to her:
“It means so much to me, I can’t even tell you. I mean here I am an American and we’ve seen a lot of the work go to Canada. I’ve always been in sort of an envious position of American actors going to Canada and working. I did do a film with John Gorman here years ago, Where The Heart Is, and I’ve done many productions in Vancouver when they used to do a lot of movies of the week.
I think Canada is a really edgy interesting place now, and I’m thrilled to be working here. I love Canada, I just love it. It’s a wonderful opportunity for me to taste the country and the people and work with some fabulous people like Sheri Elwood and Teza Lawrence. I love working with women that are thoughtful and great and have no hold backs, they just let it all loose. I haven’t had a character like this since Six Feet Under where I get to be wild and crazy.”
On the writers of Call Me Fitz:
“I show up and nothing is ever predictable. I’m constantly amazed by the scripts they put out! This last season when the characters are stuck together at the house, we are just horrible, and wonderful together – I can’t tell you anything about it, but we go through all these different passages. Wait till you see what we get up to!”
(And then, Zhora from Bladerunner complimented me on my skin and I died of happiness. SciFi nerd’s heaven.)
Sheri Elwood (Call Me Fitz) On The Writing Room and Gucci
(Photo by Derek Langer)
I asked Sheri to talk about the writers on Call Me Fitz.
“I combed the country and I begged the best possible writers that I know to come work on my show, and it’s my main concern that I had the best possible writers to work on this show. It’s the only thing that matters to me, that the writing is excellent.”
“It’s my dream come true show.”
Then I had to ask about her dress.
“This is Gucci, fall 2012. I figure if I amortize it out through about 14 000 events it will make it worth it!”
From the Canadian Press:
Canadian Screen Awards: Flashpoint, Fitz take home trophies
“Flashpoint,” “Call Me Fitz” and “John A: Birth of a Country” head into Sunday’s inaugural Canadian Screen Awards with a leading four trophies apiece after an industry gala Thursday night handed out most of the prizes celebrating homegrown TV. Read more.
From Stephen Cooke of the Chronicle Herald:
Comedian Jeremy Hotz brings his Magical Misery Tour to the Rebecca Cohn on Sunday night
He was just here in Nova Scotia filming a role for the HBO series Call Me Fitz, starring Jason Priestley as an unscrupulous car salesman, with Hotz guesting as “the worst social worker you could ever possibly imagine.” “Then he turns out to be struggling with coming out of the closet,” he chuckles in disbelief. “So there’s lots of levels there. Plus, he has a new kid, at 50. Nice of them to look at me and go, ‘You look 50. “I guess I”m so ugly, I play older now.” Read more.