From
IGN:
Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia and Masi Oka
We talk to two members of the new NBC show about super powers, spoilers and what gives Batman his edge.
by Travis Fickett
September 26, 2006 - NBC's new show Heroes explores the lives of several people who discover that they have powers beyond the ordinary. At this summer's Television Critics Association event in Pasadena, IGN TV was able to grab two of the Heroes, actors Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls) and Masi Oka (Scrubs) for an exclusive chat.
IGN TV: So the buzz on this show here at the TCAs is that it might be the one to watch this season. How does that feel?
Milo Ventimiglia: As exciting as it is, that's also a scary prospect. For 10 or 11 years of my career, I've flown under the radar. I've been fortunate to work with some cool, creative people on some cool shows. But it's kind of a frightening prospect to think that this could just blow the ****** up. To think about the dynamic of how it's going to go, how people are going to react towards us and how we'll react with each other. I just go back to the adage of "keep your head on the page, keep your head on the page." Don't worry about the excitement or the bad and good things people are saying about the show and focus on the material and the job and the responsibility to the cast and the crew.
IGN TV: With a new producer of Gilmore Girls can you come back, do an episode?
Ventimiglia: To be real honest I don't see a future at Gilmore Girls anymore. I think the last episode I did where Rory shows up in Philly and toys with Jess a bit. He says you can't keep doing this to me - and she leaves. I think there's closure there and it's done. The primary reason that I went back to Gilmore was because of Dan and Amy (Palladino, the creators of Gilmore Girls). They kept saying they had some great things they wanted me to do and be a part of and I believed them and saw some nice growth for Jess. It was nice to come back and play a character I had played for a long time and see that he grew up. He didn't become an a**hole, but he turned into a nice young man. That all goes back to the writing. I don't see myself going back.
Masi Oka: He's part of our family now.
Ventimiglia: I am kind of busy now and won't even have the time.
IGN TV: Masi, you're looking back and in your past is Scrubs, are you seeing only Heroes now?
Oka: Well, it's on the same network, so…
Ventimiglia: Yeah, that's true. There's no WB anymore. I think I brought the network down.
Oka: I still love that show. I think Scrubs is brilliant. It's brilliant writing, and I owe a lot to those guys for my career. So if they ever want me back I'll gladly do it.
IGN TV: In the episodes you were in, did you work with Zach Braff as a director?
Oka: Actually no. One episode I was in was directed by Matthew Perry, oddly enough. But I've never worked with Zach as a director.
IGN TV: So your character can bend space and time?
Oka: Bend space and time, yeah.
IGN TV: And now your character is in New York?
Oka: We see him in New York at the end of the pilot, from there a chain of events happen that will either lead him to stay in New York or bring him back to Japan.
IGN TV: Milo, did you get any flak for revealing that you were an empath?
Ventimiglia: I think a smart person can deduce "why does he think he can fly, but he doesn't?"
IGN TV: In the pilot, what I saw, which was a rough cut with some unfinished effects, it wasn't that clear to me that you and your brother weren't both flying. But you're not?
Ventimiglia: No, my character can't fly. I know that was a spoiler question they were asking about Peter, and it's something Tim [Kring, Heroes creator] and I discussed. I think an audience member that pays attention to the small details, and you hear Peter say "my foot hovered before it hit the ground." Well did it? Or did he imagine it? And why? Why could he fly at a certain point and then not at another? And if his brother had no idea that he could fly, it's Peter's empathic feelings that brought it out of him.
IGN TV: So is Peter something of a recruiter for the heroes?
Ventimiglia: At this point, I don't know.
Oka: The writers are brilliant. They know what they're doing. The show asks a lot of questions, but you have to trust that they will answer them. As many questions as they ask, they give answers. It's what makes the show cool. That's why we don't like to give you too many spoilers because it will be answered, we guarantee that. The writers are so brilliant. Every episode just gets better and better.
IGN TV: There are some criticisms of shows like this, on say Lost, where there are more questions than answers.
Oka: Jesse Alexander, who is writing for our show, comes from Lost and he knew that was the case. So does Jeph Loeb. They're taking the experience from Lost and learning from it.
IGN TV: Masi, you said you've said you're a Manga fan. Are you a fan of American comics as well?
Oka: I haven't actually read too many American comics, to be honest with you. I was a big fan of Green Lantern and Spider-Man. But the one thing about Green Lantern I never got is why is he vulnerable to yellow? If you look at the color palette, yellow isn't the opposite of green, purple is.
IGN TV: Milo, are you a comic book fan?
Ventimiglia: You know, I haven't been in a long time. I was when I was a kid. And I never really went in too much for the super powered heroes, but the crazier ones.
IGN TV: Like who?
Ventimiglia: Batman. He doesn't have a power, he's just ********** crazy. If you think about it, that's what he is. He's very smart, really educated, built and just ********** crazy.
IGN TV: Did you like Batman Begins?
Ventimiglia: Oh yeah. That was just great. That's a dream role, to play Robin to Christian Bale's Batman. Also the Punisher, just the more realistic characters.
IGN TV: It does seem that's where this show is headed, to try and mine the reality of what people would really do with these powers.
Ventimiglia: That's exactly it, I think.
IGN TV: Peter seems to be a heroic person, being with people when they die and so forth.
Ventimiglia: Absolutely. I think Peter has been searching for his purpose in life, aside from caring for people that won't be around for much longer. So having this belief that he can fly, and having that taken away and it's his brother. There's such disappointment, but there's the potential that he has a different ability, and how potentially selfish could he get because he's never had anything for himself. It's always been about his brother and other people. I think that's an interesting dynamic to play.
IGN TV: How soon do you guys share scenes?
Both: Very soon.
Oka: Answers will be given. Trust the writers will not disappoint the viewers. There'll always be more questions, but answers will come.