October 4, 2002

1. You mentioned believing in Fate - have you ever been to a psychic?

I once had my cards read by a woman who was the official psychic for The Jenny Jones Show when I was working there. I guess some of the stuff kinda came through for me. She told me Id be moving to a place near water (and I do live in LA and Toronto is right on Lake Ontario) and she told me a man with salt-and-pepper hair would be offering me a big contract (Dan Lipman one of our execs. Has salt and peppery hair.) Still waiting on some of the other stuff though. Dont want to reveal it just in case.

2. If you could interview one historical figure, who would it be?

Any one of our Founding Fathers so I could ask them to clarify what the hell they ACTUALLY meant by the right to bear arms so I could shut the NRA up once and for all.

3. You look great with a goatee. Do you think Ted might experiment with facial hair now that he doesn't have to maintain a corporate image?

Er, ah well thanks **blushing**. When I first reported for work up here in Toronto back in 2000 I had a goatee and the first thing our producers said to me was Youre gonna shave that, right? I think they very much like Ted having a clean-cut look and it does kind of suit his personality more.

4. First thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Usually my cat is yelling at me to get up so I have to apologize to her for being such a slug-a-bed.

5. How did you, Peter and Hal get started with those Rendez-View appearances?

Those were arranged by our publicists as a way to build up our panel show resums. When you want to do the big boys shows (Letterman, etc.) your publicist needs to be able to show them that you can string two words together and be somewhat entertaining in an interview situation. Hence doing things like RendezView.

6. Any word yet on the DVD's for season 2? Are you going to do any commentary/extra's for them?

No word yet on what the extras will be in the DVD for Season 2. But I know theyre trying to make it even more chock-full than Season 1.

7. From your last Q&A: "No, not like psychotic ex-girlfriends (that's MY territory)..." Care to elaborate?

Umm, not really. Id prefer to stay alive. Lets just say bad winters and hitting the glass ceiling career-wise were only TWO of the reasons I moved away from Chicago.

8. If you could have the opportunity to switch characters on Queer as Folk, which character would you most like to play?

Debbie

9. How did Chalupa get her name?

I was doing a play called Greater Tuna in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin when I found Chalupa. She was a little deserted barn kitten of about 6-weeks wandering around the woods. She was tough to catch, but when I finally did she just collapsed in my hand purring. She had a big cut on one of her back legs, ears black with mites and fleas hopping all over her. There was a line in the play where one character describes a UFO as looking like a gigantic hovering chalupa without the guacamole. A chalupa was a little spicy burrito served in a boat from what I understood and it seemed like a good name for this spicy little critter.

10. What do you like to do in your spare time in Toronto? Which other cast members do you hang out with outside of work? Do you get recognized often in public and if so, what do people say to you?

Any more questions? Whew. I like to go see movies and plays. I like to eat out at all the wonderful restaurants up here. I do a lot of wandering around various neighborhoods, shopping, etc. It's just so great to be able to WALK places again. I hang out with whoevers free, really - a lot of time with Peter but also the rest of the gang at different times. Also, Dean Armstrong (when hes up here), crew members our producers. Really whoever can stand to be around me.

11. What do you like best about living part time in Toronto?

Living PART TIME in Toronto. Kidding, kidding. I like being up here for Fall. Having grown up in New England I really missed Fall in Chicago and LA.

12. Checking your site tonight, I found out that back in the Chicago days you did Les Incorruptible, with James Marsters as Robespierre. I am a huge fan of both you and James, can you tell me something about that experience and working with James? Any funny anecdotes about it?

James is a wonderful actor and had a hell of a load to carry in this play. It was 6 hours long (6 acts performed over two performances) and he was on stage for most of it. I LOVED working with him and hope to do it again.

I got to play James' best friend, Camille Desmoulins, who he later(in the 5th act) feels has betrayed him and the Revolution so Robespierre has Camille beheaded. Nice guy. Because I was dead for the last act, the director had me come back as another character in the final act. I played a commoner who comes to arrest Robespierre and lead him to the guillotine. In the struggle of his arrest Robespierre is to be shot by a gun right under his jaw. We did the play in a small theatre (the now turned into a parking lot Hull House Theatre) in which the audience was very close. Too close to use blanks that would give the jolt and effect that we wanted for the moment. SO another actor hung out in the attic, peering down at the stage with a starter pistol. He was the one who made the actual shot. It was loud and jarring, but this way no one could be harmed. One night as we got to this climatic moment, I held the gun under James chin said whatever menacing words I had to say and mimed pulling the trigger as always. Only this time I heard a faint click, click coming from above the stage letting me know that the starters pistol was misfiring. The audience has waited close to 6 hours to see Robespierre die and if I dont shoot him  well, everyone is going to be mighty disappointed. I looked James in the eye and with the silent communication that comes between actors who have worked closely with each other let him know what I was about to do. Very quickly and VERY loudly I yelled: BANG! and James dropped to the floor. Ah, the magic of theater.

13. When filming a QAF scene, do the actors not involved watch too?

When we can. Depends on scheduling, etc. If youre in the next scene up you might get to set early and watch the last few takes of the previous scene for example. We all try and show up for Michelle and Theas love scenes, though. Hee.

14. Having watched the QAF eps several times, I have begun to notice the "little" things you actors do that really add to a scene. I've noticed one of yours, in particular, in the scene where you, Em and Michael are in the apt. getting ready to go out to dinner (and Michael gets the phone call re Ben's hospitalization): You said, paraphrasing, "Let's go get some dinner...celebrate!! Between the words "dinner" and "celebrate," you snap your fingers excitedly (which I loved because poor Ted has had very few reasons to get excited). Did you add the finger snapping or was that scripted? How about other "little" scene additions, which seem to add so much?

Thats all actor stuff usually. The writers give us the words and the settings, but generally we come up with all the stuff that makes them have a life. The finger snap stuff was just something I did cause Ted was feeling so damned happy and was trying to spread the love.

15. Excluding Ted, who is your favourite character on QAF?

There are other characters than Ted?