Interview with Sean Tasson & Jonathan Thomas

 

With the reappearance of Doyle and Louis in Season Two, we decided to sit down with Jonathan Thomas and Sean Tasson to get their views on playing these dastardly villains!

What did you do to get this gig?
J: Well the audition process was exhausting. I believe Regan had to review hours and hours of footage from all the previous films we had done with her and then in a moment of inspired casting genius (brought about by hinting) decided we would be perfect (good enough) to play her villains. When Regan asked: “Jonny, will you be in the series?” I jumped at the chance!

S: Um, what he said. Actually after one of the initial shoot days at the Rivoli I realized that it was project that I wanted to be a part of in what ever way I could.

What’s it like being the bad guys?
J: I have always wanted to play a bad guy because they always seem to be the most outrageous and ridiculous so I am having a great time playing Doyle.

S: I don’t think that Louis is really a bad guy. Somehow he got mixed up with Doyle and for whatever reason he enjoys being with him but deep down, he’s a good egg.

What do Doyle and Louis get up to when they’re not doing bad guy stuff?
J: I’m a pretty boring guy and a total homebody so I spend my time pursuing the interests of my inner Martha Stewart, like cooking and baking and playing with Mona (my dog). Every few weeks we have “Games Night” when Regan and Rikki (Zucker) come over and we laugh and laugh and of course eat peanut butter cookies. When I’m out and about I wander the city looking for interesting photos to be taken and occasionally go out for a night of the Theatah.

S: I like to go to shows and spend time with the family. Much of my extra time is soon to be taken up with voice training and acting lessons and every week I make sure I have an hour to spend with my friend Ugly Betty.

Sean, what makes Louis a good sidekick?
S: Are you calling me fat? I think he is a good sidekick because he can do absolutely anything Doyle needs done. It seems that Louis has done everything under the sun from ju-jitsu to picking locks and has retained all of the skills learned.

How do you two get along off-screen?
J: Sean is a pretty super guy and way easy-going, he’s my best friend and I get along with him great!

S: We get along great; we have known each other for about 10 years. He come my best friend.

Jonathan, how did you end up being the show’s photographer as well?
J: Honestly, I believe it was by default. At the start of filming I had the best still camera (my sweet Nikon Love, Love, Love it) and I had a passion for photography. That passion drives both Lindy and Dana kind of crazy because when they aren’t being filmed there I am snapping hundreds of shots of them. It is interesting for me to look back on all the stills because I can track the development of my abilities. I believe I have improved greatly over the past two seasons and I think that I may have, at long last, found my calling.

Given that you’re both veterans of Regan Latimer’s films, how does making Fletcher compare to other projects you’ve worked on together?
J: All the projects have been wonderful experiences, but Fletcher is by far the most varied and interesting. What with the number of people involved, the various locations and the fact that I am doing more behind the scenes, things are never dull! Regan has managed to assemble a phenomenal team that has come together to bring her vision to life. I hate to sound like a dork but having had the good fortune to witness the growth of Regan as a director I am really proud of her, and really touched that she has let me be a part of this.

S: I think that it’s a much bigger production than the earlier projects. You can really see the characters develop and change. I have managed to get closer to the people working on this project because of the length of time we have spent working on it. The films tended to be shoots of about 2 weeks and there really wasn’t the chance to interact with people in the same way. This past summer was one of the best I had, all thanks to B.J. Fletcher.

Who would win in a battle or wits: Doyle and Louis or Fletcher and George?
Both: Doyle and Louis of course!