On Thursday, September 14 at noon, I got the chance to participate in a conference call interview with the creator/executive producer, Tim Kring, of the new NBC drama, Heroes. He was also joined by two stars of the show, Greg Grunberg and Masi Oka. This was a large teleconference and I appreciated the opportunity to join in on the discussion.
Heroes is basically a show about ordinary people, like you or me, learning that they have extraordinary abilities. You might even call these people “superheroes”. As we will learn, though, some of these people may not be “heroes” after all. They may use their new-found abilities for evil.
Tim Kring, creator/executive producer, of Heroes is best known as being the creator of another NBC show, Crossing Jordan. He has also written for such shows as Knight Rider and Chicago Hope.
Greg Grunberg (Matt Parkman)
Greg is a childhood friend of writer/creator, J.J. Abrams. That’s probably why you might recognize him from various TV shows that Abrams has created including Felicity, Lost, and Alias. On Heroes, Greg plays Matt Parkman, a cop who finds out that he can read the thoughts of others.
Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura)
Masi plays Hiro Nakamura, a Tokyo computer/anime enhusiast who develops a way to pierce the space-time continuum and can move back in time. He has had a recurring role on NBC’s Scrubs, and has appeard in such films as Along Came Polly and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Before acting he had a job working with special effects at George Lucas’ “Industrial Lights & Magic” studio.
Other members of the press from around the world were also present and a bunch of questions were asked in this 90 minute call. What follows are the highlights of the interview…
Did you ever think you had a superpower growing up or what superpower would you like to have had growing up?
Greg Grunberg: My superpower was given to my imaginary friend. I always dreamt of being invisible, though. Right now on the show, I get to read people’s minds, which is really cool. You don’t always what to hear what people have to say all the time, though.
Masi Oka: The only superpower I wanted growing up would have been the “Midas Touch”. I could turn anything to gold then. My allowance was only a quarter, but if I had the “Midas Touch” I could turn anything into gold and play a lot of arcade games as a kid.
Tim Kring: Right now, I wish I could be in two places at once. But I never wanted any superpowers growing up. After thinking about the show, flight seems like the best one, though.
Greg, if you could read anyone’s thoughts in real life, who would it be?
Greg: I would love to know the future of the show and be in Tim’s head.
Where did the idea of the show come from?
Tim: I found the large ensemble cast on recent TV shows to be very interesting. I saw two movies back-to-back that blended together and created the idea for the show. The movies were The Incredibles and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. People learn they have incredible powers, but still struggle in their everyday lives with that fact.
Besides from Masi’s character, the pilot lacked joy. Will everyone begin to accept their powers over time?
Tim: That’s one of the reasons Masi’s character was created. I was interested to find out what would really happen if you or me woke up and had these new abilities. We wouldn’t embrace these powers at first as it could be a huge burden on our normal lives. However, we would begin to accept them over time.
Greg, you are not in the pilot for this show. That’s usually a good omen for you and the show as the one show that were in the pilot for, Lost, you got eaten up by a monster. Do you think it’s a good thing for you and the show that you are not in the pilot for Heroes?
Greg: I was joking around about that, but you have to go with you track record. I really do think it’s a good omen for Heroes that I’m not in the pilot episode. The pilot got cut down from two hours and it would be too much trouble to try and squeeze all of the characters into one hour. The way my character gets introduced in the second episode is great and I’m happy about that.
Masi: Greg, is really amazing in the second episode.
Greg: I have to say, I am really amazing.
How does Matt feel about keeping his secret power away from everyone in his life including his wife?
Greg: Matt has a learning disability and can’t advance past being a cop. He always wanted to be something more. Now Matt is suddenly hearing voices and if he tells everyone this, they would think he’s crazy. He has had problems with his wife as he talks about never being happy and wanting more in life. So he doesn’t want to add to the problems by telling her that he hears voices. It’s going to be a constant struggle to not tell anyone, though.
Masi, do you want Hiro to have a love interest on the show?
Masi: I definitely would like that.
Tim: There are plans for that to happen, but not with anyone you have seen yet.
Masi: Woooooo!!
Will the characters be interacting with each other and create a “superhero team”?
Tim: Not so much a team. The pilot points to these characters crossing paths and eventually they do cross paths.
Greg: I think it’s interesting that everyone assumes that all of these characters will get together as a team and do good. Don’t assume that all of these characters are good. They could be good or bad.
Masi, do you still do special effects?
Masi: I still consult for my own special effects company.
Most of the time people think special effects and acting are enemies of each other. Is it wrong to think that?
Masi: It’s a team effort. Special effects and acting shouldn’t be looked at as enemies. They both contribute equally to the quality of a show or film. I have a lot more appreciation for special effects after working with them.
What type of online content will be available to go along with this show?
Tim: There’s going to be an online comic book that adds to what you see on TV. No plans for web-isodes, though. There will be lots of online things to add to the enjoyment of the TV show. All of this will be on NBC.com.
What is the focus of the show going to be? All of the characters together each episode or just focused on one character at a time per episode?
Tim: The first three episodes we have to introduce all of the characters and their individual stories. Once that is done, though, we can then focus on one or two characters each week. Eventually, they will start to cross paths and then we won’t have as many stories to tell.
Will you be bringing in new characters? Will there be villains?
Tim: Those questions are connected, but there will be villians on the show. We will be bringing in new characters that won’t all be good. In the second episode, there’s a new character that has the potential to be a big villain for most of the first season.
What has been the most surprising thing about the show?
Masi: The scripts are always surprising. Every question we have is answered, but then there is another question. It’s like a constant rollercoaster with ups and downs.
Greg: The most surprising thing to me is how good I really am. It amazes me. No, really, it’s how to play my character, a person that reads minds. The script always surprises and entertains me as well.
Tim: The thing that surprises me is how easily the stories get generated. The audience may think we will run out of stories to tell, but the truth is the twists and turns we create fuels more stories for the show. Something always happens each week on this show.
Does anyone have a drastic change in look? Do they dress differently once they realize they have superpowers?
Tim: Everyone grows in different ways. One spoiler is that one character does change in drastic ways, but that is all I can say.
Greg: For my character, to get this one ability of getting information by reading minds, it changes his life. Sometimes you need “a kick in the pants” to make a change in your life and finding out you have these new special abilities could be what you need to change something in your life.
There is this recurring theme in the pilot of the eclipse. Is that going to continue?
Tim: For now, think of it as an unifying event that ties all of these characters together across the world. You won’t really know what it’s really all about until later in the show.
As actors, you don’t really know what is going to happen from episode to episode. How do you feel about this surprise factor on this show?
Greg: I enjoy it. I used to only read my character’s part in the script anyways, eventhough I could read the whole thing. I like being surprised. If I knew too much about the show, it might affect my ability to play my character, since I would know something is going to happen. It’s hard to wait and find out, though.
Tim: A television show is a very organic thing. You have to pay attention to it and it will tell you where it wants to go. Things like chemistry between two actors just happens. You can’t always write that. If you pay attention to the show, you can bend and shape it as needed.
In the pilot, the professor’s father has gone missing. Is that going to be a big part of the first season?
Tim: Yes, that’s a big part. The son is on the quest to find his father. He doesn’t have any powers himself, but his story is still important.
What’s it like writing a serial series with an ensemble cast?
Tim: One of the challenges is that we have lots of stories going on at the same time. The fun thing is that we know we are going, but it’s fun to watch and see where characters go that you didn’t expect. The most frustrating thing about writing this type of show is that any change you make has a “dominoe effect”. It affects all the other stories.
How do you balance trying to tell stories that are of interest to a general audience and comic book fans?
Tim: If you watch this show for just the comic element, you’ll probably be disappointed. This show is made for a larger audience. You may not connect with all of the characters, but there will be 1 or 2 that you will be interested in and watch the show to watch these characters.
Tim, you said you never read comic books as a kid. Did you have to learn about them for the show?
Tim: Yes, I had a “crash course” on comic books. I have a reading disorder that prevented me from reading comic books. I couldn’t focus on the pages and the way the story was supposed to go. But I read a lot of different comic books for this show.
Greg, you have worked with J.J. Abrams a lot in the past. What is like working with Tim opposed to working with J.J.?
Greg: Oddly enough, it’s very similar. When I got the script, I couldn’t believe how similar the quality of the stories were. J.J.’s stories are so layered and the same is true with Tim’s. The characters are interesting to read with both as well. The only downside to Heroes is not working with JJ. However, J.J. thinks Heroes is going to be a huge hit. So we are both excited about this show, and excited for each other.
Greg, any possible cameos in other shows from J.J. Abrams like What About Brian or Six Degrees?
Greg: No, I don’t think so. Eventhough, J.J. always wants to find ways to put me in his shows. I had a small, small, small cameo in the pilot for What About Brian. But I don’t have any real interest to do anything else, but Heroes at the moment.
Masi, can you tell us what your character is all about?
Masi: Hiro is an office drone in Tokyo. He is excited about his new power. And at the end of the pilot, we see him teleport from Japan to New York City.
This show seems to be very similar to shows like The 4400 and Lost. How is this show similar and different from those shows?
Tim: I don’t know much about The 4400. But it becomes harder and harder to create something that isn’t like any other show out there as there is lots of competition on television. Once people see the show, those questions will go away hopefully. You will see that there are a whole set of different questions being asked. Unlike Lost, we don’t have this central question of “how are we going to get off this island?” Heroes is more about what these powers mean to each character, how they deal with these powers, and what their greater purpose in life is. If people compare us to Lost, I will take that as Lost is a hit show.
Do you see the show helping everyone see that there is hope in the world today?
Tim: I wanted to tap into the feeling that everyone thinks that the world is a scary and confusing place. I think there is this wish-fullfillment that people think that people they pass on the streets can make a difference in the world. I think people will connect to this idea.
Masi: These characters wake up and have superpowers. You don’t need superpowers to be a hero in the world today, though. You can make a difference in the world without them. You can make a difference for others. The show is great metaphor for what is going on in the world today.
Greg: I play a cop, which by definition of his job is being a hero. But on a larger scale, I think people want to know that there are people or something out there they can count on. I love the fact that these are ordinary people that other people want to believe they can count on.
Tim: This is their journey from being ordinary to extraordinary. Most shows start off with people already being a cop or a lawyer. I wanted to start at the very beginning and watch the characters grow during the show. This show is watching the journey of becoming a hero.
Tim, can you talk about characters we didn’t see in the first episode?
Tim: The main one is Greg’s character, Matt Parkman. He appears in episode two. He was in the pilot, but the pilot was reduced to one hour and Greg’s story is in the second hour. We are introducing another character through Greg’s character. That is an F.B.I. agent that is on the hunt for a serial killer. This serial killer is actually going to become a major villain on the show.
Greg, were you a comic book reader as a kid?
Greg: No, not at all. I never collected comic books. I liked the idea of them, though. I wish I would have now after seeing how interesting these stories are being played out. Let me say that I have three boys and they all love going to school and telling everyone that their dad is a superhero.
Did mythology play a big part in creating this show?
Tim: There was lots of discussion of Greek myth in the writer’s room. How and why certain people are tempted to do certain things. The duality of good and evil is a fascinating thing. All of these characters have free will. They can do good or bad with these powers. If you are inclined to do good, and you can hear thoughts of other people, you will do good with that. If you are desperate and destitute, and you find out you can walk through walls, then you may walk through a bank and rob it. What do these characters do when they are suddenly tempted by darker forces is an interesting question that will get answered eventually.
– Heroes will premiere in the United States on NBC on Monday, September 25 at 9 p.m. PT/ET. – No premiere date or time is set for viewers in Canada right now, but it will appear on the Global network at a time and day to be announced later.
