JohnBillingsley.Net  

[ Jan 2004 ] [ 2004 March ] [ May 2004 ] [ June 2004 ] [ 2004 November ]   

January 2004

Magazine: Cult Times

THE GUEST LIST

John Billingsley

Having studied theatre at Bennington College in Vermont, John Billingsley spent a great part of his early career in Seattle, Washington sharpening his skills by performing in regional theatre. "I thought I had a better chance of breaking into the business there than in New York City," he says. "I also saw myself as a character actor and figured it would take me a few years to get to a point where I felt ready to pursue TV and film roles in Los Angeles." Nowadays, the seasoned movie, TV and stage actor can be seen as Dr. Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise. In-between his shifts in sickbay Billingsley recently guest-starred in the Angel episode Unleashed.

Was it difficult juggling Angel along with your work on Enterprise?

No, not really. Because Enterprise is considerably more action/adventure oriented this season I’ve had a little bit more downtime than usual, so I’ve asked my agents to send me out on auditions. I read for a number of projects, including Angel. I got the job and it fit nicely into a week in my Enterprise schedule where Dr. Phlox happened to have very little to do.

How would you describe your character of Dr. Royce in Angel?

Royce serves as an expeditor of plot, a mover of prose. There’s a guy like him in every TV series and movie. If I were to compare him to someone it would be the Elisha Cook Jr. character of the young gunman Wilmer in The Maltese Falcon. Like him, Dr. Royce is a gunsel [a hoodlum or criminal], albeit more of a weasel-like, intellectual gunsel. He had some amusing bits to do and that was a blast. I mean, I never thought I’d get to sing a Rick Springfield tune on TV. Then there’s the scene where Royce is dragged screaming out of the room. You can’t beat that for an exit.

What was it like working with the Angel cast?

They’re great. I knew James Marsters from Seattle. We were both theatre actors up there and he preceded me down to LA by a few years, so the two of us would bump into each other every so often. It’s always a pleasure to see him and I’m really happy he’s having such a great run on Angel. David Boreanaz is also a nice fellow. He was suffering with a knee problem and I felt for him. David had to move around pretty gingerly, which is tough being the lead of an action/adventure series. Alexis Denisof was a pleasure to work with, too, as was Amy Acker. I liked everyone I met, including the caterer. The Enterprise and Angel sets are right next to each other, so everybody on my show was extremely jealous because I got to partake of the delicious Angel catering. I’d walk by carrying a scrumptious porterhouse streak and, with a silly grin on my face, say hi to the guys over on Enterprise.

What were your impressions of director Marita Grabiak?

She’s a very nice person. Directing episodic TV is a huge challenge. You work an incredibly grueling day and if you get behind the least little bit suddenly all hellfire and damnation is breathing down your neck. At one point, Marita had to play catch up and it was a shame because it had absolutely nothing to do with her. She was on the ball, very quick with her shots and knew what she wanted. A great deal of what you ascribe to somebody in a professional situation is simply competence. Marita is extremely competent and very good at what she does.

By Steven Eramo 

Submitted by Jo Healy

January 2004

Trek's Phlox Bares All

Star Trek: Enterprise star John Billingsley told SCI FI Wire that his character, Dr. Phlox, takes center stage in the upcoming Feb. 18 episode "Doctor's Orders"—and that he does so in the buff. "We have to traverse a very dangerous part of space if we're to get to the Xindi weapon in time," Billingsley said in an interview at UPN's winter press tour in Hollywood. "And in that amazing way I have of somehow knowing this s--t, I say, 'Well, if we do this, all of the humans are going to be driven mad. I as a Dinobulan won't be driven mad.' So my solution is let's put everyone in a comatose state, and I'll run the ship by myself. And I do that."

Billingsley added that viewers will see a new side to the doctor. "I have to run the whole ship," he said. "And I walk around naked—sweeps week, baby!—and it turns out I was a little optimistic, and this weird section of space is actually kind of driving me mad, too. So now I'm mad, all by myself, on the ship. Mad, naked and all by myself on the ship."

A UPN spokesman told SCI FI Wire that Billingsley ended up shooting the episode in his birthday suit in part because producers called his bluff. For his part, Billingsley said that he had ideas for his character's alien anatomy. "In the nude scene, I was hoping ... you know, it would be like, I walk in the room, and a flower pot gets knocked over all the way [on the other side]. ... They didn't go for that, darn it [laughs]." 

Enterprise airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.