With Syfy’s Haven (Fridays, 10/9C), beginning its third season on Friday, having quietly become one of the best genre series on television, it only made sense to spend an hour listening to the show’s stars – Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant and Eric Balfour talk about the upcoming series – and just generally have a great time (seriously, I can’t think of another show whose cast has this much fun talking to bloggers/journalists). Moments of sanity – and additional information – are also supplied by Lloyd Segan
And why not – Haven’s audience has grown from season-to-season and the new season’s first two episodes are terrific!
Hi everyone, thanks for taking time to talk to us.
Emily Rose: Hello.
So in the season premiere all three of you take some punches all before the opening credits. Could you talk about what it’s like doing your stunts for the show?
Man: Yes, who wants to start with that?
Eric Balfour: I think the boys can start off on that.
Lucas Bryant: Well, this is Lucas Bryant, I play Nathan Wuornos on the show called Haven and my – I’m such a method actor, Nathan doesn’t feel anything and so I really inhabit that role and I don’t feel anything either. And even though Eric throws monster haymakers, it really doesn’t affect me.
No, that’s not true. He punches like a girl. No, that’s not true either. We had a big fight scene in the first episode and that was a lot of fun to get to do. We weren’t sure if it would be us or stunt doubles initially and it ended up that we got to do most of it and it was a lot of fun. There were a couple minor injuries but nothing terribly serious. Right?
Man: Yes.
Bryant: Nothing (unintelligible).
((Crosstalk))
Balfour: Yes, this – for, I guess, the record. Is this for the record, I don’t know if this is for the record but this is Eric Balfour so hopefully you can recognize my voice hence forward – forth. But anyways, I mean, my favorite part about, you know, the fight scenes is just that I get to roll around very closely next to Lucas Bryant. Yes, that’s kind of the best part for me. Any excuse I can to be squeezing, holding, grabbing, touching Lucas is great.
Bryant: It goes both – it’s mutual
Balfour: But no, it was – you know, it was interesting because we actually shot the season opener of the show second in line. We actually shot the second episode of the season first and then shot the first episode second. So by the time we got to this fight scene, it was actually the last day of shooting and…
Man: That’s right.
Balfour: …it – you know, it’s always – it’s a tricky thing because you don’t want to hurt each other but, you know, you try to be careful but, yes, I mean, I think I got a – did I get a bloody nose or did I just get elbowed in the nose.
Bryant: Yes, you – I don’t think you bled.
Balfour: Yes.
Bryant: There was pain.
Balfour: But, poor Lucas kept getting – you kept getting thrown across the room.
Bryant: Yes.
Balfour: I felt bad for him. I mean, it’s fun to watch. I laughed, I don’t want you to think I didn’t laugh.
Rose: And they were allowed to have, like, bruises and like an aftermath to fights. Like, I get frequently thrown into fights and as, like, the lady in the show. Everybody’s like yes, she just got in a big fight but with not – no bruises on that face. Not cuts, nothing. You will look pristine at all times. So, I fight for black bruises and all of that stuff but I don’t (unintelligible)…
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: Lloyd Segan, our executive producer who’s on the phone can testify to that because I remember the conversation…
Rose: I know.
Bryant: …on set where Emily’s going come on man. I just…
Rose: Just let me be bloody.
Bryant: Just one cut. I just want a cut.
Lloyd Segan: Well, I can’t either confirm or deny. But I’m sure our reporters have other questions they want to ask us all.
Bryant: Good segue Lloyd.
Segan: (Unintelligible).
Good afternoon to the stars and producer of my absolutely favorite Syfy show.
Balfour: Hey.
Bryant: Thank you.
Rose: Thank you.
Balfour: And thank you for all of your tweets, twitters, tweeters, tweets.
Oh, yes.
Balfour: You tweet about the show a lot and we really appreciate it.
Q: I do because I adore the show, I really do. And the first two episodes had everything I love about the show, but they still felt fresh so it wasn’t like, oh that same old thing. It was – I just loved them.
Rose: Great.
Bryant: Awesome.
Segan: Just wait, keep watching. It’s going to grow on you even more so.
Bryant: Yes.
Sounds – that sounds so great. Now, I’ve been seeing the Escape the Haven hash tag promotion and the video and it makes me wonder if the troubles become more organized this season like they tried to do at the end of last season and how that might affect your characters.
Balfour: Wow, I can’t answer that without…
Bryant: That’s probably a Lloyd question.
Segan: Yes. Well, we have to be delicate about how to answer this question. I don’t know if Sam Ernst has joined us in this call.
Man: No.
Segan: But I think Sam is a – is actually on set but, the truth is if we answer that, we might have to kill everybody because there are some secrets in there that if we told you they would be spoiler alerts. I think the…
Balfour: I think the coolest thing about what we’re trying to do with the, you know, Twitter stories and the online, you know, sort of interactions and storylines is really to enhance the experience of the show for everybody. It’s not necessarily, you know, something that nobody else is doing at this point.
But we’re really trying to, I think, do it in the unique way that makes it exciting for the viewers and makes it exciting for the fans to feel like they get a little bit extra and a little bit more than just from watching the episodes on television. And then hopefully, also enhance the experience of watching the episodes.
Segan: Yes – well, that’s – I couldn’t have said it more eloquently than Eric did. I think what’s neat what this initiative is and it is unique in that we were the first people to really take social media and take it to another level last year with Vince and Dave’s experience and interaction with our audience.
This year we’re going way beyond that and integrating these opportunities for our audience to interact and sharing with them gems that are going to be happening over the season. And also helping people who have never seen the show before and getting them excited about possibly joining our community. So, it’s bringing people up to date with what has been happening in the past and getting our committed audience, like yourself, excited about the season to come.
Segan: And hopefully it’s doing that.
So, one of the big things on the show is obviously kind of the love interest and everything going on and Nathan’s now starting to open up and kind of tell Duke what’s going on and everything. Can you talk about how all that’s going to kind of develop throughout the season?
Bryant: Yes, I guess. Nathan is now in a place where – in the second season we saw him sort of uncomfortably thrust into the position of police chief. And in the third season he’s kind of manned up a bit and he’s accepted his position and taken more – I think, taken more initiative. And our – Duke – and my relationship with Duke this season takes a number of turns, doesn’t it. I guess it comes – it goes – we fall in love and then we break up again.
But, you know, the cool thing about – I guess it shows many sort of love stories and Nathan and Duke are sort of arch enemies or each other’s nemesis in many ways. But, what really is under that is a great affection for each other and I think both of them really care about each other and rely on each other. So when they get to occasionally team up, we have a blast doing that and we get – we did get an opportunity to do more of that in season three and I think they do – they work better together than against each other.
Balfour: I like to think of Nathan and my character’s relationship as sort of like when Harry met Sally. And I think now we’re sort of in the second act of when Harry Met Sally when I think they’ve probably, you know, slept together at this point but it was a little awkward and they’re going to have to now realize how much they actually mean to each other.
No, I think, you know, the show obviously has this really exciting element of the troubles and every week you have these, you know, fantastic, you know, scares and mysteries. But, at the core of this show, it really is about this love story and this triangle between these three characters and about the different relationships that Emily’s character, Audrey, has to these two men. And they sort of represent different components of her own personality, if it’s okay for me to say that.
And, I think what the writers even told us at the beginning of the season and what was most exciting for me and I think is going to be incredibly exciting for the viewers who turn in this – tune in this year is that this love triangle is really going to just be like a rubber band. And it’s going to expand and contract and move and grow and cause riffs and strifes and it really is dynamic this season.
And I think that’s what’s going to be ultimately I just think the most exciting part for the fans of this show because we really do get to take the audience on a ride this year with the love story that goes on between these characters. As friends, as lovers and it’s my favorite part of the show this season.
Awesome. If I could just ask really quick though, what’s up with Nathan kissing somebody else in the preview?
Bryant: Oh.
That was kind of unexpected.
Bryant: Yes, that preview wasn’t supposed to be previewed. I don’t know, that was a bit of a…
Oh, that’s (unintelligible).
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: I don’t even know where that footage came from. I don’t think it’s in any of our episodes. That was – no, I couldn’t – I can’t really tell you what’s going on there. Maybe – hopefully it’s shocking to people to – for people to see and it was shocking for me to read and to play as well. but, as the course of this season progresses, Nathan finds himself in all sorts of places he wouldn’t have expected and some of them are rather uncomfortable or seem out of character. thankfully, all of that is – makes sense and it paid off as we get to the end of season three, which we just finished filming today.
So, I didn’t, you know, I didn’t even really know where or why or how all that was going to work out but it’s – it did and does and it’s wild.
Well, great. Well, thank you and I love the first two episodes.
Balfour: Thank you so much and thank you for continuing to promote the show on Twitter the way you have. We really do appreciate everyone who does that.
Rose: Yes, we do appreciate it a lot.
Balfour: It means a lot to the growth and to the show.
Is the bond of all of you as strong this season on Haven or do you feel like, you know, there’ll be a little bit of a change for you all?
Rose: I think it’s -you – the season starts out in a very interesting place for all three characters as a good season does, you know. They kind of – all the relationships are kind of at odds with each other but yet they’re always forced to sort of work together to get through it. And so sometimes in a frustrating way, some of the personal things that they have agendas on that need to be figured out get kind of pushed to the side. And then whatever they’re kind of working on to figure out what sort of draws them closer together, which kind of draws them into situations that they didn’t know they’d necessarily find themselves in.
But, it’s interesting, I think a lot, I mean, I think a lot of it gets stronger and then breaks apart and then gets stronger in a different way. And I wish I could be more specific about it but, I think that’s the neat thing about this season is watching the three, you know, these three characters really actually have a lot of stakes and things invested with one another. And what happens if one of those things goes away or, you know, is affected and how does that, you know, affect the other two and watching them kind of deal with that.
Balfour: Yes and…
Bryant: And I think…
Balfour: …I think this season is going to have the most enormous consequences on all three of these characters. You know, as people watch this season they’re going to see things happen to these characters and between these characters that they never imagined.
And what did you guys each learn about your characters this year as – without, of course, spoiling too much?
Rose: Well, it’s interesting. I think Audrey, the first season she just kind of is curious when she finds a connection with the place of Haven, that there’s something there about herself. And then by season three, she’s facing some really, really dark, dark, dark, questions regarding who she is and there’s a – sort of a clock in play. So, it’s really, really hard and I think she’s in a really, really hard place all season. It’s not a fun place for her to be in mentally.
And I think – it was interesting, we filmed the second to the last day yesterday when we were finishing up the season and there’s this one scene at the very, very end of the season where Audrey is able to kind of ask all of those questions that she sort of dealt with and it’s just neat. It’s neat to have posed a lot of questions to the audience for so long and then finally have a season where some of those things are addressed or directly asked and to see what kind of answers are given is really, really interesting.
Balfour: Yes, and, I mean, for Duke this season, Duke is going to have really decide who he wants to be in this world and he’s going to get pushed to limit and has to make some really tough choices about who he wants to be in this town and in this world and to these two people in life.
Bryant: And for Nathan, I learned that Nathan has a lot more ability to find his private parts and strap them on then he might’ve necessarily known. That’s maybe a crude way to say it but, it’s the truth.
Haven has generally been a summer series but this year it’s moving to a fall premiere. What was the motivation for this and do you think it will help or hurt the show?
Balfour: Well, I have really specific thoughts about that but I think we should let Lloyd Segan start answering that question.
Segan: Well, I can give you what is the total honest answer without posturing whatsoever. I think it shows the strength of the show and the franchise to the network and that the network sees great growth potential in the fall. And they are very excited about the two hour block that now has been created with our marriage to WWE and obviously our connection to that is even deeper now with the role of Dwight played by Adam Copeland aka Edge.
And so, I believe, as they believe that there is greater opportunity for us now to reach an even more diverse audience. And so that is the goal and aspiration and I think it’s a pretty wonderful vote of confidence for the show.
Balfour: Yes, and I think from a – just from the standpoint of the cast, you know, we were both excited and nervous about the prospect of this. I think on the one hand what Lloyd just expressed, we all felt. I mean, it felt like we’d been sort of, you know, really, you know, been validated that they believed in us enough to put us on the fall schedule.
The challenge of that, obviously, is, you know, in the fall there are more shows, there is more options for people to tune in to, there’s more competition. And so, you know, there is – with great risk there is great reward and I think that’s what we’re facing right now.
So, you know, I think the one thing I would just like to express is that that’s why it is so important – given the hiatus that we’ve had, you know, whereas normally we would be on in the summer a few more extra months, we really, really need, you know, journalists like yourself, fans of the show, everyone who loves the show and wants to see it continue to really get out there.
Tell your friends, tell people, spread the word because, you know, we have great support from our network and our studios who promote us with every resource they have. But, I don’t care how big a network is or how powerful a company is, what generates a show’s ratings and what keeps it on the air is the fans who tune in every week.
And it really is that much more important this year for the fans of the show and the journalists and bloggers and twitter feeds that love the show to get out and then remind people that it’s coming back on. That it’s going to be on the air September 21, Friday at 10:00 pm and September 28, 10:00 pm on Showcase in Canada.
Rose: At 9:00.
Segan: At 9:00.
Balfour: At 9:00, excuse me in Canada. They go to bed earlier here. But, yes, that’s just – it’s paramount that that happens because we have this great opportunity that Syfy has given us and it’s now up to us and the fans to really deliver on that. And that only happens with, you know, the fans tuning in, watching the show live and spreading the word about it. And bringing more people to the table.
What in the new season are you most excited for fans to see?
Balfour: What are we most exited for fans to see this season?
Bryant: Well I think season just feels like the show’s really got its game on. Everything, you know, the scripts this year are hugely ambitious and I think (unintelligible) succeeded in producing hugely ambitious storylines. The stakes are that much higher. Like, everything’s just kind of juiced up a bit.
So, for, you know, for people that enjoyed following the first two seasons felt like it’s been a sort of steady increase on intrigue and it – and it’s like the lid gets blown off a lot of it this year. And so I’m excited to see how people react to that. A lot of big questions and big mysteries are answered in a way that they haven’t been up until now. And, you know, and I think just each show is bigger and better than ever before.
Balfour: Yes, I’m most excited about the fans getting to see just how deep down the rabbit hole this show goes this year. It really goes – it really just sort of opened Pandora’s box and it kind of lets everything out of the bag, it’s pretty cool.
Rose: Yes, I think that’s the neat thing about the genre of sci-fi is that a lot of things are possible and this season with the methodology of this show, we actually go into a lot of those questions and see some of those answers sort of face to face. I’m really excited about the finale, we just shot that. And I think that by the end, people are going to be like what the heck, you know.
So that’s exciting to me to have shot the finale and to feel like it’s a strong, strong season. You know, looking back and going oh, that was a cool episode. Then that was that episode. Oh, and that was that episode. You know, it’s like it’s really neat to feel like you have a – like a very large, large amount of very strong episodes. That’s exciting for a cast, to look at their season to see that.
Bryant: Yes, and I would also I’m really excited for the fans to see the quality of the show this year. The show feels bigger, it looks bigger and, you know, I think for me personally, as a fan of science fiction, you know, I get frustrated at shows that I love that in the third and fourth season they sort of – they run out of ideas, almost.
And they – everything starts to feel almost over the top and it starts to just sort of go off the rails. And I was really proud that I feel like we’re just starting to hit our stride and the show is now just actually starting to get interesting. And what’s going to be really exciting is what we’re going to learn about this show in seasons four and five because of everything that happens in this season. This season is huge.
Sounds great, I can’t wait. What sort of Troubles are you expecting in this season too?
Balfour: Oh, none. There’s no Troubles this year.
Bryant: Oh, did we not tell you that.
Balfour: Yes, no, the Troubles are – it’s a completely different show.
Rose: It’s all been a fluke. The whole thing.
Segan: A lot of (unintelligible).
Balfour: No, there’s some…
Rose: There’s actually really – there’s actually a very funny Trouble this season. It’s a side note one but it actually really…
Balfour: It’s fun.
Rose: It’s pretty funny.
Balfour: That’s very funny, yes.
Bryant: Yes, we don’t want to…
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: We don’t want to spoil it for you.
Balfour: Like, right off the bat there’s some huge ones. There are some dark – well, right. Okay, if you’ve seen the first – you’ve seen the first few episodes. Then you see…
No.
Balfour: …in like episode two is pretty freaking weird and then episode three is probably one of the darkest episodes we’ve ever done. It’s like super weird. That’s the farmer.
Bryant: Yes, I mean, well in this season we get into like, you know, organ stealing trouble and mind control troubles and we get into all kinds of, like…
Balfour: Time travel.
Rose: Yes.
Bryant: Yes. Electrocution troubles this season. There’s – I mean, I thought we kind of – I always wondered after a couple seasons how we would, you know, keep doing this and I was like, what else could you possibly do. And believe me, the writers figured out ways to do it because the troubles this year are out there but in the best way possible.
This year, what it looks like also you’re having a lot of, you know, guest stars and recurring roles and also Bree Williamson’s going to be coming to Haven as Dr. Callahan. Kind of describe what these new actors and these new characters will kind of stir the pot up in Haven a little bit.
Rose: It’s been really, really fun because we’ve had some great people. Dorian, is it Missick? Is that how you say his last name?
Balfour: Yes, Dorian was amazing.
Rose: He came in and we were just so excited because we were like what a new, you know, new side of Haven we get to see. This is really, really neat. It’s always neat when you kind of develop this little community of things that you’re used to sort of seeing Haven react as. And when new people come in like Adam Copeland or like Bree, it kind of mixes it up for a little bit. And so…
Balfour: Yes, we were…
Rose: …it’s neat to see their humor and their personality and how, you know, our dark little (unintelligible) sort of react to that.
Balfour: And I think you’re seeing, you know, this sort of – the level of kind of excellence on the show has been raised and the bar’s been raised. You know, we’re starting to become a show where actors like Iain Glenn comes on and that whole pedigree that he brings to the show. You know, that really – I mean, I think it’s a tribute…
Bryant: Testament.
Balfour: …a testament to – thank you – a testament to this show that we are now at a point where people respect the show and it’s – there’s a following and down to footing. And now actors of that caliber are saying yes, I want to come do a guest spot on this show and I’ll be a part of this and I’ll put my name on that and that says a lot.
Rose: Yes, and frequently people would come on set and we would talk, you know, say oh my gosh, we’re so glad you’re here and they would say no, I watched a few episodes or when I read the script, it was, you know, really, really fantastic and I really likes the writing and I really like the characters. And that’s always really neat to have that happen.
And this year also I’ve been really fortunate kind of now that we’re in like a third season to actually have some friends that I’ve worked with on other things. Nolan Norris and Claudia Black come and even just them doing like a couple episodes has been…
Balfour: Well, they’re you’re cohorts from the video game, right?
Rose: From Uncharted…
Balfour: Yes.
Rose: …which I think a lot of fans will actually really love to see that and the fact that our producers made that happen and saw that as an asset is really, really cool. So, there’s some things that will, you know, draw new people to the show and I think people will really want to see. It’s exciting to live in a world where that’s a possibility.
Congratulations on finishing the season today. That’s awesome that – I hate that you guys are done before we see it but I have enjoyed all your Twitter pictures and stories from the set, so it’s been helping to build the anticipation because it’s been a long year waiting for it to come back. So I’m looking forward to it. And I’ve seen the first two episodes of the season and they were wonderful in the way that you just hit the ground running and came right back in and picked everything right back up, so I think fans will really, really enjoy where you guys are going this year.
My questions for you are a two-parter. The first you rather touched on a little bit. The show runs every emotion. You’ve got things that are funny, things that are romantic. You’ve got things that are scary as hell. So is there a specific element that each of you enjoys playing the most when you have scripts and episodes that kind of…
Balfour: Good question.
((Crosstalk))
…(unintelligible)?
Rose: It’s interesting because I, you know, it’s – I think it’s you want the mix bag, I think, because anytime I’ve been doing dramatic crying things for too long, I’m over it. And anytime I’m doing too many lighthearted, you know, not lady things I’m aching for that.
So I just – my favorite scripts are the ones that have a quirkiness to them and that allow for those moments of the romance or of the real, like, hearty emotion because you do feel like you’re really tapping into something very human. But then that you’re also able to laugh about things and be quirky. That’s – to me, being able to do all of it is what I like about our show.
Balfour: Yes, I mean, I think my favorite part — this is Eric Balfour speaking — my favorite part is that episode that really take you out of your everyday life. I think, you know, what we’ve created here in Haven is this sort of strange macabre, like Emily just said, quirky world and it exists in its own reality in a way.
And those are my favorite episodes when we really dive into that world and that reality where Haven is a town that although it’s not completely different from the world we know, it is unequivocally not the world that we know. And that’s my favorite part when we live in that reality.
Bryant: Yes. Yes, I just mostly reiterate what Emily said. I think it’s such a pleasure to have all of the above elements in our show and I think that’s what makes our show so unique that we can – you know, that – and that one minute it’s disturbing and weird and creepy and there’s, you know, in those moments sometimes there’s some strange humor and light fun. And I guess some of that is that sort of Stephen King element. You know, the mundane just turned sideways and twisted out of whack. But it’s something I think makes our show totally unique and that I’m really proud of.
Thank you. And the second part of my question is, each of you we’ve gotten much more of your backstories as the show has progressed, coming into the show and as time has gone on, how much have each of you known about your character’s history? Have you found it out when we found it out or did you come in kind of getting a bible on your character to know what was going to be filled in?
Rose: No, I think I said this before in interviews, so I hate to say it again but it is true. I’ve never in my life ever played a character where I didn’t know the backstory on her where that was the story, was filling in the blanks. Like, I have very, very basic things and then at the end of season one, I was told all of those things weren’t real.
So I’ve never – in every acting class you ever go to, your questions that you’re asked is who are you, where do you come from, what were your parents like, what kind of social status do you have, all these things. And a lot of those questions were unanswered mysteries for Audrey and then she finds out she may not even really be Audrey.
So it’s – it wasn’t anything that – I mean, we had some discussions about, you know her training as an FBI agent, those things that were kind of inherent to who she was and to – for the day to day of the show to work. But when all that gets thrown out, it’s mainly just been a discovery of who she is and just living in the unknown and discovering that on a daily basis. Did you guys have a bible?
Bryant: Not bibles allowed. I mean, nothing, you know, not like that. Bibles are welcomed but show bibles for this show, I don’t think they exist and if they do, they…
Rose: They would let us (unintelligible)…
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: …they don’t tell us. I know that the writers have, you know, plans about where they’re going and where we’re going and where we’ve come from and what we’ll learn as we move forward. But, initially, I was like, you know, tell me what’s going on and then they said no. And then I said, please and then they said no. And then I realized that I liked that situation because I am, you know, as clueless as my character, just discovering what’s going on as he does. So that’s all I get.
Balfour: Yes, that’s actually really interesting because they told me everything about my character. They said Duke lives on a boat and that was all I needed. And I’ve been pretty much going off that for three years now and it’s worked out, I mean, pretty well in my opinion.
Rose: I know, but at least you have a home, right. I have an apartment.
Bryant: I don’t even have a home.
Rose: Nathan has a Bronco…
Bryant: Yes.
Rose: …that’s it. What does he have, he has nothing.
Bryant: You know what, it’s a really nice Bronco.
Balfour: It looks really nice.
Rose: (Unintelligible).
((Crosstalk))
Balfour: You have an office.
Bryant: I have an office.
Balfour: You have a whole police station.
Bryant: I have a whole police station. Do you think maybe I have a Murphy bed in my office?
Balfour: Yes, I do. Yes, I think you do, probably.
Yes, so you could sleep in it and nobody would know.
Balfour: I think you probably, unbeknownst to the audience, sleep on my boat.
Bryant: Oh, actually, yes, you’re probably…
Rose: Anyway. Next question.
I have a two part question but, part of it you’ve already answered. So, A, what’s going to happen between Audrey and Nathan and B, is Nathan attracted to Audrey or is he attracted to her power? I watched the first part of the premiere before my screener DVD died and when Duke asked Nathan if he loved Audrey, Nathan doesn’t say yes but instead he described Audrey as (unintelligible) Trouble. So if you could speak to that a little bit.
Rose: I think Eric should answer all these questions.
Balfour: Okay, Part A, none of your business. Part B, none of your business. No, what was the first question? What happens with Nathan and Audrey this season?
Yes.
Balfour: Everything. How about that?
Rose: A lot.
Balfour: A lot.
Rose: A lot.
Balfour: But it’s, you know, something that’s really special about Nathan and Audrey is their relationship as friends. So it’s a tricky situation to explore anything beyond that. I think the writers have done a great job of always sort of teasing with those possibilities but maintaining that mutual friend respect underneath it all. And this year, I think they found very interesting ways to maybe satisfy some fan urges without…
Rose: There is, you know, a good…
Balfour: …messing up the character’s basic relationship.
Rose: Yes, I mean the triangle must exist. So, all of the things that come and go with making that interesting occur. And I think that, I mean, Audrey has – in seeing the first two episodes, she has a – I guess that doesn’t happen until the end of season – that’s the three. But, she has a large sort of mission that gets put in front of her and that affects the way she sees and views her relationships and how she’s going to handle them.
So that kind of messes with the communication and the way that everything kind of goes down as well because she’s trying to figure out how to protect the people she loves as well as be true to – as well as love them and love them well. And she tries to figure out what that looks like.
Excellent. And then my second part…
Balfour: It’s complicated.
Rose: It’s so complicated. It’s drama.
I was just going to say that and I’m actually probably the only person on the line that’s sad today because you’re leaving us and, you know, here we kind of think of you as part time Nova Scotians. I hope that’s okay after three seasons.
Rose: No, we appreciate that. That’s an honor.
Balfour: You owe us a (unintelligible).
Rose: (Unintelligible).
((Crosstalk))
(Unintelligible) everything but here’s what I want to know, because I know you have other, you know, lives elsewhere and you’ve got projects on the go but what’s the one thing each of you are going to miss the most about being away from your spring/summer home here in Nova Scotia?
Balfour: Emily just whispered in my ear and she was answering for me where she said Nicki’s Inn in Chester, which is probably true. I will miss Nicki’s the most because I love Nicki. But I think that actually speaks to a greater truth, which is the people that we work with and live with here and the community that we’ve made. You know, this summer has been the most fun we’ve had in the three years we’ve been here.
Part of that was because the weather was, you know, we were blessed with amazing weather this year and we all had fun this year. I mean, I can’t think of a weekend this season where we weren’t out either at the beach teaching Emily how to surf, looking for waves on our friend (Walter Flower)’s boat on some island where, you know, on one day me and Lucas are going tidal board rafting or mud sliding or…
Rose: Or going to people’s weddings or….
Balfour: Seeing people sing at people’s weddings.
Rose: Yes, you know… (unintelligible) little bit more that we knew more people and so that created more opportunities to see Nova Scotia and really feel like part of the family.
Bryant: Yes.
Balfour: It was a great summer. I mean, I – honestly, I don’t know that I can pinpoint another thing about it. I mean, like, the night that we went – Emily and Lucas and one of our camera guys, (Stretch), they practiced a bunch of song together that they – somebody had written and some that were these amazing covers and they performed one night at this little bar across the river. And it was just a really fun summer. So it’s really going to be hard in some ways to go home this time because it was a really phenomenal summer this time.
Rose: It’s like summer camp for us. It really…
Balfour: Yes.
Rose: …I mean, we worked really hard but it is, we come out here and we have a full summer of planned activities when it goes well. and we’re working together to create this big project and when we are able to pull it off and it turns out well and then on the side we have all these fun activities and routines that we create, it’s a blessing and it could be far worse than – I mean, and it and it’s great so we’re thankful.
Q: Very good. Well, I’ll just tell you, one thing on behalf of Chester aka Haven, we love having you here and your crew and cast are -you’re just topnotch, you know what I mean. You’re just amazing to see and I was commenting onsite how you sort of weave in and out. Do your thing, leave it untouched but, you’ve Havenized it.
So, for me, I’m kind of scared at sometimes where you wouldn’t imagine you normally would be, but that’s only because you do crazy things there. And the only other thing I’ll say is, after seeing the first episode, people are going to be blown away. You guys have, like, the gloves are off out of the gate, it’s awesome. So thank you, thank you, thank you.
Balfour: Thank you.
Bryant: Thank you.
Rose: Thanks.
Segan: Thank you.
I have a question for Emily. For Audrey, both the Teagues brothers have been in love with Audrey in her past, one as Lucy, one as Sarah and it seems like this season Vince is very dead set on helping her uncover some answers. Will we get to find out more about Audrey’s history as being Lucy and Sarah and how she’s involved with the Teagues brothers?
Rose: Yes, the Teagues brothers are a – they’re unique aren’t they, they’re fantastic. In terms of their love for Lucy and Sarah, I definitely know that Sarah part is true. I think they have history, obviously, with Lucy. But, I – in terms of seeing more of Sarah and Lucy, yes, that’s one of my absolute positive favorite things of this season.
It’s very rare when you do a show and your cast as a character that you get to play other characters. And so the fact that I was given the opportunity to create two entirely different people and be allowed to take the risks and do what you need to do to do that is really exciting and was really, really neat.
And I had a lot of fun playing Sarah and doing scenes and actually, you know, not just posing for photographs, but actually being her. It was really exciting and I learned a lot and it was really fun. So, I think that will be a really neat aspect of the seasons this year, at least I hope it is.
Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing all that, especially how Audrey’s history is with Teagues and especially since they’re the chronicle – they chronicle everything in Haven through The Haven Herald.
And also, in one of the promotion trailers there’s Agent Howard’s return. Will we – can you highlight anything on that?
Rose: Yes, he’s a pretty major…
Haven’t really seen him.
Rose: He’s a lot bigger than I think we’ve let on to him being and I think that there’s – you’re on to something, you’re a smart cookie. So I would pay attention to your Haven instincts (unintelligible).
Segan: That’s right.
Rose: And that’s all I can say on that.
Segan: There’s more to Dwight Howard than just a name.
Rose: Yes.
Got you. And for Duke – for Eric, for Duke’s character, will we get to see more of his powers?
Balfour: Yes, I think…
((Crosstalk))
…you know, that is a big part of Duke’s entire arch this season is sort of his struggle with this power that he has and wanting, you know, really not wanting to have it. And he’s going to learn a lot about his family and where these powers come from and who he ultimately wants to be and how he wants to use these powers.
And in the first scene that – in the first scene of the first episode, Nate and Duke get into a very big fight and some of Nate’s blood is spilled onto Duke. Do you think there’re going to be more confrontations between you and Nate?
Balfour: I think an inherent part of this show is the dynamics between Nathan and Duke. It is in some ways the – not – and I mean this sincerely, the love story between Nathan and Duke – and when I say love story I really mean – I mean as brothers – I think is going to be a huge part of the life of this show. And so yes, there’s a lot of that revealed this season.
I knew as soon as that last question was asked that I was going to be next because it was identical to mine. I wanted to ask how – Emily, how you felt about planning an earlier incarnation of Audrey. You sort of answered that already, so how about me going on to a question for Eric and Lucas. Now that Nathan has a tattoo, can you talk a little bit about how many different kinds of ways that’s going to affect his relationship with Duke, because we know from last season, Duke is terrified of the tattoo guy.
Bryant: Right. Yes, well, I guess we talk about it in the first – did we talk about it in the first episode, a little bit.
Balfour: First five minutes.
Bryant: Yes, but it does come to – right, we do immediately, don’t me. But it does come up in…
I haven’t seen the first episode yet, so…
Bryant: Oh, okay.
Balfour: Oops.
Bryant: It does come up in a very important way and a large story point in the whole third season is this tattoo. You know, I don’t – I can’t say exactly how or why or speak to how much Duke is perpetually afraid of Nathan because of that tattoo. I don’t know that – what do you think; does it alter our relationship completely?
Balfour: Well, I think the tattoo is a device. It is a device that is used to further separate the divide between Nathan and Duke and I think, you know, for fans of the show how to pay attention, they will – they’ve always seen that there is this underlying respect and love between Nathan and Duke and they are like brothers in many ways.
So, it’s – I think it’s one of the funnest storylines in the series and in the season is the desire the fans that have and even we as actors, I think, have for these two guys to finally resolve their issues. And, you know, the tragedy there may be that they may never not be – they may not ever be able to, but that’s what you’re rooting for. And the tattoo and the symbolism of it is just another device to continue that.
I just – I had a question for Eric. How do you feel that, you know, the revelations about Duke’s father in – at the end of season two affected him? Like, is going into season three, is he going oh my dad, he had a good reason to not be around or is it that wasn’t a good reason or…
Balfour: I think, you know, Duke has always been superficially self-serving. I don’t think that’s who he is at his core and I think that’s what makes him intriguing as a character. but I think the discover of what he learned about his family at the end of last season and there that’s going to take him this season is going to provide some really intense and emotional moments in this season. And it’s going to really – forgive me, I can’t find the word I’m looking for.
It’s going to really force Duke to question everything about his life and that’s why we watch movies, that’s why we watch television shows. We watch to see people in love. We watch to see people in the greatest moments of triumph and the greatest moments of tragedy in their lives, and I think this season provides that. It really – all three of these characters are really sent on a journey to the furthest reaches of their limits and that’s why people, you know, turn on the television, you know. So yes, I think those revelations are going to have a big impact on Duke this season.
So, Lucas and Eric you all did a show together back in 2005.
Bryant: We did.
Sex, Love & Secrets. Was it your goal to work together again or just complete coincidence?
Bryant: No, it was my goal. I think it was Balfour’s goal to avoid me and I finally won.
Balfour: He did win. I got to tell you, you know, I remember when we were doing that series. Although a lot of people didn’t see it, Lucas Bryant was ridiculously funny in that show and he was incredible. And I remember at the time being absolutely enamored by his work and so when I found out he was doing this show, that was a huge part of me saying yes to wanting to do it. I was excited about working with Lucas. I don’t know, I think we’re all pretty lucky but I think I’m really lucky to be working with both of these amazing actors and really amazing people. They’re just awesome.
Bryant: Aw…
Rose: We’re hugging and now we’re kissing.
Bryant: Ah, that’s super sweet.
Balfour: We totally are kissing right now all three of us.
Rose: We were (unintelligible).
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: And talking and kissing and talking.
Balfour: Emily, what, you’re revealing that we were in bed together earlier?
Rose: We were in bed together earlier.
Balfour: That’s not a problem for me, because I’m not married. The two of them are but that’s cool. Maybe that’s how they get down at home. Hey, let’s put it out there.
Bryant: Maybe Emily can explain that better later.
Balfour: No, let’s leave it at that.
Bryant: Yes, okay. What – yes, you know, we’ve all – I think we’ve always said – Emily and I got to work together too about six months before this show happened and so it was and has continued to be amazing. You know, coming together, we all kind of had this rapport from the start. And we’re totally…
Rose: And that’s seems random to me the fact that, like – I guess it’s – maybe it isn’t in LA but, to me it’s just…
Bryant: No, it is pretty random, absolutely.
Rose: …so random, like, that – to work together and to…
Bryant: Absolutely. And so we had this, you know, starting off we had these relationships in place. It felt like we were starting in a second season or something. And I think that that’s our love for each – the three of us, is something that really is – well, I feel it here in my body – but I think it’s something that plays on screen and that really…
Rose: Ah, we’re hugging. Now we’re kissing again and we’re back in bed.
Bryant: Wow, what else can I say?
Rose: We love you (unintelligible).
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: It’s something that really – we do – it’s something that really is…
Balfour: I’m going to (unintelligible).
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: …is always there on screen. And I think…
Balfour: Keep trying to be sincere about it.
Bryant: And I think people will feel that.
And Emily, if you had to choose between Nathan and Duke, who would you choose.
Rose: Oh, the ultimate question. The ultimate…
Bryant: She can’t answer that question.
Bryant: Wow, she says Emily, if you had to choose between Nathan and Duke.
Rose: Yes, Emily, yes. If Audrey had to choose between Nathan and Duke, she would choose Nuke and Dathan.
Bryant: Nice.
Balfour: Very nice.
Rose: And that is where – that’s what she’s decided is that she loves Nuke and she loves Dathan.
Balfour: I would like to point something out. This is Eric, I would like to take a moment to point something out.
Bryant: Yes.
Balfour: It’s been three years now and most of our days consist of me and Lucas doing something to either annoy, gross out or generally disturb Emily.
Rose: This is a true fact.
Balfour: And whether it be the most crude or inappropriate way possible.
Bryant: Or childish.
Rose: This is also true.
Balfour: And the fact that three years later it is now Emily making the dirty jokes about us being in bed and kissing I think is an amazing triumph and I would just like…
Bryant: That’s a big win.
Balfour: …to applaud you on that.
Rose: Do you see what I have to deal with?
I’m sorry.
Balfour: Deal with us, no think, you know, I – we…
Rose: Yes, I do.
Balfour: …me and Lucas are humping each other’s leg all day, we don’t do that to you.
Rose: I know, thank God.
Bryant: Sorry.
Rose: Thank God.
And one last question is what was the most shocking reveal about your character that you found out?
Bryant: I would say for Emily it was that Audrey has no legs. That was pretty – that was huge reveal.
Balfour: All right, that’s…
Bryant: Oh, I shouldn’t have…
Balfour: No.
Bryant: That was a spoiler for the end of the season.
Balfour: And I think the most amazing reveal for Lucas was that he is actually 1/8th Choctaw.
Rose: No.
((Crosstalk))
Bryant: (Unintelligible).
Rose: Actually I will say…
Bryant: My mother’s mother was a half blood.
Rose: Yes, my mother’s mother was a half blood. (Unintelligible).
Man: Ah, whoa!
Rose: No, my honest answer, unfortunately I can’t answer for you. There was to me a shocker this season but I unfortunately cannot say but I will say what episode it happened in and that was 309. To me that was the shocker.
Balfour: I mean, yes, I think the most amazing reveal for Duke this season is everything that he’s going to learn about his family this year. And even more importantly, there’s an incredible reveal that he learns about his relationship to Emily’s character, Audrey. Duke finds out and reveals some pretty amazing things about his relationship and dynamic with Audrey. It’s kind of unreal.
Bryant: Yes. And biggest – yes, I guess that would be the same I can’t tell you anything either. But, three – 2/3 of the way through the season there’s – well, no actually I guess the reveal is at the end of the season. So you better watch the whole darn thing and then you’ll know what I’m talking about.
So you’ve already touched on a question about Nova Scotia, so I won’t touch on that again. But, we are working on our October issue right now for Halifax Magazine and I’d like to know what can you tell us about your Halloween episode coming up.
Segan: It is scary as…
Man: Very scary.
Rose: It’s very scary and we were actually warned before we filmed in the location that it was a haunted location.
Balfour: Yes.
Rose: Nothing really happened to us while we were there…
Balfour: That’s not true.
Rose: Well, okay.
Balfour: I got knocked on my ass at that house and had a bruise the size of my face…
Bryant: Oh, yeah.
Balfour: …on my left butt cheek.
Rose: That is true and you took me out in the process.
Balfour: Yes. The ground underneath that house literally sucked my leg out from underneath me, threw me on the ground and then took out Emily with it. That wasn’t my fault.
Rose: But…
Bryant: That’s true.
Rose: …it was really cool because we opened up a closet and in the back of this closet were all of these really old – what were they called.
Bryant: All the old…
Rose: It’s like play – that player…
Bryant: The piano player records.
Rose: …piano scrolls.
Bryant: Oh, yeah.
Rose: All these really, really old…
Bryant: The old record players.
Rose: And our art department had to put them in there, so it was a really eerie, weird house. Jason Priestley came back and directed that episode, which is always fun to see him again and have him working with us. But we were really happy to get out of that house.
Bryant: Yes, it was claustrophobic.
Rose: Yes, it was creepy.
Balfour: And also the Halloween episode is amazing because we have the amazing Iain Glenn from Game of Thrones…
Rose: Yes.
Balfour: …in the episode.
Rose: Yes.
Bryant: Right. Amazing guest performance from Iain.
Balfour: And this location was an old…
((Crosstalk))
Rose: (Unintelligible).
Balfour: …I think it was like a old brick – like an old railway hotel and…
Bryant: It was a brothel.
Balfour: Yes, perhaps maybe a brothel.
Bryant: It was a whorehouse and all these…
((Crosstalk))
Balfour: (Unintelligible).
Bryant: This place was in Nova Scotia’s most famous whorehouse.
Balfour: There was a mass murder that actually took place in the house.
Rose: No.
Balfour: I don’t know.
Bryant: We don’t know about that.
Balfour: I’m making this up as I go.
Bryant: But I – but you could – you know, it was definitely a creepy joint and we did get a visit from the paranormal society that tried to warn us off shooting there but we don’t take any advice from anyone. And we risked life and limb to bring you this…
Balfour: Yes.
Bryant: Terrifying…
Balfour: Yes, apparently, the cast of Ghost Hunters International, another Syfy show, wouldn’t even come to this house, they were too afraid.
Bryant: That’s right.
Balfour: So, I’m just throwing it out right now, I challenge you guys. Bring it.
Rose: To a duel.
Balfour: Bring it Chris. Bring it, is it Josh.
Bryant: No.
Balfour: No?
Bryant: No.
Balfour: Well, I know Chris is on that show.
Rose: Probably.
Bryant: Yes.
Rose: Anyway, they’re going to love it. Look forward to it.
Balfour: Syfy (unintelligible), bam.
Bryant: Sorry, we’re getting goofy now.
Rose: We’re getting punchy.
So, everybody by now has pretty much taken all the questions I was going to ask so I’m just going to throw out to all of you, what was your most memorable moment filming this year?
Rose: That’s a tough question.
Balfour: My most memorable moment was there is an episode where a woman is trapped in a car that is sinking under water and it was a huge stunt. And it was, you know, the first time where our show felt really big and we have the car over this cliff, in the ocean waves crashing on it, paramedics and stunt guys and cranes. And that to me was probably the most memorable moment was this. I mean, I felt like we were making a movie. It was really cool.
Rose: It was huge.
Bryant: Yes.
Rose: I felt that way too about episode – I’ll say this all the time – but episode 309. We – it’s a time travel episode and watching our entire – every single department show out like completely to the nines, like this era. I mean, it felt like a film. I mean, I felt – you walked on set and Haven was still Haven because it feels classic and sort of timeless, but yet it was getting to see it like it all of it’s like shine and glory from that 50s era. And it was fan-freaking-tastic.
Balfour: Yes, it’s true. That was – that’s probably my – one of my highlights from this year too is that whole episode was – it was like doing a, you know, period film. The production value was just amazing. Hair and makeup and wardrobe and the art department was really – did a phenomenal job and we had such cool locations and scenes. It was really exciting to be a part of.
Bryant: Yes, I think it’s one of the funnest parts about this element of this season is, you know, the moments where we got to see Haven at the turn of the century and other centuries and in other decades this, you know. And, you know, we’ve always sort of known these different incarnations of Audrey exist but to kind of go and see some of them in different versions is going to be – it’s going to be really fun for the fans.
And just one more question, did you shoot in any locations this year that you hadn’t been in before?
Segan: Oh, yes. Yes. No, question. Just the haunted house alone is one of the locations.
Bryant: Yes, the haunted house, we had never been there and that was pretty intense.
Was that in Chester?
Bryant: No, that was on the outskirts…
Rose: On the outside.
Bryant: …of Chester.
Segan: It was on the outskirts of Chester.
Bryant: We did shoot – yes, I mean, we’re still sort of most in the same general area from Lunenburg to Chester to Hubbards and around the Aspotogan Peninsula. But…
Rose: No, nothing new. I mean…
Bryant: There were some new locations but…
Rose: Yes.
Bryant: …but not – but all sort of within that – the radius of our home base here.
Segan: Well, I would just interject to say that while we tried to keep it within a certain sphere for a variety of reasons because we want to maintain the image of the town, there are elements and locations that we -you have never seen them like the way we shot them this season.
Bryant: Definitely.
Balfour: Oh, okay.
Segan: So, I think you’ll see that I’ll fell quite fresh and quite new because it’s a new way to see and we looted even to one episode in which we go back in time and there’s a particular location, which you will be absolutely very impressed with the cinema take on that location specifically. So, keep your eyes open, you’re going to be surprised.
Thank you everybody, really appreciate it. Thank you cast, I know how hard you work. Congratulations on completing season three, you guys rocked it this season. So, thank you.
Rose: Thank you so much.
Balfour: Thank you all.
Segan: Bye everybody. Thank you.
Photos by Michael Tompkins/Courtesy Syfy