Biography | Filmography | Portraits | InThePress | Awards | DJEfansCare | DJEEncounters | Links | About

SciFi and TV Talks Blog
April 17, 2009

David James Elliott - A Hero’s Journey

 

---

Last August I had the pleasure of spending the day on-location at a working mine in Abbotsford, British Columbia with the cast and crew of Knights of Bloodsteel, a two-night movie event that will be broadcast this Sunday and Monday - April 19th & 20th - @ 9pm EST on the Sci Fi Channel. Over the next three days I will be posting cast and behind-the-scenes talent interviews from my time on the set. Enjoy!

Fans of actor David James Elliott probably best remember him as the clean-cut United States Naval officer Commander Harmon “Harm” Rabb, Jr. in the CBS-TV adventure/legal drama series JAG. This Sunday, he makes his debut played a very different type of hero in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries Knights of Bloodsteel. As the sword-wielding John Serragoth, the actor sports long hair as well as a beard and speaks with a Scottish accent. It was brand-new territory for him and one he was happy to explore.

Photo Left: David James Elliott as John Serragoth

“I’d never done anything quite like this before,” says Elliott during a break in filming on-location in British Columbia. “I had just finished filming a miniseries [Impact!] in Victoria and was on vacation with my family in the Bahamas when I got a call about this project. They e-mailed me the script, I read it, thought it was well-written and they [the producers] offered me the role.

“Again, the fact that I had never really played a character like John was what made it interesting to me. My first day on-set was like most in that it feels as if you’re about to climb Mount Everest. Not only are you still digging through the script to find the nuances, but you’re also trying to find your character from inside yourself. That was certainly true with John because we took some chances with the character, including making him a Scotsman. We felt that that would help reinforce the fact that he’s different from everyone else around him and more of an Earth-type guy. He’s from the Moorlands, which is a wild territory on this world where our story takes place. So I was excited about the role and the chance to work with a new group of people.”

In Knights of Bloodsteel, John Serragoth is one of four unlikely freedom fighters recruited by the sorcerer elf Tesselink (Christopher Lloyd). Their mission is to stop the evil Dragon Eye (Mark Gibbon) and his minions from acquiring the remaining supply of bloodsteel, a sorcery grade ore that gives powerful magical abilities to those who possess it. Should they fail, the island continent of Mirabilis will fall under control of Dragon Eye. Accompanying John on his quest to find the legendary magical Crucible, which is the source of bloodsteel, are Adric Thane (Christopher Jacot), a charming con artist, the enigmatic goblin Ber-Lak (Dru Viergever), and a fearless warrior elf named Perfidia (Natassia Malthe).

“They’re a ragtag group,” explains Elliott. “Circumstances thrust them together and John has his own agenda as well as this quest for a Crucible that will help his agenda. The latter is how the Elders of our story sold my character on helping them, and, in turn, this will help John complete his ‘hit list’ for lack of a better term. So he’s a man with a list and he’s ticking names off. Let’s just say that he’s got some vengeance issues,” he says with a smile.

Photo right: John Serragoth (Elliott) and Perfidia (Natassia Malthe) enter dangerous territory.

Off to one side of Elliott, Knights of Bloodsteel director Philip Spink is busy setting up his next shot. This project is the actor’s introduction to Spink and in the director he has found a kindred soul. “Philip’s enthusiasm is refreshing and he really gets into it, which is very inspirational,” notes Elliott. “Like me, he’s always digging and looking for the truth in every moment. Yes, we’re doing this because it looks very cool, but at the same time it has to be grounded in some sort of reality.

“Before we began shooting I had to get a hair weave, so I came in for a seven-hour process where they were tying hair and attaching the extensions to my own hair. Philip came and kept me company. He and I laughed and talked about the script as well as my character and we had a good time. We sat together until almost two in the morning, and we were starting work at six the following day. It was nice to have that time because you rarely get that; once a project like this gets going there’s really no stopping it and taking a pause.”

As with many of his previous roles, this one brought with it various acting challenges, including physical ones, for Elliott to face. “The climax of this piece, which we already shot, was extremely challenging just from an emotional point of view,” he recalls. “And it was late at night when we filmed it. We were working the night shift for a week straight, so that was tough. Again, you’re constantly digging deep inside yourself and embracing areas that you probably wouldn’t bother with in your normal day-to-day life.

“There’s also been some fighting for my character,” continues Elliott, “and I just missed having my eye taken out by a sword. It cut my eyebrow and I had a black eye for a while. People will often ask me, ‘Oh, man, do you enjoy doing the fights?’ Every time there’s a fight I know I’m going to get hurt, and we have a big fight tomorrow, so I can’t wait to see what happens then. I’m often cast in physical roles, probably because I have a high tolerance for pain. It’s either that or someone has it out for me,” jokes the actor.

Photo left: John (Elliott) strikes a blow for justice!

The second of three sons, Elliott was born in Toronto, Canada and admits that he fell into acting. “Music was my first love, but I just became frustrated because I tried to make a go of bands and you’re always having to rely on other people,” he says. “I went to Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto and then auditioned for and was accepted into The Stratford Shakespearean Festival Company where I spent a couple of years doing quite a bit of theater.”

While honing his craft onstage, the actor made his TV debut in an episode of the Scottish-Canadian historical drama series The Campbells. “I played a mentally-challenged young man who lived in the woods,” says Elliott. “I don’t remember much about the work, but it was a challenging role, especially from an emotional standpoint and trying to portray my character as truthfully as possible as well as with some dignity. It was a great first [TV] role to have.”

Elliott went on to win the Jean Chalmers Award for Most Promising Young Actor of the Season. Not long after, his performance as Dick, a dimwitted stripper in a stage production of B-Movie: The Play, caught the attention of those in charge of the Canadian TV series Street Legal. They cast the actor as Nick Del Gado, the handsome love interest for the show’s female lawyers. The program was a hit and made him a household name in his native Canada. Elliott eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting work there. Along with guest-spots on numerous shows including China Beach, Doogie Howser, M.D. and Dark Justice, he has had recurring roles on Knots Landing, Melrose Placeand The Guard as well as regular gigs on The Untouchables, Close to Home and the long-running JAG.

“It was a joy to have worked on a character for that long,” says the actor. “It was also a pleasure to work with all those people in a collaborative effort for an extended period of time. The show certainly opened a lot of doors for me, so it was a great 10 years spent.”

Photo left: Perfidia (Malthe) and John (Elliott) set their sights on the enemy.

All too soon Elliott is needed back on-set, but before leaving he adds to his previous response. “Overall, when it comes to this business, it’s rewarding to work with people who take it seriously and give it the respect it deserves. It’s also rewarding when people find entertainment value in what you do. That’s ultimately what we’re trying to do, entertain people, and if we affect someone then we’re doing our job.”

Photo right: Christopher Jacot as Adric Thane

The hot sun beats down on the arid pre-Industrial Age mining commune as its scruffy residents go about their daily routine. Suddenly, the general hustle and bustle breaks out into a frenzied scene as men, women and children run for their lives trying to dodge explosions and flying debris. A handsome young man named Adric Thane looks up into the sky as something moves menacingly towards him. Knocked to the ground, he lies motionless as his friends rush to his aid.

“Cut! That was great!” yells Knights of Bloodsteel director Philip Spink. Getting up off the ground, Christopher Jacot, who plays Adric, brushes himself off and walks over to a canopy. Picking up a water bottle and taking a sip, he sits down for a chat. “The scene we just shot is where our four knights arrive at these mines, and it’s the first altercation that they face in our story,” notes the actor. “After each of these life-and-death encounters, they become closer and closer and form more of a dynamic.

“I spent most of this morning running away from explosions along with everyone else, and then in this shot, my character is trying to get away from a flying weapon. It’s missed killing him twice, but he ends up on the ground and covered in debris. The knights rush to see if he’s OK, which is when we first acknowledge our characters being dependent in some way on one another. This lovely girl Bess [Paulette Hinz], who Adric met in the vllage, also comes to his aid. She rubs his head and uses her elfin charm to make him feel better after the evil attack,” he says with a smile.

With his boyish good looks and affable nature, Jacot is the perfect choice to play the roguish confidence trickster Adric in Knights of Bloodsteel. As one of four heroic leads, his character reluctantly agrees to help protect the island continent of Mirabilis from crumbling to the will of a despot known as Dragon Eye (Mark Gibbon). To prevent this, they must first locate the last remaining supply of bloodsteel, a unique ore with magical properties. In his audition,the actor drew inspiration from multiple sources to bring his character to life.

“I threw in a bit of a magician as well as con artist and Fagan from Oliver Twist and started to play around with that, ” says Jacot. “It’s really after you’re cast in a role that you’re afforded the time to be able to do that and turn the part into less of a character and more of a realistic individual. In this case, a strange but realistic individual,” jokes the actor.

Photo left: Adric (Jacot) and one of his fellow comrades in arms, the warrior elf Perfidia (Natassia Malthe), assess their situation.

“Adric is the con man of Mirabilis and holds court within The Keep, which is kind of the bustling New York City of this world. He subsequently gets thrown into this journey involving Mirabilis and finds it very hard to understand what his real purpose is. Throughout his whole [story] arc, Adric finds love, certain strengths and independence that I don’t think he knew he had. It makes him that little bit more whole and human.”

At that moment, an AD (assistant director) comes over to collect Jacot, who is needed back on-set to film a scene where his character delivers a rousing speech to persuade the villagers to help fend off an attack from Dragon Eye’s soldiers. “It’s around a three-page monologue, which isn’t a great deal insofar as memorization,” he later says, “but it’s more a question of how do you sing the song of a monologue and turn it into layers that tell a story. So that’s been tricky, but, honestly, with a project like this, believing in the moment is sometimes more challenging. By that I mean scenes with dragons and things like that. That takes much more [acting] discipline.”

Led by John Serragoth (David James Elliott), Jacot and his fellow do-gooders travel the land of Mirabilis to complete their mission. A number of British Columbia locales served as the backdrop to our heroes’ dangerous journey. “On our first day of work we shot on some cliffs up towards [the resort town of] Whistler, where several of the 2010 Winter Olympic events will be held,” recalls the actor. “We’ve been filming at some other really beautiful places including rivers, waterfalls, woods and even today’s almost desert-like setting.

Photo right: Three of our heroes, John Serragoth (Elliott), Adric (Jacot) and Perfidia (Malthe) head into dangerous territory.

“At one point, they built a man-made swamp and us knights walked in up to our necks and trekked through that all night long. When we first went into the water at one in the morning it was funny, but five hours later there was nothing very funny about it,” he chuckles. “Next week we’re shooting in The Keep of Mirabilis, the capital of this world and where humans, elves and goblins gather. I’ve seen some of the sets and they’re pretty cool. No matter where we’re at, though, we’re fortunate enough to be working with a great group of people, so that makes the job much easier and enjoyable.”

If you think you have seen Jacot’s face before, you most likely have. In addition to feature films and made-for-TV movies, the actor has guest-starred on such TV shows as Mutant X, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Psych and Smallville. He also plays the recurring role of Larry Haberman on the hit Sci Fi Channel series Eureka.

Photo left: Natassia Malthe as Perfidia in Knights of Bloodsteel.

“I was visiting my mother in Vancouver for Christmas, and not long after I arrived in town I began meeting a lot of actors and was trying to figure out how to break into the business,” recalls the actress. “One night I was at a Christmas party and spent most of my time talking to this woman about the basics, such as putting together a resume and how to go about finding an agent. At the end of the night she told me that she was an agent and she signed me the next day. I then went on my first audition, which was with [director] David Nutter, and he said to me, ‘You’re in the right business. You should stick with it.’ David gave me my first job and that’s how I got started.

Millennium, First Wave and The Dead Zone are among Malthe’s TV guest-star credits. In addition to a number of made-for-TV movies, the actress has also appeared in such feature films as Disturbing Behavior, Lake Placid, BloodRayne II: Deliverance, The Other Side of the Tracks and opposite Jennifer Garner in Elektra. In the latter, she played Typhoid Mary, who could kill with a single touch of her hand or kiss on the lips.

On this particular sunny day in August (2008), the actress is on-location outside of Vancouver, British Columbia where she is shooting the Sci Fi Channel movie Knights of Bloodsteel. As a warrior elf named Perfidia, she is recruited to help the film’s hero, John Serragoth (David James Elliott), in his fight against Dragon Eye (Mark Gibbon), who is determined to rule the magical world of Mirabilis. Our heroes’ task is not an easy one, and along the way Perfidia must overcome her own personal demons as well.

“I don’t want to spoil the plot for anyone, but my character does crash to rock bottom,” notes Malthe. “She goes from being a superhero warrior girl to rock bottom. That was a tough scene to do. Perfidia loses the guy and her powers, but in the process she discovers something else.

“The other big challenge with this character, at least initially, were the [prosthetic] teeth and practicing the dialogue as well as speaking in front of the camera with two big, clunky teeth in my mouth. Hopefully I’m not lisping in any of the scenes we’ve already filmed,” she jokes. “At first the teeth were longer at the back and had greater support, which allowed them to be smaller and more refined. But it was impossible for me to talk while wearing them. So now I have a brand new prosthetic that grasps my own teeth at the front. They’re a bit bigger than the first set, but much easier to work with.”

Photo right:John Serragoth (David James Elliott) and Perfidia (Malthe) check out what lies ahead.

Malthe’s experience as a dancer as well as her prior gymnastics training has been an advantage when it comes to the physicality of this role. “I’m familiar with ‘movie martial arts’ as well, and that along with my dancing background has been a big help, especially with the sword-fighting scenes,” says the actress. “It has a lot to do with coordination and muscle memory, so I don’t find the physical stunts all that difficult because I’m able to memorize the moves. We’re lucky, too, that we have a wonderful crew along with stunt people.

“There was a scene we shot at a waterfall that was extremely slippery and our director, Philip [Spink], was quite concerned about us falling into a big rush of water and being swept into the river. So they put chains, almost like dog leashes, on us to prevent that from happening. There’s also a scene where our characters are standing in mud while having a sword-fight with the bad guys. The mud was like quicksand and when we finished filming, the crew literally had to pull us out of the mud. It was quite funny. And then there was the tall grass. Our feet would constantly get caught up in it, and falling over wasn’t a good thing, especially because of the thorns.”

Despite the weighty nature of our heroes’ mission, there apparently has been time for levity on the Knights of Bloodsteel set. “Sometimes you just get the giggles,” admits Malthe. “The network is probably going to look at the dailies and say, ‘Oh, boy, Perfidia is laughing again.’ There have been moments where I’ve literally had to tell myself, ‘Please, don’t start giggling.’ Oh, my God, my first onscreen kiss with David, every time he leaned over to kiss me I began to giggle. It was very embarrassing, but David forgave me, thank goodness.

“I have the best cast mates,” adds the actress. “Everyone gets along and in-between takes there are so many funny jokes. We’re having an incredible time and our character arcs are developing very nicely. Every one of these characters has impressed and amazed me and I love seeing my fellow actors come up with truly imaginative choices with their performances.”

Photo left:The ever-vigilant Perfidia (Malthe).

As with ballet dancing, there is a tremendous amount of discipline and hard work that goes along with honing your craft as an actor, and Malthe is not afraid of either. “You pay your dues and work really hard, and I think everyone has a chance to succeed in this business if they persevere and just keep going,” she says.

“I had tremendous audition stage-fright when I first started acting, and it took me years to conquer that. Once I’m on-set I’m fine, but I think the toughest nut to crack was the entire audition process and feeling like you’re going to have a heart attack before walking into the audition room. The biggest reward for me was working through that, and now I’m able to relax in the [audition] room and do the work. So there are lots of [acting] obstacles to overcome, but when you do that, you hopefully get more and more work and new opportunities.”

“I go into make-up around 5 or 5:30 in the morning and sit through a two-and-a-half hour procedure,” says the actor. “There are a lot of chemicals involved and that I’m not aware of, but I trust the team. They’re amazing. Using plenty of glue they apply a couple of layers of prosthetics and paint, and then finish the process with the intricate elements, such as veins as well as the eyes and ears. Again, the [make-up] artists, who are from the award-winning MastersFX company, are top-notch, incredibly creative and make a fantastic team. Every morning I look in the mirror when they’re done with me and I still scare myself,” jokes Viergever.

“Initially, it was difficult enunciating through the teeth and utilizing the eyebrows, but the prosthetics are actually quite liberating because there’s so much room for facial intricacies. As I mentioned, there was a bit of a learning curve and it took me a while to grow into it, but now, six weeks into filming, it’s pretty much become second nature, not to mention great fun.”

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and raised in Burlington, Viergever became enamored of acting as well as music at an early age. During his high school years, the actor performed in such theatrical productions as Oklahoma and My Fair Lady at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. While earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in Cinema Studios and Music, he appeared in several national TV adverts, and later spent three seasons playing Stew Kubiak in the NBC series Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. An accomplished musician as well, Viergever was on the road with his band when he received a callback after his first audition for Knights of Bloodsteel.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the callback, so I just assumed I was out of the running,” recalls the actor. “However, two weeks later I got another call telling me the job was mine and I was off and running. Talk about a thrilling moment.

“Before I knew it, I was on the set with Natassia Malthe, David James Elliott and Christopher Lloyd [who plays the sorcerer Tesselink]. I’m a fan of movies and TV in general, so it was very cool to be whisked onto this amazingly expensive set. It’s just a mind-blowing project for me. I was immediately impressed by the scope and scale of it, and there was also the sheer excitement of realizing what an awesome role this is.”

In Knights of Bloodsteel, Ber-Lak becomes part of a magical quest to help two humans, John Serragoth (Elliott) and Adric Thane (Christopher Jacot), along with a warrior elf, Perfidia (Malthe), save the island of Mirabilis from becoming the playing of the evil Dragon Eye (Mark Gibbon). According to Viergever, his character has more layers to it than is first apparent, but assures viewers that there is nothing sinister behind the goblin’s motives.

“Ber-Lak is an enigmatic figure and the journey’s guardian, if you will,” he explains. “There are some very somber undertones to the character, but overall he’s pretty hopeful. We initially play Ber-Lak as being a little bit naive, but there’s some wisdom behind his eyes. He’s not too sure what to think about these elves and humans. Goblins are a funny bunch and rather antisocial when it comes to the rest of the inhabitants of this fantasy world. They’re watchful and very knowing, but hesitant to become involved in other peoples’ business. In this case, though, we’re all in this together. That’s what it’s all about, and interrelationship-wise, we learn a great deal about one another and what it takes to coexist. So while Ber-Lak starts out keeping his new-found friends at arm’s length, he eventually comes to care about them.”

Even behind all his make-up, you can see the actor’s eyes light up when talking about a favorite scene in Knights of Bloodsteel. “My character is going to be known as a curve ball pitcher, in that once in a while he’ll surprise you and keep you on your toes,” says Viergever. “There was a transitional point in the script that read, ‘Ber-Lak’s eyes flutter,’ and I don’t know quite how it happened, but I just opened up when we did this shot. I didn’t think I’d get to do something like this as Ber-Lak, but I got to flex emotional muscles that I didn’t know were there. It was such an amazing discovery and when you watch the final product you’ll know what scene I’m talking about. I’m hoping everyone will dig it.”

Despite an early morning start and what looks like several hours of work still ahead of him, Viergever has no complaints. “This is playtime,” he enthuses. “Come on, this isn’t ‘work.’ We get to inhabit this magical world and everyone loves being here. It’s remarkable the things you get to do in this industry. You’re a kid in a candy store. Growing up, I was the kid reciting lines from movies, so this is a dream come true for me. Every day I can’t believe I’m here, and it just gets bigger, better and bolder. No day is like the one before it. This job is truly a privilege and an incredible ride that I hope keeps going for a long time to come.”

http://scifiandtvtalk.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/david-james-elliott-a-heros-journey/