海角大神

When bad-twin Brigit takes on the identity of her good-twin Siobhan, she finds out that the phrase 鈥渙ut of the frying pan and into the fire鈥� takes on a whole new meaning when it not only involves you, but a loved one as well. She had no idea that her sister, Siobhan had so many secrets, nor that she also was looking for a way to escape her life. But Siobhan鈥檚 escape plan is a lot more deadly than Brigit would have dreamed up. Suddenly caught in a web of lies and world of deceit and treachery, Brigit has a lot to learn 鈥� fast! 鈥� about the twin she thought she knew. It is a race against time, a race from the past and neither is waiting patiently on the sidelines. Brigit鈥檚 life is on the line and she has literally no one to trust. She only thought it was a good idea to slip into her sister鈥檚 鈥渟lippered鈥� shoes.

While attending Comic-Con this summer, the stars and creators of RINGER shared with press what drew them to this complex story of two twins, both on the run from a dark past. Sarah Michelle Gellar portrays both Brigit and Siobhan; Nestor Carbonell plays the FBI agent Victor Machado hot on her trail; and Kristoffer Polaha and Ioan Gruffudd play the many loves of Siobhan 鈥� one, Brigit鈥檚 lover and one, Brigit鈥檚 husband. Life is indeed a bit complicated for a girl just trying to find a safe place to hide.

Sarah, what convinced you to return to television?

SARAH: I think it is a combination of things. I think you wait for the right opportunity and I had been looking for what that was. And I鈥檓 not going to lie, being in Los Angeles and being able to get home to put my daughter to bed at night is a really nice feeling. I started to miss the family experience that you get on a television show. I missed really getting to know the people and I just realized that once I had a child that I was done with the nomadic lifestyle. And I loved it for a period of time, to be able to go and travel and work in exotic places. But that鈥檚 not the kind of life I want for my child. Not to say it鈥檚 not a great life and an amazing experience. I know so many actors that do it very well, it just wasn鈥檛 what I wanted for my family.

So in RINGER you obviously place two characters, which sounds like a big workload. Do you ever just wonder: Who am I playing today?

SARAH: That鈥檚 funny 鈥榗ause on BUFFY my hours were so long and I was in like every scene, so my joke used to be: Am I Buffy in this scene too? 滨迟鈥檚 just funny 鈥榗ause I can鈥檛 use it anymore! I actually have to ask. The funny thing was that when we were doing the pilot, the shortest days I had were twin days. Obviously because there鈥檚 no stunts, usually, when you鈥檙e playing opposite yourself 鈥� yet.

This seems to be the year of the doppelganger 鈥榗ause we鈥檝e seen it on FRINGE, VAMPIRE DIARIES 鈥� it鈥檚 not exactly the same since you鈥檙e playing twins, but are you concerned that the audience may be fatigued and think RINGER is just duplicating what other shows are already doing?

SARAH: Let鈥檚 be honest, people credit BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER for bringing vampires back, but there were vampires long before BUFFY. There鈥檚 going to be vampires long after. I mean, all stories can be sourced back to the Bible, essentially there鈥檚 like five stories. Classically, there鈥檚 Romeo and Juliet. There鈥檚 David and Goliath. So if you tell stories well, then they are different. I don鈥檛 think it will be seen that way. I hope not.

Are you finding that you are reaching a new generation of fans with RINGER?

SARAH: I hope so! It will be interesting to see. I think the way that people watch television is just so different now. There鈥檚 so many channels and you really have to make a great show for people to tune in. But at the same time, it鈥檚 a time where movies are so expensive and gas is so expensive, so I think a lot of people are really staying home to watch television now. It gives us more liberties and more opportunities to do something different.

NESTOR: I think for TV there are so many niche markets now and this will appeal to one of them. Thus, you have to really appeal to a certain group in a very specific way, not in a general way. And it is so important for the showrunners to make sure each show wants its voice 鈥� to be seen on its own so that it doesn鈥檛 look derivative and it really speaks authentically to what they are trying to do. And I think in this particular case, Pam, Nicole, Eric are very particular about keeping the sort of tone a little film noir and kind of a serialized thriller which we are not really seeing now on TV and maintaining sort of the integrity of that. Hopefully, people will see the authenticity of it.

How do you work to distinguish the twins on screen? Is wardrobe a big part of that?

SARAH: Wardrobe certainly plays a part in it. But I sort of boil it down to its simplest form, which is Brigit鈥檚 story is the story of redemption, and Siobhan鈥檚 story is story of revenge. As long as they are constantly in the back of my mind, it鈥檚 pretty easy to be any character. 滨迟鈥檚 not different than the preparation that Nestor will do to play Machado: What is your character doing, what is his purpose, why is he here, what does he want? Any actor preparing for any role pretty much does the same thing. . . . You also learn certain things in television, and one of the first things I told Eric was: daytime 鈥� these people like daytime. 鈥楥ause on BUFFY, it was always night and you have to wait for night to film. But then on RINGER we have these great party scenes and all these fancy costumes and afterwards I was like, 鈥榶eah, I can do this!鈥�

Nestor, do you see Machado as a bad guy and will he always be kept in the dark about Brigit鈥檚 impersonation of Siobhan?

NESTOR: There are certain things we are still discovering. Even though we are ahead of my character as an audience, I don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 a bad guy. I think he鈥檚 figuring out that there鈥檚 something else underneath all this. But I think we鈥檒l be a step ahead of him for a little bit. Hopefully, that will turn and he鈥檒l catch up with everyone else. But playing with the notion of twins and having known Brigit for a couple of months through his investigation and then her stepping to be Siobhan and him having to interrogate her, I think he鈥檒l begin to have suspicions.

SARAH: 滨迟鈥檚 important for us that none of these characters are stereotypical. He鈥檚 not going to be the bumbling FBI agent and you鈥檒l be like: why he cannot figure it out? We get it. I am that person that yells at the television screen. So we鈥檙e making sure that we do not give fans a reason to yell at their televisions.

Do the writers let you have input into your characters and the storylines, such as when you think something may be too obvious and there is now way that anyone is going to buy it?

SARAH: I鈥檓 not a writer. I鈥檝e never fancied myself one. And they do a really good job.

How difficult is it being a producer and an actor on the show?

SARAH: It is different. There鈥檚 no question about that. I get a lot of questions answered ahead of time, which in a way, that sort of lightens the load. Our show isn鈥檛 as always as complicated as other shows, so our hours are easier. It was really important to me as I wanted a show where everybody enjoys their life as well as enjoys making the show. Because that is what makes a better show. And we put together an amazing crew. We have lunch together everyday. We have playdates on weekends with all the kids. 滨迟鈥檚 a different experience than being in your 20鈥檚 and working crazy hours. These are all people with marriages and families and we鈥檙e trying to honor that as well and support them.

With the emphasis to make the show a noir thriller, do you think the show its still accessible enough to bring in viewers later in the season?

NESTOR: I think so. Especially with DVR鈥檚 and DVD鈥檚 available, I don鈥檛 think it will difficult for viewers to catch up and tune in.

Maybe you could talk a little about the fun you鈥檙e having working on RINGER?

IOAN: We shot the pilot earlier this year and our first day was actually yesterday. So I wish I was here to reveal all sorts of secrets about the storyline, but I don鈥檛 even know any myself yet. [laughter] No, it鈥檚 a very exciting journey that we鈥檙e embarking on. 滨迟鈥檚 a show that our audience is in on this massive secret from the very beginning and I think that鈥檚 enough 鈥榗ause you know that Brigit is not Siobhan. 滨迟鈥檚 like a Greek tragedy, the whole set up at the very beginning and we鈥檙e going to see how it all plays out.

How can your characters not tell that Brigit is not Siobhan, even after kissing her?

IOAN: That鈥檚 something I鈥檓 curious about as well. [laughter] It takes lots of practice. It is a serialized drama on The CW Network. We鈥檙e not pretending this is a bit of reality or realism. 滨迟鈥檚 heightened reality. We have to suspend that disbelief and if we can get beyond that in the first episode, then you鈥檒l be hooked for the entire season. If you can鈥檛 get over that, then I鈥檓 afraid we鈥檝e lost you already.

KRIS: My character didn鈥檛 really get to kiss [Brigit]. I gave her a quick kiss in the pilot. But it was not enough to raise a red flag.

Will we be seeing any flags raised with your characters since they are the most intimately involved with her?

IOAN: We haven鈥檛 been told anything. I think there鈥檚 enough intrigue to go on that we can鈥檛 really reveal anything too early. I guess it鈥檚 like MOONLIGHTING. We want them to get together, but they never really get together. I think that鈥檚 kind of what鈥檚 going on.

The assumption is that your wonderful actors and you wouldn鈥檛 take roles where the characters are not picking up on clues that this is a totally different woman.

IOAN: Well, I think we eluded to that fact in the pilot because suddenly the relationship that Siobhan and Andrew had started to change for the better in Andrew鈥檚 eyes. So he鈥檚 suspicious of something. That instinct will still be there in the background.

KRIS: For Henry, there鈥檚 wonderful moments. Because they already have a relationship, it鈥檚 like a boat and it鈥檚 already taken its course. Then all of a sudden there are some radical changes and these really cool moments which make him go, 鈥榳ait a minute.鈥�

Especially since it seems that she is now colder with Henry and warmer with Andrew.

KRIS: Right. I think another thing the writers have given me as Henry is that I loved Siobhan. He鈥檚 starting to feel like he鈥檚 an outsider, even though he is the only one who knows what鈥檚 been going on. But he鈥檚 not in this world they live in and he doesn鈥檛 want to be in this world. But with Siobhan, they鈥檙e more kindred spirits. So there鈥檚 this interesting thing: Henry鈥檚 character motivation. When I read the script, I thought: What鈥檚 this guy鈥檚 hook going to be? Is this for real? His wife puts him down. She emasculates him. Yet Siobhan builds up and he feels like he can actually accomplish something great. So I think there鈥檚 a lot of opportunity and this character is ripe for a lot of juicy, juicy development.

Do you have a hard time being on set and not being giddy because playing these characters is so fun?

IOAN: We have all been pinching ourselves. 滨迟鈥檚 very rare that you come to work on anything feeling like that, but every element seems to have come through: Sarah, a crew of people that she鈥檚 worked with for many years on BUFFY, so there鈥檚 a real sense of family. On a practical level, it feels lovely and comfortable and exciting. We are really spoiled with riches.

Do you feel like you鈥檙e in the shadow of BUFFY at all?

IOAN: No. I think there鈥檚 been plenty of time that has passed. Therefore, Sarah鈥檚 matured. She鈥檚 a mother 鈥� Sarah, herself 鈥� and I think there鈥檚 enough of a gap between. I mean, you really can鈥檛 compare the two shows. So, we鈥檒l see.

KRIS: 滨迟鈥檚 like dating: you dated for two years, you鈥檙e broken up for two years, and she鈥檚 finally out of your system. BUFFY was on for 7 years and it鈥檚 been off for at least that. 滨迟鈥檚 from a different place. I think people are excited to see Sarah return to television.

Were you surprised by the network jump from CBS to The CW?

KRIS: 滨迟鈥檚 Les Moonves. 滨迟鈥檚 all his babies. 滨迟鈥檚 sort of strange to me as I wondered what happened, but Les is extremely smart businessman and CBS is a great success. I mean, BLUE BLOODS is pulling in the average of 12 million viewers on a Friday night. This show, however, is going to pull in people who are BUFFY fans and it鈥檚 also going to pull in people who are in their 20鈥檚 and teenagers, so I think demographically it fits this demo so much better than on CBS, and it gives us a chance to really run with something. Again, the writers have been totally smart and painted the path with some really interesting storylines, so I think it鈥檚 a great marriage.

Can you talk a bit more about your characters, talking about the emotions that they are relying upon now that their lives are a mirror fractured? What is the core emotion or strength would be for each of them?

KRIS: Wow, good question. That is a deep, deep question ...

IOAN: I think ultimately Andrew is devastated by the demise of his marriage. I think he鈥檚 really a good guy who is going through a lot 鈥� possibly with work and whatever has happened in the relationship with his wife. But I think ultimately he鈥檚 trying to pull everything back together. He鈥檚 terrified of losing her again, despite his seemingly cold attitude towards her. Now that she鈥檚 suddenly changed does not solve everything.

So out of desperation and determination, he clings on?

IOAN: I think so. I think every successful man has a family to support him and I think he thrives on that and he鈥檚 desperately upset that his daughter鈥檚 a rebel and he鈥檚 a guy who really wants to hold onto those he loves and be close to them.

So Andrew values his relationships?

IOAN: I think so. These are maybe the one thing that he truly values. On the business side, that鈥檚 different. But emotionally, I think it is important to him.

Kris, on LIFE UNEXPECTED, you were more of the hero, and yet in RINGER, you don鈥檛 seem to be. So what drew you to that kind of role?

KRIS: 滨迟鈥檚 interesting for me. Pilot season was just a whole bunch of scripts that I got. But the reason that Henry sort of talked to me was because there was so much I didn鈥檛 know about him. Which opens up possibilities. Which if I鈥檓 wrong, then it鈥檚 pretty simple. But if it does work, you have this great character and this great role. So I looked at what I was doing and what the character was doing 鈥� and this guy is not Baze at all. He鈥檚 a very different creature, which is a nice challenge

Executive Producers Eric Charmelo, Nicole Snyder and Pam Veasey

How did you feel once you heard that RINGER would be debuting on The CW?

ERIC: We were thrilled!

It seems like a different show for The CW. Do you think they were eager to embrace something stylistically different?

ERIC: Yeah, they were. I鈥檝e said from the beginning, they recognized it as a film noir and as a serialized thriller. They owned it and they let us revel in it and that鈥檚 what it is 鈥� and it鈥檚 going to be awesome!

It seems kind of edgy and dark. Is there going to be moments of levity?

NICOLE: Absolutely!

ERIC: Sure.

PAM: In the conceit of twins, you just have to. There鈥檚 a little bit of tongue-in-cheek in that, so we鈥檒l definitely have a little bit of humor in the show.

How much of the series will focus on Brigit and how much will focus on Siobhan?

NICOLE: When we start, we鈥檙e going to be telling Brigit鈥檚 story. But we鈥檙e playing with time and perspective so we鈥檒l definitely see Siobhan and get to know her as well.

There are so many twists in the pilot that could have been spread out over 3 to 5 episodes, will you be able to keep that up in each episode?

NICOLE: We鈥檙e trying! Our writers are exhausted.

PAM: I鈥檓 sorry you noticed that because now we鈥檒l have to keep it up! [laughter]

ERIC: Things happen at a break-neck pace. We鈥檙e trying to live up to the bar we鈥檝e set and keep it up as each episode goes on.

Will each episode end on a cliff-hanger?

NICOLE: Occasionally. If you end in a moment, you鈥檒l come back to that moment in another episode and other times we take a break and then sometimes we鈥檒l have the 鈥済asp鈥� moment, where everyone gasps, so viewers can have a conversation about it, asking 鈥榙id you see THAT?鈥� That鈥檚 really important to us.

ERIC: And just when you think you鈥檝e figured something out, we鈥檙e going to throw a wrench into the equation and then take it in a completely different tangent. So it helps keep things fresh.

Are you hearing a lot of feedback from BUFFY fans?

ERIC: Yeah. They鈥檙e rabid. Those are big shoes to fill. So we hope we do Sarah and the BUFFY legacy justice.

Since you鈥檙e doing so much press for the show, how do you like to describe it opposed to how everyone else is describing it as a 鈥榝emale thriller鈥�?

ERIC: 滨迟鈥檚 a neo noir thriller.

So you want everyone to know that it鈥檚 the new neo-noir thriller on The CW?

ERIC: Absolutely! Absolutely. At the end of the day, it鈥檚 a character study about twin sisters and the nature of sibling rivalry. 滨迟鈥檚 also about identity and it鈥檚 about revenge.

Sarah is obviously a very coveted person in the TV world, what do you think drew her to this project?

ERIC: I think because she got to play two characters. She said that the best co-star is yourself 鈥� they always remember their lines. So I think that鈥檚 why! [laughter]

NICOLE: Another reason I think she was drawn to the project is that it鈥檚 a very family-related show. Almost everyone on our staff has children. My daughter and her daughter are almost the same age and they play together. And we are here to make sure she still sees her child and her husband.

How did you get involved with the show?

PAM: [Nicole and Eric] created it, I just got to read it. The script was sent to me to help supervise the pilot. And I read it and just thought it had it all. It was fun to read, it was intriguing. It wasn鈥檛 a procedural like I鈥檝e been working many years and it was exiting. It was taking me back to other family dramas, so it was a great opportunity. I was excited. So for me, I was like, 鈥業鈥檝e got to get this job!鈥�

Was the show always based on the premise of having twin sisters?

ERIC: Yeah, it was always conceived as twin sisters.

NICOLE: We like to write female voices.

ERIC: We like writing for them and we liked the idea of writing about people living double-lives and we wanted to do a neo-noir for a really long time. So all the pieces of the puzzle kind of fit together. This seemed like the perfect piece to explore all of our obsessions.

Do you know where the story is going? Like do you have the storyline planned out or are you going to make it up as you go along?

NICOLE: We do. We know.

ERIC: When we first pitched the series we had about 3 seasons percolating. And we鈥檙e playing with time and perspective, so it gives us a lot of latitude to play with chunks of time, but from different perspectives. So you鈥檙e telling the same story, but from a different perspective, it is a completely different story. So it gives us a lot of latitude.

Since you moved the show from New York to Los Angeles, does that affect the tone of the show and how you portray the show, such as location shoots and background?

ERIC: This woman [Pam] is the master behind that!

PAM: Because I worked on CSI: NEW YORK and still executive produce that, we have mastered the talent of finding New York in L.A. Our inside joke used to be 鈥榓dd a water tower.鈥� You鈥檒l feel like you鈥檙e in New York. We have a terrific production designer, Steven Wolff who did DIRTY SEX MONEY and some other shows where he鈥檚 created exteriors that so reflect the Upper East Side that we all wanted to move into our sets. And the characters tell the story, it鈥檚 where they鈥檙e from 鈥� it鈥檚 not where you are. We can definitely tell the New York story in L.A.

ERIC: Where there鈥檚 a will, there鈥檚 a way.

PAM: Yeah, we鈥檒l get there. You鈥檒l see it. I promise you! The team for CSI: NEW YORK won awards for making L.A. look like New York. We鈥檙e going to try to copy that.

What inspired you to do this type of show and how did you go about casting a lead for it?

NICOLE: We were so inspired by old noir films and the neo-noirs from the past 10-20 years that we just kept seeing the fabulous femme fatale. And when the script was given to Sarah, we just said, 鈥榶es!鈥� We鈥檝e got the blond with the red lips who can act, and thought , 鈥楲et鈥檚 go!鈥�

Is it as clear cut as the good twin and the evil twin, or is there something else going on?

ERIC: Since we鈥檙e playing with identity and duplicity, you never know who鈥檚 the mark and who鈥檚 the femme fatale. These are two sisters who vacillate between: what is right and what is wrong? There is no light or dark, it鈥檚 all about shades of gray in between. Its moral ambiguity to justify the choices that they make because they are tough choices.

So what鈥檚 next after the pilot episode?

NICOLE: Well, we鈥檙e left with a dead body! And you鈥檝e got to get rid of that dead body. So it鈥檚 going to be a fun ride! [laughter]

Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to The TV Addict.