July 3, 2003

1. Do you have any future plans after QAF? You have the type of voice that makes me think cartoon voice over.

Ummmm  thank you? I guess. Cartoon, huh? Well, whatever. No definite future plans right now for after QAF. Perhaps if  now, when you say cartoon voice what do you mean? Like a crazy snaggle-toothed lion or wily rabbit or  oh, never mind. Anyway ideally Ill still HAVE a career after QAF and I hope to expand into film work and  Im sorry, I just cant let this go  my voice reminds you of a CARTOON???

2. I lived in LA for 3 years, and now I'm going back for the summer; I know I've missed some things and there are others that I would just hate to go back to. What are your favorite things about LA and your least favorite ones?

I love the diversity that LA offers. As Ive said often to people, LA is very much unlike any city Ive ever been to. New York, Chicago, Toronto  all these places have very strong personalities and either you like it or you dont. Los Angeles doesnt really have a strong personality. The upside to that is that its whatever you make it to be. If you want to live the Plastic lifestyle you can do that; if you want something a little more bohemian there are areas for that, etc. As far as get-aways, youve got the Pacific Oceans and its huge variety of beaches, youve got mountains to go hiking in, the desert is just to the east and even if you want snow all youve got to do is drive a couple hours north into the mountains (and lovely villages like Idyllwild) and you can grab a dose of winter and then leave it FAR behind! And the food! Mmmmmmm.

My least favorite thing is the lack of neighborhoods to go walking in. But thats where Im lucky to spend half the year in Toronto.

3. What's the one question you wish people would ask you that no one ever has?

Would you PLEASE help Winona Ryder out of her troubled times by loving and marrying her?

4. What is the worst fashion trend that you will now (probably begrudgingly) admit to having participated in?

Well, the fashion crimes I committed back in the 70s were done at my parents' bidding so I wont hold myself accountable for them. However, in college I did go through a weird club dancing phase where along with my good buddy Brian Mr.B Crawford I would dress in a charcoal grey or blue, white-tabbed collared shirt, skinny black tie with gold tie collar-bar, maroon or black suspenders, peg-legged grey trousers, pointy-toed grey Joe Jackson Look Sharp shoes all topped off with a grey fedora. If you look at the pictures of me in my college production of 3 PENNY OPERA you can get an idea of the look. I am SOOOO sorry.

5. If you were just a fan of QAF and not on the show, which character and relationship do you see yourself supporting? Who would be your favorite character and why?

I would be all about the lesbians but my favorite character would still be Ted.

6. Who's your favorite Pokemon?

Jennifer Aniston.

7. What was the last movie you saw?

Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns a documentary about the band They Might Be Giants.

8. Do you speak any foreign languages? And have you ever wanted to do a play or work in another language?

I took six years of Latin at Hopkins and all I know how to say is: Possum Perductur and Semper Ubi Sub Ubi. I would love to learn Italian, actually and hope to some day.

9. What was the deciding factor (besides the weather) to make the move from Chicago to LA?

A couple of reasons (but the weather was a HUGE one). One was feeling like I had hit a glass ceiling in town where I was only going to be a second-choice actor doing similar roles all the time. Also I was getting a little bored just doing theatre and I wanted to face the challenge of film and TV acting (and have the opportunity to earn enough money to actually have a savings account). Another very small reason was that I needed to get away from a psychotic girl who was as much an unhealthy addiction for me as Crystal Meth is for Ted.

10. If you weren't acting professionally, would you be a professional musician? (Loss of your embouchure notwithstanding.)

I doubt it. Playing the horn in public made me incredibly nervous. I dont think I would have ever felt comfortable or confident enough to do it professionally.

11. Scott - you're due to return shortly to Toronto for Season 4. With the incredibly intense media coverage concerning the presence of SARS there, areyou worried about your safety? Do you think it will affect the creativity ofthe show, or of the performers?

Not at all. I really think this thing has been WAY over-hyped in the media. From all I understand its all been isolated to one hospital in a suburb of Toronto. I think well be just fine.

12. Scott, the scenes you performed in 313, where you, as Ted, throw Emmett out and talk about self-hate, hate for the "old" Ted. My God!, you were incredible! Tell me, how on earth do you build up to those scenes? How do you put yourself in that frame of mind? Does it take walking around alone, building up to it? I can't imagine just "jumping" into a scene so intense. What's your secret?

Well, thank you very much. The scenes were very difficult to do and I had to go to some very dark places to get there, Id rather not give you the specifics of how I get there (hope you understand) but I will tell you that once I get in that place what helps me stay there is to isolate myself from that cast and crew and listen to music thats appropriate to the mood. This is all harder for me than it may sound as I am rather gregarious at work and enjoy the company of my cast-mates and crew. I ended up having to develop hand signals to let Richard Wilmot and Glen Treilhard (our camera operator and his focus-puller) know when I was in a zone so they wouldnt try to joke me out of my funk. Its much easier for me to do it that way however than coming in and out of it. I find it gives a greater depth to the pain, the kind you can just see in the eyes. Between the deprivation diet I was on and not being able to have fun at work, there was a huge amount of eating and laughing that exploded out of me as soon as I had wrapped my final scene this season, let me tell you.

13. Do you like curly fries?

Love em. Especially spicy ones.

14. I'm a big Ted fan and it breaks my heart to see him turning into a Crystal freak. How do you feel about this story line and what new challenges were presented to you in having to play Teddy under these new conditions?

I was thrilled and frightened when I first learned of what would be happening to Ted. I had never played a character that was an addict and in SUCH a downward spiral. I knew it meant I would have to tap into some very dark and dangerous places in me and that scared me. But these are the challenges that you wait all your life for as an actor. Im very pleased with how the storyline has played out so far. I think drug addiction is a dangerous side effect of the club-going lifestyle in the gay community and Im glad weve addressed it. Im also glad that it was Ted who went through it in that it shows the reality of how pain and self-loathing is a big cause of addiction and that the guy you might think is the least likely to become an addict is often the one that most needs watching. Some very dear friends of mine are recovering addicts and I really wanted to make sure we got it right for them.

What was hardest for me was to let him become so cruel and value things that to me are unworthy of him. Some of his statements and how he has behaved in this story-line have been so far from my own personal experience and my connection with the character that I was very uncomfortable allowing such ugliness to come out of me and even fought it a little. Thanks to Peter Paige and our tremendous directors (Kevin Inch, Alex Chappel, Chris Grismer, Bruce McDonald, David Wellington and especially Kelly Makin) I felt safe enough and encouraged to keep digging deeper.