[ xpose ]

[ Xpose issue 59 ]

[ Earthly delights ]

As they prepare for a third season and a new network, Shiri Appleby & Majandra Delfino consider the future of Roswell. Ian Spelling looked up to the stars.

A fan outpouring led first to The WB renewing 'Roswell' for a second season and then to UPN picking up the series for a third season after The WB tossed the sci-fi/romance onto the junk heap. "It's so overwhelming & we're just so appreciative," Shiri Appleby, who plays lead human Liz, enthuses. "We have jobs because these people [the fans, particularly the diehards who fired off thousands of bottles of Tabasco sauce & countless bunches of flowers to network executives] love what we do."

Though it's been made clear that some members of the 'Roswell' cast didn't want to return for another year & we're hoping that the show wouldn't die would finally pass on, Appleby insists that she was not among those eager to move on. "As an actor, you prepare yourself for it to go either way," says Appleby, who took advantage of her summer break to co-star with Erika Christensen & Jesse Bradford in the tentatively-titled thriller 'Swimfan85', which might best be described as 'Fatal Attraction' set in the high school milieu, with Appleby in the Anne Archer role. Ironically enough, Christensen appeared in the acclaimed drama 'Traffic' alongside Majandra Delfino, while Bradford heads the cast of the upcoming family sci-fi/adventure 'Clockstoppers', which was directed by 'Roswell' executive producer & sometime director Jonathan Frakes. "The show has been such a big part of launching my career that if it were to continue & the writing were to continue the way it was, I'd be happy to do it."

Series creator, writer & executive producer Jason Katims recently stated that the show's main characters, Max & Liz, would once again step to the fore when the UPN era begins on Tuesday October 16. Last season, fans of the central romance watched as Max fell for Tess (Emilie De Ravin) and eventually got her pregnant, and Liz nearly landed in the arms of Sean DeLuca (Devon Gummersall). Meanwhile, Isabel & Alex flirted with romance before Tess murdered him, and the ever-contentious Michael & Maria battled more often than they kissed/ It seemed obvious to all, however, that the romance in year two came second to the sci-fi elements. And that, Appleby opines, alienated the core audience.

"One of the great aspects about the show was the love & the feelings & the fact that these characters felt so deeply," she says in her familiar husky voice. "When you went too science fiction, you lost a lot of the emotion. Hopefully, this year, with UPN's support, we'll be able to combine the two strengths and the show will blossom. The first season was great, but it was only the love story, which meant that it was Jason [Behr] & I working so many hours a day. The second season was just the sci-fi, so you wanted the emotion, whereas in the first season toy wanted more of a break from it because it was so emotional and took so much out of you. This year, Jason Katims is focusing on giving the audience both aspects, so that they can get involved in the sci-fi craziness of it & still feel for the characters."

Fair enough, but can Liz Parker truly ever be happy?

"I think there's a happy medium," Appleby says with a laugh. "After a while it becomes rather repetitive to see the characters go through so much and watch them struggle & deal with things the same way. So I think there is a happy medium to be found, especially now that Max & Liz can actually be together. You'll be able to see her happy. You'll see them rebel. They'll get arrested. They'll hold up a convenience store. She'll not be so sad because she's actually going to be with the love of her life versus chasing him. As an actor you want those moments where your character enjoys herself. So, I'm really looking forward to those moments when Jason & I can be these two characters together & happy."

As for Majandra Delfino, she's ready for more sparring with Fehr, whom she may or may not have been dating in real life, whom she might or might not be still dating in real life. Of course, some people wonder if Maria & Michael have done enough bickering already & those folks are more than eager to see the couple together & enjoying a bit of contented bliss. So, two couples happy at last? On 'Roswell'? For more than a week? Don't count on it. More fighting and bickering? That's more like it. "I always have faith in what Jason Katims does," Delfino notes. "I never think, 'What's this? I don't know this character like he does. She's not a character inside of me. She's a character that Melinda Metz came up with & Jason Katims brought to life. So I put all my trust in him."

Doesn't the actor take control of the character at a certain point? "Yeah, but it's like being a kid," Delfino argues. "A kid is himself or herself, but their parents are their creators & you always remember that if you're a smart, good kid. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with my parent, so to speak, because I just listen to what Jason says. And if I do have a problem, I'll talk to him and say, 'What do you think?' And he'll say, 'I think it's necessary because blah-blah-blah.' And I'll be like 'Cool.' It's that easy & nice."

Like her co-star Appleby, Delfino's not complaining about Roswell's latest resurrection. This despite the fact that she's publicly stated that it gets boring playing the same character on a weekly series. "Oh, it's still fun," says the actress, who spent the better part of her summer break recording a CD that may be released later this year. "It's only been two years. It's not like it's 'Beverly Hills 90210'. It's just that it's always great when something different happens episode to episode. Doing something so drastic as 'Summer of '47' [in which the main actors played different but somehow familiar characters] was great. It was like being hired on a movie where you have to have a Southern accent and be in the 1940s. Doing it on the show, it's safe to fall down because if you fall on your face it's not 'Pearl Harbour'. It's just on to the next episode."

When the series began a couple of years back, it did so with a bang. Liz was mortally wounded & Max saved her with a gentle, loving & life-restoring touch of his hand. From there on in & for a good long while, Appleby & Behr were unquestioningly the stars of the show. If Liz wasn't getting all moony-eyed over Max, she could usually be found with her understandably confused then-boyfriend Kyle [Nick Wechsler], the son of Sheriff Valenti [William Sadler]. Later, however, 'Roswell' became more & more of an ensemble piece. Tess was paired with Max far more often than Liz, and Liz faded into secondary character status. The change did not go unnoticed by Appleby. "She did [fade] & it bothered me to some degree, but at the same time you acknowledge that you are part of an ensemble show," Appleby says. "There are so many great characters and so many great actors that it's wonderful for the audience to get a little taste of everything. The show went with that, and it was nice to have a break. But I think this season, as I said, will be focused more on Max & Liz getting back together & their trials & tribulations, and also on Isabel's new romance. A lot of things will be going on, but I think the focal point will be the love between Max & Liz, finally."

As season three approaches, both Appleby & Delfino take a moment to consider what they're most eager to explore about their respective characters. "I'd like Maria to do a voiceover thing where you're in her head," says Delfino, who spent a good part of last season providing an in-character episode-opening narration of previous events on 'Roswell'. "She says a lot that she doesn't necessarily back up or feel or mean. So I think it would be interesting to get in her head, so that you could hear what she's saying and thinking. It would be interesting with someone like Maria because she's so bizarre."

As for Appleby, she'd like to examined "Liz's independence. She hasn't been an independent character. She so wants a boy to love her and make her feel good about herself for some reason. In the last six episodes of last season, when Alex said she had to go for something, you saw her be strong, & I hope that continues. I lobbied for that. I campaigned for it. I wanted her to go out & try other things. I was very supportive of them bringing in Sean DeLuca, Devon Gummersall's character. Max Evans wasn't available for her. She's a young, intelligent woman. Why isn't she capable of getting another boy if that's what she wants? So it was nice to see her actually have that happen."

As they like to say on 'Roswell': to be continued...


	[ Xpose issue 59 ] [ Earthly delights ] As they prepare for a third season and a new network, Shiri Appleby & Majandra Delfino consider the future of Roswell. Ian Spelling looked up to the stars. A fan outpouring led first to The WB renewing 'Roswell' for a second season and then to UPN picking up the series for a third season after The WB tossed the sci-fi/romance onto the junk heap. "It's so overwhelming & we're just so appreciative," Shiri Appleby, who plays lead human Liz, enthuses. "We have jobs because these people [the fans, particularly the diehards who fired off thousands of bottles of Tabasco sauce & countless bunches of flowers to network executives] love what we do." Though it's been made clear that some members of the 'Roswell' cast didn't want to return for another year & we're hoping that the show wouldn't die would finally pass on, Appleby insists that she was not among those eager to move on. "As an actor, you prepare yourself for it to go either way," says Appleby, who took advantage of her summer break to co-star with Erika Christensen & Jesse Bradford in the tentatively-titled thriller 'Swimfan85', which might best be described as 'Fatal Attraction' set in the high school milieu, with Appleby in the Anne Archer role. Ironically enough, Christensen appeared in the acclaimed drama 'Traffic' alongside Majandra Delfino, while Bradford heads the cast of the upcoming family sci-fi/adventure 'Clockstoppers', which was directed by 'Roswell' executive producer & sometime director Jonathan Frakes. "The show has been such a big part of launching my career that if it were to continue & the writing were to continue the way it was, I'd be happy to do it." Series creator, writer & executive producer Jason Katims recently stated that the show's main characters, Max & Liz, would once again step to the fore when the UPN era begins on Tuesday October 16. Last season, fans of the central romance watched as Max fell for Tess (Emilie De Ravin) and eventually got her pregnant, and Liz nearly landed in the arms of Sean DeLuca (Devon Gummersall). Meanwhile, Isabel & Alex flirted with romance before Tess murdered him, and the ever-contentious Michael & Maria battled more often than they kissed/ It seemed obvious to all, however, that the romance in year two came second to the sci-fi elements. And that, Appleby opines, alienated the core audience. "One of the great aspects about the show was the love & the feelings & the fact that these characters felt so deeply," she says in her familiar husky voice. "When you went too science fiction, you lost a lot of the emotion. Hopefully, this year, with UPN's support, we'll be able to combine the two strengths and the show will blossom. The first season was great, but it was only the love story, which meant that it was Jason [Behr] & I working so many hours a day. The second season was just the sci-fi, so you wanted the emotion, whereas in the first season toy wanted more of a break from it because it was so emotional and took so much out of you. This year, Jason Katims is focusing on giving the audience both aspects, so that they can get involved in the sci-fi craziness of it & still feel for the characters." Fair enough, but can Liz Parker truly ever be happy? "I think there's a happy medium," Appleby says with a laugh. "After a while it becomes rather repetitive to see the characters go through so much and watch them struggle & deal with things the same way. So I think there is a happy medium to be found, especially now that Max & Liz can actually be together. You'll be able to see her happy. You'll see them rebel. They'll get arrested. They'll hold up a convenience store. She'll not be so sad because she's actually going to be with the love of her life versus chasing him. As an actor you want those moments where your character enjoys herself. So, I'm really looking forward to those moments when Jason & I can be these two characters together & happy." As for Majandra Delfino, she's ready for more sparring with Fehr, whom she may or may not have been dating in real life, whom she might or might not be still dating in real life. Of course, some people wonder if Maria & Michael have done enough bickering already & those folks are more than eager to see the couple together & enjoying a bit of contented bliss. So, two couples happy at last? On 'Roswell'? For more than a week? Don't count on it. More fighting and bickering? That's more like it. "I always have faith in what Jason Katims does," Delfino notes. "I never think, 'What's this? I don't know this character like he does. She's not a character inside of me. She's a character that Melinda Metz came up with & Jason Katims brought to life. So I put all my trust in him." Doesn't the actor take control of the character at a certain point? "Yeah, but it's like being a kid," Delfino argues. "A kid is himself or herself, but their parents are their creators & you always remember that if you're a smart, good kid. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with my parent, so to speak, because I just listen to what Jason says. And if I do have a problem, I'll talk to him and say, 'What do you think?' And he'll say, 'I think it's necessary because blah-blah-blah.' And I'll be like 'Cool.' It's that easy & nice." Like her co-star Appleby, Delfino's not complaining about Roswell's latest resurrection. This despite the fact that she's publicly stated that it gets boring playing the same character on a weekly series. "Oh, it's still fun," says the actress, who spent the better part of her summer break recording a CD that may be released later this year. "It's only been two years. It's not like it's 'Beverly Hills 90210'. It's just that it's always great when something different happens episode to episode. Doing something so drastic as 'Summer of '47' [in which the main actors played different but somehow familiar characters] was great. It was like being hired on a movie where you have to have a Southern accent and be in the 1940s. Doing it on the show, it's safe to fall down because if you fall on your face it's not 'Pearl Harbour'. It's just on to the next episode." When the series began a couple of years back, it did so with a bang. Liz was mortally wounded & Max saved her with a gentle, loving & life-restoring touch of his hand. From there on in & for a good long while, Appleby & Behr were unquestioningly the stars of the show. If Liz wasn't getting all moony-eyed over Max, she could usually be found with her understandably confused then-boyfriend Kyle [Nick Wechsler], the son of Sheriff Valenti [William Sadler]. Later, however, 'Roswell' became more & more of an ensemble piece. Tess was paired with Max far more often than Liz, and Liz faded into secondary character status. The change did not go unnoticed by Appleby. "She did [fade] & it bothered me to some degree, but at the same time you acknowledge that you are part of an ensemble show," Appleby says. "There are so many great characters and so many great actors that it's wonderful for the audience to get a little taste of everything. The show went with that, and it was nice to have a break. But I think this season, as I said, will be focused more on Max & Liz getting back together & their trials & tribulations, and also on Isabel's new romance. A lot of things will be going on, but I think the focal point will be the love between Max & Liz, finally." As season three approaches, both Appleby & Delfino take a moment to consider what they're most eager to explore about their respective characters. "I'd like Maria to do a voiceover thing where you're in her head," says Delfino, who spent a good part of last season providing an in-character episode-opening narration of previous events on 'Roswell'. "She says a lot that she doesn't necessarily back up or feel or mean. So I think it would be interesting to get in her head, so that you could hear what she's saying and thinking. It would be interesting with someone like Maria because she's so bizarre." As for Appleby, she'd like to examined "Liz's independence. She hasn't been an independent character. She so wants a boy to love her and make her feel good about herself for some reason. In the last six episodes of last season, when Alex said she had to go for something, you saw her be strong, & I hope that continues. I lobbied for that. I campaigned for it. I wanted her to go out & try other things. I was very supportive of them bringing in Sean DeLuca, Devon Gummersall's character. Max Evans wasn't available for her. She's a young, intelligent woman. Why isn't she capable of getting another boy if that's what she wants? So it was nice to see her actually have that happen." As they like to say on 'Roswell': to be continued...