nvisible Man star Vincent Ventresca and his new co-star, Brandy Ledford, reappear next month as the show's second season shifts into high gear with new episodes. Fans will finally get a chance to find out more about Ledford's mysterious superspy character, Alexandra Monroe.
Ventresca plays Darien Fawkes, a small-time thief, who just happens to be able to turn invisible. Ventresca has starred in the ABC series Prey, and has had roles in such television shows as Friends, Boston Commons and Maggie Winters, and the films Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, The Learning Curve and This Space Between Us. He also stars in the upcoming independent movie Madison with Bruce Dern and Jake Lloyd.
Brandy Ledford plays Alex Monroe, the new spy at the Agency, who has a top rating as an agent and seems to have more power than The Official. Ledford's television credits include Strange Frequency, Baywatch Hawaii and Fast Track. Guest appearances included The Outer Limits, The Drew Carey Show and a reoccurring role on The George Carlin Show. She also stars in the upcoming films Zebra Lounge and Rat Race.
Ventresca and Ledford spoke to Science Fiction Weekly about I-Man, their characters and the show's humor.
The Invisible Man has been extremely successful, both on the SCI FI Channel and in syndication. What did you think of the first season?
Ventresca: The most successful thing for me is when I stick in a tape of the show, or watch it on Friday night, and I like it and I think that it's a pretty good show. It was entertaining, and was interesting, and a little bit surprising, and sometimes complex, and sometimes emotional, and sometimes goofy, and sometimes funny. It's a very hard thing to shoot for. And Lord knows we haven't nailed it every week. But, for the most part, I think our batting average for making the kind of show that Matt Greenberg originally envisioned is getting closer to that. There was a bit of a learning curve.
We did the pilot, and I really think it was a home run. The pilot was directed by Breck Eisner, and then the look of the subsequent series changed a little bit. What we've really been trying to go after is finding a combination of what the pilot had and what our new executive producer David Levinson likes. The guys that have been really instrumental in pushing the envelope have been Michael Grossman and Greg Yaitanes. What you have to really protect is the story, and these are the guys that have found a nice combination of creating style along with remaining true to the story.
I guess we're on the 14th episode of the second season. I feel like the show's becoming what I always really wanted it to be. Right from the pilot, I was like, 'God, this show could go anywhere. It could do anything.' Its range of what would be believable in the circumstances of the story is just a little wider than a normal show because there's an invisible man involved. I think we're really starting to utilize that.
Ms. Ledford, how did you get the role of Alexandra Monroe?
Ledford: I was familiar with the show beforehand, and liked it very much. When the first script was sent to me, I was really thrilled to meet with the producers about it. After meeting with David Levinson and Jonathan Glassner, I met with Vince for a rehearsal, and at that point I was hooked. He has this really great way of working with other actors that gets you excited to work with him. The next day, I read for the network executives, and the rest is history.
Tell us about your character.
Ledford: Alex is a no-holds-barred kind of woman. She is tough, smart, connected, experienced, and is getting more and more charming the more I work with Vince and Paul. She takes her job very seriously and has no time for b.s.
What does Darien think about the new character, Alexandra Monroe?
Ventresca: In the first episode she was introduced in, you were really supposed to care about her plight with her child. I think that's a tough way to introduce a character. Usually a character hangs around ... you sort of date for a while.
It's so weird, because I'm not the company man at the agency. That's Hobbes' and Eberts' position. She's just this new chick at the agency who's doing her job. Who, as far as he's concerned, may be able to alleviate some of the pressure off of him. If someone else can do it, Darien's probably just as happy to stay home and watch sports (laughs). I don't think he's given it a ton of thought. She's obviously a little pissed off about something, but I don't think Darien invests in people that quickly. Darien is more obsessed with his own problems (laughs). I think it's a wait and see.
What does Alex think about the people at the Agency?
Ledford: Alex is very much interested in the fact that Darien can become invisible. She isn't turned on in the sexual sense ... yet (laughs), but she is definitely turned on by the phenomena of it. However, she is skeptical of Darien, doesn't trust him as an agent, and has serious doubts about his credibility because he was a thief.
Alex and Hobbes get along well. She trusts him and has respect for him, but doesn't show that for a few episodes. As for The Official, she has a lot of respect for him, while at the same time she can pretty much overrule any decision he makes, so she has to draw a line there. They butt heads a lot, but the truth is, she needs him, so she pulls back when necessary.
Alex and the Keep get along fine. No big "Melrose Place" type storyline here yet, but I'm sure there will be a catfight or two in our future. And, finally, there's Eberts. I think Alex likes watching Eberts get hot under the collar around her.
Ventresca: I think the dynamics between her and Shannon, which you haven't seen, become really interesting. There's a little bit of a dance between them, but it's a new level of funny to the show.
It's surprising for a series that's coming off a successful first year to add a new character that might rock the boat. Why do you think Alex was added to the show?
Ventresca: I have two thoughts. I always thought you added characters when something wasn't working. [However,] ultimately I like the idea of the agency bridging out. I like the idea simply of more. I've sort of been into quantity as opposed to quality my whole life. ... Metaphorically eating at smorgasbords my whole life (laughs).
It's going to end up being a good thing for the show. It was turning into a bit of a lovefest. It was this big happy family. The character of Alex Monroe is sort of an internal antagonist, which seems honest, too. I don't think there's anything wrong with throwing someone new into the mix to shake it up a little bit. I have a backstory for everything. I don't know if it's true, but it makes me be able to play a scene. For me, [I believe] the character of Alex Monroe has gotten her powers from an illegitimate source. I think she has something on someone, and I think it may be interesting to see how that plays out.
Ledford: I think it's the natural process of a successful series, to add another character to its show, to spark a different kind of interest, stir the pot a bit, create some new drama for a wider audience.
Tell us about the chemistry between Darien and Hobbes.
Ventresca: That's the part of the show I really love the most. Breck Eisner is really responsible for that. When we were doing the pilot I was like, "So what's the story for next five years? Is it just I get these cases on a weekly basis and if I don't do them I go insane?" He said that's what a lot of people are going to think it is, but he saw it as a buddy picture about these two guys that together complement each other. Hobbes is the badass cop/spy and I'm just the normal punk thief who happens to be able to go invisible, and together they make a good superspy team. Those are the scenes I really love. It's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid meets Abbott and Costello, which is what's really fun.
Ledford: Alex has a love/hate thing with the chemistry between Fawkes and Hobbes. On one hand, she can't stand their constant childish behavior, but on the other, she knows she needs to loosen up a bit and tries to every now and then. She wants to fit in.
Darien's gone to some dark places. What's it like to play a character who is a good guy, but has the ability for great evil?
Ventresca: What I enjoy about it more than anything is that it feels sort of honest about the storyline. Everything really goes back to trying to stay consistent to the pilot and to what Matt Greenberg wrote. I find it really honest that someone in Darien's predicament would occasionally do dark things. There was a line in the pilot that said if you don't get your shot of counteragent, [the gland] acts as a cerebral disinhibitor ... meaning that your darkest inhibitions would come to the forefront of your consciousness. Well, that's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I love that. We're complex. We're not all good. I think man is good and bad and it's the struggle between those [things] that makes our existence not boring. I think that is even heightened in someone who used to be a thief. So this guy who used to be a punk thief and kept getting caught, all of the sudden has a gift that could make him the greatest thief in the world. And so to have him constantly at odds with his moral consciousness just makes the show interesting.
And he's let it slip a few times.
Ventresca: I think that will happen occasionally. There has to be that constant tension that Darien may get out of line. I think it adds to the reality, but also to the fun of the show.
Ms. Ledford, what was it like to come into a successful established show with a new character?
Ledford: Well, I did it when I joined the cast of Baywatch, so I had a little experience with that. The thing about I-Man is that this is a really great show, and as much as Alex has to prove herself with the other Agents, I felt like I had to prove myself as an actor on this set, since everyone on this show is really talented.
What's the biggest challenge you have as the new kid on the block?
Ledford: Luckily, Vince and Paul are so giving and nice that when I first arrived, they made me feel like part of the team. So what I thought would be challenging has worked out so great for me. Now I guess the biggest challenge will be getting the audience to respond to my character in a way that makes the show kick ass the way it has been.
Mr. Ventresca, what's your favorite episode or storyline so far?
Ventresca: We shot one about a month ago called "Brother's Keeper." It was done by Craig Silverstein. Matt Greenberg found this kid who's 26 years old. He's never written for television. He really took what Matt wanted the show to be and he writes it better than anyone. In the episode, Darien meets his brother. Kevin comes back. It's really cool. Which to me goes right back to the pilot. There's a lot of shows that are just sort of normal shows with a little twist, and there's a lot of shows that go right back to the pilot and move that plot along. Those are the shows I really love. They're easily the most complex. They have the most levels.
Darien was left as a kid, then he was left by his aunt. Then his brother left him. I don't think he really counts on anyone. That's what's so unique--his relationship with Hobbes. I think he's starting to count on Hobbes. There's a line in "Brother's Keeper" where Kevin talks to Darien about his relationship with Hobbes. Darien first has the conversation with Kevin. I don't want to give too much away, but Darien figures out a way that he can communicate with Kevin. And then all of the sudden, Kevin relays that message to Hobbes, and it's about how Darien really feels about Hobbes. It's pretty cool.
Did you ever wish you really could turn invisible?
Ventresca: I've felt invisible most of my life (laughs). I don't know if I ever was into turning invisible, cause I'm such a realist in a sense. But I think I know what it means to feel invisible.
Ms. Ledford, you've done some science-fiction television before. How is working on I-Man different?
Ledford: I've always been a guest star on the science-fiction shows I've been in, but never a series regular, so I never really got involved with the fan base on any of the sci-fi shows I've been on. I had no idea what a huge fan base these shows create, and so now I'm getting the gist of it and it's mind-blowing. People really like this stuff, and it's good to see that.
As far as working on this show, it's different in that it's not just a sci-fi show. There is so much humor on this show and such great relationships that are formed on the show. Fawkes and Hobbes have this Mel Gibson/Danny Glover vibe about them that really works. It's cool to be a part of it.
Poltergeist:The Legacy was more about chasing ghosts and not really about the interpersonal relationships that went on between the characters. First Wave was fun to work on, I really had a good time on that show, but it again didn't focus on chemistry between the series regulars. And of course, The Outer Limits was an anthology, so the relationships on that show were a one-time thing. What's nice about I-Man is that we have chemistry between each of our characters and not only do we go on investigations, but there is this other side to us that really draws you into what's going on. Especially between Fawkes/Hobbes and The Official/Eberts. It's just great writing.
Invisible Man had an odd season last year. It almost seemed like two mini-seasons.
Ventresca: From when I shot the pilot, I think I've had eight weeks off, and we're approaching ending our second season. At this rate, we'll be done with our fifth season after three years (laughs). When people want us to make more shows that means that somebody likes the show.
I think we're really starting to hit a groove. What's exciting to me, and I knew this was going to happen, is interesting people are starting to be attracted to the show and becoming involved with it creatively. This guy named George Huang directed an episode. He's a guy who directed a movie called Swimming with Sharks with Kevin Spacy and Frank Whaley. He's fantastic. He comes at it from a small feature-film mentality. He understands the tone of the show that we're going for, and he's really nuanced in the way he works. It's very exciting. The show to me is deceptively complex, and the more nuance and the more subtlety and the more care you give it when you're making it ... the better the episode turns out.
We're starting to put together a rotation of directors that really come in with a unique style, a unique approach, and, above everything, they love the show. They're fans of the show. It's great to have a fan involved in the actually making of the show. Because we're in the family, it's hard to really see if we're being objective. But this George guy just loves the show. It's fun that people are being attracted to the show and want to try to elevate it.
The Invisible Man is doing a lot of cutting-edge stuff, with the recent interactive episode and the upcoming 3-D episode. What's going to be left for I-Man to conquer?
Ventresca: The interactive episode I really dug. I guess you could say these are really ploys to get more people to watch the show. But I'm for that, 'cause as long as we can do it in sort of an interesting way, that doesn't diminish the quality of the show. I loved our interactive episodes. Those are two of my favorite episodes.
What I suggested is that, you know we air twice a week in SCIFI--I want them to air one time in letterbox. It really fits our show, and the dimensions all of the sudden become more cinematic. I don't know how other people feel about it, but I think it'd be interesting experiment to air a couple episodes to see the fan response.
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