Recently Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar took some time to take part in a conference call and answer a few questions about BURN NOTICE, which has its season finale tonight, March 4, at 10pm on USA Network. So make sure you don’t miss it and enjoy the interview!
On the evolution of the characters and where they would like to see them go in the future.
Jeffrey Donovan: I know from talking with all the other cast mates, we’re very happy with where it’s going. But sometimes Matt Nix and all the other writers keep us slightly in the character dark, not because they don’t trust us with the knowledge, but they’re just trying to figure it out as well along the way.
When you’re dealing with espionage and covert affairs, sometimes the secret is more exciting than the knowledge. If we were both in charge, I would love a deeper insight into Michael’s past, that’s for me. I don’t know about Gabrielle, what would you like?
Gabrielle Anwar: I’m quite happy with Fiona’s enigmatic state of being. I don’t think I need to know more about, I’d love to know more about where Michael is from, absolutely, but I quite like not knowing. I don’t like to know who I am.
On Michael going somewhere other than Miami in an upcoming episode.
Jeffrey Donovan: It’s the season finale, and it’s really literally in the last five minutes of the show. It’s a bit of a cliffhanger. Michael’s been stuck in Miami for quite some time, and there’s a couple of psychopaths on his tail, and things come to a hilt. And by the end of the show, Michael is actually transported out of Miami, but I can’t tell you where, but it’s a bit of a cliffhanger.
On what first drew them to the show and to their characters.
Gabrielle Anwar: I was drawn to the character, Fiona, I just thought it was so brilliantly written. It was sparingly written, but so insightful. I couldn’t believe that a man had actually written the script, I mean at least her character. When I first met Matt Nix, who created and wrote the script, I actually said to him, you must have a remarkable relationship with your wife, because you have such incredible insight. So that was what intrigued me about playing a character.
When you sign up for a TV show, you don’t know if it’s going to be for a pilot or for the rest of your life, so I wanted to play a character that I enjoyed thoroughly, and there weren’t that many of them out there. So that’s why I clasped onto this script with great hope.
Jeffrey Donovan: I got hooked on the voiceover, the first page is a voiceover, it says, “You know what it’s like to be a spy?” I love the idea that not only do I get to play a spy, I get to play a burn spy, and on top of that, I can talk to the audience about what it’s like being a spy. I thought I had never seen anything like that on television, so that’s what hooked me.
On the upcoming episodes.
Jeffrey Donovan: It’s difficult, because a lot of it is, The Penultimate Episode and then the finale have a lot of cliffhangers and a lot of reveals.
So without giving too much away, Gilroy, who’s basically a psychopath controlling Michael’s actions, has to deliver a plane that has a secret piece of cargo in it and needs Michael’s help to do it. When that happens, you find out it actually is someone quite dangerous, and Michael unfortunately allows him to escape. And then the finale is about trying to capture this psychopath that’s loose.
On what they like about doing television.
Jeffrey Donovan: I think that, especially with cable, it’s an avenue to be creative. I think why people are drawn more now to cable shows than ever is that they take more risks, they’re creatively pushing the envelope. I think that the networks have to answer to a bigger advertising calling, whereas the smaller cables have lower ceilings that they can bump their heads on. So I think that’s why I keep being drawn back to television, because I think it’s one of the most creative outlets.
And if you think about it, we make 16 one-hour movies a season. You don’t get any opportunity like that in movies. I mean, I can’t say I’ll be able to do 16 movies in the next year, and so that’s how I see it.
Gabrielle Anwar: I like the stability, the continuity of having a lifestyle where I know I can pay my rent at the end of each month. And also I have these children that I am raising and it’s nice for all of us to sort of know that we’re going to be in a specific place for a certain amount of time. I’ve never known that in my career. So I’m really quite grateful at this point that I get to have the sort of double existence and I can rely on both.
On whether we will see Larry (Tim Matheson) again.
Jeffrey Donovan: Yes, you will. Larry’s such a pivotal thorn in Michael’s … and that gives my character great ammunition to kind of fight with. He’s a terrific character and Tim’s such a wonderful man and an extraordinary actor. One, we were lucky to get him, and two, he’s actually happy to be on the show and wants to continually come back. He’ll be directing season four’s premiere. And also, he’ll return as Larry at some point in the season.
On who their dream guest stars would be.
Gabrielle Anwar:Steve McQueen.
Jeffrey Donovan: Yes, he’s dead. Gosh, you don’t read the papers.
Gabrielle Anwar: I didn’t realize it had to be somebody who could actually appear on the show, but I would say Steve McQueen.
Jeffrey Donovan: I would love Angelina Jolie.
On possible USA network shows crossovers.
Jeffrey Donovan: I actually would like to do a crossover somehow with White Collar, I think that the show tonally is similar to ours. I don’t know how that would work, but I would like to see that. I don’t think we would work with any other show. I think Psych and Royal Pains don’t figure into our tone.
On their favorite accent or persona and how they get their inspiration to create them.
Gabrielle Anwar: Well, you’re the final king. I don’t know how Jeffrey can come up with these creations that he does. It’s pretty remarkable, especially he’s got such a heavy workload and yet he still can create these fabulous side characters. It’s really, really fun to watch. I don’t have that in my repertoire, so I’m glad it’s all on his shoulders.
Jeffrey Donovan: Oh, sure you do. You played the French character, you played a hillbilly kind of girl, white trash girl.
Gabrielle Anwar: That’s it, we’ve seen all I’ve got.
Jeffrey Donovan: I think a lot of the characters that we play really do come out of a script. The writers are incredibly talented and they really help us with specific dialogue and note and kind of character descriptions.
Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, you do still come up with these fabulous little quirky things, like the chewing tobacco and the tooth picks and it’s really fun. Those little tiny quirks make it so much more interesting than if it were just what was on the page I think.
Jeffrey Donovan: Some people call those crutches, those are crutches. I think those are crutches. But my favorite character of all has to be Michael McBride, the Irish character that I played. It’s because it’s the character that Fiona had fallen in love with, so it’s very dear to my heart.
On their training for all the side tricks on the show.
Jeffrey Donovan: We have an ex-operative that actually is a consultant on our show that Matt Nix and the other writers have access to, so everything that is put into the show gets vetted through him before we air it. Ninety-five percent of it you can find on the Internet anyway, but everything that is put into a script has been researched and vetted, so that when we speak it or we do it, we know it’s actual.
On their most memorable experience with meeting the fans of the show.
Gabrielle Anwar: I think actually to be honest, it’s the fact that so many couples are enjoying it together. It’s become sort of a date night theme, which is really fabulous. I’m happy for bringing the love, it’s all about the love.
Jeffrey Donovan: Yes, that’s actually true, Gabrielle. A lot of husband/wives and boyfriend/girlfriends come up to me, the husband will say, “Oh my gosh, my wife loves the show. I got her into it,” or she’ll say, or a woman will come and say, “My husband didn’t watch the show until I told him about it.” It’s pretty neat that it is kind of a date night for couples.
On whether management will return anytime soon or in season four.
Jeffrey Donovan: Yes, season four is actually pretty remarkable. I met with the writers last week and we kind of broke down the next eight or nine episode ark. A new character is going to be introduced. I don’t know the name yet, but he is going to be a young operative, but he’s going to play a significant new role on the show. And then there is actually going to be a change of management. There’s going to be a new management that controls Michael’s life, and you’ll see Michael have to go on even more dangerous missions under this new management with the new operative.
On what the life that Fiona seeks would look like.
Gabrielle Anwar: I don’t know to be perfectly honest whether she does want to settle down. I don’t think that that is interesting to her at all. I think she wants to feel secure, but again I don’t know what that definition of security might be to her. It’s certainly not your typical conventional idea of marriage for example, but I think she wants to feel secure because she’s a woman and it seems innate in all of us.
On the fight scenes and Jeffrey Donovan’s martial arts training.
Jeffrey Donovan: Actually what you see is 90% me actually. I have a black belt in Shotokan karate, about 15 years experience. I have eight years in Jujitsu and Akito, and about three years of boxing. So what I try to do in every episode is the stunt coordinator makes it safe, but most of the time I choreograph it. And it’s a great relationship, because I will say what would really happen here is this, and then he comes in and makes it safe for the guest stars. And if something gets too physical, then the stunt men come in and take over.
On whether it’s getting easier to play the characters and whether there are new challenges they are facing now.
Jeffrey Donovan: I’m getting older. And as you get older it’s harder to run and jump over cars and beat up bad guys, but it becomes easier in some ways because you know the characters so well, so it’s a little bit of both.
Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, I always get a little anxious like the first day of school when we’ve had our hiatus and we’re coming back, because I think I’m not as insane as I was when we started shooting, which really landed itself to Fiona. And now I’m afraid I might be getting a little boring in my old age, so I think that I don’t know if I can step into her shoes and deliver. I have that anxiety before we start shooting.
Jeffrey Donovan: Oh, you underestimate your insanity.
Gabrielle Anwar: Really? Oh, thank you, I really appreciate that support.
On whether they have ever tried any of the spy tips they give on the show.
Jeffrey Donovan: No. No, absolutely not.
Gabrielle Anwar: Not the spy tips, no, but I do think that I can do super human things like drive my car at 150 miles an hour on the PCH and then get into trouble for it.
On the addition of Chris Vance as Mason Gilroy to the show.
Jeffrey Donovan: He’s definitely added a great tension to every scene that I’m in with him, and I think kind of a great super villain that kind of governs over the show. I think the best part of Burn Notice is always when the villain or guest star is either more talented, smarter, or crazier than the rest of the cast, because it ups all our game.
Gabrielle Anwar: Yes, I agree. I don’t actually get to work with Gilroy, but I agree with you. There’s nothing more inspiring than to have to pull everything you have out of your back pocket on the stage. And we have so little time to rehearse and to find everything imaginable in one scene, that when you do have this fantastic talent to work with, it really is, it’s fun, it makes it so much more enjoyable.
On their favorite part about filming in Miami.
Jeffrey Donovan: I actually love the weather, to be honest with you. I love that the climate is constantly being washed and rinsed. You’re living in the Caribbean in the United States and sometimes it’s incredible blue skies and sometimes it’s an incredible thunderstorm that kind of screams through, but I love that part of Florida.
On the most dangerous stunt they have had to do.
Gabrielle Anwar: I don’t like fighting with Jeffrey, because I always hurt him. Because I don’t know what I’m doing, and he’s such an expert, and I always manage to accidentally cause some damage.
Jeffrey Donovan: Yes, the most dangerous is either a bomb or something going off or a fight with Gabrielle. They’re about the same.
On a favorite or challenging scene that stands out to them.
Jeffrey Donovan: Yes, I really love a scene that kind of came out of working with Gabrielle this past season where we created a scene that wasn’t necessarily on the page where I slap her across the face. And Gabrielle did such an incredible performance of having to deal with her feelings for Michael hitting her and then acting as an undercover character. That I think was probably some of the best work I’ve ever seen her do and that was one of the most memorable moments for me.
Gabrielle Anwar: Thank you.
On whether we’ll ever see flashback episodes of how Michael and Fiona met, or how Bruce met both of them.
Jeffrey Donovan: Flashback has been talked about, but not in a nice way. We’re not, one, we’ve never done a flashback ever of anything and it’s just not a device that we employ, so I doubt it, but I can’t rule it out. One of my favorite episodes of Magnum PI, which I was a fan of was when Tom Selleck got knocked off a boat and he had to wade in the water until he was picked up. So they just basically shot him for about a half an hour wading in the water and then did the entire show of flashbacks. I liked that idea.
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