CQS 2 - Q&A Session with Alberta Watson and Gene Glazer
The two entered
the room to thunderous applause and cheers that lasted for quite
some time. At one point, Alberta reached up to her head playfully
and sang out: “My hair!” and everyone began applauding
more loudly. Her hair has grown back into a wonderful long and
shapely style. As the applause died down, someone yelled out
“We Love You!” and it started up again.
Alberta: Thank you all for coming and spending your bucks for
charity and for being great fans of the show.
Eugene: She just said everything I was going to say. I really
mean that!
Alberta: Congratulations to Gail for beating it and for being
here today. Are you here? [no response from the crowd] Well tell
her to get her buns in here!
Shouted from the audience: Maddy says so! [laughter]
Eugene: So here we are. What do we do now?
First question from Heather: [looking at Alberta] The camera does
not do you justice!
Eugene: Will you now say something nice about Alberta? [laughter]
Question: Who were your favorite guest stars?
Alberta: My favorite was Yulie [Harris Yulin] from “Gambit”.
Oh, and the English actor ... [she looks to Eugene for help with
the name]
Eugene: Sian Phillips. She was wonderful ... My favorite is Mick
Schtoppel. I can’t believe what he’s done with such a
small part. Soon it will be called “The Mick Schtoppel Show”!
Question: Are your characters evil?
Alberta: Is he evil or am I?
[they then point at each other to indicate the other one is evil]
Eugene: It’s the woman who makes the man. [laughter]
Ursula: Do you see your characters as good people in a bad
situation or as evil despots?
[there is some commotion at the door]
Eugene: Hey, Daddy Don! Come on up here!
[Don Francks hops up onto the stage and joins the other two
actors.]
Alberta: I think of them as good people in bad situations.
[For those not “in-the-know”, there was a bet between
the Heyn’s Hussy board and the Alberta Message board that
challenged Chris and Alberta to call each other names. The money
wagered in the bet was given to charity. The fact that these two
carried out their “duties” in such a fun and classy way
had all of us rolling on the floor laughing and standing up to
cheer at the same time!]
Chris Heyn: [giggling] I’m so excited! I can’t believe
I’m here! ... Hi! My name is Jamie and I’m from
Sacramento. I’ve been to this website called the Hussy Board.
There’s this guy, Chris, who posts there. He’s OK, but
kind of annoying. He claims your code name is “Pookie”
And I heard that he has a code name too. Do you know anything
about that?
Alberta: [completely poised, polite, her voice low and sultry] He
*is* annoying. He does think he knows everything. That’s why
we affectionately refer to him as “Fuzzy Nuts.” [much
applause and laughter]
Question: Thank you, Alberta, for playing with us on the message
board.
Alberta: There have been times when I’ve been sad and then I’ve
read your wonderful posts. They make me feel very good. You are
so wonderful to me.
Question: [The questioner shows Alberta her fuzzy slippers.]
Eugene: Alberta should wear those to the tower next week!
Question: I’ve just seen Kane and Abel: you were terrific in
that!
Alberta: I became very close friends with Veronica Hamel - you
may know her from Hill Street Blues. In fact, she saved me all
her old Armani suits. I really enjoyed that experience!
Dana from Houston: I really loved “Slipping Into Darkness”
But I believe that Madeline is the true power in Section [Don
nods his head vigorously and raises his fist in the air as a
salute]. Operations never listens to her advice and he’s
always wrong. I’m so glad that Madeline, who started out as
the wardrobe mistress in the dungeon, has developed into the
power behind Section.
Alberta: I agree. But who the real power is behind Section nobody
knows. Whether they will reveal it or not, we don’t know. I
like it that way.
Don: A friend of mine once wrote me a letter from Paris. The
first line of the letter was: “The pussy has more power than
the pen and the sword put together.” [laughter and shocked
amazement]
Question: I’m from France, but I didn’t write that
letter. Is your relationship [Madeline and Operations] really
bogus? What do you two think it is?
Alberta: We don’t sit down with the writers. I’d like
their relationship to be ambiguous. It’s more interesting
that way.
Eugene: When I first showed Joel my new haircut before Season
Three, I was nervous that he’d fire me. He came up and said,
“I like it!” I said, “How do we explain it to the
audience?” Joel answered: “We don’t explain *anything*
to the audience.”
Question: When Peta Wilson was on the Dini Petty show she
referred to the other actors by their first names, but she always
referred to you as Operations. Why is that?
Eugene: Keeps her in line. She’s a handful! [laughter]
Question: What did you think about Joel’s comment in the CNN
interview about Madeline having to remain evil?
Alberta: I don’t agree. When I try to do things outside the
parameters, which we know are this big [she opens her fingers
about an inch], I get a call right away from Joel saying “Don’t
do that!”
Eugene: I wanted to smile once in an episode and did. Joel said,
“No. You’re not allowed to smile.” They have a
sense of the characters and they want to keep them that way.
Question: How do you like living in Toronto?
Eugene: I love Toronto. I’m from Brooklyn [there is applause].
Do you remember Ebetts Field? [more applause]. I remember being
in Toronto and I saw a guy dusting the walls of the subway with a
duster. This must be the most spotless city in the world. Also, I
don’t have to look over my shoulder when I’m walking
down the street here.
Questioner approaches the mike.
Alberta: A man! [laughter and appreciation]
Question: I’m an actor. I’ve watched myself on the
dailies but I don’t like what I see. But the director says
he’s happy with it. How do you deal with that?
Eugene: During the first season, I’d run to the camera truck
and watch my scenes (and I was concentrating on my own scenes, no
one else’s!). But I don’t do that any more. You have to
put your trust in the director. Sometimes you just agree with
what the director is saying, but do it your own way anyway and
let them think you just don’t get it! [laughter] Even if you’re
doing something you don’t believe, the camera might get it
anyway.
Question: Whenever there is a question about the show, we hear
“Joel said this.” I don’t want you to jeopardize
your jobs, but I do want to ask: Is it really that autocratic?
Alberta: His is the final word. You can throw in your two cents,
but he’s the one with the final say.
Don: Let me tell you a story about producers. I was once in a
musical heading to Broadway. It had three producers we called the
“Three Unwise Men.” The show was destroyed because of
the input of the producers. I finally went up to them and said,
“I don't mind taking your millions, but I don’t want
your two cents.” At the last minute, they brought in a
writer from the Catskills to try and save it with a bunch of one
liners. That writer was Mel Brooks. Later, he wrote a movie
called “The Producers” that pretty much told the story.
The play itself opened and closed on Broadway in one day.
Question: I am a huge Operations defender. I see Madeline and
Operations as the Ma and Pa of Section. Birkoff is your little
boy and I like the way you interact, especially in the “Die,
you bastard!” scene and in the scene after Walter was
retired. You look like you’ve just said “You’re
grounded!” How did that relationship develop?
Eugene: Matthew is *actually* my son. [laughter]. The
relationship happens. He’s a wonderful actor; they all are.
But sometimes relationships work out that way.
Question: What other work did you do during your break from LFN?
Alberta: I just finished the movie “Desire” in Winnipeg.
Eugene: “Desire in Winnipeg”? Sounds interesting. [laughter]
Alberta: I’m currently working in Nova Scotia in “Deeply”
with Lynn Redgrave.
Eugene: I haven’t done anything. I’ve had the luxury of
doing nothing. I’ve been going through paperwork and looking
for an agent in Los Angeles.
Alberta: In the dealer’s room there are Don Francks tapes.
It’s brilliant what he has done. Please buy one!
[Gene runs down to the audience and snaps a copy of the CD from a
fan then holds it up for everyone to see.]
Gene: Look at that beautiful face! [he returns the CD and returns
to the stage].
Question: I just want to say, Alberta, you’re the “Sugar”
of Section!
Alberta: Thank you!
Eugene: [menacing] You’re flirting with my woman!
Don: I’m always nervous in my scenes with Madeline. With
Operations, it’s different. Except when he’s giving me
crystals. [laughter]
Eugene: [laughing, too] Is that a crystal in your pocket, or are
you just happy to see me? [more laughter] Walter’s *really*
my father!
Question: What would you do if you weren’t an actor?
Eugene: I’d run a round in a cape, killing politicians.
Alberta: I have no choice. I started very young. I have no other
skills. Many times I’ve been afraid I’d end up as a bag
lady in New York. But I really love animals and I’d like to
do something with animals.
Don: I’d be a barefoot gypsy. I’d take odd jobs.
Whatever it takes to get through and not to be taken over by Big
Brother.
Eugene: I always wanted to be an actor. It wasn’t until
after seven years on Wall Street that I made the decision. The
subways in Manhattan are worse than death camps and got me very
depressed. So I decided to quit that job. It gave me a lot of
freedom; including the freedom to be broke.
Question: Would you trade your career for that of Julia Roberts
or Brad Pitt?
Alberta: No. There are stars and there are working actors. If you
can be a working actor and make a living as one, you’ve got
a pretty good life. We need to do more independent films in
Canada. Having the U.S. companies film here is good for our
economy, but we have to do more on our own.
Don: Something about being Canadian and in the industry is
different than in the U.S. We don’t do a lot of flag waving.
We don’t really want people to be too popular here. The
Canadians who did become big stars, came from the U.S.: William
Shatner and Leslie Nielson don’t really care about Canada.
They only come when asked. We have great talent here. It is in
the Canadian tradition that they crawl their way along and do
what they can. But you folks [pointing at the crowd] are changing
that and we thank you for it.
Eugene: I’m an American first and secondly a Canadian
citizen. L.A. is like stepping into an ocean full of sharks.
Image is very important. You cannot get in to see anyone there.
Canada is a lot different. I can drop by someone’s office.
It’s a lot looser and friendlier business. Canadians have a
different sensibility than Americans. The Americans are really
upset about “runaway productions” [films that are moved
to Canada to produce to take advantage of the lower costs]. But
the exchange rate will determine that. There’s a bill
proposed in Congress to penalize these films. But even if they
add a 15% tax, the dollar is at $1.46, so it will still be
cheaper to film here. If *that* changes, the industry will change.
Alberta: It would be nice if we found a medium. Canada is too
laid back in the “Oh, yah, yah, later” mode. Americans
are more aggressive. We should find a happy medium.
Question: What was your favorite episode?
Don: I think most of you know, I liked the show where I got to
kiss the ladies. That last one, she was all of 18 years old and
she just said, “Up against the wall, Walter!” [laughter]
Eugene: What was Lilly’s [Don’s wife] reaction when she
saw that?
Don: I don’t know. I couldn’t get in!
Doug MacRae: I’ve worked with lots of people and Alberta,
you are the classiest woman ever. Eugene, I hope I never work
with you again. [laughter] Really, I was sitting around the set
with nothing to do and someone asked me to help Gene move. Five
hours later we were still at it! [laughter] Another time I was
asked to give Don a ride to his doctor. We all have to get annual
checkups for insurance reasons. I pick up Don and he’s in
his bare feet. I bring him to the doctor and that goes OK.
Afterwards, I’m anxious to get back to work, but Don says,
“Take a right, here.” He leads me around town and
finally we reach a park. We get out and he shows me his favorite
statue: a statue of Peter Pan. It’s wonderful. We spent
about a half and hour walking around it and viewing it from
different angles. Each time we’d see something new and
wonderful. It’s on St. Clair and Abbey Road. You should see
it if you can!
Don: Is there something these folks can help you with for the LFN
comic book?
Doug: It’s caught up in red tape right now. But I will keep
you up to date.
Alberta: We work with an incredible production staff. Everyone is
kind and Doug is certainly one of the kindest.
Question: I’m going to call Alberta’s bluff about
having no skills. You’re running a business now!
Alberta: Yes, the books. “Books For Ears’ is starting
by doing books for children. I’m really enjoying it. I’ve
learned a lot from Maddy! I have no problem saying what is good
and what is bad with my business. Our next product is to get
Charles de Lint, an Ottawa author, to read his stories for Books
for Ears.
End of session