Burn Notice, USA's comedic spy show, returns for its second season on July 10 at 10 p.m. Eastern. (Season one is now on DVD.) Last week I participated in a phone press conference with stars Jeffrey Donovan, who plays burned intelligence agent Michael Westen, and Bruce Campbell, who plays Michael's slightly shady pal Sam -- and these funny guys talked about their characters, the challenges of shooting in Miami, and more. Here's their take on seeing the show from the other side of the camera.

On Michael:

Donovan: I just love that I get to play a spy. I'm like James Bond in America and, you know, I could never be this cool in real life. I don't have the body and good looks of the James Bonds and I, though I am a big fan of The Bourne Identity, I don't have Matt Damon's chops and probably his intellect. So I don't think I'll ever be confused with anybody really good. And as long as I keep my rogue-ish slant on this role, I don't think it can be like anybody else.

Campbell: Jeffrey is being too modest. Basically I think what's different is that we are watching how a spy becomes a human. It's one thing to do all the fights and stuff, but do you care about that person?He has a whole life on top of it which I think makes it much more complicated and much more interesting.

On the character Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer will play in season two:

Donovan: She's behind a lot of things that held Michael back and you realize she's actually controlling his life.

Campbell: She's very, very evil.

Donovan: Yeah, she's very evil and sexy at the same time.

Campbell: That's evexy.

On Michael's relationship with Sam:

Campbell: Sam is, of course, integral to Burn Notice. He holds the social fabric together. If you don't have a second person, it's hard to have dialogue. So Sam is handy for explaining missions and, you know, chewing the fat with Michael and kicking ideas around.

Donovan: You want Bruce Campbell stealing scenes on your show. I'm the straight man, and you need someone like Bruce Campbell because he never does it so far that it detracts from the show or the scene, or the characters. It's awesome.

On the yogurt in Michael's fridge:

Donovan: It was just something that was put in my fridge by [series creator] Matt [Nix]. And then when Sam joins me it's beer. So all I'm living on is yogurt and beer. And that's how I stay so thin. It's like the South Beach Diet, but for Michael Westen.

Campbell: There are some things that have been added to the fridge, because Sam hangs out there a lot. So pickles have been added and there may be hard boiled eggs.

On the Florida weather:

Donovan: Doing action in the humidity is a little tough, but I just try to stay in shape, eat a lot of yogurt and, you know, try not to hurt myself.

Campbell: It's far too hot and I'm dying. The costume department, they give me dirty looks because I sweat through three or four outfits a day. And I won't go into more detail because it's too offensive.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
MaryAnn Johanson (email me)
film reviews and TV blogging at FlickFilosopher.com

Recommend (0)

|  Comments (0)

|  Email

|  Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us