Two roles of differing tones on two highly-rated programs have given up-and-coming actor Guy Wilson plenty of self-assurance that he is where he needs to be.
Wilson examines his portrayal of smug, punkish Internet millionaire Jeffrey McGuigan on Castle and of openly gay teen Navy recruit Paul Simmons on NCIS, and he insightfully divulges why both shows owe much of their success to their leads.
On Castle and Nathan Fillion
AH: What did you know about Castle and NCIS before you auditioned for the guest spots? Were you a fan of either show?
GW: In all truthfulness, I can't say that I was a fan, although I certainly was not not a fan. Castle, when it first came out, I remember I auditioned for a guest-star role on either the first or the second episode of the first season. I didn't go very far in that audition process, but I knew of the show and I knew that it had a strong following.
Watching something like Castle, the most important thing to know about that show is the relationship between Castle and his partner, Beckett. It's like a hot-and-cold, give-and-take deal, and that's where a lot of the comedy comes in, the light-hearted tension between the two of them. The show has a bubbly nature to it that's really fun.
One of the things my acting coach pointed out to me is Castle is one of those shows where if you wanted to guest-star, your purpose as a guest star is to serve the leads of the show. You want to give them information and then give them a bounce board, some sort of an interference against their normal character choices.
On Castle with my character, they wanted me to basically be a Mark Zuckerberg. Because The Social Network just came out, they wanted a Mark Zuckerberg-type character: a young jerk, just to be as snotty as possible.
That kind of a personality is the perfect foil for Castle, who's really a pretty humble, down-to-earth, quirky guy. I think that's part of why that scene was, I feel like, a funny scene, because the writers were skilled enough to come up with a character archetype that completely offset Castle and Beckett.
As far as doing one scene on a show, that's the best kind of one scene you can do as an actor.
AH: That's gotta be a lively set, doesn't it?
GW: It absolutely is. One thing I will say about Nathan Fillion: The man is just a natural leader, and he's one of the classiest guys I've ever worked with. He's truly an actor's actor. But what I love about him is just the selflessness. He knows everyone on set on a first-name basis; he's always in touch with what's going on; he's professionally prepared; and he's like he welcomes you into his family.
Even when I was on set I overheard crewmembers talking about how being on this set is such a joy compared to other sets they've been on.
NCIS: "The Most Important Work I've Done"
AH: Going from Castle to NCIS, I've been reading a lot of reactions to the NCIS episode through show recaps and there are so many who think it was one of the show's strongest in quite awhile. Your performance had a lot to do with that, and you really owned the second half of it. What do you take with you from being in that episode?
GW: That's a very good question. Honestly, I think the first thing that comes to mind is confidence as an actor. That role on NCIS for so many reasons was the most important work I've done to date. And not just because of the size of the role or the amount of time I had on screen. But just because of the important nature of the debate.
When you can do what you love in a forum that also addresses social issues, that is truly what it's all about. To have an opportunity to play I believe one of the first openly gay characters on the show, and to do it with such a strong surrounding cast, it was truly a blessing.
It's not that I was nervous going into it, but I also knew that I had made it. When I was driving to set each morning, I was able to step back and recognize that I was no longer on the outside looking in. I belong here. I have what it takes to tell this kind of a story. And I can just let go and have fun doing it and just trust my instincts.
The fact that it turned out so wonderful, the kind of positive reaction the episode has gotten—and I've gotten a lot of very positive feedback from people at CBS and viewers—sort of validates the belief I've had in myself, and that every actor tries to cultivate. That we as individuals belong in this town and that pursuing your dream as an actor is worthwhile.
AH: And what about the give-and-take you were lucky to have with a cagey veteran like Mark Harmon?
GW: It was amazing. It was so cool, going from Nathan Fillion to Mark Harmon. There's no question in my mind why they are so successful at what they do. Mark Harmon, again, is another total class act.
My first day on set, he walks up to me and asks me if I'd like some coffee. And I'm like, "Oh, yeah, sure," and he disappears, and then comes back 30 seconds later. And he went and got a cappuccino for me and brought it straight to me personally. I was just stunned. I mean, he's an executive producer on the show. He wanted to make a point to extend that kind of hospitality to me on his set.
Working with him as an actor was also great. He makes the most of very little. He's a minimalist with his acting.
For a lot of those scenes, especially in the second half of the episode, when we're doing the interrogation and later when it's revealed who the killer is when we're at my home, he's speaking to me about why I behaved the way that I did. He has this presence and this energy about him that just makes it so easy to sink into this other reality and to tell this story from a point of truth.
I never really felt like I was acting, and that's how you know you're doing a good job, when it doesn't feel like you're acting. You feel like you're organically living from moment to moment. That's what Mark Harmon does. And you can see each of his thought processes occur behind his eyes. If you say a line to him, you see him take it in and consider it, and he sort of reacts naturally. He's got a great rhythm to it.
I learned a lot as an actor, and again I learned a lot about what it means to be in a position of leadership in Hollywood. Like any actor, I dream of having my own show where I'm top dog. Working with Nathan Fillion and then Mark Harmon, and seeing first-hand how you run a successful show as an actor and how you make sure that everyone's getting along, it's very political.
But if you do it right, it becomes a family. And that was the first time I'd experienced that. Being able to do that back-to-back with two different shows was a real treat.
Alex Hoffman - Alex Hoffman is a graduate of the University of Kansas' journalism school whose credits include Midwest Commercial Journal, Lawrence ...
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