The thing that is quite fun about the show is that we try to be as realistic as possible and we try not to take to many artistic liberties.
- The series sees you work alongside Jada Pinkett Smith so how have you found working with her?
She is wonderful! She is so much funnier and easy going than I thought, or than I hoped that she would be. I had never met her I just knew her as this very successful and powerful business woman who does lots of things - and of course we all know her husband, who's career is going in the toilet (laughs).
No I was surprised at her sense of humour she is so easy going and laid back, obviously there are times when things need to be done and as the boss she makes sure that they get done.
But on set she is so laid back she will be sat in her chair reading a book or chatting with the crew - she has a carrot stick while I have candy.
She's great to work with and we get along really well, there's nothing worse than being forced to have chemistry with someone on screen that you would not have a cup of coffee with. but luckily we joke all of the time and it is a joy to work with her.
- Away from Hawthorne you may be best known for your role as Michael in Alias were you sad to see the series come to an end - or do you think it finished at the right time?
I think a little of both. In terms of the story it ended at the right time by the end of season four we secretly started joking about 'how many more hallways can this girl run down in a wig are the criminals that stupid that they don't realise that this is the person who is destroying their whole web of terror and deceit?'
There were just no more stories we had exhausted almost every avenue. But on a personal level I remember the last day as when we shut down the entire cast and crew were crying - you spend fourteen hours a day for five years with people you are going to make incredible bonds and ties.
It was an amazing experience and it will probably remain the best experience of my career because it was so long and because of the nature of the relationships that I was fortunate enough to develop.
I am still friend with so much of the crew and people ask me 'are you still in touch with Victor and Jennifer? Of course but I also stay in touch with the boom guy - it's such an amazing by-product of this business.
I like the joke 'acting is wonderful but being an actor is crap' (laughs) you get to work with all these amazing people and hear their stories and know about their children and families - that red carpet you can keep it.
- As well as TV you have worked on the big screen in the likes of Never Been Kissed and Monster in Law so how does movie work compared to TV?
They are very different in many ways, I like them both. In television you have a little less creativity just because you are on a time crunch and the show is airing in three weeks.
Where as in film has any movie ever finished on time? No I don't think so. Because 'let's try it this way', 'let's try it that way' and 'no let's break for lunch and try it that way after'.
So there is a lot of that going on but that's nice from an actor point of view because you can really explore your character and do things that you may not have thought of in rehearsal.
And with film you often get to travel to weird or beautiful locations and see different parts of the world and if you are working with a bunch of complete buggers that you can't stand at least it's over in two months. But in TV, if that is the case, then you are stuck with them for five years and that can get pretty ugly.
But the thing that I love about TV is you can have a life; you work Monday through Friday, you can plan your Saturdays, you know when the season is going to start and end so you can plan a vacation with your family, or your dogs in my case. So there is a structure about TV that is very nice.
- We will see you back on the big screen later this year in Colombiana can you tell me a bit about the movie.
Zoe Saldana, ugly girl she's not attractive at all. It's movie that's, I don't want to give to much away because I have a small part so I will let her ruin the surprise if she wants to, but it's about a young girl whose family is murdered by the drug cartel.
So she spends her young and adult life tracking each one of them down to avenge her family's death. She is obviously a little bit challenged emotionally, she has some serious issues, and she meets this young, I said young about myself that's a good one, middle aged man who she has feelings for and he tries to bring her out of her shell. I won't tell you if that was successful or not.
- What was it that attracted you to the movie - I suppose a Luc Besson scrip is quite exciting?
Well you just said it... Luc Besson. I had met with Olivier Megaton, the director, who is such an interesting and wonderful guy - he is such a cool guy I would work with him on anything.
And obviously Zoe her career is taking off and I just try to ride everyone's coat tails (laughs).
- Finally what's next for you?
Well season three of Hawthorne; we quite literally start filming in two weeks. That is what I was saying about the nice thing about television I don't have to worry about auditioning, or readings I can just got to work for three months - maybe three weeks before Hawthorne wraps I will start worrying about what the next job is going to be and if there will be a season four.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw