Launching on January 22, at 10 PM EST/PST is Burn Notice on the USA Network . In anticipation of this new season (or season 2.5), we were able to participate in a phone round-table interview with Bruce Campbell who plays Sam Axe on the show.
In case you need to be brought up to speed on Burn Notice — which is sizzling in viewers on and offline:
BURN NOTICE is a scorchingly hot, action-packed series starring Jeffrey Donovan (“Changeling”) as Michael Westen, a blacklisted spy who finds himself stranded in sun-soaked Miami without money, resources, or a clue as to who burned him, or why. The only tools at his disposal are his wits, his charm, his special ops training and his “friends:” Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar – “The Tudors”), a beautiful ex-IRA operative who also happens to be Michael’s ex-girlfriend, and Sam (Bruce Campbell – “Evil Dead”), a washed-up military intelligence contact who works as Michael’s sidekick, and his mother (Emmy Award-winner Sharon Gless – “Queer as Folk”), who Michael has spent most of his adult life trying to avoid.
BURN NOTICE was created, written and executive produced by Matt Nix. Mikkel Bondesen and Jeff Freilich also serve as executive producers. The series comes from Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment.
Episode List
210 “Do No Harm” Michael agrees to help the father of a sick boy recover money from a medical scam artist, but Sam worries that Michael is reaching his limit.
211 “Hot Spot” Michael and the team pose as a gang of car thieves in order to stop a thug who’s been threatening a local high school football phenom.
212 “Seek and Destroy” (fka Smoke Screen) Michael poses as a Corporate Espionage Specialist to help a wealthy art dealer who thinks the competition is hacking into his files. However, the art dealer may have ulterior motives.
213 “Bad Breaks” An old adversary returns to throw a wrench into Michael’s plans, but the two must work together when they are taken hostage in a bank robbery.
214 “Truth and Reconcilliation Michael agrees to help a man hunting a corrupt Haitian government official hiding in Miami. Meanwhile, the team tracks a sniper with ties to the people trying to kill Michael.
215 “Sins of Omission” Michael gets closer to finding the people out to kill him, but everyone is blindsided when Michael gets a surprise visit from his ex-fiancée.
216 “Lesser Evil”– cliffhanger
Official Trailer
As you can tell, Bruce shares a lot about his character, the series and what it going on with the other characters. It’s a really fun interview.
This is a split post on this interview which is both in print and also a podcast.
Be forewarned on the podcast– is a total of about 40 minutes so I was “kind” to you and cut it in 20 minute segments so that you can find out where else online to find the interview as well as other publications covering this.
Also note that there will be a series of interviews with executive producer, Matt Nix, actress Gabrielle Anwar (Fiona)
and actress Trica Helfer (Carla)
So sit back and enjoy!Burn Notice on January 22 at 10 PM E/PST
TRANSCRIPT:
Moderator We have a question from the line of Ned Kelly with The Kelly Web Works.
N. Kelly First of all, I just want to say thanks a lot, Bruce, for talking to us today. My whole family has been monstrous fans of yours for a long, long time.
B. Campbell They’re good people, all of them.
N. Kelly I wanted to go off something that was said earlier. You had mentioned the Bourne Identity and about the way you kind of like the human side of the show, the human side of spies. Since 9/11 and Bourne Identity, I think the whole spy genre has changed quite a bit and so it was just continuing with that, altering those old archetypes. Where do you guys think you see yourselves fitting into that whole thing with just the humanization and maybe just the little bit of ambiguity and the whole political side of the spy world or whatever?
B. Campbell We’re being very apolitical in this. We don’t really take any of those sorts of sides. I just like the fact that we’re not cynical. There’s a lot of spy shows that can be cynical because spies themselves can be cynical because they enlisted for an altruistic reason and sometimes, like with Michael Westen, he would be perfectly justified to be cynical because he got burned after doing what, he doesn’t even know. He was a good spy. So I like the fact that even with that humor has won out over cynicism and so hopefully our show will be placed in that mode that it’s not really a serious kind of Bruckheimer kind of movie.
N. Kelly One thing I know, at least for myself, part of the reason why I was drawn to the show just seeing your name on the bill. Like this was going to have that humor, this is going to have that fun that really is lacking sort of thing. If I could change directions a little bit, I just have to ask who fights dirtier, spies or zombies?
B. Campbell Zombies because they’re not as smart as spies. Spies don’t have to fight dirty, they just fight hard.
N. Kelly Thank you very much.
Moderator We have a question from the line of Travis Tidmore with The Cinemaniac.
T. Tidmore Thanks for talking with us today. You’ve been on a lot of shows that have only lasted one season. How does it feel to be back on a show that has not only been picked up for a third season but is a hit?
B. Campbell Ask yourself the same question: How would you feel? You feel good. I just learned that people like me in small doses. So whenever I’m not the star, like with Hercules & Zena, the shows run for six years, so I’m good. This show will be on the air forever because I’m not the star of it, so it worked out fine. It feels good to be part of a hit show, though, too. Honestly. The crew, any of them I think are very grateful to know these are people who work harder than any actor. They’re busting themselves 14, 16 hours a day and it’s nice to know that it’s a hit show. Because sometimes you do that and the show’s a dog and it gets cancelled.
T. Tidmore I was actually able to attend your premier of My Name is Bruce here in Austin. It was wonderful. Are you planning on directing anything else soon?
B. Campbell I can answer that question after February 10th when the DVD comes out. Then I’ll know if anybody’s watching what I do. As you know, it’s economically driven. I would like to and I’m hoping to do another movie in the fall of this year.
T. Tidmore Thank you very much.
Moderator We have a question from Sheldon Wiebe with eclipsemagazine.com
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S. Wiebe The thing I’m wondering is when they build up the backstory between your character and Michael, it seems almost like Michael is learning from you, and now he’s the boss and you’re the sidekick. How does Sam relate to that?
B. Campbell Sam was always a sidekick, though.
S. Wiebe Well on the show, but in the backstory he was the heavy hitter.
B. Campbell Oh, you’re referring to Sam?
S. Wiebe Yes.
B. Campbell Well, I think it’s just different, though. I think Michael Westen’s probably a better spy than Sam ever was, only because he’s more disciplined. He doesn’t get drunk every five minutes. Plus, they’re just different; old school/new school. I think Sam, his fighting style is different, a little more John Wayne and Michael’s is a little more Bourne Identity. But if you’re asking what it’s like being a sidekick, I love it.
S. Wiebe Cool. As a director yourself, what do you think of the style of the show?
B. Campbell I think it’s very cool without being overdone. We’ve all seen movies and TV shows where you go, “Geez, give it a rest” stylistically because it’s either too handheld or it gives you a headache or it’s over-editing. I think Burn Notice is very stylish without being obnoxious. I like the voiceover. I think it’s a very unique style. I like the freeze frames where the title comes in Joe Blow, Client. And then another one comes in, Joe Blow, Loser, or whatever. It’s just kind of a fun, makes it a little cool and jazzy and freewheeling. And they also mess with the colors, too. The show’s very colorful. If you look at the ocean in any of the shots, it’s bright green or blue. The clouds are amazing, too.
Moderator We have a question from Chandra Williams with TV Jots.
C. Williams Hi, Bruce. Thanks for taking our calls. What are the chances of Michael and Fiona becoming an official, committed couple by the end of this season?
B. Campbell If I was Matt Nix I could answer that. Who knows? These are two volatile people, so the chances are probably not great. That’s the best I could guess.
C. Williams Well, that’s the only question. Most of my questions have been answered. I love the show.
B. Campbell Great. Thanks for tuning in.
Moderator We have a question from the line of Tom Parsons with Blog Critics.
T. Parsons Hey Bruce, good to talk to you today.
B. Campbell My pleasure, sir.
T. Parsons One of the strengths of the show seems to be the fact that we’ve got four really great, simple characters. Talk about the relationship you have with each one of your costars. What it’s like to work with each one of them.
B. Campbell Character-wise or person to person?
T. Parsons Both.
B. Campbell Okay. Well, basically, Sam and Michael, they did work together in the past. They didn’t really have too many issues in the past with each other. Sam is a different personality. At first he wasn’t sure if he could be trusted. Now I think it’s pretty clear Sam is in it for the long haul. Otherwise, what would he be doing? He would be on some beach drunk somewhere, so this gives him something to do. And so their relationship has definitely solidified because they hadn’t seen each other in a while and all the crap they went through in the past was the past, but now they’re going through a bunch of new crap and it makes them even tighter, I think.
Sam and Fiona were probably never close; different styles. He thinks she’s too impulsive and too over the top, over kill. She never thinks that these guys are doing enough. Sam, I think, was less tolerant, you know, when they first met they almost got in a fist fight because they hated each other from the past. And, oh, I’ve got finish my Donovan part of it, though.
But person to person, Bruce and Jeffrey, I feel that our personal relationship is kind of the same as Sam and Mike; it’s his show and I respect him a lot as an actor and my job is to support. I’m the supporting actor. So, we currently, I call him Mr. Donovan and we get along great.
So getting back to Sam and Fiona, now Sam and Fiona are, I think, more, they know that neither of them is going anywhere, so they’ve got to deal with each other. So you can have your banter and then occasionally Sam will ask her about girl stuff or whatever. So you do have that ability to not only deal with case stuff with Fiona, arguing about tactics, but Sam can also have a softer element with her by talking about dames, about women.
Then basically with Michael’s mother, Madeline, who now Sam I think calls Maddy, I think it’s always been respectful. Didn’t know her all that well and now they’ve actually spent more time. And you’ll see in some of these upcoming episodes, Sam and Madeline spend more time together for a bunch of different reasons and they get to know each other more, and you see more of the dynamics. They’re much more comfortable with each other now as a pair.
So as far as Bruce and Sharon Gless, look, I respect her as a television icon. I mean, what’s not to love about her? And as a person she’s really kind of shy and cute and kooky, and it’s a great thing. And she lives down there in Miami and she just has a ball. So it’s been fun to work with someone who is so iconic, you see how nothing is as forced; they’re very comfortable in their skin because they’ve been around for so long. So I have to say the dynamics I feel are fine on the show. We don’t have anything that’s interfering with doing our job.
T. Parsons And in terms of a followup question, how much do you see of yourself in Sam and how much do you see of the others in the characters they portray?
B. Campbell Well, that’s always a tough call. Actors can’t escape their own physical being. You’re always going to see Bruce Campbell there doing whatever. I don’t drink as much as Sam does and I don’t womanize as much as Sam does because I’ve been married for 17 years to the same woman. So, it’s always fun to just let loose. Sam is a much more relaxed character than me. I live in the Pacific Northwest and by the time I show up in Miami this March, I’m going to be white and pasty and I’m going to be squinting at the sun because it’s been raining and snowing here in the Pacific Northwest. So I’ll go back down to Miami, I’ll strip my work boots off, my jeans off and get back into that character, get back into that basically removing clothing. You know, I get my t-shirts off, I get my flannel shirts off and start getting back in flip flops and shorts. Because I literally live at the complete opposite end of the country and it’s a huge adjustment every year, but it kind of cracks me up that people perceive me as this kind of, hey, beach guy with a beer in his hand and I’m kind of the opposite. I’m such a woodsy guy. I like mountains and streams and rivers and lakes.
Moderator We have a question from Brian Gallagher with Movieweb.com.
B. Gallagher Hi, Bruce. I was just curious, have you ever been approached or are you ever going to direct any episodes of Burn Notice yourself?
B. Campbell I’ve never really discussed it officially or had it posed to me. I’ve directed television in the past, but I think in this case it’s really, I’m in a fun situation where Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle and everyone, we have a good relationship and I’m kind of a bossy director and I’m not sure if it’s right for television. So I think I’m just going to step back. We have a good group of guys that’s come in and out now of men and women who have directed some really good episodes. So I think I’m just going to get out of the way and be a good little actor boy.
Moderator We have a question from Jamie Steinberg.
J. Steinberg Just wondering, what would you like to say to everyone who’s a fan and supporter of you and Burn Notice?
B. Campbell As always, I bow to anyone who watches or supports what I do or the show, because that’s what keeps the show on the air. You have to have that support. So to them I would say we will try and come up to be equal with your devotion to give you hopefully a good show from season to season. We’re all looking forward to season three because we don’t know what to expect. It’s going to be really interesting to see where it goes this year. So like everybody else, I’m hopefully just as excited to see what’s going to happen.
Moderator We have a question from Emma Loggins
.
E. Loggins Every time we see Sam it seems like he has a beer in his hand and I was wondering what you are actually drinking.
B. Campbell Well, as an actor you can’t even really go near that these days. The days of sort of the John Wayne drinking in your trailer days are kind of over. It’s just good old fashioned water. Because sometimes if you put real fizzy stuff in there or even like they have the non-alcoholic beer, which still has a little percentage of alcohol, but it will just make you burp. It gets you all bloated and burpy. So I just go for water. What we do is we use always a colored bottle. You’ll notice it’s either a green bottle or a red bottle, and it kind of disguises what’s inside. You’ve blown my cover. Sorry.
E. Loggins Thank you.
Moderator We have a question from Matt Fowler.
M. Fowler I was wondering, Carla has been the main archenemy on Burn Notice this season. I’m expecting her, of course, to return for the second half. Is there going to be anyone else beyond her, her boss, perhaps, or another arch villain coming into the picture?
B. Campbell I think I’m allowed to say very likely. Very likely. Everyone has a boss, so I think the season will prove no different. Because Michael’s being manipulated by someone who might be manipulated by someone. You never know. I think the layers are going to get deeper this season and it will start to get to the point where something’s gotta give.
M. Fowler What would you say to someone if they came up to you and said that they were such a big fan of yours that they named their son Ash?
B. Campbell I’ve already had that. Multiple times, as a matter of fact. I would say have a long and prosperous life as Ash. And hopefully he’ll have a life that’s not as bad as being named Sue, you know? But Ash is a little on the girlie side, so he might have to stand up tall.
Moderator I have a question from the line of Beth Ann Henderson with nicegirlstv.com.
B. Henderson Hi, Bruce. Thanks for taking our questions today.
B. Campbell Hi, Beth. Are you a nice girl?
B. Henderson I am. I am as far as you know. I just want to know where you would like to see the character of Sam go in season three.
B. Campbell I’d like some new shirts. Actually, Tommy Bahama is going to sponsor season three, so you will see some new shirts. I would like to see, I think like any show you just want to see your character used. I don’t know if I have to have a whole, completely different life revealed, but I think showing people off duty is always good. We see a little bit of that with Michael and Fiona. We don’t really see what Sam does. I guess he’d be sitting in a bar somewhere. I never really know. I never know what to suggest in those cases because the writers have so much going on. They’ve got a lot they’ve got to deal with. And I think they struck a pretty good tone of not getting too involved in your personal life that you’d forget about the caper of the week. So I think, also, until you deal with some huge, bigger story lines, until those play out, you don’t have time to see someone go fishing or whatever.
B. Henderson For a followup question regarding season three, Burn Notice started out with being just that, Michael was burned. And then we go into now someone’s trying to kill him. How much further, what else could possibly happen?
B. Campbell It’s going to get bad because it’s not only you that they’re after, meaning Michael Westen, but they’re after friends and family. They want them all. And so we’re going to get into kind of a no mercy situation that I think is going to be very interesting and fun for people to watch. And it’s really been great; Jeffrey Donovan has some absolutely wonderful tour de force stuff. He’s just so good for the show because he’s an animal; he’s a really intense actor and he can hold up for a whole season, which is a lot of work for him. And it’s good, these next episodes kind of let them strut his stuff. And incidentally, the first episode back was written and directed by Matt Nix who created the show. I think this is his first television foray and I think he did a great job. It’s a really cool opening show.
Moderator We have a question from the line of Russ Cohen with Sportsology
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R. Cohen Just wanted to know, with all the shows and channels out there, do you feel like it’s harder to find a show or is it easier with the technology and things like TiVo?
B. Campbell Oh, I think it’s easier. Definitely. Between YouTube, just Internet stuff, it’s easier. Well the trick, though, is to find out how to tell people that you want to tell, the people that you want, you’ve got to find out what they’re watching and how they’re watching it. Are they watching it live, are they streaming it, are they downloading it, are they doing a DVD the first season? Are they TiVo’ing it? There’s so many ways now. So I’m glad that people don’t have to sit down, love to have them Thursdays at 10, but it doesn’t matter as much as every year goes by, because now they’re factoring in the TiVo ratings, thank God, because our ratings actually go up. Look, the average person, I have to say, I think the numbers are way off, still. I think 30% of America is not watching live TV, maybe more, and every year it’s going to change. So I just hope that we all as a show and as a network that we stay on top of it and figure out how to find these people who are watching it in different ways.
The BURN NOTICE site is really heating up with the newest version of “BURN NOTICE Covert Ops,” an alternate reality experience for fans, in which they can hone their spy skills and solve weekly challenges. Michael Westen returns for “Ask a Spy,” where he answers all your spy-related questions and gives instructional videos on how a spy would handle everyday situations. Fans can play the all new game, “See It Like a Spy,” where they are given a set of tools or household items and are challenged to combine them to build a specified gadget. And as always, viewers can stream full episodes, read weekly writer commentary with creator Matt Nix and get all new show trivia.
Want to be part of the Burn Notice “fan group”? Hit Facebook
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