For my latest book, one of the important secondary characters is a television star of a police drama. The only problem is, I don’t know anything about how a television drama is actually produced. Very little of my book will actually take place on a set, but the character in question will surely make references to her work that I need to know the answers to.
Ideally, I would love to interview an actor and ask them all these questions I have (about a solid page of questions). Even more ideally, the actor in question would be a full time cast member, but not the star of the show (some examples are Kevin Weisman on Alias, James Marsters on Buffy/Angel, Carlos Bernard on 24). In a perfect world, I would’ve seen and enjoyed the show in question.
Unfortunately, getting access to anyone who’s regular enough on a show to provide the kind of help I need is difficult, if not impossible, so I’m looking for alternative ways to find this information. Can my fellow Dopers come to my rescue?
Simon Brett has written a fine series of mysteries about an actor named Charlie Paris. He’s involved in a different slice of show business in each mystery, giving lots of backstage info.
In A Series of Murders he’s on a police drama series.
If you have an agent — it sounds like you’re an experienced writer, so I thought you might — he/she could probably arrange for you to interview an actor. If not, contact the artist’s representation directly; if you can demonstrate that you’re a published writer and not a fanboy on the make, you’d have a decent shot of getting some time. I’d think you’d have a harder time getting someone like Marsters, who has a lot of “cult” cachet and probably has more demands on his time than a typical actor on a second-tier drama series would. Keep in mind you don’t even need to talk to someone who’s currently working—anyone with the requisite experience will do.
If the actor route proves fruitless, track down an associate producer and see if you can talk to them. I think an AP could give you a good idea of what goes on on a TV set and it wouldn’t be hard for you to extrapolate that into experience for your character.
He certainly knows what you’re asking about, and he seems to be a nice guy at his web site, www.wilwheaton.net. Dunno if it’ll work or not, but it might be worth the 5 min it would take to dash him off an email.
Exapno: I’m always afraid of coming across as an unknowledgable boob if I try to write about something I know nothing about. I know that it’s bound to happen some, but I really try to be correct on the stuff I know that I don’t know about (does that make sense?)
Nonsuch: Sadly, although I’m an experienced writer, I haven’t an agent, or he/she would’ve been the first person I would have contacted. All of my writings have been articles (and 99% of those game reviews) except one, and it’s currently in the first stage of editing at the publisher. Closest I’ve come so far to the elusive agent is a request for a sample of my last novel, the one I’m currently shopping around.
You’re right about Marsters. He’s a good example of the level of fame I’m looking for, and he seems a bit more approachable (as a person) than most of the rest of the Buffy/Angel cast, plus he doesn’t have anything listed as upcoming on IMDB, but you’re right about his fan following being rather huge (and in some cases, very scary). I can definitely understand why it could be difficult to reach him.
Do you know what sort of title to look for in trying to find actors’ representatives? Writers have literary agents, but actors have agents, publicists, and managers, and I’m not sure who is whom and who is the right person to ask (yet another question to ask my elusive actor interviewee.)
Athena: I think I remember Wil Wheaton from Star Trek, so I think he may be a good place to try. Like you say, it certainly can’t hurt to ask.