#schlagger

[windlion]

It has obviously been too long since I've drawn this character; I am looking at his plumage going "Oh my god how does this even" and resorting to putting down multiple layers just so I can figure out how the underlying levels work and erasing where they won't show. And this is the one I like farming out to other people to draw for shadenfreude. XD XD XD 

/IRONY

[windlion]

Meta

The Star's here today with a special guest indeed- former pop star, singing sensation turned character actor, Lucien DuPree. DuPree just wrapped the third season of the hit show Odin's Children on TBS. Welcome to the Star, Lucien- how would you describe Odin's Children to new viewers?

LD: Not nearly as much of a soap opera as it sounds. laughs It's a sci-fi space opera- big difference! It's got action, adventure, and intrigue- I provide the last. What I really like about the series is that it's not so much about humans vs. aliens. At the heart, it's about how the humans cope with the fact that the only way to combat the aliens is to become one. How do they retain their humanity when, genetically speaking, they're no longer human?

TS: It sounds like you could be writing their ad copy.

LD: Tell them that! They could certainly use the help on how to make an impression.

TS: Is it true that you threw out the script before reading it?

LD: laughing Yes. I scanned the proposal for the pilot, thought, “Why are they even asking me?” and tossed it.

TS: What made you reconsider?

LD: Hearing who else they'd sent it to, actually! My agent called the next day to ask what I'd thought of the role, saying she was eager to see how I'd stack up against Claudia Black, (etc) (etc) – all these classic femme fatales in the auditions. I was floored- and scrambled to do anything but admit that I'd already circular-filed the script. I think I temporized by saying I hadn't gotten around to reading it, would she mind elaborating on the role in question?

Turns out, since she knew I was looking to experiment more heavily with acting, she'd spoken with the casting director and heard about the project- and she was the one who suggested they consider me for the role. They figured the least they could do was watch my audition- and went to the trouble of sending me the script. Laughs I had to dig out the script from my office garbage, rather than admit to my faux pas, and sat down with it at dinner. I think I ended up staying up late finishing it- and it was fascinating.

TS: So, how did she describe the role to you?

LD: She explained that the role was for one of the main villains- a sneaky, sly bastard of a shape-shifter- in a science-fiction series along the lines of Babylon Five, Star Trek or Stargate. What I really liked was the concept of the character- Schlagger's essentially genderless, has this amazing power, but really gets by on intelligence. That spoke to me.

TS: What about the bastard part?

LD: grins Getting to be a complete bitch to the stick-in-the-mud goodie two shoes? Oh, that never hurts.

TS: How did the auditions go?

LD: I thought about what the writers were reaching for, and how I wanted to play the character. I really thought about who I saw Schlagger being- and then I went in and delivered the lines as him to the best of my ability. I think they were taken aback, at first- because even though the character's androgynous, they'd really thought of it being a female role. Now, I'm not arguing that the show needs less women- if anything, it needs more- but they were really impressed by my take, and the rest's history.

TS: Do you play the character differently than a woman would?

LD: That's an interesting question, because I try to play Schlagger as gender-neutral- or more importantly, not gender-fixed. Schlagger's androgynous, so Schlagger needs to be understandable and relatable to both genders. The role appealed to me because I've got a history of exploring androgyny. Grins Now, don't get me wrong. I'm male, I'm definitely male and comfortable with myself as a man- if I wasn't, I wouldn't be as comfortable turning that on its head. Some people aren't going to be easy with the idea of Schlagger being both and neither, and that's okay. Everyone's going to get something different out of it- that's what I'm really trying to bring to the table. The character of Schlagger as Schlagger, not as a particular gender or sexuality.

TS: A lot of people were surprised by you turning out to be a character actor- that's not what anyone was expecting from a former idol. A lot of the choices were unexpected. What do you think about the rest of the cast?

LD: Former? raises an eyebrow jokingly Well, they might not have expected us, but there are very few newcomers actually in the line-up. Jacques has been in the Disney circuit for years, Katahara was a guest star and has a handful of commercials to his name. They're both delivering solid performances, and it's fun to work with the next generation. Al Abbas may be a newbie, but his brother's in the business- he's got an excellent coach and acting in the blood. And a lot of patience with the make-up trailer. Laughs That one's most necessary.

TS: For you, too. What about Vincent as Foyle?

LD: My opposite number? I'm really glad they got him to agree to the role; he lends us all an air of respectability. I got to see him on the stage in London once, in Othello- he's really remarkable. He makes an excellent straight man to play off of. I'm afraid Schlagger's more of an Iago.

TS: Where do you see your character going?

LD: Like any Iago, he's definitely got a rough road ahead of him. He's the villain- if it was all smooth sailing, the story'd be over in a heartbeat. The developers and writers let me in on a few secrets about his back story and motivations, and he's more complex than you'd suspect. I think you'll see little drips and drabs of his inner workings over the coming season.

TS: You mentioned Ms. Black and a few others were initial choices for the character. How many of them have guest-starred as Schlagger?

LD: He's a shape-shifter, so of course, sometimes that's me in make-up, and sometimes that's just not possible. Laughs I've been lucky enough to work with some very clever, unexpected individuals. Terry Horton- that's the secretary- stands out to me as being an excellent shape-shifter in disguise. I've left Schlagger in some very capable hands.

TS: Is it true that's because of schedule conflicts?

LD: Sometimes, yes. I was on tour last summer, and on location shooting for a bigger project last season, so I couldn't make every episode. They actually shot a lot of footage of me for several episodes in one week I had free, and edited it up appropriately. laughs It was fun to watch and go 'Wait, but I wasn't there for that scene!' Movie magic. But sometimes, like I said, there's no amount of make-up that'd make me look like a fourty-five year old staff sergeant.

TS: Can you share what that project was?

LD: Not yet! Look for an announcement to be coming this fall from Miramax. I can't tell you what it's about, but I had a lot of fun.

TS: We're out of time, but thank you so much for your time today.

LD: No, thank you for having me.

TS: Ladies and gentlemen, that was Lucien DuPree, leading antagonist of the sci-fi epic Odin's Children. Catch the third season's premiere this Friday at nine, only on TBS.