Answers with Austin Basis

Answer 1

First off--congrats on the recent renewal of "Beauty & the Beast" for its fourth season! We're excited for the summer premiere of season 3...what new twists and turns can we expect from this upcoming season?

Well thank you. It was definitely a surprise to get a season 4 before season 3 had even aired but with regards to season 4 -- I don't know anything about season 4 other than that it starts in 2 months. With season 3, it's so hard to talk about it without giving spoilers but I think in general from my character's point of view, from J.T., you're going to see a little more of the new sides to J.T., which is fun to play as an actor. It's great to have writers that will throw curveballs and challenge you. To see if you come out on the other side of the challenge is yet to be seen, we'll find out with the audience but I think there's a lot of stuff that J.T. deals with this season, including his budding relationship with Tess and their navigation through a new relationship, which is more grounded than Vincent and Catherine's epic romance. Their romance is epic because you have this supernatural beast with this woman who has had so much tragedy in her life. Out of their tragedies, they have found each other and have created this bond that is being tested. This bond is being taken to the next level in season 3. They're going to be domesticated and trying to figure out and navigate how they live together in a normal world. With Vincent going back to the hospital to be a doctor and Cat dealing with normal cases at the precinct and doing her job and then having breakfast together, going off to work, coming back home, watching TV--that's not what is going to happen in this season but that's their goal. To see how J.T. and Tess support them in that and also Heather too. Nicole Anderson is a season regular this season so it opens that relationship up to more of a confidant thing because you know now Tess is not giving Cat her time but she's spending more time with J.T., so there's a lot of Tess and J.T. scenes or J. T. and T. scenes as we call them, but Vincent and Cat will be challenged by these unknown forces. It's a big debate if they're going to take the Homeland Security Job to help fight these forces out there that they need someone like Vincent to support them in their battles to rid the world of this type of element. Along that line is how does Vincent do that and Cat do that without Vincent pushing the limit of his humanity without that fear of always slipping to the other side and not being able to cross back over to the Vincent that we saw in early season 2. So it's a back and forth struggle. We're going to meet new characters and new threats that will be fun and interesting and this is not a spoiler, to a degree it is, but J.T. kind of becomes the Kenny (SouthPark Kenny) of Beauty and the Beast this season because I would say in more than half the episodes he's injured or near death at some point but he does get injured quite often and he becomes a little more of the damsel in distress than Cat has ever been. So there's lots of fun stuff this season and there's some fun comedic moments and stuff that I got to play and other characters got to play that I think the audience will enjoy. There's a lot in season 3 that is what I think made the show popular in the beginning and struck a chord with the audience from the onset when we premiered a couple years ago. So I don't know if it's that we're just getting back to that or if it's we're just giving the fans what they want because they are such a demanding presence -- an appreciating presence -- when they get those elements of the story that they really truly latch on to.

So you've shot "Beauty & the Beast" in both Toronto and New York...which has been your favorite location to film at?

Well I didn't shoot in New York, they did. There was only a couple of days when they shoot New York. When they shoot New York they do mainly exteriors. Mark Pedowitz and Brad Kearns were both adamant about creating more of that New York atmosphere and being able to get to New York and actually shoot stuff that will set the world a little better. Mainly we shoot Toronto and we try to make it look like New York but sometimes you can't avoid making it feel like a different city. So when you shoot on landmarks like the bridge or by the 9/11 memorial or by the UN or on one of the promenans in New York, I think for the show and for the fans it allows the world to be a little more clarified than generally putting up New York street signs, construction and cabs. If you notice in a lot of the shows that shoot in New York, they always shoot a subway that confirms that it's New York and it's sometimes the same subway. Like I don't know if they have different subway signs. I keep seeing this one station and I'm like "I don't even know if that's a real station". It shows up in multiple places and I'm like "I wonder if any of the fans ever notice it because a lot of times it's out of focus in the background". It's still one of those odd things that you'd rather have in a monument or a location that you would rather have it confirmed that it's in New York and that it can't be in any other city. But with regards to Toronto, I can't say because what I just thought of would be kind of a spoiler for season 3 but I would say that, for a Canadian crew and me as someone who likes sports, this location was the most fun to shoot at because I got to do something that I've never done before. I don't know which episode--maybe 11 or 12 or 10--but it's late in the season. That would be my favorite location.

Does the CW's "Beauty & the Beast" have any similarities to Disney's popular version of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale?

Well I think like lots of modern adaptations, the essence of the story is the jumping off point and obviously the character's names from the original series. But the actual fairy tale, like the Disney version...I think the love--the connection between 2 people that is outside of what they look like. The core of what it is is that it's a connection you can't necessarily describe and you wouldn't necessarily see when looking at these 2 separate individuals. With that at the core, I think we've taken that to a more modern sense and we've given it a more edgy depiction. And in a sense too, there's aspects of the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, that if you think about it in reality terms and take it into the reality standpoint...there's some dark things even in the Disney version. Just the fact that he's shut himself in the castle, where the beauty is coming from and her adversaries. In her world, she's escaping from that, just like the beast is escaping from this stuff that affects him. He's trying to make his life easier but in a sense that's where you find the characters at the beginning of our show. However, because it's not just 2 hours--it's one hour episodes over the course of 4 seasons--you have to dissect that and pull out and utilize the aspects of that broad description and specify things in a way that's unique and different from the Disney version. Like when we have a government agency using the fact that we were in Afghanistan fighting against terrorists and the Twin Towers--what end will the government go to to create this? And they went to screwing with people's DNA to combat and to create these super soldiers. That leads to "Well did it start with Afghanistan or was this stuff around before then"? And then there's a deeper conspiracy going on with the original project that Muirfield was, the mirror project. Then you get deeper in saying, "Well, was it just this generation? What gave them the idea to make human amalgams of beasts, like part man and part beast"? And then you find out there's a mythology and things tracing back centuries and bones are found and that there were beasts back before Muirfield existed. So we're trying to create a new fairy tale but the problem is when you think fairy tale, you think happy ending. Honestly, the writers have tried to give the fans a happy ending at the end of each season but with the cliffhanger of what's next. I think the core is the same but we're so far away from the actual parameters of the Disney Beauty and the Beast so to try to compare is impossible and maybe even fruitless.

How would you fill in the blanks in the following sentence: If you like ______ and ______, you will enjoy the CW's "Beauty & the Beast".

Well, I'll just say initially if you like action and romance, you will enjoy CW's Beauty and the Beast. But there's also elements of comedy, sci-fi, supernatural elements and if you like the essence of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale then there's elements of that. But that's not being held over the show's head as a constant reference point. There are allusions and connections to it, but it's more of a jumping off point. We've taken the ball and kind of run with it in a direction that is a specific direction. So, I would say action and romance or romance and action at the top of it.

So it's the best of both worlds?

Not every show has action and romance because it's hard to do that in a TV series, especially if it's 13 or more episodes. If you're doing a shorter cable show then it's going to be more simplified than that. We have the opportunity to unveil a lot of different layers, whether it's Vincent or Catherine, Tess and J.T or Heather, there's room for comedy, maybe sentimentality, there's suspense and maybe even horror at some points. The sci-fi and supernatural goes back to the 2nd season when there's the flashback to the 1800s and there's elements in this season too. That stuff is definitely direct homage to the original but that's not our show, we're just trying to incorporate that into what our version is. There's a lot of stuff there, and if you're looking for certain aspects, you'll find them in the show. If you like action and romance, then it's a great show. I like realism, comedy and relationships, there's aspects of that too in the show. If you like genre supernatural sci-fi stuff, of course there's stuff like that in this show. Certain episodes will have more than one of those things--there are certain episodes that are way more sci-fi and then there are episodes that are like the Bourne series in this season. Then there are romantic episodes. I don't know if it will go down in TV history but there are elements of classical romance. The kiss, the music, the angles, whether it's snowing or not. All those things add to those images and those moments.

On the show, your character J.T. is very close to Jay Ryan's character, Vincent. Are you and Jay as close off-set as your characters are on-set?

Well I don't think anybody could be as close as J.T. and Vincent are. I don't know if anyone in real life is that close with anyone else in real life. It's just the history that they have; they live together off the grid for the better part of 10 years, they grew up together, with the amount of life and death situations they've both been in...experience that once with someone and you're bonded for life. They've done that over and over and over again and so it's been a little bit of a rollercoaster but it's all this history. So I feel like what was great about when I started working with Jay and we shot on the pilot, he was still shooting Top of the Lake. So when we did the pilot, he flew in from New Zealand like right when I was flying out of Toronto. He did the first couple of days of the shoot and I came back and we met once before we did our first scene together. The first scene we did is where we have that argument of he's breaking all the rules and he's going out and his trail was obviously picked up by Cat and Tess who question me when they come to the warehouse in that first pilot episode and so that was the first scene we shot together. I think the chemistry, like you could be friends on the outside and bring that chemistry in but if you have chemistry and you don't know each other--that I think is a testament to what both of the actors are bringing and the ability of the characters to really live within the world of the set. So it's amazing how much that has continued within the context of the series. Even though for some part of last season, season 2, J.T. and Vincent didn't really interact but obviously they had some big confessional moments and big bonding moments that brought them back into each other's world. When Vincent started remembering everything again, I think that brought everyone back. Honestly in Toronto, we don't have much time off set together. Jay pretty much works every day and then he has a daughter. So it's hard for me to say, "Why don't you NOT spend time with your daughter and hang out with me and my wife offset". So we try to get out when we can, but he's a very loyal and committed father and he even brings his daughter to set occasionally. His schedule is just so brutal with his special effects and stunts and makeup and just the time investment. I think in general when you're working on the set for so long and you have two days off and a family, you spend time with your family. I think everyone in the cast has a comradery that allows the working environment to be positive and productive, but we spend a lot of time on set together so that creates a nice hangout in a way. When we come to the set and have scenes together it's a nice relief from when we have other stuff to do for the show, so we take advantage of that as much as possible. But it's tough to match up to J.T. Anything pales in comparison to J.T. and Vincent's friendship. Even any other relationships on the show. Other than Vincent and Catherine, nothing compares to J.T. and Vincent. That's history and that's a lifetime relationship.

It's so great that you're involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Why is juvenile diabetes research something you feel passionately about?

Well, I'm a type 1 diabetic. I was diagnosed right before my 9th birthday in 1985 so in September it's my 30th anniversary of having type 1 diabetes. It is kind of crazy to think about because when I was at The Actors Studio Drama School, Mary Tyler Moore--who was a famous spokesperson for the organization and diabetes in general--was on "Inside the Actors Studio" and she talked about having diabetes for 40 or 50 years. I'm almost there which is crazy to think about. That's the main reason and in connection with that, growing up I just wanted to be normal and live a normal childhood. I wanted to play sports normally and not have my diabetes affect it adversely. Like be a Major League Baseball player and then people find out that I'm a type 1 diabetic and that just happens to be something about me, but also that I was able to succeed in spite of it. When I was growing up, there weren't many approachable athletes or people in the public eye who were type 1 diabetics, other than Mary Tyler Moore, who I didn't have a connection with because her shows and her TV stuff were before my time. I initially got involved to be that person and fill that void. There's a lot of people with type 1 diabetes that have succeeded at the highest level; whether it's athletes, musicians, or actors. I think just to be among the success stories that kids can look at and not have to be sentenced. So that they don't have to feel like they have a life sentence with this disease that will not allow them to do some things in life. There's nothing you can't do if you're in control of the condition. If you keep healthy, keep active, keep your blood sugars in check and take care of yourself, there's honestly nothing you can't do. It's only when your blood sugars are off that it's adversely affecting your body. So with the technology of today, whether it's an insulin pump or a continuous glucose monitor, or some of the new technologies like a bionic pancreas or artificial pancreas--as long as your blood sugar levels are in check and stay normal then your body is going to be functioning exactly like anyone else's, except with just with a little help. The second reason I'm passionate about JDRF is being an example of a success story. As an actor, when I was coming out of school and was around people who had succeeded, it shifted my focus. Like 1 out of every 100 actors makes a living. It's bleak, it's hard, the odds are against you. People in grad school and acting school say the odds are that one of the students will make it in this career, everyone else will not make it. It's like "Why are we paying for school? You know"? So in that same respect, having people who have lived with type 1 diabetes and have succeeded takes their focus off of the struggle or the nagging obligations. You have to check your blood sugar 5-7 times a day, take insulin injections, wear the pump, or do a lot of the things type 1 diabetics have to do to live a normal life and shift away from wallowing in the misery of having this disease and focus on positive results. What I've learned in my participation in JDRF is that the disease, especially for kids, may affect parents emotionally, definitely energywise and biologically even more than the kids. The parents have to test their blood sugar in the middle of the night and while the kids are sleeping they have to bear the burden of responsibility for the child's welfare. Just to starting to recognize the fact that diabetes doesn't just affect the person that has it but affects everyone around it. And appreciating what those people do and what the community around those people do. Whether it's raise money or help organize events that raise money or to thank the people that are giving of their own time, money and abilities to fund research to come up with a cure or to just to make life a little more fun and better for their kids, other's kids with type 1 diabetes and even adults who have spouses. Like my wife. We've done these events and she really connects with the parents because they're in the same boat. They have a loved one with diabetes and have had to deal with some of the negative things like low blood sugar reactions where they've needed to take the bull by the horns and basically save the day. So to shed light on that and to give those people the appreciation that they deserve for doing what they do out of just the mere connection and love that they have for their child, spouse, brother, sister, mother, daughter, son.

What social media platform do you enjoy using the most to stay in touch with your fans?

I would have to say Twitter. I haven't started an Instagram account because I have my own Facebook account, a public Facebook account, a Twitter account and a Vine but that's for more Behind the Scenes type of stuff. But I think Twitter is essential for everything because people link to Facebook, to Vine, to all the other social media through that. There is something I always thought when I wasn't on Twitter--I was like "The attention of people nowadays can only be in 140 characters or less," you know? Even Vine they only have time to watch a 6 second video. But with a lot of the Vine videos and Twitter comments, there's an art to simplifying what you want to say and what you want to put out there. There's an art to trimming of the fat of the message you want to say, or even giving the link or promotion to something--there's an art to figuring out how to do it with less space. I really don't like Twitter rants where people use 5 tweets to say something. I'm like either say it in 1 or link me on that 1 to a photo, a PDF, an essay or a blog. And through that the thing I like most about Twitter is connecting with the audience. Coming from theater and comedy, being able to be in contact with an audience is some of the most fun of the stage and performing and that is taken away by film or TV. Let's say it's comedy and someone laughs...that take is ruined, they can't use that take even off camera. So if you don't have the audience, you don't have the timing or energy. Even in a drama on stage there is a difference in the silence when something dramatic is happening and the audience is sucked in or when it's boring and people just aren't making noise. It's a physical difference and you can hear it. And to not have that while you're filming something. You film so many different parts out of order and then with TV, the earliest you'll see it is in 3-4 weeks. With our show, we filmed in early July or August. You're not going to see it until May for season 3. That's a long time to wait for an audience's response. But still when you watch with DVR, if I miss something, I have it, I'm recording it...I can rewind it and check it, but while I watch it live I could respond directly to those involved whether writer, actor, director--and I as one of the actors in the show could get a direct response from fans watching a moment or joke. They can't laugh on Twitter, but...

One day, One day!

Snapchat! The live Snapchat might be the new thing. And I just invented it so I'll take all the credit. But you can't really Snapchat when you don't know what's going to happen. Are you going to Snapchat for the hour of the show and people watch you while you're watching the show? Anyways, did you ever see those videos on the Red Wedding from "Game of Thrones"?

No I have not...

Well there's an episode of Game of Thrones that's really shocking. And fans of the book series and of the TV show recorded their friends watching this episode and they knew what was happening because of the book. Like they had read it and a lot of the stuff that happens in the book happens in the show, so it's not a surprise for them. But for people like me who haven't read the book series and watch an episode live, we are shocked by something that happened that other people have known for 10 years already. So they filmed their reaction and there's a whole montage of people watching this episode and it's pretty funny. That might be the future of live Tweeting. Live Snapchatting.

What has been your most crazy fan moment?

Oh well, it's not the most crazy but it's always weird when it happens at a drive-through because you order your food, in this case it was a coffee drive-through in Canada, and they hear your voice and they just take your order normally. It's not like they would recognize your voice alone...but then you pull up to the window and they're like, "WHAT, OH MY GOD! LIKE NO...ARE YOU...OMG...I'M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW! Can I take a picture"? And she called over her co-worker and she's like, "He plays J.T. on Beauty and the Beast"! So that was funny. My wife and I went out to Japanese food...we were coming back from a long day, and knew we didn't have food in the house, so I was like, "Let's just get some sushi". We stopped at this place on a Sunday night because we knew it wouldn't be crowded...but it ended up being kind of crowded. So we're standing there and there's these 2 college age girls kind of dressed up for a Sunday night. And I'm like, "Wow, they're going out for a night on the town on a Sunday night". My wife and I are thinking we're so old that Sunday night is like the chill night, not the night that they have access to all the bars because no one else is out and they're so young. And girl goes like this, "Are you...are you...oh my god..you are..." And she comes over and her friend is like, "Can I take a picture of you"? Because the girl is too embarrassed to ask, she's a real fan of the show. And she had just finished watching season 2 where my character is strung up from the ceiling, dripping blood. So we took a picture, we sat down at the sushi bar and it was still pretty crowded and they sat right next to us. The whole meal we talked about the show. They were friendly, they were sweet. One of them didn't really watch the show but her friend was trying to pitch the show through me. It was funny. Stuff like that, I mean it was sweet and innocent. I've never had anything crazy, but it's always fun because those types of stories are a lot better than the side glances or the weird looks when they think you don't see them looking. And then knowing that they're not going to come up to you--you don't really know if they know you from something or if they're just staring at some weird pimple on your forehead or if your hair is messed up. It's like you're half self-conscious and half like, "Wow, I think they know me from the show, but they're not going to say anything because they figure that will be more awkward." But it's actually even more awkward when you just stand there staring, not thinking that I can see you trying to figure it out.