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Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Alan Tudyk: Resident alien, android and voice actor
Alan Tudyk was nearly 50 when he scored his first starring role in a TV series as the titular extraterrestrial Harry Vanderspeigle in Syfy's 'Resident Alien.' It's not that he was underemployed or little known — he's been celebrated in genre circles since 'Firefly,' the 2002 single-season western-themed space opera in which he played the sweet, comical pilot of a spaceship captained by smuggler Mal, played by Nathan Fillion, with whom he has since been linked in the interested public mind, like Hope and Crosby, or Fey and Poehler. His own 2015 web series 'Con Man' (currently available on Prime Video), based on his experiences at sci-fi conventions, in which he and Fillion play inverted versions of themselves, was funded by an enormously successful crowd-sourced campaign, which raised $3,156,178 from 46,992 backers; clearly the people love him. You can't exactly call 'Resident Alien' career-making, given how much Tudyk has worked, going back to onscreen roles in the late 20th century and on stage in New York, but it has made him especially visible over a long period in a marvelous show in a part for which he seems to have been fashioned. He has, indeed, often been invisible, with a parallel career as a voice artist, beginning with small parts in 'Ice Age' in 2002; since channeling Ed Wynn for King Candy in Disney's 2012 'Wreck-It Ralph' (which won him an Annie Award), the studio has used him regularly, like a good luck charm. You can hear him in 'Frozen' (Duke of Weselton), 'Big Hero 6' (Alistair Krei), 'Zootopia' (Duke Weaselton), 'Moana' (Hei Hei), 'Encanto' (Pico) and 'Wish' (Valentino). He played the Joker on 'Harley Quinn' and voices Optimus Prime in 'Transformers: EarthSpark.' Performing motion capture and voice-over, he was Sonny the emotional android in 'I, Robot' and the dry droid K-2SO in both 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,' and again in 'Andor.' (He's a robot again in the new 'Superman' film.) This is a partial, one could even say fractional, list. Among animation and sci-fi fans, being the well-informed sorts they are, Tudyk is known and honored for this body of work as well. 'Resident Alien,' whose fourth season is underway on Syfy, USA and Peacock (earlier seasons are available on Netflix, which has raised the show's profile considerably), is a small town comedy with apocalyptic overtones. It sees Tudyk's alien, whose natural form is of a giant, big-eyed, noseless humanoid with octopus DNA, imperfectly disguised as the new local doctor, whom he kills in the first episode. (We will learn that the doctor was, in fact, an assassin, which makes it sort of … all right?) Learning English from reruns of 'Law & Order,' the being now called Harry will preposterously succeed in his masquerade, and in doing so, join a community that will ultimately improve him. (By local standards, at least.) It's a fish way, way out of water story, with the difference that the fish has been sent to kill all the Earth fish — I am being metaphorical, he isn't actually out to kill fish — although he is now working to save them from a different, nastier race of alien. Some actors play their first part and suddenly their name is everywhere; others slide into public consciousness slowly, through a side door — which may lead, after all, to a longer, more varied career. Tudyk has the quality of having arrived, despite having been there all along. Like many actors with a long CV, he might surprise you, turning up on old episodes of 'Strangers With Candy,' 'Frasier,' 'Arrested Development' or 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,' or repeatedly crying 'Cramped!' in a scene from 'Patch Adams,' or in the movies 'Wonder Boys,' 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Tale' or '3:10 to Yuma.' You might say to yourself, or the person you're watching with, 'Hey, that's Alan Tudyk.' (You might add, 'He hasn't aged a bit.') It was 'Suburgatory,' an underloved ABC sitcom from 2011, though not underloved by me, where he played the confused best friend of star Jeremy Sisto, that, combined with 'Firefly,' cemented Tudyk in my mind as someone I would always be happy to see. He's handsome in a pleasant, ordinary way. If he's not exactly Hollywood's idea of a leading man, it only points up the limitations of that concept. His eyes are maybe a trifle close set, his lips a little thin. There's a softness to him that feeds into or productively contrasts with his characters, depending on where they fall on the good-bad or calm-hysterical scales. (In the current season of 'Resident Alien,' a shape-shifting giant praying mantis has taken over Harry's human identity, and this evil twin performance, which somehow fools Harry's friends, is as frightening as the fact that the mantis eats people's heads.) It makes his robots relatable and roots his more flamboyant characters, like Mr. Nowhere, the villain in the first season of 'Doom Patrol' — who comments on the series from outside the fourth wall, inhabiting a white void where he might be discovered sitting on a toilet and reading a review of the show he's in — in something like naturalism. As Harry, Tudyk is never really calm. Relaxed neither in voice nor body, he tucks his lips inside his mouth and stretches it into a variety of blobby shapes. The actor can seem to be puppeteering his own expressions, which, in a way Harry is, or splitting the difference between a real person and an animated cartoon, in the Chuck Jones/Tex Avery sense of the term, which is not to say Tudyk overplays; he just hits the right note of exaggeration. Harry often has the air of being impatient to leave a scene and get on with whatever business he's decided is important. Though he's given to explosive bursts of speech, as the character has developed, the humor he plays becomes more subtle and quiet, peppered with muttered comments and sotto voce asides he means to be heard. He is, as he likes to point out, the smartest and most powerful being around, but he has the emotional maturity of a child. At one point, having lost his alien powers, Harry was willing to sacrifice the entirety of his species to get them back. Where once he had no emotions, now he is full of them. Last season, he was given a romance, with Heather (Edi Patterson), a bird person from outer space, which has continued into the current run; he is also a father, with a great affection — anomalous in his species — for his son, Bridget, an adorably fearsome little green creature. And he loves pie. And that Tudyk himself seems genuinely nice — there are interviews with him up and down YouTube, and my friend David, who worked on 'Firefly,' called him 'kind, grateful and curious' — makes him easy to like, however likable a person he's playing. That possibly shouldn't matter when assessing an actor's art, but it does anyway.
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Best sci-fi series in years' has Amazon Prime fans demanding more
The show has seemingly found a new lease of life on Prime Video A sci-fi sensation has been experiencing a resurgence of popularity after making its way onto Prime Video, despite originally airing back in 2014 on Syfy, reports the Express. The series, which consists of a mere six episodes, has captivated new viewers who have been eagerly devouring the show and clamouring for more. One viewer raved on Google Reviews: "One of the very best Sci-Fi shows I've seen in years. Every episode changes what you think is going on and reveals another layer." Another fan left a glowing five-star review on Rotten Tomatoes, saying: "I absolutely loved this. I started this in 2024 without realising it was only one series. I would pay a lot of money to see more or even if they could write a book." A third lamented: "The only tragedy is that it ended with just the mini series..." Meanwhile, another added: "Show has a great hook and really digs in with some interesting stories, good acting and interesting side stories." They continued, highlighting the show's compelling narrative: "The first big hook might seem like something that sets it up for a simple reveal and an unexciting unwinding, but by the end of the season they set enough plots in motion that you are truly excited for the next season." And as yet another viewer put it succinctly: "Best sci-fi I've seen in a while. Good storyline, retains momentum." Heading to IMDb, one devoted fan shared: "I am a science fiction lover and really did enjoy this show, BUT when I see "miniseries" I expect it to end after the 3 parts. That being said I found the story line to be believable and interesting with enough twists and turns to keep it that way." Meanwhile, another enthusiast penned: "Scifi that delivers... finally. As I read some of these other reviews I have to wonder if I watched the same miniseries as they did. This little series was a true gem. It delivered an actual story rather than relying on a ton of (bad) CGI. Something that doesn't happen in this genre much anymore." They continued: "The entire concept was fascinating. The shocking reveal at the end of hour 2 was perfectly played." The reviewer added: "The characters are believable. The 60's environment frozen it time is fantastic. The conspiracy theorists websites and people were spot on! Loved it. This however, is a series for thinkers." Concluding with a cheeky jab, they noted: "If you need to turn your brain off to enjoy a series Ascension will not be for you. I'd suggest Transformers (gag)." Ascension originally premiered more than a decade ago, but streaming platforms have breathed fresh life into the production. The enigmatic series centred on a spacecraft 50 years into its voyage, following its clandestine launch during the 1960s amid Cold War tensions and the fierce Space Race competition. The USS Ascension, a generational spaceship, was midway through its century-long voyage to Proxima Centauri with the aim of colonising a new world and safeguarding humanity's future. But the mission took a dark turn when a murder on board threw the crew into disarray as they frantically tried to solve the crime. Doubts about their mission's true intent began to surface among the crew as they delved deeper into the mystery. The series boasted a stellar cast including Tricia Helfer of Battlestar Galactica and Lucifer, Gil Bellows from The Shawshank Redemption, Brian Van Holt known for Cougar Town, Andrea Roth of Rescue Me, and Brandon P. Bell from Dear White People. Despite a clamour for more episodes from Ascension enthusiasts, the US network SyFy dashed hopes by confirming the show would not continue beyond its initial run. Their 2015 statement read: "We were very happy with Ascension as an event series, but with so much high profile development in the works, we have decided not to pursue a full series."
Calgary Herald
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Calgary's Steven Ogg returns to the dead (sort of) in Revival
Steven Ogg first heard about the new supernatural-horror series Revival when he received a flattering note from co-creator Aaron B. Koontz, who told him that he wanted the Calgary-raised actor to take on the role of the wonderfully named Blaine Abel. Article content It's the sort of note that every actor would love to receive. Article content 'He actually wrote a really lovely letter to me,' says Ogg, in an interview with Postmedia from Montreal. 'I find it interesting when people approach with, 'Well, I know I could never afford you,' or 'You're too busy.' Of course, neither is the truth. But he had written a letter saying he was a big fan of my work and wanted to chat with me about if I was available. It was just a really lovely letter that moved me to tears, with him being so gracious and lovely. I spoke to him and he described the concept of the show, and then he also said this character was a preacher, a preacher's son. That opportunity to play a preacher, I was already interested. They had my interest with that.' Article content Article content Revival, which was filmed in New Brunswick and is currently airing Thursdays on Syfy, is based on the comic book series of the same name by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton. It's a novel take on the undead subgenre. In a small Wisconsin town, the recently deceased are resurrected on Revival Day and appear to maintain their memories and personalities. So they are not really the 'undead,' but mysterious 'Revivers' who divide the small town. At the centre of the show is a murder mystery that finds our protagonist, single mother and cop Dana Cypress, played by Wynonna Earp's Melanie Scrofano, investigating the death of her troubled sister Em, played by Romy Weltman. Em, like many of the recently departed, doesn't stay dead for long. Article content Article content While the Hollywood Reporter described the series as Syfy's midwestern zombie mystery, the Revivers are not the mushy-brained nuisances of the variety Ogg faced as Walking Dead chief antagonist Simon in seasons 6 through 8 of AMC's The Walking Dead. Nevertheless, Blaine Abel considers them to be demons and the work of Satan. He begins to attract a cult-like following among the townsfolk and, at least as of episode 3, is setting the stage for what he calls a 'holy war.' Article content For now, it's hard to tell if Blaine will become a full-blown villain in the show. Ogg has a talent for playing bad guys, of course. He not only played Simon in The Walking Dead, but also a murderous synthetic android named Rebus in HBO's Westworld. He is also adept at playing characters that reside in a morally ambiguous grey zone, such as Pike, the former criminal turned rebel leader in TNT's runaway-train sci-fi series Snowpiercer. Whatever the case, Ogg traded in his trademark facial hair for a stringy mullet to play Blaine, and he manages to exude maximum creepiness in the role. Article content 'We collaborated quite easily and effortlessly, and he became more of this character who, as you will see, progressed throughout the series, and literally and figuratively becomes bigger,' Ogg says. 'Revival Day, for Blaine, gives him this mission in life to save souls, essentially. The Revivers are the devil's children for him. So it really brings back this passion and devoutness to a cause. That all appealed to me. When you get to speak verse from the Bible, it's Shakespeare in a sense with the language. So all of that was super exciting for me.'
Los Angeles Times
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Melanie Scrofano's new zombie show ‘Revival' debates how we treat others who are different
Growing up, Melanie Scrofano had a hard time relating to other kids — especially other girls. And though she felt like she was able to fit in with the boys for a while, it was a phase that also eventually ended. 'It was just a lonely existence,' the actor says during a recent Zoom call, 'which I think was a gift. Because as I got older, I [realized] your female peers are your superpower, and I really started trying to cultivate those relationships.' Nowadays, Scrofano is best known for work on TV that center such bonds between women. She says experiencing just how special the relationship between sisters can be during her time on 'Wynonna Earp' — a supernatural western about fiercely loving your family — made it something she's drawn to in projects. 'I think I crave those relationships because there's a safety in them that I never found when I was younger,' says Scrofano, who emphasizes that it helps that she's been 'spoiled' by her castmates. 'Yes, I've gravitated to those stories, but partly, it's fate and luck that these people who make it so easy to fall in love with them fall into my lap.' Her latest series, 'Revival,' which premiered last week on Syfy (the first episode will hit Peacock on Thursday), is also anchored by the relationship between two sisters. Created by Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce, the supernatural mystery revolves around a small Wisconsin town where one day, people who have recently died suddenly come back to life. The show is based on the comic book series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton. Scrofano stars as Dana Cypress, a single mother and local police officer who is simply trying to provide for her kid. Audiences first meet Dana as she is packing up her house to chase a new opportunity away from her hometown. 'It's a small town, [and] once people have decided who you are, that's who you are,' says Scrofano, who also serves as an executive producer on the series. '[But] Dana knows she can be more. … So she wants to get out of there and fulfill the promise she knows that she has in herself.' Unfortunately, the sudden resurrection of the town's recently deceased derails Dana's plans. The series follows Dana as she investigates the situation around the no-longer-dead, dubbed 'revivers' in the show's parlance, as well as other (possibly related) crimes. She's also navigating a strained relationship with her father and a budding romance while trying to reconnect with her estranged younger sister. What struck Scrofano about the character is that she is not defined by her job or any one specific role. 'She [feels] like a real human being,' Scrofano says of Dana. 'She's simply a woman trying to exist and achieve her dreams in a way that is feeling impossible, and there's nothing more human than that.' The revivers, Scrofano explains, are also human — real people who appear to have returned just as they were before they died, rather than as undead zombie-like monsters — at least for the most part. But much of the world no longer sees them that way, and views differ on how the revivers should be treated. 'The rules [that apply to them] have changed, even though they have not,' Scrofano says. 'So as a metaphor for how we treat people who are different than us, I was really compelled by that. How do you fight for what's right when you don't fully understand what's going on, but in your heart, you know we need to stand by these people?' Although the show is set in 2006 — as evidenced by everybody's flip phones — the themes it touches have become timely. While the revivers are more a general metaphor for those who are deemed 'other,' the show arrives at a moment when immigrants and their status in the U.S. have been challenged by the federal government ostensibly for public safety reasons, leading to people being targeted for what they look like. (Scrofano was interviewed before the recent immigration raids and unrest in Los Angeles.) Also topical is how the ideological rift between Dana and her father, town sherriff Wayne Cypress (David James Elliott), is a source of tension. They hold differing views regarding their duty as well as attitudes towards revivers. 'So many families right now I find are quite divided because of what's going on in the world,' Scrofano says. 'I love the story of a fight to find common ground between them. … They're forced to find it … and that gives me hope that it could inspire people who might be in those divisions to try to find their way back to each other in a way that feels respected and fulfilling for both sides.' The series touches on relevant themes through its supernatural allegory, but 'Revival' tells more than one story. As Scrofano describes, 'it's got horror, it's got comedy, it's got family, it's got paranormal [and] it's got true crime.' Dana's relationship with her younger sister Em (Romy Weltman) checks off a few of those boxes. Em was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, so her family has treated her delicately her entire life. 'Growing up, we were all very protective of her,' Scrofano says of her character's family. 'Much in the way that Dana is defined and can't escape the definition of who she is, Em has the same burden. There's a distance there that happened because Dana couldn't get close … because all of her life [her] dad would have said, 'Don't touch. Be careful.' ' The sisters grew distant some time prior to the beginning of the show, but the mysterious events happening in their town bring them back into each other's orbit. They try to reconnect, discussing how much the sisters can and will touch because of Em's condition. 'We're rediscovering our relationship in this new way,' says Scrofano. 'Because of what she's gone through, it frees her from certain things and frees us to be able to bond in a way that we couldn't previously.' Scrofano calls Weltman, who portrays Em, 'a blessing.' 'Romy is one of the most thoughtful, considerate, compassionate people I've ever met, and she's wise beyond her years,' she says. Scrofano acknowledges that there are some similarities between 'Revival' and the show she is best known for: 'Wynonna Earp,' on which she played the eponymous, initially reluctant demon hunter. The Syfy series premiered in 2016 and gained a devoted following over its four-season run. A special, 'Wynonna Earp: Vengeance,' was released on Tubi last year. Both are supernatural shows featuring a group of reanimated dead folks and a central relationship between sisters. Scrofano admits that she felt some pressure to make sure Dana and Wynonna were separate enough that the former did not feel like a derivative of the latter, since ' 'Wynonna' is such a special thing.' She even jokes about avoiding the word 'curse' when discussing 'Revival' just to maintain the distance between the two shows, but she also makes it clear that the similarities only go so far. 'I'm not going to try to convince people there isn't ... an obvious parallel, but that's kind of where it ends,' Scrofano says. She does share one less obvious connection between the two shows, explaining it was 'Wynonna Earp' writer-producer Noelle Carbonewho initially reached out to her about the 'Revival' role. That Scrofano is a bit protective of 'Wynonna Earp' is understandable. The cast and crew have spoken often about the show's fiercely loyal and compassionate fanbase over the years. The show also helped kick off Scrofano's writing and directing career. ''Wynonna' opened so many doors creatively,' Scrofano says. 'Because it's opened so many doors, I don't feel the pressure of [having] to escape some mold that Wynonna has created or that I've created for myself through her.' In a conversation that detours through jokes about the composition of turduckens, nostalgia about the state of jeans worn during the aughts and comparing the background decor visible in each of our Zoom windows, Scrofano is most engaged when discussing storytelling. She shares how as a child growing up with anxiety, thinking about 'Married… With Children' episodes was the one way she was able to settle her mind. Identifying with 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' led her to start martial arts. She also has deep love for 'Spaceballs, ' Weird Science' and 'Labyrinth.' And what Scrofano loves about her job and shows like 'Revival' is that they give people an opportunity to 'search for answers through these stories' and characters to foster empathy and understanding toward others. 'By doing what we do, we hopefully can empower people to at least tolerate each other a little bit better,' Scrofano says.
Geek Girl Authority
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
aaron b. koontz Archives
Categories Select Category Games GGA Columns Movies Stuff We Like The Daily Bugle TV & Streaming Horror Interviews Stuff We Like TV & Streaming We had the privilege of chatting with the co-creators of Syfy's Revival, Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce, about crafting a uniquely weird new series. Read on for our interview.
