The Arlene Bynon Show - Friday March 16, 2001
 

Arlene: Right now he's one of the stars of the Global sitcom "Big Sound" - Colin Cunningham. He's a strange actor because he left his native LA for Canadian soil. Special welcome to Colin Cunningham.

Colin: Thank you for having me.

We think that's weird here in Canada.

I tell ya, that may be way back when, but not anymore. I hope it doesn't start happening a lot because Vancouver...

Are they lining up, are they lining up down there in LA?

If they're smart they are, there's a lot of work in Vancouver, and Canada is just a wonderful place to live and work.

We still find that because we have, you know great government inquiries into why people are heading down to the United States. They could use you in the Liberal party.

I remember thinking when I first decided to come to Canada, I was like "leave Hollywood? Leave LA? You don't do that. You come from everywhere all over the world to be in LA," and here I was thinking about leaving it. But I'm glad I did.

But you were leaving your home. It's psychological, isn't it?

Yeah, I think look, if I was born and raised in Vancouver, I would be thinking about going to LA. If you're born in the Bahamas, you know it's like if you see one more palm tree...

You want snow...you want New York...

Exactly, you want something different.

That's what happens. So we're good for you, then?

Absolutely, oh God, my life changed when I crossed the border.

Did it?

Without a doubt, without a doubt!

As soon as you put your toe across?

It felt different, I felt different and I made a vow to myself that I would never go back to LA.

Really?

Yeah, honestly. I'd have put a bullet in my head before I went back.

Really, now Canadians love to hear this. You must tell us what we're offering.

Oh God, it was terrible. I went to film school for the first six months just to give myself...

And that's why you went there?

Well, yeah, that is why.

It was the excuse.

Well, it was like it wasn't happening at the speed that I wanted it to happen in LA. It was like I got so tired of "hey give me a job," tugging on other people's shirt-sleeves for a future. I thought, "I can do this, I'm going to make my own movie and I'll put myself in it" and you know, all that kind of stuff.

And I'll do it in Canada where it's easier to do.

Totally, well I thought "I'll go to film school. Well, all the film schools, UCLA, USC, they're all in LA. I don't want to be in LA anymore. I don't want to go to NYU, that's going from LA to NY" - and I saw a little ad for the Vancouver Film School in Vancouver and I thought" perfect...it's not even in the country." So that's what I did.

There you go, and it happened. Now "Big Sound," we have to congratulate you. You must be thrilled on how it's all going.

It's been fantastic. It's basically been my first full, no it hasn't been...

Proper?

Actually, yes and no. I've done other series and stuff but to have...

This is the one with all the promotion.

This is the one that's probably got the most for me to do. I'm one of the leads on this show and it's a real delight to show up every single day and play this wonderful character with such wonderful material.

Okay, now this is about inside the music industry, we have had Jann Arden on the show. She was great and wonderful. We're going to run a clip of it. What is this we're about to see?

The clip we're going to show is basically, a rock-star at Big Sound. A total prima-donna jerk.

Not like the guy we just had on the show. We just had a guy on the show.

A crazed rock-star dies. He od's in the Big Sound bathroom.

What a surprise?!

So they decide to basically produce, my character Nick Keester decides to produce a funeral and he's going to get Scott Stapp from Creed to sing the tune and sort of do it like when Diana died, rework a song and basically it's the producing of a funeral and this is the funeral that they're about to have in front of the cameras and all that kind of stuff.

Shameless manipulator you are in the show, let's take a look.

[Clip from "The Day The Music Croaked"]

It is a good part to have.

Oh, it's a fantastic part to have.

How do you do your research? You hang out in musical corners?

I worked with an agent in Los Angeles who was one of these really, "hey look, this is what we've got to do, I've got lunch at 2:00 and...

"Talk to me, talk to me..."

...And "LA, hang on a second, NY" - and he was one of these guys and, yet ultimately there was a sweetness to him.

There is about those people.

Yeah, it was weird, almost like, I mean, he wasn't malicious, it was almost like, "if I keep talking and just keep talking nobody will know how sad I am." He was a strange guy and I liked him. Everybody else hated him, but I liked him. He reminds me of a total fish out of water. A nerd that never quite fit in. So now he's got money and buys a $150 haircut and he's got the clothes. And they're trying to compensate for the fact he was an outcast.

But still he is the guy he was before.

Yes.

How did you know you got the part? Did you know because..

This is how I knew I was in the running. I went and did the audition and I felt really good. I felt very good at what I was doing and I was reading with the Casting Director. And the next thing they said "hold on a second, have him read with Greg," and Greg Evigan, the star of the show, comes from the back and you can't really see anybody because it's dark back there and Greg sits across the table and I thought "oh, my God, I'm about to read for lead of the series you know." That's when I knew I'm in the running for this. They wanted to see how we were going to play off each other, so that was the first inclination.

It's a wonderful idea because inside the music industry is just so rich.

It's the first show, I think that's ever been done that's been behind the microphone, maybe "WKRP" but that was sort of behind-the-scenes at a radio station.

Similar, but not the same.

Whereas..and great perks as an actor, 'cos you get new musical celebrities showing up each week. Melissa Etheridge...and for me to meet Stewart Copeland from the Police was a really big deal.

And it also marries the sitcom to the music world. You get a bit of both. It must be great to work with that kind of production team. David Steinberg and all his experience. I interviewed him just before the show I guess, just when it was launched and he was so very excited about it.

When I first heard that David was attached...

Couldn't believe it?

I was like, I definitely want this job. I want to work with this man because there's always been a real intelligence behind David's humor. It's not just a pie-in-the-face and pratfalls and sex jokes. There's a real intelligence behind the scripts consistently and I've been very happy to be part of such material.

What do your pals say back in L.A.?

Back in LA?

What are they saying about all this stuff?

Well, "congratulations, that's awesome."

Do they get it though? Are they happy? Is there respect for Canadians down there?

There's respect for good work. I think ultimately, I mean if I walk out of an Italian movie you know, I don't think "wow, that was a great Italian movie," it was a good movie. A good movie is a good movie. So, I've never, me personally, I've never really cared whether it was Canadian or American or Danish, just as long as it's good.

Well maybe you're not like everybody else, because there is criticism if it's not made in America it's crap.

Yeah, but it's the same thing in Canada, if it's not made in Canada, it's crap.

Oh no, we have the same other stuff. Our problem is not that problem. We have whole teams of therapists wanting to help us with the fact that if it's made in America, it's better. We used to think that, we're getting over that now.

I think it would be a wonderful thing if everybody took pride first and foremost in the fact that it's good and then secondly take pride in the fact that it's Canadians that are producing what is good.

That's what we have to do. That's absolutely beautiful.

Forget if it's Canadian or American. Just make it good. And then take pride that it was made in your own backyard.

We've been saying this for ages and now you're recommending it. Why are Canadians so funny?

Why are Canadians funny?

We're very funny. We have lots of famous people who aren't living in Vancouver like you, they left Canada to live in LA.

Maybe because they've got a different perspective because they're not raised in the States and so they can see an American...

How crazy you are?

Well, yeah, definitely. So they have a different angle on it so they can see it in a perspective that's fresh and new. Makes other people go, "that's right, that's funny."

So what do you want to do? You're here for good to act forever?

I'm here to act, if I'm able, if I can keep my employment happy and I'm actually working on a new series for CBS, called "Wolf Lake."

Traitor. Traitor you are.

I know, I'm just a total job whore.

And where are they shooting this after all the stuff about Canada.

They're shooting it in Vancouver.

Okay, you win.

Called "Wolf Lake."

Yeah.

About?

Well there's wolves and a lake and there's people...

Cottage country.

Kind of a "Twin Peaks" sort of mystical kind of thing.  John Dahl is directing. He did "Last Seduction" and "Red Rock West," and it looks pretty good.

Congratulations on everything, and congratulations on "Big Sound." It's doing great and it's absolutely funny.

Thank-you very much.

Wonderful to have you, stay here in this country. We need reverse brain drain stuff.

I will. No intention of going back.

Okay, I'm going to hold you to that.

We've been speaking with Colin Cunningham star of Global's "Big Sound." Check your local listings and don't go away.