Alex O’Loughlin: No more fitted scrubs on CBS’ ‘Three Rivers’ 😦
By Mandi Bierly
We’ll miss the definition of his pectorals, but Alex O’Loughlin is right: The fitted scrubs in the pilot of his new CBS organ donor drama Three Rivers(premieres Oct. 4) did make it look like an episode of Star Trek.
In the video interview below, shot at his photo shoot for EW’s Fall TV Preview issue (on newsstands now), the Aussie also talks about the downfall of Moonlight:
“We had a very, very difficult time. We had like four or five different showrunners, and people were quitting and getting sick, and producers were like fighting with each other. I don’t know what was going on, but there was a lot of behind-the-scenes politics…. There was a lot of drama, and it’s not supposed to be about that drama — it’s supposed to be about the drama on the screen.”
Let’s hope the decision to ditch those fitted scrubs was unanimous.
Transcript
EW: Why did you decide to go with a medical drama?
Alex: It was the best script I’ve read. You know, I read a bunch of scripts. It just happened to be a medical drama in which the story was fantastic. And I think the thing was .. at first I sort of was going to say no, because I just didn’t feel like I could pull it off. It’s a really important story.
And my character Andy Yablonski is based on a real person, Gonzo Gonzales. He is this amazing guy and surgeon in Cleveland. You know, he saves like four people a day. It was quite daunting. And it wasn’t until I met Gonzo, and got to know him, and started sort of studying with him, and researching, and learning with him. And then he told me that I absolutely have to play the role.
I spend about 30 hours in the operation room and I’ve seen lots of different procedures. Lots of different open-heart surgeries. I’m always studying. You’ll find me at work, at home, I’ve got like textbooks open. It’s like I’m back at university. It’s crazy. There’s so much to learn, just in relation to what I have to say, let alone everything else. But I find it really interesting, so that’s easy.
EW: Your character’s scrubs are like kind of tight fitted and stuff like that.
Alex: Not anymore.
EW: Really.
Alex: No, they changed them. Thank God.
That was one of my problems with the pilot, was that we all … it looked like an episode of Star Trek from back in the 70s you know.
But … but no, they’ve changed. They are more like scrubby … normal scrubs …
EW: Were you surprised about the fan outcry after Moonlight was canceled?
Alex: Genre fans are renowned for their passion and enthusiasm and dedication and sort of voice, which I really love, you know. That’s what I really love about my fans, you know.
I never really think that anything I do is that special, or affect anybody THAT much. And so, I was surprised. But it is great.
EW: You guys were a little ahead of the curve with the vampire craze.
Alex: I think we were a little ahead of the curve. And I think …. but …. you know, I think it’s just our show. We had a very very difficult time. We had like 4 or 5 different showrunners. And people were quitting and getting sick. And producers were like fighting with each other. I don’t know what was going on? But it was a lot of behind-the-scenes politics …
EW: Drama ..
Alex: Yeah, it was a lot of drama. And it is not supposed to be about THAT drama.
It is supposed to be about the drama on the screen. And so, it was just a difficult piece to keep together.
Link to Video
You can see gifs from the video here:
#AlexOLoughlin Modelling for EW Photoshoot Back in 2009
Alex O´Loughlin ~ An Intense Study 
Thank you for this look-back, Foyeur. I hadn’t seen the video before. I love Alex’s enthusiasm about every project he embarks upon. We need him now!!
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I found it always amazing how much work Alex put into that role and how important it was to him to understand. He was definitelly the right person for that role and did a great job. But some of the photos are a little weird. Looks a little bit like an advertisment for a horror movie with the scalpel. 😃 ,-) Love “Three Rivers” a lot.
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Yes, Alex puts lots of work into any role he plays. I guess that comes from his training at NIDA. That’s why we all agree that he’s never a phone,
and as you say, it’s important to him to fully understand what his character would do, how he would move, and how he would talk in RL (even if he’s a vampire😜). How else could he be a credible surgeon or SEAL or feeder? That is one of the points that make the difference between a good actor and an excellent one.
I wonder what he will be researching next and to what kind of professional he will turn to for specific training. Whatever he does, acting or directing or writing, he’s sure to do a thorough job. He won’t take shortcuts.
Sigh. I confirm officially that patience is not one of my virtues!
Thank you for the transcription, FOYeur. With that infernal background noise, I’d have missed two thirds of the interview.
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Boo to realism.
I wanted these fitted scrubs.
Captain Kirk didn’t do it.
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The behind the scenes at Moonlight sounds like a stressful experience for Alex and the other actors. I’ve heard other stories about chaotic sets. They’re totally toxic. Hard to really focus on your work when everything keeps changing around you all the time. Changing showrunners that much in such a short time had to be stressful. Each new showrunner brings in slightly different ways to do the characters, stories, arcs. So you, the actor, have to be constantly be shifting your focus slightly, yet fighting for the integrity of your character as you know it.
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