#AlexOLoughlin – Talking to Duane Robinson about Moonlight (2008)

Another one of the old interview transcripts that we have not included in our archive yet. As  far as I know this was a radio interview, but I do not know for which station.

If I understand it correctly from what was being said it took place on 1 May 2008, the day of the TV Guide sexiest stars’ party.

Hope you enjoy the visit to the past, with this interview from 10 years ago. It was really nice to hear what high praise Alex had for his co-star Jason Dohring

Alex: Hi Duane.

Duane: How are you?

Alex: Great. How are you?

Duane: Fine. I was so surprised when I started researching you a little bit more, when I found out we were going to be talking, and I found out you were Australian. I had no idea. You are doing a good job.

Alex: Thank you very much.

Duane: Do you have Americans who go to Australia and have to put on an Australian accent to be in shows there?

Alex: Not really. But you have to understand that we don’t really have an industry there like … like you guys have here, you know. This is the ….. this is where it’s at.

Duane: [Laughs] I mean is it hard. Do they ever stop and say, you know, “Oh, that wasn’t American sounding enough”?

Alex: Oh absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, specially, I mean … not a lot I’ve got to say, because I have been doing it for a while now. But if I get really, really tired, which is something that happens occasionally, doing the hours we do, I can slip on a word or two.

Duane: Yeah. I am speaking with Alex O’Loughlin. He is on Moonlight, which is on CBS on Friday nights. It has developed a very avid cult following. Were you surprised at that?

Alex: Yeah, I …. I … You know it’s interesting. I mean any time something that I am involved with, you know, develops a following; it’s kind of a surprise to me. But it’s a … I mean …it’s ….

Anything in this genre is … is always going to have a following. Because it’s such a … it’s such a sought after genre. It’s … look I am a fan of the genre, you know. And anything with vampires in it, I will gravitate to straight away. But the fact that the fans had stayed on board the way they have, is testament to the show and how good the show is.

Duane: I really enjoy it and it reminds me a lot of Beauty and the Beast, which was big in the 80’s.

Alex: It’s interesting you’d say that, because one of the original creators of the show … I mean the creator Trevor Munson wrote the book, but then his co-creator on the show, Ron Koslow … he was the creator of Beauty and the Beast.

Duane: Okay. So that’s kind of what you are going for. You’ve got star-crossed lovers, just because you are, you know,  different kinds of beings

Alex: Right.

Duane: And it’s been interesting to see the relationship develop, because … I mean somebody could put a creepy spin on it and say, you know, your character has known Beth since she was a little girl, maybe 8 or 10, and now she is grown up and you are still attracted to her. So that’s a little odd.

Alex: Well it is actually and that’s … …. It is a bit of a creepy spin. And it’s actually the source of a great conflict within my character. And that is that he … he’s known her for 20 years, because he saved her when she was a little girl.

He saved her life and he watched over her as a guardian angel, you know. As the years have gone by she has grown into a woman, and he has started …. You know instead of looking at her through paternal eyes, he started looking at her through the eyes of a lover. And this has been something that cause him great pain.

Duane: And for those of you who didn’t watch, she was kind of safe because she was involved in a relationship when they reconnected. But of course the powers to be like to take those obstacles out of the way and create new obstacles.

And when her boyfriend died she asked your character to turn him into a vampire. You said no. That caused a big conflict.

I as a viewer and somebody who’s got emotional ties to show, I was like, “How could she possibly be mad at him? He saved her life like 800 times”.

Alex: Right. You know what I mean. That’s what I said. How can you be mad at me?

Duane: Ungrateful woman. [Laughs]

Alex: No, WOMEN! [Laughs]

Duane: Well it’s neat to know that you kind of gravitate toward that supernatural and vampire type scripts, so did you have any idea when you started, that they were going to let Mick St John experience humanity again?

Alex: No. No idea. I was like …. I just thought that was so cool when they started telling me about it. It was, it was, you know …… I was thrilled about it.

I knew about it from about ….. we were talking about it from about Episode 6 or 7. You know, when Coraline comes back as Morgan. And that whole thing starts.

And so yeah, it build up to this great crescendo. And I’m not entirely sure that we are done with that storyline either. I mean  that’s … that’s the cure and everything. So it’s still a part of the zeitgeist. And so we’ll just see if it re …. re …. rises.

Duane: He was a very reluctant vampire. He wasn’t excited about being changed. It wasn’t something that he sought. And he doesn’t really enjoy all aspects of the lifestyle. So, it must have been a nice challenge to play somebody who has been immortal, who has enjoying humanity again and not taken those things for granted. That must have been kind of fun.

Alex: Absolutely. I mean, it’s been fun playing this guy from the very beginning. You know everything that has been thrown at him, it’s just …… I mean he’s such a layer interesting character. And he’s so ….

He so very much like a hero as well in a lot of ways, even though he’s not an ordinary person. I mean hero is an ordinary person in extraordinary situations. But he’s not an ordinary person. He has these superpowers and he has all this stuff. But he …… like you say, he is reluctant, and so he doesn’t ….. he doesn’t act as if he has those powers.

He doesn’t live as if he has these powers … he kind of tries to live as much of a human existence as he can. And he denies a lot  … a lot of the stuff that he can do. And so….. yeah, he is a very interesting guy.

Duane: Well one thing that is going to bring a lot more viewers to Moonlight I think, is the TV Guide picture. [Giggles] You are listed as one of the hottest stars on TV and I have to say that picture is fantastic! Have you gotten some … some attention about it this week?

Alex: Thank you. Yeah, apparently people are pretty excited about it. I’ve got a … I’m not, I haven’t got the copy of the magazine yet. I must still go and pick up a  copy and take a look at it.

But I’ve got the party on tonight. I will be on the red carpet and a bunch of interviews and stuff. And so …. You know, I am not sure … I guess TV guide channel will be playing that at some stage.

Duane: Okay, well we will look for that. You say Mick has all these layers, but there are so many viewers of the show who really don’t need that many other layers. They just like to see you topless and doing some more pull-ups, you know. [giggles]

Alex: Take the layers off. And get down to business.

Duane: [Laughs] So how do you feel about Mick’s love life? Just a quick answer: Beth or Coraline?

Alex: Ooooooo … they’re both …. they’re both ….. awwwww

Duane: [giggles]

Alex: Can we have one … can we alternate?

Duane: No, you can’t even  … a hybrid obviously would be perfect, but …..

Alex: I think Beth is definitely better for him …. I can’t give you a quick answer on that. Beth is better for him, but he loves them both.

Duane: Yeah, cause Coraline has this sort of exotic  intangible.

Alex: Yeah, she’s kind of got him bewitched.

Duane: [Laughs] And will be seeing her again? Because Shannyn is just great.

Alex: Oh yeh. You’ll be seeing her again.

Duane: Excellent. And she is the one who brought this whole cure into the storyline. We found out that her family is a very old vampire family. And so again I’m sure that’s something that’s going along with the whole mythology.

There is an interesting thing that I always … I always laugh when I watch it. My son makes me stop it sometimes during the battle scenes, because you’ve got a vampire face. There is a face that you have to put up.

It is like a close-up, with the mouth open, the teeth showing, the eyes that are all silvery. Did you have to work on that for a while?

Alex: You know it’s funny ….it’s funny  to talk about this stuff. Because it is so much like it’s …. When I am in vampire mode it is just play time, you know.

It’s like I’ve got a mask on. I’m just … I’m just playing.  I didn’t actually. I didn’t have to work on that. I kind of knew exactly what to do, because I’ve read so many vampire books. I’ve been such a fan of the genre for so long, it was like as soon as those teeth were in I was …. It sort of just came alive, you know, on its own.

Duane: Yeah, You haven’t tried any blood, have you?

Alex: Oh yeah we … we  …. We kill lots of goats and sheep.

Duane: [laughs]

Alex: [laughs]

Duane: I have to be honest. I started watching the show because of Jason Dohring, because I’m a huge fan of him. And probably because you were in it from the very early stages. The character of Josef was supposed to be kind of an older, wiser man.

Alex: Uhm.

Duane: And they made him into this young hotshot stockbroker smart alley guy, which is what Jason Dohring plays so great. You guys have fun together?

Alex: We have great fun. He is a terrific friend and he is a wonderful cohort on the show. I mean, he is, not to mention, a great actor, you know. He is very … he is very present and he is very ….

He is a very diligent hard working actor as well.  And so, we ….. you know, I mean we deliver together. We really work well and collaborate well together and we get on famously as well.

So we were in New York a couple of weeks ago for the Comic Con and for the Early Show and stuff. We did a bunch of press and we just had the best time. We had a few hours off and we went and got some food and you know just went down town and … we are great buddies. It is terrific to work with a friend.

Duane: Well it sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I hope it continues on. It’s going to be one of those things that will be frustrating, because you’ll have people who want Beth and Mick together right away, but you can’t do it too soon. And there’s that … that kind of balance that you have to find with people. Because you can’t put them together and make them happy.

Alex: Exactly.

Duane: [Laughs] Congratulations on the TV Guide spread too. It’s a great picture.

Alex: Thank you so much.

Duane: Have a great day.

Alex: Anytime, you too.

Duane: Bye Alex.

Alex: Bye.

Audio clip of the interview:

Some Trivia

• In the interview they talked about American actors they might need to speak in an Australian accent – Not so sure many American actors would go to Australia to play an Australian, but it seems that some British actors might do it. In Oyster Farmer where Alex plays Jack Flange, his sister Nikki is played by a British actress Claudia Harrison. Of course Jim Norton who played Mumbles is from Ireland, but he did not have to talk with an Australian accent like Claudia had to.

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